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The Queen's Scarlet, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 29. A Fiery Trial |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY NINE. A FIERY TRIAL It needed no explanation. Dick grasped in an instant, as he sprang to his feet, that the whole roof of the marquee had become filled with escaped gas, and that at last this had exploded, bursting up the canvas, which had fallen back with the chandeliers, drapery, flags, decorations, and broken poles on the gaily-dressed crowd within, burying them helplessly. The shrieks and cries increased as Dick tore off back along the side of the fallen tent, heedless of the heaving and sinking of the canvas and the figures struggling out beneath the edges. For he had but one thought: to get in by the way he had come and try and help those he knew--Lacey and the tall, fair girl who had been seated there a few minutes before. As he reached the mess-room end the smothered cries and shrieks were horrible; but people were struggling out fast now, and officers in uniform could be seen dragging ladies from beneath the canvas. In other places, knives were being plunged through and slits made from within, out of which hands appeared, and, the holes being enlarged, people were rapidly dragged out by the servants and soldiers who came hurrying up from the barrack yard and by those who had been outside listening. And all the time, amidst the hubbub of cries, appeals, and groans, the canvas kept on heaving where the frightened, suffocating people beneath were struggling together now and fighting vainly to escape. Suddenly one of the bandsmen put his cornet to his lips and blew a familiar call, with the result that a number of the soldiers fell into line. One of the escaped officers began to give short, sharp, decisive orders, and then, leading and directing the men, an attack was made upon the canvas ropes. Stakes were torn up, and great openings made, out of which numbers escaped--the ladies with their gay ball habiliments torn, their hair dishevelled, many of them to fall fainting and be borne into the ball-room by the side entrance. These efforts were soon being continued on all sides, the military discipline displaying itself more and more as the officers got free and then kept back the gathering crowd and those who made frantic efforts to help, but only hindered, the workers. The doctors were established in the tea-room, which was turned into a hospital, and the insensible and injured were rapidly borne in to them, while the cooler people who kept their heads, assisted. It was quite time that the aid was effectual, for now a fresh horror was making itself evident. The explosion had resulted in darkness; but in two places smoke was arising, and one of these spots was where the canvas and poles lay thickest, and from whence Dick, who worked frantically, had dragged over a dozen people out, and helped to bear others who lay insensible, suffocated by those who had fallen and crushed them down. Again and again he had plunged in under the canvas, feeling in the darkness amidst entangled chairs, portions of the table, with the chaos of broken china, glass, and cutlery, hoping that he was exactly in the place where Miss Deane must be, but always disappointed and helping to carry out someone else. At last, when the fire began to burn, and the suffocating smoke to roll out, people hung back, and cries were raised for the engine and for buckets of water. But the barrack engine was already there, at the far end of the wreck, and the soldiers who manned it were striving hard to get out the hose and fit it together. "My niece! my niece!" shrieked a voice close by; and, recognising the frantic woman who strove to escape from those who held her and to aid in the search, Dick made a fresh plunge in beneath the canvas, working round, cutting himself badly, and still in vain, till, half-suffocated, he was forced to try and creep back, but only to find that there in the darkness, where he was crawling, he had lost his way. For a few minutes his senses reeled, and he felt as if all were over; but he recovered directly, for, in groping along, his hands touched something soft--a warm, bare arm, and the next minute he realised its owner's position. She was held tightly by someone, and there were pieces of the frame of the marquee and a portion of a pole forcing them down; while over all the folds of the canvas and drapery lay thick. Left to himself Dick, and those whom he had found, must have perished; but as he struggled up, and beat at the tent overhead, there arose assuring shouts from without. Orders were given; as many men as could get a grip of the canvas seized it, and, just as Dick's senses were going, a strip of the marquee was dragged from over them, and then willing hands extricated the lady and the officer, who had evidently fallen with her while trying to bear her forth. A few moments in the free air revived Dick, and he gasped out, as the men around began to talk-- "Who--who was it?" "Mr Lacey--a lady," were the words that came back. That was enough. He felt sure of whom it would be, and turned once more towards the ridge of wood and canvas, from which flames were now beginning to leap. "Keep back, my lad! Are you mad?" shouted an officer.--"Here--quick now--pass buckets!" Dick's answer was to give his hand a wave and dash right in among the smoke, two soldiers who tried to stop him just missing his arm as he plunged in. "Here, who was that?" cried the colonel, who now came up, panting. "One of the bandsmen, sir--the lad must have gone mad!" "No," cried the colonel; "he must have known that someone was still there. The orchestra was there at that end; he has gone to save one of his comrades. Pass the buckets, my lads.--A dozen, here: take this piece of canvas and haul!" The men seized the piece pointed out and dragged at it, when a volume of smoke rolled forth; and as they got it farther away, and let in the air, there was a flash of light and then a report, as a jet of flame shot up into the air, followed by a steady, fluttering spurt of light, for a huge jet from a broken gas-pipe burned furiously. "No matter--no good!" cried the colonel. "Keep back with those buckets! Who knows where they fitted the valve to turn this off?" There was no answer, and the place now grew light; the woodwork began to blaze, the canvas to emit huge clouds of smoke, and the men around kept on making dashes in to try and find the lad who had entered the burning wreck. It was all plain enough to see; the broken gas-pipe was flaring on the shattered woodwork of the orchestra, and this and the tables and chairs upon which it had fallen were burning fiercely, and lighting up the crowd of soldiers, officers, guests, and ladies who, less hurt than their companions, were fascinated by the scene. "There's a man in there burning," shouted the colonel--"perhaps two. Volunteers, follow me!" He led the brave fellows, who sprang forward right into the fire and smoke; but they were beaten back, scorched and blinded, and an awful silence fell upon the crowd, while the woodwork crackled and sputtered and the gas-main sent forth its great waving pillar of flame, roaring with a sonorous note; and all felt that the scarlet-coated figure they had seen leap in had gone to his death. Just then up came, running, several men dragging the fire-engine hose, led by one bearing the bright copper branch. "Now pump!" shouted an officer; but the order was checked by a yell of "No!" as the back of a figure was suddenly seen leaning toward them; then a couple of steps were taken, and it was seen that whoever it was had hold of another's arm, and was dragging him out. With a cheer, half a dozen men--one of whom was Jerry--sprang in through the burning woodwork, and dragged both out into safety, to be borne directly after--just recognisable as a bandsman and an officer--through the mess-room to where the doctors were hard at work, but so far without having had one serious case. Dick was the first to come to, just as the colonel hurried in for a few moments to inquire how the two injured men were, and came up to where the doctor was kneeling by the young fellow, applying cottonwool and oil to his burned hands. "How is he?" said the colonel, anxiously. "Ask him," said the doctor, shortly; "he can speak for himself--can't you, my lad?" "Oh, yes, sir. My hands smart a good deal; but how is that man I ran back to get out?" "You ran back to get him out, my lad?" said the colonel. "Yes; I kicked against him. He was pinned down by some trestles and a tent-pole," said Dick, speaking in a feverish, excited way. "Do tell me how he is." "Rather bad yet, so one of my colleagues says," replied the doctor. The colonel hurried across the room to where two doctors were attending the officer, who was giving them great cause for anxiety, for he had been burned a good deal about one side of the head, and had been so nearly suffocated that a long course of the treatment used for the apparently drowned had been necessary before he began to breathe regularly again. The colonel stood by the improvised couch for some minutes before some words uttered by the doctor in attendance relieved him sufficiently to enable him to return to help the members of his mess and allay the sufferings and anxieties of the guests. "He's better," he said, pausing for a few moments beside the regimental surgeon, who was still tending Dick. "By the way, come and see to some of the ladies now." "While I am bandaging this poor fellow, and while I am expecting fresh cases every moment?" "No--no, there are no more; the canvas has all been drawn away, and the place carefully explored." "Very well; I'll come as soon as I can. You'll have plenty of civilian doctors to see to them." "Colonel!" cried Dick, sharply. "Will you be quiet, sir?" cried the surgeon.--"Don't take any notice; he's a little light-headed!" "No, I'm not!" said Dick, angrily. "I know what I'm saying.--Colonel!" "What is it, my lad?" "Is Lieutenant Lacey much hurt?" "No, scarcely at all." "And the lady?" "Do you want to be very bad, sir?" cried the doctor. "Hold your tongue!" "Yes, doctor, directly; but I want to know, colonel!" "Yes, yes, my lad," said the old officer, laying his hand upon the youth's arm. "Tell me about the lady." "She has come to her senses; not burned, only terribly alarmed. She will be able to thank you for your bravery!" "Oh, nonsense!" said Dick, hurriedly, and with a singular abstention in his semi-delirium from the use of the title of respect--_sir_; "anyone would have done the same. Now tell me about the poor fellow over yonder." "I forbid you to ask another question!" cried the doctor, angrily. "Let him hear what he wants, and then I'll go," said the colonel, quietly. "What do you want to know, my lad?" "Who is it? Which of the gentlemen of the mess?" "Neither," said the colonel, quietly. "It is one of our guests-- Lieutenant Sir Mark Frayne." Dick's jaw dropped, and his eyes dilated widely, as the colonel now walked sharply away. _ |
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