<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</SPAN></span></p>
<div class="figleft"> <ANTIMG src="images/i152.png" width-obs="195" height-obs="419" alt="T" title="T" /></div>
<h2 class="left r8">CHAPTER XVI</h2>
<p class="st">THE EARTHQUAKE<br/>
AND VOLCANO</p>
<p class="cap"><span class="upper">The</span> big glass with not so much as
a single drop tasted by Emil Muller’s
lips fell from his hand with
a loud crash, and its contents
flowed like an amber-colored river
along the floor.</p>
<p>Almost instantly at the Red
Spirit’s startling announcement
Dragonfel had sprung up from his
throne stiff and rigid, and was regarding
the embryo musicians with
a glare of peculiar malevolence.</p>
<p>“The Brownies!” he involuntarily ejaculated. “I thought
they played too well for a German band!”</p>
<p>Queen Titania, Dame Drusilda, Violet, and Daffodil had
also risen as though they had received an electric shock. Their
breath came fast in their sudden agitation. They started to<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</SPAN></span>
go to the musicians, but Wolfinger, Mandrake, and Snoutpimple
roughly grasped them, and held them back.</p>
<p>Realizing the failure of a deception that might have achieved
success had it not been for the sly spying of the malicious Red
Spirit, Emil Muller, otherwise King Stanislaus, turned and
faced Dragonfel, his very attitude hurling a strong challenge
of defiance.</p>
<p>Knowing that further subterfuge would be useless, the
doughty monarch in a flash whisked off his false nose and
moustache, and slipped from his baggy clothes. Likewise
Louie Knobloch, Peter Dinkelspeil, Hermann Sweinskopf, and
Jacob Schnittger removed their disguises, and the unmistakable
features of the Sailor, Policeman, German, and Irishman
were revealed. “Yes, we are the Brownies,” cried King
Stanislaus, “come to demand the instant surrender of Queen
Titania and her companions.”</p>
<p>“Idiots!” snarled Dragonfel, in a fury. “You have rushed
to your destruction!” And he clapped his hands together, and
shouted to his followers around him: “What ho, there!
Summon everyone in the palace! We’ll see that these presumptuous
sprites meet with fitting punishment.”</p>
<p>The Demon Usher half flew, and half ran, with even more
celerity than usual, to do his bidding. With teeth showing, and
fists clenched, the infuriated enchanter advanced threateningly
toward the intrepid members of the band who looked at him
without even so much as flinching.</p>
<p>“Have a care!” warned King Stanislaus. “Beware of the
Brownies’ mystic power!” And, turning to the Sailor, he
added: “Quick! the signal!”</p>
<p>Instantly the Sailor blew a deafening blast upon his cornet,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</SPAN></span>
and in a trice there was the pounding of many fists upon the
outer doors, with crashing sounds as though heavy logs were
being directed with the force of many hands against them.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i153.png" width-obs="448" height-obs="452" alt="He clapped his hands together" title="" /></div>
<p>Under the fierce, determined assault the doors gave way and
toppled in, while through the opening swarmed and crowded
the band of eager Brownies, with Prince Florimel in their lead.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>At almost the same instant, through other doors, poured
Dragonfel’s hosts, with Vulcan’s red imps somersaulting and
leaping among them, and there were so many of them, and all
so big and powerful, they well might cause dismay to the
stoutest heart.</p>
<p>“So be it then!” cried Dragonfel, grandiloquently, for the
sight of all these great, hulking fellows gave him renewed confidence.
“It is power against power!”</p>
<p>And, striking a pompous attitude, he cleared his throat, and
placed his hand on his chest.</p>
<p>“Stand back!” shouted King Stanislaus. “He’s going to
speak a piece!”</p>
<p>Then Dragonfel poetically spouted:</p>
<div class="centered"><div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="i0a">“Much rather than in spite of me,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">The union of these bands should be,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">From thy long rest, oh, Vulcan, wake;<br/></span>
<span class="i0">Let earth to its dark centre quake,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">And these strong walls that round us stand<br/></span>
<span class="i0">Come crumbling down in lime and sand!”<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>This incantation, punctuated, as it were, by Vulcan’s imps,
who threw balls of fire into the air where the commas, semicolon,
and exclamation point are above transcribed, was delivered
with only fair elocutionary ability, but its effect was
electrifying.</p>
<p>Almost with the last word uttered by his vindictive lips a
tremor ran through the earth that brought to all a sickening
sensation of fear. The heavy walls and ornate supporting pillars
shook, tottered, and then fell with a terrific crash, that
might well horrify all, as the vibrations of the earth continued.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>In another instant the magnificent palace lay in ruins illumined
by fierce flames that leaped wildly from the apex of the
volcano and licked with fiery tongues the very sky.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i154.png" width-obs="457" height-obs="433" alt="Ruins" title="" /></div>
<p>Shrieking and screaming with the horror of it all Dragonfel’s
followers and the Brownies alike ran hither and thither,
their warfare temporarily forgotten in this more appalling danger
that suddenly had come to them. In their fright some<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</SPAN></span>
sought ridiculous places of refuge but it was a matter of speed.</p>
<p>True to their nature to help in all times of distress, the
Brownies worked well to save things from complete ruin, and
if the proper implements had been at hand the havoc would not
have been so severe. But Vulcan was in no mood to quit the
quake that was felt in all parts of the palace.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i155.png" width-obs="391" height-obs="287" alt="The State bed-chamber" title="" /></div>
<p>Even the State bed-chamber was not exempt, and things that
had gone up with great care and cost came down with great
crash and confusion.</p>
<p>But more terrible danger menaced them. The shock of the
earthquake was over, and had wrought utter ruin. Still, as
far as could be learned, in all the confusion, uproar, and wild
excitement no lives had been lost. Far greater peril, however,
threatened from which there did not seem to be a possible<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</SPAN></span>
way of escape, new horrors faced them on every side.</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i156.png" width-obs="328" height-obs="235" alt="Conversation" title="" /></div>
<p>Round and pear-shaped volcanic bombs shot up with tremendous
velocity from the crater’s boiling mouth, formed from
the precious minerals stored for centuries deep in the treasury
of the earth. And all of these in a molten red-hot liquid mass
were flowing
swiftly and irresistibly
in a
bubbling, hissing,
steaming,
seething, blood-red
river
straight on to
where the unfortunate
Brownies
were among
the ruins of
the once proud and haughty palace.</p>
<p>Before all this occurred Florimel’s quick eye had noticed the
audacious Red Spirit with his stolen bow and arrows, and he
had sprung forward to wrest them from him. But the strange,
repulsive creature evaded him mockingly, and flew off with
his booty.</p>
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<p>The disappointment of the prince was transformed to delight
when the next moment he beheld Titania running to him with
arms extended. But they never met, for before she could reach
his side the terrible catastrophe of the earthquake and volcano
happened, and they were jostled and crowded apart by the
throng, who in their great terror seemed to have lost all control<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</SPAN></span>
of their senses.
In all the turmoil
careful watch was
kept of the captives.
Nearer and nearer
came the molten
stream of lava, and
hotter and hotter
grew its scorching
breath, while huge
trees in its remorseless
path flared up
and shriveled away
in an instant.</p>
<p>When the stunning
shock to his nerves
was exhausting itself,
King Stanislaus
in a dazed way
began to think, with
the full realization
that whatever there
was to be done had
to be accomplished quickly.</p>
<p>Suddenly he recalled the frame building they had passed in<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</SPAN></span>
going to the palace. If it housed as he most fervently hoped
it did a complete equipment for fighting fires it might prove the
very means by which the Brownies could grapple with a situation
that was becoming more and more intolerable.</p>
</div>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i158.png" width-obs="455" height-obs="294" alt="Escape" title="" /></div>
<p>Promptly he communicated his plan to various members of
the band, as he spied them, and the word was passed around
from one to the other, until all were fully conversant with His
Majesty’s views. And very soon all these agile sprites, with
King Stanislaus and Prince Florimel in the lead, were racing
helter-skelter back to the wooden structure that bore the inscription:
<span class="lower">NEPTUNE HOOK AND LADDER CO. NO. 1.</span></p>
<p>They broke in the doors, and soon were prying into every
nook and corner of the place. And, while King Stanislaus
forthwith seized a fire-trumpet that was hanging from a hook
on the wall, Brownies were donning with the greatest haste fire<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</SPAN></span>
helmets that even with paper stuffed in them came down over
their ears, and putting on rubber boots and coats intended by
Dragonfel for his followers, and which proved but sorry fits,
for the boots came well up over their waists, and had to be
turned back, and the coats trailed after them like the long
trains of fashionable ladies’ gowns.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i159.png" width-obs="448" height-obs="330" alt="Antiquated" title="" /></div>
<p>The energetic monarch was rather disappointed to find upon
inspection that the machine instead of being one of the modern,
up-to-date kind was of a very antiquated type, a brake-engine
with man-handles that had to be worked by hand to throw a
stream of water. But he was greatly relieved to discover that
there was an abundant supply of hose, for in providing himself
with this the enchanter evidently had made a nice calculation<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</SPAN></span>
of the distance from the crater of the volcano to the stand-pipe
connection in the palace, and he had allowed plenty to spare.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i160.png" width-obs="451" height-obs="419" alt="The hose-carriage" title="" /></div>
<p>In stentorian tones His Majesty shouted out his orders
through the fire-trumpet, and the Brownies hauled out the engine
and hose-carriage. Then they all took hold of the long
ropes attached to them, and started on a run for Dragonfel’s
ruined palace, that now was little more than a tumbled heap.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>Brownies perched on the engine, and one kept clanging the
bell furiously. Some who ran with the ropes tripped on the
trailing tails of their rubber coats, but they never let go, and
were dragged along by their surer-footed companions.</p>
<p>After they had gone some distance the Policeman began
shouting in remonstrance, and King Stanislaus ordered a halt
to hear what he had to say. “What is it, officer?” asked His
Majesty. “We’ve got to go back,” panted the Policeman.
“Some of us forgot to put on red shirts.”</p>
<div class="figright"> <ANTIMG src="images/i161.png" width-obs="253" height-obs="115" alt="Caught" title="" /></div>
<p>Though King Stanislaus felt very much chagrined at such
neglect, he realized that it was now too late to remedy this most
important matter, for every passing moment was precious. So
he bellowed through the
trumpet instructions to
continue, and pulling and
straining at the ropes they
flew on, with the engine
and hose-carriage bumping,
lurching, and swaying
after them.</p>
<p>On and on they went, pit-patting at last across the rickety
old wooden bridge, but before they could drag the engine across
it one of the planks snapped in two under its weight, and the
wheels on one side went down through the opening almost as far
as the water below.</p>
<p>The engine was firmly stuck, and though the Brownies tugged
and strained at the rope, puffing, panting, and exerting all their
strength, they could not even so much as budge it.</p>
<p>Nearer and nearer came the terrible river of fire, and the
volcano seemed to be reaching even greater activity. It looked
as though this effort of the Brownies was in vain.</p>
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