A
struggle for
life.
Page
140.
THE
BEGUM'S FORTUNE. BY
JULES VERNE.
TRANSLATED BY W.
[
H. G.
KINGSTON.
WIT...
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A
struggle for
life.
Page
140.
THE
BEGUM'S FORTUNE. BY
JULES VERNE.
TRANSLATED BY W.
[
H. G.
KINGSTON.
WITH AN ACCOUNT OK
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
PHILADELPHIA J.
B.
:
LIPPINCOTT AND MARKET STREET.
CO.,
LONDON
:
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.
CONTENTS. CHAPTER ENTER MR. SHARP
PAGE i
CHAPTER A
I.
.
II.
PAIR OF CHUMS
16
CHAPTER
III.
EFFECT OF AN ITEM OF NEWS
CHAPTER
32
IV.
Two CLAIMANTS
47
CHAPTER
V.
STAHLSTADT
63
CHAPTER THE ALBRECHT
VI.
PIT
80
CHAPTER THE CENTRAL BLOCK
VII. 95
CONTENTS.
IV
CHAPTER
VIII. PAGE
THE DRAGON'S DEN
108
.
CHAPTER P. P.
IX.
C
128
CHAPTER AN ARTICLE FROM
'
X.
UNSERE CENTURIE,' A GERMAN REVIEW
142
CHAPTER XL AT DINNER WITH DOCTOR SARRASIN
CHAPTER
157
XII.
THE COUNCIL
165
CHAPTER
XIII.
NEWS FOR THE PROFESSOR
178
CHAPTER
XIV.
CLEARING FOR ACTION
182
CHAPTER THE
CHAPTER A
XV.
EXCHANGE OF SAN FRANCISCO
189
XVI.
BRACE OF FRENCHMEN CAPTURE A
CHAPTER PARLEY BEFORE THE CITADEL
TOWN
.
.
.202
XVII. 214
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
XVIII. PAGE
THE KERNEL OF THE NUT
CHAPTER A FAMILY
224
XIX.
AFFAIR
233
CHAPTER
XX.
CONCLUSION
238
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY." -
CHAPTER
I.
TURNED ADRIFT
241
CHAPTER
II.
VOYAGE OF THE LONG BOAT
CHAPTER THE MUTINEERS
251
III.
262
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Doctor Sarrasin
at breakfast
i
The newly-found Rajah
9
Astounding news
He
read his father's
Otto
tells his
" For
my
letter
again
news
part,
I
28
always believe what
Chairing the Doctor
The LangeVol
man
business
got the best of
Max
says"
.
.
.
.
31
40
Professor Schultz and his
" We've
22 2^
43 47
it
this time !"
59
Stahlstadt
65
The new workman
68
Puddlers at work
72
A monster hammer
72
The The
casting-hall little
miner's
74 life
83
Max
offers his
86
Poor
little
93
An
help Carl
unexpected sight
105
The King of Steel in his palace The masterpiece of Herr Schultz
107
Terrible projectiles
118
Formidable guards Max's ruse
134
A destructive
137
fire
116
125
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Vli
PAGE
A
struggle for
life
140
Frankville
142
The The
147
Frankville railway
dinner at Doctor Sarrasin's
An important meeting No time to be lost
to
Plans for the defence
163
be held
169 172
.
.
182
.
Coolies at work
Great excitement
184
among
Entering Stahlstadt Forcing an entrance
business
men
192
207 .
.
.
210
.
Danger around Max and Otto fighting the giants
218
219 222
The
mysterious entrance Herr Schultz discovered
225
THE MUTINEERS OF THE Captain Bligh in the power of the mutineers Christian watching the departing boat
The English and
the natives
Bligh's perilous voyage
The Bounty approaching
the shore
"
BOUNTY." 244 250 252
256 262
Doctor Sarrasin
at breakfast.
Page
i.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE. CHAPTER
I.
ENTER MR. SHARP. "
REALLY
said the
these English newspapers are very well written,"
worthy doctor to himself, as he leant back
in a
great leathern easy-chair.
Dr. Sarrasin had
been given to of absence of mind.
all his life
one of the
many results He was a man of fifty,
refined
;
or thereabouts
;
soliloquising,
his features
were
clear lively eyes shone through his steel spectacles,
and the expression of his countenance, although grave, was He was one of those people, looking at whom one genial. says at the
first
"
glance,
There
is
an honest
man
" !
Notwithstanding the early hour, and the easy style of his dress, the doctor had already shaved and put on a white cravat. Scattered near him on the carpet and on sundry chairs, in the sitting-room of his hotel at Brighton, lay copies of
the Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Daily News.
B
n
It
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE. was not much more than ten been out walking
the town, had visited an hospital,
in
London
returned to his hotel, and read in the principal journals the
report of a paper communicated
full
had
o'clock, yet the doctor
two evenings previously
at a
by him
meeting of the great Inter Compte globules du
national Hygienic Conference on the "
" blood-corpuscle computator," an instrument he sang," or
had invented, and which even in England keeps its French name. Before him stood a breakfast-tray covered with a
snowy napkin, on which were placed a well dressed cutlet, a cup of hot and fragrant tea, and a plate of that buttered toast which English cooks, thanks to English bakers, can
make
to perfection.
"Yes," he repeated, "these journals are really admirably well written, there
no denying the
is
Here
fact.
the
is
speech of the president, the reply by Doctor Cicogna of Naples, air,
"
my own
paper
in full, all as
seized and photographed at once
auditors will
permit
language, which
can speak " "
were caught
in the
!
Dr. Sarrasin of Douai rose and addressed the meeting.
The honourable member spoke
I
it
I
am
me
to
and
express myself
in
'
said,
My
my own
sure they understand far better than
theirs.'
Five columns in small print I
in French,
!
cannot decide which reports
it
best, the
Times or the
Telegraph, each seems so exact and so precise."
ENTER MR. SHARP. Dr. Sarrasin had reached this point in his meditations,
when one
of the waiters of the establishment, a gentleman
most correctly dressed in black, entered, and presenting a " Monsiou " was " at home " to card, inquired whether
a
visitor.
This appellation of " Monsiou
"
the English consider
it
necessary to bestow indiscriminately on every Frenchman
same way they would think
in the
rules
of civility did they
"Signor," and a
German
whole the custom
is
fail
as
to
it
a breach of
address an Italian as
Perhaps on the
"Herr."
a good one
the
all
it
ad
certainly has the
vantage of at once indicating nationalities. Considerably surprised to hear of a visitor in a country
where he was acquainted with no one, the doctor took the card,
and read with increased perplexity the following
.address
:
Mr. Sharp, Solicitor,
93,
He knew
that a
"
solicitor
Southampton Row, London. "
meant what he should
call
an "avoueY' and signified a lawyer of the compound nature of attorney, procurator, and notary. "
What
possible business can Mr.
thought the doctor.
"
Can
other without knowing
intended for
me
" ?
I
it ?
Sharp have with
me
" ?
have got into some scrape or
Are you
sure
this
card
he asked.
B 2
is
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE. "
"
Oh
yes, Monsiou." let
Well,
come
the gentleman
A youngish
man
in."
entered the room,
once classed in the great family of
dry
lips,
"
whom
the doctor at
death's heads."
drawn back from long white
Thin
teeth, hollow temple-
bones, displayed beneath skin like parchment, the com
plexion of a
mummy, and
needles, quite justified the
small grey eyes as sharp as
title.
from the heels to the occiput, beneath an
The
rest of the skeleton,
was hidden from view
of a large chequer pattern
ulster,
;
his
hand
grasped a patent-leather bag.
This personage entered, bowing in a hasty manner, placed bag and hat on the ground, took a chair without waiting to have one offered, and opened his business
by
saying
"William Henry Sharp, Junior, of the firm of Billows, Have I the honour of speaking to Green, Sharp and Co. Doctor Sarrasin "
Yes,
?"
sir."
"Francois Sarrasin?'*
"That
certainly
is
my
name."
"OfDouai?" " I reside at Douai."
"Your "
It
father's
was
name was
Isidore Sarrasin ?"
so."
" Let us conclude
him
to have been Isidore Sarrasin."
ENTER MR. SHARP.
5
Mr. Sharp drew a note-book from his pocket, consulted
and resumed
it,
"
Isidore Sarrasin died at Paris in 1857, 6th Arrondisse-
Rue Taranne, Number 54
ment,
now
the Hdtel des Ecoles,
demolished." 5 *
''Perfectly correct,
astonished.
"But
the doctor, more and more
said
will
you have the kindness to ex
?"
plain
"His mother's name," pursued the imperturbable Mr. Sharp, "was Julie Langevol, originally of Bar-le-Duc, daughter of Benedict Langevol,
and died
Loriol,
in
registers of the said institution,
of
sir
1812, as
town
who
the alley
in
shown by the municipal
is
these registers are a valuable
hem
highly valuable
Jean Jacques
lived
hem
Langevol, drum-major
and
sister
the
36th
in
Light- -" "
by
I
assure you," interrupted Doctor Sarrasin, confounded
acquaintance with his genealogy, "that
this intimate
you are better informed on these points than It
is
true
my
that
Langevol, and that
grandmother's
is all I
know about
"About the year 1807 she with your
married
worked
in
grandfather, Jean 1799.
They
as a tinsmith,
Sarrasin's
left
wife,
died,
myself.
name was
her."
the town of Bar-le-Duc
settled
leaving
am
family
Sarrasin,
and where,
I
at
whom
she had
Melun, where
he
in 1811, Julie Langevol,
only
one
child,
Isidore
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE. Sarrasin,
From
father.
your
that time,
of his death, discovered at Paris, the thread
"I can supply himself
of
by
his
son,
He
my
whom
died
wonderful
in
he
destined to
grand
medical profession.
the
Palaiseau, near Versailles, where
at
1832,
"My
precision.
sake of the education of
in Paris for the
father settled
is lost."
said the doctor, interested in spite
it,"
this
the date
to
up
and where
father practised as a physician,
I
was born
in 1822."
"
You
are
my
"
man/' resumed Mr. Sharp.
No
brothers
or sisters ?" "
None.
was the only son
I
years after
my
birth.
Now,
sir,
;
will
my
mother died two
you
tell
"
me
?
Mr. Sharp stood up. "
Rajah Bryah Jowahir Mothooranath," said he, pro nouncing the names with the respect shown by every Englishman to a you, and to be the "
The man
is
" title,
first
I
You
the
am
not
have discovered
mad
" ;
is
it
opinion in his eyes.
in the slightest degree," said
moment
the sole
he calmly.
known
heir to
of Rajah, which Jean Jacques Langevol
became a naturalised
not
these death's heads."
are at the present
title
to
to congratulate you."
uncommon among The solicitor read this
"
am happy
deranged," thought the doctor
at all
"
I
British subject in
the property of his wife the
Begum
who
1819, succeeded to
Gokool, and died in
ENTER MR. SHARP. only one son, an
1841, leaving issue in
idiot,
who
died without
was allowed to assume by the Governor-
1869
General of the province of Bengal. "
The
value of the estate has risen during the last thirty
about
to
years
remained
of
millions
five
and
sequestered
pounds
under
It
sterling.
almost
guardianship,
the whole of the interest going to increase the capital
during the
of
life
the imbecile son
of Jean
Jacques
Langevol.
"In 1870 the value of the inheritance was given in round numbers to be twenty-one millions of pounds hundred and twenty-five millions of francs. In fulfilment of an order of the law court of Agra, counter
sterling, or five
and confirmed by the Privy Council, the whole of the landed and personal property
signed by that of Delhi,
has been sold, and the
Bank
sum
realised has
been placed
in the
of England.
"The
actual
sum
millions of francs,
and twenty-seven which you can withdraw by a cheque as is
hundred
five
soon as you have proved your genealogical identity in the
Court of Chancery.
And
by Messrs.
Smith and
Trollop,
in the
meantime
I
am
authorised
Co., Bankers, to offer
you
advances to any amount." Dr. Sarrasin sat petrified utter a
story
word
;
for
then, impressed
some minutes he could not
by a
was without any foundation
conviction that this fine
in fact,
he quietly said
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
8 u
where are the proofs of this, and " what way have you been led to find me out ? After
"The on
all,
proofs are here,
"
way
five
I
how
dominions.
has exercised
discovered you,
it
for
our firm to find
.
have made
our ingenuity and activity.
all
investigations in
every direction, passed in
review hundreds of families of your that of Isidore Sarrasin.
I
name without
yesterday morning
I
finding
was almost convinced that
was not another of the name
there
I
have been searching
years the question of the inheritance of the
Begum Gokool
We
to
:
numerous fortunes which year by year are
left in escheat in the British
"For
As
It is the speciality of
for five years.
heirs for the
Mr. Sharp, tapping
replied
sir,"
his shiny leather bag.
has been in a very simple
you
in
sir,
in all France,
read in the Daily
News
when
a report of
the meeting of the Hygienic Conference, and observed that
among
whom '*
I
the
members was a Doctor
of
had never before heard.
Referring instantly to
my
notes,
papers on the subject of this estate, surprise
Sarrasin,
that the town
and I
of Douai had
to hundreds of
ascertained with entirely
escaped
our notice. u I
With the
took the train for
and
all
had got on the right scent, Brighton, saw you leave the meeting,
conviction that I
doubt vanished.
You
your great-uncle Langevol, of
are the living image
whom we
of
possess a photo-
The newly -found Rajah.
Page
9.
ENTER taken
graph
from
a
MR..
SHARP.
portrait
by the Indian
painter
Saranoni."
Mr. Sharp took a photograph from his pocket-book and
handed It
it
to Dr. Sarrasin.
represented a
tall
man
with a magnificent beard, a
crested turban, and a richly brocaded robe.
He was
seated after the
manner of conventional
of generals in the army, appearing to be drawing
portraits
up a plan
of attack, while attentively regarding the spectator.
In the background could be dimly discerned the smoke of battle and a charge of cavalry.
"A
glance at these
matter better than will leave,
I
papers will inform you on this
can do," continued Mr. Sharp
them with you, and return
in
" ;
I
a couple of hours,
you will then permit me to take your orders." So saying, Mr. Sharp drew from the depths of his glazed bag seven or eight bundles of documents, some if
printed,
some manuscript, placed them on the
table,
and
backed out of the room, murmuring "I have the honour to wish the Rajah Bryah Jowahir Mothooranath a very good morning." Partly convinced, partly ridiculing the idea, the doctor
took the papers and began to peruse them.
A
rapid examination sufficed to
show him the truth
of Mr.
Sharp's statements, and to remove his
Among
the printed documents he read the following
doubts. :
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
io
of
Evidence placed before the Right Honourable Lords Her Majesty's Privy Council on the 5th of January
Begum Gokool the case. The
1870, touching the vacant succession of the
of Ragginahra, in Bengal. question concerns
the
Points of of
rights
possession
landed estates, together with a variety of establishments,
villages,
Begum Gokool of Ragginahra. From evidence submitted to and to the Superior Court 1819, the
Begum
properties,
the
civil
at Delhi,
tribunal of Agra,
it
appears that in
Gokool, widow of Rajah Luckmissur,
possessed in her
married
personal
arms, &c., &c., forming the inheritance of the
treasure,
and
certain
edifices, palaces,
fc
mercantile
to
own
a foreigner, of
right
French
of considerable wealth, origin,
by name Jean
Jacques Langevol. This foreigner, after serving until 1815
army
as
drum-major
in the 36th
in the
French
Light Cavalry, embarked
upon the disbandment of the army of the Loire, as supercargo of a merchant ship. He reached Calcutta, passed into the interior, and
at
Nantes,
speedily obtained the appointment of military instructor in
the small native
army which
authorised to maintain.
the Rajah Luckmissur
was
In this army he rose to be com-
mander-in-chief, and shortly after the Rajah's death he obtained the hand of his widow.
In consideration of various important services rendered
ENTER MR. SHARP.
II
to the English residents at
Agra by Jean Jacques Langevol, he was constituted a British subject, and the GovernorGeneral of Bengal obtained for the husband of the the
Begum
of Rajah of Bryah Jowahir Mothooranath, which
title
was the name of one of the most considerable of her
The Begum died
in 1839, leaving the
estates.
whole of her wealth
and property to Langevol, who survived her only two years. Their only child was imbecile from his infancy, and was
The
placed at once under guardians.
managed by
carefully
trustees
until
inheritance
his
death,
was
which
occurred in 1869.
To
this
immense
heritage there
is
no known
heir.
The
courts of Agra and Delhi having ordered its sale by auction, on the application of the local government acting for the state, we have the honour to request from the Lords of the
Privy Council a confirmation of their decision, &c.
Here
followed the signatures.
Copies of legal documents from Agra and Delhi, deeds of sale, an account of the efforts
made in France to
discover
the next of kin to Langevol's family, and a whole mass of
imposing evidence of the like nature,
room
for
left
Dr. Sarrasin no
doubt or hesitation.
Between him and the
five
hundred and twenty-seven rooms of the
millions of francs deposited in the strong
Bank
of England there was but a step, the production of
authentic certificates of certain births and deaths.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
12
Such a stroke of fortune being enough to dazzle the imagination of the most sober-minded man, the good doctor could not contemplate
Yet
it
without some emotion.
was of short duration, and exhibited simply by a rapid walk for a few minutes up and down his apartment. Quickly recovering his self-possession, he accused him it
self of
weakness
yielding to this feverish agitation,
for
threw himself into his in
and remained
chair,
a time lost
for
reflection.
profound
Then suddenly
rising,
and forwards, while
he resumed his walk backwards
his eyes
shone with a pure light as
though a noble and generous project burned within his He seemed to welcome, to caress, to encourage,
breast.
and
finally to
adopt
it.
A knock at the door. " I ask
Mr. Sharp returned.
pardon a thousand times for
my
doubts as to
the correctness of your information," said the doctor in a cordial tone.
"
You
see
me now
perfectly convinced,
and
extremely obliged to you for the trouble you have taken." " Not at all mere matter of business in the way of my nothing more," replied Mr. Sharp.
profession
"May
venture to hope that the Rajah will remain our client "
That
understood.
hands.
I
only beg you to desist from giving
absurd
title."
"
Absurd
!
a
title
?
place the whole affair in your
is
I
I
"
worth twenty millions
" !
me
that
were the
ENTER MR. SHARP.
13
words Mr. Sharp would have uttered had he known no but he said, " Certainly, sir, if you wish it. better As ;
you
I
sir.
please,
London, where
am now
I shall
"
May
"
Most assuredly
going to return by train
we
He
desk, took out a sheet of paper,
my
Do
my
You
equivalent to in the "
I
:
not fancy that
fortune, I
have
senses, but read the printed papers enclosed in
letter.
will there plainly see that I
be the heir to a native
to
and wrote as follows
CHILD, have become possessed of an enormous
a fortune absurdly colossal. lost
seated himself at his
"Brighton, 28th October, 1871.
"MY DEAR
We
inquired the doctor.
?
retain copies."
Dr. Sarrasin was left alone.
"
"
keep these documents
I
to-
await your orders."
Bank can
many
title
in India,
am
proved
and a sum
millions of francs, actually deposited
of England.
feel sure
of the sentiments with which you,
dear Otto, will receive this news.
You
my
will perceive, as I
do myself, the new duties which such wealth will impose upon us, and the danger we are in of being tempted to use it
unwisely. "
It is
but an hour since
I
was made aware of the
fact,
and already the overpowering sense of responsibility seems to lessen the pleasure
This change
may be
it first
fatal
gave
me
instead
as I thought of you.
of fortunate to our
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
14 destiny.
In the modest position of pioneers of science
we
were content and happy in obscurity. Shall we continue unless to be so ? I doubt it, perhaps (could I venture to mention an idea which has flashed across
unless this
new and great
same fortune were
become
in
my
brain,)
our hands a
powerful engine of science, a mighty tool in the
work of
civilisation
me
Write to
this.
to
let
and progress
We will
!
talk about
me know very soon what impression
news makes on your mind and let your mother hear of it from you. Sensible woman as she is, I
this wonderful
am convinced she
it
As
calmly.
to
your
sister,
too young to have her head turned by anything of
she
is
the
sort.
one,
will receive
Besides, that
and even
if
little
head of hers
she could comprehend
in our position implies, I believe she
all
is
a very sober
that this change
would take
it
more
quietly than any of us. " all
Remember me
my
schemes
Max
cordially to
"
Your
letter,
I
connect him with
affectionate father,
"
This
;
for the future.
with the more
FRANCOIS SARRASIN." important papers, was
addressed to
Monsieur Octave Sarrasin, Student at the Upper School of Arts and Manufactures, 32,
Rue du Roi de
Sicile,
Paris.
ENTER MR. SHARP. Then
the doctor put on his overcoat, took his hat, and
went to the Conference. In a quarter of an hour, the worthy all
about his millions.
man had
forgotten
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
16
CHAPTER
II.
A PAIR OF CHUMS. DR. SARRASIN'S son Octavius was not exactly what one He was neither a blockhead nor a would call a dunce. genius, neither plain nor handsome, neither tall nor short,
neither dark nor
fair.
His complexion was nut-brown, and
he was altogether an average specimen of the middle class.
At
had never taken a very high place, although He had failed in his first occasionally gaining a prize. school he
examination for passing into the College of Engineers, but a second attempt admitted him, although with no great credit.
There was a want of decision
was content with inaccuracies
who
;
in his character
his
mind
he was one of those people
are satisfied to have a general idea of a subject,
who walk through life by moonlight. Such men float at the mercy of fate,
as corks
and
do on the
A PAIR OF CHUMS. crests of waves.
They
pole, according to
Chance decides
Had
Dr.
I/
are driven to the equator or to the
whether the wind blows north or south.
their career.
Sarrasin
altogether
understood
his
might have hesitated to write the but the wisest man may be a blind father.
character, he
did
;
son's
letter
he
Fortunately for Octavius, he had during his school life come under the influence of an energetic nature, which by its
vigorous strength ruled
what
tyrannically.
of his companions,
him
for his good, albeit
some
He formed a close friendship with one Max Bruckmann, a native of Alsace, a
year younger than himself, but far his superior in physical, intellectual and moral vigour.
Max
Bruckmann,
inherited a
left
an orphan at the age of twelve,
small income, just sufficient to
defray the
expense of his education. His life at college would have been monotonous had he not passed the holidays with Octavius, or Otto, as he called his friend, at his home.
The young Alsacien very soon Sarrasin's family.
and
felt
himself one of Dr.
Beneath a cold exterior lay a warm and he considered that he was bound
sensitive nature,
for life to those
He
who
acted like father and mother to him.
positively adored Dr. Sarrasin, his wife,
and
their
little daughter; his heart expanded under the influence of their kindness, and he greatly
pretty thoughtful
wished to be useful to them by helping Jeannette, who
C
1
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
8
loved her studies, to advance in them, and thoroughly to cultivate her excellent
and
abilities
firm, sensible
while he longed to lead Otto to become as good a his
This
father.
latter task
means so easy as the
mind,
man
as
he well knew to be by no
former, yet
Max
was resolved
to
attain his double purpose.
Max Bruckmann
was one of those trusty and gallant year by year Alsace sends forth to do
champions whom battle on the great arena of life
As
in Paris.
a mere child he distinguished himself by the strength
and
flexibility of his muscles, as
and
intelligence of his mind.
courage,
outward
his
form
much
as
Inwardly exhibited
by the full
vivacity
of
muscular
strong
At
development rather than graceful proportions.
and
life
college
he attempted, whether sport or annual harvest of prizes, he thought study. Reaping an the year wasted if he failed to gain all within his reach.
he excelled
in everything
At twenty condition
;
his
form was
large, robust,
and
in splendid
movements were animated, and
his
shaped head betokened unusual
intelligence.
his
well-
When
he
entered college, the same year with Octavius, he stood second, and was resolved to be for leaving
Without
first
when the time came
it.
his
persistent
energy to urge him forward,
Octavius would never have got in at
a whole year
Max
all.
For the space of
had driven and goaded him
to work,
A PAIR OF CHUMS.
19
had regularly compelled him to succeed. He entertained for this friend of weak and vacillating nature a sentiment of kindly compassion such as one might suppose a lion to exhibit towards a
little
He
puppy.
liked to feel that he
could nourish this parasitical plant from the superabund
ance of his own sap, and cause
it
to flourish
and blossom
beside him.
The war terms.
of 1870 broke out at the close of one of their
Max,
full
of patriotic grief at the fate which
threatened Strasburg and Alsace, hastened to enlist in the
Regiment of Light Infantry. Otto, as Max called him, and as we will for the future, at once followed his 3 1st
example. Side by side the two friends, stationed in the outposts of Paris, went through the severe campaign of the siege.
At Champigny Max
received a ball in his right arm, at
Buzenval an epaulet on his left shoulder. Otto received neither wound nor decoration. It could not have been his fault, for
he followed
dozen yards all
his friend everywhere, scarcely half
in his rear.
a
But those half-dozen yards made
the difference.
After the peace, the two friends resumed their studies,
occupying modest apartments together near the college.
The
recent misfortunes
of France,- the loss to her of
Lorraine and Alsace, had matured the character of
he
felt
and spoke
like
a man.
C 2
Max
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
so " It
is
the vocation of the youth of France," said he
"to repair the errors of their work alone can this be done."
Max
rose every
at five o'clock,
;
genuine hard
and made Otto
He
obliged him to be punctual at his and never lost sight of him during the hours of
do the same. classes,
morning
By
fathers.
recreation.
The evening was devoted
to study,
At
pauses for a pipe or a cup of coffee.
with
occasional
ten they retired
to rest, their hearts content, their brains well filled.
A game at billiards now and then,
a well-chosen play or
concert, a ride to the forest of Verrieres, a country walk,
and twice a week a lesson
in fencing
and boxing
these
were their amusements.
From time
to time Otto, casting curious eyes at the
very questionable enjoyments of other students, would
make
and talk of going to see studying law," and passed most
feeble attempts at revolt,
Caesar Leroux,
who was
"
of his time at the beer-shop of St.
Michel
;
but
Max
treated these fancies with such utter contempt and derision
that they usually passed off quietly.
On
the 29th of October, 1871, about seven o'clock in
the evening, the two friends were seated, as was their wont, side
by
side
at the
same
table,
with a shaded lamp
between them.
Max
was working a problem
in
applied mathematics,
A PAIR OF CHUMS. relative to the stability of blocks,
21
and had thrown himself
heart and soul into his subject.
Otto was devoting himself sedulously to something which he thought of much greater consequence, the brewing of a pint of coffee.
It
was one of the few things
in
which
he flattered himself he really excelled, perhaps because he
had daily
practice in
it,
thereby escaping for a few minutes
the troublesome business of squaring equations, which he
considered that
Max
really did carry too far.
Drop by drop he let his boiling water pass through a thick layer of powdered mocha, and he ought to have been contented with such tranquil happiness at the devoted industry of
Max, and
;
but he was annoyed
felt
an unconquerable
desire to interrupt him. "
would be a good plan to buy a percolator," said he, " This ancient and solemn method of filtering suddenly. is
It
a disgrace to our modern civilisation,"
"Do buy
a percolator;
it
will
perhaps prevent your
wasting an hour every evening with this cookery," replied
Max, and he returned to his problem. " The intrados of a vault is an
C D axes,
axis
be that principal
ellipse
O A equal to a O B O O C is vertical, and
ellipsoid
elliptic vault
At this moment came
let
A B
which contains the two
equal to
b,
while the least
;
then that which
1
supports the
;
equal to c "
a rap at the door.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
22
"A
letter for
imagined that that "
from
!
is
my
it
"
Come,
I see.
he exclaimed, as he
!
in his
hand.
a week before on his
treated the two lads to a dinner
Royal
welcomed by
He had
that the doctor was in England.
in Paris
Palais
hand
his
is
a letter
like
weighed the packet of papers been
heartily
may be
It
!
father
something
Max knew
was
this interruption
young gentleman
Ah
this
Monsieur Octave Sarrasin."
;
fit
for although that
way
for
there,
and had
an emperor, at the
once famous place was
quite out of fashion, Dr. Sarrasin continued to regard as the centre of Parisian taste "
Let
me know what
Conference," said attend that
;
it
and refinement.
your father says about his Hygienic " It was a good idea of his to
Max.
French
'
savants
'
are inclined to be too
exclusive."
And Max "The
returned to his problem.
extrados will
ellipsoid,
having
its
be
formed by
centre at the point
another
O
on the
similar vertical
OC." "
Let
then the
we
F F F be
find the auxiliary ellipse
common
What
is
and hyperbola, of which
"
axes are
A shout from "
the foci of the three principal ellipses,
Otto made him look up.
the matter
" ?
seeing his friend turn pale.
he asked with some alarm,
Astounding news.
A PAIR OF CHUMS. "
Read
this
" !
23
cried Otto, completely astonished
by the
news he had received.
Max
took the
read
letter,
it all
through, read
it
a second
time, glanced over the documents enclosed, and said "
This
curious
is
Then he
" !
and lighted
filled his pipe,
Otto watched him
"Do you
think
it
all
it
methodically.
for his opinion.
anxiety
can be true?" he exclaimed with a
choking voice. "
True
common
be sure
to
?
it
is.
Your
much
father has too let
him
accept rashly so well-authenticated a statement as
this.
sense,
the
Besides,
his
proofs
too good to
is
judgment are there
it
in
is
fact
perfectly
plain."
The
now thoroughly
pipe was
Max
resumed
lighted.
his work.
Otto sat with his arms hanging down, unable even to finish his coffee, far less to
He
bring two ideas together.
could not help speaking, just to convince himself
that he
was not
"But,
I say,
whelming fortune,
!
asleep.
Max,
if
this is true
All these millions
mind you
!
it
why
is it
downright over is
an enormous
" !
Max
looked up and nodded, "Yes, enormous is the word for it. Most likely there is not one such in France,
a few in the
United
States,
five
or
six
in
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
24
above
not
England
or
fifteen
in
twenty
world
the
altogether."
"And
a
the bargain!" resumed Otto.
title into
what
foreign title
is
it?
ever was ambitious of having a
way,
why
it
'Rajah!' Not that
see
let's
"A
but
title,
if it
comes
I
in one's
certainly sounds more imposing than plain
Sarrasin."
Max
shot forth a puff of smoke, and uttered not a word.
That puff of smoke "
a
'
" I
Certainly," continued Otto, '
de before
"
distinctly said
my name,
Pooh 1 Pooh
" !
should never have stuck
or assumed anything high-sounding
some people do but to inherit a real genuine title, and to take rank among the great princes of India, without
as
;
any possible chance of doubt or confusion The pipe kept puffing " Pooh Pooh " !
"
My
He
'
!
dear fellow," said Otto decidedly, "
what you blood
like,
but
I
can
tell
there
you
as the English express
is
eyes,
and returned
'
you may say
a good deal in
it."
stopped short as he caught the
Max's
" !
to
mocking smile
in
the contemplation of his
millions.
"Do you
recollect,
Max, howBin6me, our old arithmetic
master, used to impress upon us every year in his opening lesson, that five
human mind unaided by the resources of figures ? One has to consider that a man spending
grasp of one written
hundred millions was a number beyond the
A PAIR OF CHUMS.
25
a franc every minute would take more than a thousand years to pay
think one has
to
inherited
Well, five
it
really
is
strange
hundred
millions
"
Max
of
"
francs "
a sum.
away such
!
Five hundred million francs
is
cried
it ?
with
" Shall I tell you he had yet shown. the best thing you can do ? Give it to France for payment
more
interest than
of her ransom, she only requires ten times as "
much!"
For mercy's sake, don't suggest such an idea to
father
" !
cried
might adopt
Otto,
looking quite
can
I
it.
might certainly make, but at least
Come, we
shall
"
He
Some let
investment he
have you turn out a financier
Max. "Something tells me, would have been better for your
my
that
father,
upright, intelligent mind,
a more reasonable
really
us have the interest."
all!" said it
if
my
you that he already has some
tell
notion of the kind in his head.
"
scared.
this great fortune
after
poor Otto, with his
had been of
would rather see you with an income of five-and-twenty thousand to share with your " good little sister than with this great mountain of gold I
size.
!
And Max went As
to Otto,
back to
his work.
and fidgeted friend got rather impatient and
he could not
about the room
till
his
settle to anything,
said "
You had
clear
you are
better go out fit
and take a walk, Otto
for nothing this evening
" !
;
it
is
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
26 "
You
who and
are quite right
am
I really
!
not," replied Otto,
joyfully caught at this excuse for leaving off work,
he clattered downstairs, and was soon
seizing his hat,
in the street.
He
presently stopped beneath a bright gaslight, and
read his father's letter again.
He
was not dreaming. " Five hundred millions of
francs
"
That would be at
Why,
if
my
I
should be
title
!
I
so much.
Only think
!
fine house, horses,
rich
myself,
it
he
seems to
all
will
me
Something whispered that books and plans all my life." it.
As Otto
am
?
sure I should
not a bit of
And
then that
I
as
title."
the shops.
Max
of course.
become so
likewise.
one for
But somehow, now though I had expected
Five hundred millions
a fortune comes,
I
I'm not a fool
it.
how happy
could easily support the dignity of a
I
have a
becoming
!
should not be poring over
revolved these thoughts, he was passing along
beneath the arcades of the
Champs
allowance,
passed along he looked into
I shall
he kept repeating.
one million a year
get into the upper school
I'm sure
As he "
I
me
my
as
Money can do
excellent use of
Didn't
it.
!
" !
least five-and-twenty millions a year.
father will only give
say quarterly or half-yearly
make an
wanted to make sure he
Rue de
Elysees, he turned up the
reached the Boulevards.
Reaching the Rue Royal, and
Rivoli.
He
read his father's letter again.
Page
26.
A PAIR OF CHUMS. The
2/
splendid shop-fronts, which formerly he regarded
with indifference as exhibiting things utterly useless to him,
a
now
attracted lively attention, as he considered, with
of delight, that he could at any
thrill
any or all of these treasures. " For me," said he to himself, all
"
for
moment
possess
all this fine linen,
me,
these exquisite soft cloths are manufactured
;
for
me
watchmakers construct timepieces and chronometers for my pleasure the brilliant lustres of theatre and opera shed ;
prima-donnas sing their
their dazzling light, violins scrape,
enchanting
is
Everything
!
sure
horse dealers train thorough
and the Cafe Anglaise
breds,
mine
me
For
strains.
shall
I
travel.
possessions.
As
day, priests
and
is
lighted up.
at
my
disposal
I
shall
go and
likely as not I shall all,
and the ivory
All Paris
Travel
!
visit
my
!
to
is
be
Indian
buy a pagoda some
idols into the bargain.
I shall have splendid have elephants of my own guns and rifles go tiger-shooting. And I must have a beautiful boat. boat, what am I thinking about ? a fine steam yacht, that's what I shall have go where I choose, I shall
!
A
stop as often as I like. this
news to
There
my
But Max,
message
mother.
I
Suppose I But then, what's the
college to be considered.
is
use of college to "
have to give start for Douai ?
Talking of steam,
;
I
me now
must
let
" ?
him know.
I
should send him a
of course he will understand that under present
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
28 circumstances
I
am
haste
in
my
see
to
mother and
sister."
and sent a telegram to inform his that he was gone, and would return in a couple of
Otto entered an friend
office,
Then, hailing a cab, he was driven to the terminus of the Northern Railway. days.
Settling himself in the corner of a carriage, he continued to follow out his
dreaming
two o'clock
fancies, until, at
the morning, he arrived at Douai
;
in
hurried to his father's
house, and rang the night bell so noisily, that not only the family, but all the neighbours were aroused
by the
peal.
Night-capped heads popped out at various windows. "
Somebody
is
very
ill
who can
!
it
be
" ?
inquired one
and another.
"The
doctor
not
is
home!" screamed the old
at
servant from her attic window. "
It
I
is
Fanchon
!
it
is
Otto
Come down and
!
let
me
in,
" !
After a delay of ten minutes, Otto was admitted into
His mother and
the house.
ing-gowns, of this
The
came
downstairs,
sister hastily all
robed
in dress
anxiety to learn the cause
visit.
doctor's letter
on being read aloud explained the
mystery.
Madame
Sarrasin was at
first
completely dazzled.
embraced her son and daughter, with
tears of joy
She ;
it
Otto
tells his
news. Page
?8.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
30
the side of the enthusiastic
quently centred
for
Otto, she felt certain,
From
of science, and conse
her hopes and aspirations in her chil
all
She pictured
dren.
man
them a
and happy future. was destined to do great things. brilliant
the time he took a place in the upper school she
mentally regarded that modest and useful
college
for
young engineers as the nursery of illustrious men. Her only trouble was that their limited means might possibly prove an obstacle, or at least a
difficulty in the
w ay r
of her
and might ultimately also affect her But now, she so far daughter's establishment in life. her husband's letter, as understood the news conveyed in son's brilliant career,
to perceive that these fears were needless, and her satisfac tion
was
entire.
The mother and son spent most
of the night in talking
and making plans, while Jeannette, happy in the present, heedless of the future, was fast asleep in an arm-chair. "
You have
not mentioned Max," said
to her son. letter "
?
What
"
Have you
does he say about
Oh, you know what
Max
worse than a philosopher, he the effect
upon
us,
is is
" !
a
so enormous a fortune
but he
is
Madame
Sarrasin
not shown him your father's it
?"
stoic.
will
not afraid for
"
answered Otto.
my
I believe
have upon us
He
he fears I
!
father himself,
for
say
whose
good sense and judgment, he says, he can rely upon. you, mother, and Jeannette, and more
is
especially for
But me,
For
my
part,
I
always believe what
Max
says.'
Page
31.
A PAIR OF CHUMS.
31
he plainly said he should have preferred an income of a few thousands a year."
"Perhaps
Max
is
not
far
Sarrasin, looking at her son.
great wealth
is
Madame
wrong," replied "
The sudden
fraught with danger to
some
possession of
natures."
Jeannette awoke, and heard her mother's last words. "
Do
not you remember, mother," said she,
her eyes, she rose and turned towards her "
Do
not you remember you told
was always friend
Max
withdrew.
in the right.
says."
I for
me
my
as,
little
rubbing
bedroom,
one day that
Max
part believe what our
And, kissing her mother, Jeannette
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
32
CHAPTER
III.
EFFECT OF AN ITEM OF NEWS.
ON
entering the hall, where the fourth meeting of the
Hygienic Conference was being held, Dr. Sarrasin was conscious that he was received with unusual tokens of respect.
The Right Honourable Lord Glandover,
the
president and chairman of the assembly, had not hitherto
condescended to appear conscious of the existence of the
French doctor. This nobleman was an august personage, whose part
was to declare the Conference' open or list placed before him, to call
who were
He
closed, and,
it
from a
upon the various speakers
to address the meeting.
habitually carried his right hand in the breast of his
had received an injury and needed support, but only because it was usual among
buttoned coat, not that
it
English sculptors to represent statesmen in this inconve nient attitude.
EFFECT OF AN ITEM OF NEWS.
33
His pale smooth face, marked with red blotches, and surmounted by a wig of light hair, brushed high on a fore head which clearly belonged to an empty pate, possessed an aspect of ludicrous stiffness and foolish gravity. Lord Glandover might have been made of wood or paste-board, so
stiff
and unnatural were
all his
movements.
His very
eyes appeared to turn beneath their brows by intermittent jerks, like those of a doll or puppet.
The
notice hitherto bestowed on Dr. Sarrasin
Glandover had amounted to no more than a patronising
man
;
bow
;
it
seemed
by making
nificant machines.
sit
and
insignificant
insignificant experiments with insig
How
being so far beneath
slight
Good morning, poor
you are one of those who support your
existence
may
to say
"
by Lord
condescending
me
I
am
to notice a
in the scale of creation
!
down, poor man, beneath the shadow of
You
my
nobility."
But on the present occasion Lord Glandover smiled most graciously upon Dr. Sarrasin as he entered, and even
him by a sign to be The other members of the
carried his courtesy so far as to invite
seated at his right hand.
Conference
all
rose
when he appeared on the
Considerably astonished
by
platform.
a reception so flattering,
Dr. Sarrasin took the chair offered to him, concluding that,
on further consideration,
much
his invention
had been found of
greater importance than his scientific brethren
D
had
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
34
But
at first supposed.
this illusion
vanished when Lord
Glandover, leaning towards him with a spinal contortion of
whispered in his ear
his body, " I
understand that you are a
They
property.
pounds
tell
me you
man
of very considerable
are worth twenty-one million
sterling."
This was said almost in a tone of reproach, as though his lordship
aggrieved at having lightly treated the equiva
felt
and blood of a sum of money so His look and tone seemed to say
lent in flesh
"
Why was
made aware
not
I
unfair to expose one to the
of this
?
vast.
It really is
very
awkwardness of making such
"
mistakes
!
who
Dr. Sarrasin,
could not in conscience have said he
" was worth " a
penny more than he had been at the last meeting, was wondering how the news should have already become known, when Dr. Ovidius of Berlin, who sat next him, said with a false and faint smile "
Why,
Rothschilds
!
you are
as great a
man
any of the so the Daily Telegraph makes out. Let me
Sarrasin,
as
congratulate you."
He handed Among
the doctor a copy of the paper of Thursday.
the items of news was to be seen the following
paragraph, the composition of which plainly revealed
its
authorship.
"A MONSTER
HERITAGE.
The
legitimate heir to the
EFFECT OF AN ITEM OF NEWS. fortune of the late
Begum Gokool
35
has at length been dis
covered, thanks to the indefatigable researches of Messrs. Billows,
Green and
Sharp,
solicitors,
Southampton
94,
Row, London. "
The
sterling,
fortunate possessor of twenty-one million pounds
now
deposited
in
the
Bank
of England,
is
a
Frenchman, Dr. Sarrasin, whose able paper, communicated was reported in this
at the Brighton Scientific Conference,
journal three days ago. dint of a course of strenuous efforts,
"By
and adventures forming romance, Mr. Sharp has succeeded difficulties
that Dr. Sarrasin
is
and amid
in
themselves a perfect
in
proving indisputably
the sole living descendant of Jean
Jacques Langevol, the second husband
of
the
Begum
Gokool. "
This soldier of fortune was,
town of Bar-le-Duc "
A
it
appears, a native of the
in France.
few matters of form only required to be gone through
in order to place Dr. Sarrasin in full possession of his for
tune.
A petition to that effect has been filed in
"Very remarkable
is
the chain of circumstance by which
the treasure accumulated is
laid
at the
feet
Chancery.
by a long
line of
Indian Rajahs
of a French physician.
The
fickle
goddess might have exhibited the indiscretion she so but on frequently displays in the disposal of her gifts ;
this occasion she has,
we
are glad to say, bestowed this
D
2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
36
prodigious fortune on one
who
will not fail to
make a good
use of his wealth." as
Oddly enough, vexed
see his
to
many might think, news made public.
Dr. Sarrasin was
He
not
only
many annoyances it would entail upon him, he humbled by the importance people seemed to
foresaw the also felt
attach to the event.
He, himself personally, appeared to
dwindle into insignificance before the imposing figures
which denoted his
own
capital.
personal merits, and
He was all
inly conscious that his
he had ever accomplished,
were already, even in the eyes of those who knew him sunk in this ocean of gold and silver.
His friends no longer
saw
in
him the
best,
enthusiastic
experimentalist, the ingenious inventor, the acute philoso
they saw only the great millionaire. Had he been a hump-backed dwarf,
pher
;
an
ignorant
Hottentot, the lowest specimen of humanity, instead of
one of
its
most
intelligent representatives, his value
would
have been the same as Lord Glandover had expressed it, " he "was worth henceforth just twenty-one million pounds,
no more and no
less.
This idea sickened him, and the crowd of members, staring with a searching
if
not a scientific curiosity to see
how a
remarked with surprise that a shade of melancholy gathered on the countenance under examination. millionaire looked,
This, however,
was only a passing weakness.
EFFECT OF AN ITEM OF NEWS.
The magnitude
37
of the object to which he had resolved
to dedicate his unexpected fortune rose suddenly before
him, and his serenity was restored.
He
waited until Dr. Stevenson, of Glasgow, had finished
reading a paper on the education of young
then requested leave to
idiots,
and
make a communication.
was instantly granted by Lord Glandover, although the name of Dr. Ovidius stood next on the list. By the It
marked tone of
his voice,
he indicated that he would have
done so had the whole Conference objected, or had all the men in Europe protested with one accord against
learned
such a piece of favouritism. "
Gentlemen," said Dr. Sarrasin,
"
was
it
my
intention to
wait for a few days before informing you of the singular
chance which has befallen me, and of the happy con sequences which may result to science from this event. But, the fact having affectation it
were
I
in its proper light. "
Yes, gentlemen,
sum amounting Bank "
become
now
to
public,
it
it is
true that a large
many
millions,
now
of England, appears to be legally
Need
I tell
would seem mere it,
and placing
sum
of money, a
to delay speaking of
deposited in the
my
property.
you, that such being the case, I consider
myself simply as a steward, entrusted with the use and benefit of science
This treasure belongs, not to
?
me
this
(Immense
wealth for sensation.)
but to humanity
to
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
38 progress!
The whole rise
"
commotion
(Great
electrified
assembly,
this
by
applause.
announcement,
en massed)
Do
not applaud me, gentlemen
science worthy of the
do what "
exclamations
my
it is
name who,
;
I
in
know
my
not one
man
of
place,
would not
me
motives of
desire to do.
It is possible that
some may
attribute to
vanity and self-love in this matter, rather than of genuine devotedness.
(No
!
No
!)
It
matters
Let us look
little.
to the results.
"I
declare,
then, definitively,
and without
reservation,
that the twenty-one million pounds placed in
belongs not to me, but to science
!
hands
Will you, gentlemen,
undertake the management and distribution of "I have not sufficient confidence in
my
my own
it ?
knowledge to
undertake the sole disposal of such a sum. as trustees
;
you
of employing
all
great excitement
yourselves shall decide
the treasure."
I appoint you on the best means
(Tumultuous applause-
general enthusiasm.)
The whole assembly fever of excitement,
stood up, some members, in the
mounted on the
table.
Professor
Turnbull, of Glasgow, appeared on the verge of apoplexy.
Dr. Cicogna, of Naples, was ready to choke.
Lord Glandover alone maintained the serene and dig He was perfectly nified composure befitting his rank. convinced that Dr. Sarrasin intended the whole thing as a
EFFECT OF AN ITEM OF NEWS.
39
without the smallest intention of actually carrying out so extravagant a scheme.
pleasant
jest,
When
quiet
was
some measure
in
restored, the speaker
continued "
may be
If I
permitted to suggest what
easy to develop and
bring to
would be
it
perfection, I
would beg
to propose the following plan."
The
assembly, recovering
its
composure, listened with
reverential attention.
"Gentlemen, among the many causes of the sickness, misery and death which surround us, is one to which I think is
reasonable to attach great importance
it
the
deplorable sanitary conditions
greater part of "
mankind
;
and that
under which the
exists.
Multitudes are massed together in towns, and in dwell
ings where they are often deprived of light
and
air,
the
two elements most necessary to life. "These agglomerations of humanity become the hot and even those who escape death are tainted with disease they are feeble and useless
beds of fever and
infection,
;
members loss,
of society, which thereby suffers great and serious
instead of deriving priceless
healthful
"Why,
and vigorous labour. gentlemen, should
this sore evil, try the
sion
advantage from their
that of
we
not, in
most powerful of
example
?
an all
effort to
remedy means of persua
TPIE BEGUM'S
40 "
Why should
we
not,
FORTUNE.
scientific
strictly
Why the
should erection
not
of such
to
be
of Hear,
Hear.)
devote our capital to
and then present illustration of what all
a
city,
" ?
based upon
city,
(Cries
afterwards
the world as a practical
ought
?
principles
we
of our
uniting the powers
by
minds, produce the plan of a model
Hear
(Hear,
and
!
to
it
cities
thunders of ap
plause.)
The members,
shook hands,
in transports of admiration,
and congratulated each other Sarrasin, they seized
upon
surrounding Dr.
then,
;
his chair, raised
bore him triumphantly round the
him
up,
and
hall.
"
Gentlemen," continued the doctor, on being permitted " to this city, which every one of us to resume his place ;
and which
can already picture in imagination,
become a
we
to this city of health
reality
will call universal attention
;
we
shortly
descriptions, translated
by
into all the languages of the earth
from every nation
may
and happiness
;
we
will offer it as
for honest families forced to emigrate
will invite visitors
a
home and
refuge
from over-populated
countries.
"Those unfortunate people,
by
foreign conquest
think of them activity,
?)
(can
also,
who are
you wonder, gentlemen, that
will find with us
and scope
enrich our colony
driven into exile
employment
for their intelligence, while
by
their
I
for their
they will moral virtue and intellectual
Chairing the Doctor. Page
40.
EFFECT OF AN ITEM OF NEWS. strength
41
of far higher value than gold or
possessions
precious stones. "
We will found great colleges where youth will be trained
and educated
in principles
based on the truest wisdom, so
as to develop and justly balance their moral, physical, and intellectual faculties, thus preparing future generations
of strong and virtuous men."
No
language can describe the tumult of enthusiasm For at least a which followed this communication. quarter of an hour the hall resounded with a storm of
cheering and hurrahs. Dr. Sarrasin sat down, and Lord Glandover, once
leaning towards him,
murmured
in his ear with a
more
knowing
wink "
Not a bad speculation that what a revenue you would draw from the tolls eh ? The thing would be sure !
were well started and backed up by Why, all our convalescents and valetu
to succeed, provided influential
names.
it
dinarians would be for settling there at once
!
Be
sure
" you put down my name for a good building lot, doctor Poor Dr. Sarrasin was quite mortified by this determina !
tion to attribute his actions to a covetous motive,
and was
about to reply to his lordship, when he heard the vicepresident
move a vote
of thanks to the author of the
philanthropic proposal just submitted to the assembly. " It
" be to the eternal honour of the would," he said,
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
42
Brighton Conference, that an idea so sublime had been It was an idea which nothing short of originated there. the most exalted benevolence and the rarest generosity
And
could have conceived.
been suggested,
it
yet,
now
that the idea
seemed almost a wonder that
it
had had
never before occurred to any one. "Millions had been lavished on senseless wars, vast
squandered in foolish speculations how infinitely better spent they might have been in the furtherance of
capitals
;
such a scheme as this
The of
its
" !
speaker, in conclusion, proposed founder, the
new
"
That, in honour
city should receive the
name
of
Sarrasina."
This motion would have been carried by acclamation, but Dr. Sarrasin interposed "
" No," said he, my name has nothing whatever to do
with this scheme. city a fancy is
name
often invented,
Neither
and gives an
peculiarity to whatever bears
welfare and comfort, let
Let us
call it
us bestow on the future
let
derived from Greek or Latin, such as
Frankville
Every one agreed to
it
it.
air
of
It will
affectation
and
be the city of
be named after
my
country.
" !
gratify Dr. Sarrasin in
acceding to his choice, and the
towards the founding of the
first
step
this
by was thus taken
city.
The meeting then proceeded
to the discussion of other
Professor Schultz and his man.
EFFECT OF AN ITEM OF NEWS. and to
points,
which
it
43
this practical occupation, so unlike those to
was usually devoted, we
will leave
it,
while
we
follow the wandering fortunes of the paragraph published in the
Daily Telegraph.
Copied word
for
word by
information contained in this
all
the
In the
blazed abroad, over every county in England.
Hull Gazette
it
figured at the top of the second page in
a copy of that modest journal which, on the
November, arrived at Rotterdam masted
The
collier
the
newspapers,
paragraph was soon
little
on
first
of
board the three-
Queen Mary.
active scissors of the editor of the Belgian
Echo
was speedily translated into pounced upon Flemish (the language of Cuyp and Potter), and on the wings of steam it reached the Bremen Chronicle on the it
at once,
2nd of November.
it
In that paper our bit of news next
appeared, the same in substance, but clothed in a garb of
German, the
artful editor
adding
in parenthesis
"
from our
Brighton correspondent."
The office
anecdote,
the
of the editor of the Northern Gazette, and that great
man gave
On
now thoroughly Germanised, reached
it
a place in the second column of his third page.
the evening of the 3rd of November, after passing
through these various transformations,
between the
fat
it
made
its
entrance,
hands of a stout serving man, into the
study of Professor Schultz of the University of Jena.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
44
High he
as this personage stood in the scale of humanity,
presented
nothing
remarkable
the
to
of
eye
a
stranger.
He
was a man of
and
five or six
forty, strongly built,
his square shoulders denoting a" robust constitution
forehead was bald, the
and behind
little
his
;
hair remaining on his temples
head suggested the idea that they consisted His eyes were blue, that vague blue of threads of tow. his
which never betrays a thought.
Professor Schultz
had a
largo mouth, garnished with a double row of formidable
would never drop their prey thin lips closed over them, whose principal employment was to keep note of the words which passed between them. teeth which
The
;
general appearance of the professor was decidedly
unpleasant to others, but he himself was evidently perfectly satisfied with
On
it.
,
hearing his servant enter,
he raised
his eyes to a
very
pretty clock over the mantel-piece which looked out of place
among a number
of vulgar articles around
it,
and
said in a quick, rough voice
"6.55!
The
letters too late
they are not on "
by
twenty-five minutes.
You bring my The next time
my
table at 6 30
my service."
post comes in at 6.30.
.
you
Will you please to dine now,
sir
quit " ?
asked the
man
as
he withdrew. "It
is
now
6.55, and I dine at seven.
You have been
EFFECT OF AN ITEM OF NEWS. here for three weeks, and you
know
45,
Recollect that
that.
I
never change an hour, and never repeat an order."
The
professor laid his newspaper on the table,
on writing a
and went
which was to appear next day in Physiological Records,' a periodical to which he contributed. We may be permitted to state that this treatise was en treatise
*
"
titled
are all Frenchmen affected by different degrees
Why
of hereditary degeneracy
?
"
As
the professor pursued his task, his dinner, consisting of a large dish of sausages and cabbage, flanked by a huge flagon of beer,
the
was
carefully placed
on a round table near
fire.
He
laid aside his
pen
in order to
partake of this repast,
which he did with greater appearance of enjoyment than might have been expected from so grave an individual.
Then he rang
for coffee, lighted his pipe,
and resumed
his
labours. It
was
after
last page,
and
midnight when he signed his name on the retired at once to his
bedroom
to enjoy a
well-earned repose.
Not cover,
till
he was
and begin
in
bed did he take
his
paper from
to read before going to sleep.
its
Just as
the professor was becoming drowsy, his eye was caught
by
a foreign name, that of "Langevol," in the paragraph " relating to the
mind
Monster Heritage."
He
tried to call to
clearly the vague recollections to which this
name
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
46 gave
rise.
After a few minutes vainly devoted to efforts
of memory, he threw
away the
journal, blew out his candle,
and loud snores quickly gave notice that he slept. By a physiological phenomenon, which he himself had studied and
explained
at
great
length,
name
this
of
Langevol followed Professor Schultz even in his dreams.
The consequence was
that on awaking next morning, he
found himself mechanically repeating it. All at once, just as he was going to look at his watch, a
sudden
light
broke upon him.
Snatching up the newspaper at the foot of his bed, he read again and again, with his hand pressed on his forehead, the paragraph which he had
but missed seeing the night
was evidently spreading to his brain, without waiting to put on his flowered dressing-gown,
before. for
The
all
light
he hurried to the
fireplace,
took a small miniature portrait
from the wall by the mirror, and turning his sleeve across the
The
round, passed
dusty pasteboard at the back.
professor was
the following
it
right.
German words,
Behind the picture he read traced in faded ink
:
"
Therese Schultz, eine geborene Langevol," which means, " Theresa Schultz, whose maiden name was Langevol."
That evening the professor was his
way
to London,
in the express train
on
The Langevol
business.
Page
47-
TWO CLAIMANTS.
CHAPTER
47
IV.
TWO CLAIMANTS.
ON
the
6th
November,
at
7
A.M.,
arrived at the Charing Cross Station.
No
Professor
Schultz
At noon he presented
Southampton Row, entering a large room divided by a wooden barrier, one side being for the clerks, himself at
94,
the other for the public.
In
it
there were six chairs, a table,
Two
numberless green tin boxes, and a London Directory.
were quietly eating the tradi
young men, seated
at the table,
tional luncheon of
bread and cheese usual with their
" in
the tone of a
man
"Mr. Sharp is what business ?" "
class.
Messrs. Billows, Green, and Sharp ?" said the professor, calling for his dinner.
room
in his private
Professor Schultz, of Jena.
On
what name?
On
the Langevol business."
This information was murmured into the speaking-tube
by the young
clerk
;
a reply being returned into his ear
which he did not choose to repeat
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
48 " .
Hang
the Langevol business
put in a claim
Another
!
fool
come to
!"
Clerk's answer
man seems
"This
respectable enough.
Does not look
exactly agreeable though."
Another mysterious whisper conveyed the words " And he comes from Germany." "
So he
With a "
says."
sigh
Send him
"Second
came the order upstairs."
story, door facing you," said the clerk aloud,
pointing to an inner entrance.
The professor plunged into the passage, mounted the stairs, and found himself opposite a green baize
door, on
which the
name of Mr. Sharp stood out in black letters on a brass plate. That personage was seated table, in chairs,
He
mahogany
a common-looking room, with a
writing-
felt carpet,
leather
and many open boxes. half rose from his seat, and then, according to the
polite fashion of business his papers for several
At
at a large
last,
men, began to rummage amongst how busy he was.
minutes to show
turning to Professor Schultz who remained standing
near him, he said "
Have
the goodness,
sir,
as few words as possible.
to tell
My
you but a very few minutes."
me your
time
is
business here in
limited
;
I
can give
TWO CLAIMANTS. The
professor smiled slightly, evidently not at all put
way he was
out by the "
Perhaps," he said,
here,
49
you
will think
it
received. "
when you know what
me
advisable to grant
brings
me
a few minutes
more." "
Proceed,
"My
sir."
business relates to the inheritance
Jacques Langevol, of Bar-le-Duc. the elder
I
am
Theresa Langevol, who married
sister,
Brunswick; he died
from
my
by Jean
the grandson of
rny grandfather, Martin Schultz, a surgeon
letters
left
I
in 1814.
have
in
in the
home
1792
army of
my possession
great-uncle, written to his sister,
.accounts of his return
in
three
and many
after the battle of Jena, besides
the legal documents which prove
my
birth."
We
need not follow Professor Schultz through the prolix explanations which he gave to Mr. Sharp. On this point he seemed, contrary to his nature, quite inexhaustible. His aim was to demonstrate to this Englishman, this Mr. .Sharp, that
by
rights the
predominate over
German
race should, in
His object
all others.
in putting forward
a claim to this inheritance was chiefly that snatched from French hands, which could not
a
silly
use of
nationality.
not have
it.
Had
What he
hated in his
he been a German
all things,
might be
it
fail
rival
to
make
was
his
he certainly should
interfered, &c., &c.
But that a Frenchman
a would-be
"
savant
;)
should E
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
So
enormous wealth to spend upon French fancies, was distracting to his feelings, and he considered it his have
this
duty to contest
At
first
his right to
sight,
it
at all costs.
the connection between these political
opinions and the opulent inheritance in question was not very clear. But the experienced eye of the man of business plainly detected the relation which patriotic ambition for
the advantage of the
German
nation generally, bore to the
private interests of Professor
saw that
this apparently
Schultz individually.
He
double aim had in reality but one
motive.
There was no doubt about might be
it.
However humiliating
for a professor of the University of
connected with beings of an inferior race, that a French ancestress bility of giving to the
had had a share
world this matchless
it
it
Jena to be
was evident
in the responsi
human
being.
this relationship being in a secondary degree to that Doctor of Sarrasin, would only give secondary rights to the
But
said
inheritance.
The
solicitor
perceived,
however, the
and in
this possibility
possibility of lawfully sustaining them,
he foresaw another which would be much to the advantage of Billows, Green, and Sharp, something which would
change the Langevol
affair,
already productive, into a very
" good thing, indeed, a second case of the Jarndyce versus Jarndyce" of Dickens. An extensive horizon of stamped
of paper, deeds, documents
all sorts,
rose before the eyes of
TWO CLAIMANTS. man
51
and, what was worth more, he saw a conducted compromise by himself, Sharp, to the interest of both his clients, which would bring to himself equal parts
the
of law
of honour and
;
profit.
In the meanwhile he
made known
the claims of Doctor Sarrasin, gave
to Professor Schultz
him
proofs in corrobo-
and insinuated that if Billows, Green, and Sharp undertook to make something advantageous for the professor out of the claims, "shadowy though they are, my dear sir, ration,
it
would,
I
fear,
not hold water in a lawsuit," which his
relationship to the doctor gave
remarkable sense of
justice,
would admit that to Messrs. the professor,
The
owed a was
him
he hoped that the
by
possessed
Billows, Green,
all
Germans,
and Sharp,
he,
large debt of gratitude.
enough to understand the drift of this argument, and soon put the mind of the business man at rest on this point, though without committing latter
practical
himself in any way.
examine
to
Mr. Sharp politely begged permission
into the affair at his leisure,
showed him out
with marked respect, nothing more having been said as to the very limited
time of which before he had been
so sparing. Professor
Schultz retired convinced
that he
had
no
put forward for the Begum's inheritance, same persuaded that a struggle between the
sufficient claim to
but
all
the
Saxon and Latin
races, besides
being always meritorious,
E 2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
52
would not
fail, if
set
about properly, to turn to the advantage
of the former.
The next important
was
step
to Brighton
had the
effect
Mr. Sharp's
office
five o'clock.
by
Dr. Sarrasin heard
all
which astonished the
to
get
that
had occurred with a calmness
solicitor.
He
frankly declared that
in his family of
aunt brought up by a rich and titled lady,
knew
neither the
Sarrasin's
of bringing that gentleman to
he perfectly remembered a tradition grated with her, and
Dr.
A telegram despatched immediately
opinion on the subject
who had married
name nor
in
a great-
who had emi Germany.
He
the exact degree of relationship
of this great-aunt.
Mr. Sharp was busily looking over his notes, carefully
numbered
in portfolios,
which he now exhibited with con
siderable complacency to the doctor.
There was for
Mr. Sharp did not seek to hide
a lawsuit, and lawsuits of this character
be lengthened
out.
to
Indeed,
it
was not
it
may
matter easily
at all necessary to
the adverse party that family tradition
acknowledge which Doctor Sarrasin had fided to his solicitor.
To be
in his
honesty just now con
sure, there
were those
letters
from Jean Jacques Langevol to his sister, of which Pro fessor Schultz had spoken, and which were a point in his favour.
A very small point
character, but
still
a point
indeed, destitute of
any
legal
no doubt other proofs would
TWO CLAIMANTS.
53
be exhumed from the dust of municipal archives.
Perhaps even the adverse party, in default of authentic documents,
would even dare to manufacture
must be
Who knew
foreseen.
might assign to
this
Everything but that fresh investigations
Therese Langevol and her descendants,
who had suddenly Sarrasin's
false ones.
started
superior claims
up,
to
Dr.
In any case, there would be long disputes,
?
no end of them.
tedious examinations
There was good
hope of success for both sides, each could easily form a limited liability
company
ceedings and exhaust
all
to advance the cost of the pro
the pleas of jurisdiction.
A celebrated suit of the same sort had been in the Court of Chancery for eighty-three consecutive years, and was
only ended at all
had gone
!
last for
What
want of funds
interest
and
capital,
with inquiries, commissions, transfers,
the proceedings would take an indefinite period years' time the question
would probably be
and the twenty-one millions
still
!
In ten
undecided,
sleeping quietly in the
still
Bank. Dr. Sarrasin listened to this long-winded oration, and
wondered when
it
for gospel all that
would come to an end. he heard, he
felt
Without taking
a kind of chilly dis
couragement creeping over him, as a voyager gazes from the ship's bows at the port to which he believes himself approaching, but sees
it
finally disappearing
as
growing
less
his vessel
and drifts
less distinct,
and
away from the
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
54
He
land.
told himself that
fortune just
found a
now
it
and
so near,
was not impossible that this for which he had already
would end by slipping from
use,
his grasp,
and
fade away. "
Then what
"
What
say,
done
to be
to be
is
more
is
done
would be arranged
he asked of the
Hem
?
difficult still to
" ?
decide
That was
!
;
solicitor.
to
difficult
but no doubt everything
He, Sharp, was certain of
in the end.
English law was excellent, a leetle slow perhaps,
that.
he could not help saying so claudo
hem
hem
!
!
but
Doctor Sarrasin could not
all
decidedly slow, pcde
yes,
the more sure.
fail in
Assuredly
the course of a few years
to be in possession of this inheritance, always supposing
hem
!
The very
hem
his claims sufficient
!
doctor issued from the
much shaken
must
" !
in his confidence,
either plunge into
Southampton Row and convinced that he
office in
an interminable lawsuit or give
up his dream. The thoughts that his fine philanthropic scheme must come to nothing gave him keen pain. In the meantime, Mr. Sharp sent for Professor Schultz,
who had
left his
He
address.
told
him that Dr. Sarrasin
had never heard of Therese Langevol, denied the existence of a German branch of the family, and rejected any idea of a compromise. do, therefore,
go to
law.
if
There was nothing that the professor could he believed
From
this,
his right well established,
but to
Mr. Sharp, who was perfectly
dis-
TWO CLAIMANTS.
55
and was a mere spectator
interested of course,
in
the
What more
matter, had no intention of dissuading him.
could a solicitor wish than a lawsuit of perhaps thirty
and not knowing to what personally would be delighted.
years,
Professor Schultz would think
it
If it
might lead them. He he had not feared that suspicious on his part,
he would have pushed his disinterestedness so
recommend
to
him one
of his legal brethren,
a
blush
he owned
!
And, indeed, of law had now become
The path
!
regular high road
robbers
who would
the choice was
look after his interests.
an important one
far as to
!
swarming with adventurers and
this
shameful
though with a
fact,
!
"
Supposing the French doctor was willing to arrange " the matter, how much would it cost ? asked the professor. Being a wise man, words could not confuse him being a practical man, he went straight to the point without Mr. Sharp was
wasting any precious time on the way. of action.
He represented
to Professor Schultz that business did not
go on so quickly
rather disconcerted
as
all
that
;
by
this
mode
that no one could see the end,
they were just at the beginning
;
when
as yet
that in order to bring Dr.
Sarrasin to terms they must protract the business, so as not to allow
him
to see that he, Schultz,
was
at all eager to
compromise matters. "
I
beg,
sir,"
he concluded,
"
that
you
will leave
it
to
me
;
56
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
put yourself in
my
hands, and
be answerable for
I will
everything." "
to
Very well," replied Schultz, know what I have to expect."
"
but
I
should
much
like
However, he could not ascertain from Mr. Sharp the price at which the solicitor valued Saxon gratitude, and
was therefore obliged
to
him
give
carte blanche in
the
matter.
When
Dr. Sarrasin appeared next day in answer to Mr.
summons, and quietly asked if he had any particular news for him, the solicitor, alarmed at his Sharp's
calmness, informed him that a serious examination had
convinced him that the better plan would be to nip the threatened danger in the bud, and propose to compromise with this
new
claimant.
that this
was
essentially disinterested advice,
solicitors in
Dr. Sarrasin must agree with
Mr. Sharp's place would have given.
quite a paternal interest in the
concerned
The
in bringing
it
affair,
last
all this
way
year before he had trial to
him.
his pride
felt
was
sensible enough.
few days he had become so accustomed to
the idea of immediately realising his everything gave
But he
to a speedy conclusion.
doctor listened and thought
During the
and
him
and what few
it
to
it.
To
would have been a cruel
Without being taken
speeches, although
dream that
wait ten years, or even one
in his power,
little
scientific
in
by Mr. Sharp's
familiar with legal
and
fine
financial
TWO questions, he
a
sum
CLAIMANTS.
57
would have cheerfully given up
paid down
in
ready money
his claims for
sufficient to enable
to pass at once from theory to practice.
him
He also, therefore,
gave carte blanche to Mr. Sharp, and departed. The solicitor had now got what he wanted. It was
at once,
quite true that perhaps another might in his place have
yielded to the temptation of beginning and prolonging a lawsuit which would bring in a considerable annuity to his
But Mr. Sharp was not a man who cared
business. this
for
kind of speculation.
He saw
hand a way by which he could reap and he resolved to seize it. The next
close to his
an abundant harvest,
day he wrote to the doctor that he believed Herr Schultz was not opposed to a compromise. In subsequent visits
made by him alternately,
professor,
he told them
that the adverse party would
say nothing
to the doctor
and
decided, and
that, in addition, a third candidate, attracted
by the
was talked
scent,
of.
This little game went on for a week. In the morning all was going well, but by the evening an unforeseen objection had suddenly arisen to upset everything. The honest doctor
was incessantly troubled by doubts, mind.
fears,
and changes of
Mr. Sharp could not bring himself to hook his
he so greatly feared that at the snap the
line.
last
But so many precautions were,
quite superfluous.
From
the very
fish,
he would struggle and
first
in this case,
day Dr. Sarrasin*
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
58
who would have done anything of a lawsuit, was ready for last
to spare himself the trouble
When
any arrangement.
at
Mr. Sharp thought that the psychological moment, to
use the celebrated expression, had arrived, or in less exalted language, that his client was done to a turn, he suddenly
unmasked
his batteries,
and proposed an immediate com
promise.
A benevolent man then appeared who proposed millions,
the banker, Stilbing
to split the difference, to give to each ten
and merely have
for
commission the surplus
million.
Dr. Sarrasin could have embraced Mr. Sharp
made him
when he
seemed splendid to him. He was ready and eager to sign. He would have liked to put up in the market place of the proposed this
proposal
city golden statues to the
;
it
banker Stilbing, to the
Sharp, to the bank and to
all
the lawyers in the United
Kingdom. The documents were drawn ready.
Professor
him
solicitor
Schultz had
up,
and everything was
surrendered
Mr. Sharp
with a less easy-tempered adversary he had all costs to pay. So it was have would certainly The two heirs each received a cheque for a settled. assuring
that,
hundred thousand pounds, payable of a definite settlement after
been gone through.
all
at sight,
the legal
and a promise formalities had
" We've got the best of
it
this
time!" 59-
TWO CLAIMANTS. Thus was
this
wonderful
of the Anglo-Saxon race
We
59
affair settled, to
the great glory
!
are assured that, that
same evening,
whilst dining at
the Cobden Club with his friend Stilbing, Mr. Sharp drank
a glass of champagne to the health of Dr. Sarrasin, another to Professor Schultz, to this
gave way "
Hurrah
this
time!"
The
!
truth
and then, as he finished the
somewhat
Rule Britannia
is,
bottle,
indiscreet exclamation !
We've got the best of
it
that the banker Stilbing considered his
friend rather stupid for not having
made
a great deal more
out of the business, and in his heart the professor had
thought the same, from the
moment
in
which he had
felt
himself obliged to agree to any arrangement that was
What
offered.
could not have been done with a
man
like
Dr. Sarrasin, a Celt, careless, thoughtless, and very certainly visionary
The
!
professor
had heard of
his rival's project of
founding
a French town, under such moral and physical conditions as would develop the qualities of the race, and form strong
and brave generations. This enterprise appeared to him absurd, and, to his sure to
fail,
as
it
the uprooting of the Latin race,
and eventually globe.
ideas,
opposed the law of progress, which decreed
its
its
subjection to the Saxon,
disappearance from the surface of the
However, these
results
might be held
in
check
if
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
60
the doctor's programme began to be realised, and so the more
if
there
therefore, the
obey
he could,
if
circumstances
its
duty of every true Saxon,
general order, to nothing,
was any prospect of
it
this
this
was quite
success.
much
It was,
in the interest
appointed law, insane enterprise.
of
and bring to
Under the
clear that he, Schultz, M.D.,
privat decent of chemistry in Jena University, known by his numerous works on the different human races, works in all
which
it
others
was proved that the German race was to absorb it was quite clear that he was particularly
designed by the great creative and destructive force of nature to annihilate the pigmies it.
From
the very beginning
who were struggling against had been ordained that
it
Therese Langevol would marry Martin Schultz, and that
one day, the two nationalities meeting in the persons of the French doctor and the German professor, the latter
Already he had in his possession half the doctor's fortune, this was the weapon he was to
would crush the former.
wield.
This project was but a secondary one to Professor he merely added it to others still Schultz at present ;
more vast which he had formed nations
who
for the destruction of all
refused to blend themselves with the
German
people and be united with the Vaterland. However, wishing if so be that to explore to the end they had an end of Dr. Sarrasin's plans, he attended
all
the meetings of the
TWO CLAIMANTS. As
61
members, with Doctor Sarrasin himself among them, were leaving the meeting, the professor
Congress.
several
was overheard
to
make
this declaration
:
that he would
found at the same time as Frankville, a city strong enough to put an end to that absurd and abnormal ant-hill. "
I
" hope," he added, that the experiment
will serve as
an example to
all
the world
we
shall
make
!"
Although good Doctor Sarrasin was so full of love to all mankind, he had lived long enough to know that all his fellow-creatures did not deserve the
He
noted, however,
like a sensible
Some
this
man
of philanthropists.
that no threat ought to be neglected.
time afterwards, writing to
in his enterprise,
name
speech of his adversary, thinking
he mentioned
Max
to invite
this incident
him
to aid
and described
Herr Schultz so accurately that the young Alsacian was certain the doctor had in him a formidable adversary. The doctor added
"We
need bold and energetic men, of practical information, not only to build, but to defend us."
Max "
shall
answered
Although
cannot immediately give
I
to the founding of your city,
me when
to
know about
his
I shall
not lose sight for
whom you have My Alsacian birth gives me the right affairs. Whether I am near you or far
this
described so well.
co-operation
you may depend on finding
the right time comes.
a single day of
my
Professor Schultz
62
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
away, I am devoted to you. If by any unforeseen chance you should be some months, or even years, without hearing
from me, do not be uneasy. Whether I am near you or far away, I shall have but one thought, to work for you,
and consequently
to serve France."
STAHLSTADT.
CHAPTER
63
V.
STAHLSTADT.
WE
must take a leap through time and space. Five years have elapsed since the two heirs took possession of the Begum's inheritance. The scene lies in the United States, to the south of Oregon, ten leagues
of the Pacific. limits
as
The
district is
yet barely defined
from the shores
mountainous,
by
its
northern
the two neighbouring
powers.
A merely superficial spectator might call Switzerland, with its
its
it
the American
abrupt peaks rising above the
deep valleys dividing the heights,
its
clouds,,
aspect at once
grand and wild. But, unlike the
European Switzerland,
it is
not given
to the peaceful industries of the shepherd, the guide,
up
and
has Alpine decorations only, just a crust of rocks, and earth and venerable pines spread over
the hotel-keeper.
It
a mass of iron and
coal.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
64 Should the
way
through these solitudes stay on his
traveller
to listen awhile to the voice of nature, he
would
as on the slopes of the Oberland, hear the gentle
of insect
life,
or the herd-boy's
of the mountain.
call,
not,
murmurs
enhancing the silence
)n his ear in this
wild spot would
fall
the heavy sound of the steam hammer, and under his feet
would echo the muffled explosions of powder. He would feel as if the ground was as full of trap-doors as the stage of a theatre, and that at any moment even the huge rocks might sink and disappear into unknown depths. Dreary roads, black with cinders and coke, wind round the sides of the mountains.
Heaps of variegated fails
to cover, glance
which the scanty herbage
scoria,
and glare
like the eyes of a basilisk.
Here and there yawns the shaft of a deserted mine, a dark The air is heavy gulf, the mouth grown over with briers. with smoke, and hangs like a pall over the ground.
a bird nor an insect
is
to be found,
Not
and a butterfly has not
been seen within the memory of man. At the northern point, where the mountain-spurs slope into the plain, lies between two ranges of bleak hills what
up
to 1871
was called the "red
colour of the iron,
but what
soil, is
which
now
is
plain,"
because of the
impregnated with oxide of
called Stahlfeld, or
the field of
steel.
Just imagine a plateau of seventeen or eighteen square
Stahlstadt. 65.
STAHLSTADT.
6$
sandy and strewn with pebbles, and altogether as arid and desolate as the ancient bed of some inland sea. miles, the soil
Nature has done nothing towards giving
man
to the place, but
life
and movement
has brought a wonderful amount of
energy and vigour to bear on
it.
In five years there sprang up on this bare and rocky
composed of small wooden houses, brought ready built from Chicago, and containing a large population of rough workmen. plain eighteen villages, all alike,
In the midst of these villages, at the very foot of the
Coal Butts, as the inexhaustible mountains of coal are called, rises a
dark mass, huge, and strange, an agglomera
tion of regular buildings, pierced with symmetrical windows,
covered with red roofs, and surmounted cylindrical chimneys,
of dense smoke.
by a
forest
of
which continually vomit forth clouds
Through the black
curtain which veils
the sky, dart red lightning-like flames, while a distant roaring
is
heard resembling that of thunder or the beating
of the surf on a rocky shore.
This erection
is
Stahlstadt
Steel
Town
!
The German
city, and the personal property of Professor Schultz, the ex-chemistry professor of Jena, who has become, by means
of the Begum's millions, the greatest iron-worker, and especially the greatest cannon-founder, of the
two hemi
spheres.
He
casts
guns of
all
shapes and of
smooth
all calibres,
F
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
66
and
rifled bores, for Russia,
Turkey, Roumania, Japan,
Italy and for China, but particularly for
With the ment, which as at the
aid of his is
Germany.
capital, this large establish
same time a regular town,
at the
wave of a
workmen, Germans
enormous
most
part,
settled themselves in the suburbs.
started
up
Thirty thousand
wand.
conjurer's
for the
foi
crowded to
it,
and
In a few months
its
products, owing to their overwhelming superiority, acquired universal celebrity.
Professor Schultz digs out iron and coal from his
own
ready to his hand, changes them into steel, and again into cannon, all on the spot. What none of his competitors can do he manages. In mines, which
lie
France ingots of
thousand pounds
steel are obtained, eighty
In England a hundred-ton gun has been cast. Essen M. Krupp has contrived to cast blocks of steel
in weight.
At
of ten hundred thousand pounds
stop at that
he knows no
!
limits.
of whatever weight and power
you
Herr Schultz does not Order a cannon of him, turn you out
like, he'll
that cannon, as bright as a new halfpenny, exactly at the
time agreed on.
But he makes
his customers
two hundred and
pay
for
fifty millions of 1871
an appetite for more
it
!
It
is
as
if
the
had only given him
!
In gun-casting, as in everything
do what others cannot
is
else,
the
sure to be well
man who off.
can
Indeed,
STAHLSTADT.
6/
Schultz's cannon not only attain to an unprecedented size, but, although they
never burst.
deteriorate slightly
may
by
use,
they
Stahlstadt steel seems to have special proper
There are many stories current of mysterious chemical mixtures but one thing is certain, that no one has dis
ties.
;
covered the invaluable secret.
Another thing
certain
is
that, in Stahlstadt, that secret is
guarded with the most jealous care. In this remote corner of North America, surrounded by deserts, isolated from the world by a rampart of mountains, five
hundred miles from the nearest town or habitation of
any
sort,
we may
search in vain for the smallest vestige
of that liberty which
is
the foundation principle of the
United States.
On
arriving under the walls of Stahlstadt
it is
useless to
try and enter one of the massive gateways which here and
there break the
line
of moats and fortifications.
sternest of sentinels will repulse the traveller.
The
He must
go back to the suburbs. He cannot enter the City of Steel unless he possesses the magic formula, the password, or,
at
any
rate,
an
order,
duly
stamped, signed, and
countersigned.
One November morning a young workman Stahlstadt, who doubtlessly possessed such an after
leaving his
arrived at order, for
well-worn portmanteau at an inn, he
directed his steps to the gateway nearest the village.
F 2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
68
He was
a
strongly built
fine,
young
loose coat, woollen shirt, with no collar,
ribbed velveteen, tucked into big boots.
wide
felt
hat over his eyes, as
a
fellow, dressed in
and trousers of
He
pulled his
to conceal the coal dust
if
with which his skin was begrimed, and walked forward with elastic step, whistling through his brown moustache.
Arrived at the gateway, the young man, showing a printed
paper to the
"Your section
order
to the
porter.
is
K, road
"You must come
officer
of the gate, was immediately admitted.
addressed to the foreman, Seligmann, ix,
workshop 743," said the
follow the
K
sentinel.
to
roundway your right till you boundary, and there show yourself to the
Do you know
the rule
?
Expelled,
if
you enter
another section than your own," he added as the new
comer went away.
The young workman followed the direction indicated to him along the roadway. On his right lay a moat, above which marched numerous sentinels. On his. left, between the wide circular road, and the mass of buildings, lay
first
a double line of railway, and then a second wall, similar to the outer one, which entirely surrounded the Steel City. It
was of so great an
by the
fortified
extent, that the sections, enclosed
walls like the spokes
of a wheel, were
perfectly independent of each other, although surrounded
by the same wall and moat. The young workman soon reached the boundary
K,.
The new workman. Page
68.
STAHLSTADT.
60
placed at the side of the road, before a lofty gateway
surmounted by the same letter sculptured and presented himself to the porter.
in the stone,
This time, instead of having a soldier to deal with, he found himself before a pensioner, with a wooden leg, and
medals on his breast.
The
pensioner examined the paper, stamped
it
again
and said "All
right, ninth
The young man
road on the
left."
entered this second intrenched
at last found himself in
debouched from the gate was the
axle,
and
The road which
K.
section
line,
and
at right angles
on either side extended rows of uniform buildings.
The
was almost deafening. Those grey buildings pierced with thousands of windows were like living monsters. But the new-comer was apparently noise of machinery
accustomed to such scenes, slightest attention
In
on the curious
bestowed
little
not
the
sight.
minutes he had found road
five
and having entered a registers,
he
for
office
full
ix,
workshop 743,
of portfolios and
stood in the presence of the foreman Seligmann.
The man took it,
the paper with all its stamps, examined then looked the young workman up and down.
"Hired
as puddler, are
you?" he asked; "you seem
"
very young "
Age
?
has nothing to do with
it,"
was the answer.
"
I
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
70
be six-and-twenty, and I've been puddling for seven months. If you like I can show you
shall soon
the last
on the strength of which York by the head overseer."
I
certificates
New
The young man spoke German
was engaged
at
quite easily, but with a
slight accent which seemed to arouse the suspicions of the
foreman. "
"
Are you an Alsacian ? he demanded. "No, I am Swiss from Schaffhausen. are
my
all
papers, quite correct,"
leather pocket-book
and
"Look, here he added, taking out a
and showing a passport,
testimonial,
certificates.
After
"Very good. business
simply
to
you are
all,
show you your
Seligmann, assured by this display of
He
hired,
place,"
official
then inscribed in a register the
and
it's
my
returned
documents.
name
of Johann
from the order, and gave to the workman a blue card bearing his name and the number Schwartz, copying
adding
57,938, "
You must be
o'clock
it
;
show
at the
this card
K
gate every morning at seven
which
will
already have passed you
through the outer wall. Take from the rack in the lodge a counter with your number on it and show it to me when
you come
in.
At
seven in the evening, as you go out,
drop the counter into a box placed at the door of the workshop, and only open at that time."
STAHLSTADT. "
I
know
Can
the system.
71
I live in
the town
" ?
asked
Schwartz. "
No
;
you must
find a lodging outside, but
shed at a very moderate Your wages are a dollar a day to begin with, but
your meals at the canteen price.
they
you can get
will
in the
be raised quarterly.
punishment.
It is
Expulsion
pronounced by me
at
is
first,
the
only
and by the
engineer on appeal, for any infraction of the rules.
Will
"
you begin to-day "Why not?" "
?
be but half-a-day," observed the foreman, as he guided Schwartz to an inner gallery. The two men walked along a wide passage, crossed a It will
yard and entered a
immense terminus.
vast hall, like the platform
of an
Schwartz, as he glanced round, could
not restrain a movement of professional admiration.
On
each side of the long hall were two rows of enormous
columns, as big as those in St. Peter's, at Rome, their tops rising
through the glass
of the puddling furnaces,
roof.
These were the chimneys
and there were
fifty
of
them
in
a row.
At one end
engines were continually bringing up
loads of iron to feed the furnaces trucks appeared to receive
transformed into
;
at the
other,
waggon
empty
and carry away the metal,
steel.
This metamorphosis
is
accomplished by means of the
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
72
operation of "puddling," at which gangs of half-naked
armed with long might and main. Cyclops,
The "pigs" for
As
soon as melted, the metal
a considerable time.
consistency, the puddler,
and
rolls
working with
of iron are thrown into a furnace brought
to an intense heat.
about
iron rakes, were
When
by means
it
is
stirred
acquires a certain
of his long hook, turns
about the molten mass, and makes
it
up into
four blooms, or balls, which he then hands over to others.
The
is
operation
continued in the midst of the
hall.
Opposite each furnace stands a shingling hammer, moved
by steam. Protected
by boots and armlets
with a metallic
veil,
of iron, the head covered
and wearing a thick leathern apron,
the "shingler" with his long pincers takes up the red hot ball,
and places
the weight
it
under the hammer.
Down on
a
When it cools
taken back to the furnace, to be brought out again and
hammered
as before.
There was incessant movement
To
comes
of the ponderous machine, pressing out
quantity of dross, amidst showers of sparks. it is
it
a spectator
it
was a
in this
monster forge.
terrifying scene, the cascades of
molten metal, dull blows heard above the roaring, showers of brilliant sparks, the glare of the red hot furnaces.
the fearful din and tumult, infant.
man appeared
like
In
a helpless
Puddlers
at
work. Page
72
A
monster hammer. Page
72.
STAHLSTADT.
73
To
Powerful fellows must these puddlers be.
knead four hundredweight of metallic paste
and
stir
in that
tem
perature, to see nothing for hours but the blinding glare of
the furnace and molten iron,
man
is
trying work, and wears a
out in ten years.
Schwartz, as
to
if
show the foreman what he could
do,
at once stripped off his coat and woollen shirt, exhibiting a well-knit frame,
and arms on which the muscles stood out
like cords, seized a
just put down,
and
set to
was
Seeing that he left,
hook which one of the puddlers had
and returned to
work.
likely to
The new-comer worked on he was either too sufficient
do
well, the
foreman soon
his office.
until the dinner-hour.
energetic, or
But
he had neglected to take
food that morning to support his strength in this
he soon appeared tired and faint. Indeed so worn out did he seem that the chief of his gang noticed it. unusual
toil,
for
"You're not
fit
you had best ask
for a puddler,
at once
to
my
lad,"
he
said,
"and
be changed into another
they won't do it later." Schwartz protested against this.
section, for
faintness.
He
It
was but a passing
could puddle as well as any one
The gang's-man made was immediately
called
his report however,
!
and Schwartz
up before the chief engineer.
This personage examined his papers, shook his head, and asked in an inquisitorial tone
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
74 "
Were you a puddler at Brooklyn ?" The young man looked down in confusion. "
I
must confess
in casting,
and
it
it,
I see,"
was
in the
that I wished to try "
You
are
my
all alike,"
he answered. "I was employed
hope of increasing hand at puddling."
my
salary
returned the engineer, shrugging his
"At five-and-twenty you what few men of five-and-thirty are shoulders.
do
think you can fit
for.
Well, then,
are you good at casting ?" " "
I
was two months
You had
in the first class."
better have stayed in
it
Here you
!
to begin in the third. All the same, you
lucky
The
in
may
will
have
think yourself
being allowed to change your section so easily
!"
engineer then wrote a few words on a pass, sent a
telegram, and said
"Give up your counter, leave
this
straight to section O, chief engineer's
division,
office.
He
and
go
has been
told."
The same
formalities
were gone through again that
Schwartz had met with at the
K
As
gate.
in the
morning,
he was questioned, accepted, and sent to the foreman of the workshop,
who
introduced him into the casting-hall.
But here the work was more "This
is
pounders,"
silent,
and more methodical.
only a small gallery, for observed the foreman
" ;
alone are allowed to cast the big guns."
casting forty-two
first-class
workmen
The
casting hall.
Page 74
STAHLSTADT.
The
"
"
small
gallery
was not
7$
than four hundred and
less
Schwartz, as he fifty feet long and two hundred wide. there must be at least six that calculated glanced round,
hundred crucibles being heated, by
four, eight, or
twelve
together in the side furnaces.
The moulds
destined for the reception of the fused steel
were placed down the middle of the gallery, at the bottom of a trench. On each side of the trench was a movable crane, which, running
on a
use for moving enormous weights. hall, at
was constantly
line of rails,
one end was a railroad
As
for the
steel,
as they
came out of the mould.
the puddling
conveyance of the
at the other, one for taking
bars of
in
away the cannon
Near each mould stood a man armed with an test the state of fusion of the
metal
in
iron rod, to
in the crucibles.
The
processes, which Schwartz had seen put in practice elsewhere, were here brought to a remarkable state of perfection.
When
a cast was to be made, a warning bell gave the
signal to all the watchers of the crucibles.
two,
workmen
Then, two by
of equal height, bearing between
their shoulders a horizontal bar of iron,
them on
came with measured
and placed themselves before every furnace. An officer, armed with a whistle, his chronometer
step,
hand, stood near the mould, conveniently placed for furnaces in action.
On
each
in his all
the
side, channels of refractory
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
76
earth, covered with metal,
converged
in gentle slopes to
funnel-shaped reservoir, placed just above the mould. whistled
officer
;
a
The
immediately a crucible, taken from the
fire
with pincers, was slung on the iron bar supported by the
two workmen. The whistle commenced a and the two men, keeping time to
tions,
series of
it,
modula
approached and
emptied the contents of their crucible into the corres
ponding channel.
Then they
tossed their empty,
still
red-
hot receptacle into a vat.
Without
interruption, at regular intervals, so as to
keep
up a constant flow, gangs from the other furnaces went through exactly the same operation. It
was
all
executed with such wonderful precision that
was emptied The manoeuvre seemed rather the
just at the appointed time the last crucible
and flung
into the vat.
result of a blind
hundred human
mechanism, than the co-operation of a
wills.
Inflexible discipline, the force of habit,
and the power of
the measured musical strain, worked the miracle.
The
Sight appeared familiar to Schwartz,
coupled with a cast,
his
man
and found a
gang
of his
capital
own
workman.
at the close of the
who was soon
height, tested in a small
Indeed, the head of
day promised him a speedy
rise.
On
leaving the section O, at seven that evening, he went
back to the inn to fetch
his
portmanteau.
Then, following
STAHLSTADT.
77
one of the exterior roads, he soon came to a group of houses, which he had remarked that morning as he passed,
and
easily found a lodging in the cottage of a "
who
took
workman
After supper, our young
did not, like too
of his class, stroll out to the nearest public-house.
many
He
good woman
in a lodger."
shut himself in his room, took from his pocket a frag
ment of steel evidently picked up from the
crucible earth
little
them
O
in the
puddling shed, a
section,
carefully by the light of a
and examined
smoky lamp.
Then,
taking from his portmanteau a thick manuscript book, half full of notes, receipts, and calculations, he wrote the following in good French,
cipher of which he alone "
November
ticular in the
loth.
mode
though, for precaution, in a
knew
the key
Stahlstadt.
:
There
is
nothing par
of puddling, unless, of course,
is
it
the
choice of two different temperatures, relatively low for the first
heat and the re -heating, according to Chernoff 's rules.
As
to the casting,
it
done
is
after
Krupp's process, but This
with a perfectly admirable uniformity of movement. precision results
in
manoeuvres
is
from the innate musical talent
The English could never have no it
ear,
and want
far,
German power. It in the German race.
attain to this perfection
discipline.
easily, as they are the
So
the great
;
they
The French may
reach
most perfect dancers
there appears to be
in the world.
nothing mysterious in the
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
78
remarkable success of specimens which
The mineral
manufacture.
this
picked up on the mountain are similar
I
to our best iron. "
The
coal
is
certainly
uncommonly
metallurgic quality, but in
there
still
fine, is
of an eminently
nothing
unusual
it.
"There
is
no doubt that
in the
Schwartz manufacture
taken to purify the principal materials from any foreign matter, that they may be employed only in a The result may easily be imagined. perfectly pure state
special care
To be
is
in possession of the
remainder of the problem,
I
have only to determine the composition of the refractory earth of which the crucibles and the channels are made. This discovered, and our gangs
of
workmen properly
do not see why we should not do what they do All the same, as yet I have only seen two sections,
drilled, I
here.
and there are
at least four-and-twenty, without counting
the central building, the plans and models department,
What dangerous schemes may not be den What may not our friends have to
the secret cabinet
maturing
in that
!
?
fear, after the threat uttered
took possession of
his fortune
by Herr Schultz when he " ?
*
After these questions, Schwartz,
who was
tired
enough
with his day's work, undressed, laid himself down in a little
bed, which
bed could be
was about and that
as uncomfortable as a
German
saying a good deal
lighted
is
STAHLSTADT.
and began to smoke, and read a well-worn book. were apparently elsewhere. The odorous
his pipe,
But
79
his thoughts
clouds issued from his lips as
Pooh!
"Pooh!
He
they were saying
if
Pooh!"
Pooh!
soon put down his book, and remained lost
thought for a long time, as
if
in
he were absorbed in the
solution of a difficult problem. " ,
"
Ah," he exclaimed at
should try to prevent
last,
me
I
Professor Schultz, and, above
against Frankville
sweet
;
saw is
her,
had grown
of ideas. his
was on
never
although Jeannette, since he last
into a
young
This phenomenon
lady.
by the ordinary laws
of the association
Then, when by contiguity. Max Bruckmann awoke, having still
association
or rather
Jeannette in his mind, he was not at
found
He had
his lips.
Thoughts of the doctor brought up that of
daughter
Schwartz
meditating
murmuring the name of Doctor dreams it was the name of Jeannette,
little girl,
easily explained
is
sleep,
Jeannette, that
forgotten the
what he
!
but in his
little
all,
find out the secret of
"
Schwartz went to Sarrasin
though the devil himself
will
in this fact
all
astonished, but
a fresh proof of the excellence of the
psychological principles of John Stuart Mill.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
So
CHAPTER
VI.
THE ALBRECHT
PIT.
FRAU BAUER, Max Bruckmann's good Swiss by
birth,
and widow
of a miner,
landlady, was a
who was
killed four
years previously in one of those accidents which miner's
so
life
precarious.
annual pension of thirty
make a
She was allowed a small
dollars, and, in addition, the
wages
Carl, brought regularly to her every Sunday.
of her
boy She was enabled
slightly to increase her
income by letting
a furnished room.
Although scarcely thirteen, Carl was employed in the it being his duty to open and coal mine as a trapper shut one of the ventilator doors, whenever it was necessary ;
for the coal trucks to pass.
lease
to
;
and as
it
was too
at
from the Albrecht
pit for
him
had obtained some night It was not heavy, the bottom of the same mine.
come home eveiy
work
far
His mother had her house on
evening, he
being merely to look after six horses, whilst the
man
THE ALBRECHT who had charge
of
PIT.
81
them during the day spent the night
above ground. Carl's fifteen
young
hundred
life
feet
was passed,
therefore, almost entirely,
below the surface of the
day he kept watch by his door,
earth.
All
night he slept on a bed
all
On Sunday
of straw, near his horses.
mornings only, did he return to the light of day, to revel for a few short hours in the universal blessing of the sun, the blue sky, and his mother's smile.
As may be from
the
imagined, after such a week, on coming up
he
pit
was
hardly
what would be
Indeed he was more
presentable.
like
a sweep, or a negro, than anything
a
called
young gnome,
else.
Frau Bauer
had always a large supply of hot water and soap ready, and devoted a good hour, the first thing, to scrubbing him. She next dressed him in a comfortable suit of dark green cloth, all
the
week
made from an
old one of his father's, and kept
in the big deal
cupboard, and then set to work
to admire her boy, an occupation of which she never tired, for she
thought him the handsomest in the world.
When
the layer of coal-dust
really as good-looking as
was washed
most boys.
off,
Carl was
His golden silky
locks, his pleasant blue eyes, well suited his fair complexion,
but he was altogether too small life
made him
for his age.
as white as a turnip and,
His sunless
had Dr.
Sarrasin's
compte-globules been applied to the blood of the young
G
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
82 miner,
it
would probably have revealed that he possessed a
very insufficient quantity. In character he was rather silent and quiet, with some
of
that pride which the feeling of constant danger, the habit of regular work, and the satisfaction of difficulties overcome, gives to all miners.
His greatest happiness was to square table in their large
number of
as the
its
damp
kitchen,
frightful insects
The warm and
of the earth.
mines has
little
sit
special fauna, little
near his mother at the
and arrange
in
a box a
brought from the bowels equal atmosphere of the
known by
naturalists, just
walls of the pits have their flora of curious
mosses, mushrooms, and lichens.
The
engineer, Maulesmiilhe,
who was fond
of entomology,
and had promised a small reward for each new specimen that Carl brought him. This, which
had remarked
had
at
first
this,
led the
boy
to explore all the recesses of the
mine, had gradually taught him to be a collector.
He now
sought for insects on his own account.
However, he did not wood-lice.
big
rat.
If
He was
limit his affections to spiders
and
on intimate terms with two bats and a
he was to be believed, these three animals were
the most intelligent and amiable creatures in the world
;
even more intellectual than the horses with long silky manes and shining sides, of which Carl always spoke in terms of
warm
admiration.
The
little
miner's
life.
Page
83.
THE ALBRECHT was
Blair-Athol
who had been
below the
feet
But how well he knew labyrinth,
for six years fifteen
level of the sea,
his
and had
He was now
time never seen the light of day.
when
83
chief favourite, the eldest in the stable, a
philosophical old horse,
hundred
PIT.
way
all
that
nearly blind.
along the subterranean
to turn to the right or
when
to the
left,
as
he drew his trucks, without ever missing a step He always stopped at the right time before the trap, leaving !
just
room enough
to open
In what a friendly
it.
way
did
he neigh, morning and evening, at the exact minute when it was time for his provender to be brought him. How good, how obedient, how gentle, he was !
"
his
I declare,
cheek against mine, when
said Carl. for
mother, he really gives
he
is
"
And
he
is
put
a
my
kiss,
by rubbing
head near him,"
wonderfully useful besides, mind you,
just like a clock
know whether
I
me
;
without him
we should never
was night or day, morning or evening." So chattered the boy, and dame Bauer listened to him
with delight.
it
She, too, loved Blair- Athol as
much
as her
son did, and never failed to send him a lump of sugar.
She
would have given anything to go and see the old servant her husband had known, and at the same time visit the dismal place where poor Bauer's
by the fire-damp
women
body
had been found
black as ink, carbonised after the explosion.
are not admitted into the mines,
satisfied
But
and she had to be
with the vivid descriptions given by her son.
G
2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
84
Ah
!
she
knew
that mine well
that great dark pit to
How
which her husband went down, and never returned.
times she had waited near the yawning mouth,
many
eighteen feet in diameter, looking along the walling of free stone, gazing at the
oaken frame-work to which the corves
were drawn up by cables and pulleys of
steel
visited the
out-works, the engine-shed, the scorer's hut, and the rest
How many times
had she warmed
!
herself at the glowing
brazier where the miners dry their garments on emerging
from the
How place
and the impatient smokers light their pipes was with all the noise and activity of the !
!
The
who unhooked
receivers
sorters,
them
pit,
familiar she
washers, engine-men,
all at
What
work over and over
loaded corves
the
stokers
the
she had watched
again.
she could not see, and yet could always picture
with the eyes of affection, was what happened when the basket sank down, carrying its cluster of workmen, with formerly her husband, and
She could hear and
now her only child among them.
their voices
fainter in the depths,
and laughter, growing
and
fainter
finally ceasing altogether.
In her thoughts she followed that frail basket as it was lowered down, down the narrow chimney, fifteen, eighteen
hundred
feet,
pyramid,
till it
fourteen times the height of the arrived at the bottom,
off to their work.
great
and the men hastened
THE ALBRECHT She imagined them
all
PIT.
85
dispersing to different parts of
the subterranean town, some to the right, some to the left pickers, armed with strong pickaxes to attack the blocks
of coal
bank up places whence the coal had carpenters, to put up wood-work labourers,
shorers, to
;
been hollowed
;
to repair the roads
;
and lay down
rails
;
masons, to cement
the roofs.
A wide central gallery led from spread secondary roads
;
and
this shaft to another,
At
a
right angles from
this
in parallel lines, smaller
ones
ventilator about a mile distant.
These roads were separated by walls and pillars of coal or rock. All was regular, square, solid, black again.
!
And
this labyrinth of roads
was
alive with half-naked
by the
miners, working, talking, laughing,
light
of their
safety-lamps.
dame Bauer
All this
dreaming, beside her
Among
could
see,
as she
sat
alone,
fire.
the numerous galleries, the one she oftenest
imagined to herself was where her boy Carl opened and shut his door.
When replaced
evening came, the day
by
others
;
workmen went
up, to
be
but her boy did not go with the rest
to take his place in the basket.
He
went
off to the stable,
patted his beloved Blair- Athol, and gave him his supper of oats and fresh hay.
Then he
ate his
own
supper, which had been sent to him, played
little
for a
cold
few
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
86
minutes with his big pet
rat,
caught and stroked the two
bats as they fluttered about him, and then was soon fast asleep on his heap of straw.
Well did the fond mother know
all this,
and much she
loved to hear every incident of her boy's daily
life.
"Mother, what do you think Mr. Maulesmulhe, the
me
engineer, said to
correct answers to
yesterday
He
?
some questions
said that
in arithmetic
if I
gave which he
one of these days, he would take me to hold the land-chain when he surveys the mine with his
would put to
me
seems they are going to pierce a new gallery, to join the Weber shaft, and he will find it uncommonly
compass.
It
difficult to
bring
it
out in the right place
" !
"Really!" cried dame Bauer with delight; "did Mr. " And already she imagined her Maulesmulhe say that !
Carl holding the chain engineer, note-book
on
fixed
the
in
the
along
hand, set
down
compass, ordered
gallery,
whilst
the
figures, and, his eyes
the
direction
of
the
opening. "
Unluckily," continued Carl,
what
I don't
understand in
my
"
have nobody to explain arithmetic, and I'm much I
afraid I shall not answer correctly
At
this point,
fireside,
which
Max, who was
" !
silently
smoking by the had the
place, as a lodger in the house, he
in the conversation, privilege of occupying, joined
to the
boy
and said
Max
offers his help.
Page
86.
THE ALBRECHT " I
If
like to
you
PIT.
show me what you
87
find difficult, perhaps
can give you a helping hand." " "
You
"
dame Bauer with some
said
?
Certainly,"
"
Max.
replied
nothing at the evening class to which
supper
The master
?
make me a
will
This
settled,
is
incredulity.
Do you
go regularly after very pleased with me, and says he I
monitor."
Max
brought from his room a clean paper
copy-book, and seating himself by the
sum, with so
difficult
Carl
managed
From for
think I learn
it
much
lad,
explained the
clearness that the astonished
easily.
day dame Bauer showed more consideration her lodger, and Max took a great liking to his little that
companion. In the factory,
Max showed
himself an exemplary work
man, and was not long in being promoted to the second, and then to the first class. Every morning he was at the
O
gate punctually at seven o'clock.
Every evening,
after
his supper,
he repaired to the
Trubner.
Geometry, algebra, drawing of diagrams and
machines
he attacked them
his
progress was so rapid
struck
by
it.
Two months
manufactory, the young as
one of the cleverest
section,
but in
all
class taught
all
by the
engineer,
with equal ardour; and
that
his
master was
much
from his entry into the Schultz already noted
workman was intellects,
Stahlstadt.
A
not only in the
A
report of his engineer,
88
up mention
end of the quarter, bore
at the
sent
formal
this
:
"
Schwartz (Johann) twenty-six, working caster of the I wish to bring this man before the notice of first class. .
the Directors, as quite above the average, in three respects, theoretical
knowledge,
practical
skill,
and
remarkable
genius for invention."
But something more than
was required to draw to Max. It was not long in
the attention of the chiefs
coming
this
though unfortunately
;
it
was under the
most
tragical circumstances.
One Sunday
morning, Max,
much
astonished at hearing
ten o'clock strike without his young friend Carl having
appeared, went
down
to ask
He
reason for this delay.
ought to have been at her anxiety,
Max
them
if
she
knew any
hours and more.
go and look
offered to
if
found her very uneasy
home two
off in the direction of the
He met
dame Bauer
Albrecht
after him,
;
Carl
Seeing
and
set
shaft.
and inquired from on receiving a nega
several miners on the way,
they had seen the boy
;
then,
exchanging the "Gliickauf!" (success to you! safe return !), which is the usual salutation of German
tive reply,
pitmen,
Max
continued his walk.
About eleven Albrecht
shaft.
week day;
o'clock, It
there
he reached
was not
noisy,
the head of the
and animated, as on a
was only one young
"milliner," as the
THE ALBRECHT miners jokingly
call
PIT.
89
the sorters of the
coal
chatting
with the watchman, whose duty kept him, even on this day, at the "
Have you seen "
this
up
mouth.
pit's
morning
?
consulted his
"
any other
"
this is the
No,
Max
asked
The man Is there
Carl Bauer,
little
outlet to the
the
;
41,902,
come
of this functionary.
and shook
list,
only one
number
his head.
mine
new
" ?
shaft to the north
is
not yet finished." "
Then,
"He
is
the boy below
must
be,
" ?
an odd thing too, for on watchmen should be left.'
though
it's
Sundays only the five " Can I go down to find out
" ?
"
Not without
"
There
"
Not
"
All the same," said Max, "
permission."
may have been an
accident," put in the milliner.
possible on Sunday." I
must
find out
what has
become of that boy." "You must speak to the overseer of machinery, office, if
The collar
he
is still
overseer, dressed in his
as
stiff
fortunately
and
in his
there."
as
still
if
it
Sunday best, with a shirt had been made out of tin, was
at his accounts.
humane man, and
at
once
He was
an
entered
intelligent
into
Max's
anxiety. "
We will
go immediately and see what he
is
doing."
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
And
man on duty
be ready to pay away the cable, he prepared to descend into the mine with the young workman. " "
ordering the
Have you not
to
the Galibert apparatus
may be useful." "You are right.
" ?
asked Max.
It
One can never be
occurred at the bottom of the
Saying
this,
pressed
air,
pit."
the overseer took from a cupboard two zinc
reservoirs, similar to the urns
in Paris carry
on their backs.
which the street cocoa-sellers
These were boxes of com
placed in communication with the lips by
means of two india-rubber being held between the teeth.
The nose being
the horn mouthpiece
tubes,
They
of peculiar bellows, constructed to pletely.
sure what has
held in
are filled with the aid
empty themselves com wooden pincers, a man
may, thus supplied with a store of most unbreathable atmosphere.
air,
penetrate into the
These preparations completed, the overseer and Max took their places in the basket, the cable moved, and the descent began.
Two
small electric lamps shed some degree of light
around, and the
men
conversed together as they were
lowered into the depths of the earth. "
For a man not
remarked the
summon up
in the business
overseer.
you are a cool hand,"
"I've seen people
courage enough to go down;
who or
couldn't if
they
THE ALBRECHT
91
they crouched like rabbits at the bottom of the basket
did, all
PIT.
the time."
"
" Max, it seems nothing to me have been down a coal mine two or three
Really/' answered it's
though
true I
;
times before."
They were soon landed at the foot of the shaft. The watchman whom they found there had seen nothing of Carl.
young
first visited
They
the stable
;
the horses were there alone,
and appeared quite tired of their own company. At least such was the conclusion to be drawn from the neigh with which Blair-Athol greeted the approach of the three human
On
figures.
a nail hung Carl's knapsack, and in a corner,
beside a curry-comb, lay his arithmetic book.
Max
remarked
directly that his lantern
fresh proof that the boy must " been hurt
He may "
seer,
but
have
it is
be
still
by a
scarcely probable.
was not
in the
there,
a
mine.
landslip," said the over
What
can he have been
"
on a Sunday ? doing " Oh perhaps he went to hunt for some insects before " It is quite a passion with going up," said the watchman. in the galleries !
him."
The sion,
stable-boy,
who
arrived in the midst of this discus
confirmed this supposition.
He had
seen Carl start
at seven o'clock with his lantern.
A
regular search
was immediately commenced.
The
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
92 other
watchmen were
called,
and each one, with
his lantern,
told off in a different direction, pointed out to
him on a
that every tunnel and gallery be might thoroughly examined. In two hours the whole mine had been gone through, and
large plan of the mine,
men met
the seven
had not been the
again at the foot of the shaft.
least
appearance of a landslip found any
where, nor the least trace of Carl.
by an
influenced
that the this
The
overseer, perhaps
increasing appetite, inclined to the opinion
boy had passed out unperceived, and would by But Max, convinced of the insisted on renewed exertions.
time be at his home.
contrary, "
There
What
is
that
?"
he asked, pointing to a dotted region on
the plan, resembling in the midst of the adjacent minute ness those terrae incognitos
marked on the
confines of the
arctic continents. "
That
is
the zone provisionally deserted, because of the
thinning of the bed," replied the overseer.
"Is there a deserted zone?
We
must look there!"
exclaimed Max, with a decision to which the other
men
submitted.
They were
not long in reaching the entrance to some
galleries which, to
judge by the slimy and mouldy
might have been deserted
They had proceeded
for
anything suspicious, when
for
many
walls,
years.
some time without coming upon
Max
stopped, and said
Poor
little
Carl.
Page
93.
THE ALBRECHT " "
Do you not So do
you allow "
I,"
There
giddy.
By
Max
all
me
is
means,
heavy than the not stay here apparatus.
match
my
moment
I felt quite
he asked of the overseer.
his pocket, struck
he remarked.
a match,
"
The
gas, being
close to the ground.
it
more
You must
like,
sir,
who have not the Galibert we can continue the search
to,
Max
and the overseer each took
mean
you
Will
!
towards the ground, upon which
it
it,"
?"
box from
air, lies
I
If
answered his companions. " for a
;
?"
lad, strike away."
little
was sure of
I
!
Max
to light a
took his
"
certainly carbonic acid gas about
and stooping, held instantly went out. "
we do
resumed
93
and attacked with headache
feel stupefied,
yes, indeed
Why,
"
PIT.
those
alone."
This being agreed
between
mouthpiece of his
his teeth the
air
box, placed
the nippers on his nostrils, and boldly penetrated into a succession of old galleries.
In a quarter of an hour they came out to renew the air in their reservoirs
On The
the third
this done,
They
the foot of the
cold, lay
poor
they started again.
trial their efforts
faint bluish light of
in the darkness.
At
;
little
an
were crowned with success.
electric
hastened to
damp
Carl.
told what had happened.
lamp was seen
and already and sunken eyes
wall, motionless
His blue
far off
it.
lips
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
94
He had
evidently wished to pick up something from the
ground, had stooped, and been literally drowned in the carbonic acid gas.
Every
effort to recall
him
to
life
was
in vain.
He
must
have been already dead four or five hours. By the next evening there was another little grave in the cemetery of Stahlstadt, and poor dame Bauer was bereaved of her child as well as of her husband.
THE CENTRAL BLOCK.
CHAPTER
95
VII.
THE CENTRAL BLOCK.
A
REPORT from
Dr. Echternach, surgeon-in-chief to the
section of the Albrecht
pit,
stated that the death of Carl
Bauer, number 41,902, thirteen years of age, trapper in
was caused by asphyxia,
gallery 228,
absorption
by
resulting from the
the respiratory organs of a large proportion
of carbonic acid.
Another no
less
luminous
report from the engineer
Maulesmulhe, explained the necessity of including in the ventilating
amount of
B
scheme zone
in the
plan
xiv.,
deleterious gas filtered slowly from
Lastly, a note from the
as a large its galleries.
same functionary brought
before
the notice of the authorities the devotedness of the overseer
Rayer, and of the
Ten hours
later,
first-class
workman, Johann Schwartz.
on reaching the porter's lodge, Max, as found this printed order on
he took
his presence-counter,
the
addressed to him
nail,
:
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
96 " Schwartz
will present himself at the Director-General's
at ten o'clock to-day.
office
Gate and
Central block,
Road A."
"At
last
rest will
!"
come
"This
thought Max.
is
the
first
step
;
the
" !
While chatting with his comrades on his Sunday walks round Stahlstadt, he had acquired sufficient know ledge of the general organisation of the city to that authority to
enter the
central
know
block was not to
be had every day. All sorts of stories were current about It was said that some indiscreet people, who this place.
had
tried to get into the
guarded enclosure by stratagem,
had never been seen again.
That before
their admission,
workmen employed
there had to go through a series of were obliged to take the most solemn oaths not to reveal anything that went on there, and all
masonic ceremonies
were mercilessly sentenced to death by a secret tribunal if
they violated their oath.
this
sanctuary
in
A
subterranean railway put
communication with
the
out-works.
Night trains brought unknown visitors. Supreme councils were held there, and sometimes mysterious personages
came
to participate in the deliberations.
Without putting unnecessary faith in these accounts, Max knew that they were really the popular expression of a well-known fact
the extreme difficulty which attended
admission into the central division.
Of
all
the
workmen
THE CENTRAL BLOCK.
whom
he knew
and he had friends
well as in the coal pits,
men employed as well
in the iron
mines as
the refiners as well as the
in the blast furnaces,
the
as
among
97
among
the carpenters
not one had ever entered
smiths
the
gate. It
was therefore with a
feeling of intense curiosity as
well as secret pleasure that he presented himself there at
the hour named.
were of the
It
was soon plain that the precautions
strictest.
Max was
Evidently
expected.
grey uniform, swords at their
Two
sides,
men, dressed and revolvers in
in a
their
were waiting in the porter's lodge. This lodge, like that of a cloistered convent, had two gates, an outer and an inner one, which were never open at
belts,
the same time.
The
Max saw, though a white handkerchief surprise,
examined and
pass
without manifesting any
signed,
with which the two attendants in uniform
brought
out,
carefully
bandaged
his eyes.
Then taking him by
the arms, they marched
him
off
without saying a word. After walking two or three thousand steps they mounted
a
staircase,
a door was opened and shut, and
Max
was
allowed to take off his bandage. He found himself in a large plain room, furnished with
some
chairs, a
black board, and a long desk, supplied with
H
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
98
every implement necessary for linear drawing.
was
It
with ground glass. by high windows, Almost immediately, two personages, who looked filled
lighted
as if
they belonged to a university, entered the room. "
You
are brought before our notice as having "
distinguished yourself," said one of them.
We
somewhat are about
examine you to find out if there is reason to admit you Are you prepared to answer our into the model division. to
questions ?"
Max
modestly declared himself ready to be put to the
proof.
The two examiners then him
in
geometry, and algebra.
chemistry,
workman
satisfied
successively put questions to
them
every case
in
precision of his answers.
The
by
figures
The young
the clearness and
which he traced
in
chalk on the board were neat, decided, and elegant.
His
equations in the most perfect way, in equal
the
ranks of a crack regiment.
was
One
lines, like
of these demonstrations
and so new to the judges, that they astonishment, and asked where he had
so remarkable,
expressed
their
been taught.
"At
Schaffhaiisen,
my
native town, in the elementary
school."
"You "
"
It
appear a good draughtsman ?"
was
The
my
strong point."
education given in Switzerland
is
decidedly very
THE CENTRAL BLOCK. uncommon," remarked one examiner will give you two hours to execute
99
to the other. this,"
"We
he resumed,
handing to the candidate a drawing of a very complicated"
looking steam-engine. shall
If
you acquit yourself well you *
be admitted with the mention, superior.'
Left alone,
When
Perfectly satisfactory
"
and very
Max
set eagerly to work.
his judges re-entered at the expiration of the given
time, they were so delighted with his diagram, that they
added to the promised mention,
"
We
have not another
draughtsman of equal talent."
Our young workman was then again seized by the grey attendants, and with the same ceremonial, that is to say, the bandaged eyes, was led to the
office
of the Director-
General. "
You
model
are offered admission to one of the studios in the
division," said this personage.
"
Are you ready
to
submit to the rules and regulations ?" "
I
do not know what they
are," said
Max
" ;
but
I
presume they are acceptable." "
They
are these
your engagement
:
First,
you are compelled, as long as same division. You
lasts, to reside in the
cannot go out but by special and exceptional order. Second,
you are subjected
to
military discipline;
and you owe
absolute obedience, under military penalties, to your supe riors.
To weigh
against
this,
you are
also like the non11
2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
ioo
commissioned
officers of
an active army,
for
you may, by a
regular advance, be raised to the highest grades.
Third,
you bind yourself by an oath never to reveal to any one what you see
in the division to
your correspondence as well as all
short, I
am
Fourth,,
;
in prison,"
Then he
replied quietly
"These
rules
seem
access.
opened by your chiefs, all you send and it must be limited to your
receive
you
family." " In
is
which you have
thought Max.
perfectly just,
and
I
am
ready to
submit to them." "
Good.
Take the
Raise your hand.
oath.
nominated draughtsman to the fourth studio. will
be assigned to you, and
a first-rate canteen here.
for
You
You
are
A lodging
your meals, you will find have not your property
with you ?" "
No,
I left 41
As
sir.
I
everything in
They
will
was ignorant of what
my
I
was wanted
for,
room."
be brought to you, for you must not again go
out of the division." "
I
did well," thought Max, "to write
They would only have had
to look at
Before the close of the day, pretty
little
Max
my
them
notes in cipher! !"
was established
in a
room, in the fourth story of a building over
looking a wide courtyard, and had some ideas about his
new
life.
THE CENTRAL BLOCK.
He sight
did not fancy that it
appeared.
it
would be as dismal as
whom
His comrades, with
acquaintance at the restaurant,
were
at first
he made
in general quiet
To
gentle, like all industrious people.
a
IOI
and
enliven themselves
was rather a want of gaiety in their they formed a band amongst themselves,
for there
little
mechanical
life
and performed
A
evening.
music every were valuable
selections of very tolerable library,
a
reading-room,
resources for the mind, from a scientific point of view,
during the rare hours of
leisure.
by professors were obligatory who had besides to undergo competitions.
But
fresh air
Special
courses held
men employed,
to all the
frequent examinations and
and
liberty
were lacking
in
these narrow confines.
was a regular college, only with extra strictness exer cised on grown men. The surrounding atmosphere could It
not but weigh on their
an iron
spirits,
discipline.
The winter passed away
Max
subjected as they were to
in these
employments, to which His application, the
gave himself up heart and soul.
perfection of his drawings, his extraordinary progress in
every subject he was taught, noticed examiners, had made
amongst
By
all
for him,
by
all his
tutors
and
even in this short time, and
these diligent men, a corresponding celebrity.
general consent he was the most clever draughtsman,
the most ingenious, the most fruitful in resources.
Was
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
102 there a difficulty
?
they applied to him.
Even the
chiefs
themselves resorted to his experience, with the respect
which merit extorts even from the most marked jealousy. But if, on reaching the heart of the model division, the
young man calculated that he would be any nearer getting at the innermost secrets, he was very much out in his reckoning.
His
at present
life
was enclosed within an
iron railing
three hundred yards in diameter, surrounding the segment
of the central block to which he was attached.
Intellec
and should extend to the highest In practice, it was branches of metallurgic industry. tually, his activity could
He
limited to drawing steam-engines.
of
all
dimensions and of
all
constructed them
powers, for every kind of
industry and use, for war-ships and for printing-presses
but he never
pushed to
its
left this speciality.
The
utmost limit held him as
in
division of labour
a vice.
After four months passed in section A,
more of the
entire plan of the
he did on entering. a
little
works
Max knew
in the Steel
no
City than
the most he had merely collected
general information about the organisation of the
machinery merits
At
;
of
which
he
formed
but a very small portion.
notwithstanding
He knew
centre of the spider's web, figurative of Stahlstadt,
his
that the
was the
Bull Tower, a kind of cyclopean structure, overlooking all
the neighbouring buildings.
THE CENTRAL BLOCK.
He
had
IO3
through the legendary stories of the
learnt, too,
canteen, that the dwelling of Herr Schultz himself
was
the base of this tower, and that the renowned secret
occupied the centre.
It
was added that
protected against any danger of
fire,
at
room
this vaulted hall,
and plated
inside, as
a
plated outside, was closed by a system of steel doors with spring-gun locks, worthy of the most suspicious
monitor
is
The
bank.
general opinion was that
was working
Professor Schultz
at the completion of a terrible engine of
war
of unprecedented power, and destined to assure universal
dominion to Germany.
Max had
revolved in his brain
many most audacious plans
of escalade and disguise, but had been compelled to
acknow
ledge to himself that nothing of the sort was practicable.
Those
sombre and massive
lines of
walls,
flooded with
and guarded by trusty
light during the night,
sentinels,
would always oppose an insuperable obstacle to every attempt. But even if he did overcome it to some extent ^what would he see
whole
!
What
matter
would not time.
be his
yield.
!
He had If
it
sworn not to
yield,
and he
took ten years, he would wait that
But the hour was coming when that secret would own. It must The happy city Frankville was
prospering, all,
Details, always details, never the
?
!
its
beneficent institutions favouring each and
and giving a new horizon of hope to a disheartened
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
104 people.
Max
had no doubt that
in the face of
triumph to the Latin race, Schultz ever determined to
make good
were a proof of
its factories
Stahlstadt and
his threats.
that.
Thus many weeks passed away. One day in March, Max had just repeated his secret vow,
such a
would be more than
when one
for the
hundredth time
of the grey attendants
informed him that the Director-General wished to speak to him. "
have received from Herr Schultz," said
I
"
functionary,
You
high
an order to send him our best draughtsman.
Make your arrangements to You are promoted to the
are the man.
the inner
this
circle.
pass into
rank
of
lieutenant."
Thus, at the very
moment when he was almost
ing of success, his heroic
much
desired entrance
Max itself
"
I
was so
filled
toil
despair
procured him the
at last
!
with delight that his joy exhibited
on his countenance.
am happy
to have such
you," continued the Director
urging you
" ;
good news to announce to and I cannot refrain from
to continue in the path
tread so gallantly.
A brilliant
future
you have begun to is
before you.
Go,
the
first
sir."
So Max,
after
his
long probation,
caught
glimpse of the end which he had sworn to reach
!
An
unexpected sight. Page
105.
THE CENTRAL BLOCK.
To
105
stuff all his clothes into his portmanteau, follow the
grey men, pass through the last enclosure, of which the road might have been still forbidden to entrance in the
A
him, was the work of a few minutes.
He now
moment he had but
until this
among The
stood at the foot of the inaccessible Bull seen
its
lofty
Tower
;
head reared
the clouds.
scene which lay before
him was indeed an unex
Imagine a man suddenly transported from a noisy, commonplace European workshop into the midst of a virgin forest in the torrid zone. Such was the surprise
pected one.
which awaited
As
Max
in the centre of Stahlstadt.
a virgin forest gains in beauty from the descriptions
of great writers, so was Professor Schultz's park more
most lovely of pleasure gardens. Slender palms, tufted bananas, curious cacti formed the shrubberies,
beautiful than the
Creepers
wound
gracefully round eucalyptus trees,
green festoons, or plants bloomed
fell
in
ripened beside oranges.
in
The most tender
in rich clusters.
abundance.
hung
Pineapples and guavas
Humming-birds
and
birds
of
paradise displayed their brilliant plumage in the open air for the
temperature was
Max
;
as tropical as the vegetation.
instinctively looked
around and above
hot-air pipes to account for this miracle
;
for glass
and
seeing nothing but
the blue sky he stopped bewildered.
Then
it
flashed
upon him that not
far
from the spot was
io6 a coal mine in permanent combustion, and he guessed that
Herr Schultz had ingeniously utilised this valuable sub terranean heat, by means of metallic pipes, to maintain a constant hot-house atmosphere.
But
this explanation did not prevent the
young Alsacian's
eyes from being dazzled and charmed with the green lawns, while his nostrils inhaled with delight the delicious scents
which
filled
the
air.
To
a
man who had
without seeing even a blade of grass,
A
gravelled path led him,
of a handsome
by a
it
passed six months
was truly refreshing.
gentle slope, to the foot
flight of marble steps,
commanded by a
Behind rose the huge and massive square building, which was as it were the pedestal of the Bull Tower. majestic colonnade.
Beneath the peristyle Max could see seven or eight servants in red livery, and a gorgeous porter in cocked hat,
and bearing a halberd. rich
And he noticed between the columns
bronze candelabra.
slight
As he ascended
the steps
a
rumble betrayed that the underground railroad lay
beneath his
feet.
Max a
hall,
gave his name, and was immediately admitted into a regular museum of sculpture. Not having time to-
examine anything, he was conducted first through a saloon, adorned with black and gold, then through one with red and gold ornaments, and he was finally left alone for five minutes in a yellow and gold saloon. At the end of that
The King
of
Steel in his palace.
THE CENTRAL BLOCK. time a footman returned and showed him into a splendid green and gold study.
Herr Schultz
tankard of beer at his all this
smoking a long clay pipe, with a side, had the effect, in the midst of
in person,
luxury, of a spot of
Without
rising,
mud
on a patent-leather boot.
without even turning his head, the King
of Steel merely said, in a cold tone "
Are you the draughtsman
" ?
"Yes,. sir." " I have seen
your diagrams.
They are veiy good.
But
"
do you only understand steam-engines ? " I have never been examined in anything
"Do you know "I
else."
anything of the science of projectiles ?"
have studied
it
in
my
spare time, and for
my own
pleasure."
This reply interested Herr Schultz.
He "
deigned to turn and look at his employe.
Well, will you undertake to design a cannon with
me ?
We
shall
will
be scarcely able to take the place of that idiot of a
Sohne,
see
who
dynamite
!
what you can make
of
it
Ah
!
!
you
got killed this morning whilst handling some
The
fool
might have blown us
all
"
up
!
must be acknowledged that this revolting want of feeling was only what might have been expected from the It
mouth of Herr
Schultz.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
io8
CHAPTER
VIII.
THE DRAGON'S DEN.
THE
reader
who has
followed the progress of our
Alsacian's fortune will probably not be
much
young
surprised to
end of a few weeks, firmly established The two had become in in Herr Schultz's favour. find him, at the
separable.
They and
together,
\vorked together, they ate and walked
together
foaming glasses of beer. never his
before
own
they
The
sat
smoking over
their
had
ex-professor of Jena
met with a coadjutor so
entirely
after
heart, one who caught his meaning with half a
word, and
who could
so rapidly utilise his theoretical
ideas.
Max
not merely possessed transcendent merit in
all
branches of the profession, he was besides the most charming
companion, the most diligent worker, the most modestly fertile inventor.
Herr Schultz was delighted with him.
Ten times a day
THE DRAGON'S DEN. "
he said to himself, fellow
What
a treasure
!
109
what a pearl
this
is !"
The
truth
was that
Max
had, at the
first
glance, seer*
through the character of his formidable patron, and per ceiving that blind
and
feature, he regulated which he despised.
his
was
insatiable vanity
its
leading
conduct by humouring the egotism
In a few days the young
man had acquired such human keyboard,
in the fingering necessary for this
skill
that
he could play upon Schultz as easily as one plays on a piano.
His
tactics
merely consisted
in exhibiting his
advantage, but always in such a
to
for his
opening instance, perfect,
see
way
own
merits
as to leave an
master to show superiority over him.
when he
finished a
drawing he would leave
with the exception of some slight
as to correct,
and
For
fault,
this the ex-professor
it
as easy to
immediately
and exultantly pounced upon. Had he some theoretical idea, he caused
it so to open out Herr Schultz might fancy that he himself had originated it. Sometimes he even went further, boldly saying
in the course of conversation that
"
have traced that plan of a vessel with the detached ram, which you asked for." "
I
I
" ?
returned Herr Schultz,
such a thing.
who had
never dreamt of
no
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
you don't mean to say you have forgotten? detached ram, which will leave a spindle-shaped torpedo
"Why,
A
yes
!
the enemy's side, to burst after an interval
in
minutes "I
of three
" !
had not the
least recollection of
having a head like mine
own
my
that I forget
!
it
is
so
scientiously pocketed the credit of the
Perhaps, after
all,
of inventive genius
full
And
ideas."
That comes of
it.
Herr Schultz con
new
invention.
he was only half duped by
In his innermost heart he probably
felt
this artifice.
that
Max
was
But by one of those mysterious workings the human brain, he was contented with the
stronger than he.
which go on
in
appearance of superiority as long as he could delude his subordinate. "
But the fellow must be an ass
after
all,
in spite of his
cleverness!" he would sometimes say to himself, with a silent
laugh which showed
the thirty- two dominoes in
all
his jaw.
His vanity, reflection that
if
ever wounded, was soon consoled
he alone
in all the
by the
world could carry out
these inventions and ideas.
value but for his gold.
mechanism which Yet, although
They would have been of no After all Max was only part of the
he, Schultz,
in
had
high favour,
set going, &c., &c.
Max
was never taken
into
the professor's confidence, and after five months' sojourn in
the Bull Tower, he
knew
little
more than
at first of its
in
THE DRAGON'S DEN.
His suspicions had become certainties, and that was all. He was now convinced that Stahlstadt mysteries.
contained a secret, and that Herr Schultz had some aim far
beyond that of the
rendered perfectly
The
gain.
nature of his occupations
had invented
that he
supposition
new engine of warfare extremely
But the enigma had to the conclusion that
still it
probable.
Max
to be solved.
at last
was
after dinner
came
would be impossible to obtain the
knowledge he sought without coming to some this he resolved to provoke. It
some
crisis,
and
on the evening of the 5th of September
exactly a year since he had found the body of his
;
little
friend Carl in the Albrecht pit.
Outside, the long severe American winter already covered
the country with
its
white mantle
Stahlstadt the temperature was as
and the snow, melting before
it
;
but in the park of
warm
as during June,
touched the ground,
fell
in
rain instead of flakes. "
Those sausages in sourkraut were delicious, were they not?" remarked Herr Schultz, whose love of his favourite dish was unaffected "
Delicious
" !
by the Begum's millions. Max, who had heroically partaken
returned
of this mess every evening, sight of
till
at last
he hated the very
it.
His feelings on
this subject
decided him at once to carry
his meditated project into execution.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
ii2
"I wonder," resumed Herr Schultz, with a sigh, "how people who have neither sausages, nor sourkraut, nor beer, can endure existence." "
"
It
must be one long misery to them," replied Max. would really be a charity to unite all mankind with the
Life
Vaterland."
"Well the
well! that will come, that will
!
King of
"
Steel.
Here we are already
neighbourhood of Japan, and
we
shall get
and lighted
make
use of this
you
round the globe
The footman now brought filled
!"
exclaimed
installed in the
Just let us take an island or two in the
heart of America.
strides
come
his.
Max
moment
will see in
what a few
!"
in the pipes
Herr Schultz
;
had purposely determined to
of supreme
bliss,
so began, after
a few minutes' silence "
"
I
must say that
What
I
don't quite believe in this conquest
conquest ?" asked Herr Schultz,
" !
who had forgotten
what was the topic of conversation. "
The conquest of the world by the Germans." The ex-professor thought he had not heard correctly. "
You do
Germans
not believe in the conquest of the world
by the
?"
"No." "
Oh, indeed, that
know '
is
something strange
!
I
am
curious to
the reasons for your doubt."
Simply because the French artillerymen
will
end by
THE DRAGON'S DEN.
113
The
doing better, and will far surpass you.
who know them
fellow-countrymen,
vinced that a forewarned
Frenchman
well, are is
Swiss,
worth two Germans.
The
lesson of 1870 will be repeated against those
it.
No
one doubts
this in
may venture to say men in England."
Max
my
so, it is
little
my
firmly con
country,
who gave
sir,
and
if I
the opinion of the cleverest
had uttered these words
in a cool, dry,
and decisive
were
doubled the
effect of the
tone, which, if
it
possible,
point-blank blasphemy.
Herr Schultz glared wildly
Then
choked him.
violence that the
gone too
far.
"Yes,
the blood rushed to his face with such
young man
war
?
moment, he had had not stifled
feared, for a
However, seeing that rage
this
resumed is
it
annoying to think of; but
Although our rivals working.
astonishment almost
and that he would not die of the shock
his victim,
time, he
his
Do you
make no
noise about
it's
it,
the
fact.
yet they are
think they have learnt nothing since the
Whilst we are stupidly trying to increase the weight may be certain that they are preparing
of our cannon, you
something new, and that we shall see what first
opportunity
it is
on the very
!"
"Something new, something new!" stammered Herr Schultz.
"Ah,
"
We are
yes, in a
doing that too,
way.
We
are
sir !"
making
in steel
what our I
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
ii4 predecessors
made
We
in bronze, that's all.
double the
proportions and the range of our pieces."
"Double!" exclaimed Herr Schultz, in a tone which we do better than double !" signified, "Indeed !
"In
short,"
resumed Max, "we are mere
here, the truth
we
is
lack
any
plagiarists.
discover nothing, and the French do, and
will,
See
We
genius for inventing.
you may be
sure."
Herr Schultz had become, outwardly at least, rather calmer, though his trembling lips, and the paleness which had succeeded the apoplectic crimson, betrayed the agitated state of his mind.
Must he endure such a
pitch of humiliation
To be
?
the
far-famed Schultz, the absolute master of the greatest
manufactory and cannon foundry in the whole world, to have kings and parliaments at his feet, and then to be told
by an
insignificant
invention, that he this
when he had
wall,
Swiss draughtsman that he lacked
was below a French gunner And all on the other side of a plated !
close to him,
something which would a thousand times confound
the impudent rascal, shut him up completely, and sweep
away
all
endured
his
idiotic
arguments
?
No,
it
was not
to be
!
Herr Schultz rose so abruptly that he broke his pipe. Then, casting at Max a glance full of irony, he hissed out from between
his set teeth
THE DRAGON'S DEN. "
Follow me,
sir,
I
am
115
about to show you whether
Herr Schultz, have any lack of invention
I,
!"
had played high, but had won thanks to the surprise his bold and unexpected language had produced, and the passion he had aroused.
Max
Vanity being
stronger
professor, Schultz
He
led the
way
than
prudence with the ex-
was now eager to lay open
his secret.
with a hurried step into his study, closed
the door carefully, and walking straight up to the book
Immediately an opening, concealed by the rows of books, appeared in the wall. This was the entrance to a narrow passage, leading by a stone staircase case,
touched a panel.
to the very foot of the Bull Tower.
by means of a
There, an oaken door was opened key, which never place.
A second
left
little
the possession of the master of the
door appeared, fastened with a padlock,
similar to those used for strong boxes.
Herr Schultz threw open the heavy iron within
by
which Max, actuated by professional
much do
barrier, protected
a complicated apparatus of explosive machinery,
liked to
examine
;
curiosity,
but his guide
left
would have
him no time
to
so.
The two men then found themselves
before a third door,
without any apparent lock or bolt, which yielded to a slight push, given, however, in a particular way.
This third barrier passed, Herr Schultz and his companion I
2
n6
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
climbed an iron staircase of two hundred steps, and arrived at the
summit of the Bull Tower, overlooking
all
the city of
Stahlstadt.
In the centre of a sort of casemate, pierced with numerous embrasures, stood a steel cannon. "
There
"
exclaimed the professor, who had not uttered
!
a word since they
left
the dining-room.
was the most enormous piece of ordnance Max had ever beheld. A breach-loader of at least three hundred tons. It
mouth measured nearly five feet in diameter. Mounted on a steel carriage, and running on rails of the same metal, Its
it
might have been manoeuvred by a
child, so
easy were
movements made, by a system of cogged wheels.
its
spring, fixed at the
annulling the
"
recoil,
carriage,
had the
effect
A of
or at least producing a perfectly equal
so that after each shot the
reaction*, first
back of the
all
gun returned
to its
position.
And what may be
the perforating power of this piece
" ?
asked Max, who could not restrain his admiration. "
At twenty thousand
plate as easily as
"And "Its
its
were a
we can
slice
pierce a forty-inch
of bread and butter
!"
range?"
range?"
you said
if it
yards
just
cried
now
Schultz,
enthusiastically.
that our imitative
genius
"Ah!
had done
more than double the range of former guns Well, with this fellow, I would undertake to send, with nothing
!
The masterpiece of Herr
Schultz.
Page
1 1 6.
THE DRAGON'S DEN.
117
tolerable precision, a projectile to the distance of thirty
miles!" "
Thirty miles
" !
cried
powder can you use "
Oh
I
!
Schultz, in
Thirty miles
my
served
its
time.
power
is
What new
tell
Large grained powder has
secrets to you.
Gun-cotton
is
what
I
use
by mixing with
it
its
;
four times that of ordinary powder,
fivefold
!
?"
you everything, now," replied Herr a peculiar tone. " There is no inconvenience in can
revealing
it
"
Max.
and
eight-tenths of
its
expansive I
increase
weight of
nitrate of potash."
"But," observed Max, "no piece, though best steel, could stand that long.
made
After four or
of the
five shots
your cannon will be impaired, and soon become useless." " If it were only to fire one shot that one would be sufficient!" "
"
It
It
would be an expensive one." would cost a million, for that
is
the net cost of the
gun." "
One
shot worth a million
"What
"A
!"
matter, so that
it
destroyed a thousand millions
thousand millions
!"
cried
!"
Max.
"
However, he restrained the mingled horror and admira tion with which this fearful agent of destruction inspired him, and added "
It
is
assuredly a wonderful and astonishing piece of
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
ii8 artillery, but,
there
theory,
merits,
are improvements
bears out
it
but
certainly,
is
it
my all
no invention."
imitation,
"No
its
notwithstanding
invention !" responded Herr Schultz, shrugging his "
shoulders.
I
repeat that
Come with me." "The King of
have now no secrets from you.
I
and
companion then left the casemate and descended to a lower story, by means of an
Here lay a
lift.
hydraulic
Steel
cylindrical in shape,
been taken
for
of long objects,
which might, from a distance, have
Herr Schultz.
shells," said
Max
This time
number
large
dismounted cannon.
"There are our "
his
was obliged
to
acknowledge that they They were
resembled nothing he had ever seen before.
enormous sheathed
tubes, six feet in length in.
finished
lead in such a
closed behind
the gun,
off
by a
steel
way
and three
as to
in diameter,
into the rifling of
fit
by a steel plate, and the point tip,
supplied with a percussion
button.
Nothing
in
their
appearance
nature of these shells;
was
contained
surpassing
thought
some that
terrible
Jiad
ever
Max
felt
element before
the
special
that in
of
them
destruction,
been
made
or
of.
"Can you his
all
though
indicated
not guess?" asked Herr Schultz, seeing that
companion remained
silent.
Terrible projectiles.
Page
1 1 8.
THE DRAGON'S DEN. "
Indeed, no,
and so heavy " "
sir
in
Why should
!
an ordinary
is
deceitful,"
no great difference
is
you want a
shell so long
appearance at least ?"
The appearance
and there
119
shell of the
A
you everything.
same
answered Herr Schultz
in their
calibre.
;
weight to that of
Come
!
must
I
tell
fusee shell of glass, encased in oak,
charged with liquid carbonic acid by seventy atmospheres
The
of interior pressure.
the case
and
the
return
fall
of
provokes the explosion of the
liquid
to
a gaseous
An -enormous
state.
into the
air,
volume of carbonic acid gas rushes and a cold of a hundred degrees below zero
upon the surrounding atmosphere. Every living thing within a radius of thirty yards from the centre of the I say thirty explosion is at once frozen and suffocated. seizes
yards as the lowest calculation, but the action would really
extend much
farther,
say to a hundred or a couple of
hundred yards. " Another capital thing about
it is,
that the carbonic acid
gas, remaining a very long time near the ground,
of
its
weight, being greater than that of
by reason
air, will
preserve
the dangerous properties of the zone for
many hours after the first explosion, so that any creature which may attempt to enter or pass through it, must infallibly perish. The effect of that shot will
Besides, with
dead!"
my
be both instantaneous and
plan, there will
lasting.
be no wounded, only
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
^20
Herr Schultz displayed manifest pleasure in exhibiting the merits of his invention. His good humour had returned, he was flushed with pride, and his teeth gleamed. " You are to imagine," he resumed, " a sufficient number
my
of
of ordnance
pieces
Supposing one
town.
directed
sufficient
against a besieged
for the destruction of a
place of two acres and a half in extent, then, for a town of
two thousand
hundred
acres,
we must have a hundred
each consisting of ten suitable guns.
batteries,
suppose
five
all
Now,
let
us
our guns in position, the weather calm and
favourable, the general signal given
by an
electric wire.
In a minute there would not be a single living being
remaining
of
in
an extent of two thousand
five
hundred
The town would be submerged in a regular ocean The idea occurred to me last year carbonic acid gas
acres
!
!
on reading the medical report of the accidental death of a I had the first inspiration little miner in the Albrecht pit. at Naples, fact
when
was needed
I visited
1
The Grotto name from
Dog
Grotto. 1
But that
to put the finishing stroke to
You comprehend the
its
the
principle,
do you not
?
my An
last
thought. artificial
del Cano, in the neighbourhood of Naples, borrows the curious property its atmosphere possesses of
any small four-legged animal, without doing any standing upright this is owing to a layer of about two feet of carbonic acid gas, which is kept by its specific weight suffocating a dog, or
harm
to
a
man
close to the ground.
THE DRAGON'S DEN. ocean of pure carbonic acid fifth
121
Now, the proportion
!
of a
of this gas would be sufficient to render the air
unbreathable."
Max
He was
did not utter a word.
dumb.
Herr Schultz
triumph so keenly, that he
felt his
did not wish to take advantage of "
There
is
That
I
he.
can that be ?" asked Max.
have not succeeded
the explosion.
It
makes
it
suppressing the sound of too
much
would be
like a
if I
common
could
manage
Sudden death comes
to have a silent shot.
a hundred thousand
in
my gun
Just think of what
cannon.
it.
only one detail which troubles me," said
"And what "
regularly struck
men
at once,
noiselessly upon on some calm and serene
night!"
The enchanting
prospect thus called up, threw Herr
Schultz into a brown study.
From
this reverie,
but a deep immersion in a bath of aroused by "
Max
Very good,
which was he was
self-love,
observing
sir,
very good
!
but a thousand guns of this
mean time and money." Money ? we are overflowing with
description " is
ours
And
it
Time
!
?
Time
!"
indeed this German, the
what he
last of his school, believed
said.
"Well," replied Max, "your shell loaded with carbonic acid
is
not perfectly
new
after
all,
for
it
is
derived from
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
122
those suffocating projectiles which have been
many
years
;
but that
may
it
known
for
be eminently destructive,
I
"
do not deny.
Only
"
"
Only
"
?
It is light for its size, "
and
if it is
ever projected thirty
miles "
It
is
only "
smiling. is
one of
little
made
to go six," answered Herr Schultz,
" But," he added, pointing to another shell, here
steel.
This fellow
is full,
and contains a hundred
other, like the parts of a telescope.
as projectiles, they will in
one into the
guns, symmetrically arranged, fitted
Having been
become cannon
to
fired
vomit forth
their turn little shells loaded with incendiary matter.
be a whole battery hurled through space, to carry flame and death into a town by covering it with It
will
a shower of inextinguishable
fire
This has the requisite
!
weight to go the thirty miles of which short time a trial
that
unbelievers
of
it
be made
will
may go
if
they
hundred thousand corpses which the ground
like
it
will
in
In a
spoke.
such a
way
and handle the have stretched on
" !
Here the dominoes gleamed so Schultz's mouth, that in a
I
Max
felt
intolerably
dozen or so of them, but contained himself.
not yet heard
all.
Herr Schultz resumed
in
Herr
a strong desire to smash
He had
THE DRAGON'S DEN. u
123.
have said that a decisive experiment
I
is
shortly to be
made." "
How How
"
?
Where
?
With one of these
?" cried
gun from the platform, Where ? There exists a
will cross the
now
it
the
which thrown by
off,
will
it
they expected
or escape the startling
of
5th
if
September.
my
Cascade mountains.
separated from us
city,
a thunder-clap, for even
not ward
shells,
upon whose inhabitants
miles,
thirty
Max.
it,
by at most come like they could
effects.
Well, on the
This
I3th,
is
at
a
quarter before midnight, Frankville will disappear from off
American
soil
The burning
!
of
Sodom
will
be
rivalled.
Professor Schultz, in his turn, will let loose the
Heaven
At
fires
of
!"
this
unexpected declaration
in his veins.
Max felt
the blood curdle
Fortunately Herr Schultz did not perceive
his agitation. "
Now
you
he continued
see,"
in
an easy tone,
just contrary to the founders of Frankville.
"
we
We search
act for
the secret of abridging the lives of men, whilst they seek to
However, everything has an object
lengthen them. nature,
and Dr.
Sarrasin,
without suspecting
it,
experiments within
my
Max "
by founding that
in
isolated city, has,
placed a most magnificent
field
of
reach."
could scarcely believe his ears.
But," said he,
and the involuntary tremor
in his voice
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
124 attracted for a "
moment
the attention of the
King of
Steel,
the inhabitants of Frankville have done nothing to you,
You have
sir.
not, so far as I
a quarrel with them.' "
My
know, any reason
for picking
7
dear fellow," replied Herr Schultz,
"
in
your brain, other respects, there is a fund of
though well organised in Celtic ideas, which would do you much injury were you to live
long enough
Right
!
Good
Evil are purely relative,
and quite conventional words. Nothing is positive but the grand laws of nature. The law of competition has the same claim as that of gravitation.
It is folly to resist, while to
submit and follow in the way
it
and reasonable, and therefore
I
Sarrasin's city.
Germans
Thanks
will easily
to
my
points out,
mean
only wise
to destroy Doctor
cannon,
make an end
is
my
fifty
thousand
of the hundred thousand
dreamers over there, who now constitute a group condemned to perish."
Seeing that an attempt to argue with Herr Schultz
would be
The
useless,
two then
Max left
did not try to soften him.
the shell chamber, closed the secret
and returned to the dining-room. In the coolest, most natural way, the professor again
doors,
lifted his
pipe
tankard to his
in the place
lips,
touched a
of the one he
bell, called for
a
had broken, and then
addressing the footman
"Are Arminius and Sigimer there?" he
asked.
Formidable ruards. Page
125.
THE DRAGON'S DEN. "
"
Yes,
sir."
Tell
them
When The
to remain within call."
the servant had
turned to
125
Max
left
the room, the
and looked him
full in
King
of Steel
the face.
eyes did not quail before that look of almost
latter's
metallic hardness.
"You mean
really," said he,
"to put your
project, into
execution ?"
"Really.
I
know
the situation and the latitude and
longitude of Frankville to the tenth of a second, and on the 1
3th of September, at a quarter before midnight,
it
will
cease to be." "
Perhaps you ought to have kept
this
plan an absolute
secret." "
My
dear fellow," answered Herr Schultz, " decidedly
your mind never would become regret the less that
At "
these words
Is
it
Schultz, coldly,
those
bell
This makes
me
die young."
started up.
you do not understand," added Herr
that I never speak of
who cannot
The
Max
possible "
you must
logical.
repeat
rang.
them
Arminius
my
plans but before
?"
and
Sigimer,
two
giants,
appeared at the door. "
You wished to know my secret," said Herr Schultz "you do know it. Nothing remains for you now but to
,
die!"
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
126
Max
did not reply.
"You
are too intelligent," resumed Herr Schultz, "to
suppose that I can let you live, now that you know all about my plans. That would be an act of unpardonable carelessness that would be illogical. The greatness of my ;
aim forbids me to compromise
its
success for the considera
tion of a relative value so trifling as the
even of such a
man
life
man
of a
dear fellow, whose good
my
as you,
Now
cerebral organisation I
most particularly esteem.
truly regret that a
movement
of self-love should have
me
under the necessity of
carried
little
me away and
placed
I
But you must understand that in the face of the interests to which I have devoted myself, there suppressing you.
can be no question of sentiment. now, that
it
was
for
predecessor met
dynamite
!
The
I
may
as well tell
you
my
secret that
your
having penetrated
his
rule
death, and not by an explosion of is strict, it must be inflexible I can !
alter nothing."
Max .-sound
He
looked at Herr Schultz. of his voice,
by the
bald head that he was
understood by the
unrelenting obstinacy of that
He
lost.
did not give himself the
trouble of uttering a word of protest.
"When, and by what death
shall I die?"
he merely
asked.
"Don't be uneasy about composedly.
"
You
will die
that," ;
replied
Herr Schultz,
but suffering will be spared
THE DRAGON'S DEN. You
you. is
will
not
127
wake up some
morning.
That
all"
At
a sign from the
King of
Steel,
Max
found himself led
away, and shut into his room, the door of which was guarded by the two giants.
But when he found himself
alone,
he thought with a
shudder of agony and rage of the doctor, his relations, compatriots,
"The himself.
threatens
all
those
whom
he loved.
death which awaits "
But how
them
?"
am
I
me
to
is
avert
nothing," he said to
the
danger which
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
128
CHAPTER
IX.
p. P. c.
THE Max
was indeed serious. What could poor hours were he whose do, already numbered, and whose last night might have come with the setting situation
sun.
He
did not sleep for an instant, not from the dread of
never awaking, as Herr Schultz had said, but because his heart was too
full
of thoughts of Frankville and of the
impending catastrophe. '<
What
shall I
destroy that
could
I
gun
manage
"
he thought to himself. Blow up the tower it stands on ?
attempt ?
it ?
"
?
Escape
!
Escape
?
when
my
To
How
room
is
guarded by a couple of giants ? And then suppose I could get away from Stahlstadt before the I3th of September, how could I help them ? To be sure, if not our beloved city, I
might
at least save the inhabitants.
them shouting
"
Escape
!
I
might
escape without delay
!
fly to
You
are
p.
danger of perishing by
in
for
your
c.
P.
fire
129
and
steel
Fly
!
all
of you
lives !"
Then Max's thoughts passed into another channel. "That villain Schultz!" he thought. "Even admitting that he has exaggerated the destructive effects of his shell,
and that he cannot
really fire the
certain that with a single shot
part
it
is
withstanding the distance between the two towns, easily send the projectile over
it
!
The
speed, too,
twenty times superior to any hitherto obtained. like
actually a third of the speed of the earth in it
possible
at the
it
?
first
if
Oh, shot
metal of which
Something
it
its
It's
!
orbit
!
Is
only that horrible gun would blow up
But there
!
will
must be
thousand yards, or nine miles a second
ten
very
he can burn a considerable
a frightful machine he has invented, and not
It's
!
whole town,
is
made
is
will
exactly the wretch knows the
no hope of
that, for the
How
stand anything. position
of
Frankville
!
Without going out of his den, he can point his cannon with mathematical precision, and, as he said, the shell will un doubtedly
fall in
the very heart of the city!
How
can
the unhappy inhabitants be warned ?"
Max
had not closed an eyelid when day dawned.
He
then rose from the bed, on which he had tossed in feverish restlessness.
"
another night. suffering,
Come," he said to himself,
As
this executioner
he no doubt
will wait
till
"
means
it
will
be for
to spare
me
sleep, getting the better
K
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
130
my
of
anxiety, has overpowered me.
can he have
sort of death
of killing sleep
me
in store for
And then What me ? Does he think !
with some decoction of prussic acid whilst
I
Will he introduce some of that carbonic acid gas,
?
which he has at his command, into not rather use
when
it
in
my
room
?
Will he
a liquid form, such as he has in his glass
sudden return to a gaseous state produces a hundred degrees of frost ? And the next day, instead of shells,
'
me/
of
its
instead of this strong, well-constituted body, so
life,
full
there will be nothing but a dried, frozen, shrivelled
mummy Oh, the savage Well, well, if it must be so, my heart be frozen and my life wither away in that unbearable atmosphere, if only my friends, Doctor Sarrasin, his family, Jeannette my little Jeannette may be saved !
!
let
!
But to
effect
that
must
I
escape.
Well,
escape
I
will!"
As he
Max, though he believed room, instinctively laid his hand on
uttered these words,
himself locked into his the handle of the door.
To usual,
his great surprise
and out
opened, and he went
it
into the garden,
down
as
where he was accustomed
to walk. "
Ah," he thought,
though not
in
my
"
I
room.
am
That's something in
However, no sooner was
though apparently
free,
a prisoner in the Central Block,
he
Max
my
outside, than he
in reality
could not
favour !"
saw
make
that,
a step
P.
P.
C.
131
without being escorted by the two personages
who answered
names of Arminius
to the historic, or rather pre-historic,
and Sigimer. He had often wondered, when he met them about the place, what could be the duty of those two huge men in grey cloaks, with their bull necks, herculean muscles, dark bristling with thick moustaches and bushy
red faces, whiskers.
He now knew what
that duty was. They were the Herr darkest Schultz's executioners of deeds, who for the
present were acting as his body-guard
These two giants never
let
!
him out of
their sight, lying
at the door of his room, and dogging his steps
walked
in the park.
The
and daggers which each
when he
formidable array of revolvers carried
his
in
rendered
belt
hopeless any attempt to escape from them.
With
all this,
Max
tried, in
vvith
they were as
dumb
as fish.
a diplomatic way, to get up a conversation
them, but only received a ferocious glare in reply.
Even the
offer
of a glass of beer, which he. had
reason to suppose
irresistible,
was made
some After
in vain.
observing them for fifteen hours, he discovered that they
had one weakness, only one
a pipe, which they took the
liberty of smoking close at his heels.
Max
This single weakness
How, he did not but he had vowed to
determined to turn to account.
know, he could not even imagine,
K
2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
132 escape,
and nothing should be neglected that could
in
any
assist him.
way Time was pressing. What was At the least sign of rebellion or
be done
to
flight,
receiving a couple of bullets in his head.
they missed, he was line,
guarded by a
still
triple
Max
was sure of
Even supposing
in the centre of a triple fortified
row of sentinels.
his custom, the
According to
?
former pupil of the Central
School correctly put the situation
in the
form of a mathe
matical problem. "
Given,
a
man guarded by two
unscrupulous rufiians
>
individually stronger than he, and armed to the teeth.
The man must
first
escape the vigilance of these warders.
This done, he must get out of a
fortified place, all the
entrances to which are strictly watched."
Max
pondered
this
double question a hundred times,
but always came to the conclusion
However, the gravity of all his faculties
Which
his situation
of invention.
is
seemed
impossible." to sharpen
Whether chance alone gave
the finishing touch or not would be It
"
difficult to say.
happened that the next day, as Max was walking in fell on a shrub, the appearance of which
the park, his eyes
instantly attracted him. It
was
a
dull-looking
alternately oval,
herbaceous
plant,
its
leaves
pointed and double, with great red
shaped monopetalous flowers hanging by auxiliary
bell-
stalks.
P.
P.
C.
133
Max
had merely studied botany as an amateur, but it immediately occurred to him that this shrub had the characteristics of
one of the order Solanaceae.
Quite at a venture, he gathered a leaf and slightly
chewed
A
it
as
He was
he pursued his walk.
feeling of heaviness in his limbs,
sensation of nausea, soon convinced at
not mistaken.
accompanied by a
him that he had
hand a natural laboratory of bella-donna, that
the most active of
He
strolled
on
is
close
to say,
all narcotics.
until
he reached a small
artificial lake,
which stretched away to the southern end of the park, and supplied a cascade, which,
from that "
in the Bois
Where does
by the
bye,
was evidently copied
de Boulogne.
the water of that cascade go to
" ?
thought
Max. It first flowed into the
bed of a
little river,
which, after
describing various turns and bends, finally disappeared at
the limits of the park.
There was evidently an the river escaped
by filling
outlet, and, to all appearance,
one of the subterranean channels
which watered the plain beyond Stahlstadt. In this Max saw a gate of egress. It was certainly not a carriage way, but '
And
it
was an opening.
suppose the channel
is
barred by an iron grating
" !
objected the voice of prudence. "
Nothing venture nothing have
!
Files weren't
made
to
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
134
gnaw away "
laboratory
!
and there
corks,
are capital
files
in
so answered another ironical voice, one that
prompted daring resolves. In two minutes Max's determination was made, idea
as
it
the
may be
had darted
called
that perhaps could not after
all
An
into his mind,
be carried
out,
one
but which
he would attempt, if death did not first overtake him. He sauntered back towards the shrub with red flowers,
and gathered two or three leaves guards could not
fail
in
such a
way
that his
to see him.
Then, returning to his room, he quite openly dried these leaves before the fire, rubbed them in his hands to crush them, and mixed them with his tobacco.
During the six following days, Max, to surprise,
Schultz,
walks
No,
it
woke up
whom
quite well every morning.
his
extreme
Had Herr
he had not again seen and never met
in his
had he given up his plan of making away with him ? was not likely, any more than he would relinquish
that of destroying Doctor Sarrasin's city.
Max made renewed
use of this permission to
his manoeuvre.
smoke the bella-donna
He
took
himself,
live,
and every day
care, of course, never to
and therefore kept two
packets of tobacco, one for his personal use, the other for His object was simply to arouse the curiosity daily show. of Arminius and
Sigimer.
Confirmed smokers, such as
these two ruffians, were sure soon to notice the shrub from
Max's
ruse.
Page
134.
p.
which he took the
how
c.
P.
135
and try
leaves, imitate the operation,
they liked the mixture.
This supposition was
correct,
and the
result
proved
equal to his anticipations.
On
the sixth day, the eve of the fatal
he glanced
as
Max,
carelessly
1
3th of September,
behind
him,
had
the
satisfaction of seeing his guards collect a little store of the
green leaves.
An at the
hour
later,
he observed that they were drying them
rubbing them in their great horny hands, and
fire,
mixing them with
They seemed
their tobacco.
already
licking their lips in anticipation.
Was
it
Sigimer
?
Max's intention merely to stupefy Arminius and No, that was not sufficient. Eluding their
vigilance he it
should
arranged
prove
It
miles
was
he would perish
it
down in
that stream, even
length.
if
But he had
true, there were nine chances
but as he was already con
;
to death, that did not
Evening came, with
The
to pass
still
to be
his plan.
in ten that
demned
had
much
matter.
the supper hour, afterwards a walk.
inseparable trio took the
way
into the park.
hesitating, without losing a minute, Max pro ceeded straight towards a building, standing alone, and which was no other than the workshop where all the models
Without
were made. pipe,
He
sat
down on a bench
and began to smoke.
outside, filled his
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
136
Arminius and Sigimer, who had their pipes all ready, sat down on a neighbouring seat and soon were puffing away.
The
effects of the narcotic
were not
becoming O
Ions; O in
'
visible.
Before five minutes had passed, the two clumsy giants
were yawning and stretching
like bears in
a cage.
eyes grew dim, a dull sound was in their ears
;
plexions changed from red to purple, their arms at their sides, their heads
The
fell
of the birds,
summer
Now
useless
their breasts.
who
snoring, mingled with the twittering
lived all the year
round
in the perpetual
of the Stahlstadt park.
was Max's time.
it is
His impatience
remembered that
in the
may be
imagined,
next night, at a quarter
by Herr
before midnight, Frankville, having been sentenced Schultz, would cease to
He
com
pipes slipped to the ground.
Then followed loud
when
dropped on
Their
their
exist.
darted into the workshop.
It
was a large
building,
a perfect museum of models. Hydraulic machines, locomo tives, steam engines, portable engines, suction pumps, boring machines, ships, ship machinery, in pieces would collection of
fact,
be too numerous to mention.
models
in
wood
of everything
the master It
made
was
a
in the
foundation, and you may be sure that many cannon, torpedoes, and shells were amongst
Schultz manufactory since
them.
its
A
destructive
fire.
Page
137,
p.
The
night was dark,
Alsacian's
daring
P.
c.
and
137
favourable
Besides
project.
the
to
young his
accomplishing
escape he hoped to destroy the Stahlstadt Model Museum. How he longed to annihilate that huge Bull Tower, with its
destructive cannon
and
all
contained
it
;
but
it
was
useless to think of that.
Max's
first,
care
was to
seize a little steel saw,
fit
for
into his
which was hanging from a tool rack, and slip it Then taking a match from his box, he pocket.
struck
set fire to a
filing iron,
it,
heap of drawings and
slight fir-wood
models, and rushed out.
The
fire
spreading
among
all
these inflammable materials
increased with great rapidity, and flames speedily burst
The alarm-bell from every part of the building. rang, the electric wire carried the news to every quarter of Stahlstadt, peals sounded, and firemen and engines hastened
forth
from
At
all directions.
the
same moment Herr
Schultz,
whose presence
was well calculated to encourage the workers, made
his
appearance.
In a very few minutes, the boilers were under pressure
and the powerful pumps at work. But in spite of the deluges of water which fell on the walls and roofs, the fire gained
force,
mastering spectacle.
it
and
it
was soon evident that
must be given up.
It
all hope of was a grand and terrible
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
138
Crouched Schultz,
a corner,
in
who cheered on
There was no necessity to the
Max
his
men
as
if
assaulting a town.
for giving a further helping
The Museum,
fire.
never lost sight of Herr
standing as
it
hand
did, alone in the
park, would soon be entirely consumed.
Herr Schultz, seeing that the building possibly be saved, suddenly shouted out
"Ten thousand number
dollars
whoever
to
itself
could not
save
will
3175, from the glass case in the centre
model,,
!"
This was the very mould of Schultz's famous cannon,
and he valued
To make
reach
it,
it
above
all
other things in the
however, a person would be compelled to
way through a deluge
his
Museum.
of sparks and falling wood,
and an unbreathable atmosphere of dense black smoke. It was ten to one that he would escape with his life. Not withstanding, therefore, the magnificence of Herr Schultz's
no one answered to
offer,
At It "
last
a
man
his appeal.
presented himself.
was Max.
I will go," said he.
'You
!"
exclaimed Herr Schultz.
'Yes, I!" "It won't save
you from the sentence of death pronounced
against you, so don't imagine "
it !"
do not propose to avoid that, but to snatch your precious model from destruction." I
P. P.
"
Go
C.
Herr Schultz,
then," answered
you succeed, the ten thousand
made "
139 "
and
swear that
I
if
be faithfully
dollars shall
over to your heirs."
I will
depend on you
for that," returned
Max.
Several of the Galibert apparatus were brought to him
they were always at hand
in case of
fire,
;
as they enabled
men to venture into the densest smoke. Max had already made use. of one when he tried to save from death dame Bauer's boy, poor
One
He
back. his
little Carl.
of these was soon
filled
with air and placed on his
put the pincers on his nose, took the tube in
mouth, and darted into the smoke.
"At
This
air will last for
a quarter of
Heaven grant that may be time enough !" may be imagined, Max had not the slightest
an hour
As
"
last !" said he. !
intention of endeavouring to save Schultz's cannon model.
His
life
every
moment
the smoke-filled
hall,
and charred beams. and
just as the roof
he made his way across amidst a shower of blazing brands in dire peril,
Mercifully none of fell in
them touched him,
with a fearful crash,
Max escaped
at the opposite side of the building.
To
fly
towards the stream, run along
reached the unknown opening and plunge
he
its
banks
in,
was the work
till
of only a few seconds.
The
rapid current swept
or eight
feet.
He had
him along
in
a depth of seven
no need to guide himself,
for the
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
140
water bore him as straight as
if
he had held Ariadne's
clue.
He
soon found that he had entered a narrow channel, a
sort of pipe, quite filled
"What
by the overflow
of the river.
can be the length of this tunnel ?" thought Max.
41
If I do not pass through Everything depends on that it in a quarter of an hour, the air will fail and I am !
lost!"
He
maintained his coolness and presence of mind.
Ten
minutes passed, when suddenly he was driven up against
some
obstacle.
This was an iron grating on hinges, barring the
down "
way
the tunnel. "
thought Max simply. Without losing a moment, he took the saw from his This
pocket,
is
what
and
feared
I
set to
!
work on the bolt of the
Five minutes labour did not loosen
staple. it,
the
grating
remained obstinately closed. Already Max breathed with There came a buzzing in his ears, the blood difficulty.
mounted
in
his head,
he
felt
he would soon lose con
sciousness.
He endeavoured, however, to make
the most of the small
by taking breath as seldom as sawn through, the bolt would not
quantity of air remaining, possible
yield
At
!
Though
half
!
that
moment
the saw slipped from his hands.
p.
"
Surely
God
c.
P.
141
himself cannot be against
me
" !
was his
thought.
And
grasping the grating with both hands, he shook
with the despairing energy given by the instinct of
it
self-
preservation.
The
grating opened.
The
bolt
had given way, and
the current carried onwards the daring Alsacian, nearly
******
suffocated, yet
still
feebly struggling, as he inhaled the
last particles of air in the reservoir
The next
day,
when Herr
!
Schultz's
men
ventured into
by the fire, they searched in vain among all the debris, and still smouldering cinders for any trace of human remains. It was evident that the brave workman
the ruins
left
had perished. His daring act astonished none of
known him
in the different
his friends
who had
workshops.
precious model was not saved, but the man who was acquainted with the secrets of the Steel King was dead.
The
"Heaven
is
witness that
suffering," said
Herr Schultz
fashion.
"
At any
rate, as I
ten thousand dollars
I
wished to spare him
all
to himself, in his usual serene
know
not his heirs,
I
am saved
!"
Such was the only funeral oration pronounced by the philosophical professor over the
young Alsacian
!
supposed grave of our
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
142
CHAPTER
X.
AN ARTICLE FROM UNSERE CENTURIE/ A GERMAN *
REVIEW.
A
MONTH
a
just related occurred, "
wrapper, entitled article
we have
before the period at which the events
a salmon-coloured
in
review,
Our Century," published the
on the subject of Frankville, an
particularly
relished
German Empire,
by
the
article
fastidious
perhaps, because
it
following
which was
people
of
the
only studied that city
from a purely material point of view " We have already given our readers an account of the :
extraordinary phenomenon which has been produced on
the
western
American
of
coast
republic,
grants included in
the
owing its
United States.
certainly the
most
Though
great
population, has for long accustomed
the world to a succession of surprises
ville.
The
to the large proportion of emi
singular,
is
;
but the
that of a city
the very idea of
it
last,
and
named Frank
did not exist five years
Frankville.
Page
142.
AN ARTICLE FROM now
is
it
ago,
'
UNSERE CENTURIE.'
and
flourishing,
in the highest
143
degree of
prosperity. "
This marvellous city has risen as
it
is
and idea of
true (as
thing
is
also
considerable
come
in
say
not inquire
possible, as this doctor
plan
may
boast
King of Steel. rumoured that a
illustrious it
passing,
which
inheritance,
first
due to a Frenchman, Doctor
a distant relationship with our
We may
will
are assured) that the
this enterprise is
The
Sarrasin.
we
by enchantment on
We
the balmy shores of the Pacific.
whether
if
is
should
properly
have
Herr Schultz, has had something to do with Wherever any good springs the founding of Frankville.
up
in
to
the world,
German
seed
;
we may be
this is
be,
we
a truth
whenever an opportunity
we now wish
certain
it
is
from
are proud of stating
But, however that
offers.
to give our
that
readers
some
precise
may and
authentic details on the subject of the spontaneous vegeta tion of a "
model
city.
its name on the map. Even the hunderd and seventy-eight folio volumes, by our eminent Tuchtigmann, in which every thicket and clump of trees in the old and new world are put in with
It is useless to
look for
great atlas in three
such exactitude, even this noble
monument
to geographical
science, designed for the use of sharpshooters, does not
bear the least trace of Frankville.
The
place where the
new
city
now
stands was five years
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
144
ago a complete desert. The exact spot lies 43 north latitude, and 124 41' 17" west longitude. "
It will
be seen that
n'
3"
on the shores of the Pacific
this is
Ocean, and at the foot of the secondary chain of the Rocky Mountains, called the Cascade Mountains, sixty miles to the north of White Cape, Oregon State, North America. "
This most advantageous site has been carefully sought and chosen from among a number of others. The pro
minent reasons
for its
adoption are the temperate climate
of the northern hemisphere, which has always been at the
head of
terrestrial civilisation
its
;
of a federative republic, and in a
allowed
it
to secure
those possessed
its
by the
on the condition that
would enter the Union.
position, in the
still
new
independence, and
State,
middle
which has
rights similar to
principality of
Monaco
after a certain
number of years
Its situation
in
Europe, it
on the Ocean, which
becoming more and more the great highway of the globe the varied, fertile, and salubrious nature of the soil is
;
;
the proximity of a chain of mountains, sheltering
the north, south, and Pacific
the city
w inds, r
east
leaving to
it
from
the fresh
breeze the care of renovating the atmosphere of ;
the possession of a
clear water,
rapidity of
little river,
oxygenated by repeated its
whose
fresh, sweet,
falls,
and by the
course, arrives perfectly pure at the sea
;
lastly,
a natural port, formed by a long curved promontory,
which
may
easily be enlarged
by
moles.
AN ARTICLE FROM UNSERE CENTURIE.' '
"A few secondary advantages may be
145
mentioned, such as
the proximity of fine marble and stone quarries, bearings of kaolin, and even traces of auriferous ore. last detail
was almost the cause of the
for the founders of the
might come
in
the
site
In
fact, this
being given up,
town feared that the gold
way
of their plans.
fever
Fortunately,
however, the nuggets were found to be small and not
numerous.
"The
choice of a territory, although determined upon
after serious
and
close study, took but a few days,
and
was not made the subject of a special expedition. Science is now so far advanced that, without leaving his study, a man may gather exact and particular information about the most distant regions. "
This point decided, two commissioners of the organisa tion committee took the first boat from Liverpool, arrived in
eleven
days at
New
York, in seven more at
San
Francisco, where they chartered a steamer, which in ten
hours landed them on the proposed
"To come
site.
to terms with the legislature of Oregon, to
obtain a grant of twelve miles of land on the shores of the
sea on the crest of the Cascade Mountains, to indemnify with a few millions of dollars the half-dozen planters who
had some
supposed rights on the ground, business did not take more than a month.
"By
real or
all this
January 1872, the territory was already surveyed,
L
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
146
measured, laid out, and an army of twenty thousand Chinese coolies, under the direction of five hundred over seers
and European engineers, were hard
posted up
all
Placards
over the State of California, an advertisement
van permanently attached to the rapid every morning from San Francisco
American
at work.
train,
which
starts
traverse
to
the
and a daily article in the twenty-three newspapers of that town, were sufficient to ensure the It was not even found recruiting of the labourers. continent,
necessary to resort to the expedient of publishing on a
grand
scale,
by means
of gigantic letters sculptured on the
peaks of the Rocky Mountains, that men were wanted. It must be said that the influx of Chinese coolies into western
America had
just at this time caused
the labour market. their
own
much
perturbation in
Several States had, in the interest of
population, actually expelled these unfortunate
people en masse.
The
building of Frankville
time to save them from perishing.
came
just in
Their wages, fixed at
a dollar a day, were not to be paid them until the works
were
finished,
and
were distributed by the Thus all the disorder and shame
their rations
municipal administration.
which so often attend any great displace ment of population, were avoided. The wages were deposited ful speculations,
every week, in the presence of delegates, in the great at
San Francisco, and every it out, he was not to
he drew
coolie
Bank
was warned that when
return.
This precaution was
The Frank ville
railway.
Page
147.
AN ARTICLE FROM
UNSERE CENTURIE.'
'
147
absolutely necessary to get rid of a yellow population,
which would otherwise have
and standard of the new
infallibly
city.
lowered the tone
The founders
having,
besides, reserved the right of granting or refusing per
mission to live there, the application of this measure was
comparatively easy. "
The
first
great enterprise was the establishment of a
branch railway, connecting the territory of the new town with the trunk of the Pacific Railroad, and running to Sacramento.
These works, and those of the harbour, were
pushed on with extraordinary activity. In April, the first train, direct from New York, brought to the Frankville terminus the members of the committee, who, until this time, "
had remained
in Europe.
In this interval, the general plan of the town, the details
and public monuments had been stopped. This was not from want of materials from the very
of habitations "
;
first,
American industry had hastened to load the quays
of Frankville with every imaginable requisite for building. It
was merely the
The
difficulty of choice.
founders at last
decided that the freestone should be reserved for national
and general ornamenation, and that all houses should be built of brick. Not, it must be understood, of edifices
common
roughly-moulded, half-baked bricks, but
well-shaped ones, regular
in
size,
light,
weight, and density,
and pierced from end to end with a
series of cylindrical
L
2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
148
and
These
parallel holes.
bricks,
when placed
together,
allowed the air to circulate freely throughout the walls of the building. 1
the
This arrangement had at the same time
valuable
effect
of deadening
sounds,
and
giving
complete independence to each apartment. "
The committee
builders.
did not wish to impose a model on the
They were
averse to a wearisome and insipid
uniformity, and merely gave a certain number of fixed rules, to which the architects were bound to adhere. "
1st.
Each house
to stand alone in a plot of
ground
planted with trees, grass, and flowers, and to be inhabited a single family.
by
"
No
house to be more than two stories high air and light must not be monopolised by some, to the detri 2nd.
:
ment of others. "
3rd.
road,
Every house must be
and divided from
it
set
back ten yards from the
by a breast-high
The
railing.
space between the building and the railing must be laid out as a garden. "4th.
The
walls to be built of the patent
bricks, similar to the model.
tubular
All ornamentation to be
left
to the taste of the architect. " c;th.
The
roofs to
be
in terraces, slightly inclined
the four sides, covered with bitumen, surrounded 1
These
plans, as well as the general idea, are
Benjamin Ward
Richardson,
Member
from
by a
borrowed from Doctor
of the Royal Society of London.
AN ARTICLE FROM 'UNSERE
CENTURIE.'
149
balustrade high enough to render accidents impossible,
and proper canals made
All the houses must be built on a vaulted foun
6th.
dation,
for the passing off of rain-water.
open on each
side,
and thus forming under the
ground-floor a subsoil of aeration, as well as a
hall.
All
water-pipes must be exposed, running up the central
pillar,
in
such a
state,
way
and
that
it
may be
be able to obtain the necessary rising about
in case of fire, to
water immediately.
The
always easy to ascertain their
floor of this hall,
three inches above the level of the road, gravelled. direct
A door
and a
special staircase will place
communication with the kitchens and
household transactions
all
must be properly
may
offices,
it
in
so that
go on without offending
either the eyes or the nose. "
/th.
The kitchens and
offices will,
contrary to the usual
custom, be placed in the upper story, and in communication
with the terrace.
A
lift,
which, like artificial light
moved by mechanical
and water,
will
force,
be supplied at
reduced prices to the inhabitants, will easily convey
all
loads to this level. "
8th.
The plan
of the rooms
is left
to individual taste.
But two dangerous elements of illness, regular nests of miasma and laboratories of poison, are to be strictly ex cluded
carpets
and painted papers. The floors, beauti woods by clever workmen, would
fully inlaid with valuable
be quite wasted were they hidden under a woollen cloth of
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
150 doubtful
The
cleanliness.
walls,
with
lined
polished
and variety of the inner apart ments of Pompeii, with a luxury of colour, which painted paper, charged with its thousand subtile poisons, could
bricks, present the brilliancy
never reach.
and rubbed
They
washed
are
like ceilings
and
as
floors.
windows are washed,
Not even a
gerrn of
anything harmful can be harboured there. " Each bedroom is distinct from the dressing-room. 9th. It
cannot be too
much recommended
that the former
apartment, where a third of a man's life is passed, should be the largest, the most airy, and at the same time the
most simple. It must only be used for sleep four chairs, an iron bedstead, supplied with two frequently-beaten ;
quilts
the only necessary furniture.
is
mattresses,
and heavy
coverlets, powerful allies of epidemics,
are excluded as a matter of course. ings, well.
"
Good woollen
cover
light and warm, and easily washed, replace them Though curtains and draperies are not absolutely
forbidden,
made
Eider-down
it
is
recommended
that, if used,
they should be
of washing materials.
loth.
by wood
Each room may be warmed according or coal
;
but to every chimney
opening to the outer
through the
roof,
is
air.
led
The smoke,
is
to fancy
a corresponding
instead of issuing
away by subterranean
pipes to
special furnaces, established, outside the town, at the
back
of the houses, at the rate of a furnace to every two
AN ARTICLE FROM hundred inhabitants. of carbon which state into the
it
air,
'
There
and
bears,
UNSERE CENTURIE.'
deprived of the particles
it is is
151
discharged in a colourless
at a height of thirty-five yards.
Such
are the ten rules imposed on the building of each parti cular house. "
The
"
The plan
general arrangements are no less carefully studied. of the town
is
essentially simple
and
regular,
the roads crossing at right angles, at equal distances, of a
uniform width, planted with "
Some
trees,
and numbered.
of the roads being wider, are then called boule
vards or avenues, and leave on one side
rails for
tramways and metropolitan railways. Public gardens are numerous, and ornamented with fine copies of the masterpieces of sculpture, until the artists of Frankville shall have pro duced original pieces worthy to replace them. " Every industry and trade is free. "
Any
ville
one wishing to have the right of living in Frank
must give good
references,
be
fit
to follow a useful
or liberal profession in industry, science, or the arts,
must engage to keep the laws of the town. would not be tolerated there.
An
and
idle life
"There are already a large number of public edifices. The most important are the Cathedral, chapels, mu seums,
libraries, schools,
the luxury and hygienic "
It is
and gymnasiums,
fitted
up with
worthy of a great city. needless to say that from the age of four years skill
all
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
152
are obliged to follow physical and intellectual
children
exercises, calculated to develope the
brain and muscles.
are also accustomed to such strict cleanliness, that
They
they consider a spot on their simple clothes disgrace. "
Individual and collective cleanliness
the founders of Frankville.
To
is
quite a
the great idea of
clean, clean unceasingly,
miasmas constantly emanating from a large community, such is the principal work of the For this purpose, all the contents of central government.
so as to destroy the
the drains are led out of the town, condensed, and daily transferred to the fields. "
Water
"
The
flows everywhere in abundance.
streets are
paved with bituminated wood
;
and the
stone footpaths are as spotless as a courtyard in Holland.
The
provision markets are subject to strict surveillance,
and any merchants who dare to speculate on the public
The man who
health incur the severest penalties.
bad
egg,
damaged meat,
or a pint of adulterated milk,
simply treated as the poisoner he really
and
delicate office
receive
is
sells
is.
for
it.
all,
with disinfecting-rooms.
to
its
artificial dryers,
No
who
Their jurisdiction
extends to the very laundries, which are on a large provided with steam engines,
is
This necessary
confided to experienced men,
a special education
a
body-linen
is
scale,
and, above sent back
owners without being thoroughly bleached, and
AN ARTICLE FROM special care
is
UNSERE CENTURIE.'
153
taken never to mix the washing of two
This
families.
'
simple
is
precaution
Hospitals are few in number,
for
of
great
value.
the system of house
general, and they are reserved for homeless and The idea of making the exceptional cases. strangers hospital larger than any other building, and of putting
nursing
is
seven or eight hundred patients under one
make a
roof, so as to
centre of infection, would not enter the head of the
founders of this model
city.
Far from
this, it is in theirs,
as well as in the public interest, to isolate the sick as as possible.
This
is
much
the plan pursued in the houses, the
hospitals being merely for the temporary
accommodation
of the most pressing cases.
"Twenty
or thirty patients
at
most, each having a
are put these light barracks, which are built of fir-wood, and burnt regularly every year.
separate apartment,
They
into
have, besides, the advantage of being easily carried
from one part of the town to another as they are wanted, and, being all on one model, can be multiplied to any extent.
"Another ingenious
institution
is
that of a
body of and
experienced nurses, specially trained for the purpose,
These women, being carefully chosen, are most valuable and devoted aids to the always at the disposal of the public.
doctors.
They
bring into the
bosom of
families
that
practical knowledge, so necessary and yet so often absent
;
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
154
time of danger
in the
is
it
their mission to prevent the
spread of the disease as well as to tend the sick.
We should never finish were we to attempt to enumerate
"
the hygienic perfections inaugurated
all
On
new town.
of this
by the founders
his arrival each citizen
is
with a small pamphlet, in which the most principles of a forth in clear "
He
is
functions
life,
presented
important
regulated according to science, are set
and simple language.
there told that the perfect equilibrium of is
one of the necessities
for health, that
all
the
work and
rest are equally indispensable, that fatigue is as necessary for the brain as
muscles
for the
;
that nine-tenths of the
owing to contagion transmitted by air and food. cannot surround his dwelling and his person with too
illnesses are
He
many
sanitary precautions.
To
avoid the use of exciting
poisons, to practise bodily exercises,
to
conscientiously
perform every day some appointed duty, to drink pure water, to eat fresh
meat and vegetables simply prepared,
to sleep regularly seven or eight hours a night, such
AB
C
is
the
of health.
"Beginning from the first principles laid down by the founders, we have been led on to speak of this singular It is
city as already finished. built,
the others rose as
previously visited
wonderful change.
if
indeed so
by magic.
;
the
first
houses
A man should have
the far west in order to realise the
The
site
that
was a desert
in
the
AN ARTICLE FROM month
'
UNSERE CENTURIE.'
155
of January 1872, contained six thousand houses in
1873.
In 1874
it
possessed nine thousand, and
edifices complete. "
Speculation has certainly had
The ground having
success.
could be sold or
no taxes, the
political
its
novelty,
tributed
to
induce
public
part in this unheard-of nothing, the houses
cost
very moderate
let at
territory,
its
all
There being
prices.
independence of this isolated
and the pleasant climate,
At
emigration.
little
all
the present
con
time
Frankville contains nearly a hundred thousand inhabitants.
"But
most interesting part of
to us the
result of the sanitary " Whilst the
experiment
is
that the
it is
conclusive.
annual mortality in the most favoured towns
of Europe or the three per
cent,
New World
in Frankville
average has been one and a
by That of the
summer.
And
half.
these five years
Even
were due to
last
this
figure
during
the
all
the
was first
year was only one and
a more important circumstance
with but a few exceptions,
illnesses
for
a slight fever epidemic
increased
quarter.
has never been less than
still, is
a
that,
the deaths actually registered
and hereditary affections. Accidental been at once infinitely rarer, and less
specific
have
dangerous, than in any other great centre.
As
to epi
demics, properly so called, nothing has been seen or heard of them. "
It will
be interesting to follow the development of this
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
156
attempt, and certainly curious to discover
of this scientific regime tion, or
more
likely
may
still,
if
the influence
not in the course of a genera
after several generations,
weaken
hereditary and morbid predispositions. "
'
It is assuredly
much
not too '
founders has written,
grandeur of the result
and
if
to
hope/ as one of the
so what
may
not be the
Everybody living for ninety or a and then hundred years, only dying of old age, as do the greater number of animals and plants.' "
There
!
something enchanting in such a dream Nevertheless, if we may be allowed to express our sincere opinion, we have but an indifferent belief in the actual is
!
We see
success of this experiment.
probably
fatal flaw,
committee which
is
its
prevails,
German element has been That
is
a bad symptom.
nothing durable has been
an original and
being in the hands of a
which the Latin element
in
the
excluded.
which
in it
and from
systematically
Since the world began
made but by Germany, and The founders
without her nothing perfect can be effected. of Frankville special points
may ;
clear the ground,
not, however,
on
on the borders of Syria, shall model
city arise."
and elucidate some
this spot in
America, but
we one day
see the true
AT DINNER WITH DOCTOR SARRASIN.
157
CHAPTER XL AT DINNER WITH DOCTOR SARRASIN.
ON
the
1
3th of September,
although
few hours to the time fixed on by
it
wanted but a
Professor Schultz for
the destruction
of Frankville, neither the governor nor
a single person
among
the inhabitants
dreamed of the
danger which threatened them.
Seven o'clock Half buried
in the
in thick
evening arrived.
masses of oleander and tamarinds,
the beautiful city lay at the foot of the Cascade Mountains, its
marble quays gently caressed by the waves of the
Pacific.
The
carefully watered roads, freshened
breeze, presented a cheerful trees
which shaded them rustled
were fresh and green. their sweetness
The sea,
by the and animated spectacle. The
Brilliant
softly.
The
velvet lawns
beds of flowers exhaled
around the calm and smiling white houses.
air was warm and balmy, and the sky as blue as the which glittered at the end of the long avenues.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
158
A stranger arriving in the town would have been at once struck with the healthful look of the inhabitants and the
The academies
activity in the streets.
and
and the
sculpture,
just been
closed.
of painting, music,
same
library, all in the
had
quarter,
Excellent public courses were given
there to small sections, so that each pupil might get the full
advantage of the lesson.
Among
the crowds issuing
and naturally causing some stoppage, not an exclamation of impatience, nor an angry look, was
from these
places,
The
heard or seen.
and
general aspect was one of calmness
satisfaction.
Not
in the centre of the town,
Pacific,
had Doctor Sarrasin
among
the
first
but on the shores of the
built his house.
It
had been
put up, and he had come immediately and
established himself
there with
his
wife
and
daughter
Jeannette. Octavius,
remain
the
in Paris
The two
;
extempore millionaire, had chosen to but he had no longer Max for a mentor.
friends
since the time
had almost
when they
lost sight of
lived together in
each other of Sicily
King
Street.
When
the doctor emigrated with his wife and daughter
to the coast of Oregon, Otto
was
his
own
He
master.
neglected college, where his father had wished
continue his studies, the final examination,
and was
when
in
soon
him
consequence plucked
his friend
Max came
out
to in
first.
AT DINNER WITH DOCTOR SARRASIN. Till then,
poor Otto, who was incapable of managing for
had had
himself,
Alsacian
159
left,
his
Max
for
companion
a guide. directly
When began
the
to see
young life in
He
passed the greater part of his time on the box of a four-in-hand coach, driving perpetually between the Paris.
avenue Marigny, where he had rooms, and the various race-courses of the suburbs.
Otto Sarrasin, who, three months before, could scarcely
manage to stick on a horse hired by the hour, had suddenly become deeply versed in the mysteries of hippology. His erudition was borrowed from an English groom who had entered his service, and
who
ruled
him
entirely, in
con
sequence of the superiority of his special knowledge. Interviews with
and bootmakers, occu His evenings were spent at the
tailors, saddlers,
pied the mornings.
rooms of a flaming new club, just opened at the corner of Trouchet Street, and chosen by Otto because the people he met there paid to his money a theatres
and
in the
homage which his personal merits had not hitherto received. The company seemed to him highly distinguished. A noticeable thing about list,
hanging
names.
in
it
was that the handsomely framed
the waiting-room, bore few but foreign
you might almost fancy the antechamber of an heraldic college. But
Titles abounded, so that
yourself in
on penetrating farther one might imagine oneself in a living All the big noses and bilious ethnological exhibition.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
160
complexions of the two hemispheres seemed to have met together there.
Otto Sarrasin reigned paramount among these worthies. His words were quoted, his cravats copied, his opinions accepted as articles of
faith.
And
intoxicated with this
incense of flattery, he never found out that he regularly lost
money
at play
and the
races.
Perhaps certain members of
the club, in their Oriental capacity, thought that they had
some rights on the Begum's heritage. At any rate, they were able to gradually draw it into their pockets by a slow though continued process. In this
new
life
the ties which
Bruckmann were soon only exchanged there be in
loosened.
letters
at
common between
long
bound Otto
At
last,
intervals.
Max
to
the two
What
chums could
the eager hard-working man,
solely occupied with bringing his intellect to the highest
point of culture and strength, and the idle youth, puffed
up with
his riches, his thoughts only filled with club
and
stable gossip.
We know how Max left
Paris, first to
keep a watch on
Herr Schultz, who had just founded Stahlstadt, the rival to Frankville, and then actually to enter the service of the
King of
Steel.
For two years Otto led
Then a weariness
his useless
and dissipated
life.
of these hollow and worthless pleasures
seized him, and one fine day, after having wasted
some
AT DINNER WITH DOCTOR SARRASIN. millions
of francs, he rejoined his father, thus escaping
from moral and physical
was
living in the doctor's
His
l6l
sister
ruin.
house
Jeannette was
At
the present time he
in Frankville.
now a
lovely girl of nineteen,
whose French grace her four years' stay in the new country had added all the good American qualities. Her to
mother said sometimes that before having her so com pletely to herself, she had never felt the charm of perfect intimacy.
As
to
Madame
Sarrasin, since the return of her prodigal
son, the child of her hopes, she
as
was as completely happy
any one can be here below, for she associated herself all the good her husband could and did do with his
with
immense
On
fortune.
the evening
of
which we
have spoken, Doctor
Sarrasin had invited to dinner two of his most intimate
Hendon, an old hero of the War of Secession, who had left an arm at Pittsburg, and an ear at
friends.
Colonel
Sevenoaks, but
game
of chess
;
who could hold
his own with any one at a and Monsieur Lentz, General Director of
Instruction in the
The
new
city.
conversation turned on the plans for the administra
tion of the town, the results already obtained in the public
establishments of
all sorts,
mutual
institutions, hospitals,
aid societies.
M. Lentz, according
to the doctor's
programme,
in
M
which
1
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
62
religious teaching
was not
forgotten,
had founded
several
elementary schools, where the cares of the master tended to develope the
mind of the
child
by submitting
it
to a
sort of intellectual
gymnastic exercise, adjusted so as to It was taught to follow the natural bent of its faculties. love a science before being
crammed with
avoiding that
it,
knowledge which, says Montaigne, "floats on the surface of the brain," without penetrating the understanding, or
rendering
its
well-prepared intellect can of follow
it
The
with
Later, a
possessor either wiser or better. itself
choose
path and
its
profit.
principles of health took a first place in this well-
ordered education.
Man body.
command both
should have equal If one fails
especially, if
him he
unsupported by
suffers
for
mind and, and the mind
of his it,
the body, would soon give
way. Frankville had
now reached
the highest degree of in
tellectual as well as
temporal prosperity.
were collected
the
all
the two worlds. attracted
by
illustrious
Artists,
painters,
In
its
congress
and learned men of sculptors,
musicians,
the reputation of this city, crowded to
the young people of Frankville,
it.
All
who promised some day
to illuminate this corner of America, studied under these
masters.
way
to
This new Athens of French origin was on the
become the
first
of
cities.
A good military as well
The
dinner at Doctor Sarrasin's.
Page
163.
as
civil
AT DINNER WITH DOCTOR SARRASIN.
163
education was given in the colleges.
All the
young men were taught the use of firearms, the first principles of strategy and tactics.
When
this
Hendon
became the subject of conversation, Colonel
declared himself delighted with
"They
are," said he,
marches, fatigue, and
army
is
as well as
all
all his recruits.
"already accustomed to forced kinds of manly exercises.
composed of citizens, and
when
Our
the time comes to
prove them, they will be found disciplined and trustworthy soldiers."
Frankville was on the best terms with
bouring
States, for she
all
the neigh
had seized every occasion
to oblige
them but ingratitude speaks so loudly when people's own interests are in question, that the doctor and his friends ;
resolved not to lose sight of the
those
who
maxim
" :
help themselves," and to rely
Heaven helps on their own
exertions.
Dinner was over, the dessert was on the according to the usual custom, the ladies
had
table, and,
just left the
room.
Doctor Sarrasin, Otto, Colonel Hendon, and M. Lentz continued the conversation, and were attacking the higher questions of political economy,
handed the doctor It
was the
New
had always shown
when a
servant entered and
his paper.
York Herald. itself
This respectable journal
extremely favourable,
first
M
2
to the
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
164
and
foundation, and then to the development of Frankville,
the principals of the city were accustomed to look in its
columns
for the possible variations of public opinion
with
regard to them in the United States. of
happy,
free,
This agglomeration and independent people on their little
was envied by not a few, and if Frankville had many friends in America to defend her, she had also neutral territory
enemies who delighted
New
expressed
itself in
At any
in attacking her.
Herald was on
York
their
side,
rate,
the
and constantly
terms of admiration and esteem.
Without interrupting himself
in
what he was saying,
Doctor Sarrasin opened the paper, mechanically casting his eyes on the first paragraph. Suddenly he stopped, con founded, as he saw the following himself,
which he read to
and then aloud, to the great surprise and greater
indignation of his friends "
lines,
New
:
A violent attempt against
York, September 8th.
the rights of
men
is
shortly to take place.
We learn
from
a certain source that formidable preparations are being
made
at
Stahlstadt, with
the object of attacking and
destroying Frankville, the city of French origin.
not
know
if
this struggle,
the ears
;
an hour
which
but, in
this odious
We
do
the United States can or ought to interfere in will set the
common with
abuse of strength.
Latin and Saxon races by
all
honest men,
we denounce
Frankville should not lose
in putting herself in a state of defence, &c."
THE COUNCIL.
CHAPTER
165
XII.
THE COUNCIL.
THE
hatred which the
Sarrasin's
was a
King of
Doctor
Steel bore to
secret. Every one knew that his But no one would have believed him
work was no
rival city.
capable of attacking a peaceful town, and endeavouring to destroy
it
at a blow.
The
article in the
was, however, positive on the point.
New
The
York Herald
correspondents
had penetrated Herr Schultz's and, as they said, there was not an hour to
of that provincial journal designs,
spare
!
The worthy doctor was confounded.
Like
honest-
all
hearted men, he refused as long as he could to believe in the evil designs of others. sible that
to
a
human being
destroy without
malice, a
city,
property of mankind.
seemed
to
him impos
could be so wicked as to wish
sufficient
which was
It
reason,
and
from
in a certain sense the
simple
common
1
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
66
"Just think that our average mortality only one and a quarter "
naively
;
does not
that there
know how
hundred
in every
year be he exclaimed,
will this " !
who
not a boy of ten years old
is
to read
that not a murder or theft has
;
been committed since the foundation of Frankville
!
And
these barbarians want to destroy this successful experi
ment
at
its
very beginning
No
!
I
;
cannot believe that a
chemist, a savant, were he a hundred times a German, "
could be capable of such atrocity
They were
!
compelled, however, to trust to the evidence
of a paper thoroughly devoted to their undertaking, and
The
act without delay.
first
moment
of dismay passed,
Doctor Sarrasin regaining the command of his
feelings,
thus addressed his friends "
Gentlemen, you are members of the Civic Council, and
your duty as well as mine to take all necessary measures for the safety of the town. What ought we to
it
is
do
first?"
"Is there no possibility of arranging matters?" said " M. Lentz. " Can we not honourably avoid war ?
"That
is
impossible," replied
evidently will have
allow him to "
Very
come
well
" !
it
to terms
resist
any
price.
Herr Schultz
His hate
will not
" !
exclaimed the doctor
ready to receive him. thing can
at
"
Otto.
Do you
" ;
we
shall
think, colonel, that
the cannons of Stahlstadt
" ?
be
any
THE COUNCIL.
"Any human
force can be efficaciously
human
another
we need
l6/
force,"
combatted by answered Colonel Hendon " but ;
not think of defending ourselves
by the same
means and the same arms which Herr Schultz attack
The
us.
opposing
his,
construction of engines of war, capable of
would take a long time to make, and
not know, besides, since
will use to
if
we have not
we should succeed
special workshops.
in fabricating I
I
do
them,
can only see one
chance of safety, that of preventing the enemy from reach ing us, and rendering an investment impossible." "
go immediately and convoke the Council," said Doctor Sarrasin and he led his guests into his study. I will
;
It
was a simply furnished
room, three
sides
being
covered with shelves, loaded with books, whilst the fourth presented, below several pictures
and
curiosities,
a row of
numbered openings, similar to ear-trumpets. "Thanks to the telephone," said he, "we can hold a council in Frankville, whilst every one remains at home."
The
doctor touched a warning-bell, which instantaneously
communicated with the houses of less
than
three
successively
minutes,
all
the word
the members.
In
"present" brought
by each wire, announced that the Council was
sitting.
The the "
doctor placed himself before the mouthpiece, rung
bell,
and said
The meeting
is
open.
My
honourable friend, Colonel
1
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
68
Hendon,
will
speak, to
make a communication
of the
deepest importance."
The
colonel,
telephone,
York
in
his
and, after reading the article from the
Herald,
he
the
placed himself before
turn,
immediate
that
proposed
New
measures
should be taken to impede the advance of the enemy.
He had
when number Six put the
scarcely concluded
question "
Does the colonel
the means
believe a defence possible, in case
by which he hopes
reaching us does not succeed
Colonel tion
Hendon
to prevent the
enemy from
" ?
replied in the affirmative.
The ques
and answer instantaneously reached each
member
invisible
of the Council, as well as the explanations which
preceded them.
Number Seven asked how would take
The
long in his estimation
it
for the people of Frankville to prepare.
colonel could not say, but
it
would be advisable to
act as they were to be attacked in a fortnight. Number Two " Should we await the attack, or would if
:
"
you think it preferable to prevent it ? " We must do all in our power to prevent it," answered " and if we are threatened with a fleet, we the colonel ;
must blow up Herr Schultz's ships with torpedoes."
On
this,
Doctor Sarrasin offered to
call into council
the
most distinguished chemists, as well as the most experi-
An
important meeting to be held.
Page
169.
THE COUNCIL. enced
and
officers,
artillery
169
give to
them the task of
examining the plans which Colonel Hendon had ready to submit to them. Question from
"What
is
the
Number One sum necessary
for the
mencement of the works of defence "
We should
immediate com
" ?
have at our disposal from
fifteen to
twenty
millions of dollars." "
propose that the Citizens' Assembly be instantly
I
convoked." President Sarrasin
The
bells in
" :
I will
put
it
to the vote."
each telephone rang twice, announcing that
the proposal was unanimously adopted. It
was
The Council had only
half-past eight.
lasted
eighteen minutes, and had not disturbed any one. The popular assembly was convoked by means as simple, and almost as expeditious. Doctor Sarrasin communi
cated by telephone the vote of the Council to the Hall.
An
electric peal
was
Town
instantly set in motion at the
summit of each of the columns
in
every square of the
city.
The columns were surmounted by luminous dial plates, on which the hands, moved by electricity, pointed to half-past eight, the
hour for the assembly.
This clamorous
brought
all
call,
continuing for a quarter of an hour,
the inhabitants out
glanced up at the nearest
dial,
of
their
houses,
they
and ascertaining that some
1
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
70
national duty required their presence at the
they hastened thither as
Town
Hall,
fast as possible.
In less than forty-five minutes the Assembly was complete.
Doctor Sarrasin was already in the place of honour, sur rounded by the Council, whilst Colonel Hendon waited at the foot of the tribune, until permission
The
greater number of the
was given him to speak.
citizens already
reason of the meeting being called.
In
fact,
knew the
the discussion
of the Civic Council, automatically, stereographed
Town
by the
Hall telephone, had been immediately sent to the
papers, printed in a special edition,
and placarded
all
over
the town.
The municipal
hall
was an immense
building, roofed
with glass, and brilliantly lighted by gas.
The crowd which
filled it
was calm and orderly, every were cheerful. Perfect health,
one standing. All the faces an active and regular life, and a quiet conscience, placed them above any unruly passion of alarm or anger.
At
exactly half-past eight, the president rang his
on the assembly. and The colonel ascended the tribune. silence
forcible language, without useless
pretensions
he
is
There, in sober, but
ornament or oratorical
the language of a man, who, knowing what
talking about,
Hendon
bell,
fell
clearly
expresses himself
Colonel
related the inveterate hate which Herr Schultz
bore against Frankville, Doctor Sarrasin, and his work,
THE COUNCIL.
I/I
and the formidable preparations announced by the New York Herald, destined to destroy their city and its inhabitants. "
It is
you to decide what
for "
continued.
Some
is
best to be done," he
people, possessing neither courage nor
might perhaps prefer to give up the land, and leave the aggressors to do what they wish with their new home. But I am certain beforehand that such a pusil patriotism,
lanimous proposal would find no echo citizens.
Men who
among my
fellow-
are able to understand the greatness of
the object aimed at by the founders of the model city,
men who have
accepted
heart and intelligence. gress,
you
town,
the
will
its
laws, are necessarily
men
of
Sincere representatives of pro
do everything to save our incomparable
glorious
monument
raised
man
ameliorate the fallen condition of
!
by Your
science,
to
duty, there
to give your lives for the cause
you represent." Several Thunders of applause greeted this peroration. speakers supported Colonel Hendon's motion.
fore, is
Doctor Sarrasin, having impressed the necessity of con stituting a Committee of Defence, which was to take imme diate
measures,
with
all
the
secrecy indispensable
in
military operations, the proposal was adopted.
A member of the Civic Council
then suggested that
million dollars should be voted for the works.
hands
ratified this
measure.
five
A show of
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
172
At
and the
over, hall,
five-and-twenty minutes past ten the meeting was citizens of Frankville
when an unexpected
were about to leave the
incident occurred.
tribune was suddenly occupied
The empty
stranger of most
by a
He had sprung up as if by magic. His face showed that he was labouring under frightful excitement but his attitude was calm and resolute. His
curious appearance.
;
torn and
muddy
clothes, his bleeding forehead, told
of
something extraordinary.
At
sight of
him every one paused.
-gesture, the stranger
Who
was he
?
commanded
With an imperative
silence.
Whence had he come
?
No
one, not
even Doctor Sarrasin, ventured to ask him. "
I
have just
escaped
from
" Herr Schultz had condemned -allowed
you.
I
me to reach you am not unknown
spite
my
of
to
you tell
"
Max
" !
My
all.
you,
appearance, rendering
even to him, some confidence
Bruckmann
said.
God
to death.
has
time to attempt to save
in
master, Doctor Sarrasin, can
he
Stahlstadt,"
me
I
me
may be
venerated
hope, that in
unrecognisable
placed in
Max
" !
exclaimed both the doctor and Otto at once,
starting towards him.
He stopped them by a sign. Max had been, indeed, miraculously forcing the grating, just as he
was almost
saved.
After
suffocated, the
No
time to be
lost.
Page
172.
THE COUNCIL. current swept
173:
him onwards, and two minutes
him on the bank, outside
later
threw
Stahlstadt, indeed, but almost
lifeless.
For
several hours the brave
motionless
in
He
light.
fellow lay stretched
the darkness, far from
When
lonely desert.
young
all
on
help,
consciousness returned,
the
was day
it
thanked God that he had escaped from that
He was
no longer a prisoner. The next moment his thoughts were concentrated on Doctor Sarrasin, his friends, and fellow citizens. horrible
"
I
Stahlstadt
!
must save them
By
a supreme
thirty miles
" !
effort
he repeated. he got upon his
He was
feet.
from Frankville, and he had thirty miles to
traverse on foot, for there
was no railway
in that direction,
not even a cart or a horse to be got, for the whole country
round the
terrible
Steel City
He
was shunned.
on, however, without taking a moment's
rest,
pressed
and
at
a
quarter-past ten arrived at the city.
The found
placards which covered the walls told that
the
inhabitants
threatened danger nature, or that
The
it
;
him
all.
had been warned
but they were not aware of
of
He the
its frightful
was immediate.
catastrophe premeditated
by Herr
Schultz,
was to
take place on this very evening, at a quarter to twelve. It
was now a quarter-past ten. Max had not a moment to
lose,
he sped through the
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
174
town, and at twenty-five minutes past ten, as the assembly
was about "
Not
to break up, he scaled the tribune.
in
a month,
my
friends,"
he
week, must you expect the danger
"
!
But
in
fire,
will burst
awful catastrophe, a rain of iron and
An
your town. which
an hour,
this
upon
engine, worthy the invention of a fiend,
will carry
pointed against
not even in a
cried,
thirty I
us.
at
is
miles,
have seen
it.
this
moment women and
very
Let the
and strongest cellars, or let them instantly leave the town, and take refuge in the mountains. All the men must prepare to combat the fire children seek shelter in the deepest
by every
Fire will for the time be your
possible means.
Neither
only enemy. against you.
armies nor
places
life
all
unless Herr Schultz fire will
is
is
well
face the flames at a
We
hundred
disdains all
known
to you, are
mistaken for the
suddenly break out
over Frankville.
first
in at least a
shall
march
and calculations
If the plans
of a man, whose power for evil
in his
will
The adversary who menaces you
ordinary modes of attack.
realised
soldiers
time
hundred
presently have to
different points
happens, the population must be saved
!
Whatever
first such of your monuments which cannot be and houses preserved, or even " the whole town, time and money can restore ;
!
In Europe, in
America
Max it
is
would have been thought mad.
But
not wise to refuse to believe in any
miracle of science, however unexpected
;
so,
by Doctor
THE COUNCIL. Sarrasin's advice, the
believed
The
175
young engineer was
listened to
and
in.
crowd,
awed
of the speaker as
as
by
much by
the accent and appearance
obeyed, without
his words,
even
dreaming of disputing his commands. The doctor an swered for Max Bruckmann, and that was enough. Orders were immediately given, and messengers sent out in every direction.
As their
to the inhabitants,
some withdrew
dwellings, resigned to
bombardment, others on
suffer
all
to the cellars of
of a
the horrors
horseback, or in carriages,
foot,
and ascended the steeps In the meantime the able-
hastened out into the country, of the Cascade Mountains.
bodied
men
collected
places pointed out
serve to subdue
in
the
by the
fire,
that
square,
and
in
different
doctor, everything that is
to
say,
would
water, earth,
and
sand.
In the Hall the deliberation continued.
Max his
was evidently beset by some idea which
brain to the exclusion of every other thought.
filled
He
muttered to himself "
At a
quarter to twelve
!
Is
it
really
possible that
that villainous Schultz will destroy us with his execrable
invention
" ?
Suddenly
Max
drew out
gesture requiring silence,
his pocket-book.
and
then, pencil in
He made
a
hand, rapidly
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
176
As he
put down several figures on one of the pages.
brow
so his "
cleared, his face
Ah my !
friends
these figures are
" !
liars,
became
radiant. "
he exclaimed,
my
friends
we
fear will vanish
or else all that
Either
!
a nightmare before the evidence of a problem in the
like
science of projectiles, the solution of which I have
moment sought
Herr Schultz
in vain.
threatened danger
is
mistaken
is
For once,
but a dream.
till
this
The
!
his science is
Nothing of what he foretold will come to pass. His formidable shell will fly over Frankimpossible
at fault It's
!
!
ville it
did
without touching
be only
will
What stand
it,
and
in the future
could
Max mean
if
there
is
anything to
fear,,
" !
?
His friends did not under
!
The young Alsacian then explained
the result of his
calculations.
In his clear ringing voice he explained his demonstra tion in such a
way
most ignorant.
It
following agony.
as to render
was
It
luminous, even to the
light succeeding darkness,
Not only would
untouched the doctor's whatever.
it
city,
was destined
but
it
the projectile
calm leave
would touch nothing
to lose itself in space
!
Doctor Sarrasin acknowledged the correctness of Max's calculations,
and
then, pointing to the luminous dial in the
hall "
In three
minutes," he exclaimed,
"
we
shall
know
THE COUNCIL. whether Schultz or happens,
my
cautions
we have
which can design
friends,
for
reason to hope,
never be
we need not
taken, and we
is
right
!
Whatever
any of the pre must neglect nothing
regret
still
the inventions of our enemy.
baffle
fails
Max Bruckmann
177
the present, as it
won't be the
Max last.
If his
has just given us Schultz's hate will
stifled or arrested." "
Come
!
exclaimed Max.
All followed him into the square. in breathless suspense.
Three minutes passed The quarter before twelve was
from the great clock after, a dark mass was seen high above their heads quick as thought it rushed onwards, and with tolled forth
!
Four seconds ;
a
sinister hiss
"A
pleasant journey to
of laughter. it
soon disappeared far beyond the town. "
If
" it
!
shouted Max, with a burst
Herr Schultz's
will never again fall
shell
keeps up that speed, "
upon terrestrial soil In two minutes a roar was heard like distant thunder. !
This was the report of the cannon in the Bull Tower, the
sound reaching Frankville a hundred and thirteen seconds after the projectile had passed at the rate of four hundred
and
fifty
miles an hour.
N
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
178
CHAPTER
XIII.
NEWS FOR THE PROFESSOR. "
Max Bruckmann,
to
Professor Schultz, of Staklstadt. "
September
Frankville,
"I CONSIDER
proper to
it
that on the evening of the
ceeded
in passing
preferring
beyond
my own
I4th.
inform the King of Steel,
day before yesterday,
I
suc
the frontier of his dominion,
safety to that of the
model
in
the
blazing workshop. "
While taking leave, I should fail in were I not in turn to reveal my secrets. be uneasy on that account, for the
"My
I shall
knowledge with your real
name
Alsace
Swiss.
is
is
my
my bounden duty Do not, however,
not require you to pay
life.
not Schwartz, and I country,
and
I
am
am called
not a
Max
Bruckmann. "
for
I it
am ;
a tolerable engineer,
but
first
and foremost,
take your word
if
one
may
I
am
a Frenchman.
You
NEWS FOR THE PROFESSOR. have shown yourself the implacable enemy of my country, my friends, and my family. You have entertained odious I
designs against everything
and done
dared,
dare and do
will
"
I
hasten to
all,
all
let
hold most dear.
I
have
in order to discover those designs
;
I
to frustrate them.
you know that your
first
shot has failed
to take effect. "
It
has not hit the mark,
Your gun projectiles
any one of
this,
is
thank heaven,
it
could not.
not the less a wonderful one, though the
which
!
for,
They
it
sends forth will never do any harm to
will fall
nowhere.
and, to your great glory,
it
I is
had a presentiment now an established
that Herr Schultz has invented a wonderful cannon,
fact,
entirely inoffensive. "
You
shell,
hear with pleasure that we saw your perfect at forty-five minutes and four seconds past eleven, will
pass above our town. circulating in space,
A
end of time.
was
It
which
projectile,
flying towards the
will continue to
it
animated with an
do
west,
until the
initial
speed twenty times superior to the actual speed, being ten thousand yards to the second, can never fall This !
movement, combined with it
to revolve perpetually
"You ought "
I
terrestrial
round our globe.
to have been aware of this
hope and expect that the cannon
quite spoilt
by
attraction, destines
this first trial
;
in the Bull
Tower
is
but two hundred thousand
N
2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
i8o dollars
is
not too
much
have paid
to
for the pleasure of
having endowed the planetary world with a new
star,
and
the earth with a second satellite.
"MAX BRUCKMANN." An
express was immediately sent from Frankville to
Stahlstadt with this letter
not having been able to it to Herr Schultz.
Max
was quite
right
Max
and
;
must be forgiven
for
resist
the satisfaction of writing
when he
said that the famous shell
would never again fall on the surface of the earth, and also right when he predicted the cannon of the Bull Tower would be rendered useless by the enormous charge of pyroxilc.
The
receipt
of
this
letter
greatly
Schultz, and was a terrible shock to his
discomfited
Herr
As he
self-love.
he turned perfectly livid, and his head fell on his He remained breast as if he had been struck with a club. read
it,
in this state of prostration for a quarter of
he revived his rage was
frightful.
alone witnessed the outbursts
When
an hour.
Arminius and Sigimer
!
However, Herr Schultz was not a man to acknowledge himself beaten.
Henceforth the struggle between him and continue to the death.
He
with liquid carbonic acid,
still
which
had other
Max
shells
less powerful,
practical guns, could "throw to a short distance.
would
charged
but more
NEWS FOR THE PROFESSOR. Calming himself by
an
effort,
the
King of
iSl Steel
re-entered his study, and continued his work. It
was
clear
that
Frankville,
now more than
ever
menaced with danger, must neglect nothing by which could be put into a perfect state of defence.
it
1
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
82
CHAPTER
XIV.
CLEARING FOR ACTION.
ALTHOUGH the danger was Max communicated
serious.
no longer imminent,
it
was
to Doctor Sar/asin and his
he knew of Herr Schultz's preparations, and described his engines of destruction. On the next friends all that
day the Council of Defence, occupied
part,
itself
in
which he took a principal
with discussing a plan of resistance,
and preparing to put it into execution. In all this Max was well seconded by Otto, found altered in character, and much improved.
whom
he
No
one knew the details of the resolutions passed. The general principles alone were regularly communicated to the press. tical
It
was not
difficult to trace in
them the prac
hand of Max.
"In preparing great thing
is
to
for
defence," said the
know
townsfolk, "the
the strength of the enemy, and
adapt the system of resistance to that
strength.
No
Plans for the defence. Page
182.
CLEARING FOR ACTION. doubt, Herr Schultz's cannon
are formidable, but
better to have to face these guns, of which
number,
calibre,
range, and
unknown
183
effect,
it
we know
is
the
than to have to combat
engines."
was decided to prevent the investment of the town,
It
by land or How this was
either
sea.
best to be done
was a question actively discussed by the Council, and the day on which a placard announced that this problem was solved, no one doubted it.
The
taking.
to the
citizens
No
hastened en masse to execute the under
tasks were despised which could contribute
work of
defence.
Men
of
all
ages,
and of every
life, became simple labourers on this occasion, and everything went on rapidly and cheerfully. Pro
position in
visions sufficient for
two years were stored
in the
town.
Coal and iron also were brought in considerable quanti the iron, being requisite for manufacturing arms of ties ;
and the coal absolutely necessary, both for warmth, and for fuel to work the various warlike engines it was intended to employ. all
sorts,
In addition to the heaps of iron and coal could be seen gigantic piles, composed of sacks of flour, and quarters of 'smoked meat, stacks of cheeses, mountains of preserved and
dried vegetables,
all
stored in the market places.
Numbers
of sheep and cattle were also enclosed in the beautiful
gardens of the town.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
184
When men
the decree appeared for the mobilisation of
able to carry arms, the enthusiasm with which testified
received,
soldier-citizens.
trousers
and
with Werder
Gangs of
to
the excellent disposition of
Plainly dressed in woollen
they drilled every day
banked up
coolies
intrenchments and redoubts
The
earth,
all
was
these
shirts, cloth
half-boots, strong leather caps, rifles,
it
and armed
in the avenues.
dug
trenches, raised
every favourable point.
at
had been commenced and pushed on the numerous smoke furnaces in the city
casting of guns
with activity, for
were easily transformed into casting furnaces.
Max
was indefatigable
and everywhere diately solve
and gave a
it.
He was
in the thick of all the work.
or practical
theoretical
in all this.
difficulty
arise,
Did some
he could imme
If necessary, he turned
practical definition.
here, there,
up
his sleeves
His authority was always
accepted without a murmur, and his orders punctually
attended
Next
to.
to him, Otto did his best.
Although
at first
he
had thought
of ornamenting his uniform with gold lace, soon he gave up the idea, seeing that to set a good example to others he must be content to do the duty of a
simple soldier.
He, therefore, took his place him, and conducted himself those
who
in the battalion assigned to
like
a model soldier.
at first attempted to pity him, he replied
To
I !jl
I
Coolies at work.
Page
(
"
l.KARING FOR ACTION.
Every one according
not have been able to
A it
obey
report
which turned out to be
lYrliaps
said,
should
can do
false
gave a
is
to
that the Schultz fleet
now that
From
that time these
was
Now
it
was
off the coast of Frankvillc,
and
the Sacramento Railway had been cut
who had apparently dropped from all
still
Ilcrr Schultz,
was negotiating with some maritime company
hoaxes were the order of the day.
sort of
I
least I
works of defence.
for the transport of his cannon.
But
The
!
lively impulse to the
was
!
"
learn to
more
to his merits.
command
185
these rumours,
by Uhlans,
the clouds.
which were immediately con
were invented by the correspondents of news papers, hard up for matter to fill their despatches, their tradicted,
object being to sustain the curiosity of their readers. truth
was that Stahlstadt did not give the
The
least sign of
life.
This perfect quietude, although
it
uneasiness in his rare "
Is
and
is
it
moments
Max ample time him a good deal of
left
to complete his preparations, caused
of leisure.
possible that the ruffian has
changed his tactics, " ? he thought.
preparing some new mode of attack
However, the plans for checking the advance of the enemy's ships, and preventing the investment of the town, promised to answer 1 1
is
sole pleasure
well,
and
and only
Max
redoubled his exertions.
rest, after a
hard day's work,
1
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
86
was the short hour which he passed every evening
Madame
in
Sarrasin's drawing-room.
From
the
first,
the doctor had stipulated that he should
always come and dine
at his house, unless
vented by another engagement circumstance,
make Max
no other
give
up
but,
;
invitation
he was pre
by some
enticing
singular
to
enough
had as yet presented
this privilege
itself.
The Colonel
everlasting
game
Hendon could
of chess between the doctor
not have been sufficiently interest
ing to explain the punctuality with which he
presented
himself every day at the door of the mansion. therefore
its
We
compelled to believe that there was
attraction for
and
are
another
Max, and we might, perhaps, have suspected
nature, although, assuredly, he did not as yet suspect
himself,
had we observed the
conversations
between
interest
which he took
Madame
himself,
it
in the
Sarrasin,
and
Mademoiselle Jeannette, when they were all three seated near the large table, at which the two ladies were working
what might be necessary
at
future service
for
in
the
ambulances.
"Will these new
be better than those of
steel bolts
"
which you showed us a drawing ? asked Jeannette, who was interested in everything connected with the defence. "
"
No Ah,
doubt about I
am
it,
mademoiselle," replied Max.
very glad of that
!
But how much trouble
CLEARING FOR ACTION. and research particular.
is
represented
You
me
told
by the
not "
That
?
a great deal,
is
is
" ?
it
Indeed, no,
shall
industrial
that five hundred fresh yards of
the trench were dug yesterday it
smallest
At
not nearly enough.
is
that rate
we
not have finished the enclosure at the end of a
month." "
I
should
much
like to see it done,
Schultz people arriving
!
Men
never so trying for them as for "
Of no for left if
use
" !
us,
useful.
is
Waiting
are of no use."
exclaimed Max, usually so calm,
"
no use
!
do you think do these brave men, who everything to become soldiers, for whom do they not to secure the safety and happiness of their
mothers, their wives, and those
become
who
whom
And have work,
are very fortunate in being
work and make themselves
able to
and these horrible
their wives
whom
they hope
From whence comes
?
-
may
their ardour, if
not from you, and to what would you trace this readiness to sacrifice themselves,
Here selle
Max
if
not
"
Mademoi
got rather confused, and stopped.
Jeannette
did
not urge him, and good
Madame
Sarrasin herself was obliged to close the discussion
saying to the
young man
that a love of duty
sufficient to explain the zeal of the greater
And when Max, himself
away from
by
was doubtless
number.
at the call of inexorable
duty, tore
this pleasant talk, in order to finish
a
1
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
88
plan, or
an estimate, he carried with him the invincible
determination to save Frankville and
its
inhabitants.
he conjecture what was about to happen, was but the inevitable result of a state of
Little could
and yet things so
power
in
it
utterly unnatural
as
this concentration of all
a single person, which
principle in the City of Steel.
was the fundamental
THE EXCHANGE OF SAN FRANCISCO.
CHAPTER
189
XV.
THE EXCHANGE OF SAN FRANCISCO.
THE Exchange pressed, as
San Francisco, by which term is ex were algebraically, immense industrial and
it
of
commercial business, presents one of the strangest and most
animated scenes
The
in the world.
geographical position of the capital of California
Exchange, as a natural consequence, the cosmopolitan character, which is one of its most remarkable
imparts to
its
features.
Beneath
its
handsome red
granite porticoes, the
Saxon jostles the slight, active dark-haired Celt.
tall, fair
The negro
meets the Finlander and the Hindoo.
The Polynesian gazes with astonishment at the Greenlander. The Chinaman, with oblique eyes and long plaited pigtail,
endeavours to outdo
the Japanese.
in trade his historic enemy,,
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE. Every tongue, every as in a modern Babel.
On
the
1
dialect,
every jargon mingles there
2th of October this place of business opened in
the usual way. brokers and
At
men
about eleven o'clock the principal
of business began to arrive, accost one
another gravely or gaily, according to their several tempers,
shaking hands, and going together to the refreshment bar to fortify themselves
by
"
"
liquoring
up
for the operations
of the day.
One
after the other
went
to
open the
little
metal door of
the numbered letter-boxes, which in the vestibule received
the correspondence of subscribers. letters
were drawn
forth,
Enormous packets
of
and eagerly examined.
In a short time the market prices for the day were
announced, when the crowd gradually increased.
Groups numerous were formed, from among which arose a murmur and hum of human voices.
more
or less
Then commenced a shower all
of telegraphic messages from
quarters of the globe.
Scarcely a minute passed that the
officials
of the
Ex
change did not add a fresh strip of blue paper to the collection of telegrams placarded
on the north
was read
amid the now deafening
forth in a stentorian voice,
wall,
which
buzz.
The commotion and hubbub went on Clerks
rushed in and out;
increasing.
the telegraph office was
THE EXCHANGE OF SAN FRANCISCO. besieged
messages
;
sent
answers
out,
19 1
received
every
instant.
All note-books were open, entries made, erased, or torn up.
At about one
o'clock a contagious excitement appeared
to take possession of the crowd.
passed
like the trembling of
agitated groups of
human
A
mysterious sensation
an earthquake through these
beings.
A piece of news, startling, unexpected, and incredible had been brought by one of the partners in the Bank of the Far West, and it circulated with the rapidity of an electric flash.
Exclamations and comments were heard on It's
"Impossible! is
a trick
all sides.
a hoax," said some.
"Who
likely to believe anything so preposterous ?"
"Well," said others, "there
smoke without u
But is a
"
People "
But,
fire,
man in
sir,"
may
be something
in
it.
No
you know."
in his position likely to fail
" ?
apparently the very best positions cried one,
"
fail."
and engines
the fixtures, tools
alone represent more than eighty million dollars
" !
"
Without reckoning the cast iron and steel, raw material, " added another. and manufactured articles !
"
To be
good
sure
!
That's just what
for ninety millions of dollars,
answerable for that on his
demand
I say,
and " !
I'll
too
!
Schultz
is
undertake to be
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
192 "
how do you
Well, but then
explain this suspension of
"
payment "
?
Explain
don't explain
I
!
it
at all
I
!
don't believe
it!" "
Don't you
As
?
if
such things did not happen every
day to houses of the most firm and established reputations " "
Stahlstadt
Of
course
is
not a house It
!
is
;
a city."
it is
A
will certainly
sir
Exactly,
and
;
" ?
there's the absurdity
that the statement won't bear examination.
more nor
sort
A !
"
is
It is neither
desperately anxious for a rise in steel."
fabrication
False intelligence
?
Schultz has not only failed
"Come!
So absurd
!
than a pure fabrication, probably invented
less
by Nash, who "
be
But why on earth did not Schultz form such a company
instead of declaring himself bankrupt "
can have
it
perfectly impossible
broken up so completely. company formed to carry on the business." "
!"
;
?
Nothing of the
he has absconded
" !
Come!"
Absconded,
moment been
sir
!
The telegram announcing
it
has this
posted up !"
A formidable wave of humanity rolled towards the frame in
which the despatches were placarded.
The
last strip of blue
"New
York,
Stahlstadt.
12.40.
Stopped
paper bore these words Central Bank.
payment.
:
Manufactory of
Liabilities,
as
far
as
Great excitement
among
business men.
Page
192.
THE EXCHANGE OF SAN FRANCISCO. known
million
forty-seven
:
dollars.
193
Schultz has dis
appeared."
There was now no doubt about the truth of the astounding and conjectures and rumours were rife. intelligence ;
By two o'clock
lists
Schultz began to pour
of failures consequent upon that of in.
The Mining Bank of New York lost most. The firm of Westerly and Son at Chicago was
implicated
to the extent of seven million dollars.
The house The
of the Mitwaukees of Buffalo, five millions.
Bank
Industrial
of
San Francisco, a
million
and a
half.
The names
of numbers of minor firms followed with losses.
proportionate
But, without waiting for this
news,
came the
natural
rebound.
The money was now starts
!
what
speculation
A coal
market, which was so dull in the morning,
not
steady for
rises
a
what
hours
fluctuations,
together.
What
what unrestrained
!
rise in steel, ;
!
two
rise in
American Union iron industry
;
a
and going up eveiy minute
the shares of ;
a
rise in
rise in
all
;
a
rise in
the foundries in the
the products of every kind of
Frankville land.
Although on the declaration of war the latter had fallen to zero, and disappeared from the list of quotations, it
O
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
194
had now suddenly an
hundred and eighty dollars
risen to a
acre.
In the evening the newspaper
shops were
perfectly
But though the Herald, the Tribune, \htAlta, besieged. the Gtiardian, the Echo, and the Globe printed in gigantic characters the meagre information they collect, it after all
All that was
amounted
known
to very
had been able to
little.
was, that on the 2 5th of September,
a draft for eight millions of dollars, accepted Schultz,
drawn by Jackson, Elder, and
Co.,
by Herr
of Buffalo,
having been presented to Schring, Strauss, and Co., the King of Steel's bankers, in New York, those gentlemen had stated that the balance to their client's account sufficient for
this to him,
On
was
iiir
such an enormous sum, and had telegraphed
without receiving any answer.
referring to their books, they perceived with con
sternation that for thirteen days no letter
come from
From
and no
bills
had
Stahlstadt.
that
moment
Schultz on their bank,
drafts
came
and cheques, drawn by Herr in daily, to
undergo the
fate
of being returned with the words, no funds.
and furious questions rained from one side on the bank and then again on
For four days
inquiries, telegrams,
Stahlstadt.
At "
last a decisive reply
was
given.
Herr Schultz disappeared on the i/th of September,"
THE EXCHANGE OF SAN FRANCISCO. "
so said the telegram.
on
this
He
mystery.
No
has
195
one can throw the least
left
no
orders,
and the
light
coffers in
every section are empty."
had been no longer possible to conceal the truth. Many of the principal creditors had taken fright and sent in their claims to the commercial court. Ruin Since then
it
spread rapidly in
At
all directions.
twelve o'clock, on the
amount of dollars.
amount
failures
When
I3th of October, the total
was estimated
at forty-seven millions of
everything became known
This was
announced
all
and
that could be said,
for the
next day
as yet unpublished."
within
each,
was
likely to
to sixty millions. all
full
and
And, indeed,
an hour of
the
first
that the journals,
Of
with a few exceptions, could report. "
it
course they
special particulars,
to
do them
justice,
announcement, had
despatched a correspondent on the road to Stahlstadt.
By
the evening of the I4th of October, Steel City was
besieged by an
army
and
hand.
pencils in
all with open note-books, Like a wave, however, they broke for the sentries were in their places,
of reporters,
against the outer wall,
and any attempt to bribe or soften them was utterly
in
vain.
They, nevertheless, ascertained that the workmen as yet knew nothing, and that the routine of the sections in nothing
had been changed.
The
overseers
had merely announced
O
2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
196 the day before structions
by
superior order, that no funds nor in
had been issued from the Central Block, and
that in consequence the works would be suspended the following Saturday, unless contrary orders were received.
All this only complicated, instead of throwing any light
on the
situation.
That Herr Schultz had disappeared for nearly a month r of that there was no doubt. But what might be the cause and import of
this
A vague
disappearance no one knew.
impression that the mysterious personage might, at any
moment
re-appear
still
prevailed,
and seemed
to lessen the
general uneasiness.
For some days one had pursued
The
all
work had gone on as
usual.
Every
his task within the limited horizon of his
were paid from the strong boxes every Saturday, and the principal coffer had met all local necessities. But centralisation had been brought to
section.
salaries
too high a pitch of perfection in Stahlstadt
had reserved so absolutely
;
the master
to himself the superintendence
of everything, that his absence could not
fail
in
a very
short time to cause a stoppage in the machinery.
Thus, from the i/th of September, the day on which the King of Steel had signed his orders for the last time up to the 1
3th of October,
when the news
of the suspension
of
payment had burst like a thunder-clap, millions of letters, a large number containing considerable bills, passed through
THE EXCHANGE OF SAN FRANCISCO.
197
the Stahlstadt Post Office, had been deposited in the
box
of the Central Block, and no doubt had reached Herr
But he alone had the right to open them, mark them with a red pencil, and transmit them to the Schultz's study.
principal cashier.
Even the highest
functionaries in the
town never dreamt
of doing anything out of their regular department.
Invested with almost absolute power over their subordi nates,
they were each, in connection with Herr Schultz
as they were also with his
memory
like so
many
instru
ments, without authority, without power of initiating,
a voice in any matter.
Each
or-
himself within the
fortified
narrow limits of his commission, waited, temporised, and watched the course of events.
The end came affairs
at
was prolonged
This
last.
remarkable
until the principal
state
of
houses interested,
suddenly seized with a panic, telegraphed, begged for an answer, entreated, protested, and finally proceedings.
commenced
No
This took some time.
hastily to suspect that prosperity, so firmly believed
been resting on an insecure patent
:
Herr Schultz had
This was
all
that
basis.
fled
But the
from his
legal
one was willing
fact
in,
had
was now
creditors.
the reporters could gather.
The
celebrated Meiklejohn himself, famous for having extracted
a
political
man
avowal from President Grant, the most taciturn
of his time; the indefatigable Blunderbuss, remarkable
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
198 being the
for
first,
The World,
to
although but a simple correspondent of
announce to the Czar the news of the
capitulation of Plevna, even these great
men
in the re
porting line had not this time been more fortunate than their brethren.
They were
forced to confess to themselves
The Tribune and The World could not yet give the latest news of the bankrupt Schultz.
that
That Stahlstadt was indeed be seen when
and
isolated
in a strange situation will
remembered that
was an independent town, permitting no regular and legal inquiry. it is
it
Herr Schultz's signature was, it is true, protested at New York, and his creditors had every reason to believe that the stock and manufactory would indemnify
them
in
some
degree.
But to what court should they apply to obtain an execution or a sequestration of
its
Stahlstadt lay in a territory
own, where everything belonged to Herr Schultz.
If only he
had
left
a representative, an administrative
council, or a substitute.
He
?
But there was nothing of the
sort.
himself was king, judge, general-in-chief, notary, lawyer,
and the only commercial court he had realised the ideal of
in the city.
In his person
centralisation.
Therefore, he being absent, there was absolutely no one in power,
and the whole
fabric fell like a
house of cards.
In any other situation, the creditors would have been able to form a syndicate, substituting themselves for Herr
THE EXCHANGE OF SAN FRANCISCO. Schultz, lay hands on the stock,
of
affairs.
To
all
199
and take the direction
appearance only a
little
money and
regulating power was needed to set the machine to work.
But nothing of
this
was
possible.
The proper
instrument to effect this substitution was wanting.
legal
There
was a moral barrier round the City of Steel, which was if The un possible more insurmountable than its walls. fortunate creditors could see the securities for their debts,
though quite unable to touch them. All they could do was to unite
and agree to address a request
in
a general assembly,
to the Congress to ask
take their case in hand, espouse the interests of
pronounce the annexation territory,
and thus include
common laws
of this
of civilisation.
Stahlstadt
to
to
American
monstrous creation
Several
it
its natives,
in the
members of the Con
gress were personally interested in the business, the request
was tempting to the American character, and there was reason to believe that it would be crowned with complete success.
Unfortunately the Congress was not then in session, so that a long delay
be submitted to
was
to be feared before the matter could
it.
Until that time nothing could be done in Stahlstadt, and
one by one the furnaces were extinguished.
The
consternation
families
who
lived
among
the population of ten thousand
by the manufactory was profound.
But
THE BEGUM'S FOETUNE.
200
what were they to do ? wages, which might be never
come
at all
Besides,
opinion.
?
Continue to work in hopes of six
No
months
in
coming, or might
one was inclined to adopt
what work could they do
?
The
this
source
from which orders came was
dried up as well as everything All Herr Schultz's clients waited the legal solution.
else.
The heads
of the sections, engineers, and overseers, could
do nothing for want of orders. Numberless assemblies, meetings, and place,
though no plan could
debates
took
really be fixed on.
The
enforced stoppage soon brought with despair,
houses
and
vice.
filled.
in the factory,
As
it
a train of misery,
the workshops emptied, the public-
For each chimney which ceased to smoke a tavern sprung up in one of the neigh
bouring villages.
The
and most prudent among the workmen, those who had foreseen hard times, and had laid by for a rainy and day, hastened to escape with bag and baggage wisest
;
rosy-cheeked children, wild with delight at the
happy new world revealed
to them, peeped through the curtains
of the departing waggons, loaded with their father's tools
and
furniture,
and the precious bedding, dear to the heart These all were scattered east, south,
of the housewife.
and
north, soon finding other factories, other anvils, other
hearthstones.
But
for
one who could thus depart, there were ten whose
THE EXCHANGE OF SAN FRANCISCO. poverty nailed them to the soil hollow-eyed and broken-hearted
There they remained,
!
!
Selling
the flock of birds-of-prey in
garments to whose instinct
attracts
reduced to the
last extremities in
them
them a
human
poor shape,
a few days, deprived of
hope as well as work, and and dismal
future of misery as black
as the fast approaching winter
their
to scenes of great disasters,
credit as well as of wages, of
seeing before
2OI
!
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
202
CHAPTER
XVI.
A BRACE OF FRENCHMEN CAPTURE A TOWN.
WHEN
tidings of the disappearance of Schultz reached
Frankville, "
Max's
Suppose
He
words were
first
should be merely a trick
it
reflected,
!"
however, that the results to Stahlstadt had
been so disastrous as to make such a$ hypothesis
in
admissible. Still,
as hatred
rage of such a
him capable -of not this was the the
"
is
an unreasoning passion, the exasperated as Herr Schultz might really render
man
sacrificing everything to it case,
it
Whether or
was undeniably necessary to be on
qui vive."
The
Council of Defence immediately, therefore, issued a
proclamation
guard against
exhorting the inhabitants to be on their false reports
object of lulling
them
Frankville judged
spread by the enemy, with the
into security.
it
prudent to continue
all
the prepara-
A BRACE OF FRENCHMEN CAPTURE A TOWN. tions for defence, taking
no notice of what might
prove to be a stratagem of
its
203
after all
arch-enemy.
But by-and-by the journals of San Francisco, Chicago, and New York published further details, and news of the and commercial consequences of the Stahlstadt catastrophy, forming altogether a mass of evidence to prove
financial
that
Schultz was a genuine bankrupt, and had indeed
disappeared.
And so, one
fine
morning, the doctor's model city became
aroused to the fact that
it
was
safe, just as
a sleeper escapes
from the oppression of a horrible dream by the simple operation of awaking.
Yes
!
Frankville was clearly out of
danger,
without
having to strike a blow, and Max, now absolutely certain of
it,
A as
it
announced the news amid public rejoicing. seemed suddenly removed. The public
strain
were, a long sigh of
drew,,
relief,
and assumed a holiday
offered
mutual congratulations,
aspect.
Everybody shook hands, and invited each other to
dinner.
out in fresh toilettes, and the
All the
men took
women came leave of
drill,,
manoeuvres, and hard work.
Every one went about looking satisfied, and beaming. Frankville was just like a town peopled with convalescents. But among them Doctor Sarrasin.
all,
the happiest was
unquestionably
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
204
The worthy man had felt himself responsible for the fate of those who had come with confidence to settle on his territory,
and
For the
to place themselves under his protection.
last
month, the fear of having allured them to
destruction, when he had only sought their happiness, had never left him a moment's rest. Now he was released from terrible anxiety,
and breathed
other,
and knew themselves
same
and
feelings,
sensation
Henceforward patriotism
they loved
brothers,
affected
by had sprung up
the
united
the
animated with the
the same interests. in
the
hearts
of
A all.
had a strong feeling of They had feared, they had
inhabitants
for Frankville.
and now they knew how much
suffered for their town,
The
closely
All classes had been brought nearer to each
citizens.
new
freely.
common danger had more
This
it.
material results of having placed
it
in
a state of
defence were also to the advantage of the city.
Their
strength was known. They felt more sure of themselves, and would now be ready for whatever the future might bring.
The
prospects of Doctor Sarrasin's work had
never
appeared more brilliant and (a rare thing) no ingratitude was shown towards Max. Although the safety of the ;
population had not been his work, public thanks were voted to the young engineer, as to the organiser of the
A BRACE OF FRENCHMEN CAPTURE A TOWN. defence, the
owed
man
its safety,
to
205,
whose devotion the town would have
had the plans of Herr Schultz succeeded.
Max, however, did not regard
mystery surrounding Stahlstadt might
He
conceal danger.
The
his part as finished. still,
could, not rest satisfied
he thought, until he had
thrown complete light into the very midst of the darkness which still enveloped the City of Steel.
He
resolved, therefore, to return to Stahlstadt,
and to
stop at nothing until he had probed the last secret to
its
depths.
Doctor Sarrasin represented to him that the enterprise would be difficult, that it would bristle with dangers, that he knew not what mines might spring beneath his feet, and that, in fact, it would resemble a descent into the lower
Herr Schultz, such as he had been described to
regions.
him, was not a
man
to disappear with impunity to others,
or to bury himself alone beneath the ruins of
all his
hopes.
They had every
reason to fear the last desperate design
of such a man.
It
of a shark
"My
would be
to a shell from
and
with me."
which
I will
is
it
possible that
Stahlstadt," answered
bursts,
dying agony
!
dear doctor,
imagine
like the terrible
I
Max. I
just because I think all
"
you
go to duty The place may be compared
believe
it
my
to
must snatch the match before
it
even ask your permission to take Otto
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
2o6 " "
Otto
Yes
and
I
exclaimed the doctor.
He
!
assure
deal of "
" !
is
now a
fine fellow,
who may be
on
;
do him a great
this excursion will
you that
relied
good!"
May God
"
you both
protect
!
returned the old man,
fervently grasping his hand.
The next morning a
carriage drove through the deserted
Max
and deposited
villages
and
Otto at the gate of
Stahlstadt.
Both were well equipped, well armed, and very determined come back until they had cleared up the mystery.
not to
They walked
side
by
which
side along the outer road
led round the fortifications, and the truth, which till
then
had
persisted
in
doubting,
now
lay
Max
before
them. It
was evident that the place was completely
From
the lonely road, which he
now
deserted.
trod with Otto, he
could formerly have seen within the town flaring gas, or the flash of a sentinel's bayonet, and many other signs of The windows of the different sections would have life.
been illuminated and dazzling. Now all was gloomy and Death seemed to hover over the city, its tall silent.
chimneys standing up
Max place.
and
his
The
like
skeletons.
The
footfalls
of
companion alone aroused the echoes of the and desolation was so
sensation of solitude
strong that Otto could not help remarking
Entering Stahlstadt. Page
207.
A BRACE OF FRENCHMEN CAPTURE A TOWN. "
It is singular,
this
but
I
have never
was seven o'clock when
It
felt silence similar
We might suppose ourselves in
!
Max
2O/
a cemetery
to
" !
and Otto reached the
edge of the moat, opposite to the principal gate of Stahlstadt. Not a living creature appeared on the crest of the wall, and
who formerly had stood at equal distances so many human posts, not one remained.
of the sentinels all
round, like
The drawbridge was from
five to six
raised, leaving before the gate a gulf
yards in width.
took them more than an hour before they could
It
succeed in fastening the end of a stout rope, by throw ing
it
with
the beams.
all
their
After
might, so as to catch over one of
much
trouble,
Max managed
it,
and
drew himself up hand over hand to the top of the gate. Max passed up to him their arms and ammunition, and then he himself took the Otto going
first,
same way.
They now carried their rope to the other side let down all their impedimenta, and finally
of the wall, slid
down
themselves.
The two young men were now on
Max
the roundway which
remembered having followed the first day he entered Complete silence and solitude were all around.
Stahlstadt.
Before them rose, black and dumb, the imposing mass of buildings which glared with their thousand glass at the intruders, as
if
to say
windows
THF BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
208 "
Be
You have no
off!
tion of our secrets
Max "
!
and Otto consulted.
We will assail the O
am
I
business to attempt the penetra
"
gate, as that
best acquainted," said
They bent
Max
closed.
and soon arrived before
which bore on
The two massive oaken
the one with which
Max.
their steps westward,
the monumental arch,
is
front the letter O.
its
doors, full of great iron nails, were
approached, and struck them several times
with a large stone taken from the road.
The echo "
Come
!
alone resounded. to
work
They had now
"
he cried to Otto.
!
to
recommence the troublesome work of
throwing their rope over the door, until
it
met with some
would firmly catch. This was difficult, but they succeeded at last, and Max and Otto surmounted the wall, and found themselves in section O. obstacle on which
"
"
What
where
little
in
a nuisance the use of
progress
than we "
is
it
!
" !
our trouble
all
No
sooner have
find another before us
Silence in the ranks
my
old workshop.
we may
exclaimed Otto, looking round
I
" !
am
We have
?
we
;
made but
got over one wall,
" !
returned
Max.
not sorry to see
"
Here we it
possess ourselves of certain tools which
are
again, that
we
shall
be
sure to need, not forgetting a few packets of dynamite."
As he spoke they
entered the great casting-hall, to which
A BRACE OF FRENCHMEN CAPTURE A TOWN.
20Q
the young Alsacian had been admitted on his arrival at the factory.
How dismal it now looked, with its its rails
rusted,
its
in the air, like so
the heart, and
many
Max
felt
observed, leading the
All this struck a
gallows.
that
some
would be pleasant. " Here is a workshop which Otto followed
furnaces extinguished,
dusty cranes extending their gaunt arms
way
chill to
diversion to their ideas
will interest
you more," he
to the canteen.
obediently,
and
showed
unmistakable
signs of satisfaction as he caught sight of a whole regiment
of red, yellow, and green bottles, battle
on a wooden
shelf.
drawn up
in order of
Several boxes of preserved
meats and other good things were also there
;
more than
enough to furnish them with a substantial breakfast, the want of which they began to feel, so, having spread the food on the counter, the two young men fell to. Whilst eating, done.
Max
considered what was next to be
There was no use
in
even thinking of scaling the
wall of the Central Block, as
it
was prodigiously high, and without a projec
isolated from all the other buildings,
on which to fasten a rope. which there was probably only one tion
to go through
all
To it
find the
door
of
would be necessary
the sections, anything but an easy task.
Dynamite could be used, though that was dangerous, for it seemed impossible that Herr Schultz should have P
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
210
disappeared without constructing traps in his
deserted
territory, or establishing counter-mines to the mines which
those
not
who wished to form.
fail
to take possession of Stahlstadt
But no
Seeing that Otto
fear of this could deter
was now refreshed and
would
Max.
rested,
Max
went with him to the end of the road which formed the axis of the section,
up to the
foot of the
huge freestone
wall. " "
What
say you to attempting a blast here
" ?
he asked. "
Shall we pierce the wall and lay a train of dynamite ? " " It will be hard work, but we are not afraid of that !
replied Otto, ready to attempt anything.
had to lay bare the foot of the wall, then introduce a lever between two stones, loosen one, and
They
finally,
By
first
with a
ten o'clock
and the match
Max knew
drill,
all
pierce several
little
parallel trenches.
was prepared, the dynamite
in its place
lighted.
that
it
would burn
for five minutes,
and as he
had noticed that the canteen was underground, and was a regular stone-vaulted cellar, he took refuge there with Otto.
Suddenly every building, and even the cellar, were shaken as if by an earthquake. Then, almost immediately, a tremendous roar, resembling the sound of three or four batteries thundering at once, rent the air.
In two or three seconds a perfect avalanche of stones
Forcing an entrance. Page
210.
A BRACE OF FRENCHMEN CAPTURE A TOWN. and debris showered down
far
uproar of breaking
crashing beams,
roofs,
211
Then began an
and wide.
falling
walls,
mingled with the sound of a cascade of broken glass.
When
the frightful din had ceased,
Max
and Otto
ventured forth from their retreat.
Accustomed
he was to the
as
terrific
effects
of
an
Max
was perfectly astonished at the results of explosion, this one. Half of the section had been blown up, and the dismantled walls of
the neighbouring workshops re
all
On
sembled those of a bombarded town.
all
sides the
ground was strewed with heaps of rubbish, and pieces of glass and plaster, whilst clouds of dust settling down, fell like
snow on the
Otto and
From
ruins.
Max
hastened to the inner wall.
fifteen to
twenty
feet of
it
had been thrown down,
and on the other side of the breach, the ex-draughtsman of the Central Block could see the well-known hall, where he had passed so
As
many monotonous
hours.
the place was no longer guarded,
Still
Max
the
same
it
was soon entered.
silence everywhere.
passed in review the studios, where formerly his
comrades admired
his diagrams.
In one corner he dis
covered the very half-sketched drawing of a steam-engine
on which
he
summoned him
had been
engaged
to the park.
when Herr Schultz
In the reading-room lay the
papers and familiar books.
P 2
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
212
Everything bore the look of business suspended, of a sudden interruption to work.
The two
friends
had now reached the inner
Central Block and stood believed divided "
Are we
to
before the wall, which
them from the
make
"Perhaps; but
this fellow
first
limits of the
we can
Max
park.
dance too
" ?
asked Otto.
look for a door, which a
simple fusee could send flying."
They
proceeded, therefore, to skirt the wall around the
from time to time making a detour to avoid a
park,
building jutting out like a spur, or to climb a fence.
they never lost sight of their trouble,
by coming
it,
and were soon rewarded
But for
to a low, narrow door.
In two minutes Otto had bored a gimlet hole through the oaken panels, and Max, applying his eye
to
the
opening, perceived with lively satisfaction that on the other side lay the tropical park, with
summer "
place
!
"A
eternal verdure
and
temperature.
One more door "
its
to blow up,
he exclaimed to
his
fusee for a piece of
and we
shall
be in the
companion.
wood
like this
would be too
great an honour," returned Otto. And as he spoke he struck a heavy blow on the postern with an axe he carried.
had not begun to give way, however, when they heard a key turned, and two bolts slipped back. It
A BRACE OF FRENCHMEN CAPTURE A TOWN. The door
half opened, though held inside
by a
213 thick
chain. "
Wer da ? " (Who
voice.
goes there
?)
demanded a hoarse
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
2i4
CHAPTER
XVII.
PARLEY BEFORE THE CITADEL.
THE
two young men were It astonished
question.
little
prepared for such a
them more than
if
they had been
met by a rifle shot. Max had had a great many conjectures about this mysterious town, and the very last thing he had expected was that a living being would quietly demand the reason of his
His
visit.
supposition
enterprise,
that
was
Stahlstadt
assumed quite another still
legitimate
aspect,
enough, under the
completely
when the
city
deserted,
was found
to be inhabited.
That which
in the
one case was but a kind of archaeolo
gical inquiry, in the other
became an attack by
force of
arms, and bore the character of a burglary.
These
reflections
rushed in upon the mind of
such force that he stood as
if
struck
dumb.
Max
with
PARLEY BEFORE THE CITADEL. "
Who
21$
goes there ?" repeated the voice, impatiently.
There was certainly some reason for impatience. For intruders to have reached this door by overcoming so many obstacles, scaling walls, and blowing up half the town, and then to have nothing to say on being simply asked,
goes there
?"
was somewhat
In half a minute
Max
Who
astonishing.
became aware of the awkwardness
of his position, and he replied in "
"
German
Friend or enemy, whichever you like
!
I
wish to speak
to Herr Schultz."
Directly he uttered these words an exclamation was
heard from the other side of the door
"Ach!"
And
through the opening
Max
could discern a red
whisker, half a bristly moustache, and a dull eye, which he
immediately recognised as belonging to Sigimer, one of the uncouth beings who had been ordered by Schultz to
guard him.
"Johann Schwartz!" exclaimed the of stupid joy,
"
Johann Schwartz
giant, with
a sort
!"
The unexpected return of his prisoner seemed to astonish him as much as his mysterious disappearance must have done. "
Can
that this
speak to Herr Schultz ?" repeated Max, finding exclamation was the only answer he received.
I
Sigimer shook his head.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
2i6
"No order "
order! "he said. "Can't
come
without an
in here
" !
At
least
you can
tell
Herr Schultz that
am
I
here,
and
want to see him." "
Herr Schultz not here
Herr Schultz gone
!
" !
replied
the giant, with a shade of sadness in his tone. "
But where
" Don't
is
know
he
!
When
?
will
he be back
" ?
Instructions remain as before
can enter without an order
!
No
one
!"
These disjointed sentences were
all
that
Max
could get
from Sigimer, who to any other questions maintained a dogged and obstinate silence. Otto at
last
became
impatient.
"Where's the use of asking permission to enter?" said "
he.
It is
much
easier to take
it !"
And It
he shoved against the door to try and force it open. was held by the chain, however, and a more powerful
arm than "
his
soon shut
it,
and rapidly drew the
There must be several men behind there
rather humiliated at this
He
" !
bolts.
cried Otto,
result.
applied his eye to the gimlet-hole, and uttered a cry
of surprise. "
"
There's a second giant
" !
Arminius, no doubt," returned Max, in his turn putting
his eye to the hole.
"Yes!
It is
Arminius, Sigimer's companion."
PARLEY BEFORE THE CITADEL.
As he caused
2 1/
spoke, another voice, apparently from the sky,
Max
to raise his head.
"Wer da?"
it
said.
was Arminius who spoke, looking over the top of the wall, which he had reached by means of a This time
it
ladder.
"Come, you know well enough who it is, Arminius!" " " Will you open, yes or no ? returned Max. These words had scarcely left his lips when the muzzle of a gun was pointed over the wall, and a bullet just grazed
the brim of Otto's hat. "
Very
well, here's
an answer
for that
"
exclaimed Max,
!
who, placing some dynamite under the door, blew
it
into
fragments.
A breach being thus made, and
their hands,
Otto and Max, their guns in
their knives
between
their teeth,
sprang
into the park.
The at
its
nor
ladder foot
still
leant against the
now
tottering wall,
and
were traces of blood, but neither Arminius
Sigimer
were
there
bar the progress
to
of
the
adventurers.
The gardens
lay before
them
in all the richness of their
vegetation.
Otto was delighted. "
We
What
a magnificent place
had better proceed
" !
he said
" ;
like sharpshooters
!
but look out
!
These sour-
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
218 krout-eaters
most
are
behind the bushes
likely
watching
for
us
hiding
!"
Max
and Otto separated, and each taking one side of the walk which opened before them, they advanced cautiously from tree to tree, from
mound
to
mound,
after
the most approved principles of strategy.
This was a wise precaution.
They had not gone
a
hundred yards when a second shot was heard, and the bark of the tree Max had just quitted flew in splinters.
"This
is
serious!
Down
on the ground!" ejaculated
Otto.
And, adding example to precept, he crawled on hands and knees up to a thorny thicket bordering the square, in the centre of which rose the Bull Tower.
Max, not
following this advice quickly enough, narrowly
escaped another bullet, and only avoided a fourth by darting behind the trunk of a palm-tree.
"Fortunately these fellows shoot no better than raw recruits !" called out
Otto to his
friend.
"Hush!" returned Max.
"Don't you see the smoke hanging about that window on the ground-floor ? The But I mean to play them a villains are in ambush there !
trick in
my
In a
turn
trice,
" !
Max
had cut a good-sized
shrubbery, on which he
the top.
hung
stick
from the
his coat, placing his hat
on
Having thus improvised a very presentable
Danger around.
Page
218.
Max and
Otto fighting the giants. Page
219.
PARLEY BEFORE THE CITADEL.
dummy, he
stuck
it
sleeves alone were
whispered
in the ground, so
visible,
219
that the hat
then, gliding
up to Otto, he
in his ear
"Just keep them amused by firing at the window,
from your place and then from mine
them
and
first
I'm off to take
!
in the rear !"
And Max,
leaving Otto to skirmish, crept cautiously
away through the
bushes.
A
quarter of an hour passed, whilst about twenty shots were exchanged without result on either side, though Max's coat and hat were completely riddled with bullets.
As
to the window-blinds, Otto's
gun had sent them into
shivers.
Suddenly the stifled
"
distinctly heard a
cry of
Help
To
and Otto
firing ceased,
!
help
!
I've got
him
" !
leave his shelter, fly through the shrubbery, and
spring in at the window, took Otto but a moment.
Struggling desperately on the serpents, were
attack of his
floor,
entwined like two
Max
and Sigimer. Surprised by the sudden adversary, who had forced an inner door, the
giant had been unable to
use his weapons.
But
his
herculean strength rendered him a formidable enemy, and
although thrown to the ground, he had not lost hope of gaining the upper hand.
remarkable vigour and
Max, on
agility.
his
side,
displayed
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
220
The
would certainly have terminated in the death of one of the combatants, had not Otto's intervention made fight
a less tragic end possible.
The two
together soon disarmed
Sigimer, and bound him so that he could move hand nor foot. "
Where's the other fellow
Max
?"
neither
asked Otto.
pointed to the further end of the room, where
Arminius lay bleeding on a bench. " Has he been shot ?" he asked. "Yes," replied Otto.
Together they examined the body. 'Quite dead !" said Max. 'If so the rascal
might have died
in
a better cause!"
exclaimed Otto. "
now
Here we
are,
masters of the place! "said Max.
Let us
to serious business.
the great Herr Schultz
first
"So
explore the study of
!"
the room, in which the last act of the siege had
From
been performed, the two young men proceeded through the suite of apartments which led to the sanctum of the
King of
Steel.
Otto was
lost
in
admiration
at
the
sight
of
such
splendour.
Max
smiled as he looked round at him, and opened, one
after the other, the doors of the magnificent rooms,
they reached the green-and-gold apartment.
till
PARLEY BEFORE THE CITADEL.
He had
221
expected to find something new, but nothing so
strange as the spectacle which here lay before their eyes. It
looked just as
if
the General Post-Office of
or Paris
had been robbed and
on the
floor.
On
sealed packets,
its
New York
contents thrown pell-mell
every side were heaps of letters and
on the writing-table, on the
chairs,
on
They waded knee-deep in a flood of papers. All the financial, industrial, and personal correspondence the carpet.
of Herr Schultz, brought to the letter-box in the park wall,
and
faithfully carried in
by Arminius and Sigimer, had
here accumulated in their master's study.
How many
what expectations, what anxious suspense, what misery and tears were enclosed in those What voiceless envelopes addressed to Herr Schultz questions,
!
millions of
money,
and orders of
too,
all sorts
no doubt,
in paper, cheques, bills,
!
Everything rested here motionless through the absence hand which had a right to break these fragile,
of the only
but inviolable "
We
seals.
have now," said Max,
of the laboratory
"
to discover the secret door
!"
He
began by taking all the books out of the bookcase. This was useless he could not find the masked passage he ;
had traversed
in
company with Herr
Schultz.
In vain he shook the panels one by one, and, with an iron
rod,
which he took from the mantelpiece, tapped
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
222
them
in succession
hope of hearing
!
In vain he struck the wall in the give forth a hollow sound
it
!
It
was
very evident that Schultz, uneasy at no longer being the sole possessor
had done away with that
of his secret,
door.
He
must necessarily have opened another. " ?" asked Max. It must be here somewhere, as Arminius and Sigimer have brought the letters to this "
But where
room, which Herr Schultz doubtless continued to use after
my
departure.
I
know enough
that, after bricking
of his habits to be sure
up the old passage, he would wish to
have another close at hand, and concealed from inquisitive Can there be a trap-door under the carpet ? " eyes !
The
carpet itself showed no signs of a cut
The
less
was
by
showed nothing suspicious. How do you know the opening
"
it
unnailed and raised.
floor,
;
but none the
examined
bit
bit,
is
in this
room
at all ?"
asked Otto. " I "
am
Then
morally certain of
" it
!
answered Max.
the ceiling only remains to be explored," returned
Otto, springing on to a chair.
His idea was to get up to the lustre and sound the central rose with the butt end of his gun.
However, no sooner had he grasped the gilded chan delier, than, to his extreme surprise, it sunk under his hand.
The
ceiling
opened and
left to
view a wide gap,
The mysterious
entrance.
Page
222.
PARLEY BEFORE THE CITADEL. from which a with the It
light, self-acting steel
ladder slid
223
down
floor.
was a
distinct invitation to ascend.
"Here we
are!
Come
along!" said Max, composedly,
and immediately began to mount the ladder, followed
level
by
his friend.
closely
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
224
CHAPTER
XVIII.
THE KERNEL OF THE NUT.
THE
top of the steel ladder was fixed close to the wall of a
vast circular chamber, there being no communication with
the exterior.
had
it
It
would have been
in
complete darkness
not been for a dazzling white light which streamed
through the thick glass of a the oak
compared
bull's-eye, fixed in the centre of
For purity and
floor.
to the
moon, when she
is
brilliancy
might be
in her full beauty.
mute and
Perfect silence reigned within these walls.
it
The two young men imagined themselves
eyeless in the
antechamber of a tomb.
But before bending over the glass, Max hesitated for a The secret, to moment. He had attained his object !
penetrate which he had come to Stahlstadt, was about to be revealed to him !
This
feeling,
however, soon passed
off.
Together he and
Herr Schultz discovered. Piige 225.
THE KERNEL OF THE NUT.
225
Otto knelt beside the disc and looked down into the
chamber beneath.
A
and unexpected sight met
horrible
their astonished
gaze.
The lens,
glass disc, being
convex on both
which immensely increased
through
sides,
it.
Here was the
secret laboratory of
lantern of a lighthouse,
burning
came from a double
if
from the
electric
lamp,
being incessantly fed by a
in its airless bell,
powerful voltaic
The
Herr Schultz.
intense glare which shone through the disc, as
still
formed a
size all objects seen
in
pile.
In the middle of the room, motionless as marble, and
enormously magnified by the refraction of the form was seated. Pieces
around
and
lens,
a
human
were strewn on the ground
splinters of shells
this spectre.
There was no doubt about
by
himself, recognisable
gleaming teeth
;
it!
It
was Herr Schultz
his horrid grinning
mouth, and his
but a gigantic Herr Schultz, suffocated
and frozen by the action of a
terrible cold,
caused by the
explosion of one of his frightful engines of warfare.
The King
of Steel was seated at his table, holding an
enormous pen writing. eyeballs,
Had and
like it
a lance in
his
hand, as
if
he were
not been for the stony glare of his dilated
his set
mouth, he would have appeared
Q
still
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
226 living.
Here
hidden from
this awful
all eyes,
corpse had been for a month,
and now discovered
which has been concealed
for
like
in
ages
a
mammoth
the glaciers
of
Everything around him was frozen, the
the Polar regions.
receivers,
and
In spite of the horror of this spectacle, Max's
first
in
re-agents
their
the mercury in
thought was
its
jars,
the water in
reservoirs
one
its
!
of satisfaction
that
they had
been
fortunate enough to be able to observe the interior of the
laboratory from the outside, for
if
he and Otto had entered
they must infallibly have been struck dead. Max soon guessed how the fearful accident had occurred,
when he marked
that the fragments scattered on the ground
were small pieces of glass. He knew that the inner case of Herr Schultz's suffocating projectiles contained liquid carbonic acid, and that, to resist the enormous pressure,
was formed of tempered
glass,
times the ordinary strength
;
the great fault of this newly-
invented production, however, action,
it
is that,
often suddenly bursts without
by some mysterious any apparent
This was evidently what had happened. interior pressure
the
shell
had helped
reason.
Perhaps the
to provoke the explosion of
deposited in the laboratory
discharged acid,
it
which has ten or twelve
on returning to a
;
at
any
gaseous
rate,
state,
the
had
occasioned a fearful lowering of the surrounding atmosphere,
even to a hundred degrees below zero.
THE KERNEL OF THE NUT. The
22/
had indeed been something awful. Death had surprised Herr Schultz in the attitude he was in at the time of the explosion, and in a moment he was turned effects
into ice.
One
Max
circumstance which
that at the time of his death the
particularly noticed,
was
King of Steel was engaged
in writing.
What was that
lifeless
last thought,
The
inscribed on the sheet of paper lying beneath
hand
?
It
would be interesting to know the last words of such a man.
and read the
difficulty
was
to procure the paper.
The
idea of
breaking the disc so as to descend into the laboratory could not be entertained for an instant.
The gas would have
immediately rushed out and suffocated every living being.
The
risk of bringing
a sudden death upon themselves could
not be run merely for the sake of satisfying their curiosity.
Max, therefore, seeing that the writing as well as everything else was so wonderfully magnified and brilliantly illumin ated, endeavoured to read
it
from a distance.
Being well
acquainted with the handwriting of Herr Schultz, with a little
trouble he at last
made
out the following
lines.
According to the usual custom of Herr Schultz, rather an order than an instruction. "
it
was
Order to B. K. R. Z. to advance the projected expedi
tion against Frankville
order
is
by a
fortnight.
As
soon as this
received execute the measures I have devised
Q
2
;
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
228
Do they must this time be overwhelming and complete. not alter an iota of what I have decided upon. I wish that a fortnight Frankville should become a city of the dead I hope for a modern without a surviving inhabitant. in
Pompeii, to be at once a terror and an astonishment to the
whole world. result will "
You
be
will
Bruckmann
If
my
orders are properly executed, this
inevitable.
send the bodies of Doctor Sarrasin and to me.
wish to have them.
I
Schult
The
signature
was
Max
unfinished, the final z
."
and the usual
flourish being wanting.
Max
and Otto gazed mute and motionless at this strange spectacle, feeling as if they were witnessing the invocation of
some malignant genius. But it was time to leave the dismal
friends, agitated
room above the
by
conflicting feelings,
King
descended from the
for,
when the
electric current
the lamp would be extinguished, the corpse of the
of Steel would remain alone, dried up like a
Pharaoh,
An
and the two
laboratory.
There, in that dark tomb, failed,
scene,
whom
hour
puzzled to
mummy
twenty centuries had not reduced to dust
later,
having unbound Sigimer,
know what
quitted Stahlstadt,
to
do with
and took
his liberty,
their
!
who seemed
Otto and
Max
way back to Frankville,
which they entered the same evening.
THE KERNEL OF THE NUT.
229
Doctor Sarrasin was busy in his study when the return of the two young men was announced to him. "Tell them
come
to
"Come
he exclaimed.
in!"
in
quickly!" "
Well
?" said he, as
soon as the friends presented them
selves before him.
"
" Max, the news we bring from StahlHerr put your mind at rest for a long time. " Herr Schultz is dead no more
Doctor," replied
stadt will
Schultz "
is
Dead
!
!
" !
exclaimed Doctor Sarrasin.
The good man remained
thoughtful for a few moments,
without uttering another word. "
My
"
dear fellow," he said at
last,
that this news, which ought to
can you understand
make me
rejoice, since it
takes from us the dread of the thing I most execrate, war,
and the most
unjust, unreasonable
you understand how, against ache
?
Oh,
should a
why
all
man
war ever heard
of!
can
makes
my
heart
reason,
it
of such powerful intelligence
have constituted himself our enemy
?
Why
did he not use
his rare intellectual qualities for the benefit of his fellow
creatures
?
How much
wisdom has been
have been so valuable, had used for a
common
when you
said
me
you know
"
all
that
* :
object
it !
lost,
which would
been associated with
us,
All this at once struck
Herr Schultz
is
dead
;'
but
now
and
me tell
of this unexpected event."
Herr Schultz," replied Max,
"
has met his death in the
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
230
mysterious laboratory, which, with such diabolical ingenuity,
he had striven to render inaccessible to but himself ever knew of
its
<
all others.
existence,
No
one
and no one con
sequently could penetrate into it to bring him help. He has fallen a victim to that marvellous concentration of all
own hands, on which he had
his plans in his
the will of Providence, his desire of being
By
relied.
himself the key to
own "
destruction
"
notion.
is
answered Doctor
on
the machinery
is
totally
wrong
not the best government the one of
his death,
will continue to
will
" !
Herr Schultz started with a
chief,
and which
"You
have been otherwise
For, indeed,
which the
has been turned to his
all his projects,
" !
It could not
Sarrasin.
so erroneously
open and
can be most easily replaced,
work smoothly, visible
just because all
" ?
Max, "how all that has Stahlstadt bears out what you have said. We see, doctor," said
happened in found Herr Schultz seated before
his desk, that central
point whence came all those orders so implicitly obeyed by the Steel City, and which no one ever dreamt of disputing.
him every appearance of
Death had
left
moment
thought the spectre would have spoken to us
I
But the inventor has killed
by one of the
fallen shells,
own
!
so that for a
invention
!
!
He was
with which he hoped to destroy
was signing
our town, just as he for our extermination
by
his
life,
Listen
!"
his
name
to the order
'
THE KERNEL OF THE NUT.
231
And Max
read aloud a copy he had taken of the horrible words written by Herr Schultz. Then he added "
if
The greatest proof of we had not seen him, is
ceased to
As
in
There
live.
is
the death of Herr Schultz, even that everything around
him has
nothing breathing in Stahlstadt.
the palace of the Sleeping Beauty, slumber has all
suspended effects of
life,
and arrested every movement.
The
the master's death hatf^extended, not only to the
servants, but also to the machinery."
"Yes," returned Doctor Sarrasin
God
justice of
and urging on
From
!
;
"we
see in this the
indulging in his hatred against us,
his attack with
such boundless rancour, Herr
Schultz has perished." "
That
is
true,"
answered
Max
" ;
but now, doctor,
leave the past and think only of the present.
the death of Herr Schultz gives peace to ruin of the wonderful business he created.
and
let
us
Although
us, it
causes the
Blinded by his
France and you, he had supplied success, large numbers of cannon and weapons to any one who might be our enemy, without getting sufficient guarantees. In spite of
his hatred of
this,
and although the payment of
all his
debts
would take a long time, I believe that a strong hand could set Stahlstadt on its legs again, and turn to a good purpose all
that has been
hitherto
used for an
evil
Herr
one.
Schultz has only one likely heir, doctor, and that
is
you.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
232
His work must not be allowed to
much
too
to be
drawn from a
This
me
is
to the
ground
entirely.
rival force is in its total annihilation.
not really the case, and I hope you will agree with
that,
from
fall
the belief of this world that the only profit
It is
on the contrary, immense wreck
this
of humanity.
Now,
I
it is
all
am
our duty to endeavour to save
that can be used for the benefit
ready to devote myself entirely
to this task." "
Max
is
right," said Otto,
"and here am
my
I,
grasping his friend's hand,
ready also to work under his orders,
if
father will give his consent."
"I certainly approve, Sarrasin.
"
Yes,
Max,
my
dear lads," replied Doctor
there will be no
want of
capital, and,
thanks to you, I shall hope to have in the resuscitated Stahlstadt such an arsenal that no one in the world will
And as we shall dream of attacking us then be the strongest, we must at the same time endeavour ever henceforth
to be also the
!
most
peace and
justice all
dreams
And when
at
!
least accomplish
have Otto
I !
just,
we must spread
around.
Ah,
I feel that,
a
part, I
could be impossible
!"
!
the benefits of
what enchanting
with you to help me,
ask myself
not two sons Why We three working together, !
Max
why
yes,
I
can
why
are you not the brother of it
seems as
if
nothing
A FAMILY AFFAIR.
CHAPTER A FAMILY PERHAPS
XIX.
AFFAIR.
in the course of this veracious narrative
history of those
who have played such prominent
We may now,
we have
communicative about the personal
not been sufficiently
it.
233
therefore,
be allowed to stop
parts in
in order to
give a few details regarding them. It
must be acknowledged that the good doctor was not
so entirely taken as to
up with the idea of
collective
in it the welfare of individuals.
merge
He
humanity, had, there
been struck by the sudden pallor which overspread countenance of Max as he uttered his last words. He the fore,
'
sought to read in the young man's eyes the cause of this
sudden emotion. to
question
the
The
silence
engineer,
of the older
as
if
he
man seemed
expected
him
to
speak, but Max, mastering himself with a strong effort, His complexion immediately resumed his composure.
reassumed
its
natural
tint,
and
his attitude
was merely
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
234
man who
that of a
expects the continuance of an interesting
conversation.
Doctor Sarrasin, slightly provoked at assumed calmness, approached his young
this
evidently
friend,
and with
a familiar gesture, laid his hand upon his wrist, just as he would on that of a patient, whose pulse he wished quietly, unobtrusively to
Max the lips "
allowed this naturally without apparently noticing
doctor's
My
feel.
and
intentions,
as
he
did not
" dear Max," observed the old man,
we
open
his
put off
will
our conversation about the future destiny of Stahlstadt to
some other
For although we are vowed to the work
time.
of labouring to ameliorate the condition of mankind,
it
is
not forbidden us also to occupy ourselves with the fate of those
we
love, of those
think the time has
whose name
who
come
are nearest to us.
to
tell
Well, I
you what a young lady,
mention presently, replied not long ago to her father and mother, when for the twentieth time that I will
year they had been asked for her in marriage. "
The
proposals were, for the most part, such that even
the most fastidious could have had no reason for refusing
them, and yet this young
At
this point
Max
movement from the was
satisfied
woman
drew
doctor's
always said
*
No
' !
hand away with a sudden grasp, and the latter, as if he
his
on the subject of
his patient's health,
and had
A FAMILY AFFAIR.
235
not noticed that both his arm and his confidence had been
withdrawn, quietly continued his story. "'Well, now/ said the mother, to the young lady of
whom
I
speak, 'just
refusals.
there.
little
Why
"
At
?
me
the reason of these continued all
Education, fortune, position, good looks,
you don't even take the trouble to consider
You are
not usually so very peremptory
this the girl
'
if
' !
determined to speak clearly and frankly,
and thereupon replied " I say no with as much dear mother,
are
decided no, so resolute and prompt, to
this
requests which
a
tell
the yes
came
would say
sincerity as I
from
really
my
heart.
I
yes,
agree
with you that several of the matches you have proposed to
me
are perfectly unexceptionable
;
more
that most of those addresses were paid
considered the best, that
than to
me
myself,
is
none of these proposals is the one I hope still expect, and which, unfortunately, I
"'What,
my
dear,'
ever comes at said
the
all
incline
you wish
that I
'
what
to
and that that idea does not
for, if it
belief is
the richest match in the town,
to say yes, I will venture to tell you, since
wait a long time
my
but, besides
it,
me that
for,
the one
may
have to
!'
mother,
in
surprise,
'
you "She did not end that
how
to finish
it,
and
sentence, for
in perplexity
want of knowing
turned to her husband,
with looks which plainly begged for help and advice.
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
236 "
However, as he did not intend to
discussion between the mother
more
had been thrown on the
light
interfere
and daughter subject,
until
in
a
he put on an
and counterfeited so well that the poor blushing with embarrassment, and perhaps with a obtuse
the little
air,
girl,
little
anger, suddenly determined to make a clean breast of it. ' " I said, dear mother,' she continued, that the proposal '
I
hoped
for
might be a very long time
come
might possibly never
at
in
coming, and
add that
I
all.
this delay,
although so indefinite, will neither hurt nor astonish me. I
have the misfortune to be very rich
hope he is
for, is
very poor It is for
right.
"'Why
therefore,
;
him
he
to wait
he,
;
will
whose proposal I not make it, and
'
not for us to speak/ said the mother, wishing,
perhaps, to prevent her daughter from uttering words she feared to hear. " "
Then the husband '
My dear,' he said,
in his,
'
it
is
interposed. affectionately, taking his wife's
hands
not with impunity that a mother, reverenced
by her daughter
as
you
sing the praises of a
are,
fine,
can constantly in her presence
handsome
fellow,
who, ever since
she was born, has been almost one of the family, that she
remarks to every one on the solidity of his character, that she glories in what her husband says, when he has occasion in his turn to boast of his
remarkable intelligence, or speaks
feelingly of the thousand proofs of devotion he has received
A FAMILY AFFAIR. from him guished
If the girl
!
both by her father
admired him "
'
who saw
Oh, father
!
this
young man, distin and her mother, had not
she would have failed in her duty
herself, '
cried the
girl,
"
(
make me speak
Why
?'
' !
throwing herself into her
mother's arms, to hide her confusion, did you
237
*
if
you guessed, why
!'
returned the father, 'why, but to have the joy
my
of hearing you,
darling, that I
might be
still
more
was not mistaken, to be able at last to tell you that both your mother and I approve your choice, that your heart has been given where we wished and to spare a certain that I
;
poor and proud man from making a proposal, feels a reluctant delicacy, I will do it myself
do
it,
Calm I will
because
I
have read
yourself then
ask Max,
become
my
On
!
if,
the
by any
son-in-law
first
which he
yes, I will
have read yours
!
favourable opportunity,
possibility,
he would care to
" !'
Taken unawares by started to his feet as
his heart as I
at
if
sudden peroration, Max had moved by a spring. Otto silently this
grasped his hand, while Doctor Sarrasin held out his arms.
The young Alsacian was
pale as
death.
happiness sometimes take this appearance
without warning into a strong heart
!
But does not
when
it
enters
THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE.
238
CHAPTER XX. CONCLUSION.
FRANKVILLE,
released from
anxiety, in peace with
all
its
neighbours, well
governed, happy, thanks to the good
behaviour of
inhabitants,
success
is
its
is
so justly merited that
Its
highly prosperous. it
causes no envy, and
its
strength enforces the respect even of the most warlike.
Herr Schultz, the City of Steel was manufactory, an organised source of destruction
Under the a
terrible
iron rule of
but, thanks to
was
;
Max
Bruckmann, the liquidation of
effected without loss to
any
one,
its
debts
and Stahlstadt became
a centre of production, unsurpassed by any other industry. A year ago, Max became the happy husband of Jeannette, and the
As
birth of a child has recently
added
to their felicity.
worked gallantly under his brother-inand seconded all his efforts. His sister is
to Otto, he
law's directions,
hoping soon to see him married to a friend of hers, whose good sense will preserve her husband from any relapse.
CONCLUSION.
The and
239
wishes of the doctor and his wife are thus
to put
it
in
fulfilled,
a few words, they are at the zenith of
happiness and even of glory
if
glory ever entered into the
programme of their honest ambitions. We may now be assured that the future belongs efforts
of Doctor Sarrasin and
Max
to the
Bruckmann, and that
the example of Frankville and Stahlstadt, as model city
and manufactory,
will
not be lost upon future generations.
THE
MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY." CHAPTER
I.
TURNED ADRIFT.
NOT
a breath of wind, not a ripple on the surface of the
ocean, not a cloud in the sky. tions of the Southern brilliancy.
The
splendid constella
Hemisphere shone with exquisite
The Bounty
lay
motionless,
with
drooping
and the moon, turning pale at the approach of dawn, rilled the air with dim and sails,
as the night wore on
;
uncertain light.
The
Bounty, a vessel of two hundred and fifteen tons
burden,
manned by a crew of
forty-six,
had
left
Spithead
on the 2$rd of December, 1787, under the command of Captain Bligh, a rough, but experienced seaman, who had accompanied Captain Cook on his last voyage of discovery.
voyage of the Bounty was to obtain plants of the bread-fruit tree, which grows in pro-
The
special object of this
R
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY.
242 fusion
5'
the Tahitian Archipelago, and to carry them
in
to the Antilles.
After remaining for six months in the
Bay
of Matavai,
Captain Bligh, with a cargo of a thousand bread-fruit set sail for the
West
Indies,
trees,
stopping at the Friendly
Islands for a short time.
The
and passionate character of the captain had repeatedly occasioned disagreeable scenes between him and his officers but, when the sun rose on the suspicious
;
morning of the 28th of April,
the
1789,
perfect tran-
which prevailed on board the Bounty was dis turbed by no token of the serious events about to quility
take place.
By-and-by the apparent tranquility was broken by unwonted animation among the crew the seamen met, :
two or three words
exchanged
separated quietly. "
Above
What
all things,
in
whispers,
could be going on
make no
noise, friends," said Fletcher "
Load your
Christian, the second officer of the Bounty. pistol, Bob
;
but do not
and then
?
fire till I
give the word.
Churchill,
take a hatchet to burst open the lock of the captain's cabin door, and,
mark me,
Followed cutlasses,
by a
and
I
must have him
dozen
pistols,
alive."
seamen, armed
Christian
with
sabres,
glided between decks,
where he placed two sentinels before the cabins of Stewart and Peter Heywood, the one the boatswain, the other
TURNED ADRIFT.
243
a midshipman of the Bounty, and then, passing on, he
stopped at the captain's door. "
Come, lads
The door
!"
he
cried,
"one good shove all together !" and the seamen
yielded to their vigorous blows,
rushed into the cabin.
Confused by the darkness, and, perhaps, reflecting on the serious nature
What's
"Hullo!
the step they had taken, they
of
moment.
hesitated for a
Who
matter?
the
exclaimed the captain, jumping out of his "Silence, Captain Bligh
and do not attempt to "
You
-
cut
"you when you "Lash
his
Christian,
"and
resist,
or I will gag
cot.
you
" !
Bob
;
quite a good enough figure as you are
are dangling at the yard-arm
The most
-?"
answered Churchill. "Silence,
needn't trouble yourself to dress," added
will
"
!"
dares
hands hoist
behind
his
!"
back,
him up on deck
Churchill,"
said
!"
tyrannical captains need be feared no longer,
when one knows how
to set about dealing with them,"
remarked John Smith, the philosopher of the crew. Then, without caring -whether or not they awoke the rest of the crew, they returned on deck. It
was a regular mutiny.
besides Christian,
Of
the officers on board
Young alone, one of the midshipmen,
had made common cause with the mutineers.
As
to the crew, those
who
hesitated at
first
had been
R
2
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY/
244
1
whilst the other officers, without
obliged to give
in,
and without a
leader,
arms ?
remained spectators of the drama
which was being acted before their eyes. All were drawn up in silence on the deck, and gazed at their captain, who, half-naked, held his head high in the midst of these men, "
Captain
who
Bligh,"
usually trembled before him.
said
Christian,
roughly,
"you
are
deprived of your command." "
"
do not recognise your right," replied the captain. Do not waste time in useless protestations," interrupted
I
Christian.
crew.
"
now speak
I
We had
scarcely
the sentiments of the Bounty's
left
England when we had already
reason to complain of your insulting suspicions, your brutal proceedings.
When
I
say we,
I
mean
We not only could
as the seamen.
the officers as well
not obtain the satisfac
was our due, but you set aside our complaints Are we dogs, that we should be abused with contempt tion which
!
on every occasion ? Scoundrels, ruffians, liars, thieves, had no you expression strong enough, no abuse coarse for us Indeed, had we patiently borne such have been unworthy to be called men should we a life, And I, I your countryman, who know your family, and have already made two voyages under you, have you
enough
!
!
spared
me ?
Did you not accuse me, only yesterday, of
stealing
some wretched
in irons
when
fruit
?
And
guiltless of a fault.
the men, they are put
For a
trifle
they are
Captain Bligh in the power of the mutineers.
Page
244.
TURNED ADRIFT. condemned is
to receive
two dozen
paid for in this world
us,
Bligh
!
It is
!
our turn
the insults, the injustice,
and physical
245
lashes.
Well, everything
You have been too liberal with now You are about to expiate the mad accusations, the moral
tortures with
!
which you have overwhelmed half, and you shall pay
your crew during a year and a dearly for them those
whom you
Is that right,
Captain, you have been judged
!
by
have offended, and you are condemned. "
shipmates
?
"Yes, yes, death, death to the tyrant!" shouted the
number of the seamen, threatening their captain. " Captain Bligh," resumed Christian, some have spoken
greater "
of hoisting you dangling to the yard-arm, between sky and sea
;
others propose to
make your back
have so freely bestowed on infliction.
than
lack imagination.
that
matter. orders,
They
theirs, until
are not
I
taste the cat
you
you
die under the
have a better plan
alone guilty in this
Besides, you Those who have always faithfully executed your however cruel they were, would be in despair at
having to submit to
my command. They
you company wherever the wind may
deserve to bear
drive you.
Lower
the longboat!" Christian's last
words were received with a murmur
of
disapprobation, which, however, did not seem to trouble
him.
Captain Bligh,
menaces, profited by
who was
not intimidated
by
the moment's silence to speak.
these
246 "Officers
and men," he
said, in
a firm voice, "in
character of officer in the royal navy,
Bounty,
I
way tried
you have had reason
If
my
have exercised
by a
am
to complain of the
power, you might have had
court-martial.
my
of the
protest against the treatment with which I
threatened. I
commander
But, doubtless,
me
you have not
on the serious consequences of the act you are about to commit. To lay hand on your captain is to put
reflected
yourself in revolt against existing laws
;
it
will
render a
return to your native country impossible, and will cause
Sooner or later you will you to be treated like pirates come to an ignominious death, the death of traitors and !
rebels
In the
!
swore to me, "
We
I
know
name
of honour and the obedience you
summon you
to return to your duty !"
perfectly well to
what we expose
ourselves,"
replied Churchill. "
Enough
Enough
!
" !
cried
the crew, ready for any
deed of violence. "
" Well," said Bligh,
me, but
me
alone
!
you must have a victim, let it be Those of my companions whom you if
" condemn with me have only obeyed my orders The voice of the captain was now drowned by a chorus !
of vociferations, and he was obliged to renounce the hope of moving those pitiless hearts.
was going on, arrangements of Christian's orders had been made. While
this
for the execution
TURNED ADRIFT. However, a
lively dispute
some of whom wished
had
arisen
247
among the
mutineers,
abandon Captain Bligh and his friends without giving them a weapon, or leaving them an ounce of bread.
Some
and
it
was
to
also Churchill's advice
thought that
number of those who ought to leave the ship was not They must get rid, he said, of all the men large enough.
the
who, not being directly implicated in the plot, were not safe. They could not depend on those who contented themselves with merely accepting accomplished to himself, his back
was
still
The
received for deserting at Tahiti.
rapid
way
over
to
of healing
him
two of the
observations,
and the most
deliver the captain
would know well how to revenge own hand !
Hallett
officers,
"
would be to
best,
As had
He
!
himself, with his
"Hay ward!
it
facts.
sore from the lashes he
!"
exclaimed Christian, addressing
without taking any notice of Churchill's
get into the boat."
"What have I done to you, Christian, that you should "You are sending me to treat me thus ?" said Hay ward.
my
death
!"
" Recriminations
Fryer, in with
But these
are useless
you too
officers,
!
Obey, or
else
!
" !
instead of going towards the boat,
approached Captain Bligh, and Fryer, who- seemed the most determined, bent forward, saying
THE MUTINEERS OF THE
248 "
Captain, will
no arms, not
it is
true,
try to retake the ship
but the mutineers,
If a few of us are killed,
resist.
can but try
The
you
!
What do you
think
if
?
We
have
surprised, could
what matter
!
We
" ?
were already preparing to throw themselves on the mutineers, who were now busily engaged in making ready the long boat, when Churchill, whose notice these words,
officers
brief as they were,
had not escaped, summoning them into the boat.
several well-armed men, forced
"Millward, Muspratt, Birket, and
you others," said Christian, addressing some of the seamen who had not " taken part in the mutiny, go below and choose whatever You are to accompany Captain Bligh. you value most !
You, Morrison, look
after
those fellows
!
Purcell,
your carpenter's 'chest, I will allow you to have that." Two masts with their sails, nails, a saw, a piece of cloth, four
take
sail
small kegs, each containing twenty-four quarts
of water, a hundred and fifty pounds of biscuit, thirty-two
pounds of
salt pork, six bottles of wine, six bottles of
the captain's wine case, were
all
rum,
the stores and provisions
they were to be allowed to take. They were given, besides, two or three old swords, but
any description were refused them. "Where are Peter Hey wood and Stewart?" asked
fire-arms of
Bligh,
me?"
when he was
in the boat.
"
Have they
also betrayed
TURNED ADRIFT.
him, but Christian had resolved
They had not betrayed to keep
The
249
them on board.
captain
now had a moment
of discouragement
very pardonable weakness, which, however, did not "
Christian," he
to forget
" said,
I
!
you
will
beseech you, think of
perish,
!
if
what
will
last.
word of honour
my
you
that has just occurred,
all
your abominable plan and family Should I "
I give
and
give
up
my wife
become of them
" ?
"If you possessed any honour," answered Christian, If you things would not have reached this pitch.
little more often of your wife, of and families of others, you and of the wives your family, would not have been so harsh, so unjust, towards all
yourself had thought a
of us!"
The
boatswain's mate, as he was embarking, endeavoured
in his turn to soften Christian.
" I 41
All in vain.
have been suffering too long," he
You do
cannot
not
last
know what my
a day longer
that, all this
voyage,
been treated
I,
tortures have been
and, besides,
;
replied,
you
bitterly. !
No,
it
are not ignorant
the second officer of the ship, have
like a dog However, in separating myself from Captain Bligh, whom, in all probability, I shall never see again, I wish from pity, not to take from him all hope
of safety.
!
Smith, go to the captain's cabin, and bring him
his clothes, his commission, his journal,
Also, give
him
my
nautical charts,
and
and
his portfolio.
my own
sextant.
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
250
He
have some chance of being able to save his companions, and get out of the scrape himself!" Christian's orders were performed, though not without will thus
objections from the crew.
many "
And
mate,
now, Morrison, cast
now
the
commander
to the mercy of
God
off,"
exclaimed the master's
of the Bounty,
"
and leave them
!"
Whilst the mutineers saluted Captain Bligh and his unfortunate companions with ironical cheers, the unhappy Christian, leaning
against the
hammock
nettings,
not take his eyes from the departing boat.
could
This brave
whose conduct, loyal and open, had always, till merited the praises of all the commanders under
officer,
then,
whom
he had served, was to-day no better than the chief
of a band of pirates.
He
could never see again either
his old mother, or his betrothed, or the Isle of
native place.
He had
sunk
in his
own
Man,
self-esteem,
was dishonoured
in the eyes of everyone. Chastisement was already following his crime
!
his
and
Christian watching the departing boat.
Page
250.
VOYAGE OF THE LONG BOAT.
CHAPTER
251
II.
VOYAGE OF THE LONG BOAT.
WITH
her eighteen passengers,
officers
and men, and the
scanty provisions she contained, the boat which carried Bligh was so loaded that her gunwale was only fifteen inches above the level of the sea.
and
six wide, she
was a
Twenty-one
useful ship's boat for so
feet long
numerous
a crew, but for such a voyage as she was destined to perform, she appeared utterly unsuitable.
The
sailors,
captain and fate,
confident in the skill and energy of their
officers,
who were now
all
joined in the
same
rowed vigorously, and the boat rapidly sped through
the waves.
Bligh had no hesitation about what he was to do. He wished first of all to regain as soon as possible the island of Tofoa, the nearest of the Friendly Islands, which they
had only
left
a few days before
;
they would there collect
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
252
bread-fruit, for
and renew
and then run
their store of water,
They would there obtain a sufficient them till they could reach
Tonga-Tabou.
quantity of provisions to last
the Dutch settlements in Timor,
if,
through fear of savages,
numerous
they did not wish to touch at any of the archipelagos scattered here
The
when they
way.
was impossible
Unfortu
sighted the coast of Tofoa.
nately, the shore was so rocky, and the it
their
day passed without incident, and night was
first
falling
and there on
so steep, that
cliffs
to disembark that night.
They must
wait for day.
Unless
it
was absolutely necessary, Bligh did not mean The island would have to
touch their provisions.
to
nourish his
on
first
with.
men and
That seemed
himself.
landing, not a trace of inhabitants
Some, however, soon made
being well received, others came,
difficult, for,
was
to be
met
their appearance, and,
who brought them water
and a few cocoa-nuts. Bligh's perplexity
was
great.
What was he
to say to
who had already trafficked with the Bounty At any cost it was necessary to hide visit ?
these natives,
on her
last
the truth, so as not to destroy the prestige which the strangers
had before
acquired.
Could
they say that
they were sent for provisions for their ship, which was out at sea
?
That was impossible,
for
the Bounty was not visible,
The English and
the natives.
Page
252.
VOYAGE OF THE LONG BOAT.
Should they state that vessel was wrecked, and they were the only survivors ?
even from the tops of the their
253
That was the story most
hills
!
likely* to
be credited.
Perhaps
that would touch the hearts of the natives and induce to complete the provisioning of the boat.
mined to say this, though his
men
it
them
Bligh deter
was dangerous, and he cautioned
to adhere to the statement, so that they might
all
agree.
On
hearing this the natives
joy or
Their
sorrow.
astonishment, and
[
it
faces
made no
sign
of either
only expressed
profound
was impossible to guess what they
thought.
On
the 2nd of May, the
number of
natives from other
parts of the island increased to an alarming extent,
Bligh
soon guessed
Some even
tried
that
they had
to haul the
hostile
and
intentions.
boat up on the shore, and
only drew back before the energetic demonstrations of the captain,
who menaced them with
was going
on,
his cutlass.
Whilst
this
some of the men, whom Bligh had sent
search, brought
to
back three gallons of water.
The time had come
for quitting this inhospitable island.
was ready but it was not easy to gain the At sunset The beach was covered with natives, clashing stones boat. all
;
against each other, ready to throw.
The boat kept
off a
few fathoms from the shore, and only touched just as the
men were ready
to embark.
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
254
The
English, really uneasy at the hostile look of the
savages, walked
down
hundred
who were
natives,
upon them.
to rush
when one of the
midst of two
the beach, in the
evidently only waiting a signal
However,
all
got safely into the boat,
named
Bancroft, imprudently he had forgotten. In a returned to fetch some article second, the foolish man was surrounded and felled with sailors,
no firearms, being unable At the same time they themselves were
stones, his companions, having
to help him.
and stones rained upon them. "Come, lads," shouted Bligh, "bend to your oars and
attacked,
pull hard
The
" !
natives followed
pebbles
fell
(there
and showers of
were wounded
;
but
were two midshipmen of that
the Bounty), picking up a stone which
had
fallen into the boat,
and
hit
cry,
into the sea,
Many men
upon them.
Thomas Hayward name belonging to
a
them
took aim at one of their assailants
him between the
eyes.
The savage
fell
back with
which was answered by a cheer from the English.
Their unfortunate comrade was avenged.
By
this
time several canoes had
giving chase.
left
This pursuit could have only ended
combat, the issue of
in a
which could not have been favourable,
when
the master had a bright idea.
that
he was
Atalanta, he
the shore and were
imitating
Hippomenes
stripped off his jacket,
Without suspecting in
his
race
with
which he threw into
VOYAGE OF THE LONG BOAT. The
the sea.
natives, leaving the
stopped to pick
it
up,
and
this
255
for the
prey
shadow,
expedient permitted the
boat to double the point of the bay.
came
In the meantime night
and the
on,
savages
discouraged, abandoned the chase.
This
first
renewed
"We
;
attempt at landing was too unlucky to be
such at least was the opinion of Captain Bligh.
must now come to a
he
resolution,"
said.
"The
scene which has just passed at Tofoa will occur again, I
am
Tonga Tabou, and wherever else we may So small a number as we are, without firearms,
certain, at
touch.
would be absolutely at the mercy of the savages. Having no articles for barter, we could not buy provisions, and it is
them by force. We are and you, my friends, know
impossible for us to procure
reduced to our own resources as well as I do,
how
;
miserable they are
!
But would
it
not be better to be contented with them, rather than at
each landing to risk the
However,
I
lives
of
some of our party
?
do not wish to hide anything of the horror of
our situation from you.
To
reach Timor
we have
nearly
twelve hundred leagues to run, and you must be satisfied with one ounce of biscuit and a quarter of a pint of water
a day also
!
Safety can be obtained at this price only, and
on the condition that you yield
Answer me without the
enterprise
?
reserve
!
me
Do you
Will you swear to
implicit obedience.
consent to attempt
obey
my
orders,
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
256
whatever they
may
without murmuring "
Yes, yes,
be
Will you promise to submit
?
to these privations
we swear
" it
!
" ?
exclaimed Bligh's companions,
with one voice. "
My friends,"
resumed the
"
we must
captain,
also forget
our reciprocal wrongs, our antipathies, and our hates, in one word, sacrifice our personal grudges to the interest of all,
which must alone guide us
" "
I
We
" !
promise."
you keep your word," added Bligh, "and if need be, can force you to do so, I will answer for your safety." A course was now steered to the W.N.W. The wind, If
which was strong, blew a regular gale by the evening of the 4th of May. The waves were so high that the boat disappeared between them, and could hardly struggle up Every moment the danger increased. Drenched again.
and
chilled, the unfortunate
them on that day but a
men
glass of
had] nothing to comfort
rum and
the quarter of a
half-rotten bread-fruit.
During the next and following days not
improve.
The boat passed by a few
which several canoes put
Was
it
it
her
sails
behind.
to give chase, or to try
filled
with a
islands,
from
off.
would be imprudent to
case
their condition did
fair
and barter
stop.
breeze,
The soon
?
In any
boat, therefore, left
them
far
Bligh's perilous voyage.
Page
256.
VOYAGE OF THE LONG BOAT.
On
the Qth of
May
257
again a terrible storm broke over
Thunder and lightning succeeded without
them.
The
tion.
violent storms of our climate
fail
impossible to dry their clothes.
plunging them
interrup
which even the most
rain fell with a force, of
to give an idea.
It
was
Bligh then thought of
and thus to impregnate them with salt, so as to bring back to the skin a little of the warmth carried away by the rain. These torrents of rain, into the sea,
much
however, which caused so
and
them other
his companions, spared
the tortures of
horrible,
suffering to the
thirst,
captain
still
more
which unbearable
heat
tortures
would soon have produced.
On
the morning of the i/th of May, after a frightful
gale, complaints became general. " shall never have strength to reach
We
"Wet
cried the unfortunate crew.
exhausted by rest
!
fatigue,
We are half dead
our rations, captain
do
fail
We
?
Holland
?
we
with hunger
we had
will it
you not increase
if
our provisions
New
" !
What
We
!
to run
are already
you
;
matters
rain,
have a moment's
can easily replace them on arriving at
" I refuse," replied Bligh. fools.
Holland,"
through by the
shall never
What
New
will find
when
That would be to
act like
have only crossed half the distance cast adrift to reach Australia,
discouraged it
"
!
Do you
think,
easy to obtain provisions
and you
besides,
that
on the coast of S
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
258
New
Holland
inhabitants
And soil,
You know
?
neither the country nor the
" !
Bligh described in a graphic
way
the nature of the
the manners and customs of the natives, the small
dependence
they must
on a
friendly reception,
that his voyage with
everything, indeed,
had taught him. For and were silenced. For the next
place
this
fifteen
Captain Cook
time his companions listened
days they were cheered by a
On
bright sun, which dried their clothes.
the 2/th they
crossed the reefs which border the eastern coast of
Holland.
The
was calm behind
sea
New and
this coral belt,
several groups of islands, covered with exotic vegetation,
rejoiced their sight.
They
landed, and advanced cautiously.
the natives did they find, except
some
No
signs of
traces of It
fires.
was, therefore, possible to pass a good night on shore.
But they had
to
sailors discovered
with a regular
game
great good luck one
of the
a bed of oysters, which furnished them
Bligh found in the boat a magnifying
and a tinder-box.
to cook
By
feast.
The next day glass
eat.
or
This enabled them to procure
fire
fish.
Bligh then proposed to divide his crew into three parties
one to stay and put everything in order
two others to go and search
for food.
;
in the boat, the
But
several
men
VOYAGE OF THE LONG BOAT. complained
bitterly, declaring that
259
they would rather go
without their dinner than venture into the country.
One
more
of them,
companions, went so "
One man
as
is
good as another, and
!
Bligh,
stop
to,
don't see
why
you are hungry go the good you do I
If
!
all
"
knowing that
this
mutinous
immediately seized a
Defend
I
!
at the rebel's feet, "
his
say to the captain
you should always take your ease For and get something to eat could do as well
more bold than
or
violent
far as to
spirit
must be put a
and throwing another
cutlass,
he exclaimed
yourself, or I will kill
you
like
a dog
" !
This energetic attitude soon brought the mutineer back
and the general discontent was calmed. During this rest the boat's crew collected an abundance of oysters and other shell-fish, as well as a supply of fresh to reason,
water.
A
little
further on, in the
Endeavour
Straits,
of two
detachments, sent out to chase tortoises and noddies species of sea-fowl), the
first
the second with only six noddies
taken
many more had
it
(a
returned with empty hands, ;
but they would have
not been for the obstinacy of one
of the hunters, who, straying from his comrades, frightened
This man acknowledged afterwards that he had managed to get hold of nine noddies, and had eaten them raw on the spot. the birds.
S 2
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
260
Without the food and
fresh water they found
on the
New, Holland, it is very certain that Bligh and As it was, they his companions would have perished. were in a most pitiable condition, so exhausted and coast of
emaciated as to resemble skeletons
rather than
living-
men.
The voyage
to Timor, through a little-known sea,
was
but a mournful repetition of the sufferings already endured
by these unfortunate men before they reached the coasts The only difference was that the of New Holland. strength of
without exception, was
all,
much
diminished.
In the course of a few days their legs became swollen, and while in this prostrate condition they were overwhelmed
with an incessant longing for sleep.
These symptoms,
was conjectured, foreboded a termination which could not be long
in
coming.
it
to their sufferings,
As soon
as Captain
symptoms he distributed and strove to inspire them
Bligh perceived these alarming
double rations to the weakest, with some hope.
At
last,
on the morning of the
1
2th of June, the coast of
Timor appeared, after a voyage of three thousand six hundred miles had been accomplished under the most frightful
and trying circumstances.
The English tion
at
recruit.
received an excessively sympathetic recep
Coupang
;
and remained there two
months to
Captain Bligh, having here purchased a small
VOYAGE OF THE LONG BOAT. schooner, sailed for Batavia, which place safety,
On at
and thence he embarked
for
The
endured
excited
recital
universal
of
was reached
in
England.
the I4th of March, 1790, the
Portsmouth.
26 1
deserted
the
sympathy
The Admiralty almost immediately
men landed
tortures
and
fitted
they had
indignation.
out the frigate
Pandora, of twenty-four guns, which, with a crew of a
hundred and sixty men, was sent out
in pursuit of the
mutineers of the Bounty.
We will now
see
what had become of them.
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY.'
262
CHAPTER
III.
THE MUTINEERS.
AFTER
Captain Bligh had been deserted in the open sea,
the Bounty set
Toubouai.
sail for Tahiti.
The
The same day
smiling aspect of this
she reached
little island,
sur
rounded by a belt of coral rocks, invited Christian to touch but the demonstrations of the inhabitants appearing too threatening, a landing was not effected.
there
;
On
the 6th of June, 1789, the anchor was dropped in
the roads of MatavaT.
Great was the surprise of the
Tahitians on recognising the Bounty. fell
in
The mutineers soon
with the natives, whose friendship they had gained
on a previous occasion, and to them they told a
story, into
which they took care to bring the name of Captain Cook, whom the Tahitians well remembered.
On
the 29th of June the mutineers departed for Toubouai
and began a search for some island out of the ordinary route of ships, where the soil was fertile enough to supply
The Bounty approaching
the shore.
Page
262.
THE MUTINEERS. them with
food,
and where they might
live
in security.
roved thus from one group of islands to another,
They
committing excesses of
was
263
rarely
more by the
all sorts,
to
sufficient
which Christian's authority Then, attracted once
prevent.
fertility of Tahiti,
and by the gentle and
easy nature of the inhabitants, they returned to the Bay of Matavai'. There two-thirds of the crew landed, but that
same evening the Bounty weighed anchor and disappeared, before the
men
suspected Christian of any intention of
going without them. Left to their
own
themselves without island.
resources,
much
the seamen
George Stewart and Peter
midshipmen
whom
established
regret in different parts of the
Christian
had
Hey wood,
the two
from
excepted
the
sentence pronounced against Bligh, and had brought in spite
of themselves, remained at Matavai' near the king
Tippao, whose
sister
Stewart soon afterwards
married.
Morrison and Milward joined the chief Peno, who received
them
well.
As
to the others they went inland,
and before
long took Tahitian wives.
and a mad fellow named Thompson, after having committed all sorts of crimes, came at last to blows. Churchill was killed in the struggle, and Thompson was Churchill
stoned to death by the natives.
Thus perished two
of the persons
greatest share in the mutiny.
The
who had taken
others,
the
on the contrary,
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
264
by
their
good
conduct,
endeared
themselves
to
the
Tahitians.
However, Morrison and Milward, always seeing chastise
ment suspended over in
their heads, could not live quietly
an island where they might be so easily discovered.
They, therefore, conceived the idea of building a schooner, in which to reach Batavia, there to conceal themselves in the midst of a civilised community.
With
eight of their
companions, having only a few ordinary carpenters' tools, they contrived, not without difficulty, to construct a small
which they called the Resolution, mooring her in a bay behind Venus Point but the impossibility of procuring sails prevented them from putting to sea. vessel,
;
All this time, strong in their innocence, Stewart cultivated a garden, and Peter vocabulary, which,
Heywood
later,
collected
materials for a
was of great assistance to the
English missionaries.
Eighteen months had thus passed away, when, on the 23rd of March, 1791, a vessel doubled Venus Point, and anchored
in
Matavai Bay.
pursuit of the mutineers
Heywood and
This was the Pandora, sent
in
by the English Admiralty.
Stewart hastened on board, declared their
names and rank, and said that they had taken no part in the mutiny; but they were not believed, and were imme diately put in irons, as were the rest of the
men found on made as
shore, without the least enquiry having been
THE MUTINEERS.
265
Loaded with
to the truth of their statements.
chains,
and
threatened that they would be shot should they converse the Tahitian language
in
among
themselves, they were
shut up in a cage eleven feet long, placed at the end of the quarter-deck, to which
the
name
On
some one versed
in
mythology gave
of Pandora's box.
the
I
Qth of May, the Resolution, which had been
provided with
and the Pandora, put
sails,
three months they cruised
among
For
to sea.
the Friendly
Isles,
where
was supposed that Christian and the rest of the mutineers had taken refuge. As the Resolution did not draw much it
was of great use
water, she
appeared near
remained
Chatham
in this cruise;
Island,
but she
dis
and although the Pandora
in the
neighbourhood for several days, nothing was ever again heard of her or of the five seamen by whom she was manned.
The Pandora was on prisoners, reef,
when,
in
her
Torres
BKCroft Lit***
way back Straits,
Europe with the she struck on a coral to
and went down with thirty-one of her own men, and
four of the mutineers.
The crew and island.
the prisoners
There the
under tents vertical sun,
;
officers
who escaped gained a sandy
and seamen sheltered themselves
but the mutineers, exposed to the heat of a
were obliged,
in order to obtain
a
little relief,
to bury themselves up to their necks in sand.
The castaways remained on
this islet for
some
days, and
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
266 then
all
reached Timor in the Pandora's boats, the
strict
watch kept over the mutineers, notwithstanding the fearful circumstances in which they were placed, never being for a
moment
relaxed.
Reaching England in the month of June, 1792, the mutineers were brought before a court-martial, presided over by Admiral Hood.
The
trial
lasted six days,
and
was terminated by the acquittal of four of the accused, and the condemnation to death of six others, for the crime of desertion and carrying off of the vessel given to their
Four of the condemned were hung on board a ship of war the two others, Stewart and Peter Heywood, whose innocence was at last acknowledged, were pardoned. charge.
;
But what had become of the Bounty ? wrecked with the last of the mutineers ? could
Had
she been
This no one
tell.
In iSi4,[twenty-five years after the scene with which this narrative commences, two English ships of war were cruising in Oceania, under the
command
They
archipelago, in sight of a mountainous
discovered
by him islet,
by
and volcanic
island,
Carteret in his voyage round the world, and
given the
name
of Pitcairn Island.
It
was a mere
almost without a shore, rising perpendicularly from
the sea, and clothed to
and
of Captain Staines.
found themselves to the south of the dangerous
bread-fruit trees.
its
summit with
forests of
palms
THE MUTINEERS.
267
This island had never before been visited
hundred miles 1
80
8'
from Tahiti,
west longitude;
it
25
4'
;
it
was twelve
south latitude, and
measured four miles and a
and only a mile and a half across No one knew what report Carteret
half in circumference, in its widest
part.
had given of
it.
Captain Staines resolved to survey
it,
and ascertain
if
a suitable place for landing existed.
On
approaching the shore, he was surprised at seeing huts, plantations, and on the beach, two natives, who, having
towards his
and
boat
a
launched
But
vessel.
skilfully
crossed the
his astonishment
when they addressed him
in
surf,
came
was boundless
excellent English with the
words "
you there may get on board !" Hullo,
!
Will you heave us a rope, that
we
Directly they reached the deck, the two sturdy rowers
were
surrounded
by
whelmed them with
"
are
wondering
questions.
they were interrogated
"Who
the
in
sailors,
who
over
Brought before the captain,
form
you?"
My name
is
Thursday October
Christian,
is Ned Young." These names told nothing to Captain
and
my
mate
here
far
"
Staines,
from thinking of the survivors of the Bounty.
How
long have you lived here ?"
who was
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
263 u
We were
"
How
"
am
I
born here."
old are you ?" five-and-twenty, and
Young
is
eighteen." "
"
Were your parents wrecked on this island ? The son of Fletcher Christian, for such the young man was, then gave Captain Staines the following narrative
On
leaving Tahiti, where he abandoned twenty-one of
his comrades, -of
who had on board an account
Christian,
Cartaret's voyage, steered towards Pitcairn Island, the
position of which appeared to
Twenty-eight
proposed.
the Bounty.
They were
him
suitable for the plan he
men now composed
the crew of
Fletcher Christian, the midshipman
Young, and seven seamen, six Tahitians, three with wives, a child of ten months old, and three men and six women, natives of Rouboua'f
The
first
.
care of
Christian
and
his
companions on
reaching Pitcairn had been to destroy the Bounty, so as
not to be discovered.
This, of course, prevented their leav
ing the island again, but
The
was necessary
establishment of the
without difficulty
was
it
their
little
for their safety.
colony was not
made
among persons whose only bond of union
common
crime.
Bloody quarrels soon broke out
between the Tahitians and the English. of the mutineers survived.
Christian
knife of one of the natives he
In 1794 only four
had
had brought
All the Tahitians had been massacred.
fallen
by the
to the island.
THE MUTINEERS. One
the English,
of
manufacturing brutalised
spirits
who had
threw himself from the top of a Another, in a
In
1
fit
discovered a
way
of
from the root of a plant, became in
by drunkenness, and,
the sailors,
269
a
cliff
fit
of delirium tremens,
into the sea.
of madness, attacked Young, and one of
named John Adams, was
obliged to
kill
him.
800 Young died from a violent attack of asthma.
John
Adams was
Remaining
then the sole survivor of the mutineers.
alone, with several
women and twenty
children,
the offspring of marriages between his shipmates and the natives,
the
character
He
complete change.
of
John
Adams
underwent
was then not more than
thirty-six
but during those years he had been present at so scenes of violence and bloodshed, he
nature under so
on
his conduct,
many
a ;
many
had seen human
sad aspects, that, on looking back
he became an altered man.
In the library of the Bounty, kept on the island, were a Bible and several Prayer-books.
them
frequently,
ful population,
principles, lator,
John Adams, who read
became converted, brought up the youth considered him as a father, in excellent
who
and became,
in the nature of things, the legis
the high priest, and, so to speak, the king of Pitcairn.
In However, up to 1814, his alarms had been constant. and the had four vessel a approached Pitcairn, 1795, survivors of the Bounty hid themselves in inaccessible woods,
not daring to descend to the bay until after the departure
THE MUTINEERS OF THE "BOUNTY."
2/O
John Adams acted in the same way, when, in an American 1808, captain landed on the island, from which he carried off a chronometer and a compass, which of the ship.
he sent to the British Admiralty
;
but the Admiralty were
not affected at the sight of these relics of the Bounty, there being something more important to think of in Europe just at that time.
Such was the
narrative given to Captain Staines
by the
two
natives, English on their father's side, one the son of but when Captain Christian, the other the son of Young ;
Staines asked to see John
come on
board, until
Adams, the latter refused to he knew how he was likely to be
treated.
The John
two young men that as twenty-five years had passed
captain, having assured the
Adams was
since the
safe,
mutiny of the Bounty, went on shore, where he
was received by a population composed of forty-six All were tall and and a large number of children.
adults,
strong,
of a clearly-marked English type, the girls especially being pretty, the
remarkably
modesty of
their
manners making
them altogether charming.
The laws character.
in
On
force in the island
a register was noted
were of the simplest that each one gained
all
by his work. Money was unknown, all transactions being made by means of exchange but there was no manufactory, ;
as no materials were to be had.
For clothing the inhabitants
THE MUTINEERS. wore large hats and belts of grass. Fishing and agriculture were their principal occupations. Marriages were only
made with
the permission of
Adams, and when the man
had cleared and planted ground
sufficient for the
support
of his future family.
Captain Staines, having collected
much
curious informa
tion relating to this island, thus long concealed from the civilised Pacific,
world
put to
the
in
sea,
most
and returned
unfrequented
by
He
the
to Europe.
Adams has terminated
Since that time the venerable John his checkered career.
part of
died in 1829, and was replaced
who
the Reverend John Nobbs,
island the functions of pastor, doctor,
then
fulfilled in
the
and schoolmaster.
In 1853, the descendants of the mutineers of the Bounty
numbered a hundred and seventy individuals. Since then the population had increased and become so numerous that, three years later,
it
was decided
to
remove a number to
Norfolk Island, which until then had been used for convicts.
But the party of emigrants regretted Pitcairn so much, although Norfolk was four times larger, its soil remarkable for its richness,
and
living there
was
far easier, that after a
couple of years' stay, several families returned to Pitcairn,
where they continue to prosper. Such was the issue of an adventure which had begun
in
so tragic a way.
At
first,
mutineers, murderers,
madmen, and now, under
2/2
THE MUTINEERS OF THE
the influence of Christian morals, and instruction given
a poor converted
sailor,
Pitcairn Island has
fatherland of a gentle, hospitable, and
among whom
are
happy population,
found the primitive manners of the
patriarchal ages.
LONDON
:
by
become the
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