Facing the Flag: Chapter 18

Chapter 18

ON BOARD THE "TONNANT."

After the failure of Lieutenant Davon's mission with the _Sword_, the
English authorities waited in vain for the expedition to return, and
the conviction at length gained ground that the bold sailors had
perished; but whether the _Sword_ had been lost by striking against
a rock or had been destroyed by Ker Karraje's pirates, could not, of
course, be ascertained.

The object of the expedition, based upon the indications of the
document found in the keg that was thrown up on the shore at St.
George, was to carry off Thomas Roch ere his engines were completed.
The French inventor having been recovered--without forgetting Engineer
Simon Hart--he was to be handed over to the care of the Bermudan
authorities. That done, there would be nothing to fear from his
fulgurator when the island was attacked.

When, however, the _Sword_ had been given up for lost, another
expedition of a different kind, was decided upon.

The time that had elapsed--nearly eight weeks--from the date of the
document found in the keg, had to be taken into consideration. It
was thought that during the interval, Ker Karraje might have gained
possession of Roch's secrets.

An _entente_ concluded between the maritime powers, resulted in the
sending of five warships to Bermudan waters. As there was a vast
cavern inside Back Cup mountain, it was decided to attempt to bring
the latter down like the walls of a bastion, by bombarding it with
powerful modern artillery.

The squadron assembled at the entrance to the Chesapeake, in Virginia,
and sailed for the archipelago, which was sighted on the evening of
November 17.

The next morning the vessel selected for the first attack, steamed
forward. It was about four and a half miles from the island, when
three engines, after passing the vessel, swerved round and exploded
about sixty yards from her. She sank immediately.

The effect of the explosion, which was superior to any previously
obtained by new explosives, was instantaneous. Even at the distance
they were from the spot where it occurred, the four remaining ships
felt the shock severely.

Two things were to be deduced from this sudden catastrophe:

1.--The pirate Ker Karraje was in possession of Roch's fulgurator.

2.--The new engine possessed the destructive power attributed to it by
its inventor.

After the disappearance of the unfortunate cruiser, the other vessels
lowered boats to pick up a few survivors who were clinging to the
floating wreckage.

Then it was that the signals were exchanged and the warships started
towards the island.

The swiftest of them, the _Tonnant_, a French cruiser, forged ahead
while the others forced their draught in an effort to catch up with
her.

The _Tonnant_, at the risk of being blown to pieces in turn,
penetrated the danger zone half a mile, and then ran up her flag while
manoeuvring to bring her heavy guns into action.

From the bridge the officers could see Ker Karraje's band scattered on
the rocks of the island.

The occasion was an excellent one for getting a shot at them before
the bombardment of their retreat was begun, and fire was opened with
the result that the pirates made a rush to get into the cavern.

A few minutes later there was a shock terrific enough to shake the sky
down.

Where the mountain had been, naught but a heap of smoking, crumbling
rocks was to be seen. Back Cup had become a group of jagged reefs
against which the sea, that had been thrown back like a gigantic tidal
wave, was beating and frothing.

What was the cause of the explosion?

Had it been voluntarily caused by the pirates when they realized that
escape was impossible?

The _Tonnant_ had not been seriously damaged by the flying rocks. Her
boats were lowered and made towards all that was left of Back Cup.

The landing parties explored the ruins, and found a few horribly
mangled corpses. Not a vestige of the cavern was to be seen.

One body, and one only, was found intact. It was lying on the
northeast side of the reefs. In one hand, tightly clasped, was a
note-book, the last line of which was incomplete.

A close examination showed that the man was still breathing. He
was conveyed on board the _Tonnant_, where it was learned from the
note-book that he was Simon Hart.

For some time his life was despaired of, but he was eventually brought
round, and from the answers made to the questions addressed to him the
following conclusion was reached:

Moved to his very soul at the sight of the tricolor flag, being at
last conscious of the crime of _l�se-patrie_ he was about to commit,
Thomas Roch rushed through the passage to the magazine where a
considerable quantity of his explosive was stored. Then, before
he could be prevented, brought about the terrible explosion which
destroyed the island of Back Cup.

And now Ker Karraje and his pirates have disappeared--and with them
Thomas Roch and the secret of his invention.

THE END.

End of the Voyage Extraordinaire

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