The Fugitives: The Tyrant Queen of Madagascar Part 43

Next moment Razafil went shooting down headlong into the abyss. There was a projecting ledge of rock about fifty feet down the precipice. On this the body of the martyr struck, and, bounding off into s.p.a.ce, reached the bottom with incredible violence, a shattered and mangled heap.

With trembling hearts and straining gaze the other victims watched the descent. It seemed to be more than human nature could endure to voluntarily face such a fate when a word would deliver them. So thought many of the spectators, and they were right; mere human nature could not have endured it, but these Christians were strengthened in a way that the unG.o.dly will neither believe nor understand. One by one they were led to the edge of the cliff, suspended over the edge, and had the testing-question put to them, and, one by one, the answer was a decisive "No!"

But where was the tyrant Queen while this scene of butchery was being enacted? In her chamber in the palace--comparatively, yet not altogether, regardless of the matter.

Her son Rakota stood beside her. Our friend the Secretary stood at the door.

"Mother," said the Prince, quietly, "they are being hurled down now--and little Ra-Ruth is among them."

The Queen looked up, startled. "No, no!" she said, hesitatingly.

"Ra-Ruth must not--but--but--I must not seem to my people to be weak-- yet I would save her."

Rakota gave a gentle nod to the Secretary, who instantly vanished. He reached the place of execution only just in time. The rope was already round the girl's slender waist, and the testing-question had been put-- but her timidity had flown, and was replaced by a calm, almost angelic, expression, as she gazed up to Heaven, clasped her hands, and, with a flush of enthusiasm, exclaimed--

"No--Jesus--no, I will _never_ cease to wors.h.i.+p Thee!"

A murmur of mingled surprise and pity broke from the crowd. At that moment the Secretary came forward.

"The Queen," he said, "has sent me to ask you, Ra-Ruth, whether you will not wors.h.i.+p our G.o.ds and save your life."

"No," answered the girl, firmly. "I have been weak--a coward--but now G.o.d has sent me strength by His own Holy Spirit, and my fixed determination is to go this day with my dear brothers and sisters to Heaven."

"You are a fool! You are _mad_!" exclaimed an officer standing by, as he struck her on the head.

"Yes, she is _mad_," said the Secretary to the officer in command.

"Send a messenger to tell the Queen that Ra-Ruth has lost her reason.

Meanwhile, let her be taken away and guarded well till the Queen's pleasure regarding her is known."

But although this poor girl was thus s.n.a.t.c.hed from death at the last moment, no mercy was extended to the others. All were thrown over the cliff and dashed to pieces at that time except Ramatoa. When the question was put to her, last of all, she, as might have been expected, was not less firm in her reply than her companions; but, instead of being thrown over, she was informed that as it was not allowable to shed the blood of one of n.o.ble birth she was to be burnt alive!

At this dreadful announcement she turned paler than before, but did not flinch. At the same moment poor Mamba lost control of himself. He sprang to her side, put an arm round her waist, and shouted--

"This shall not be! I, too, am a praying man. Ye shall not touch her!"

He glared fiercely round, and, for a moment, the soldiers did not dare to approach him, although he was totally unarmed. But they sprang on him from behind, and he was quickly overpowered by numbers. At the command of their officer, they tore him from Ramatoa, carried him to the cliff, and hurled him over. His head struck the ledge, and his brains were dashed out there. Next moment he lay dead among the rocks at the bottom.

This awful sight Ramatoa was spared, for, at the same instant, they had dragged her away to the spot where a pile of wood had been prepared for herself. Four stakes were fixed in the midst of the pile, as three other Christian n.o.bles were to be burnt along with her, one of whom was a lady. While Ramatoa watched the preparations for her death, her fellow-sufferers arrived--singing, as they walked, a hymn which begins with, "When our hearts are troubled," and ends with, "Then remember us."

Ramatoa raised her voice and joined them. There was no wavering or shrinking from the fiery ordeal. When all was ready the martyrs quietly suffered themselves to be bound to the stakes, and, strange to say, when the flames roared around them, the song of praise still went on, and the voices of praise and prayer did not cease until they had culminated in glad shouts of praise and victory before the throne of G.o.d!

We write facts just now, reader, not fiction! Men talk of the cruelty of devils! a.s.suredly there is not a devil in or out of h.e.l.l who can sink to lower depths of cruelty than fallen man will sink to when left to the unrestrained influence of that hateful thing--_sin_--from which Jesus Christ came to deliver us, blessed be _His_ name!

It is said that while these four martyrs were being fastened to the stakes, an immense triple-arched rainbow stretched across the heavens, one end of which appeared to rest upon them, and that rain fell in torrents. This so terrified many of the spectators, that they fled in consternation from the scene.

But the cup of iniquity was not yet filled up. While the martyrs were still in the fire, and praying, "O Lord, receive our spirits, and lay not this sin to their charge," a shouting yelling band arrived, dragging after them the corpses of the men and women who had perished at the Place of Hurling Down. These were tossed upon the pile to serve as fuel to the fire. The poor unrecognisable remains of Mamba were among them; and thus, even in their death, he and Ramatoa were not divided!

At this time of terrible suffering and trial--as in the previous persecutions during the reign of this tyrant queen--hundreds of Christians willingly submitted to the loss of position, wealth, and liberty for the sake of Jesus, besides those who witnessed a good confession, and sealed their testimony with their blood. Thirty-seven native preachers, with their wives and families, were consigned to a life of slavery. More than a hundred men and women were flogged and sentenced to work in chains during their lives. Some were heavily fined, and many among the "great and n.o.ble" were stripped of honours and t.i.tles, reduced to the ranks, and forced to labour at the hardest and most menial occupation.

Among these last was Prince Ramonja, who had been the means of sheltering, secreting, and saving many Christians. Fortunately Prince Rakota retained his influence over his mother, and his power to do good--a circ.u.mstance for which our three adventurers had ultimately reason to thank G.o.d, though, for a considerable time after that, they remained in prison, in company with their friends Ravonino, Voalavo, Laihova, and others.

These last were not delivered from their chains, but lived in hourly expectation of being led out to execution. After Ra-Ruth's removal, Laihova was at first overwhelmed with despair, but when a friendly jailor informed him of her having been spared under the supposition that she was insane, hope revived a little, though he could not help seeing that the prospect ahead was still very black.

Another prisoner who was inconsolable was poor Reni-Mamba. From the time that she was told of her son's fate she seemed to sink into a state of quiet imbecility, from which no efforts of her friends could rouse her. She did not murmur or complain. She simply sat silent and callous to everything around her. She, Rafaravavy, Sarah, and the other females, were removed to another prison, and for a long time their male friends could learn nothing as to their fate.

"It is this prolonged uncertainty that's so hard to bear," remarked Ravonino to Mark one day, lifting his hands high above his head, and letting them fall, with the clanking chains, into his lap.

"True, true," replied the youth, shortly--for confinement was beginning to tell unfavourably on himself.

"Das w'ere it is," remarked Ebony, endeavouring to brighten up a little, but with only moderate success, "it's sottin still an' doin' nuffin dat kills. What you tink, 'Ockins?"

"Ay, ay," a.s.sented the seaman; and as for a long time nothing more than "ay, ay," had been got out of Hockins, Ebony relapsed into silence.

Things had reached this lugubrious pa.s.s when an event occurred which materially affected the condition of the prisoners, and considerably altered the history of Madagascar.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

THREATENED DEATH AVERTED--BURIED ALIVE--END OF THE TYRANT QUEEN--REVOLT CRUSHED AND RADAMA THE SECOND CROWNED.

One morning, shortly after sunrise, Mark was awakened by the entrance of their jailor. By that time he had grown so accustomed to clanking chains, shooting bolts, and such-like sounds, that he looked up sleepily and without much interest, but a thrill or qualm pa.s.sed through him when he observed that the jailor was followed by Hater of Lies with his silver spear.

Still more were he and his awakened comrades horrified when the names of Ravoninohitriniony and Voalavo were sternly called out. Both men promptly stood up.

"At last!" said the former, quietly, and without a trace of excitement.

"Well, I am glad, for it is the Lord's will. Farewell, my friends," he added, looking back as he was led away, "we shall all meet again in great joy--farewell!"

Evidently Voalavo did not take things so quietly. His lips were firmly compressed, his face was deeply flushed, and his brows were sternly contracted, as they led him out. But for his chains the chief would certainly have given his jailors some trouble.

The whole thing pa.s.sed so quickly that it seemed to those left behind like a dream when they found themselves alone. Ebony sat down, put his face on his knees, and fairly burst into tears.

"Oh! Lord," he sobbed, "send 'em quick for me, an' let's hab it ober!"

It seemed as if the poor fellow's prayer was about to be answered, for again the door opened, and the Secretary entered.

"Be not afraid," he said, observing their alarm, "I come not to summon you to death, but to ask you, doctor, to come and see the Queen--she is ill."

"Oh! ma.s.sa, pison her! _Do_, ma.s.sa! n.o.body would call it murder," said the negro, with fervent entreaty.

Paying no attention to this advice, Mark followed the Secretary, and the bolts were again drawn on his friends.

He found Ranavalona suffering severely. Indeed, for some time previous to that her health had been failing, and she would gladly have had the advice of her Court Physician, but seemed to be ashamed to send for him after the way she had caused him to be treated. There is this to be said for her, that she would probably have liberated him long ago, but for the advice of her minister, Rainiharo, who was jealous of the young Englishman's growing popularity as well as a hater of his religion.

After prescribing for the Queen and affording her some relief, he gave orders that she should be kept very quiet; that no noise was to be permitted in or near the palace. Then he left her apartments with the Secretary.

As they traversed one of the corridors, the latter told Mark that the order had been given for the execution of Ravonino and Voalavo.

"Was that order given by the Queen?" demanded Mark, flus.h.i.+ng with indignation, while a gush of anxiety almost choked him.