04 The Head Girl of the Chalet School (29 page)

She knew of the great salt-mines in the Salzburg district at Hall, nearer to Innsbruck. It was evident that this was a kind of offshoot from them, and, if that was so, then these caves would be of even more value to the people than Joey had imagined. She wondered where her strange host was, and glanced round. He had stolen on noiseless feet to a nearby pillar, and was standing there, watching her with a child-like smile of benevolence.

“I wish to go farther,” she said in halting German, forcing her lips to utter the words.

He shook his head. “But no, gracious lady. That may not be. This is your home, little princess, and here you must dwell till the queen come to you. But have no fear! I, Sigismund Arnolfi, will guard you, and keep all harm from you. Does the gracious lady will that I sing for her?”

Terrified lest she should arouse his anger, Cornelia agreed, and the strange creature took her hand in a claw-like grasp, and led her back to the throne, on which he seated her. Then from some niche he took down a zither, and, running his fingers across the strings, sounded a shower of silvery notes which the echoes took up, returning them in an elfin chorus of beauty which would have enchanted the child had she heard it under other circumstances. As it was, she had to clench her hands and set her teeth to keep herself from springing up and screaming.

The old man paid no heed to her. He lifted up his voice, and howled – no other word will describe the sounds he made! – a song about a beautiful lady and her true knight up to the vaulted roof. It was terrible; and the mocking echoes made it far worse. When he had finished it he started another, and he went on singing – or howling – for nearly two hours. After that he advanced once more to the throne, picked up the child, and, carrying her over to the heap of deer-skins on which she had wakened, laid her down.

“My little princess looks weary and must sleep,” he said, covering her over very gently; but there was a strength in his hands which the terrified child sensed rather than felt. She dared not dispute him. She lay submissive still, and when he had attended to the torches, and replaced those which were flickering to their death with fresh ones, he went and lay down himself before an opening which she rightly guessed to be the entrance from the passage. He was asleep in a minute, and his snores resounded through the cave. Cornelia waited a full half-hour. Then she got up cautiously, slipped off her shoes, and, carrying them in her hand, went towards another opening she had noticed when she had been wandering round the cave before. She had just reached it, when she suddenly heard a wild yell of rage, and, looking back, she saw him leaping across the floor to her. With a scream of uncontrollable terror she rushed through the entrance, and made off down a path which felt damp to her feet. She tore on, expecting every minute to feel his claw-like grasp on her shoulder. Suddenly, she crashed into something with stunning force. A blaze of stars followed; then thick darkness, and she knew no more.

HOW LONG she lay there unconscious, Cornelia never knew. She came to herself with a splitting headache, to find that she was very damp, and in a thick darkness that frightened her. She tried to get up, but her legs gave way under her, and her head throbbed so sickeningly that she was thankful to lie back again.

She wondered, half-dazedly, how long she would have to be there before help came. Mercifully for her, she never doubted but that help would come, sooner or later. She guessed that the school would be frantic about her being lost, and she had a hazy recollection of the fact that Rufus had helped to track the Robin. He would help to find her, and then she would be taken back to the Chalet School. Once there, she would honestly behave herself, and be as good as she knew how.

“I’d just despise to be anything else!” she thought to herself. “Oh, I wish my head would stop aching for a bit! How cold and damp it is! There must be a fog!”

By this time she was half-delirious, and had no idea that she was talking aloud. It never crossed her mind to wonder why “Herr Arnolfi” hadn’t come on her. She had forgotten all about him. By-and-bye she fell into an uneasy slumber, in which she tossed and moaned, talking at intervals in rapid undertones.

It was a mercy for her that help was very near. At the moment when she had been making her effort to escape, Grizel, Joey, and Friedel von Gluck were entering the cleft in the mountain-side, and the young man was fastening one end of the first of the enormous balls of string which they had brought to a bush just outside. All three had torches, and all three had spare batteries with them. Friedel carried a tiny flask of brandy in one pocket and some bandages in the other, though the girls knew nothing of these. Time enough to tell them when they were needed, he thought. Joey had stuffed her pockets full of ripe gooseberries, which she had snatched from a dish in the
Speisesaal
, and Grizel had grabbed up some of
Butterbrod
which Friedel had left from his hasty meal.

It was an easy journey till they came to the cross-roads, but there they paused. Which way would the child have taken? The two Guides hunted round for some sign, and Grizel uttered a sigh of relief when she found a small piece of apple-peeling, which Cornelia had dropped as she walked. “Here it is! This is the way she has gone!” she cried.

Friedel von Gluck was at her side at once. “You will pardon that I lead the way,
mein
Fraulein
? It is
necessary
!”

Grizel stared at him, but she squeezed herself against the wall and let him pass her. Then it suddenly struck her that he feared lest the lunatic might he there with Cornelia, and, recognising her as the saviour of the Robin, harm her. Meekly she followed him, insisting on Jo keeping behind her.

“It’s – horribly dark!” said the latter impressionable young lady, with a shudder. “Don’t get too far ahead, Grizel.”

“All right, old thing,” replied Grizel gently. “Grab my coat, and we’ll keep together.”

At this point the young captain stopped, and demanded another ball of string. Grizel produced it, and rapidly knotted the two ends together with a reef-knot. Then they went on.

“We’re going downhill,” said Joey in low tones presently.

“I know,” murmured the head-girl in reply. “I’m certain now that Margia was right, and this is the way to the caves. I only hope we’ve enough string to last us!”

“Pardon that I ask that you do not talk,” said their leader, stopping and turning round. “We cannot know how sound will carry in this place.”

There was common sense in what he said, and they were silent as they went on. Presently they came to the place where Cornelia had lain down to rest, and here they had proof of the fact that she was here, for on the ground was her torch, just as it had fallen from her relaxed grip when she had gone to sleep. Friedel von Gluck picked it up and examined it. Her name was on a narrow band of silver round it, so there was no more doubt.

“Thank goodness!” thought Grizel. “But what a little ass!”

The path had been going steadily downhill for some time, but now they found that it took a sharp turn upwards, and went on at a fairly steep gradient. Both girls were tired and the young captain was weary, too, for he had been out nearly all day hunting for the missing child. Their progress was slow, and Grizel, glancing round, was rather horrified at Jo’s white face. They did not dare to pause, however. None of them could help thinking of the maniac who had tried to kidnap the Robin those few short months ago.

Suddenly Herr von Gluck gave vent to a low exclamation and stopped. The girls stopped too, and crowded up to him. “There is a light ahead!” he said, pointing.

They looked. Yes; it was true. A faint glow straight ahead of them told them that the first part of their journey was at an end. Rapidly the captain gave them their orders. They were to follow him till he said

“Stop!” Then they were to stay where they were till they heard him call “Come! ” If he called “Run!” they were to turn and run as quickly as they could till they came to the cross-roads. There they were to turn to the right, extinguishing their torches, and go a little way down. If he did not come soon after that, they were to listen for sounds, and, if all was quiet, to go back and follow the string till they got outside, where they were to go straight back to meet the search-party he felt sure would he hastening after them even now, and warn them that there was danger from the madman. He made them repeat his orders, and then exacted from them a promise on their honour as Guides that they would be obedient. After that he led them on for another ten minutes. Then, short and sharp, came the order to stop. They stopped instantly, and he went on, while they crouched down by the wall, fearful of some unseen danger.

Jo was praying to herself very softly, but Grizel heard her. “Our Father Who art in Heaven, oh save us all from danger, and bring us safe back to the Chalet!”

The elder girl bent back her heard. “Joey, let’s say the ‘Lighten our darkness’,” she whispered.

Jo began at once, and the murmured sound of the words strengthened them. Never had they put so much prayer into the words “and defend us from all perils and dangers of this night” before. They felt that there might be such dreadful peril and danger for them all. When they had finished, Grizel put her arm round Jo, and held her close.

“I’ve tried!” she said. “You’ll tell Madame, Joey.”

“Yes,” said Jo, “but I don’t think there’ll be any need, Grizel.”

A long silence followed. Then Jo suddenly turned towards the elder girl. “Death – is just falling asleep to wake with God,” she said softly.

“I know, Joey. It’s just the memory of Madame’s words that is helping me now.”

Then they turned and faced what might be coming, calm with that thought.

Suddenly a call of “Come!” sounded through the passage. They started to their feet and bolted along to the glow. Suddenly they came on the great salt cave which had so filled Cornelia with wonder some hours since. The torches “Herr Arnolfi” had lit were beginning to die, but there was still enough light for them to see the glistening crystals, and Jo uttered an exclamation of admiration. In the centre of the cave, before a huge pillar, Herr von Gluck was kneeling beside a dark heap. He seemed to be laying something white over part of it. Even as they looked he crossed himself and bent his head. A horrible fear that it was Cornelia, and that she was dead, came to Jo, and she swayed against Grizel, who caught her. “No, Joey! It’s too big!” cried the elder girl. “It must be the lunatic.”

Friedel von Gluck, his brief prayer for the repose of the poor lost soul ended, rose to his feet. “It is safe now,” he said gravely. “He died in my arms just before I called you. He says that the child ran away down the path that leads to the other caves – she is somewhere down there, and I am going to find her. Will you be afraid to stay here while I seek for her? I will not be long. He said he thought he heard her stumble, but he fell himself, and broke his leg in falling, or he would have gone to her. He struck his own head, and the double shock is what has killed him. He was very old, and I gather that his heart was not right. His senses had come back at the last, and he was able to tell me so much. Will you stay here, dear children, while I bring the other little one? You might say a prayer for the repose of his soul.”

Grizel nodded. “Yes; we will stay. Go quickly and get Cornelia, please. Come, Joey; we will go over there to those skins, and wait.” She led Joey to the heap of deer-skins on which poor Cornelia had lain, and made her lie down in her arms. Herr von Gluck saw that they were all right, and went off on his final quest. Grizel held Joey close.

“Poor old thing!” said the younger girl. “I am glad he is dead, Grizel!”

“So am I,” said Grizel. Then she added softly, “He has fallen asleep to wake with God.”

They lay there quietly, and presently both fell asleep. Friedel found them like that when he came back to the salt cave, carrying Cornelia, who was now in a heavy stupor. He did not wake them, but he laid the other child down beside them, and proceeded to bind up the nasty cut on her forehead, after scraping some salt from one of the pillars and rubbing it in. It was spartan treatment, but the best antiseptic he had at hand. The smarting of the salt on the open wound brought Cornelia to her senses, and she sat up with a low cry which awakened the other two. “Oh, where are we?” she wailed. “What has happened? And oh, my head does hurt so!”

“It’s all right, old thing,” said Jo soothingly. “You’re quite safe, and we’re here with you. You must have banged your head a bit.”

“But the madman!” cried Cornelia. “Oh, he’ll come and kill us all!”

Friedel pointed to the still figure with his handkerchief over its face. “He will never hurt anyone again,” he said gently. “He is dead.” Then he stripped off his coat and gave it to Grizel. “Her clothes are damp – that is a wet place. Undress her, and put that on her. Then I will wrap her up in one of the skins, and we must get her home as quickly as possible.”

He moved over to the other side of the cave, out of sight, and they undressed her, and wrapped her in the coat. Grizel took off her own frock, and put that on her, too. Then they called to him, and he came and rolled her in one of the deer-skins. Just as he was about to lift her, they heard the tread of many feet and the sound of voices. Lights showed at the entrance from the passage, and a throng of people poured into the cave.

Mademoiselle was there, and Miss Maynard and Miss Durrant. Good Herr Braun from the Kron Prinz Karl, Dr. Jem, Herr August, and – Joey rubbed her eyes in amazement, but it really was – Herr Anserl, looking more like a shaggy bear than ever, with his long hair all tangled and untidy. There was also a big man who seemed to he vaguely familiar, and two or three others, who were armed with ropes and pickaxes. But she heeded none of them. Like a flash she had run across the floor, and was in her brother-in-law’s arms. “Jem!

Is Madge all right? She doesn’t know?”

He caught her to him. “Jo! Thank God – thank God! No; she doesn’t know!”

“We’re all here,” went on Joey, “only Cornelia has hurt her head. Herr Friedel has tied it up.”