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Rh took no notice of me, and in their sorrow must have forgotten my existence.

Suddenly, without the slightest warning, a sound as of a thousand cannons broke on our ears.

The earth shook with such force that numbers were thrown off their feet on to the ground.

With a yell that was nearly drowned by the noise of the falling rocks, they rushed from the cave in a struggling mass.

One only remained—a servant the white female had given to me.

He took up a position near the body, and was so wrapt up in his sorrows that he did not seem to pay any attention to the shaking of the earth.

After a few seconds it shook with redoubled violence.

The walls of the cave swayed to and fro, large pieces of rock broke from them, and some fell close to where I was lying.

I jumped up and ran to the opening, but could go no further.

A large stream of lava coming from the direction of the crater flowed between me and the large cave. In the cave I could see hundreds of the creatures running hither and thither in the most aimless manner, their crying and shrieking being heartrending.

There was no chance of getting to the other side,