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The Mysterious Island=
By
Jules Verne
Contents
PART
1--DROPPED FROM THE CLOUDS
PART 3 - THE SECRET O=
F THE
ISLAND
"Are we rising again?" "No. On =
the
contrary." "Are we descending?" "Worse than that, capta=
in!
we are falling!" "For Heaven's sake heave out the ballast!"
"There! the last sack is empty!" "Does the balloon rise?&quo=
t; "No!"
"I hear a noise like the dashing of waves. The sea is below the car! It
cannot be more than 500 feet from us!" "Overboard with every weig=
ht!
... everything!"
Such were the loud and startling words which
resounded through the air, above the vast watery desert of the Pacific, abo=
ut
four o'clock in the evening of the 23rd of March, 1865.
Few can possibly have forgotten the terrible s=
torm
from the northeast, in the middle of the equinox of that year. The tempest
raged without intermission from the 18th to the 26th of March. Its ravages =
were
terrible in America, Europe, and Asia, covering a distance of eighteen hund=
red
miles, and extending obliquely to the equator from the thirty-fifth north
parallel to the fortieth south parallel. Towns were overthrown, forests
uprooted, coasts devastated by the mountains of water which were precipitat=
ed
on them, vessels cast on the shore, which the published accounts numbered by
hundreds, whole districts leveled by waterspouts which destroyed everything
they passed over, several thousand people crushed on land or drowned at sea;
such were the traces of its fury, left by this devastating tempest. It
surpassed in disasters those which so frightfully ravaged Havana and Guadal=
upe,
one on the 25th of October, 1810, the other on the 26th of July, 1825.
But while so many catastrophes were taking pla=
ce
on land and at sea, a drama not less exciting was being enacted in the agit=
ated
air.
In fact, a balloon, as a ball might be carried=
on
the summit of a waterspout, had been taken into the circling movement of a
column of air and had traversed space at the rate of ninety miles an hour,
turning round and round as if seized by some aerial maelstrom.
Beneath the lower point of the balloon swung a
car, containing five passengers, scarcely visible in the midst of the thick
vapor mingled with spray which hung over the surface of the ocean.
Whence, it may be asked, had come that playthi=
ng
of the tempest? From what part of the world did it rise? It surely could not
have started during the storm. But the storm had raged five days already, a=
nd
the first symptoms were manifested on the 18th. It cannot be doubted that t=
he
balloon came from a great distance, for it could not have traveled less than
two thousand miles in twenty-four hours.
At any rate the passengers, destitute of all m=
arks
for their guidance, could not have possessed the means of reckoning the rou=
te
traversed since their departure. It was a remarkable fact that, although in=
the
very midst of the furious tempest, they did not suffer from it. They were
thrown about and whirled round and round without feeling the rotation in the
slightest degree, or being sensible that they were removed from a horizontal
position.
Their eyes could not pierce through the thick =
mist
which had gathered beneath the car. Dark vapor was all around them. Such was
the density of the atmosphere that they could not be certain whether it was=
day
or night. No reflection of light, no sound from inhabited land, no roaring =
of
the ocean could have reached them, through the obscurity, while suspended in
those elevated zones. Their rapid descent alone had informed them of the
dangers which they ran from the waves. However, the balloon, lightened of h=
eavy
articles, such as ammunition, arms, and provisions, had risen into the high=
er
layers of the atmosphere, to a height of 4,500 feet. The voyagers, after ha=
ving
discovered that the sea extended beneath them, and thinking the dangers abo=
ve
less dreadful than those below, did not hesitate to throw overboard even th=
eir
most useful articles, while they endeavored to lose no more of that fluid, =
the
life of their enterprise, which sustained them above the abyss.
The night passed in the midst of alarms which
would have been death to less energetic souls. Again the day appeared and w=
ith
it the tempest began to moderate. From the beginning of that day, the 24th =
of
March, it showed symptoms of abating. At dawn, some of the lighter clouds h=
ad risen
into the more lofty regions of the air. In a few hours the wind had changed
from a hurricane to a fresh breeze, that is to say, the rate of the transit=
of
the atmospheric layers was diminished by half. It was still what sailors ca=
ll
"a close-reefed topsail breeze," but the commotion in the elements
had none the less considerably diminished.
Towards eleven o'clock, the lower region of the
air was sensibly clearer. The atmosphere threw off that chilly dampness whi=
ch
is felt after the passage of a great meteor. The storm did not seem to have
gone farther to the west. It appeared to have exhausted itself. Could it ha=
ve passed
away in electric sheets, as is sometimes the case with regard to the typhoo=
ns
of the Indian Ocean?
But at the same time, it was also evident that=
the
balloon was again slowly descending with a regular movement. It appeared as=
if
it were, little by little, collapsing, and that its case was lengthening an=
d extending,
passing from a spherical to an oval form. Towards midday the balloon was
hovering above the sea at a height of only 2,000 feet. It contained 50,000
cubic feet of gas, and, thanks to its capacity, it could maintain itself a =
long
time in the air, although it should reach a great altitude or might be thro=
wn
into a horizontal position.
Perceiving their danger, the passengers cast a=
way
the last articles which still weighed down the car, the few provisions they=
had
kept, everything, even to their pocket-knives, and one of them, having hois=
ted himself
on to the circles which united the cords of the net, tried to secure more
firmly the lower point of the balloon.
It was, however, evident to the voyagers that =
the
gas was failing, and that the balloon could no longer be sustained in the
higher regions. They must infallibly perish!
There was not a continent, nor even an island,
visible beneath them. The watery expanse did not present a single speck of
land, not a solid surface upon which their anchor could hold.
It was the open sea, whose waves were still
dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean, without any visible lim=
its,
even for those whose gaze, from their commanding position, extended over a
radius of forty miles. The vast liquid plain, lashed without mercy by the
storm, appeared as if covered with herds of furious chargers, whose white a=
nd disheveled
crests were streaming in the wind. No land was in sight, not a solitary ship
could be seen. It was necessary at any cost to arrest their downward course,
and to prevent the balloon from being engulfed in the waves. The voyagers
directed all their energies to this urgent work. But, notwithstanding their
efforts, the balloon still fell, and at the same time shifted with the grea=
test
rapidity, following the direction of the wind, that is to say, from the
northeast to the southwest.
Frightful indeed was the situation of these
unfortunate men. They were evidently no longer masters of the machine. All
their attempts were useless. The case of the balloon collapsed more and mor=
e.
The gas escaped without any possibility of retaining it. Their descent was =
visibly
accelerated, and soon after midday the car hung within 600 feet of the ocea=
n.
It was impossible to prevent the escape of gas=
, which
rushed through a large rent in the silk. By lightening the car of all the
articles which it contained, the passengers had been able to prolong their
suspension in the air for a few hours. But the inevitable catastrophe could
only be retarded, and if land did not appear before night, voyagers, car, a=
nd balloon
must to a certainty vanish beneath the waves.
They now resorted to the only remaining expedi=
ent.
They were truly dauntless men, who knew how to look death in the face. Not a
single murmur escaped from their lips. They were determined to struggle to =
the last
minute, to do anything to retard their fall. The car was only a sort of wil=
low
basket, unable to float, and there was not the slightest possibility of
maintaining it on the surface of the sea.
Two more hours passed and the balloon was scar=
cely
400 feet above the water.
At that moment a loud voice, the voice of a man
whose heart was inaccessible to fear, was heard. To this voice responded ot=
hers
not less determined. "Is everything thrown out?" "No, here a=
re
still 2,000 dollars in gold." A heavy bag immediately plunged into the
sea. "Does the balloon rise?" "A little, but it will not be =
long
before it falls again." "What still remains to be thrown out?&quo=
t;
"Nothing." "Yes! the car!" "Let us catch hold of t=
he
net, and into the sea with the car."
This was, in fact, the last and only mode of
lightening the balloon. The ropes which held the car were cut, and the ball=
oon,
after its fall, mounted 2,000 feet. The five voyagers had hoisted themselves
into the net, and clung to the meshes, gazing at the abyss.
The delicate sensibility of balloons is well
known. It is sufficient to throw out the lightest article to produce a
difference in its vertical position. The apparatus in the air is like a bal=
ance
of mathematical precision. It can be thus easily understood that when it is
lightened of any considerable weight its movement will be impetuous and sud=
den.
So it happened on this occasion. But after being suspended for an instant a=
loft,
the balloon began to redescend, the gas escaping by the rent which it was
impossible to repair.
The men had done all that men could do. No hum=
an
efforts could save them now.
They must trust to the mercy of Him who rules =
the
elements.
At four o'clock the balloon was only 500 feet
above the surface of the water.
A loud barking was heard. A dog accompanied the
voyagers, and was held pressed close to his master in the meshes of the net=
.
"Top has seen something," cried one =
of
the men. Then immediately a loud voice shouted,--
"Land! land!" The balloon, which the
wind still drove towards the southwest, had since daybreak gone a considera=
ble
distance, which might be reckoned by hundreds of miles, and a tolerably high
land had, in fact, appeared in that direction. But this land was still thir=
ty
miles off. It would not take less than an hour to get to it, and then there=
was
the chance of falling to leeward.
An hour! Might not the balloon before that be
emptied of all the fluid it yet retained?
Such was the terrible question! The voyagers c= ould distinctly see that solid spot which they must reach at any cost. They were ignorant of what it was, whether an island or a continent, for they did not know to what part of the world the hurricane had driven them. But they must reach this land, whether inhabited or desolate, whether hospitable or not.<= o:p>
It was evident that the balloon could no longer
support itself! Several times already had the crests of the enormous billows
licked the bottom of the net, making it still heavier, and the balloon only
half rose, like a bird with a wounded wing. Half an hour later the land was=
not
more than a mile off, but the balloon, exhausted, flabby, hanging in great
folds, had gas in its upper part alone. The voyagers, clinging to the net, =
were
still too heavy for it, and soon, half plunged into the sea, they were beat=
en
by the furious waves. The balloon-case bulged out again, and the wind, taki=
ng
it, drove it along like a vessel. Might it not possibly thus reach the land=
?
But, when only two fathoms off, terrible cries
resounded from four pairs of lungs at once. The balloon, which had appeared=
as
if it would never again rise, suddenly made an unexpected bound, after havi=
ng
been struck by a tremendous sea. As if it had been at that instant relieved=
of
a new part of its weight, it mounted to a height of 1,500 feet, and here it=
met
a current of wind, which instead of taking it directly to the coast, carrie=
d it
in a nearly parallel direction.
At last, two minutes later, it reproached
obliquely, and finally fell on a sandy beach, out of the reach of the waves=
.
The voyagers, aiding each other, managed to
disengage themselves from the meshes of the net. The balloon, relieved of t=
heir
weight, was taken by the wind, and like a wounded bird which revives for an
instant, disappeared into space.
But the car had contained five passengers, wit=
h a
dog, and the balloon only left four on the shore.
The missing person had evidently been swept of=
f by
the sea, which had just struck the net, and it was owing to this circumstan=
ce
that the lightened balloon rose the last time, and then soon after reached =
the land.
Scarcely had the four castaways set foot on firm ground, than they all,
thinking of the absent one, simultaneously exclaimed, "Perhaps he will=
try
to swim to land! Let us save him! let us save him!"
Those whom the hurricane had just thrown on th=
is
coast were neither aeronauts by profession nor amateurs. They were prisoner=
s of
war whose boldness had induced them to escape in this extraordinary manner.=
A hundred times they had almost perished! A
hundred times had they almost fallen from their torn balloon into the depth=
s of
the ocean. But Heaven had reserved them for a strange destiny, and after
having, on the 20th of March, escaped from Richmond, besieged by the troops=
of
General Ulysses Grant, they found themselves seven thousand miles from the =
capital
of Virginia, which was the principal stronghold of the South, during the
terrible War of Secession. Their aerial voyage had lasted five days.
The curious circumstances which led to the esc=
ape
of the prisoners were as follows:
That same year, in the month of February, 1865=
, in
one of the coups de main by which General Grant attempted, though in vain, =
to
possess himself of Richmond, several of his officers fell into the power of=
the
enemy and were detained in the town. One of the most distinguished was Capt=
ain
Cyrus Harding. He was a native of Massachusetts, a first-class engineer, to
whom the government had confided, during the war, the direction of the
railways, which were so important at that time. A true Northerner, thin, bo=
ny,
lean, about forty-five years of age; his close-cut hair and his beard, of w=
hich
he only kept a thick mustache, were already getting gray. He had one-of tho=
se
finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal, piercing
eyes, a serious mouth, the physiognomy of a clever man of the military scho=
ol.
He was one of those engineers who began by handling the hammer and pickaxe,=
like
generals who first act as common soldiers. Besides mental power, he also
possessed great manual dexterity. His muscles exhibited remarkable proofs of
tenacity. A man of action as well as a man of thought, all he did was witho=
ut
effort to one of his vigorous and sanguine temperament. Learned, clear-head=
ed,
and practical, he fulfilled in all emergencies those three conditions which
united ought to insure human success--activity of mind and body, impetuous
wishes, and powerful will. He might have taken for his motto that of Willia=
m of
Orange in the 17th century: "I can undertake and persevere even without
hope of success." Cyrus Harding was courage personified. He had been in
all the battles of that war. After having begun as a volunteer at Illinois,
under Ulysses Grant, he fought at Paducah, Belmont, Pittsburg Landing, at t=
he
siege of Corinth, Port Gibson, Black River, Chattanooga, the Wilderness, on=
the
Potomac, everywhere and valiantly, a soldier worthy of the general who said,
"I never count my dead!" And hundreds of times Captain Harding ha=
d almost
been among those who were not counted by the terrible Grant; but in these
combats where he never spared himself, fortune favored him till the moment =
when
he was wounded and taken prisoner on the field of battle near Richmond. At =
the
same time and on the same day another important personage fell into the han=
ds
of the Southerners. This was no other than Gideon Spilett, a reporter for t=
he
New York Herald, who had been ordered to follow the changes of the war in t=
he
midst of the Northern armies.
Gideon Spilett was one of that race of indomit=
able
English or American chroniclers, like Stanley and others, who stop at nothi=
ng
to obtain exact information, and transmit it to their journal in the shorte=
st possible
time. The newspapers of the Union, such as the New York Herald, are genuine
powers, and their reporters are men to be reckoned with. Gideon Spilett ran=
ked
among the first of those reporters: a man of great merit, energetic, prompt=
and
ready for anything, full of ideas, having traveled over the whole world,
soldier and artist, enthusiastic in council, resolute in action, caring nei=
ther
for trouble, fatigue, nor danger, when in pursuit of information, for himse=
lf
first, and then for his journal, a perfect treasury of knowledge on all sor=
ts
of curious subjects, of the unpublished, of the unknown, and of the impossi=
ble.
He was one of those intrepid observers who write under fire,
"reporting" among bullets, and to whom every danger is welcome.
He also had been in all the battles, in the fi=
rst
rank, revolver in one hand, note-book in the other; grape-shot never made h=
is
pencil tremble. He did not fatigue the wires with incessant telegrams, like
those who speak when they have nothing to say, but each of his notes, short=
, decisive,
and clear, threw light on some important point. Besides, he was not wanting=
in
humor. It was he who, after the affair of the Black River, determined at any
cost to keep his place at the wicket of the telegraph office, and after hav=
ing
announced to his journal the result of the battle, telegraphed for two hours
the first chapters of the Bible. It cost the New York Herald two thousand
dollars, but the New York Herald published the first intelligence.
Gideon Spilett was tall. He was rather more th=
an
forty years of age. Light whiskers bordering on red surrounded his face. His
eye was steady, lively, rapid in its changes. It was the eye of a man
accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene. Well built, he
was inured to all climates, like a bar of steel hardened in cold water.
For ten years Gideon Spilett had been the repo=
rter
of the New York Herald, which he enriched by his letters and drawings, for =
he
was as skilful in the use of the pencil as of the pen. When he was captured=
, he
was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle. The last w=
ords
in his note-book were these: "A Southern rifleman has just taken aim at
me, but--" The Southerner notwithstanding missed Gideon Spilett, who, =
with
his usual fortune, came out of this affair without a scratch.
Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett, who did not =
know
each other except by reputation, had both been carried to Richmond. The
engineer's wounds rapidly healed, and it was during his convalescence that =
he
made acquaintance with the reporter. The two men then learned to appreciate=
each
other. Soon their common aim had but one object, that of escaping, rejoining
Grant's army, and fighting together in the ranks of the Federals.
The two Americans had from the first determine=
d to
seize every chance; but although they were allowed to wander at liberty in =
the
town, Richmond was so strictly guarded, that escape appeared impossible. In=
the
meanwhile Captain Harding was rejoined by a servant who was devoted to him =
in
life and in death. This intrepid fellow was a Negro born on the engineer's
estate, of a slave father and mother, but to whom Cyrus, who was an
Abolitionist from conviction and heart, had long since given his freedom. T=
he
once slave, though free, would not leave his master. He would have died for
him. He was a man of about thirty, vigorous, active, clever, intelligent,
gentle, and calm, sometimes naive, always merry, obliging, and honest. His =
name
was Nebuchadnezzar, but he only answered to the familiar abbreviation of Ne=
b.
When Neb heard that his master had been made
prisoner, he left Massachusetts without hesitating an instant, arrived befo=
re
Richmond, and by dint of stratagem and shrewdness, after having risked his =
life
twenty times over, managed to penetrate into the besieged town. The pleasur=
e of
Harding on seeing his servant, and the joy of Neb at finding his master, can
scarcely be described.
But though Neb had been able to make his way i=
nto
Richmond, it was quite another thing to get out again, for the Northern
prisoners were very strictly watched. Some extraordinary opportunity was ne=
eded
to make the attempt with any chance of success, and this opportunity not on=
ly
did not present itself, but was very difficult to find.
Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic
operations. The victory of Petersburg had been very dearly bought. His forc=
es,
united to those of Butler, had as yet been unsuccessful before Richmond, and
nothing gave the prisoners any hope of a speedy deliverance.
The reporter, to whom his tedious captivity did
not offer a single incident worthy of note, could stand it no longer. His
usually active mind was occupied with one sole thought--how he might get ou=
t of
Richmond at any cost. Several times had he even made the attempt, but was
stopped by some insurmountable obstacle. However, the siege continued; and =
if
the prisoners were anxious to escape and join Grant's army, certain of the
besieged were no less anxious to join the Southern forces. Among them was o=
ne
Jonathan Forster, a determined Southerner. The truth was, that if the priso=
ners
of the Secessionists could not leave the town, neither could the Secessioni=
sts
themselves while the Northern army invested it. The Governor of Richmond fo=
r a
long time had been unable to communicate with General Lee, and he very much
wished to make known to him the situation of the town, so as to hasten the
march of the army to their relief. Thus Jonathan Forster accordingly concei=
ved the
idea of rising in a balloon, so as to pass over the besieging lines, and in
that way reach the Secessionist camp.
The Governor authorized the attempt. A balloon=
was
manufactured and placed at the disposal of Forster, who was to be accompani=
ed
by five other persons. They were furnished with arms in case they might hav=
e to
defend themselves when they alighted, and provisions in the event of their
aerial voyage being prolonged.
The departure of the balloon was fixed for the
18th of March. It should be effected during the night, with a northwest win=
d of
moderate force, and the aeronauts calculated that they would reach General
Lee's camp in a few hours.
But this northwest wind was not a simple breez=
e.
From the 18th it was evident that it was changing to a hurricane. The tempe=
st
soon became such that Forster's departure was deferred, for it was impossib=
le
to risk the balloon and those whom it carried in the midst of the furious e=
lements.
The balloon, inflated on the great square of
Richmond, was ready to depart on the first abatement of the wind, and, as m=
ay
be supposed, the impatience among the besieged to see the storm moderate was
very great.
The 18th, the 19th of March passed without any
alteration in the weather. There was even great difficulty in keeping the
balloon fastened to the ground, as the squalls dashed it furiously about.
The night of the 19th passed, but the next mor=
ning
the storm blew with redoubled force. The departure of the balloon was
impossible.
On that day the engineer, Cyrus Harding, was
accosted in one of the streets of Richmond by a person whom he did not in t=
he
least know. This was a sailor named Pencroft, a man of about thirty-five or
forty years of age, strongly built, very sunburnt, and possessed of a pair =
of bright
sparkling eyes and a remarkably good physiognomy. Pencroft was an American =
from
the North, who had sailed all the ocean over, and who had gone through every
possible and almost impossible adventure that a being with two feet and no
wings would encounter. It is needless to say that he was a bold, dashing
fellow, ready to dare anything and was astonished at nothing. Pencroft at t=
he
beginning of the year had gone to Richmond on business, with a young boy of
fifteen from New Jersey, son of a former captain, an orphan, whom he loved =
as
if he had been his own child. Not having been able to leave the town before=
the
first operations of the siege, he found himself shut up, to his great disgu=
st; but,
not accustomed to succumb to difficulties, he resolved to escape by some me=
ans
or other. He knew the engineer-officer by reputation; he knew with what
impatience that determined man chafed under his restraint. On this day he d=
id
not, therefore, hesitate to accost him, saying, without circumlocution,
"Have you had enough of Richmond, captain?"
The engineer looked fixedly at the man who spo=
ke,
and who added, in a low voice,--
"Captain Harding, will you try to
escape?"
"When?" asked the engineer quickly, =
and
it was evident that this question was uttered without consideration, for he=
had
not yet examined the stranger who addressed him. But after having with a
penetrating eye observed the open face of the sailor, he was convinced that=
he
had before him an honest man.
"Who are you?" he asked briefly.
Pencroft made himself known.
"Well," replied Harding, "and in
what way do you propose to escape?"
"By that lazy balloon which is left there
doing nothing, and which looks to me as if it was waiting on purpose for
us--"
There was no necessity for the sailor to finish
his sentence. The engineer understood him at once. He seized Pencroft by the
arm, and dragged him to his house. There the sailor developed his project,
which was indeed extremely simple. They risked nothing but their lives in i=
ts execution.
The hurricane was in all its violence, it is true, but so clever and daring=
an
engineer as Cyrus Harding knew perfectly well how to manage a balloon. Had =
he
himself been as well acquainted with the art of sailing in the air as he was
with the navigation of a ship, Pencroft would not have hesitated to set out=
, of
course taking his young friend Herbert with him; for, accustomed to brave t=
he
fiercest tempests of the ocean, he was not to be hindered on account of the
hurricane.
Captain Harding had listened to the sailor wit=
hout
saying a word, but his eyes shone with satisfaction. Here was the
long-sought-for opportunity--he was not a man to let it pass. The plan was
feasible, though, it must be confessed, dangerous in the extreme. In the ni=
ght,
in spite of their guards, they might approach the balloon, slip into the ca=
r,
and then cut the cords which held it. There was no doubt that they might be
killed, but on the other hand they might succeed, and without this
storm!--Without this storm the balloon would have started already and the
looked-for opportunity would not have then presented itself.
"I am not alone!" said Harding at la=
st.
"How many people do you wish to bring with
you?" asked the sailor.
"Two; my friend Spilett, and my servant
Neb."
"That will be three," replied Pencro=
ft;
"and with Herbert and me five. But the balloon will hold six--"
"That will be enough, we will go,"
answered Harding in a firm voice.
This "we" included Spilett, for the
reporter, as his friend well knew, was not a man to draw back, and when the
project was communicated to him he approved of it unreservedly. What astoni=
shed
him was, that so simple an idea had not occurred to him before. As to Neb, =
he
followed his master wherever his master wished to go.
"This evening, then," said Pencroft,
"we will all meet out there."
"This evening, at ten o'clock," repl=
ied
Captain Harding; "and Heaven grant that the storm does not abate before
our departure."
Pencroft took leave of the two friends, and returned to his lodging, where young Herbert Brown had remained. The courag= eous boy knew of the sailor's plan, and it was not without anxiety that he await= ed the result of the proposal being made to the engineer. Thus five determined= persons were about to abandon themselves to the mercy of the tempestuous elements!<= o:p>
No! the storm did not abate, and neither Jonat=
han
Forster nor his companions dreamed of confronting it in that frail car.
It would be a terrible journey. The engineer o=
nly
feared one thing; it was that the balloon, held to the ground and dashed ab=
out
by the wind, would be torn into shreds. For several hours he roamed round t=
he nearly-deserted
square, surveying the apparatus. Pencroft did the same on his side, his han=
ds
in his pockets, yawning now and then like a man who did not know how to kill
the time, but really dreading, like his friend, either the escape or
destruction of the balloon. Evening arrived. The night was dark in the extr=
eme.
Thick mists passed like clouds close to the ground. Rain fell mingled with
snow, it was very cold. A mist hung over Richmond. It seemed as if the viol=
ent
storm had produced a truce between the besiegers and the besieged, and that=
the
cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm. The streets of=
the
town were deserted. It had not even appeared necessary in that horrible wea=
ther
to place a guard in the square, in the midst of which plunged the balloon.
Everything favored the departure of the prisoners, but what might possibly =
be the
termination of the hazardous voyage they contemplated in the midst of the
furious elements?--
"Dirty weather!" exclaimed Pencroft,
fixing his hat firmly on his head with a blow of his fist; "but pshaw,=
we
shall succeed all the same!"
At half-past nine, Harding and his companions
glided from different directions into the square, which the gas-lamps,
extinguished by the wind, had left in total obscurity. Even the enormous
balloon, almost beaten to the ground, could not be seen. Independently of t=
he
sacks of ballast, to which the cords of the net were fastened, the car was =
held
by a strong cable passed through a ring in the pavement. The five prisoners=
met
by the car. They had not been perceived, and such was the darkness that they
could not even see each other.
Without speaking a word, Harding, Spilett, Neb,
and Herbert took their places in the car, while Pencroft by the engineer's
order detached successively the bags of ballast. It was the work of a few
minutes only, and the sailor rejoined his companions.
The balloon was then only held by the cable, a=
nd
the engineer had nothing to do but to give the word.
At that moment a dog sprang with a bound into =
the
car. It was Top, a favorite of the engineer. The faithful creature, having
broken his chain, had followed his master. He, however, fearing that its
additional weight might impede their ascent, wished to send away the animal=
.
"One more will make but little difference,
poor beast!" exclaimed Pencroft, heaving out two bags of sand, and as =
he
spoke letting go the cable; the balloon ascending in an oblique direction,
disappeared, after having dashed the car against two chimneys, which it thr=
ew
down as it swept by them.
Then, indeed, the full rage of the hurricane w=
as
exhibited to the voyagers. During the night the engineer could not dream of
descending, and when day broke, even a glimpse of the earth below was
intercepted by fog.
Five days had passed when a partial clearing
allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet, now lashed
into the maddest fury by the gale.
Our readers will recollect what befell these f=
ive
daring individuals who set out on their hazardous expedition in the balloon=
on
the 20th of March. Five days afterwards four of them were thrown on a desert
coast, seven thousand miles from their country! But one of their number was=
missing,
the man who was to be their guide, their leading spirit, the engineer, Capt=
ain
Harding! The instant they had recovered their feet, they all hurried to the
beach in the hopes of rendering him assistance.
The engineer, the meshes of the net having giv=
en
way, had been carried off by a wave. His dog also had disappeared. The fait=
hful
animal had voluntarily leaped out to help his master. "Forward,"
cried the reporter; and all four, Spilett, Herbert, Pencroft, and Neb,
forgetting their fatigue, began their search. Poor Neb shed bitter tears,
giving way to despair at the thought of having lost the only being he loved=
on earth.
Only two minutes had passed from the time when
Cyrus Harding disappeared to the moment when his companions set foot on the
ground. They had hopes therefore of arriving in time to save him. "Let=
us
look for him! let us look for him!" cried Neb.
"Yes, Neb," replied Gideon Spilett,
"and we will find him too!"
"Living, I trust!"
"Still living!"
"Can he swim?" asked Pencroft.
"Yes," replied Neb, "and beside=
s,
Top is there."
The sailor, observing the heavy surf on the sh=
ore,
shook his head.
The engineer had disappeared to the north of t=
he
shore, and nearly half a mile from the place where the castaways had landed.
The nearest point of the beach he could reach was thus fully that distance =
off.
It was then nearly six o'clock. A thick fog ma=
de
the night very dark. The castaways proceeded toward the north of the land o=
n which
chance had thrown them, an unknown region, the geographical situation of wh=
ich
they could not even guess. They were walking upon a sandy soil, mingled wit=
h stones,
which appeared destitute of any sort of vegetation. The ground, very unequal
and rough, was in some places perfectly riddled with holes, making walking
extremely painful. From these holes escaped every minute great birds of clu=
msy
flight, which flew in all directions. Others, more active, rose in flocks a=
nd
passed in clouds over their heads. The sailor thought he recognized gulls a=
nd
cormorants, whose shrill cries rose above the roaring of the sea.
From time to time the castaways stopped and
shouted, then listened for some response from the ocean, for they thought t=
hat
if the engineer had landed, and they had been near to the place, they would
have heard the barking of the dog Top, even should Harding himself have been
unable to give any sign of existence. They stopped to listen, but no sound
arose above the roaring of the waves and the dashing of the surf. The littl=
e band
then continued their march forward, searching into every hollow of the shor=
e.
After walking for twenty minutes, the four
castaways were suddenly brought to a standstill by the sight of foaming bil=
lows
close to their feet. The solid ground ended here. They found themselves at =
the extremity
of a sharp point on which the sea broke furiously.
"It is a promontory," said the sailo=
r;
"we must retrace our steps, holding towards the right, and we shall th=
us
gain the mainland."
"But if he is there," said Neb, poin=
ting
to the ocean, whose waves shone of a snowy white in the darkness. "Wel=
l,
let us call again," and all uniting their voices, they gave a vigorous
shout, but there came no reply. They waited for a lull, then began again; s=
till
no reply.
The castaways accordingly returned, following =
the
opposite side of the promontory, over a soil equally sandy and rugged. Howe=
ver,
Pencroft observed that the shore was more equal, that the ground rose, and =
he declared
that it was joined by a long slope to a hill, whose massive front he thought
that he could see looming indistinctly through the mist. The birds were less
numerous on this part of the shore; the sea was also less tumultuous, and t=
hey
observed that the agitation of the waves was diminished. The noise of the s=
urf
was scarcely heard. This side of the promontory evidently formed a semicirc=
ular
bay, which the sharp point sheltered from the breakers of the open sea. But=
to
follow this direction was to go south, exactly opposite to that part of the=
coast
where Harding might have landed. After a walk of a mile and a half, the sho=
re
presented no curve which would permit them to return to the north. This
promontory, of which they had turned the point, must be attached to the
mainland. The castaways, although their strength was nearly exhausted, still
marched courageously forward, hoping every moment to meet with a sudden ang=
le
which would set them in the first direction. What was their disappointment,
when, after trudging nearly two miles, having reached an elevated point
composed of slippery rocks, they found themselves again stopped by the sea.=
"We are on an islet," said Pencroft,
"and we have surveyed it from one extremity to the other."
The sailor was right; they had been thrown, no=
t on
a continent, not even on an island, but on an islet which was not more than=
two
miles in length, with even a less breadth.
Was this barren spot the desolate refuge of
sea-birds, strewn with stones and destitute of vegetation, attached to a mo=
re
important archipelago? It was impossible to say. When the voyagers from the=
ir
car saw the land through the mist, they had not been able to reconnoiter it
sufficiently. However, Pencroft, accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece
through the gloom, was almost certain that he could clearly distinguish in =
the
west confused masses which indicated an elevated coast. But they could not =
in
the dark determine whether it was a single island, or connected with others.
They could not leave it either, as the sea surrounded them; they must there=
fore
put off till the next day their search for the engineer, from whom, alas! n=
ot a
single cry had reached them to show that he was still in existence.
"The silence of our friend proves
nothing," said the reporter. "Perhaps he has fainted or is wounde=
d,
and unable to reply directly, so we will not despair."
The reporter then proposed to light a fire on a
point of the islet, which would serve as a signal to the engineer. But they
searched in vain for wood or dry brambles; nothing but sand and stones were=
to
be found. The grief of Neb and his companions, who were all strongly attach=
ed
to the intrepid Harding, can be better pictured than described. It was too =
evident
that they were powerless to help him. They must wait with what patience the=
y could
for daylight. Either the engineer had been able to save himself, and had
already found a refuge on some point of the coast, or he was lost for ever!=
The
long and painful hours passed by. The cold was intense. The castaways suffe=
red
cruelly, but they scarcely perceived it. They did not even think of taking a
minute's rest. Forgetting everything but their chief, hoping or wishing to =
hope
on, they continued to walk up and down on this sterile spot, always returni=
ng
to its northern point, where they could approach nearest to the scene of th=
e catastrophe.
They listened, they called, and then uniting their voices, they endeavored =
to
raise even a louder shout than before, which would be transmitted to a great
distance. The wind had now fallen almost to a calm, and the noise of the sea
began also to subside. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo.
Herbert directed Pencroft's attention to it, adding, "That proves that
there is a coast to the west, at no great distance." The sailor nodded;
besides, his eyes could not deceive him. If he had discovered land, however
indistinct it might appear, land was sure to be there. But that distant echo
was the only response produced by Neb's shouts, while a heavy gloom hung ov=
er
all the part east of the island.
Meanwhile, the sky was clearing little by litt=
le.
Towards midnight the stars shone out, and if the engineer had been there wi=
th
his companions he would have remarked that these stars did not belong to the
Northern Hemisphere. The Polar Star was not visible, the constellations were
not those which they had been accustomed to see in the United States; the S=
outhern
Cross glittered brightly in the sky.
The night passed away. Towards five o'clock in=
the
morning of the 25th of March, the sky began to lighten; the horizon still
remained dark, but with daybreak a thick mist rose from the sea, so that the
eye could scarcely penetrate beyond twenty feet or so from where they stood=
. At
length the fog gradually unrolled itself in great heavily moving waves.
It was unfortunate, however, that the castaways
could distinguish nothing around them. While the gaze of the reporter and N=
eb
were cast upon the ocean, the sailor and Herbert looked eagerly for the coa=
st in
the west. But not a speck of land was visible. "Never mind," said=
Pencroft,
"though I do not see the land, I feel it... it is there... there... as
sure as the fact that we are no longer at Richmond." But the fog was n=
ot
long in rising. It was only a fine-weather mist. A hot sun soon penetrated =
to
the surface of the island. About half-past six, three-quarters of an hour a=
fter
sunrise, the mist became more transparent. It grew thicker above, but clear=
ed
away below. Soon the isle appeared as if it had descended from a cloud, then
the sea showed itself around them, spreading far away towards the east, but
bounded on the west by an abrupt and precipitous coast.
Yes! the land was there. Their safety was at l=
east
provisionally insured. The islet and the coast were separated by a channel
about half a mile in breadth, through which rushed an extremely rapid curre=
nt.
However, one of the castaways, following the
impulse of his heart, immediately threw himself into the current, without
consulting his companions, without saying a single word. It was Neb. He was=
in
haste to be on the other side, and to climb towards the north. It had been =
impossible
to hold him back. Pencroft called him in vain. The reporter prepared to fol=
low
him, but Pencroft stopped him. "Do you want to cross the channel?"=
; he
asked. "Yes," replied Spilett. "All right!" said the se=
aman;
"wait a bit; Neb is well able to carry help to his master. If we ventu=
re
into the channel, we risk being carried into the open sea by the current, w=
hich
is running very strong; but, if I'm not wrong, it is ebbing. See, the tide =
is
going down over the sand. Let us have patience, and at low water it is poss=
ible
we may find a fordable passage." "You are right," replied the
reporter, "we will not separate more than we can help."
During this time Neb was struggling vigorously
against the current. He was crossing in an oblique direction. His black
shoulders could be seen emerging at each stroke. He was carried down very
quickly, but he also made way towards the shore. It took more than half an =
hour
to cross from the islet to the land, and he reached the shore several hundr=
ed
feet from the place which was opposite to the point from which he had start=
ed.
Landing at the foot of a high wall of granite,=
he
shook himself vigorously; and then, setting off running, soon disappeared
behind a rocky point, which projected to nearly the height of the northern =
extremity
of the islet.
Neb's companions had watched his daring attempt
with painful anxiety, and when he was out of sight, they fixed their attent=
ion
on the land where their hope of safety lay, while eating some shell-fish wi=
th
which the sand was strewn. It was a wretched repast, but still it was bette=
r than
nothing. The opposite coast formed one vast bay, terminating on the south b=
y a
very sharp point, which was destitute of all vegetation, and was of a very =
wild
aspect. This point abutted on the shore in a grotesque outline of high gran=
ite
rocks. Towards the north, on the contrary, the bay widened, and a more roun=
ded
coast appeared, trending from the southwest to the northeast, and terminati=
ng
in a slender cape. The distance between these two extremities, which made t=
he
bow of the bay, was about eight miles. Half a mile from the shore rose the
islet, which somewhat resembled the carcass of a gigantic whale. Its extrem=
e breadth
was not more than a quarter of a mile.
Opposite the islet, the beach consisted first =
of
sand, covered with black stones, which were now appearing little by little
above the retreating tide. The second level was separated by a perpendicula=
r granite
cliff, terminated at the top by an unequal edge at a height of at least 300
feet. It continued thus for a length of three miles, ending suddenly on the
right with a precipice which looked as if cut by the hand of man. On the le=
ft,
above the promontory, this irregular and jagged cliff descended by a long s=
lope
of conglomerated rocks till it mingled with the ground of the southern poin=
t.
On the upper plateau of the coast not a tree appeared. It was a flat tablel=
and
like that above Cape Town at the Cape of Good Hope, but of reduced proporti=
ons;
at least so it appeared seen from the islet. However, verdure was not wanti=
ng
to the right beyond the precipice. They could easily distinguish a confused=
mass
of great trees, which extended beyond the limits of their view. This verdure
relieved the eye, so long wearied by the continued ranges of granite. Lastl=
y,
beyond and above the plateau, in a northwesterly direction and at a distanc=
e of
at least seven miles, glittered a white summit which reflected the sun's ra=
ys.
It was that of a lofty mountain, capped with snow.
The question could not at present be decided
whether this land formed an island, or whether it belonged to a continent. =
But
on beholding the convulsed masses heaped up on the left, no geologist would
have hesitated to give them a volcanic origin, for they were unquestionably=
the
work of subterranean convulsions.
Gideon Spilett, Pencroft, and Herbert attentiv=
ely
examined this land, on which they might perhaps have to live many long year=
s;
on which indeed they might even die, should it be out of the usual track of
vessels, as was likely to be the case.
"Well," asked Herbert, "what do=
you
say, Pencroft?"
"There is some good and some bad, as in
everything," replied the sailor. "We shall see. But now the ebb is
evidently making. In three hours we will attempt the passage, and once on t=
he
other side, we will try to get out of this scrape, and I hope may find the
captain." Pencroft was not wrong in his anticipations. Three hours lat=
er
at low tide, the greater part of the sand forming the bed of the channel was
uncovered. Between the islet and the coast there only remained a narrow cha=
nnel
which would no doubt be easy to cross.
About ten o'clock, Gideon Spilett and his
companions stripped themselves of their clothes, which they placed in bundl=
es
on their heads, and then ventured into the water, which was not more than f=
ive
feet deep. Herbert, for whom it was too deep, swam like a fish, and got thr=
ough
capitally. All three arrived without difficulty on the opposite shore. Quic=
kly
drying themselves in the sun, they put on their clothes, which they had
preserved from contact with the water, and sat down to take counsel together
what to do next.
All at once the reporter sprang up, and telling
the sailor that he would rejoin them at that same place, he climbed the cli=
ff
in the direction which the Negro Neb had taken a few hours before. Anxiety
hastened his steps, for he longed to obtain news of his friend, and he soon=
disappeared
round an angle of the cliff. Herbert wished to accompany him.
"Stop here, my boy," said the sailor;
"we have to prepare an encampment, and to try and find rather better g=
rub
than these shell-fish. Our friends will want something when they come back.
There is work for everybody."
"I am ready," replied Herbert.
"All right," said the sailor; "=
that
will do. We must set about it regularly. We are tired, cold, and hungry;
therefore we must have shelter, fire, and food. There is wood in the forest,
and eggs in nests; we have only to find a house."
"Very well," returned Herbert, "=
;I
will look for a cave among the rocks, and I shall be sure to discover some =
hole
into which we can creep."
"All right," said Pencroft; "go=
on,
my boy."
They both walked to the foot of the enormous w=
all
over the beach, far from which the tide had now retreated; but instead of g=
oing
towards the north, they went southward. Pencroft had remarked, several hund=
red
feet from the place at which they landed, a narrow cutting, out of which he
thought a river or stream might issue. Now, on the one hand it was importan=
t to
settle themselves in the neighborhood of a good stream of water, and on the
other it was possible that the current had thrown Cyrus Harding on the shore
there.
The cliff, as has been said, rose to a height =
of
three hundred feet, but the mass was unbroken throughout, and even at its b=
ase,
scarcely washed by the sea, it did not offer the smallest fissure which wou=
ld
serve as a dwelling. It was a perpendicular wall of very hard granite, which
even the waves had not worn away. Towards the summit fluttered myriads of s=
ea-fowl,
and especially those of the web-footed species with long, flat, pointed
beaks--a clamorous tribe, bold in the presence of man, who probably for the
first time thus invaded their domains. Pencroft recognized the skua and oth=
er
gulls among them, the voracious little sea-mew, which in great numbers nest=
led
in the crevices of the granite. A shot fired among this swarm would have ki=
lled
a great number, but to fire a shot a gun was needed, and neither Pencroft n=
or
Herbert had one; besides this, gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable, and
even their eggs have a detestable taste. However, Herbert, who had gone for=
ward
a little more to the left, soon came upon rocks covered with sea-weed, whic=
h,
some hours later, would be hidden by the high tide. On these rocks, in the
midst of slippery wrack, abounded bivalve shell-fish, not to be despised by
starving people. Herbert called Pencroft, who ran up hastily.
"Here are mussels!" cried the sailor;
"these will do instead of eggs!"
"They are not mussels," replied Herb=
ert,
who was attentively examining the molluscs attached to the rocks; "they
are lithodomes."
"Are they good to eat?" asked Pencro=
ft.
"Perfectly so."
"Then let us eat some lithodomes."
The sailor could rely upon Herbert; the young =
boy
was well up in natural history, and always had had quite a passion for the
science. His father had encouraged him in it, by letting him attend the
lectures of the best professors in Boston, who were very fond of the
intelligent, industrious lad. And his turn for natural history was, more th=
an
once in the course of time, of great use, and he was not mistaken in this
instance. These lithodomes were oblong shells, suspended in clusters and
adhering very tightly to the rocks. They belong to that species of mollusco=
us perforators
which excavate holes in the hardest stone; their shell is rounded at both e=
nds,
a feature which is not remarked in the common mussel.
Pencroft and Herbert made a good meal of the
lithodomes, which were then half opened to the sun. They ate them as oyster=
s,
and as they had a strong peppery taste, they were palatable without condime=
nts
of any sort.
Their hunger was thus appeased for the time, b=
ut
not their thirst, which increased after eating these naturally-spiced mollu=
scs.
They had then to find fresh water, and it was not likely that it would be
wanting in such a capriciously uneven region. Pencroft and Herbert, after
having taken the precaution of collecting an ample supply of lithodomes, wi=
th
which they filled their pockets and handkerchiefs, regained the foot of the=
cliff.
Two hundred paces farther they arrived at the
cutting, through which, as Pencroft had guessed, ran a stream of water, whe=
ther
fresh or not was to be ascertained. At this place the wall appeared to have
been separated by some violent subterranean force. At its base was hollowed=
out
a little creek, the farthest part of which formed a tolerably sharp angle. =
The
watercourse at that part measured one hundred feet in breadth, and its two
banks on each side were scarcely twenty feet high. The river became strong
almost directly between the two walls of granite, which began to sink above=
the
mouth; it then suddenly turned and disappeared beneath a wood of stunted tr=
ees
half a mile off.
"Here is the water, and yonder is the woo=
d we
require!" said Pencroft. "Well, Herbert, now we only want the
house."
The water of the river was limpid. The sailor
ascertained that at this time--that is to say, at low tide, when the rising
floods did not reach it--it was sweet. This important point established,
Herbert looked for some cavity which would serve them as a retreat, but in
vain; everywhere the wall appeared smooth, plain, and perpendicular.
However, at the mouth of the watercourse and a=
bove
the reach of the high tide, the convulsions of nature had formed, not a gro=
tto,
but a pile of enormous rocks, such as are often met with in granite countri=
es
and which bear the name of "Chimneys."
Pencroft and Herbert penetrated quite far in a=
mong
the rocks, by sandy passages in which light was not wanting, for it entered
through the openings which were left between the blocks, of which some were
only sustained by a miracle of equilibrium; but with the light came also ai=
r--a
regular corridor-gale--and with the wind the sharp cold from the exterior.
However, the sailor thought that by stopping-up some of the openings with a
mixture of stones and sand, the Chimneys could be rendered habitable. Their
geometrical plan represented the typographical sign "&," which
signifies "et cetera" abridged, but by isolating the upper mouth =
of
the sign, through which the south and west winds blew so strongly, they cou=
ld
succeed in making the lower part of use.
"Here's our work," said Pencroft,
"and if we ever see Captain Harding again, he will know how to make
something of this labyrinth."
"We shall see him again, Pencroft,"
cried Herbert, "and when he returns he must find a tolerable dwelling
here. It will be so, if we can make a fireplace in the left passage and kee=
p an
opening for the smoke."
"So we can, my boy," replied the sai=
lor,
"and these Chimneys will serve our turn. Let us set to work, but first
come and get a store of fuel. I think some branches will be very useful in
stopping up these openings, through which the wind shrieks like so many
fiends."
Herbert and Pencroft left the Chimneys, and,
turning the angle, they began to climb the left bank of the river. The curr=
ent
here was quite rapid, and drifted down some dead wood. The rising tide--and=
it
could already be perceived--must drive it back with force to a considerable=
distance.
The sailor then thought that they could utilize this ebb and flow for the
transport of heavy objects.
After having walked for a quarter of an hour, =
the
sailor and the boy arrived at the angle which the river made in turning tow=
ards
the left. From this point its course was pursued through a forest of
magnificent trees. These trees still retained their verdure, notwithstanding
the advanced season, for they belonged to the family of "coniferae,&qu=
ot;
which is spread over all the regions of the globe, from northern climates t=
o the
tropics. The young naturalist recognized especially the "deedara,"=
; which
are very numerous in the Himalayan zone, and which spread around them a most
agreeable odor. Between these beautiful trees sprang up clusters of firs, w=
hose
opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around. Among the long grass, Pencro=
ft
felt that his feet were crushing dry branches which crackled like fireworks=
.
"Well, my boy," said he to Herbert,
"if I don't know the name of these trees, at any rate I reckon that we=
may
call them 'burning wood,' and just now that's the chief thing we want."=
;
"Let us get a supply," replied Herbe=
rt,
who immediately set to work.
The collection was easily made. It was not even
necessary to lop the trees, for enormous quantities of dead wood were lying=
at
their feet; but if fuel was not wanting, the means of transporting it was n=
ot
yet found. The wood, being very dry, would burn rapidly; it was therefore n=
ecessary
to carry to the Chimneys a considerable quantity, and the loads of two men
would not be sufficient. Herbert remarked this.
"Well, my boy," replied the sailor,
"there must be some way of carrying this wood; there is always a way of
doing everything. If we had a cart or a boat, it would be easy enough."=
;
"But we have the river," said Herber=
t.
"Right," replied Pencroft; "the
river will be to us like a road which carries of itself, and rafts have not
been invented for nothing."
"Only," observed Herbert, "at t=
his
moment our road is going the wrong way, for the tide is rising!"
"We shall be all right if we wait till it
ebbs," replied the sailor, "and then we will trust it to carry our
fuel to the Chimneys. Let us get the raft ready."
The sailor, followed by Herbert, directed his
steps towards the river. They both carried, each in proportion to his stren=
gth,
a load of wood bound in fagots. They found on the bank also a great quantit=
y of
dead branches in the midst of grass, among which the foot of man had probab=
ly never
before trod. Pencroft began directly to make his raft. In a kind of little =
bay,
created by a point of the shore which broke the current, the sailor and the=
lad
placed some good-sized pieces of wood, which they had fastened together with
dry creepers. A raft was thus formed, on which they stacked all they had
collected, sufficient, indeed, to have loaded at least twenty men. In an ho=
ur
the work was finished, and the raft moored to the bank, awaited the turning=
of
the tide.
There were still several hours to be occupied,=
and
with one consent Pencroft and Herbert resolved to gain the upper plateau, s=
o as
to have a more extended view of the surrounding country.
Exactly two hundred feet behind the angle form=
ed
by the river, the wall, terminated by a fall of rocks, died away in a gentle
slope to the edge of the forest. It was a natural staircase. Herbert and the
sailor began their ascent; thanks to the vigor of their muscles they reached
the summit in a few minutes; and proceeded to the point above the mouth of =
the
river.
On attaining it, their first look was cast upon
the ocean which not long before they had traversed in such a terrible
condition. They observed, with emotion, all that part to the north of the c=
oast
on which the catastrophe had taken place. It was there that Cyrus Harding h=
ad disappeared.
They looked to see if some portion of their balloon, to which a man might
possibly cling, yet existed. Nothing! The sea was but one vast watery deser=
t.
As to the coast, it was solitary also. Neither the reporter nor Neb could be
anywhere seen. But it was possible that at this time they were both too far
away to be perceived.
"Something tells me," cried Herbert,
"that a man as energetic as Captain Harding would not let himself be
drowned like other people. He must have reached some point of the shore; do=
n't
you think so, Pencroft?"
The sailor shook his head sadly. He little
expected ever to see Cyrus Harding again; but wishing to leave some hope to
Herbert: "Doubtless, doubtless," said he; "our engineer is a=
man
who would get out of a scrape to which any one else would yield."
In the meantime he examined the coast with gre=
at
attention. Stretched out below them was the sandy shore, bounded on the rig=
ht
of the river's mouth by lines of breakers. The rocks which were visible
appeared like amphibious monsters reposing in the surf. Beyond the reef, the
sea sparkled beneath the sun's rays. To the south a sharp point closed the =
horizon,
and it could not be seen if the land was prolonged in that direction, or if=
it
ran southeast and southwest, which would have made this coast a very long
peninsula. At the northern extremity of the bay the outline of the shore was
continued to a great distance in a wider curve. There the shore was low, fl=
at,
without cliffs, and with great banks of sand, which the tide left uncovered.
Pencroft and Herbert then returned towards the west. Their attention was fi=
rst
arrested by the snow-topped mountain which rose at a distance of six or sev=
en
miles. From its first declivities to within two miles of the coast were spr=
ead vast
masses of wood, relieved by large green patches, caused by the presence of
evergreen trees. Then, from the edge of this forest to the shore extended a
plain, scattered irregularly with groups of trees. Here and there on the le=
ft
sparkled through glades the waters of the little river; they could trace its
winding course back towards the spurs of the mountain, among which it seeme=
d to
spring. At the point where the sailor had left his raft of wood, it began to
run between the two high granite walls; but if on the left bank the wall
remained clear and abrupt, on the right bank, on the contrary, it sank
gradually, the massive sides changed to isolated rocks, the rocks to stones,
the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point.
"Are we on an island?" murmured the
sailor.
"At any rate, it seems to be big
enough," replied the lad.
"An island, ever so big, is an island all=
the
same!" said Pencroft.
But this important question could not yet be
answered. A more perfect survey had to be made to settle the point. As to t=
he
land itself, island or continent, it appeared fertile, agreeable in its asp=
ect,
and varied in its productions.
"This is satisfactory," observed
Pencroft; "and in our misfortune, we must thank Providence for it.&quo=
t;
"God be praised!" responded Herbert,
whose pious heart was full of gratitude to the Author of all things.
Pencroft and Herbert examined for some time the
country on which they had been cast; but it was difficult to guess after so
hasty an inspection what the future had in store for them.
They then returned, following the southern cre=
st
of the granite platform, bordered by a long fringe of jagged rocks, of the =
most
whimsical shapes. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of
the stone; Herbert, jumping over the rocks, startled a whole flock of these
winged creatures.
"Oh!" cried he, "those are not
gulls nor sea-mews!"
"What are they then?" asked Pencroft=
.
"Upon my word, one would say they were
pigeons!"
"Just so, but these are wild or rock pige=
ons.
I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing, by the white tail,
and by their slate-colored plumage. But if the rock-pigeon is good to eat, =
its
eggs must be excellent, and we will soon see how many they may have left in=
their
nests!"
"We will not give them time to hatch, unl=
ess
it is in the shape of an omelet!" replied Pencroft merrily.
"But what will you make your omelet in?&q=
uot;
asked Herbert; "in your hat?"
"Well!" replied the sailor, "I =
am
not quite conjuror enough for that; we must come down to eggs in the shell,=
my
boy, and I will undertake to despatch the hardest!"
Pencroft and Herbert attentively examined the
cavities in the granite, and they really found eggs in some of the hollows.=
A
few dozen being collected, were packed in the sailor's handkerchief, and as=
the
time when the tide would be full was approaching, Pencroft and Herbert bega=
n to
redescend towards the watercourse. When they arrived there, it was an hour
after midday. The tide had already turned. They must now avail themselves of
the ebb to take the wood to the mouth. Pencroft did not intend to let the r=
aft
go away in the current without guidance, neither did he mean to embark on it
himself to steer it. But a sailor is never at a loss when there is a questi=
on
of cables or ropes, and Pencroft rapidly twisted a cord, a few fathoms long,
made of dry creepers. This vegetable cable was fastened to the after-part of
the raft, and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert, pushing off the
raft with a long pole, kept it in the current. This succeeded capitally. Th=
e enormous
load of wood drifted down the current. The bank was very equal; there was no
fear that the raft would run aground, and before two o'clock they arrived at
the river's mouth, a few paces from the Chimneys.
Pencroft's first care, after unloading the raf=
t,
was to render the cave habitable by stopping up all the holes which made it
draughty. Sand, stones, twisted branches, wet clay, closed up the galleries
open to the south winds. One narrow and winding opening at the side was kep=
t,
to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. The cave was thus divided =
into
three or four rooms, if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely h=
ave
been contented deserved the name. But they were dry, and there was space to=
stand
upright, at least in the principal room, which occupied the center. The flo=
or
was covered with fine sand, and taking all in all they were well pleased wi=
th
it for want of a better.
"Perhaps," said Herbert, while he and
Pencroft were working, "our companions have found a superior place to
ours."
"Very likely," replied the seaman;
"but, as we don't know, we must work all the same. Better to have two
strings to one's bow than no string at all!"
"Oh!" exclaimed Herbert, "how j=
olly
it will be if they were to find Captain Harding and were to bring him back =
with
them!"
"Yes, indeed!" said Pencroft, "=
that
was a man of the right sort."
"Was!" exclaimed Herbert, "do y=
ou
despair of ever seeing him again?"
"God forbid!" replied the sailor. Th=
eir
work was soon done, and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied.
"Now," said he, "our friends can
come back when they like. They will find a good enough shelter."
They now had only to make a fireplace and to
prepare the supper--an easy task. Large flat stones were placed on the grou=
nd
at the opening of the narrow passage which had been kept. This, if the smoke
did not take the heat out with it, would be enough to maintain an equal
temperature inside. Their wood was stowed away in one of the rooms, and the
sailor laid in the fireplace some logs and brushwood. The seaman was busy w=
ith this,
when Herbert asked him if he had any matches.
"Certainly," replied Pencroft, "=
;and
I may say happily, for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix.&quo=
t;
"Still we might get fire as the savages
do," replied Herbert, "by rubbing two bits of dry stick one again=
st
the other."
"All right; try, my boy, and let's see if=
you
can do anything besides exercising your arms."
"Well, it's a very simple proceeding, and
much used in the islands of the Pacific."
"I don't deny it," replied Pencroft,
"but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood, for
more than once I have tried to get fire in that way, but I could never mana=
ge
it. I must say I prefer matches. By the bye, where are my matches?"
Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box,
which was always there, for he was a confirmed smoker. He could not find it=
; he
rummaged the pockets of his trousers, but, to his horror, he could nowhere
discover the box.
"Here's a go!" said he, looking at
Herbert. "The box must have fallen out of my pocket and got lost! Sure=
ly,
Herbert, you must have something--a tinder-box--anything that can possibly =
make
fire!"
"No, I haven't, Pencroft."
The sailor rushed out, followed by the boy. On= the sand, among the rocks, near the river's bank, they both searched carefully,= but in vain. The box was of copper, and therefore would have been easily seen.<= o:p>
"Pencroft," asked Herbert, "did=
n't
you throw it out of the car?"
"I knew better than that," replied t=
he
sailor; "but such a small article could easily disappear in the tumbli=
ng
about we have gone through. I would rather even have lost my pipe! Confound=
the
box! Where can it be?"
"Look here, the tide is going down,"
said Herbert; "let's run to the place where we landed."
It was scarcely probable that they would find =
the
box, which the waves had rolled about among the pebbles, at high tide, but =
it
was as well to try. Herbert and Pencroft walked rapidly to the point where =
they
had landed the day before, about two hundred feet from the cave. They hunte=
d there,
among the shingle, in the clefts of the rocks, but found nothing. If the box
had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves. As the =
sea
went down, they searched every little crevice with no result. It was a grave
loss in their circumstances, and for the time irreparable. Pencroft could n=
ot
hide his vexation; he looked very anxious, but said not a word. Herbert tri=
ed
to console him by observing, that if they had found the matches, they would,
very likely, have been wetted by the sea and useless.
"No, my boy," replied the sailor;
"they were in a copper box which shut very tightly; and now what are w=
e to
do?"
"We shall certainly find some way of maki=
ng a
fire," said Herbert. "Captain Harding or Mr. Spilett will not be
without them."
"Yes," replied Pencroft; "but in
the meantime we are without fire, and our companions will find but a sorry
repast on their return."
"But," said Herbert quickly, "do
you think it possible that they have no tinder or matches?"
"I doubt it," replied the sailor,
shaking his head, "for neither Neb nor Captain Harding smoke, and I
believe that Mr. Spilett would rather keep his note-book than his
match-box."
Herbert did not reply. The loss of the box was
certainly to be regretted, but the boy was still sure of procuring fire in =
some
way or other. Pencroft, more experienced, did not think so, although he was=
not
a man to trouble himself about a small or great grievance. At any rate, the=
re
was only one thing to be done--to await the return of Neb and the reporter;=
but
they must give up the feast of hard eggs which they had meant to prepare, a=
nd a
meal of raw flesh was not an agreeable prospect either for themselves or for
the others.
Before returning to the cave, the sailor and Herbert, in the event of fire being positively unattainable, collected some more shell-fish, and then silently retraced their steps to their dwelling.<= o:p>
Pencroft, his eyes fixed on the ground, still
looked for his box. He even climbed up the left bank of the river from its
mouth to the angle where the raft had been moored. He returned to the plate=
au,
went over it in every direction, searched among the high grass on the borde=
r of
the forest, all in vain.
It was five in the evening when he and Herbert
re-entered the cave. It is useless to say that the darkest corners of the
passages were ransacked before they were obliged to give it up in despair.
Towards six o'clock, when the sun was disappearing behind the high lands of=
the
west, Herbert, who was walking up and down on the strand, signalized the re=
turn
of Neb and Spilett.
They were returning alone!... The boy's heart
sank; the sailor had not been deceived in his forebodings; the engineer, Cy=
rus
Harding, had not been found!
The reporter, on his arrival, sat down on a ro=
ck,
without saying anything. Exhausted with fatigue, dying of hunger, he had not
strength to utter a word.
As to Neb, his red eyes showed how he had crie=
d,
and the tears which he could not restrain told too clearly that he had lost=
all
hope.
The reporter recounted all that they had done =
in
their attempt to recover Cyrus Harding. He and Neb had surveyed the coast f=
or a
distance of eight miles and consequently much beyond the place where the
balloon had fallen the last time but one, a fall which was followed by the =
disappearance
of the engineer and the dog Top. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a
mark. Not even a pebble recently displaced; not a trace on the sand; not a
human footstep on all that part of the beach. It was clear that that portio=
n of
the shore had never been visited by a human being. The sea was as deserted =
as
the land, and it was there, a few hundred feet from the coast, that the
engineer must have found a tomb.
As Spilett ended his account, Neb jumped up,
exclaiming in a voice which showed how hope struggled within him, "No!=
he
is not dead! he can't be dead! It might happen to any one else, but never to
him! He could get out of anything!" Then his strength forsaking him,
"Oh! I can do no more!" he murmured.
"Neb," said Herbert, running to him,
"we will find him! God will give him back to us! But in the meantime y=
ou
are hungry, and you must eat something."
So saying, he offered the poor Negro a few
handfuls of shell-fish, which was indeed wretched and insufficient food. Neb
had not eaten anything for several hours, but he refused them. He could not,
would not live without his master.
As to Gideon Spilett, he devoured the shell-fi=
sh,
then he laid himself down on the sand, at the foot of a rock. He was very w=
eak,
but calm. Herbert went up to him, and taking his hand, "Sir," said
he, "we have found a shelter which will be better than lying here. Nig=
ht
is advancing. Come and rest! To-morrow we will search farther."
The reporter got up, and guided by the boy went
towards the cave. On the way, Pencroft asked him in the most natural tone, =
if
by chance he happened to have a match or two.
The reporter stopped, felt in his pockets, but
finding nothing said, "I had some, but I must have thrown them away.&q=
uot;
The seaman then put the same question to Neb a=
nd
received the same answer.
"Confound it!" exclaimed the sailor.=
The reporter heard him and seizing his arm,
"Have you no matches?" he asked.
"Not one, and no fire in consequence.&quo=
t;
"Ah!" cried Neb, "if my master =
was
here, he would know what to do!"
The four castaways remained motionless, looking
uneasily at each other. Herbert was the first to break the silence by sayin=
g,
"Mr. Spilett, you are a smoker and always have matches about you; perh=
aps
you haven't looked well, try again, a single match will be enough!"
The reporter hunted again in the pockets of his
trousers, waistcoat, and great-coat, and at last to Pencroft's great joy, no
less to his extreme surprise, he felt a tiny piece of wood entangled in the=
lining
of his waistcoat. He seized it with his fingers through the stuff, but he c=
ould
not get it out. If this was a match and a single one, it was of great impor=
tance
not to rub off the phosphorus.
"Will you let me try?" said the boy,=
and
very cleverly, without breaking it, he managed to draw out the wretched yet
precious little bit of wood which was of such great importance to these poor
men. It was unused.
"Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it i=
s as
good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match, and, followed by his
companions, entered the cave.
This small piece of wood, of which so many in =
an
inhabited country are wasted with indifference and are of no value, must he=
re
be used with the greatest caution.
The sailor first made sure that it was quite d=
ry;
that done, "We must have some paper," said he.
"Here," replied Spilett, after some
hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book.
Pencroft took the piece of paper which the
reporter held out to him, and knelt down before the fireplace. Some handful=
s of
grass, leaves, and dry moss were placed under the fagots and disposed in su=
ch a
way that the air could easily circulate, and the dry wood would rapidly cat=
ch
fire.
Pencroft then twisted the piece of paper into =
the
shape of a cone, as smokers do in a high wind, and poked it in among the mo=
ss.
Taking a small, rough stone, he wiped it carefully, and with a beating hear=
t, holding
his breath, he gently rubbed the match. The first attempt did not produce a=
ny
effect. Pencroft had not struck hard enough, fearing to rub off the phospho=
rus.
"No, I can't do it," said he, "=
my
hand trembles, the match has missed fire; I cannot, I will not!" and
rising, he told Herbert to take his place.
Certainly the boy had never in all his life be= en so nervous. Prometheus going to steal the fire from heaven could not have b= een more anxious. He did not hesitate, however, but struck the match directly.<= o:p>
A little spluttering was heard and a tiny blue
flame sprang up, making a choking smoke. Herbert quickly turned the match s=
o as
to augment the flame, and then slipped it into the paper cone, which in a f=
ew
seconds too caught fire, and then the moss.
A minute later the dry wood crackled and a
cheerful flame, assisted by the vigorous blowing of the sailor, sprang up in
the midst of the darkness.
"At last!" cried Pencroft, getting u=
p;
"I was never so nervous before in all my life!"
The flat stones made a capital fireplace. The
smoke went quite easily out at the narrow passage, the chimney drew, and an
agreeable warmth was not long in being felt.
They must now take great care not to let the f=
ire
go out, and always to keep some embers alight. It only needed care and
attention, as they had plenty of wood and could renew their store at any ti=
me.
Pencroft's first thought was to use the fire b= y preparing a more nourishing supper than a dish of shell-fish. Two dozen eggs were bro= ught by Herbert. The reporter leaning up in a corner, watched these preparations without saying anything. A threefold thought weighed on his mind. Was Cyrus still alive? If he was alive, where was he? If he had survived from his fal= l, how was it that he had not found some means of making known his existence? = As to Neb, he was roaming about the shore. He was like a body without a soul.<= o:p>
Pencroft knew fifty ways of cooking eggs, but =
this
time he had no choice, and was obliged to content himself with roasting them
under the hot cinders. In a few minutes the cooking was done, and the seama=
n invited
the reporter to take his share of the supper. Such was the first repast of =
the
castaways on this unknown coast. The hard eggs were excellent, and as eggs
contain everything indispensable to man's nourishment, these poor people
thought themselves well off, and were much strengthened by them. Oh! if only
one of them had not been missing at this meal! If the five prisoners who
escaped from Richmond had been all there, under the piled-up rocks, before =
this
clear, crackling fire on the dry sand, what thanksgiving must they have
rendered to Heaven! But the most ingenious, the most learned, he who was th=
eir
unquestioned chief, Cyrus Harding, was, alas! missing, and his body had not
even obtained a burial-place.
Thus passed the 25th of March. Night had come =
on.
Outside could be heard the howling of the wind and the monotonous sound of =
the
surf breaking on the shore. The waves rolled the shingle backwards and forw=
ards
with a deafening noise.
The reporter retired into a dark corner after
having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance =
of
this new land, the loss of their leader, the exploration of the coast, the
incident of the matches, etc.; and then overcome by fatigue, he managed to
forget his sorrows in sleep. Herbert went to sleep directly. As to the sail=
or,
he passed the night with one eye on the fire, on which he did not spare fue=
l.
But one of the castaways did not sleep in the cave. The inconsolable,
despairing Neb, notwithstanding all that his companions could say to induce=
him
to take some rest, wandered all night long on the shore calling on his mast=
er.
The inventory of the articles possessed by the=
se
castaways from the clouds, thrown upon a coast which appeared to be
uninhabited, was soon made out. They had nothing, save the clothes which th=
ey
were wearing at the time of the catastrophe. We must mention, however, a
note-book and a watch which Gideon Spilett had kept, doubtless by inadverte=
nce,
not a weapon, not a tool, not even a pocket-knife; for while in the car the=
y had
thrown out everything to lighten the balloon. The imaginary heroes of Daniel
Defoe or of Wyss, as well as Selkirk and Raynal shipwrecked on Juan Fernand=
ez
and on the archipelago of the Aucklands, were never in such absolute
destitution. Either they had abundant resources from their stranded vessels=
, in
grain, cattle, tools, ammunition, or else some things were thrown up on the
coast which supplied them with all the first necessities of life. But here,=
not
any instrument whatever, not a utensil. From nothing they must supply
themselves with everything.
And yet, if Cyrus Harding had been with them, =
if
the engineer could have brought his practical science, his inventive mind to
bear on their situation, perhaps all hope would not have been lost. Alas! t=
hey
must hope no longer again to see Cyrus Harding. The castaways could expect =
nothing
but from themselves and from that Providence which never abandons those who=
se
faith is sincere.
But ought they to establish themselves on this
part of the coast, without trying to know to what continent it belonged, if=
it
was inhabited, or if they were on the shore of a desert island?
It was an important question, and should be so= lved with the shortest possible delay. From its answer they would know what meas= ures to take. However, according to Pencroft's advice, it appeared best to wait a few days before commencing an exploration. They must, in fact, prepare some= provisions and procure more strengthening food than eggs and molluscs. The explorers, before undertaking new fatigues, must first of all recruit their strength.<= o:p>
The Chimneys offered a retreat sufficient for =
the
present. The fire was lighted, and it was easy to preserve some embers. The=
re
were plenty of shell-fish and eggs among the rocks and on the beach. It wou=
ld
be easy to kill a few of the pigeons which were flying by hundreds about th=
e summit
of the plateau, either with sticks or stones. Perhaps the trees of the
neighboring forest would supply them with eatable fruit. Lastly, the sweet
water was there.
It was accordingly settled that for a few days
they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an
expedition, either along the shore or into the interior of the country. This
plan suited Neb particularly. As obstinate in his ideas as in his
presentiments, he was in no haste to abandon this part of the coast, the sc=
ene
of the catastrophe. He did not, he would not believe in the loss of Cyrus H=
arding.
No, it did not seem to him possible that such a man had ended in this vulgar
fashion, carried away by a wave, drowned in the floods, a few hundred feet =
from
a shore. As long as the waves had not cast up the body of the engineer, as =
long
as he, Neb, had not seen with his eyes, touched with his hands the corpse of
his master, he would not believe in his death! And this idea rooted itself
deeper than ever in his determined heart. An illusion perhaps, but still an
illusion to be respected, and one which the sailor did not wish to destroy.=
As
for him, he hoped no longer, but there was no use in arguing with Neb. He w=
as like
the dog who will not leave the place where his master is buried, and his gr=
ief
was such that most probably he would not survive him.
This same morning, the 26th of March, at daybr= eak, Neb had set out on the shore in a northerly direction, and he had returned = to the spot where the sea, no doubt, had closed over the unfortunate Harding.<= o:p>
That day's breakfast was composed solely of
pigeon's eggs and lithodomes. Herbert had found some salt deposited by
evaporation in the hollows of the rocks, and this mineral was very welcome.=
The repast ended, Pencroft asked the reporter =
if he
wished to accompany Herbert and himself to the forest, where they were goin=
g to
try to hunt. But on consideration, it was thought necessary that someone sh=
ould
remain to keep in the fire, and to be at hand in the highly improbable even=
t of
Neb requiring aid. The reporter accordingly remained behind.
"To the chase, Herbert," said the
sailor. "We shall find ammunition on our way, and cut our weapons in t=
he
forest." But at the moment of starting, Herbert observed, that since t=
hey
had no tinder, it would perhaps be prudent to replace it by another substan=
ce.
"What?" asked Pencroft.
"Burnt linen," replied the boy.
"That could in case of need serve for tinder."
The sailor thought it very sensible advice. On=
ly
it had the inconvenience of necessitating the sacrifice of a piece of
handkerchief. Notwithstanding, the thing was well worth while trying, and a
part of Pencroft's large checked handkerchief was soon reduced to the state=
of a
half-burnt rag. This inflammable material was placed in the central chamber=
at
the bottom of a little cavity in the rock, sheltered from all wind and damp=
.
It was nine o'clock in the morning. The weather
was threatening and the breeze blew from the southeast. Herbert and Pencroft
turned the angle of the Chimneys, not without having cast a look at the smo=
ke
which, just at that place, curled round a point of rock: they ascended the =
left
bank of the river.
Arrived at the forest, Pencroft broke from the
first tree two stout branches which he transformed into clubs, the ends of
which Herbert rubbed smooth on a rock. Oh! what would they not have given f=
or a
knife!
The two hunters now advanced among the long gr=
ass,
following the bank. From the turning which directed its course to the
southwest, the river narrowed gradually and the channel lay between high ba=
nks,
over which the trees formed a double arch. Pencroft, lest they should lose =
themselves,
resolved to follow the course of the stream, which would always lead them b=
ack
to the point from which they started. But the bank was not without some
obstacles: here, the flexible branches of the trees bent level with the
current; there, creepers and thorns which they had to break down with their
sticks. Herbert often glided among the broken stumps with the agility of a
young cat, and disappeared in the underwood. But Pencroft called him back
directly, begging him not to wander away. Meanwhile, the sailor attentively
observed the disposition and nature of the surrounding country. On the left
bank, the ground, which was flat and marshy, rose imperceptibly towards the
interior. It looked there like a network of liquid threads which doubtless
reached the river by some underground drain. Sometimes a stream ran through=
the
underwood, which they crossed without difficulty. The opposite shore appear=
ed
to be more uneven, and the valley of which the river occupied the bottom was
more clearly visible. The hill, covered with trees disposed in terraces,
intercepted the view. On the right bank walking would have been difficult, =
for
the declivities fell suddenly, and the trees bending over the water were on=
ly
sustained by the strength of their roots.
It is needless to add that this forest, as wel=
l as
the coast already surveyed, was destitute of any sign of human life. Pencro=
ft
only saw traces of quadrupeds, fresh footprints of animals, of which he cou=
ld
not recognize the species. In all probability, and such was also Herbert's =
opinion,
some had been left by formidable wild beasts which doubtless would give them
some trouble; but nowhere did they observe the mark of an axe on the trees,=
nor
the ashes of a fire, nor the impression of a human foot. On this they might
probably congratulate themselves, for on any land in the middle of the Paci=
fic
the presence of man was perhaps more to be feared than desired. Herbert and
Pencroft speaking little, for the difficulties of the way were great, advan=
ced
very slowly, and after walking for an hour they had scarcely gone more than=
a
mile. As yet the hunt had not been successful. However, some birds sang and
fluttered in the foliage, and appeared very timid, as if man had inspired t=
hem
with an instinctive fear. Among others, Herbert described, in a marshy part=
of
the forest, a bird with a long pointed beak, closely resembling the
king-fisher, but its plumage was not fine, though of a metallic brilliancy.=
"That must be a jacamar," said Herbe=
rt,
trying to get nearer.
"This will be a good opportunity to taste
jacamar," replied the sailor, "if that fellow is in a humor to be
roasted!"
Just then, a stone cleverly thrown by the boy,=
struck
the creature on the wing, but the blow did not disable it, and the jacamar =
ran
off and disappeared in an instant.
"How clumsy I am!" cried Herbert.
"No, no, my boy!" replied the sailor.
"The blow was well aimed; many a one would have missed it altogether!
Come, don't be vexed with yourself. We shall catch it another day!"
As the hunters advanced, the trees were found =
to
be more scattered, many being magnificent, but none bore eatable fruit.
Pencroft searched in vain for some of those precious palm-trees which are
employed in so many ways in domestic life, and which have been found as far=
as
the fortieth parallel in the Northern Hemisphere, and to the thirty-fifth o=
nly
in the Southern Hemisphere. But this forest was only composed of coniferae,=
such
as deodaras, already recognized by Herbert, and Douglas pine, similar to th=
ose
which grow on the northwest coast of America, and splendid firs, measuring a
hundred and fifty feet in height.
At this moment a flock of birds, of a small si=
ze
and pretty plumage, with long glancing tails, dispersed themselves among the
branches strewing their feathers, which covered the ground as with fine dow=
n. Herbert
picked up a few of these feathers, and after having examined them,--
"These are couroucous," said he.
"I should prefer a moor-cock or
guinea-fowl," replied Pencroft, "still, if they are good to
eat--"
"They are good to eat, and also their fle=
sh
is very delicate," replied Herbert. "Besides, if I don't mistake,=
it
is easy to approach and kill them with a stick."
The sailor and the lad, creeping among the gra=
ss,
arrived at the foot of a tree, whose lower branches were covered with little
birds. The couroucous were waiting the passage of insects which served for
their nourishment. Their feathery feet could be seen clasping the slender t=
wigs
which supported them.
The hunters then rose, and using their sticks =
like
scythes, they mowed down whole rows of these couroucous, who never thought =
of
flying away, and stupidly allowed themselves to be knocked off. A hundred w=
ere already
heaped on the ground, before the others made up their minds to fly.
"Well," said Pencroft, "here is
game, which is quite within the reach of hunters like us. We have only to p=
ut
out our hands and take it!"
The sailor having strung the couroucous like l=
arks
on flexible twigs, they then continued their exploration. The stream here m=
ade
a bend towards the south, but this detour was probably not prolonged for th=
e river
must have its source in the mountain, and be supplied by the melting of the
snow which covered the sides of the central cone.
The particular object of their expedition was,=
as
has been said, to procure the greatest possible quantity of game for the
inhabitants of the Chimneys. It must be acknowledged that as yet this object
had not been attained. So the sailor actively pursued his researches, thoug=
h he
exclaimed, when some animal which he had not even time to recognize fled in=
to
the long grass, "If only we had had the dog Top!" But Top had dis=
appeared
at the same time as his master, and had probably perished with him.
Towards three o'clock new flocks of birds were
seen through certain trees, at whose aromatic berries they were pecking, th=
ose
of the juniper-tree among others. Suddenly a loud trumpet call resounded th=
rough
the forest. This strange and sonorous cry was produced by a game bird called
grouse in the United States. They soon saw several couples, whose plumage w=
as
rich chestnut-brown mottled with dark brown, and tail of the same color.
Herbert recognized the males by the two wing-like appendages raised on the
neck. Pencroft determined to get hold of at least one of these gallinaceae,
which were as large as a fowl, and whose flesh is better than that of a pul=
let.
But it was difficult, for they would not allow themselves to be approached.
After several fruitless attempts, which resulted in nothing but scaring the
grouse, the sailor said to the lad,--
"Decidedly, since we can't kill them on t=
he
wing, we must try to take them with a line."
"Like a fish?" cried Herbert, much
surprised at the proposal.
"Like a fish," replied the sailor qu= ite seriously. Pencroft had found among the grass half a dozen grouse nests, ea= ch having three or four eggs. He took great care not to touch these nests, to which their proprietors would not fail to return. It was around these that = he meant to stretch his lines, not snares, but real fishing-lines. He took Herbert to some distance from the nests, and there prepared his singular apparatus with all the care which a disciple of Izaak Walton would have used. Herbert watc= hed the work with great interest, though rather doubting its success. The lines were made of fine creepers, fastened one to the other, of the length of fif= teen or twenty feet. Thick, strong thorns, the points bent back (which were supp= lied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers, by way= of hooks. Large red worms, which were crawling on the ground, furnished bait.<= o:p>
This done, Pencroft, passing among the grass a=
nd
concealing himself skillfully, placed the end of his lines armed with hooks
near the grouse nests; then he returned, took the other ends and hid with
Herbert behind a large tree. There they both waited patiently; though, it m=
ust
be said, that Herbert did not reckon much on the success of the inventive P=
encroft.
A whole half-hour passed, but then, as the sai=
lor
had surmised, several couple of grouse returned to their nests. They walked
along, pecking the ground, and not suspecting in any way the presence of the
hunters, who, besides, had taken care to place themselves to leeward of the=
gallinaceae.
The lad felt at this moment highly interested.=
He
held his breath, and Pencroft, his eyes staring, his mouth open, his lips
advanced, as if about to taste a piece of grouse, scarcely breathed.
Meanwhile, the birds walked about the hooks,
without taking any notice of them. Pencroft then gave little tugs which mov=
ed
the bait as if the worms had been still alive.
The sailor undoubtedly felt much greater anxie=
ty
than does the fisherman, for he does not see his prey coming through the wa=
ter.
The jerks attracted the attention of the gallinaceae, and they attacked the=
hooks
with their beaks. Three voracious grouse swallowed at the same moment bait =
and
hook. Suddenly with a smart jerk, Pencroft "struck" his line, and=
a
flapping of wings showed that the birds were taken.
"Hurrah!" he cried, rushing towards =
the
game, of which he made himself master in an instant.
Herbert clapped his hands. It was the first ti=
me
that he had ever seen birds taken with a line, but the sailor modestly
confessed that it was not his first attempt, and that besides he could not
claim the merit of invention.
"And at any rate," added he,
"situated as we are, we must hope to hit upon many other
contrivances."
The grouse were fastened by their claws, and
Pencroft, delighted at not having to appear before their companions with em=
pty
hands, and observing that the day had begun to decline, judged it best to
return to their dwelling.
The direction was indicated by the river, whose
course they had only to follow, and, towards six o'clock, tired enough with
their excursion, Herbert and Pencroft arrived at the Chimneys.
Gideon Spilett was standing motionless on the
shore, his arms crossed, gazing over the sea, the horizon of which was lost
towards the east in a thick black cloud which was spreading rapidly towards=
the
zenith. The wind was already strong, and increased with the decline of day.=
The
whole sky was of a threatening aspect, and the first symptoms of a violent
storm were clearly visible.
Herbert entered the Chimneys, and Pencroft went
towards the reporter. The latter, deeply absorbed, did not see him approach=
.
"We are going to have a dirty night, Mr.
Spilett!" said the sailor: "Petrels delight in wind and rain.&quo=
t;
The reporter, turning at the moment, saw Pencr=
oft,
and his first words were,--
"At what distance from the coast would you
say the car was, when the waves carried off our companion?"
The sailor had not expected this question. He
reflected an instant and replied,--
"Two cables lengths at the most."
"But what is a cable's length?" asked
Gideon Spilett.
"About a hundred and twenty fathoms, or s=
ix
hundred feet."
"Then," said the reporter, "Cyr=
us
Harding must have disappeared twelve hundred feet at the most from the
shore?"
"About that," replied Pencroft.
"And his dog also?"
"Also."
"What astonishes me," rejoined the
reporter, "while admitting that our companion has perished, is that Top
has also met his death, and that neither the body of the dog nor of his mas=
ter
has been cast on the shore!"
"It is not astonishing, with such a heavy
sea," replied the sailor. "Besides, it is possible that currents =
have
carried them farther down the coast."
"Then, it is your opinion that our friend=
has
perished in the waves?" again asked the reporter.
"That is my opinion."
"My own opinion," said Gideon Spilet=
t,
"with due deference to your experience, Pencroft, is that in the double
fact of the absolute disappearance of Cyrus and Top, living or dead, there =
is
something unaccountable and unlikely."
"I wish I could think like you, Mr.
Spilett," replied Pencroft; "unhappily, my mind is made up on this
point." Having said this, the sailor returned to the Chimneys. A good =
fire
crackled on the hearth. Herbert had just thrown on an armful of dry wood, a=
nd
the flame cast a bright light into the darkest parts of the passage.
Pencroft immediately began to prepare the dinn=
er.
It appeared best to introduce something solid into the bill of fare, for all
needed to get up their strength. The strings of couroucous were kept for the
next day, but they plucked a couple of grouse, which were soon spitted on a
stick, and roasting before a blazing fire.
At seven in the evening Neb had not returned. =
The
prolonged absence of the Negro made Pencroft very uneasy. It was to be fear=
ed
that he had met with an accident on this unknown land, or that the unhappy
fellow had been driven to some act of despair. But Herbert drew very differ=
ent conclusions
from this absence. According to him, Neb's delay was caused by some new cir=
cumstances
which had induced him to prolong his search. Also, everything new must be to
the advantage of Cyrus Harding. Why had Neb not returned unless hope still
detained him? Perhaps he had found some mark, a footstep, a trace which had=
put
him in the right path. Perhaps he was at this moment on a certain track.
Perhaps even he was near his master.
Thus the lad reasoned. Thus he spoke. His
companions let him talk. The reporter alone approved with a gesture. But wh=
at
Pencroft thought most probable was, that Neb had pushed his researches on t=
he
shore farther than the day before, and that he had not as yet had time to
return.
Herbert, however, agitated by vague presentime=
nts,
several times manifested an intention to go to meet Neb. But Pencroft assur=
ed him
that that would be a useless course, that in the darkness and deplorable we=
ather
he could not find any traces of Neb, and that it would be much better to wa=
it.
If Neb had not made his appearance by the next day, Pencroft would not hesi=
tate
to join him in his search.
Gideon Spilett approved of the sailor's opinion
that it was best not to divide, and Herbert was obliged to give up his proj=
ect;
but two large tears fell from his eyes.
The reporter could not refrain from embracing =
the
generous boy.
Bad weather now set in. A furious gale from the
southeast passed over the coast. The sea roared as it beat over the reef. H=
eavy
rain was dashed by the storm into particles like dust. Ragged masses of vap=
or drove
along the beach, on which the tormented shingles sounded as if poured out in
cart-loads, while the sand raised by the wind added as it were mineral dust=
to
that which was liquid, and rendered the united attack insupportable. Between
the river's mouth and the end of the cliff, eddies of wind whirled and gusts
from this maelstrom lashed the water which ran through the narrow valley. T=
he
smoke from the fireplace was also driven back through the opening, filling =
the
passages and rendering them uninhabitable.
Therefore, as the grouse were cooked, Pencroft= let the fire die away, and only preserved a few embers buried under the ashes.<= o:p>
At eight o'clock Neb had not appeared, but the=
re
was no doubt that the frightful weather alone hindered his return, and that=
he
must have taken refuge in some cave, to await the end of the storm or at le=
ast
the return of day. As to going to meet him, or attempting to find him, it w=
as
impossible.
The game constituted the only dish at supper; =
the
meat was excellent, and Pencroft and Herbert, whose long excursion had rend=
ered
them very hungry, devoured it with infinite satisfaction.
Their meal concluded, each retired to the corn=
er
in which he had rested the preceding night, and Herbert was not long in goi=
ng
to sleep near the sailor, who had stretched himself beside the fireplace.
Outside, as the night advanced, the tempest al=
so
increased in strength, until it was equal to that which had carried the
prisoners from Richmond to this land in the Pacific. The tempests which are
frequent during the seasons of the equinox, and which are so prolific in
catastrophes, are above all terrible over this immense ocean, which opposes=
no
obstacle to their fury. No description can give an idea of the terrific
violence of the gale as it beat upon the unprotected coast.
Happily the pile of rocks which formed the
Chimneys was solid. It was composed of enormous blocks of granite, a few of
which, insecurely balanced, seemed to tremble on their foundations, and
Pencroft could feel rapid quiverings under his head as it rested on the roc=
k.
But he repeated to himself, and rightly, that there was nothing to fear, an=
d that
their retreat would not give way. However he heard the noise of stones torn
from the summit of the plateau by the wind, falling down on to the beach. A=
few
even rolled on to the upper part of the Chimneys, or flew off in fragments =
when
they were projected perpendicularly. Twice the sailor rose and intrenched
himself at the opening of the passage, so as to take a look in safety at the
outside. But there was nothing to be feared from these showers, which were =
not
considerable, and he returned to his couch before the fireplace, where the
embers glowed beneath the ashes.
Notwithstanding the fury of the hurricane, the
uproar of the tempest, the thunder, and the tumult, Herbert slept profoundl=
y.
Sleep at last took possession of Pencroft, whom a seafaring life had habitu=
ated
to anything. Gideon Spilett alone was kept awake by anxiety. He reproached =
himself
with not having accompanied Neb. It was evident that he had not abandoned a=
ll
hope. The presentiments which had troubled Herbert did not cease to agitate=
him
also. His thoughts were concentrated on Neb. Why had Neb not returned? He
tossed about on his sandy couch, scarcely giving a thought to the struggle =
of
the elements. Now and then, his eyes, heavy with fatigue, closed for an
instant, but some sudden thought reopened them almost immediately.
Meanwhile the night advanced, and it was perha=
ps
two hours from morning, when Pencroft, then sound asleep, was vigorously
shaken.
"What's the matter?" he cried, rousi=
ng
himself, and collecting his ideas with the promptitude usual to seamen.
The reporter was leaning over him, and saying,=
--
"Listen, Pencroft, listen!"
The sailor strained his ears, but could hear no
noise beyond those caused by the storm.
"It is the wind," said he.
"No," replied Gideon Spilett, listen=
ing
again, "I thought I heard--"
"What?"
"The barking of a dog!"
"A dog!" cried Pencroft, springing u=
p.
"Yes--barking--"
"It's not possible!" replied the sai=
lor.
"And besides, how, in the roaring of the storm--"
"Stop--listen--" said the reporter.<= o:p>
Pencroft listened more attentively, and really
thought he heard, during a lull, distant barking.
"Well!" said the reporter, pressing =
the
sailor's hand.
"Yes--yes!" replied Pencroft.
"It is Top! It is Top!" cried Herber=
t,
who had just awoke; and all three rushed towards the opening of the Chimney=
s.
They had great difficulty in getting out. The wind drove them back. But at =
last
they succeeded, and could only remain standing by leaning against the rocks.
They looked about, but could not speak. The darkness was intense. The sea, =
the
sky, the land were all mingled in one black mass. Not a speck of light was =
visible.
The reporter and his companions remained thus =
for
a few minutes, overwhelmed by the wind, drenched by the rain, blinded by the
sand.
Then, in a pause of the tumult, they again hea=
rd
the barking, which they found must be at some distance.
It could only be Top! But was he alone or
accompanied? He was most probably alone, for, if Neb had been with him, he
would have made his way more directly towards the Chimneys. The sailor sque=
ezed
the reporter's hand, for he could not make himself heard, in a way which si=
gnified
"Wait!" then he reentered the passage.
An instant after he issued with a lighted fago=
t,
which he threw into the darkness, whistling shrilly.
It appeared as if this signal had been waited =
for;
the barking immediately came nearer, and soon a dog bounded into the passag=
e. Pencroft,
Herbert, and Spilett entered after him.
An armful of dry wood was thrown on the embers.
The passage was lighted up with a bright flame.
"It is Top!" cried Herbert.
It was indeed Top, a magnificent Anglo-Norman,=
who
derived from these two races crossed the swiftness of foot and the acutenes=
s of
smell which are the preeminent qualities of coursing dogs. It was the dog of
the engineer, Cyrus Harding. But he was alone! Neither Neb nor his master a=
ccompanied
him!
How was it that his instinct had guided him
straight to the Chimneys, which he did not know? It appeared inexplicable,
above all, in the midst of this black night and in such a tempest! But what=
was
still more inexplicable was, that Top was neither tired, nor exhausted, nor
even soiled with mud or sand!--Herbert had drawn him towards him, and was p=
atting
his head, the dog rubbing his neck against the lad's hands.
"If the dog is found, the master will be
found also!" said the reporter.
"God grant it!" responded Herbert.
"Let us set off! Top will guide us!"
Pencroft did not make any objection. He felt t=
hat
Top's arrival contradicted his conjectures. "Come along then!" sa=
id
he.
Pencroft carefully covered the embers on the
hearth. He placed a few pieces of wood among them, so as to keep in the fire
until their return. Then, preceded by the dog, who seemed to invite them by
short barks to come with him, and followed by the reporter and the boy, he
dashed out, after having put up in his handkerchief the remains of the supp=
er.
The storm was then in all its violence, and
perhaps at its height. Not a single ray of light from the moon pierced thro=
ugh
the clouds. To follow a straight course was difficult. It was best to rely =
on
Top's instinct. They did so. The reporter and Herbert walked behind the dog,
and the sailor brought up the rear. It was impossible to exchange a word. T=
he rain
was not very heavy, but the wind was terrific.
However, one circumstance favored the seaman a=
nd
his two companions. The wind being southeast, consequently blew on their ba=
cks.
The clouds of sand, which otherwise would have been insupportable, from bei=
ng
received behind, did not in consequence impede their progress. In short, th=
ey sometimes
went faster than they liked, and had some difficulty in keeping their feet;=
but
hope gave them strength, for it was not at random that they made their way
along the shore. They had no doubt that Neb had found his master, and that =
he
had sent them the faithful dog. But was the engineer living, or had Neb only
sent for his companions that they might render the last duties to the corps=
e of
the unfortunate Harding?
After having passed the precipice, Herbert, the
reporter, and Pencroft prudently stepped aside to stop and take breath. The
turn of the rocks sheltered them from the wind, and they could breathe after
this walk or rather run of a quarter of an hour.
They could now hear and reply to each other, a=
nd
the lad having pronounced the name of Cyrus Harding, Top gave a few short
barks, as much as to say that his master was saved.
"Saved, isn't he?" repeated Herbert;
"saved, Top?"
And the dog barked in reply.
They once more set out. The tide began to rise,
and urged by the wind it threatened to be unusually high, as it was a spring
tide. Great billows thundered against the reef with such violence that they
probably passed entirely over the islet, then quite invisible. The mole no
longer protected the coast, which was directly exposed to the attacks of th=
e open
sea.
As soon as the sailor and his companions left =
the
precipice, the wind struck them again with renewed fury. Though bent under =
the
gale they walked very quickly, following Top, who did not hesitate as to wh=
at direction
to take.
They ascended towards the north, having on the=
ir
left an interminable extent of billows, which broke with a deafening noise,=
and
on their right a dark country, the aspect of which it was impossible to gue=
ss. But
they felt that it was comparatively flat, for the wind passed completely ov=
er
them, without being driven back as it was when it came in contact with the
cliff.
At four o'clock in the morning, they reckoned =
that
they had cleared about five miles. The clouds were slightly raised, and the
wind, though less damp, was very sharp and cold. Insufficiently protected by
their clothing, Pencroft, Herbert and Spilett suffered cruelly, but not a
complaint escaped their lips. They were determined to follow Top, wherever =
the
intelligent animal wished to lead them.
Towards five o'clock day began to break. At the
zenith, where the fog was less thick, gray shades bordered the clouds; unde=
r an
opaque belt, a luminous line clearly traced the horizon. The crests of the
billows were tipped with a wild light, and the foam regained its whiteness.=
At
the same time on the left the hilly parts of the coast could be seen, thoug=
h very
indistinctly.
At six o'clock day had broken. The clouds rapi=
dly
lifted. The seaman and his companions were then about six miles from the
Chimneys. They were following a very flat shore bounded by a reef of rocks,
whose heads scarcely emerged from the sea, for they were in deep water. On =
the
left, the country appeared to be one vast extent of sandy downs, bristling =
with
thistles. There was no cliff, and the shore offered no resistance to the oc=
ean
but a chain of irregular hillocks. Here and there grew two or three trees,
inclined towards the west, their branches projecting in that direction. Qui=
te
behind, in the southwest, extended the border of the forest.
At this moment, Top became very excited. He ran
forward, then returned, and seemed to entreat them to hasten their steps. T=
he
dog then left the beach, and guided by his wonderful instinct, without show=
ing
the least hesitation, went straight in among the downs. They followed him. =
The country
appeared an absolute desert. Not a living creature was to be seen.
The downs, the extent of which was large, were
composed of hillocks and even of hills, very irregularly distributed. They
resembled a Switzerland modeled in sand, and only an amazing instinct could
have possibly recognized the way.
Five minutes after having left the beach, the
reporter and his two companions arrived at a sort of excavation, hollowed o=
ut
at the back of a high mound. There Top stopped, and gave a loud, clear bark.
Spilett, Herbert, and Pencroft dashed into the cave.
Neb was there, kneeling beside a body extended=
on
a bed of grass.
The body was that of the engineer, Cyrus Hardi=
ng.
Neb d=
id not
move. Pencroft only uttered one word.
"Living?" he cried.
Neb did not reply. Spilett and the sailor turn=
ed
pale. Herbert clasped his hands, and remained motionless. The poor Negro,
absorbed in his grief, evidently had neither seen his companions nor heard =
the
sailor speak.
The reporter knelt down beside the motionless
body, and placed his ear to the engineer's chest, having first torn open his
clothes.
A minute--an age!--passed, during which he
endeavored to catch the faintest throb of the heart.
Neb had raised himself a little and gazed with=
out
seeing. Despair had completely changed his countenance. He could scarcely be
recognized, exhausted with fatigue, broken with grief. He believed his mast=
er
was dead.
Gideon Spilett at last rose, after a long and
attentive examination.
"He lives!" said he.
Pencroft knelt in his turn beside the engineer=
, he
also heard a throbbing, and even felt a slight breath on his cheek.
Herbert at a word from the reporter ran out to
look for water. He found, a hundred feet off, a limpid stream, which seemed=
to
have been greatly increased by the rains, and which filtered through the sa=
nd;
but nothing in which to put the water, not even a shell among the downs. The
lad was obliged to content himself with dipping his handkerchief in the str=
eam,
and with it hastened back to the grotto.
Happily the wet handkerchief was enough for Gi=
deon
Spilett, who only wished to wet the engineer's lips. The cold water produce=
d an
almost immediate effect. His chest heaved and he seemed to try to speak.
"We will save him!" exclaimed the
reporter.
At these words hope revived in Neb's heart. He
undressed his master to see if he was wounded, but not so much as a bruise =
was
to be found, either on the head, body, or limbs, which was surprising, as he
must have been dashed against the rocks; even the hands were uninjured, and=
it
was difficult to explain how the engineer showed no traces of the efforts w=
hich
he must have made to get out of reach of the breakers.
But the explanation would come later. When Cyr=
us
was able to speak he would say what had happened. For the present the quest=
ion
was, how to recall him to life, and it appeared likely that rubbing would b=
ring
this about; so they set to work with the sailor's jersey.
The engineer, revived by this rude shampooing,
moved his arm slightly and began to breathe more regularly. He was sinking =
from
exhaustion, and certainly, had not the reporter and his companions arrived,=
it
would have been all over with Cyrus Harding.
"You thought your master was dead, didn't
you?" said the seaman to Neb.
"Yes! quite dead!" replied Neb,
"and if Top had not found you, and brought you here, I should have bur=
ied
my master, and then have lain down on his grave to die!"
It had indeed been a narrow escape for Cyrus
Harding!
Neb then recounted what had happened. The day
before, after having left the Chimneys at daybreak, he had ascended the coa=
st
in a northerly direction, and had reached that part of the shore which he h=
ad
already visited.
There, without any hope he acknowledged, Neb h=
ad
searched the beach, among the rocks, on the sand, for the smallest trace to
guide him. He examined particularly that part of the beach which was not
covered by the high tide, for near the sea the water would have obliterated=
all
marks. Neb did not expect to find his master living. It was for a corpse th=
at
he searched, a corpse which he wished to bury with his own hands!
He sought long in vain. This desert coast appe=
ared
never to have been visited by a human creature. The shells, those which the=
sea
had not reached, and which might be met with by millions above high-water m=
ark,
were untouched. Not a shell was broken.
Neb then resolved to walk along the beach for =
some
miles. It was possible that the waves had carried the body to quite a dista=
nt
point. When a corpse floats a little distance from a low shore, it rarely h=
appens
that the tide does not throw it up, sooner or later. This Neb knew, and he
wished to see his master again for the last time.
"I went along the coast for another two
miles, carefully examining the beach, both at high and low water, and I had
despaired of finding anything, when yesterday, above five in the evening, I=
saw
footprints on the sand."
"Footprints?" exclaimed Pencroft.
"Yes!" replied Neb.
"Did these footprints begin at the water's
edge?" asked the reporter.
"No," replied Neb, "only above
high-water mark, for the others must have been washed out by the tide."=
;
"Go on, Neb," said Spilett.
"I went half crazy when I saw these
footprints. They were very clear and went towards the downs. I followed them
for a quarter of a mile, running, but taking care not to destroy them. Five
minutes after, as it was getting dark, I heard the barking of a dog. It was=
Top,
and Top brought me here, to my master!"
Neb ended his account by saying what had been = his grief at finding the inanimate body, in which he vainly sought for the least sign of life. Now that he had found him dead he longed for him to be alive.= All his efforts were useless! Nothing remained to be done but to render the las= t duties to the one whom he had loved so much! Neb then thought of his companions. T= hey, no doubt, would wish to see the unfortunate man again. Top was there. Could= he not rely on the sagacity of the faithful animal? Neb several times pronounc= ed the name of the reporter, the one among his companions whom Top knew best.<= o:p>
Then he pointed to the south, and the dog boun=
ded
off in the direction indicated to him.
We have heard how, guided by an instinct which
might be looked upon almost as supernatural, Top had found them.
Neb's companions had listened with great atten=
tion
to this account.
It was unaccountable to them how Cyrus Harding,
after the efforts which he must have made to escape from the waves by cross=
ing
the rocks, had not received even a scratch. And what could not be explained
either was how the engineer had managed to get to this cave in the downs, m=
ore
than a mile from the shore.
"So, Neb," said the reporter, "=
it
was not you who brought your master to this place."
"No, it was not I," replied the Negr=
o.
"It's very clear that the captain came he=
re
by himself," said Pencroft.
"It is clear in reality," observed
Spilett, "but it is not credible!"
The explanation of this fact could only be
produced from the engineer's own lips, and they must wait for that till spe=
ech
returned. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood. Cyrus
Harding moved his arm again, then his head, and a few incomprehensible words
escaped him.
Neb, who was bending over him, spoke, but the
engineer did not appear to hear, and his eyes remained closed. Life was only
exhibited in him by movement, his senses had not as yet been restored.
Pencroft much regretted not having either fire=
, or
the means of procuring it, for he had, unfortunately, forgotten to bring the
burnt linen, which would easily have ignited from the sparks produced by st=
riking
together two flints. As to the engineer's pockets, they were entirely empty,
except that of his waistcoat, which contained his watch. It was necessary to
carry Harding to the Chimneys, and that as soon as possible. This was the
opinion of all.
Meanwhile, the care which was lavished on the
engineer brought him back to consciousness sooner than they could have expe=
cted.
The water with which they wetted his lips revived him gradually. Pencroft a=
lso
thought of mixing with the water some moisture from the titra's flesh which=
he
had brought. Herbert ran to the beach and returned with two large bivalve
shells. The sailor concocted something which he introduced between the lips=
of
the engineer, who eagerly drinking it opened his eyes.
Neb and the reporter were leaning over him.
"My master! my master!" cried Neb.
The engineer heard him. He recognized Neb and
Spilett, then his other two companions, and his hand slightly pressed their=
s.
A few words again escaped him, which showed wh=
at
thoughts were, even then, troubling his brain. This time he was understood.
Undoubtedly they were the same words he had before attempted to utter.
"Island or continent?" he murmured.<= o:p>
"Bother the continent," cried Pencro=
ft
hastily; "there is time enough to see about that, captain! we don't ca=
re
for anything, provided you are living."
The engineer nodded faintly, and then appeared=
to
sleep.
They respected this sleep, and the reporter be=
gan
immediately to make arrangements for transporting Harding to a more comfort=
able
place. Neb, Herbert, and Pencroft left the cave and directed their steps
towards a high mound crowned with a few distorted trees. On the way the sai=
lor could
not help repeating,--
"Island or continent! To think of that, w=
hen
at one's last gasp! What a man!"
Arrived at the summit of the mound, Pencroft a=
nd
his two companions set to work, with no other tools than their hands, to de=
spoil
of its principal branches a rather sickly tree, a sort of marine fir; with =
these
branches they made a litter, on which, covered with grass and leaves, they
could carry the engineer.
This occupied them nearly forty minutes, and it
was ten o'clock when they returned to Cyrus Harding whom Spilett had not le=
ft.
The engineer was just awaking from the sleep, =
or
rather from the drowsiness, in which they had found him. The color was
returning to his cheeks, which till now had been as pale as death. He raised
himself a little, looked around him, and appeared to ask where he was.
"Can you listen to me without fatigue,
Cyrus?" asked the reporter.
"Yes," replied the engineer.
"It's my opinion," said the sailor,
"that Captain Harding will be able to listen to you still better, if he
will have some more grouse jelly,--for we have grouse, captain," added=
he,
presenting him with a little of this jelly, to which he this time added som=
e of
the flesh.
Cyrus Harding ate a little of the grouse, and =
the
rest was divided among his companions, who found it but a meager breakfast,=
for
they were suffering extremely from hunger.
"Well!" said the sailor, "there= is plenty of food at the Chimneys, for you must know, captain, that down there= , in the south, we have a house, with rooms, beds, and fireplace, and in the pan= try, several dozen of birds, which our Herbert calls couroucous. Your litter is ready, and as soon as you feel strong enough we will carry you home."<= o:p>
"Thanks, my friend," replied the
engineer; "wait another hour or two, and then we will set out. And now
speak, Spilett."
The reporter then told him all that had occurr=
ed.
He recounted all the events with which Cyrus was unacquainted, the last fal=
l of
the balloon, the landing on this unknown land, which appeared a desert
(whatever it was, whether island or continent), the discovery of the Chimne=
ys, the
search for him, not forgetting of course Neb's devotion, the intelligence
exhibited by the faithful Top, as well as many other matters.
"But," asked Harding, in a still fee=
ble
voice, "you did not, then, pick me up on the beach?"
"No," replied the reporter.
"And did you not bring me to this cave?&q=
uot;
"No."
"At what distance is this cave from the
sea?"
"About a mile," replied Pencroft;
"and if you are astonished, captain, we are not less surprised ourselv=
es
at seeing you in this place!"
"Indeed," said the engineer, who was
recovering gradually, and who took great interest in these details,
"indeed it is very singular!"
"But," resumed the sailor, "can=
you
tell us what happened after you were carried off by the sea?"
Cyrus Harding considered. He knew very little.=
The
wave had torn him from the balloon net. He sank at first several fathoms. On
returning to the surface, in the half light, he felt a living creature stru=
ggling
near him. It was Top, who had sprung to his help. He saw nothing of the bal=
loon,
which, lightened both of his weight and that of the dog, had darted away li=
ke
an arrow.
There he was, in the midst of the angry sea, a=
t a
distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. He attemp=
ted
to struggle against the billows by swimming vigorously. Top held him up by =
his clothes;
but a strong current seized him and drove him towards the north, and after =
half
an hour of exertion, he sank, dragging Top with him into the depths. From t=
hat
moment to the moment in which he recovered to find himself in the arms of h=
is
friends he remembered nothing.
"However," remarked Pencroft, "=
you
must have been thrown on to the beach, and you must have had strength to wa=
lk
here, since Neb found your footmarks!"
"Yes... of course," replied the
engineer, thoughtfully; "and you found no traces of human beings on th=
is
coast?"
"Not a trace," replied the reporter;
"besides, if by chance you had met with some deliverer there, just in =
the
nick of time, why should he have abandoned you after having saved you from =
the
waves?"
"You are right, my dear Spilett. Tell me,
Neb," added the engineer, turning to his servant, "it was not you
who... you can't have had a moment of unconsciousness... during which no,
that's absurd.... Do any of the footsteps still remain?" asked Harding=
.
"Yes, master," replied Neb; "he=
re,
at the entrance, at the back of the mound, in a place sheltered from the ra=
in
and wind. The storm has destroyed the others."
"Pencroft," said Cyrus Harding,
"will you take my shoe and see if it fits exactly to the footprints?&q=
uot;
The sailor did as the engineer requested. Whil=
e he
and Herbert, guided by Neb, went to the place where the footprints were to =
be
found, Cyrus remarked to the reporter,--
"It is a most extraordinary thing!"<= o:p>
"Perfectly inexplicable!" replied Gi=
deon
Spilett.
"But do not dwell upon it just now, my de=
ar
Spilett, we will talk about it by-and-by."
A moment after the others entered.
There was no doubt about it. The engineer's sh=
oe
fitted exactly to the footmarks. It was therefore Cyrus Harding who had left
them on the sand.
"Come," said he, "I must have
experienced this unconsciousness which I attributed to Neb. I must have wal=
ked
like a somnambulist, without any knowledge of my steps, and Top must have
guided me here, after having dragged me from the waves... Come, Top! Come, =
old
dog!"
The magnificent animal bounded barking to his
master, and caresses were lavished on him. It was agreed that there was no
other way of accounting for the rescue of Cyrus Harding, and that Top deser=
ved
all the honor of the affair.
Towards twelve o'clock, Pencroft having asked =
the
engineer if they could now remove him, Harding, instead of replying, and by=
an
effort which exhibited the most energetic will, got up. But he was obliged =
to
lean on the sailor, or he would have fallen.
"Well done!" cried Pencroft; "b=
ring
the captain's litter."
The litter was brought; the transverse branches
had been covered with leaves and long grass. Harding was laid on it, and
Pencroft, having taken his place at one end and Neb at the other, they star=
ted
towards the coast. There was a distance of eight miles to be accomplished; =
but,
as they could not go fast, and it would perhaps be necessary to stop freque=
ntly,
they reckoned that it would take at least six hours to reach the Chimneys. =
The
wind was still strong, but fortunately it did not rain. Although lying down,
the engineer, leaning on his elbow, observed the coast, particularly inland=
. He
did not speak, but he gazed; and, no doubt, the appearance of the country, =
with
its inequalities of ground, its forests, its various productions, were
impressed on his mind. However, after traveling for two hours, fatigue over=
came
him, and he slept.
At half-past five the little band arrived at t=
he
precipice, and a short time after at the Chimneys.
They stopped, and the litter was placed on the
sand; Cyrus Harding was sleeping profoundly, and did not awake.
Pencroft, to his extreme surprise, found that =
the
terrible storm had quite altered the aspect of the place. Important changes=
had
occurred; great blocks of stone lay on the beach, which was also covered wi=
th a
thick carpet of sea-weed, algae, and wrack. Evidently the sea, passing over=
the
islet, had been carried right up to the foot of the enormous curtain of
granite. The soil in front of the cave had been torn away by the violence of
the waves. A horrid presentiment flashed across Pencroft's mind. He rushed =
into
the passage, but returned almost immediately, and stood motionless, staring=
at
his companions.... The fire was out; the drowned cinders were nothing but m=
ud;
the burnt linen, which was to have served as tinder, had disappeared! The s=
ea
had penetrated to the end of the passages, and everything was overthrown an=
d destroyed
in the interior of the Chimneys!
In a few words, Gideon Spilett, Herbert, and N=
eb
were made acquainted with what had happened. This accident, which appeared =
so
very serious to Pencroft, produced different effects on the companions of t=
he
honest sailor.
Neb, in his delight at having found his master,
did not listen, or rather, did not care to trouble himself with what Pencro=
ft
was saying.
Herbert shared in some degree the sailor's
feelings.
As to the reporter, he simply replied,--
"Upon my word, Pencroft, it's perfectly
indifferent to me!"
"But, I repeat, that we haven't any
fire!"
"Pooh!"
"Nor any means of relighting it!"
"Nonsense!"
"But I say, Mr. Spilett--"
"Isn't Cyrus here?" replied the
reporter.
"Is not our engineer alive? He will soon =
find
some way of making fire for us!"
"With what?"
"With nothing."
What had Pencroft to say? He could say nothing,
for, in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companio=
ns
had in Cyrus Harding. The engineer was to them a microcosm, a compound of e=
very
science, a possessor of all human knowledge. It was better to be with Cyrus=
in
a desert island, than without him in the most flourishing town in the United
States. With him they could want nothing; with him they would never despair=
. If
these brave men had been told that a volcanic eruption would destroy the la=
nd,
that this land would be engulfed in the depths of the Pacific, they would h=
ave
imperturbably replied,--
"Cyrus is here!"
While in the palanquin, however, the engineer =
had
again relapsed into unconsciousness, which the jolting to which he had been
subjected during his journey had brought on, so that they could not now app=
eal
to his ingenuity. The supper must necessarily be very meager. In fact, all =
the grouse
flesh had been consumed, and there no longer existed any means of cooking m=
ore
game. Besides, the couroucous which had been reserved had disappeared. They
must consider what was to be done.
First of all, Cyrus Harding was carried into t=
he
central passage. There they managed to arrange for him a couch of sea-weed
which still remained almost dry. The deep sleep which had overpowered him w=
ould
no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment.
Night had closed in, and the temperature, which
had modified when the wind shifted to the northwest, again became extremely
cold. Also, the sea having destroyed the partitions which Pencroft had put =
up
in certain places in the passages, the Chimneys, on account of the draughts,
had become scarcely habitable. The engineer's condition would, therefore, h=
ave
been bad enough, if his companions had not carefully covered him with their
coats and waistcoats.
Supper, this evening, was of course composed of
the inevitable lithodomes, of which Herbert and Neb picked up a plentiful
supply on the beach. However, to these molluscs, the lad added some edible
sea-weed, which he gathered on high rocks, whose sides were only washed by =
the
sea at the time of high tides. This sea-weed, which belongs to the order of
Fucacae, of the genus Sargassum, produces, when dry, a gelatinous matter, r=
ich
and nutritious. The reporter and his companions, after having eaten a quant=
ity
of lithodomes, sucked the sargassum, of which the taste was very tolerable.=
It
is used in parts of the East very considerably by the natives. "Never
mind!" said the sailor, "the captain will help us soon."
Meanwhile the cold became very severe, and unhappily they had no means of
defending themselves from it.
The sailor, extremely vexed, tried in all sort=
s of
ways to procure fire. Neb helped him in this work. He found some dry moss, =
and
by striking together two pebbles he obtained some sparks, but the moss, not
being inflammable enough, did not take fire, for the sparks were really onl=
y incandescent,
and not at all of the same consistency as those which are emitted from flint
when struck in the same manner. The experiment, therefore, did not succeed.=
Pencroft, although he had no confidence in the
proceeding, then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together, as savages =
do.
Certainly, the movement which he and Neb exhibited, if it had been transfor=
med
into heat, according to the new theory, would have been enough to heat the =
boiler
of a steamer! It came to nothing. The bits of wood became hot, to be sure, =
but
much less so than the operators themselves.
After working an hour, Pencroft, who was in a
complete state of perspiration, threw down the pieces of wood in disgust.
"I can never be made to believe that sava=
ges
light their fires in this way, let them say what they will," he exclai=
med.
"I could sooner light my arms by rubbing them against each other!"=
;
The sailor was wrong to despise the proceeding.
Savages often kindle wood by means of rapid rubbing. But every sort of wood
does not answer for the purpose, and besides, there is "the knack,&quo=
t;
following the usual expression, and it is probable that Pencroft had not
"the knack."
Pencroft's ill humor did not last long. Herbert
had taken the bits of wood which he had turned down, and was exerting himse=
lf
to rub them. The hardy sailor could not restrain a burst of laughter on see=
ing
the efforts of the lad to succeed where he had failed.
"Rub, my boy, rub!" said he.
"I am rubbing," replied Herbert,
laughing, "but I don't pretend to do anything else but warm myself ins=
tead
of shivering, and soon I shall be as hot as you are, my good Pencroft!"=
;
This soon happened. However, they were obliged=
to
give up, for this night at least, the attempt to procure fire. Gideon Spile=
tt
repeated, for the twentieth time, that Cyrus Harding would not have been
troubled for so small a difficulty. And, in the meantime, he stretched hims=
elf
in one of the passages on his bed of sand. Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft did t=
he
same, while Top slept at his master's feet.
Next day, the 28th of March, when the engineer
awoke, about eight in the morning, he saw his companions around him watching
his sleep, and, as on the day before, his first words were:--
"Island or continent?" This was his
uppermost thought.
"Well!" replied Pencroft, "we d=
on't
know anything about it, captain!"
"You don't know yet?"
"But we shall know," rejoined Pencro=
ft,
"when you have guided us into the country."
"I think I am able to try it," repli=
ed
the engineer, who, without much effort, rose and stood upright.
"That's capital!" cried the sailor.<= o:p>
"I feel dreadfully weak," replied
Harding. "Give me something to eat, my friends, and it will soon go of=
f.
You have fire, haven't you?"
This question was not immediately replied to. =
But,
in a few seconds--
"Alas! we have no fire," said Pencro=
ft,
"or rather, captain, we have it no longer!"
And the sailor recounted all that had passed t=
he
day before. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match, then=
his
abortive attempt to procure fire in the savages' way.
"We shall consider," replied the
engineer, "and if we do not find some substance similar to tinder--&qu=
ot;
"Well?" asked the sailor.
"Well, we will make matches.
"Chemicals?"
"Chemicals!"
"It is not more difficult than that,"
cried the reporter, striking the sailor on the shoulder.
The latter did not think it so simple, but he =
did
not protest. All went out. The weather had become very fine. The sun was ri=
sing
from the sea's horizon, and touched with golden spangles the prismatic
rugosities of the huge precipice.
Having thrown a rapid glance around him, the
engineer seated himself on a block of stone. Herbert offered him a few hand=
fuls
of shell-fish and sargassum, saying,--
"It is all that we have, Captain
Harding."
"Thanks, my boy," replied Harding;
"it will do--for this morning at least."
He ate the wretched food with appetite, and wa=
shed
it down with a little fresh water, drawn from the river in an immense shell=
.
His companions looked at him without speaking.
Then, feeling somewhat refreshed, Cyrus Harding crossed his arms, and said,=
--
"So, my friends, you do not know yet whet=
her
fate has thrown us on an island, or on a continent?"
"No, captain," replied the boy.
"We shall know to-morrow," said the
engineer; "till then, there is nothing to be done."
"Yes," replied Pencroft.
"What?"
"Fire," said the sailor, who, also, =
had
a fixed idea.
"We will make it, Pencroft," replied
Harding.
"While you were carrying me yesterday, di=
d I
not see in the west a mountain which commands the country?"
"Yes," replied Spilett, "a moun=
tain
which must be rather high--"
"Well," replied the engineer, "=
we
will climb to the summit to-morrow, and then we shall see if this land is an
island or a continent. Till then, I repeat, there is nothing to be done.&qu=
ot;
"Yes, fire!" said the obstinate sail=
or
again.
"But he will make us a fire!" replied
Gideon Spilett, "only have a little patience, Pencroft!"
The seaman looked at Spilett in a way which se=
emed
to say, "If it depended upon you to do it, we wouldn't taste roast meat
very soon"; but he was silent.
Meanwhile Captain Harding had made no reply. He
appeared to be very little troubled by the question of fire. For a few minu=
tes
he remained absorbed in thought; then again speaking,--
"My friends," said he, "our
situation is, perhaps, deplorable; but, at any rate, it is very plain. Eith=
er
we are on a continent, and then, at the expense of greater or less fatigue,=
we
shall reach some inhabited place, or we are on an island. In the latter cas=
e,
if the island is inhabited, we will try to get out of the scrape with the h=
elp
of its inhabitants; if it is desert, we will try to get out of the scrape b=
y ourselves."
"Certainly, nothing could be plainer,&quo=
t;
replied Pencroft.
"But, whether it is an island or a
continent," asked Gideon Spilett, "whereabouts do you think, Cyru=
s,
this storm has thrown us?"
"I cannot say exactly," replied the
engineer, "but I presume it is some land in the Pacific. In fact, when=
we
left Richmond, the wind was blowing from the northeast, and its very violen=
ce
greatly proves that it could not have varied. If the direction has been
maintained from the northeast to the southwest, we have traversed the State=
s of
North Carolina, of South Carolina, of Georgia, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, =
itself,
in its narrow part, then a part of the Pacific Ocean. I cannot estimate the
distance traversed by the balloon at less than six to seven thousand miles,
and, even supposing that the wind had varied half a quarter, it must have
brought us either to the archipelago of Mendava, either on the Pomotous, or
even, if it had a greater strength than I suppose, to the land of New Zeala=
nd.
If the last hypothesis is correct, it will be easy enough to get home again.
English or Maoris, we shall always find some one to whom we can speak. If, =
on
the contrary, this is the coast of a desert island in some tiny archipelago,
perhaps we shall be able to reconnoiter it from the summit of that peak whi=
ch
overlooks the country, and then we shall see how best to establish ourselves
here as if we are never to go away."
"Never?" cried the reporter. "Y=
ou
say 'Never,' my dear Cyrus?"
"Better to put things at the worst at
first," replied the engineer, "and reserve the best for a
surprise."
"Well said," remarked Pencroft. &quo=
t;It
is to be hoped, too, that this island, if it be one, is not situated just o=
ut
of the course of ships; that would be really unlucky!"
"We shall not know what we have to rely on
until we have first made the ascent of the mountain," replied the
engineer.
"But to-morrow, captain," asked Herb=
ert,
"shall you be in a state to bear the fatigue of the ascent?"
"I hope so," replied the engineer,
"provided you and Pencroft, my boy, show yourselves quick and clever
hunters."
"Captain," said the sailor, "si=
nce
you are speaking of game, if on my return, I was as certain of roasting it =
as I
am of bringing it back--"
"Bring it back all the same, Pencroft,&qu=
ot;
replied Harding.
It was then agreed that the engineer and the
reporter were to pass the day at the Chimneys, so as to examine the shore a=
nd
the upper plateau. Neb, Herbert, and the sailor were to return to the fores=
t,
renew their store of wood, and lay violent hands on every creature, feather=
ed
or hairy, which might come within their reach.
They set out accordingly about ten o'clock in =
the
morning, Herbert confident, Neb joyous, Pencroft murmuring aside,--
"If, on my return, I find a fire at the
house, I shall believe that the thunder itself came to light it." All
three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river, the sai=
lor,
stopping, said to his two companions,--
"Shall we begin by being hunters or
wood-men?"
"Hunters," replied Herbert. "Th=
ere
is Top already in quest."
"We will hunt, then," said the sailo=
r,
"and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood."
This agreed to, Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft, af=
ter
having torn three sticks from the trunk of a young fir, followed Top, who w=
as
bounding about among the long grass.
This time, the hunters, instead of following t=
he
course of the river, plunged straight into the heart of the forest. There w=
ere
still the same trees, belonging, for the most part, to the pine family. In =
certain
places, less crowded, growing in clumps, these pines exhibited considerable
dimensions, and appeared to indicate, by their development, that the country
was situated in a higher latitude than the engineer had supposed. Glades,
bristling with stumps worn away by time, were covered with dry wood, which
formed an inexhaustible store of fuel. Then, the glade passed, the underwood
thickened again, and became almost impenetrable.
It was difficult enough to find the way among =
the
groups of trees, without any beaten track. So the sailor from time to time
broke off branches which might be easily recognized. But, perhaps, he was w=
rong
not to follow the watercourse, as he and Herbert had done on their first ex=
cursion,
for after walking an hour not a creature had shown itself. Top, running und=
er
the branches, only roused birds which could not be approached. Even the
couroucous were invisible, and it was probable that the sailor would be obl=
iged
to return to the marshy part of the forest, in which he had so happily
performed his grouse fishing.
"Well, Pencroft," said Neb, in a
slightly sarcastic tone, "if this is all the game which you promised to
bring back to my master, it won't need a large fire to roast it!"
"Have patience," replied the sailor,
"it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return."
"Have you not confidence in Captain
Harding?"
"Yes."
"But you don't believe that he will make
fire?"
"I shall believe it when the wood is blaz=
ing
in the fireplace."
"It will blaze, since my master has said
so."
"We shall see!"
Meanwhile, the sun had not reached the highest
point in its course above the horizon. The exploration, therefore, continue=
d,
and was usefully marked by a discovery which Herbert made of a tree whose f=
ruit
was edible. This was the stone-pine, which produces an excellent almond, ve=
ry
much esteemed in the temperate regions of America and Europe. These almonds
were in a perfect state of maturity, and Herbert described them to his
companions, who feasted on them.
"Come," said Pencroft, "sea-wee=
d by
way of bread, raw mussels for meat, and almonds for dessert, that's certain=
ly a
good dinner for those who have not a single match in their pocket!"
"We mustn't complain," said Herbert.=
"I am not complaining, my boy," repl=
ied
Pencroft, "only I repeat, that meat is a little too much economized in
this sort of meal."
"Top has found something!" cried Neb,
who ran towards a thicket, in the midst of which the dog had disappeared,
barking. With Top's barking were mingled curious gruntings.
The sailor and Herbert had followed Neb. If th=
ere
was game there this was not the time to discuss how it was to be cooked, but
rather, how they were to get hold of it.
The hunters had scarcely entered the bushes wh=
en
they saw Top engaged in a struggle with an animal which he was holding by t=
he
ear. This quadruped was a sort of pig nearly two feet and a half long, of a=
blackish
brown color, lighter below, having hard scanty hair; its toes, then strongly
fixed in the ground, seemed to be united by a membrane. Herbert recognized =
in
this animal the capybara, that is to say, one of the largest members of the
rodent order.
Meanwhile, the capybara did not struggle again=
st
the dog. It stupidly rolled its eyes, deeply buried in a thick bed of fat.
Perhaps it saw men for the first time.
However, Neb having tightened his grasp on his
stick, was just going to fell the pig, when the latter, tearing itself from
Top's teeth, by which it was only held by the tip of its ear, uttered a
vigorous grunt, rushed upon Herbert, almost overthrew him, and disappeared =
in
the wood.
"The rascal!" cried Pencroft.
All three directly darted after Top, but at the
moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a
large pond shaded by venerable pines.
Neb, Herbert, and Pencroft stopped, motionless.
Top plunged into the water, but the capybara, hidden at the bottom of the p=
ond,
did not appear.
"Let us wait," said the boy, "f=
or
he will soon come to the surface to breathe."
"Won't he drown?" asked Neb.
"No," replied Herbert, "since he
has webbed feet, and is almost an amphibious animal. But watch him."
Top remained in the water. Pencroft and his two
companions went to different parts of the bank, so as to cut off the retrea=
t of
the capybara, which the dog was looking for beneath the water.
Herbert was not mistaken. In a few minutes the
animal appeared on the surface of the water. Top was upon it in a bound, and
kept it from plunging again. An instant later the capybara, dragged to the
bank, was killed by a blow from Neb's stick.
"Hurrah!" cried Pencroft, who was al=
ways
ready with this cry of triumph.
"Give me but a good fire, and this pig sh=
all
be gnawed to the bones!"
Pencroft hoisted the capybara on his shoulders,
and judging by the height of the sun that it was about two o'clock, he gave=
the
signal to return.
Top's instinct was useful to the hunters, who,
thanks to the intelligent animal, were enabled to discover the road by whic=
h they
had come. Half an hour later they arrived at the river.
Pencroft soon made a raft of wood, as he had d=
one
before, though if there was no fire it would be a useless task, and the raft
following the current, they returned towards the Chimneys.
But the sailor had not gone fifty paces when he
stopped, and again uttering a tremendous hurrah, pointed towards the angle =
of
the cliff,--
"Herbert! Neb! Look!" he shouted.
Smoke was escaping and curling up among the ro=
cks.
In a few minutes the three hunters were before=
a
crackling fire. The captain and the reporter were there. Pencroft looked fr=
om
one to the other, his capybara in his hand, without saying a word.
"Well, yes, my brave fellow," cried =
the
reporter.
"Fire, real fire, which will roast this
splendid pig perfectly, and we will have a feast presently!"
"But who lighted it?" asked Pencroft=
.
"The sun!"
Gideon Spilett was quite right in his reply. It
was the sun which had furnished the heat which so astonished Pencroft. The
sailor could scarcely believe his eyes, and he was so amazed that he did not
think of questioning the engineer.
"Had you a burning-glass, sir?" asked
Herbert of Harding.
"No, my boy," replied he, "but I
made one."
And he showed the apparatus which served for a
burning-glass. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and
the reporter's watches. Having filled them with water and rendered their ed=
ges
adhesive by means of a little clay, he thus fabricated a regular burning-gl=
ass,
which, concentrating the solar rays on some very dry moss, soon caused it to
blaze.
The sailor considered the apparatus; then he g=
azed
at the engineer without saying a word, only a look plainly expressed his
opinion that if Cyrus Harding was not a magician, he was certainly no ordin=
ary
man. At last speech returned to him, and he cried,--
"Note that, Mr. Spilett, note that down on
your paper!"
"It is noted," replied the reporter.=
Then, Neb helping him, the seaman arranged the
spit, and the capybara, properly cleaned, was soon roasting like a suckling=
-pig
before a clear, crackling fire.
The Chimneys had again become more habitable, =
not
only because the passages were warmed by the fire, but because the partitio=
ns
of wood and mud had been re-established.
It was evident that the engineer and his
companions had employed their day well. Cyrus Harding had almost entirely
recovered his strength, and had proved it by climbing to the upper plateau.
From this point his eye, accustomed to estimate heights and distances, was
fixed for a long time on the cone, the summit of which he wished to reach t=
he
next day. The mountain, situated about six miles to the northwest, appeared=
to
him to measure 3,500 feet above the level of the sea. Consequently the gaze=
of an
observer posted on its summit would extend over a radius of at least fifty
miles. Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solve the questi=
on
of "island or continent," to which he attached so much importance=
.
They supped capitally. The flesh of the capyba=
ra
was declared excellent. The sargassum and the almonds of the stone-pine
completed the repast, during which the engineer spoke little. He was
preoccupied with projects for the next day.
Once or twice Pencroft gave forth some ideas u=
pon
what it would be best to do; but Cyrus Harding, who was evidently of a
methodical mind, only shook his head without uttering a word.
"To-morrow," he repeated, "we s=
hall
know what we have to depend upon, and we will act accordingly."
The meal ended, fresh armfuls of wood were thr=
own
on the fire, and the inhabitants of the Chimneys, including the faithful To=
p,
were soon buried in a deep sleep.
No incident disturbed this peaceful night, and=
the
next day, the 29th of March, fresh and active they awoke, ready to undertake
the excursion which must determine their fate.
All was ready for the start. The remains of the
capybara would be enough to sustain Harding and his companions for at least
twenty-four hours.
Besides, they hoped to find more food on the w=
ay.
As the glasses had been returned to the watches of the engineer and reporte=
r,
Pencroft burned a little linen to serve as tinder. As to flint, that would =
not
be wanting in these regions of Plutonic origin. It was half-past seven in t=
he
morning when the explorers, armed with sticks, left the Chimneys. Following
Pencroft's advice, it appeared best to take the road already traversed thro=
ugh
the forest, and to return by another route. It was also the most direct way=
to
reach the mountain. They turned the south angle and followed the left bank =
of
the river, which was abandoned at the point where it formed an elbow towards
the southwest. The path, already trodden under the evergreen trees, was fou=
nd,
and at nine o'clock Cyrus Harding and his companions had reached the western
border of the forest. The ground, till then, very little undulated, boggy a=
t first,
dry and sandy afterwards, had a gentle slope, which ascended from the shore
towards the interior of the country. A few very timid animals were seen und=
er
the forest-trees. Top quickly started them, but his master soon called him
back, for the time had not come to commence hunting; that would be attended=
to
later. The engineer was not a man who would allow himself to be diverted fr=
om
his fixed idea. It might even have been said that he did not observe the
country at all, either in its configuration or in its natural productions, =
his
great aim being to climb the mountain before him, and therefore straight
towards it he went. At ten o'clock a halt of a few minutes was made. On lea=
ving
the forest, the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorer=
s.
The mountain was composed of two cones; the first, truncated at a height of
about two thousand five hundred feet, was sustained by buttresses, which
appeared to branch out like the talons of an immense claw set on the ground.
Between these were narrow valleys, bristling with trees, the last clumps of
which rose to the top of the lowest cone. There appeared to be less vegetat=
ion
on that side of the mountain which was exposed to the northeast, and deep f=
issures
could be seen which, no doubt, were watercourses.
On the first cone rested a second, slightly rounded, and placed a little on one side, like a great round hat cocked over the ear. A Scotchman would have said, "His bonnet was a thocht ajee.&q= uot; It appeared formed of bare earth, here and there pierced by reddish rocks.<= o:p>
They wished to reach the second cone, and
proceeding along the ridge of the spurs seemed to be the best way by which =
to
gain it.
"We are on volcanic ground," Cyrus
Harding had said, and his companions following him began to ascend by degre=
es
on the back of a spur, which, by a winding and consequently more accessible
path, joined the first plateau.
The ground had evidently been convulsed by
subterranean force. Here and there stray blocks, numerous debris of basalt =
and
pumice-stone, were met with. In isolated groups rose fir-trees, which, some
hundred feet lower, at the bottom of the narrow gorges, formed massive shad=
es
almost impenetrable to the sun's rays.
During the first part of the ascent, Herbert
remarked on the footprints which indicated the recent passage of large anim=
als.
"Perhaps these beasts will not let us pas=
s by
willingly," said Pencroft.
"Well," replied the reporter, who had
already hunted the tiger in India, and the lion in Africa, "we shall s=
oon
learn how successfully to encounter them. But in the meantime we must be up=
on
our guard!"
They ascended but slowly.
The distance, increased by detours and obstacl=
es
which could not be surmounted directly, was long. Sometimes, too, the ground
suddenly fell, and they found themselves on the edge of a deep chasm which =
they
had to go round. Thus, in retracing their steps so as to find some practica=
ble path,
much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. At twelve o'clock,
when the small band of adventurers halted for breakfast at the foot of a la=
rge
group of firs, near a little stream which fell in cascades, they found
themselves still half way from the first plateau, which most probably they
would not reach till nightfall. From this point the view of the sea was much
extended, but on the right the high promontory prevented their seeing wheth=
er
there was land beyond it. On the left, the sight extended several miles to =
the
north; but, on the northwest, at the point occupied by the explorers, it was
cut short by the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur, which formed a power=
ful support
of the central cone.
At one o'clock the ascent was continued. They
slanted more towards the southwest and again entered among thick bushes. Th=
ere
under the shade of the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belon=
ging
to the pheasant species. They were tragopans, ornamented by a pendant skin =
which
hangs over their throats, and by two small, round horns, planted behind the
eyes. Among these birds, which were about the size of a fowl, the female was
uniformly brown, while the male was gorgeous in his red plumage, decorated =
with
white spots. Gideon Spilett, with a stone cleverly and vigorously thrown,
killed one of these tragopans, on which Pencroft, made hungry by the fresh =
air,
had cast greedy eyes.
After leaving the region of bushes, the party,
assisted by resting on each other's shoulders, climbed for about a hundred =
feet
up a steep acclivity and reached a level place, with very few trees, where =
the
soil appeared volcanic. It was necessary to ascend by zigzags to make the s=
lope
more easy, for it was very steep, and the footing being exceedingly precari=
ous
required the greatest caution. Neb and Herbert took the lead, Pencroft the
rear, the captain and the reporter between them. The animals which frequent=
ed
these heights--and there were numerous traces of them--must necessarily bel=
ong
to those races of sure foot and supple spine, chamois or goat. Several were
seen, but this was not the name Pencroft gave them, for all of a
sudden--"Sheep!" he shouted.
All stopped about fifty feet from half-a-dozen
animals of a large size, with strong horns bent back and flattened towards =
the
point, with a woolly fleece, hidden under long silky hair of a tawny color.=
They were not ordinary sheep, but a species
usually found in the mountainous regions of the temperate zone, to which
Herbert gave the name of the musmon.
"Have they legs and chops?" asked the
sailor.
"Yes," replied Herbert.
"Well, then, they are sheep!" said
Pencroft.
The animals, motionless among the blocks of
basalt, gazed with an astonished eye, as if they saw human bipeds for the f=
irst
time. Then their fears suddenly aroused, they disappeared, bounding over the
rocks.
"Good-bye, till we meet again," cried
Pencroft, as he watched them, in such a comical tone that Cyrus Harding, Gi=
deon
Spilett, Herbert, and Neb could not help laughing.
The ascent was continued. Here and there were
traces of lava. Sulphur springs sometimes stopped their way, and they had t=
o go
round them. In some places the sulphur had formed crystals among other
substances, such as whitish cinders made of an infinity of little feldspar
crystals.
In approaching the first plateau formed by the
truncating of the lower cone, the difficulties of the ascent were very grea=
t.
Towards four o'clock the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. There o=
nly remained
here and there a few twisted, stunted pines, which must have had a hard lif=
e in
resisting at this altitude the high winds from the open sea. Happily for the
engineer and his companions the weather was beautiful, the atmosphere tranq=
uil;
for a high breeze at an elevation of three thousand feet would have hindered
their proceedings. The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the
transparent air. A perfect calm reigned around them. They could not see the
sun, then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone, which masked the
half-horizon of the west, and whose enormous shadow stretching to the shore
increased as the radiant luminary sank in its diurnal course. Vapor--mist
rather than clouds--began to appear in the east, and assume all the prismat=
ic
colors under the influence of the solar rays.
Five hundred feet only separated the explorers
from the plateau, which they wished to reach so as to establish there an
encampment for the night, but these five hundred feet were increased to more
than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe. The soil, as it w=
ere,
slid under their feet.
The slope often presented such an angle that t=
hey
slipped when the stones worn by the air did not give a sufficient support.
Evening came on by degrees, and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and =
his companions,
much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours, arrived at the plateau of the fi=
rst
cone. It was then necessary to prepare an encampment, and to restore their
strength by eating first and sleeping afterwards. This second stage of the
mountain rose on a base of rocks, among which it would be easy to find a
retreat. Fuel was not abundant. However, a fire could be made by means of t=
he
moss and dry brushwood, which covered certain parts of the plateau. While t=
he
sailor was preparing his hearth with stones which he put to this use, Neb a=
nd Herbert
occupied themselves with getting a supply of fuel. They soon returned with a
load of brushwood. The steel was struck, the burnt linen caught the sparks =
of
flint, and, under Neb's breath, a crackling fire showed itself in a few min=
utes
under the shelter of the rocks. Their object in lighting a fire was only to
enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night, as it was not
employed in cooking the bird, which Neb kept for the next day. The remains =
of
the capybara and some dozens of the stone-pine almonds formed their supper.=
It
was not half-past six when all was finished.
Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the
half-light the large circular layer which supported the upper cone of the
mountain. Before taking any rest, he wished to know if it was possible to g=
et
round the base of the cone in the case of its sides being too steep and its
summit being inaccessible. This question preoccupied him, for it was possib=
le that
from the way the hat inclined, that is to say, towards the north, the plate=
au
was not practicable. Also, if the summit of the mountain could not be reach=
ed
on one side, and if, on the other, they could not get round the base of the
cone, it would be impossible to survey the western part of the country, and
their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained.
The engineer, accordingly, regardless of fatig=
ue,
leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds, and Gideon Spilett to note the
incidents of the day, began to follow the edge of the plateau, going towards
the north. Herbert accompanied him.
The night was beautiful and still, the darkness
was not yet deep. Cyrus Harding and the boy walked near each other, without
speaking. In some places the plateau opened before them, and they passed
without hindrance. In others, obstructed by rocks, there was only a narrow
path, in which two persons could not walk abreast. After a walk of twenty m=
inutes,
Cyrus Harding and Herbert were obliged to stop. From this point the slope of
the two cones became one. No shoulder here separated the two parts of the
mountain. The slope, being inclined almost seventy degrees, the path became
impracticable.
But if the engineer and the boy were obliged to
give up thoughts of following a circular direction, in return an opportunity
was given for ascending the cone.
In fact, before them opened a deep hollow. It =
was
the rugged mouth of the crater, by which the eruptive liquid matter had esc=
aped
at the periods when the volcano was still in activity. Hardened lava and cr=
usted
scoria formed a sort of natural staircase of large steps, which would great=
ly
facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain.
Harding took all this in at a glance, and with=
out
hesitating, followed by the lad, he entered the enormous chasm in the midst=
of
an increasing obscurity.
There was still a height of a thousand feet to
overcome. Would the interior acclivities of the crater be practicable? It w=
ould
soon be seen. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent unti=
l he
was stopped. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano=
and
favored their ascent.
As to the volcano itself, it could not be doub=
ted
that it was completely extinct. No smoke escaped from its sides; not a flame
could be seen in the dark hollows; not a roar, not a mutter, no trembling e=
ven
issued from this black well, which perhaps reached far into the bowels of t=
he earth.
The atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurous vapor. It was
more than the sleep of a volcano; it was its complete extinction. Cyrus
Harding's attempt would succeed.
Little by little, Herbert and he climbing up t=
he
sides of the interior, saw the crater widen above their heads. The radius of
this circular portion of the sky, framed by the edge of the cone, increased
obviously. At each step, as it were, that the explorers made, fresh stars
entered the field of their vision. The magnificent constellations of the so=
uthern
sky shone resplendently. At the zenith glittered the splendid Antares in the
Scorpion, and not far was Alpha Centauri, which is believed to be the neare=
st
star to the terrestrial globe. Then, as the crater widened, appeared Fomalh=
aut
of the Fish, the Southern Triangle, and lastly, nearly at the Antarctic Pol=
e,
the glittering Southern Cross, which replaces the Polar Star of the Northern
Hemisphere.
It was nearly eight o'clock when Cyrus Harding=
and
Herbert set foot on the highest ridge of the mountain at the summit of the
cone.
It was then perfectly dark, and their gaze cou=
ld
not extend over a radius of two miles. Did the sea surround this unknown la=
nd,
or was it connected in the west with some continent of the Pacific? It could
not yet be made out. Towards the west, a cloudy belt, clearly visible at th=
e horizon,
increased the gloom, and the eye could not discover if the sky and water we=
re
blended together in the same circular line.
But at one point of the horizon a vague light
suddenly appeared, which descended slowly in proportion as the cloud mounte=
d to
the zenith.
It was the slender crescent moon, already almo=
st
disappearing; but its light was sufficient to show clearly the horizontal l=
ine,
then detached from the cloud, and the engineer could see its reflection
trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. Cyrus Harding seized the lad's
hand, and in a grave voice,--
"An island!" said he, at the moment =
when
the lunar crescent disappeared beneath the waves.
Half an hour later Cyrus Harding and Herbert h=
ad
returned to the encampment. The engineer merely told his companions that the
land upon which fate had thrown them was an island, and that the next day t=
hey would
consult. Then each settled himself as well as he could to sleep, and in that
rocky hole, at a height of two thousand five hundred feet above the level of
the sea, through a peaceful night, the islanders enjoyed profound repose.
The next day, the 30th of March, after a hasty
breakfast, which consisted solely of the roasted tragopan, the engineer wis=
hed
to climb again to the summit of the volcano, so as more attentively to surv=
ey the
island upon which he and his companions were imprisoned for life perhaps,
should the island be situated at a great distance from any land, or if it w=
as
out of the course of vessels which visited the archipelagoes of the Pacific
Ocean. This time his companions followed him in the new exploration. They a=
lso
wished to see the island, on the productions of which they must depend for =
the
supply of all their wants.
It was about seven o'clock in the morning when
Cyrus Harding, Herbert, Pencroft, Gideon Spilett, and Neb quitted the
encampment. No one appeared to be anxious about their situation. They had f=
aith
in themselves, doubtless, but it must be observed that the basis of this fa=
ith
was not the same with Harding as with his companions. The engineer had
confidence, because he felt capable of extorting from this wild country eve=
rything
necessary for the life of himself and his companions; the latter feared
nothing, just because Cyrus Harding was with them. Pencroft especially, sin=
ce
the incident of the relighted fire, would not have despaired for an instant,
even if he was on a bare rock, if the engineer was with him on the rock.
"Pshaw," said he, "we left Rich=
mond
without permission from the authorities! It will be hard if we don't manage=
to
get away some day or other from a place where certainly no one will detain
us!"
Cyrus Harding followed the same road as the
evening before. They went round the cone by the plateau which formed the
shoulder, to the mouth of the enormous chasm. The weather was magnificent. =
The
sun rose in a pure sky and flooded with his rays all the eastern side of the
mountain.
The crater was reached. It was just what the
engineer had made it out to be in the dark; that is to say, a vast funnel w=
hich
extended, widening, to a height of a thousand feet above the plateau. Below=
the
chasm, large thick streaks of lava wound over the sides of the mountain, and
thus marked the course of the eruptive matter to the lower valleys which fu=
rrowed
the northern part of the island.
The interior of the crater, whose inclination =
did
not exceed thirty five to forty degrees, presented no difficulties nor
obstacles to the ascent. Traces of very ancient lava were noticed, which
probably had overflowed the summit of the cone, before this lateral chasm h=
ad
opened a new way to it.
As to the volcanic chimney which established a
communication between the subterranean layers and the crater, its depth cou=
ld
not be calculated with the eye, for it was lost in obscurity. But there was=
no
doubt as to the complete extinction of the volcano.
Before eight o'clock Harding and his companions
were assembled at the summit of the crater, on a conical mound which swelled
the northern edge.
"The sea, the sea everywhere!" they
cried, as if their lips could not restrain the words which made islanders of
them.
The sea, indeed, formed an immense circular sh=
eet
of water all around them! Perhaps, on climbing again to the summit of the c=
one,
Cyrus Harding had had a hope of discovering some coast, some island shore, =
which
he had not been able to perceive in the dark the evening before. But nothing
appeared on the farthest verge of the horizon, that is to say over a radius=
of
more than fifty miles. No land in sight. Not a sail. Over all this immense
space the ocean alone was visible--the island occupied the center of a
circumference which appeared to be infinite.
The engineer and his companions, mute and
motionless, surveyed for some minutes every point of the ocean, examining i=
t to
its most extreme limits. Even Pencroft, who possessed a marvelous power of
sight, saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon, if=
it appeared
only as an indistinct vapor, the sailor would undoubtedly have found it out,
for nature had placed regular telescopes under his eyebrows.
From the ocean their gaze returned to the isla=
nd
which they commanded entirely, and the first question was put by Gideon Spi=
lett
in these terms:
"About what size is this island?"
Truly, it did not appear large in the midst of=
the
immense ocean.
Cyrus Harding reflected a few minutes; he
attentively observed the perimeter of the island, taking into consideration=
the
height at which he was placed; then,--
"My friends," said he, "I do not
think I am mistaken in giving to the shore of the island a circumference of
more than a hundred miles."
"And consequently an area?"
"That is difficult to estimate," rep=
lied
the engineer, "for it is so uneven."
If Cyrus Harding was not mistaken in his
calculation, the island had almost the extent of Malta or Zante, in the
Mediterranean, but it was at the same time much more irregular and less ric=
h in
capes, promontories, points, bays, or creeks. Its strange form caught the e=
ye,
and when Gideon Spilett, on the engineer's advice, had drawn the outline, t=
hey found
that it resembled some fantastic animal, a monstrous leviathan, which lay
sleeping on the surface of the Pacific.
This was in fact the exact shape of the island,
which it is of consequence to know, and a tolerably correct map of it was
immediately drawn by the reporter.
The east part of the shore, where the castaways
had landed, formed a wide bay, terminated by a sharp cape, which had been
concealed by a high point from Pencroft on his first exploration. At the
northeast two other capes closed the bay, and between them ran a narrow gul=
f,
which looked like the half-open jaws of a formidable dog-fish.
From the northeast to the southwest the coast =
was
rounded, like the flattened cranium of an animal, rising again, forming a s=
ort
of protuberance which did not give any particular shape to this part of the=
island,
of which the center was occupied by the volcano.
From this point the shore ran pretty regularly
north and south, broken at two-thirds of its perimeter by a narrow creek, f=
rom
which it ended in a long tail, similar to the caudal appendage of a gigantic
alligator.
This tail formed a regular peninsula, which stretched more than thirty miles into the sea, reckoning from the cape southeast of the island, already mentioned; it curled round, making an open roadstead, which marked out the lower shore of this strangely-formed land.<= o:p>
At the narrowest part, that is to say between =
the
Chimneys and the creek on the western shore, which corresponded to it in
latitude, the island only measured ten miles; but its greatest length, from=
the
jaws at the northeast to the extremity of the tail of the southwest, was not
less than thirty miles.
As to the interior of the island, its general
aspect was this, very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain =
to
the shore, and arid and sandy in the northern part. Between the volcano and=
the
east coast Cyrus Harding and his companions were surprised to see a lake,
bordered with green trees, the existence of which they had not suspected. S=
een
from this height, the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean, b=
ut,
on reflection, the engineer explained to his companions that the altitude of
this little sheet of water must be about three hundred feet, because the
plateau, which was its basin, was but a prolongation of the coast.
"Is it a freshwater lake?" asked
Pencroft.
"Certainly," replied the engineer, "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain."<= o:p>
"I see a little river which runs into
it," said Herbert, pointing out a narrow stream, which evidently took =
its
source somewhere in the west.
"Yes," said Harding; "and since
this stream feeds the lake, most probably on the side near the sea there is=
an
outlet by which the surplus water escapes. We shall see that on our
return."
This little winding watercourse and the river
already mentioned constituted the water-system, at least such as it was dis=
played
to the eyes of the explorers. However, it was possible that under the masse=
s of
trees which covered two-thirds of the island, forming an immense forest, ot=
her
rivers ran towards the sea. It might even be inferred that such was the cas=
e,
so rich did this region appear in the most magnificent specimens of the flo=
ra
of the temperate zones. There was no indication of running water in the nor=
th,
though perhaps there might be stagnant water among the marshes in the
northeast; but that was all, in addition to the downs, sand, and aridity wh=
ich
contrasted so strongly with the luxuriant vegetation of the rest of the isl=
and.
The volcano did not occupy the central part; it
rose, on the contrary, in the northwestern region, and seemed to mark the
boundary of the two zones. At the southwest, at the south, and the southeas=
t,
the first part of the spurs were hidden under masses of verdure. At the nor=
th,
on the contrary, one could follow their ramifications, which died away on t=
he sandy
plains. It was on this side that, at the time when the mountain was in a st=
ate
of eruption, the discharge had worn away a passage, and a large heap of lava
had spread to the narrow jaw which formed the northeastern gulf.
Cyrus Harding and his companions remained an h=
our
at the top of the mountain. The island was displayed under their eyes, like=
a
plan in relief with different tints, green for the forests, yellow for the =
sand,
blue for the water. They viewed it in its tout-ensemble, nothing remained
concealed but the ground hidden by verdure, the hollows of the valleys, and=
the
interior of the volcanic chasms.
One important question remained to be solved, =
and
the answer would have a great effect upon the future of the castaways.
Was the island inhabited?
It was the reporter who put this question, to
which after the close examination they had just made, the answer seemed to =
be
in the negative.
Nowhere could the work of a human hand be
perceived. Not a group of huts, not a solitary cabin, not a fishery on the
shore. No smoke curling in the air betrayed the presence of man. It is true=
, a
distance of nearly thirty miles separated the observers from the extreme
points, that is, of the tail which extended to the southwest, and it would =
have
been difficult, even to Pencroft's eyes, to discover a habitation there. Ne=
ither
could the curtain of verdure, which covered three-quarters of the island, be
raised to see if it did not shelter some straggling village. But in general=
the
islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the wa=
ters
of the Pacific, and this shore appeared to be an absolute desert.
Until a more complete exploration, it might be
admitted that the island was uninhabited. But was it frequented, at least
occasionally, by the natives of neighboring islands? It was difficult to re=
ply
to this question. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles. But fift=
y miles
could be easily crossed, either by Malay proas or by the large Polynesian
canoes. Everything depended on the position of the island, of its isolation=
in
the Pacific, or of its proximity to archipelagoes. Would Cyrus Harding be a=
ble
to find out their latitude and longitude without instruments? It would be
difficult. Since he was in doubt, it was best to take precautions against a
possible descent of neighboring natives.
The exploration of the island was finished, its
shape determined, its features made out, its extent calculated, the water a=
nd
mountain systems ascertained. The disposition of the forests and plains had
been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan. They had now only to
descend the mountain slopes again, and explore the soil, in the triple poin=
t of
view, of its mineral, vegetable, and animal resources.
But before giving his companions the signal for
departure, Cyrus Harding said to them in a calm, grave voice,--
"Here, my friends, is the small corner of
land upon which the hand of the Almighty has thrown us. We are going to live
here; a long time, perhaps. Perhaps, too, unexpected help will arrive, if s=
ome
ship passes by chance. I say by chance, because this is an unimportant isla=
nd;
there is not even a port in which ships could anchor, and it is to be feare=
d that
it is situated out of the route usually followed, that is to say, too much =
to
the south for the ships which frequent the archipelagoes of the Pacific, and
too much to the north for those which go to Australia by doubling Cape Horn=
. I
wish to hide nothing of our position from you--"
"And you are right, my dear Cyrus,"
replied the reporter, with animation. "You have to deal with men. They
have confidence in you, and you can depend upon them. Is it not so, my
friends?"
"I will obey you in everything,
captain," said Herbert, seizing the engineer's hand.
"My master always, and everywhere!"
cried Neb.
"As for me," said the sailor, "=
if I
ever grumble at work, my name's not Jack Pencroft, and if you like, captain=
, we
will make a little America of this island! We will build towns, we will
establish railways, start telegraphs, and one fine day, when it is quite
changed, quite put in order and quite civilized, we will go and offer it to=
the
government of the Union. Only, I ask one thing."
"What is that?" said the reporter.
"It is, that we do not consider ourselves
castaways, but colonists, who have come here to settle." Harding could=
not
help smiling, and the sailor's idea was adopted. He then thanked his
companions, and added, that he would rely on their energy and on the aid of
Heaven.
"Well, now let us set off to the
Chimneys!" cried Pencroft.
"One minute, my friends," said the e=
ngineer.
"It seems to me it would be a good thing to give a name to this island=
, as
well as to, the capes, promontories, and watercourses, which we can see.
"Very good," said the reporter. &quo=
t;In
the future, that will simplify the instructions which we shall have to give=
and
follow."
"Indeed," said the sailor, "alr=
eady
it is something to be able to say where one is going, and where one has come
from. At least, it looks like somewhere."
"The Chimneys, for example," said
Herbert.
"Exactly!" replied Pencroft. "T=
hat
name was the most convenient, and it came to me quite of myself. Shall we k=
eep
the name of the Chimneys for our first encampment, captain?"
"Yes, Pencroft, since you have so christe=
ned
it."
"Good! as for the others, that will be
easy," returned the sailor, who was in high spirits. "Let us give
them names, as the Robinsons did, whose story Herbert has often read to me;
Providence Bay, Whale Point, Cape Disappointment!"
"Or, rather, the names of Captain
Harding," said Herbert, "of Mr. Spilett, of Neb!--"
"My name!" cried Neb, showing his
sparkling white teeth.
"Why not?" replied Pencroft. "P=
ort
Neb, that would do very well! And Cape Gideon--"
"I should prefer borrowing names from our
country," said the reporter, "which would remind us of America.&q=
uot;
"Yes, for the principal ones," then =
said
Cyrus Harding; "for those of the bays and seas, I admit it willingly. =
We
might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay, for example;=
to
that large hollow on the south, Washington Bay; to the mountain upon which =
we
are standing, that of Mount Franklin; to that lake which is extended under =
our
eyes, that of Lake Grant; nothing could be better, my friends. These names =
will
recall our country, and those of the great citizens who have honored it; but
for the rivers, gulfs, capes, and promontories, which we perceive from the =
top
of this mountain, rather let us choose names which will recall their partic=
ular
shape. They will impress themselves better on our memory, and at the same t=
ime
will be more practical. The shape of the island is so strange that we shall=
not
be troubled to imagine what it resembles. As to the streams which we do not
know as yet, in different parts of the forest which we shall explore later,=
the
creeks which afterwards will be discovered, we can christen them as we find=
them.
What do you think, my friends?"
The engineer's proposal was unanimously agreed=
to
by his companions. The island was spread out under their eyes like a map, a=
nd
they had only to give names to all its angles and points. Gideon Spilett wo=
uld
write them down, and the geographical nomenclature of the island would be d=
efinitely
adopted. First, they named the two bays and the mountain, Union Bay, Washin=
gton
Bay, and Mount Franklin, as the engineer had suggested.
"Now," said the reporter, "to t=
his
peninsula at the southwest of the island, I propose to give the name of
Serpentine Peninsula, and that of Reptile-end to the bent tail which termin=
ates
it, for it is just like a reptile's tail."
"Adopted," said the engineer.
"Now," said Herbert, pointing to the
other extremity of the island, "let us call this gulf which is so
singularly like a pair of open jaws, Shark Gulf."
"Capital!" cried Pencroft, "and=
we
can complete the resemblance by naming the two parts of the jaws Mandible
Cape."
"But there are two capes," observed =
the
reporter.
"Well," replied Pencroft, "we c=
an
have North Mandible Cape and South Mandible Cape."
"They are inscribed," said Spilett.<= o:p>
"There is only the point at the southeast=
ern
extremity of the island to be named," said Pencroft.
"That is, the extremity of Union Bay?&quo=
t;
asked Herbert.
"Claw Cape," cried Neb directly, who
also wished to be godfather to some part of his domain.
In truth, Neb had found an excellent name, for
this cape was very like the powerful claw of the fantastic animal which this
singularly-shaped island represented.
Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had
taken, and their imaginations soon gave to the river which furnished the
settlers with drinking water and near which the balloon had thrown them, the
name of the Mercy, in true gratitude to Providence. To the islet upon which=
the
castaways had first landed, the name of Safety Island; to the plateau which
crowned the high granite precipice above the Chimneys, and from whence the =
gaze
could embrace the whole of the vast bay, the name of Prospect Heights.
Lastly, all the masses of impenetrable wood wh=
ich
covered the Serpentine Peninsula were named the forests of the Far West.
The nomenclature of the visible and known part=
s of
the island was thus finished, and later, they would complete it as they made
fresh discoveries.
As to the points of the compass, the engineer =
had
roughly fixed them by the height and position of the sun, which placed Union
Bay and Prospect Heights to the east. But the next day, by taking the exact
hour of the rising and setting of the sun, and by marking its position betw=
een
this rising and setting, he reckoned to fix the north of the island exactly=
, for,
in consequence of its situation in the Southern Hemisphere, the sun, at the
precise moment of its culmination, passed in the north and not in the south,
as, in its apparent movement, it seems to do, to those places situated in t=
he
Northern Hemisphere.
Everything was finished, and the settlers had =
only
to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys, when Pencroft cried ou=
t,--
"Well! we are preciously stupid!"
"Why?" asked Gideon Spilett, who had
closed his notebook and risen to depart.
"Why! our island! we have forgotten to
christen it!"
Herbert was going to propose to give it the
engineer's name and all his companions would have applauded him, when Cyrus
Harding said simply,--
"Let us give it the name of a great citiz=
en,
my friend; of him who now struggles to defend the unity of the American
Republic! Let us call it Lincoln Island!"
The engineer's proposal was replied to by three
hurrahs.
And that evening, before sleeping, the new
colonists talked of their absent country; they spoke of the terrible war wh=
ich
stained it with blood; they could not doubt that the South would soon be
subdued, and that the cause of the North, the cause of justice, would trium=
ph,
thanks to Grant, thanks to Lincoln!
Now this happened the 30th of March, 1865. They
little knew that sixteen days afterwards a frightful crime would be committ=
ed
in Washington, and that on Good Friday Abraham Lincoln would fall by the ha=
nd
of a fanatic.
They now began the descent of the mountain.
Climbing down the crater, they went round the cone and reached their encamp=
ment
of the previous night. Pencroft thought it must be breakfast-time, and the
watches of the reporter and engineer were therefore consulted to find out t=
he
hour.
That of Gideon Spilett had been preserved from=
the
sea-water, as he had been thrown at once on the sand out of reach of the wa=
ves.
It was an instrument of excellent quality, a perfect pocket chronometer, wh=
ich
the reporter had not forgotten to wind up carefully every day.
As to the engineer's watch, it, of course, had
stopped during the time which he had passed on the downs.
The engineer now wound it up, and ascertaining=
by
the height of the sun that it must be about nine o'clock in the morning, he=
put
his watch at that hour.
"No, my dear Spilett, wait. You have kept=
the
Richmond time, have you not?"
"Yes, Cyrus."
"Consequently, your watch is set by the
meridian of that town, which is almost that of Washington?"
"Undoubtedly."
"Very well, keep it thus. Content yourself
with winding it up very, exactly, but do not touch the hands. This may be of
use to us.
"What will be the good of that?" tho=
ught
the sailor.
They ate, and so heartily, that the store of g=
ame
and almonds was totally exhausted. But Pencroft was not at all uneasy, they
would supply themselves on the way. Top, whose share had been very much to =
his
taste, would know how to find some fresh game among the brushwood. Moreover=
, the
sailor thought of simply asking the engineer to manufacture some powder and=
one
or two fowling-pieces; he supposed there would be no difficulty in that.
On leaving the plateau, the captain proposed to
his companions to return to the Chimneys by a new way. He wished to reconno=
iter
Lake Grant, so magnificently framed in trees. They therefore followed the c=
rest
of one of the spurs, between which the creek that supplied the lake probabl=
y had
its source. In talking, the settlers already employed the names which they =
had
just chosen, which singularly facilitated the exchange of their ideas. Herb=
ert
and Pencroft--the one young and the other very boyish--were enchanted, and
while walking, the sailor said,
"Hey, Herbert! how capital it sounds! It =
will
be impossible to lose ourselves, my boy, since, whether we follow the way to
Lake Grant, or whether we join the Mercy through the woods of the Far West,=
we
shall be certain to arrive at Prospect Heights, and, consequently, at Union
Bay!"
It had been agreed, that without forming a com=
pact
band, the settlers should not stray away from each other. It was very certa=
in
that the thick forests of the island were inhabited by dangerous animals, a=
nd
it was prudent to be on their guard. In general, Pencroft, Herbert, and Neb=
walked
first, preceded by Top, who poked his nose into every bush. The reporter and
the engineer went together, Gideon Spilett ready to note every incident, the
engineer silent for the most part, and only stepping aside to pick up one t=
hing
or another, a mineral or vegetable substance, which he put into his pocket,
without making any remark.
"What can he be picking up?" muttered
Pencroft. "I have looked in vain for anything that's worth the trouble=
of
stooping for."
Towards ten o'clock the little band descended =
the
last declivities of Mount Franklin. As yet the ground was scantily strewn w=
ith
bushes and trees. They were walking over yellowish calcinated earth, formin=
g a plain
of nearly a mile long, which extended to the edge of the wood. Great blocks=
of
that basalt, which, according to Bischof, takes three hundred and fifty
millions of years to cool, strewed the plain, very confused in some places.
However, there were here no traces of lava, which was spread more particula=
rly
over the northern slopes.
Cyrus Harding expected to reach, without incid=
ent,
the course of the creek, which he supposed flowed under the trees at the bo=
rder
of the plain, when he saw Herbert running hastily back, while Neb and the s=
ailor
were hiding behind the rocks.
"What's the matter, my boy?" asked
Spilett.
"Smoke," replied Herbert. "We h=
ave
seen smoke among the rocks, a hundred paces from us."
"Men in this place?" cried the repor=
ter.
"We must avoid showing ourselves before
knowing with whom we have to deal," replied Cyrus Harding. "I tru=
st
that there are no natives on this island; I dread them more than anything e=
lse.
Where is Top?"
"Top is on before."
"And he doesn't bark?"
"No."
"That is strange. However, we must try to
call him back."
In a few moments, the engineer, Gideon Spilett,
and Herbert had rejoined their two companions, and like them, they kept out=
of
sight behind the heaps of basalt.
From thence they clearly saw smoke of a yellow=
ish
color rising in the air.
Top was recalled by a slight whistle from his
master, and the latter, signing to his companions to wait for him, glided a=
way
among the rocks. The colonists, motionless, anxiously awaited the result of
this exploration, when a shout from the engineer made them hasten forward. =
They
soon joined him, and were at once struck with a disagreeable odor which
impregnated the atmosphere.
The odor, easily recognized, was enough for the
engineer to guess what the smoke was which at first, not without cause, had
startled him.
"This fire," said he, "or rathe=
r,
this smoke is produced by nature alone. There is a sulphur spring there, wh=
ich
will cure all our sore throats."
"Captain!" cried Pencroft. "Wha=
t a
pity that I haven't got a cold!"
The settlers then directed their steps towards=
the
place from which the smoke escaped. They there saw a sulphur spring which
flowed abundantly between the rocks, and its waters discharged a strong
sulphuric acid odor, after having absorbed the oxygen of the air.
Cyrus Harding, dipping in his hand, felt the w=
ater
oily to the touch. He tasted it and found it rather sweet. As to its
temperature, that he estimated at ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit. Herbert
having asked on what he based this calculation,--
"Its quite simple, my boy," said he,
"for, in plunging my hand into the water, I felt no sensation either of
heat or cold. Therefore it has the same temperature as the human body, whic=
h is
about ninety-five degrees."
The sulphur spring not being of any actual use=
to
the settlers, they proceeded towards the thick border of the forest, which
began some hundred paces off.
There, as they had conjectured, the waters of =
the
stream flowed clear and limpid between high banks of red earth, the color of
which betrayed the presence of oxide of iron. From this color, the name of =
Red
Creek was immediately given to the watercourse.
It was only a large stream, deep and clear, fo=
rmed
of the mountain water, which, half river, half torrent, here rippling
peacefully over the sand, there falling against the rocks or dashing down i=
n a
cascade, ran towards the lake, over a distance of a mile and a half, its
breadth varying from thirty to forty feet. Its waters were sweet, and it wa=
s supposed
that those of the lake were so also. A fortunate circumstance, in the event=
of
their finding on its borders a more suitable dwelling than the Chimneys.
As to the trees, which some hundred feet downw=
ards
shaded the banks of the creek, they belonged, for the most part, to the spe=
cies
which abound in the temperate zone of America and Tasmania, and no longer to
those coniferae observed in that portion of the island already explored to =
some
miles from Prospect Heights. At this time of the year, the commencement of =
the
month of April, which represents the month of October, in this hemisphere, =
that
is, the beginning of autumn, they were still in full leaf. They consisted
principally of casuarinas and eucalypti, some of which next year would yiel=
d a
sweet manna, similar to the manna of the East. Clumps of Australian cedars =
rose
on the sloping banks, which were also covered with the high grass called
"tussac" in New Holland; but the cocoanut, so abundant in the
archipelagoes of the Pacific, seemed to be wanting in the island, the latit=
ude,
doubtless, being too low.
"What a pity!" said Herbert, "s=
uch
a useful tree, and which has such beautiful nuts!"
As to the birds, they swarmed among the scanty
branches of the eucalypti and casuarinas, which did not hinder the display =
of
their wings. Black, white, or gray cockatoos, paroquets, with plumage of all
colors, kingfishers of a sparkling green and crowned with red, blue lories,=
and
various other birds appeared on all sides, as through a prism, fluttering a=
bout
and producing a deafening clamor. Suddenly, a strange concert of discordant
voices resounded in the midst of a thicket. The settlers heard successively=
the
song of birds, the cry of quadrupeds, and a sort of clacking which they mig=
ht
have believed to have escaped from the lips of a native. Neb and Herbert ru=
shed
towards the bush, forgetting even the most elementary principles of prudenc=
e.
Happily, they found there, neither a formidable wild beast nor a dangerous =
native,
but merely half a dozen mocking and singing birds, known as mountain pheasa=
nts.
A few skillful blows from a stick soon put an end to their concert, and
procured excellent food for the evening's dinner.
Herbert also discovered some magnificent pigeo=
ns
with bronzed wings, some superbly crested, others draped in green, like the=
ir
congeners at Port-Macquarie; but it was impossible to reach them, or the cr=
ows
and magpies which flew away in flocks.
A charge of small shot would have made great
slaughter among these birds, but the hunters were still limited to sticks a=
nd
stones, and these primitive weapons proved very insufficient.
Their insufficiency was still more clearly sho=
wn
when a troop of quadrupeds, jumping, bounding, making leaps of thirty feet,
regular flying mammiferae, fled over the thickets, so quickly and at such a=
height,
that one would have thought that they passed from one tree to another like
squirrels.
"Kangaroos!" cried Herbert.
"Are they good to eat?" asked Pencro=
ft.
"Stewed," replied the reporter,
"their flesh is equal to the best venison!--"
Gideon Spilett had not finished this exciting
sentence when the sailor, followed by Neb and Herbert, darted on the kangar=
oos
tracks. Cyrus Harding called them back in vain. But it was in vain too for =
the
hunters to pursue such agile game, which went bounding away like balls. Aft=
er a
chase of five minutes, they lost their breath, and at the same time all sig=
ht
of the creatures, which disappeared in the wood. Top was not more successful
than his masters.
"Captain," said Pencroft, when the
engineer and the reporter had rejoined them, "Captain, you see quite w=
ell
we can't get on unless we make a few guns. Will that be possible?"
"Perhaps," replied the engineer,
"but we will begin by first manufacturing some bows and arrows, and I
don't doubt that you will become as clever in the use of them as the Austra=
lian
hunters."
"Bows and arrows!" said Pencroft
scornfully. "That's all very well for children!"
"Don't be proud, friend Pencroft,"
replied the reporter. "Bows and arrows were sufficient for centuries to
stain the earth with blood. Powder is but a thing of yesterday, and war is =
as
old as the human race--unhappily."
"Faith, that's true, Mr. Spilett,"
replied the sailor, "and I always speak too quickly. You must excuse
me!"
Meanwhile, Herbert constant to his favorite
science, Natural History, reverted to the kangaroos, saying,--
"Besides, we had to deal just now with the
species which is most difficult to catch. They were giants with long gray f=
ur;
but if I am not mistaken, there exist black and red kangaroos, rock kangaro=
os,
and rat kangaroos, which are more easy to get hold of. It is reckoned that
there are about a dozen species."
"Herbert," replied the sailor
sententiously, "there is only one species of kangaroos to me, that is
'kangaroo on the spit,' and it's just the one we haven't got this
evening!"
They could not help laughing at Master Pencrof=
t's
new classification. The honest sailor did not hide his regret at being redu=
ced
for dinner to the singing pheasants, but fortune once more showed itself
obliging to him.
In fact, Top, who felt that his interest was
concerned went and ferreted everywhere with an instinct doubled by a feroci=
ous
appetite. It was even probable that if some piece of game did fall into his
clutches, none would be left for the hunters, if Top was hunting on his own
account; but Neb watched him and he did well.
Towards three o'clock the dog disappeared in t=
he
brushwood and gruntings showed that he was engaged in a struggle with some
animal. Neb rushed after him, and soon saw Top eagerly devouring a quadrupe=
d,
which ten seconds later would have been past recognizing in Top's stomach. =
But fortunately
the dog had fallen upon a brood, and besides the victim he was devouring, t=
wo
other rodents--the animals in question belonged to that order--lay strangle=
d on
the turf.
Neb reappeared triumphantly holding one of the
rodents in each hand. Their size exceeded that of a rabbit, their hair was
yellow, mingled with green spots, and they had the merest rudiments of tail=
s.
The citizens of the Union were at no loss for =
the
right name of these rodents. They were maras, a sort of agouti, a little la=
rger
than their congeners of tropical countries, regular American rabbits, with =
long
ears, jaws armed on each side with five molars, which distinguish the agout=
i.
"Hurrah!" cried Pencroft, "the
roast has arrived! and now we can go home."
The walk, interrupted for an instant, was resu=
med.
The limpid waters of the Red Creek flowed under an arch of casuarinas,
banksias, and gigantic gum-trees. Superb lilacs rose to a height of twenty
feet. Other arborescent species, unknown to the young naturalist, bent over=
the
stream, which could be heard murmuring beneath the bowers of verdure.
Meanwhile the stream grew much wider, and Cyrus
Harding supposed that they would soon reach its mouth. In fact, on emerging
from beneath a thick clump of beautiful trees, it suddenly appeared before
their eyes.
The explorers had arrived on the western shore=
of
Lake Grant. The place was well worth looking at. This extent of water, of a
circumference of nearly seven miles and an area of two hundred and fifty ac=
res,
reposed in a border of diversified trees. Towards the east, through a curta=
in of
verdure, picturesquely raised in some places, sparkled an horizon of sea. T=
he
lake was curved at the north, which contrasted with the sharp outline of its
lower part. Numerous aquatic birds frequented the shores of this little
Ontario, in which the thousand isles of its American namesake were represen=
ted
by a rock which emerged from its surface, some hundred feet from the southe=
rn
shore. There lived in harmony several couples of kingfishers perched on a
stone, grave, motionless, watching for fish, then darting down, they plunge=
d in
with a sharp cry, and reappeared with their prey in their beaks. On the sho=
res
and on the islets, strutted wild ducks, pelicans, water-hens, red-beaks,
philedons, furnished with a tongue like a brush, and one or two specimens of
the splendid menura, the tail of which expands gracefully like a lyre.
As to the water of the lake, it was sweet, lim=
pid,
rather dark, and from certain bubblings, and the concentric circles which
crossed each other on the surface, it could not be doubted that it abounded=
in
fish.
"This lake is really beautiful!" said
Gideon Spilett. "We could live on its borders!"
"We will live there!" replied Hardin=
g.
The settlers, wishing to return to the Chimney=
s by
the shortest way, descended towards the angle formed on the south by the
junction of the lake's bank. It was not without difficulty that they broke a
path through the thickets and brushwood which had never been put aside by t=
he hand
of men, and they thus went towards the shore, so as to arrive at the north =
of
Prospect Heights. Two miles were cleared in this direction, and then, after
they had passed the last curtain of trees, appeared the plateau, carpeted w=
ith
thick turf, and beyond that the infinite sea.
To return to the Chimneys, it was enough to cr=
oss
the plateau obliquely for the space of a mile, and then to descend to the e=
lbow
formed by the first detour of the Mercy. But the engineer desired to know h=
ow and
where the overplus of the water from the lake escaped, and the exploration =
was
prolonged under the trees for a mile and a half towards the north. It was m=
ost
probable that an overfall existed somewhere, and doubtless through a cleft =
in
the granite. This lake was only, in short, an immense center basin, which w=
as
filled by degrees by the creek, and its waters must necessarily pass to the=
sea
by some fall. If it was so, the engineer thought that it might perhaps be
possible to utilize this fall and borrow its power, actually lost without
profit to any one. They continued then to follow the shores of Lake Grant by
climbing the plateau; but, after having gone a mile in this direction, Cyrus
Harding had not been able to discover the overfall, which, however, must ex=
ist somewhere.
It was then half-past four. In order to prepare
for dinner it was necessary that the settlers should return to their dwelli=
ng.
The little band retraced their steps, therefore, and by the left bank of th=
e Mercy,
Cyrus Harding and his companions arrived at the Chimneys.
The fire was lighted, and Neb and Pencroft, on
whom the functions of cooks naturally devolved, to the one in his quality of
Negro, to the other in that of sailor, quickly prepared some broiled agouti=
, to
which they did great justice.
The repast at length terminated; at the moment
when each one was about to give himself up to sleep, Cyrus Harding drew from
his pocket little specimens of different sorts of minerals, and just said,-=
-
"My friends, this is iron mineral, this a
pyrite, this is clay, this is lime, and this is coal. Nature gives us these
things. It is our business to make a right use of them. To-morrow we will
commence operations."
"Well, captain, where are we going to beg=
in?"
asked Pencroft next morning of the engineer.
"At the beginning," replied Cyrus
Harding.
And in fact, the settlers were compelled to be=
gin
"at the very beginning." They did not possess even the tools
necessary for making tools, and they were not even in the condition of natu=
re,
who, "having time, husbands her strength." They had no time, since
they had to provide for the immediate wants of their existence, and though,=
profiting
by acquired experience, they had nothing to invent, still they had everythi=
ng
to make; their iron and their steel were as yet only in the state of minera=
ls,
their earthenware in the state of clay, their linen and their clothes in the
state of textile material.
It must be said, however, that the settlers we=
re
"men" in the complete and higher sense of the word. The engineer
Harding could not have been seconded by more intelligent companions, nor wi=
th
more devotion and zeal. He had tried them. He knew their abilities.
Gideon Spilett, a talented reporter, having
learned everything so as to be able to speak of everything, would contribute
largely with his head and hands to the colonization of the island. He would=
not
draw back from any task: a determined sportsman, he would make a business of
what till then had only been a pleasure to him.
Herbert, a gallant boy, already remarkably well
informed in the natural sciences, would render greater service to the common
cause.
Neb was devotion personified. Clever, intellig=
ent,
indefatigable, robust, with iron health, he knew a little about the work of=
the
forge, and could not fail to be very useful in the colony.
As to Pencroft, he had sailed over every sea, a
carpenter in the dockyards in Brooklyn, assistant tailor in the vessels of =
the
state, gardener, cultivator, during his holidays, etc., and like all seamen=
, fit
for anything, he knew how to do everything.
It would have been difficult to unite five men,
better fitted to struggle against fate, more certain to triumph over it.
"At the beginning," Cyrus Harding had
said. Now this beginning of which the engineer spoke was the construction o=
f an
apparatus which would serve to transform the natural substances. The part w=
hich
heat plays in these transformations is known. Now fuel, wood or coal, was r=
eady
for immediate use, an oven must be built to use it.
"What is this oven for?" asked Pencr=
oft.
"To make the pottery which we have need
of," replied Harding.
"And of what shall we make the oven?"=
;
"With bricks."
"And the bricks?"
"With clay. Let us start, my friends. To =
save
trouble, we will establish our manufactory at the place of production. Neb =
will
bring provisions, and there will be no lack of fire to cook the food."=
"No," replied the reporter; "bu=
t if
there is a lack of food for want of instruments for the chase?"
"Ah, if we only had a knife!" cried =
the
sailor.
"Well?" asked Cyrus Harding.
"Well! I would soon make a bow and arrows,
and then there could be plenty of game in the larder!"
"Yes, a knife, a sharp blade." said =
the
engineer, as if he was speaking to himself.
At this moment his eyes fell upon Top, who was
running about on the shore. Suddenly Harding's face became animated.
"Top, here," said he.
The dog came at his master's call. The latter =
took
Top's head between his hands, and unfastening the collar which the animal w=
ore
round his neck, he broke it in two, saying,--
"There are two knives, Pencroft!"
Two hurrahs from the sailor was the reply. Top=
's
collar was made of a thin piece of tempered steel. They had only to sharpen=
it
on a piece of sandstone, then to raise the edge on a finer stone. Now sands=
tone
was abundant on the beach, and two hours after the stock of tools in the co=
lony
consisted of two sharp blades, which were easily fixed in solid handles.
The production of these their first tools was
hailed as a triumph. It was indeed a valuable result of their labor, and a =
very
opportune one. They set out.
Cyrus Harding proposed that they should return=
to
the western shore of the lake, where the day before he had noticed the clay=
ey
ground of which he possessed a specimen. They therefore followed the bank of
the Mercy, traversed Prospect Heights, and after a walk of five miles or mo=
re
they reached a glade, situated two hundred feet from Lake Grant.
On the way Herbert had discovered a tree, the
branches of which the Indians of South America employ for making their bows=
. It
was the crejimba, of the palm family, which does not bear edible fruit. Lon=
g straight
branches were cut, the leaves stripped off; it was shaped, stronger in the
middle, more slender at the extremities, and nothing remained to be done bu=
t to
find a plant fit to make the bow-string. This was the "hibiscus
heterophyllus," which furnishes fibers of such remarkable tenacity that
they have been compared to the tendons of animals. Pencroft thus obtained b=
ows
of tolerable strength, for which he only wanted arrows. These were easily m=
ade
with straight stiff branches, without knots, but the points with which they
must be armed, that is to say, a substance to serve in lieu of iron, could =
not
be met with so easily. But Pencroft said, that having done his part of the
work, chance would do the rest.
The settlers arrived on the ground which had b=
een
discovered the day before. Being composed of the sort of clay which is used=
for
making bricks and tiles, it was very useful for the work in question. There=
was
no great difficulty in it. It was enough to scour the clay with sand, then =
to
mold the bricks and bake them by the heat of a wood fire.
Generally bricks are formed in molds, but the
engineer contented himself with making them by hand. All that day and the d=
ay
following were employed in this work. The clay, soaked in water, was mixed =
by
the feet and hands of the manipulators, and then divided into pieces of equ=
al size.
A practiced workman can make, without a machine, about ten thousand bricks =
in
twelve hours; but in their two days work the five brickmakers on Lincoln Is=
land
had not made more than three thousand, which were ranged near each other, u=
ntil
the time when their complete desiccation would permit them to be used in
building the oven, that is to say, in three or four days.
It was on the 2nd of April that Harding had
employed himself in fixing the orientation of the island, or, in other word=
s,
the precise spot where the sun rose. The day before he had noted exactly the
hour when the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, making allowance for the=
refraction.
This morning he noted, no less exactly, the hour at which it reappeared.
Between this setting and rising twelve hours, twenty-four minutes passed. T=
hen,
six hours, twelve minutes after its rising, the sun on this day would exact=
ly
pass the meridian and the point of the sky which it occupied at this moment
would be the north. At the said hour, Cyrus marked this point, and putting =
in a
line with the sun two trees which would serve him for marks, he thus obtain=
ed
an invariable meridian for his ulterior operations.
The settlers employed the two days before the =
oven
was built in collecting fuel. Branches were cut all round the glade, and th=
ey
picked up all the fallen wood under the trees. They were also able to hunt =
with
greater success, since Pencroft now possessed some dozen arrows armed with
sharp points. It was Top who had furnished these points, by bringing in a
porcupine, rather inferior eating, but of great value, thanks to the quills
with which it bristled. These quills were fixed firmly at the ends of the
arrows, the flight of which was made more certain by some cockatoos' feathe=
rs.
The reporter and Herbert soon became very skilful archers. Game of all sort=
s in
consequence abounded at the Chimneys, capybaras, pigeons, agouties, grouse,
etc. The greater part of these animals were killed in the part of the fores=
t on
the left bank of the Mercy, to which they gave the name of Jacamar Wood, in
remembrance of the bird which Pencroft and Herbert had pursued when on their
first exploration.
This game was eaten fresh, but they preserved =
some
capybara hams, by smoking them above a fire of green wood, after having
perfumed them with sweet-smelling leaves. However, this food, although very
strengthening, was always roast upon roast, and the party would have been
delighted to hear some soup bubbling on the hearth, but they must wait till=
a
pot could be made, and, consequently, till the oven was built.
During these excursions, which were not extend=
ed
far from the brick-field, the hunters could discern the recent passage of
animals of a large size, armed with powerful claws, but they could not
recognize the species. Cyrus Harding advised them to be very careful, as th=
e forest
probably enclosed many dangerous beasts.
And he did right. Indeed, Gideon Spilett and
Herbert one day saw an animal which resembled a jaguar. Happily the creature
did not attack them, or they might not have escaped without a severe wound.=
As
soon as he could get a regular weapon, that is to say, one of the guns whic=
h Pencroft
begged for, Gideon Spilett resolved to make desperate war against the feroc=
ious
beasts, and exterminate them from the island.
The Chimneys during these few days was not made
more comfortable, for the engineer hoped to discover, or build if necessary=
, a
more convenient dwelling. They contented themselves with spreading moss and=
dry
leaves on the sand of the passages, and on these primitive couches the tire=
d workers
slept soundly.
They also reckoned the days they had passed on
Lincoln Island, and from that time kept a regular account. The 5th of April,
which was Wednesday, was twelve days from the time when the wind threw the
castaways on this shore.
On the 6th of April, at daybreak, the engineer=
and
his companions were collected in the glade, at the place where they were go=
ing
to perform the operation of baking the bricks. Naturally this had to be in =
the
open air, and not in a kiln, or rather, the agglomeration of bricks made an=
enormous
kiln, which would bake itself. The fuel, made of well-prepared fagots, was =
laid
on the ground and surrounded with several rows of dried bricks, which soon
formed an enormous cube, to the exterior of which they contrived air-holes.=
The
work lasted all day, and it was not till the evening that they set fire to =
the
fagots. No one slept that night, all watching carefully to keep up the fire=
.
The operation lasted forty-eight hours, and
succeeded perfectly. It then became necessary to leave the smoking mass to =
cool,
and during this time Neb and Pencroft, guided by Cyrus Harding, brought, on=
a
hurdle made of interlaced branches, loads of carbonate of lime and common
stones, which were very abundant, to the north of the lake. These stones, w=
hen decomposed
by heat, made a very strong quicklime, greatly increased by slacking, at le=
ast
as pure as if it had been produced by the calcination of chalk or marble. M=
ixed
with sand the lime made excellent mortar.
The result of these different works was, that,=
on
the 9th of April, the engineer had at his disposal a quantity of prepared l=
ime
and some thousands of bricks.
Without losing an instant, therefore, they beg=
an
the construction of a kiln to bake the pottery, which was indispensable for
their domestic use. They succeeded without much difficulty. Five days after,
the kiln was supplied with coal, which the engineer had discovered lying op=
en
to the sky towards the mouth of the Red Creek, and the first smoke escaped =
from
a chimney twenty feet high. The glade was transformed into a manufactory, a=
nd
Pencroft was not far wrong in believing that from this kiln would issue all=
the
products of modern industry.
In the meantime what the settlers first
manufactured was a common pottery in which to cook their food. The chief
material was clay, to which Harding added a little lime and quartz. This pa=
ste
made regular "pipe-clay," with which they manufactured bowls, cups
molded on stones of a proper size, great jars and pots to hold water, etc. =
The
shape of these objects was clumsy and defective, but after they had been ba=
ked in
a high temperature, the kitchen of the Chimneys was provided with a number =
of
utensils, as precious to the settlers as the most beautifully enameled chin=
a.
We must mention here that Pencroft, desirous to know if the clay thus prepa=
red
was worthy of its name of pipe-clay, made some large pipes, which he thought
charming, but for which, alas! he had no tobacco, and that was a great
privation to Pencroft. "But tobacco will come, like everything else!&q=
uot;
he repeated, in a burst of absolute confidence.
This work lasted till the 15th of April, and t=
he
time was well employed. The settlers, having become potters, made nothing b=
ut
pottery. When it suited Cyrus Harding to change them into smiths, they would
become smiths. But the next day being Sunday, and also Easter Sunday, all a=
greed
to sanctify the day by rest. These Americans were religious men, scrupulous
observers of the precepts of the Bible, and their situation could not but
develop sentiments of confidence towards the Author of all things.
On the evening of the 15th of April they retur=
ned
to the Chimneys, carrying with them the pottery, the furnace being extingui=
shed
until they could put it to a new use. Their return was marked by a fortunat=
e incident;
the engineer discovered a substance which replaced tinder. It is known that=
a
spongy, velvety flesh is procured from a certain mushroom of the genus
polyporous. Properly prepared, it is extremely inflammable, especially when=
it
has been previously saturated with gunpowder, or boiled in a solution of
nitrate or chlorate of potash. But, till then, they had not found any of th=
ese
polypores or even any of the morels which could replace them. On this day, =
the
engineer, seeing a plant belonging to the wormwood genus, the principal spe=
cies
of which are absinthe, balm-mint, tarragon, etc., gathered several tufts, a=
nd, presenting
them to the sailor, said,--
"Here, Pencroft, this will please you.&qu=
ot;
Pencroft looked attentively at the plant, cove=
red
with long silky hair, the leaves being clothed with soft down.
"What's that, captain?" asked Pencro=
ft.
"Is it tobacco?"
"No," replied Harding, "it is
wormwood; Chinese wormwood to the learned, but to us it will be tinder.&quo=
t;
When the wormwood was properly dried it provid=
ed
them with a very inflammable substance, especially afterwards when the engi=
neer
had impregnated it with nitrate of potash, of which the island possessed se=
veral
beds, and which is in truth saltpeter.
The colonists had a good supper that evening. =
Neb
prepared some agouti soup, a smoked capybara ham, to which was added the bo=
iled
tubercules of the "caladium macrorhizum," an herbaceous plant of =
the
arum family. They had an excellent taste, and were very nutritious, being
something similar to the substance which is sold in England under the name =
of "Portland
sago"; they were also a good substitute for bread, which the settlers =
in
Lincoln Island did not yet possess.
When supper was finished, before sleeping, Har=
ding
and his companions went to take the air on the beach. It was eight o'clock =
in
the evening; the night was magnificent. The moon, which had been full five =
days
before, had not yet risen, but the horizon was already silvered by those so=
ft,
pale shades which might be called the dawn of the moon. At the southern zen=
ith
glittered the circumpolar constellations, and above all the Southern Cross,
which some days before the engineer had greeted on the summit of Mount
Franklin.
Cyrus Harding gazed for some time at this sple=
ndid
constellation, which has at its summit and at its base two stars of the fir=
st
magnitude, at its left arm a star of the second, and at its right arm a sta=
r of
the third magnitude.
Then, after some minutes thought--
"Herbert," he asked of the lad, &quo=
t;is
not this the 15th of April?"
"Yes, captain," replied Herbert.
"Well, if I am not mistaken, to-morrow wi=
ll
be one of the four days in the year in which the real time is identical with
average time; that is to say, my boy, that to-morrow, to within some second=
s,
the sun will pass the meridian just at midday by the clocks. If the weather=
is
fine I think that I shall obtain the longitude of the island with an approx=
imation
of some degrees."
"Without instruments, without sextant?&qu=
ot;
asked Gideon Spilett.
"Yes," replied the engineer. "A=
lso,
since the night is clear, I will try, this very evening, to obtain our lati=
tude
by calculating the height of the Southern Cross, that is, from the southern
pole above the horizon. You understand, my friends, that before undertaking=
the
work of installation in earnest it is not enough to have found out that thi=
s land
is an island; we must, as nearly as possible, know at what distance it is
situated, either from the American continent or Australia, or from the
principal archipelagoes of the Pacific."
"In fact," said the reporter,
"instead of building a house it would be more important to build a boa=
t,
if by chance we are not more than a hundred miles from an inhabited
coast."
"That is why," returned Harding, &qu=
ot;I
am going to try this evening to calculate the latitude of Lincoln Island, a=
nd
to-morrow, at midday, I will try to calculate the longitude."
If the engineer had possessed a sextant, an
apparatus with which the angular distance of objects can be measured with g=
reat
precision, there would have been no difficulty in the operation. This eveni=
ng
by the height of the pole, the next day by the passing of the sun at the me=
ridian,
he would obtain the position of the island. But as they had not one he would
have to supply the deficiency.
Harding then entered the Chimneys. By the ligh=
t of
the fire he cut two little flat rulers, which he joined together at one end=
so
as to form a pair of compasses, whose legs could separate or come together.=
The
fastening was fixed with a strong acacia thorn which was found in the wood
pile. This instrument finished, the engineer returned to the beach, but as =
it
was necessary to take the height of the pole from above a clear horizon, th=
at
is, a sea horizon, and as Claw Cape hid the southern horizon, he was oblige=
d to
look for a more suitable station. The best would evidently have been the sh=
ore
exposed directly to the south; but the Mercy would have to be crossed, and =
that
was a difficulty. Harding resolved, in consequence, to make his observation
from Prospect Heights, taking into consideration its height above the level=
of
the sea--a height which he intended to calculate next day by a simple proce=
ss
of elementary geometry.
The settlers, therefore, went to the plateau,
ascending the left bank of the Mercy, and placed themselves on the edge whi=
ch
looked northwest and southeast, that is, above the curiously-shaped rocks w=
hich
bordered the river.
This part of the plateau commanded the heights=
of
the left bank, which sloped away to the extremity of Claw Cape, and to the
southern side of the island. No obstacle intercepted their gaze, which swept
the horizon in a semi-circle from the cape to Reptile End. To the south the
horizon, lighted by the first rays of the moon, was very clearly defined
against the sky.
At this moment the Southern Cross presented it=
self
to the observer in an inverted position, the star Alpha marking its base, w=
hich
is nearer to the southern pole.
This constellation is not situated as near to =
the
antarctic pole as the Polar Star is to the arctic pole. The star Alpha is a=
bout
twenty-seven degrees from it, but Cyrus Harding knew this and made allowance
for it in his calculation. He took care also to observe the moment when it =
passed
the meridian below the pole, which would simplify the operation.
Cyrus Harding pointed one leg of the compasses=
to
the horizon, the other to Alpha, and the space between the two legs gave him
the angular distance which separated Alpha from the horizon. In order to fix
the angle obtained, he fastened with thorns the two pieces of wood on a thi=
rd
placed transversely, so that their separation should be properly maintained=
.
That done, there was only the angle to calcula=
te
by bringing back the observation to the level of the sea, taking into
consideration the depression of the horizon, which would necessitate measur=
ing
the height of the cliff. The value of this angle would give the height of
Alpha, and consequently that of the pole above the horizon, that is to say,=
the
latitude of the island, since the latitude of a point of the globe is always
equal to the height of the pole above the horizon of this point.
The calculations were left for the next day, a=
nd
at ten o'clock every one was sleeping soundly.
The n=
ext
day, the 16th of April, and Easter Sunday, the settlers issued from the
Chimneys at daybreak, and proceeded to wash their linen. The engineer inten=
ded
to manufacture soap as soon as he could procure the necessary materials--so=
da
or potash, fat or oil. The important question of renewing their wardrobe wo=
uld
be treated of in the proper time and place. At any rate their clothes would
last at least six months longer, for they were strong, and could resist the
wear of manual labor. But all would depend on the situation of the island w=
ith
regard to inhabited land. This would be settled to-day if the weather
permitted.
The sun rising above a clear horizon, announce=
d a
magnificent day, one of those beautiful autumn days which are like the last
farewells of the warm season.
It was now necessary to complete the observati=
ons
of the evening before by measuring the height of the cliff above the level =
of
the sea.
"Shall you not need an instrument similar=
to
the one which you used yesterday?" said Herbert to the engineer.
"No, my boy," replied the latter,
"we are going to proceed differently, but in as precise a way."
Herbert, wishing to learn everything he could,
followed the engineer to the beach. Pencroft, Neb, and the reporter remained
behind and occupied themselves in different ways.
Cyrus Harding had provided himself with a stra=
ight
stick, twelve feet long, which he had measured as exactly as possible by
comparing it with his own height, which he knew to a hair. Herbert carried a
plumb-line which Harding had given him, that is to say, a simple stone fast=
ened
to the end of a flexible fiber. Having reached a spot about twenty feet from
the edge of the beach, and nearly five hundred feet from the cliff, which r=
ose
perpendicularly, Harding thrust the pole two feet into the sand, and wedgin=
g it
up carefully, he managed, by means of the plumb-line, to erect it perpendic=
ularly
with the plane of the horizon.
That =
done,
he retired the necessary distance, when, lying on the sand, his eye glanced=
at
the same time at the top of the pole and the crest of the cliff. He careful=
ly
marked the place with a little stick.
Then addressing Herbert--"Do you know the
first principles of geometry?" he asked.
"Slightly, captain," replied Herbert,
who did not wish to put himself forward.
"You remember what are the properties of =
two
similar triangles?"
"Yes," replied Herbert; "their
homologous sides are proportional."
"Well, my boy, I have just constructed two
similar right-angled triangles; the first, the smallest, has for its sides =
the
perpendicular pole, the distance which separates the little stick from the =
foot
of the pole and my visual ray for hypothenuse; the second has for its sides=
the
perpendicular cliff, the height of which we wish to measure, the distance w=
hich
separates the little stick from the bottom of the cliff, and my visual ray =
also
forms its hypothenuse, which proves to be prolongation of that of the first
triangle."
"Ah, captain, I understand!" cried
Herbert. "As the distance from the stick to the pole is to the distance
from the stick to the base of the cliff, so is the height of the pole to the
height of the cliff."
"Just so, Herbert," replied the
engineer; "and when we have measured the two first distances, knowing =
the
height of the pole, we shall only have a sum in proportion to do, which will
give us the height of the cliff, and will save us the trouble of measuring =
it
directly."
The two horizontal distances were found out by
means of the pole, whose length above the sand was exactly ten feet.
The first distance was fifteen feet between the
stick and the place where the pole was thrust into the sand.
The second distance between the stick and the
bottom of the cliff was five hundred feet.
These measurements finished, Cyrus Harding and=
the
lad returned to the Chimneys.
The engineer then took a flat stone which he h=
ad
brought back from one of his previous excursions, a sort of slate, on which=
it
was easy to trace figures with a sharp shell. He then proved the following =
proportions:--
15:500::10:x
500
x 10 =3D 5000
5000
/ 15 =3D 333.3
From =
which
it was proved that the granite cliff measured 333 feet in height.
Cyrus Harding then took the instrument which he
had made the evening before, the space between its two legs giving the angu=
lar
distance between the star Alpha and the horizon. He measured, very exactly,=
the
opening of this angle on a circumference which he divided into 360 equal pa=
rts.
Now, this angle by adding to it the twenty-seven degrees which separated Al=
pha
from the antarctic pole, and by reducing to the level of the sea the height=
of
the cliff on which the observation had been made, was found to be fifty-thr=
ee
degrees. These fifty-three degrees being subtracted from ninety degrees--the
distance from the pole to the equator--there remained thirty-seven degrees.
Cyrus Harding concluded, therefore, that Lincoln Island was situated on the
thirty-seventh degree of the southern latitude, or taking into consideration
through the imperfection of the performance, an error of five degrees, that=
it
must be situated between the thirty-fifth and the fortieth parallel.
There was only the longitude to be obtained, a=
nd
the position of the island would be determined, The engineer hoped to attem=
pt
this the same day, at twelve o'clock, at which moment the sun would pass the
meridian.
It was decided that Sunday should be spent in a
walk, or rather an exploring expedition, to that side of the island between=
the
north of the lake and Shark Gulf, and if there was time they would push the=
ir discoveries
to the northern side of Cape South Mandible. They would breakfast on the do=
wns,
and not return till evening.
At half-past eight the little band was followi=
ng
the edge of the channel. On the other side, on Safety Islet, numerous birds
were gravely strutting. They were divers, easily recognized by their cry, w=
hich
much resembles the braying of a donkey. Pencroft only considered them in an
eatable point of view, and learnt with some satisfaction that their flesh,
though blackish, is not bad food.
Great amphibious creatures could also be seen
crawling on the sand; seals, doubtless, who appeared to have chosen the isl=
et
for a place of refuge. It was impossible to think of those animals in an
alimentary point of view, for their oily flesh is detestable; however, Cyru=
s Harding
observed them attentively, and without making known his idea, he announced =
to
his companions that very soon they would pay a visit to the islet. The beach
was strewn with innumerable shells, some of which would have rejoiced the h=
eart
of a conchologist; there were, among others, the phasianella, the terebratu=
al,
etc. But what would be of more use, was the discovery, by Neb, at low tide,=
of
a large oysterbed among the rocks, nearly five miles from the Chimneys.
"Neb will not have lost his day," cr=
ied
Pencroft, looking at the spacious oyster-bed.
"It is really a fortunate discovery,"
said the reporter, "and as it is said that each oyster produces yearly
from fifty to sixty thousand eggs, we shall have an inexhaustible supply
there."
"Only I believe that the oyster is not ve=
ry
nourishing," said Herbert.
"No," replied Harding. "The oys=
ter
contains very little nitrogen, and if a man lived exclusively on them, he w=
ould
have to eat not less than fifteen to sixteen dozen a day."
"Capital!" replied Pencroft. "We
might swallow dozens and dozens without exhausting the bed. Shall we take s=
ome
for breakfast?"
And without waiting for a reply to this propos=
al,
knowing that it would be approved of, the sailor and Neb detached a quantit=
y of
the molluscs. They put them in a sort of net of hibiscus fiber, which Neb h=
ad manufactured,
and which already contained food; they then continued to climb the coast
between the downs and the sea.
From time to time Harding consulted his watch,=
so
as to be prepared in time for the solar observation, which had to be made
exactly at midday.
All that part of the island was very barren as=
far
as the point which closed Union Bay, and which had received the name of Cape
South Mandible. Nothing could be seen there but sand and shells, mingled wi=
th debris
of lava. A few sea-birds frequented this desolate coast, gulls, great
albatrosses, as well as wild duck, for which Pencroft had a great fancy. He
tried to knock some over with an arrow, but without result, for they seldom
perched, and he could not hit them on the wing.
This led the sailor to repeat to the engineer,=
--
"You see, captain, so long as we have not=
one
or two fowling-pieces, we shall never get anything!"
"Doubtless, Pencroft," replied the
reporter, "but it depends on you. Procure us some iron for the barrels,
steel for the hammers, saltpeter. coal and sulphur for powder, mercury and
nitric acid for the fulminate, and lead for the shot, and the captain will =
make
us first-rate guns."
"Oh!" replied the engineer, "we
might, no doubt, find all these substances on the island, but a gun is a
delicate instrument, and needs very particular tools. However, we shall see
later!"
"Why," cried Pencroft, "were we
obliged to throw overboard all the weapons we had with us in the car, all o=
ur
implements, even our pocket-knives?"
"But if we had not thrown them away, Penc=
roft,
the balloon would have thrown us to the bottom of the sea!" said Herbe=
rt.
"What you say is true, my boy," repl=
ied
the sailor.
Then passing to another idea,--"Think,&qu=
ot;
said he, "how astounded Jonathan Forster and his companions must have =
been
when, next morning, they found the place empty, and the machine flown
away!"
"I am utterly indifferent about knowing w=
hat
they may have thought," said the reporter.
"It was all my idea, that!" said
Pencroft, with a satisfied air.
"A splendid idea, Pencroft!" replied
Gideon Spilett, laughing, "and which has placed us where we are."=
"I would rather be here than in the hands=
of
the Southerners," cried the sailor, "especially since the captain=
has
been kind enough to come and join us again."
"So would I, truly!" replied the
reporter. "Besides, what do we want? Nothing."
"If that is not--everything!" replied
Pencroft, laughing and shrugging his shoulders. "But, some day or othe=
r,
we shall find means of going away!"
"Sooner, perhaps, than you imagine, my
friends," remarked the engineer, "if Lincoln Island is but a medi=
um
distance from an inhabited island, or from a continent. We shall know in an
hour. I have not a map of the Pacific, but my memory has preserved a very c=
lear
recollection of its southern part. The latitude which I obtained yesterday
placed New Zealand to the west of Lincoln Island, and the coast of Chile to=
the
east. But between these two countries, there is a distance of at least six
thousand miles. It has, therefore, to be determined what point in this great
space the island occupies, and this the longitude will give us presently, w=
ith
a sufficient approximation, I hope."
"Is not the archipelago of the Pomoutous =
the
nearest point to us in latitude?" asked Herbert.
"Yes," replied the engineer, "b=
ut
the distance which separates us from it is more than twelve hundred
miles."
"And that way?" asked Neb, who follo=
wed
the conversation with extreme interest, pointing to the south.
"That way, nothing," replied Pencrof=
t.
"Nothing, indeed," added the enginee=
r.
"Well, Cyrus," asked the reporter,
"if Lincoln Island is not more than two or three thousand miles from N=
ew
Zealand or Chile?"
"Well," replied the engineer,
"instead of building a house we will build a boat, and Master Pencroft
shall be put in command--"
"Well then," cried the sailor, "=
;I
am quite ready to be captain--as soon as you can make a craft that's able to
keep at sea!"
"We shall do it, if it is necessary,"
replied Cyrus Harding.
But while these men, who really hesitated at
nothing, were talking, the hour approached at which the observation was to =
be
made. What Cyrus Harding was to do to ascertain the passage of the sun at t=
he
meridian of the island, without an instrument of any sort, Herbert could not
guess.
The observers were then about six miles from t=
he
Chimneys, not far from that part of the downs in which the engineer had been
found after his enigmatical preservation. They halted at this place and
prepared for breakfast, for it was half-past eleven. Herbert went for some
fresh water from a stream which ran near, and brought it back in a jug, whi=
ch Neb
had provided.
During these preparations Harding arranged
everything for his astronomical observation. He chose a clear place on the
shore, which the ebbing tide had left perfectly level. This bed of fine sand
was as smooth as ice, not a grain out of place. It was of little importance=
whether
it was horizontal or not, and it did not matter much whether the stick six =
feet
high, which was planted there, rose perpendicularly. On the contrary, the e=
ngineer
inclined it towards the south, that is to say, in the direction of the coast
opposite to the sun, for it must not be forgotten that the settlers in Linc=
oln
Island, as the island was situated in the Southern Hemisphere, saw the radi=
ant
planet describe its diurnal arc above the northern, and not above the south=
ern
horizon.
Herbert now understood how the engineer was go=
ing
to proceed to ascertain the culmination of the sun, that is to say its pass=
ing
the meridian of the island or, in other words, determine due south. It was =
by
means of the shadow cast on the sand by the stick, a way which, for want of=
an
instrument, would give him a suitable approach to the result which he wishe=
d to
obtain.
In fact, the moment when this shadow would rea=
ch
its minimum of length would be exactly twelve o'clock, and it would be enou=
gh
to watch the extremity of the shadow, so as to ascertain the instant when,
after having successively diminished, it began to lengthen. By inclining hi=
s stick
to the side opposite to the sun, Cyrus Harding made the shadow longer, and
consequently its modifications would be more easily ascertained. In fact, t=
he
longer the needle of a dial is, the more easily can the movement of its poi=
nt
be followed. The shadow of the stick was nothing but the needle of a dial. =
The
moment had come, and Cyrus Harding knelt on the sand, and with little wooden
pegs, which he stuck into the sand, he began to mark the successive diminut=
ions
of the stick's shadow. His companions, bending over him, watched the operat=
ion with
extreme interest. The reporter held his chronometer in his hand, ready to t=
ell
the hour which it marked when the shadow would be at its shortest. Moreover=
, as
Cyrus Harding was working on the 16th of April, the day on which the true a=
nd
the average time are identical, the hour given by Gideon Spilett would be t=
he
true hour then at Washington, which would simplify the calculation. Meanwhi=
le
as the sun slowly advanced, the shadow slowly diminished, and when it appea=
red
to Cyrus Harding that it was beginning to increase, he asked, "What
o'clock is it?"
"One minute past five," replied Gide=
on
Spilett directly. They had now only to calculate the operation. Nothing cou=
ld
be easier. It could be seen that there existed, in round numbers, a differe=
nce
of five hours between the meridian of Washington and that of Lincoln Island,
that is to say, it was midday in Lincoln Island when it was already five
o'clock in the evening in Washington. Now the sun, in its apparent movement=
round
the earth, traverses one degree in four minutes, or fifteen degrees an hour.
Fifteen degrees multiplied by five hours give seventy-five degrees.
Then, since Washington is 77deg 3' 11" as
much as to say seventy-seven degrees counted from the meridian of Greenwich
which the Americans take for their starting-point for longitudes concurrent=
ly
with the English--it followed that the island must be situated seventy-seven
and seventy-five degrees west of the meridian of Greenwich, that is to say,=
on
the hundred and fifty-second degree of west longitude.
Cyrus Harding announced this result to his
companions, and taking into consideration errors of observation, as he had =
done
for the latitude, he believed he could positively affirm that the position =
of
Lincoln Island was between the thirty-fifth and the thirty-seventh parallel,
and between the hundred and fiftieth and the hundred and fifty-fifth meridi=
an
to the west of the meridian of Greenwich.
The possible fault which he attributed to erro=
rs
in the observation was, it may be seen, of five degrees on both sides, whic=
h,
at sixty miles to a degree, would give an error of three hundred miles in
latitude and longitude for the exact position.
But this error would not influence the
determination which it was necessary to take. It was very evident that Linc=
oln
Island was at such a distance from every country or island that it would be=
too
hazardous to attempt to reach one in a frail boat.
In fact, this calculation placed it at least
twelve hundred miles from Tahiti and the islands of the archipelago of the
Pomoutous, more than eighteen hundred miles from New Zealand, and more than
four thousand five hundred miles from the American coast!
And when Cyrus Harding consulted his memory, he
could not remember in any way that such an island occupied, in that part of=
the
Pacific, the situation assigned to Lincoln Island.
The next day, the 17th of April, the sailor's
first words were addressed to Gideon Spilett.
"Well, sir," he asked, "what sh=
all
we do to-day?"
"What the captain pleases," replied =
the
reporter.
Till then the engineer's companions had been
brickmakers and potters, now they were to become metallurgists.
The day before, after breakfast, they had expl=
ored
as far as the point of Mandible Cape, seven miles distant from the Chimneys=
. There,
the long series of downs ended, and the soil had a volcanic appearance. The=
re were
no longer high cliffs as at Prospect Heights, but a strange and capricious
border which surrounded the narrow gulf between the two capes, formed of
mineral matter, thrown up by the volcano. Arrived at this point the settlers
retraced their steps, and at nightfall entered the Chimneys; but they did n=
ot
sleep before the question of knowing whether they could think of leaving
Lincoln Island or not was definitely settled.
The twelve hundred miles which separated the
island from the Pomoutous Island was a considerable distance. A boat could =
not
cross it, especially at the approach of the bad season. Pencroft had expres=
sly declared
this. Now, to construct a simple boat even with the necessary tools, was a
difficult work, and the colonists not having tools they must begin by making
hammers, axes, adzes, saws, augers, planes, etc., which would take some tim=
e.
It was decided, therefore, that they would winter at Lincoln Island, and th=
at
they would look for a more comfortable dwelling than the Chimneys, in which=
to
pass the winter months.
Before anything else could be done it was
necessary to make the iron ore, of which the engineer had observed some tra=
ces
in the northwest part of the island, fit for use by converting it either in=
to
iron or into steel.
Metals are not generally found in the ground i=
n a
pure state. For the most part they are combined with oxygen or sulphur. Such
was the case with the two specimens which Cyrus Harding had brought back, o=
ne
of magnetic iron, not carbonated, the other a pyrite, also called sulphuret=
of
iron. It was, therefore the first, the oxide of iron, which they must reduce
with coal, that is to say, get rid of the oxygen, to obtain it in a pure st=
ate.
This reduction is made by subjecting the ore with coal to a high temperatur=
e,
either by the rapid and easy Catalan method, which has the advantage of
transforming the ore into iron in a single operation, or by the blast furna=
ce,
which first smelts the ore, then changes it into iron, by carrying away the
three to four per cent. of coal, which is combined with it.
Now Cyrus Harding wanted iron, and he wished to
obtain it as soon as possible. The ore which he had picked up was in itself
very pure and rich. It was the oxydulous iron, which is found in confused
masses of a deep gray color; it gives a black dust, crystallized in the for=
m of
the regular octahedron. Native lodestones consist of this ore, and iron of =
the
first quality is made in Europe from that with which Sweden and Norway are =
so
abundantly supplied. Not far from this vein was the vein of coal already ma=
de
use of by the settlers. The ingredients for the manufacture being close
together would greatly facilitate the treatment of the ore. This is the cau=
se
of the wealth of the mines in Great Britain, where the coal aids the
manufacture of the metal extracted from the same soil at the same time as
itself.
"Then, captain," said Pencroft, &quo=
t;we
are going to work iron ore?"
"Yes, my friend," replied the engine=
er,
"and for that--something which will please you--we must begin by havin=
g a
seal hunt on the islet."
"A seal hunt!" cried the sailor, tur=
ning
towards Gideon Spilett. "Are seals needed to make iron?"
"Since Cyrus has said so!" replied t=
he
reporter.
But the engineer had already left the Chimneys,
and Pencroft prepared for the seal hunt, without having received any other
explanation.
Cyrus Harding, Herbert, Gideon Spilett, Neb, a=
nd
the sailor were soon collected on the shore, at a place where the channel l=
eft
a ford passable at low tide. The hunters could therefore traverse it withou=
t getting
wet higher than the knee.
Harding then put his foot on the islet for the
first, and his companions for the second time.
On their landing some hundreds of penguins loo=
ked
fearlessly at them. The hunters, armed with sticks, could have killed them
easily, but they were not guilty of such useless massacre, as it was import=
ant
not to frighten the seals, who were lying on the sand several cable lengths=
off.
They also respected certain innocent-looking birds, whose wings were reduce=
d to
the state of stumps, spread out like fins, ornamented with feathers of a sc=
aly
appearance. The settlers, therefore, prudently advanced towards the north
point, walking over ground riddled with little holes, which formed nests for
the sea-birds. Towards the extremity of the islet appeared great black heads
floating just above the water, having exactly the appearance of rocks in
motion.
These were the seals which were to be captured=
. It
was necessary, however, first to allow them to land, for with their close,
short hair, and their fusiform conformation, being excellent swimmers, it i=
s difficult
to catch them in the sea, while on land their short, webbed feet prevent th=
eir
having more than a slow, waddling movement.
Pencroft knew the habits of these creatures, a=
nd
he advised waiting till they were stretched on the sand, when the sun, befo=
re
long, would send them to sleep. They must then manage to cut off their retr=
eat
and knock them on the head.
The hunters, having concealed themselves behind
the rocks, waited silently.
An hour passed before the seals came to play on
the sand. They could count half a dozen. Pencroft and Herbert then went rou=
nd
the point of the islet, so as to take them in the rear, and cut off their
retreat. During this time Cyrus Harding, Spilett, and Neb, crawling behind =
the rocks,
glided towards the future scene of combat.
All at once the tall figure of the sailor
appeared. Pencroft shouted. The engineer and his two companions threw
themselves between the sea and the seals. Two of the animals soon lay dead =
on
the sand, but the rest regained the sea in safety.
"Here are the seals required, captain!&qu=
ot;
said the sailor, advancing towards the engineer.
"Capital," replied Harding. "We
will make bellows of them!"
"Bellows!" cried Pencroft. "Wel=
l!
these are lucky seals!"
It was, in fact, a blowing-machine, necessary =
for
the treatment of the ore that the engineer wished to manufacture with the s=
kins
of the amphibious creatures. They were of a medium size, for their length d=
id not
exceed six feet. They resembled a dog about the head.
As it was useless to burden themselves with the
weight of both the animals, Neb and Pencroft resolved to skin them on the s=
pot,
while Cyrus Harding and the reporter continued to explore the islet.
The sailor and the Negro cleverly performed the
operation, and three hours afterwards Cyrus Harding had at his disposal two
seals' skins, which he intended to use in this state, without subjecting th=
em to
any tanning process.
The settlers waited till the tide was again lo=
w,
and crossing the channel they entered the Chimneys.
The skins had then to be stretched on a frame =
of
wood and sewn by means of fibers so as to preserve the air without allowing=
too
much to escape. Cyrus Harding had nothing but the two steel blades from Top=
's
collar, and yet he was so clever, and his companions aided him with so much=
intelligence,
that three days afterwards the little colony's stock of tools was augmented=
by
a blowing-machine, destined to inject the air into the midst of the ore whe=
n it
should be subjected to heat--an indispensable condition to the success of t=
he
operation.
On the morning of the 20th of April began the
"metallic period," as the reporter called it in his notes. The
engineer had decided, as has been said, to operate near the veins both of c=
oal
and ore. Now, according to his observations, these veins were situated at t=
he
foot of the northeast spurs of Mount Franklin, that is to say, a distance of
six miles from their home. It was impossible, therefore, to return every da=
y to
the Chimneys, and it was agreed that the little colony should camp under a =
hut
of branches, so that the important operation could be followed night and da=
y.
This settled, they set out in the morning. Neb=
and
Pencroft dragged the bellows on a hurdle; also a quantity of vegetables and
animals, which they besides could renew on the way.
The road led through Jacamar Wood, which they
traversed obliquely from southeast to northwest, and in the thickest part. =
It
was necessary to beat a path, which would in the future form the most direct
road to Prospect Heights and Mount Franklin. The trees, belonging to the
species already discovered, were magnificent. Herbert found some new ones,
among others some which Pencroft called "sham leeks"; for, in spi=
te
of their size, they were of the same liliaceous family as the onion, chive,=
shallot,
or asparagus. These trees produce ligneous roots which, when cooked, are
excellent; from them, by fermentation, a very agreeable liquor is made. They
therefore made a good store of the roots.
The journey through the wood was long; it last=
ed
the whole day, and so allowed plenty of time for examining the flora and fa=
una.
Top, who took special charge of the fauna, ran through the grass and brushw=
ood,
putting up all sorts of game. Herbert and Gideon Spilett killed two kangaro=
os
with bows and arrows, and also an animal which strongly resembled both a
hedgehog and an ant-eater. It was like the first because it rolled itself i=
nto
a ball, and bristled with spines, and the second because it had sharp claws=
, a
long slender snout which terminated in a bird's beak, and an extendible ton=
gue,
covered with little thorns which served to hold the insects.
"And when it is in the pot," asked
Pencroft naturally, "what will it be like?"
"An excellent piece of beef," replied
Herbert.
"We will not ask more from it," repl=
ied
the sailor.
During this excursion they saw several wild bo=
ars,
which however, did not offer to attack the little band, and it appeared as =
if
they would not meet with any dangerous beasts; when, in a thick part of the
wood, the reporter thought he saw, some paces from him, among the lower bra=
nches
of a tree, an animal which he took for a bear, and which he very tranquilly
began to draw. Happily for Gideon Spilett, the animal in question did not
belong to the redoubtable family of the plantigrades. It was only a koala,
better known under the name of the sloth, being about the size of a large d=
og,
and having stiff hair of a dirty color, the paws armed with strong claws, w=
hich
enabled it to climb trees and feed on the leaves. Having identified the ani=
mal,
which they did not disturb, Gideon Spilett erased "bear" from the
title of his sketch, putting koala in its place, and the journey was resume=
d.
At five o'clock in the evening, Cyrus Harding =
gave
the signal to halt. They were now outside the forest, at the beginning of t=
he
powerful spurs which supported Mount Franklin towards the west. At a distan=
ce
of some hundred feet flowed the Red Creek, and consequently plenty of fresh=
water
was within their reach.
The camp was soon organized. In less than an h=
our,
on the edge of the forest, among the trees, a hut of branches interlaced wi=
th
creepers, and pasted over with clay, offered a tolerable shelter. Their
geological researches were put off till the next day. Supper was prepared, a
good fire blazed before the hut, the roast turned, and at eight o'clock, wh=
ile
one of the settlers watched to keep up the fire, in case any wild beasts sh=
ould
prowl in the neighborhood, the others slept soundly.
The next day, the 21st of April, Cyrus Harding
accompanied by Herbert, went to look for the soil of ancient formation, on
which he had already discovered a specimen of ore. They found the vein above
ground, near the source of the creek, at the foot of one of the northeastern
spurs. This ore, very rich in iron, enclosed in its fusible veinstone, was
perfectly suited to the mode of reduction which the engineer intended to
employ; that is, the Catalan method, but simplified, as it is used in Corsi=
ca.
In fact, the Catalan method, properly so called, requires the construction =
of
kilns and crucibles, in which the ore and the coal, placed in alternate lay=
ers,
are transformed and reduced, But Cyrus Harding intended to economize these
constructions, and wished simply to form, with the ore and the coal, a cubic
mass, to the center of which he would direct the wind from his bellows.
Doubtless, it was the proceeding employed by Tubalcain, and the first metal=
lurgists
of the inhabited world. Now that which had succeeded with the grandson of A=
dam,
and which still yielded good results in countries rich in ore and fuel, cou=
ld
not but succeed with the settlers in Lincoln Island.
The coal, as well as the ore, was collected
without trouble on the surface of the ground. They first broke the ore into
little pieces, and cleansed them with the hand from the impurities which so=
iled
their surface. Then coal and ore were arranged in heaps and in successive l=
ayers,
as the charcoal-burner does with the wood which he wishes to carbonize. In =
this
way, under the influence of the air projected by the blowing-machine, the c=
oal
would be transformed into carbonic acid, then into oxide of carbon, its use
being to reduce the oxide of iron, that is to say, to rid it of the oxygen.=
Thus the engineer proceeded. The bellows of
sealskin, furnished at its extremity with a nozzle of clay, which had been
previously fabricated in the pottery kiln, was established near the heap of
ore. Using the mechanism which consisted of a frame, cords of fiber and
counterpoise, he threw into the mass an abundance of air, which by raising =
the temperature
also concurred with the chemical transformation to produce in time pure iro=
n.
The operation was difficult. All the patience,=
all
the ingenuity of the settlers was needed; but at last it succeeded, and the
result was a lump of iron, reduced to a spongy state, which it was necessar=
y to
shingle and fagot, that is to say, to forge so as to expel from it the liqu=
efied
veinstone. These amateur smiths had, of course, no hammer; but they were in=
no
worse a situation than the first metallurgist, and therefore did what, no
doubt, he had to do.
A handle was fixed to the first lump, and was =
used
as a hammer to forge the second on a granite anvil, and thus they obtained a
coarse but useful metal. At length, after many trials and much fatigue, on =
the
25th of April several bars of iron were forged, and transformed into tools,=
crowbars,
pincers, pickaxes, spades, etc., which Pencroft and Neb declared to be real
jewels. But the metal was not yet in its most serviceable state, that is, of
steel. Now steel is a combination of iron and coal, which is extracted, eit=
her
from the liquid ore, by taking from it the excess of coal, or from the iron=
by
adding to it the coal which was wanting. The first, obtained by the
decarburation of the metal, gives natural or puddled steel; the second,
produced by the carburation of the iron, gives steel of cementation.
It was the last which Cyrus Harding intended to
forge, as he possessed iron in a pure state. He succeeded by heating the me=
tal
with powdered coal in a crucible which had previously been manufactured from
clay suitable for the purpose.
He then worked this steel, which is malleable =
both
when hot or cold, with the hammer. Neb and Pencroft, cleverly directed, made
hatchets, which, heated red-hot, and plunged suddenly into cold water, acqu=
ired
an excellent temper.
Other instruments, of course roughly fashioned,
were also manufactured; blades for planes, axes, hatchets, pieces of steel =
to
be transformed into saws, chisels; then iron for spades, pickaxes, hammers,
nails, etc. At last, on the 5th of May, the metallic period ended, the smit=
hs returned
to the Chimneys, and new work would soon authorize them to take a fresh tit=
le.
It was the 6th of May, a day which corresponds=
to
the 6th of November in the countries of the Northern Hemisphere. The sky had
been obscured for some days, and it was of importance to make preparations =
for
the winter. However, the temperature was not as yet much lower, and a
centigrade thermometer, transported to Lincoln Island, would still have mar=
ked
an average of ten to twelve degrees above zero. This was not surprising, si=
nce
Lincoln Island, probably situated between the thirty-fifth and fortieth
parallel, would be subject, in the Southern Hemisphere, to the same climate=
as
Sicily or Greece in the Northern Hemisphere. But as Greece and Sicily have
severe cold, producing snow and ice, so doubtless would Lincoln Island in t=
he
severest part of the winter and it was advisable to provide against it.
In any case if cold did not yet threaten them,=
the
rainy season would begin, and on this lonely island, exposed to all the fur=
y of
the elements, in mid-ocean, bad weather would be frequent, and probably ter=
rible.
The question of a more comfortable dwelling than the Chimneys must therefor=
e be
seriously considered and promptly resolved on.
Pencroft, naturally, had some predilection for=
the
retreat which he had discovered, but he well understood that another must be
found. The Chimneys had been already visited by the sea, under circumstance=
s which
are known, and it would not do to be exposed again to a similar accident.
"Besides," added Cyrus Harding, who =
this
day was talking of these things with his companions, "we have some
precautions to take."
"Why? The island is not inhabited," =
said
the reporter.
"That is probable," replied the
engineer, "although we have not yet explored the interior; but if no h=
uman
beings are found, I fear that dangerous animals may abound. It is necessary=
to
guard against a possible attack, so that we shall not be obliged to watch e=
very
night, or to keep up a fire. And then, my friends, we must foresee everythi=
ng. We
are here in a part of the Pacific often frequented by Malay pirates--"=
"What!" said Herbert, "at such a
distance from land?"
"Yes, my boy," replied the engineer.
"These pirates are bold sailors as well as formidable enemies, and we =
must
take measures accordingly."
"Well," replied Pencroft, "we w=
ill
fortify ourselves against savages with two legs as well as against savages =
with
four. But, captain, will it not be best to explore every part of the island
before undertaking anything else?"
"That would be best," added Gideon
Spilett.
"Who knows if we might not find on the
opposite side one of the caverns which we have searched for in vain here?&q=
uot;
"That is true," replied the engineer,
"but you forget, my friends, that it will be necessary to establish
ourselves in the neighborhood of a watercourse, and that, from the summit of
Mount Franklin, we could not see towards the west, either stream or river.
Here, on the contrary, we are placed between the Mercy and Lake Grant, an
advantage which must not be neglected. And, besides, this side, looking tow=
ards
the east, is not exposed as the other is to the trade-winds, which in this
hemisphere blow from the northwest."
"Then, captain," replied the sailor,
"let us build a house on the edge of the lake. Neither bricks nor tools
are wanting now. After having been brickmakers, potters, smelters, and smit=
hs,
we shall surely know how to be masons!"
"Yes, my friend; but before coming to any
decision we must consider the matter thoroughly. A natural dwelling would s=
pare
us much work, and would be a surer retreat, for it would be as well defended
against enemies from the interior as those from outside."
"That is true, Cyrus," replied the
reporter, "but we have already examined all that mass of granite, and
there is not a hole, not a cranny!"
"No, not one!" added Pencroft. "=
;Ah,
if we were able to dig out a dwelling in that cliff, at a good height, so a=
s to
be out of the reach of harm, that would be capital! I can see that on the f=
ront
which looks seaward, five or six rooms--"
"With windows to light them!" said
Herbert, laughing.
"And a staircase to climb up to them!&quo=
t;
added Neb.
"You are laughing," cried the sailor,
"and why? What is there impossible in what I propose? Haven't we got
pickaxes and spades? Won't Captain Harding be able to make powder to blow up
the mine? Isn't it true, captain, that you will make powder the very day we
want it?"
Cyrus Harding listened to the enthusiastic
Pencroft developing his fanciful projects. To attack this mass of granite, =
even
by a mine, was Herculean work, and it was really vexing that nature could n=
ot
help them at their need. But the engineer did not reply to the sailor excep=
t by
proposing to examine the cliff more attentively, from the mouth of the rive=
r to
the angle which terminated it on the north.
They went out, therefore, and the exploration =
was
made with extreme care, over an extent of nearly two miles. But in no place=
in
the bare, straight cliff, could any cavity be found. The nests of the rock
pigeons which fluttered at its summit were only, in reality, holes bored at=
the
very top, and on the irregular edge of the granite.
It was a provoking circumstance, and as to
attacking this cliff, either with pickaxe or with powder, so as to effect a
sufficient excavation, it was not to be thought of. It so happened that, on=
all
this part of the shore, Pencroft had discovered the only habitable shelter,
that is to say, the Chimneys, which now had to be abandoned.
The exploration ended, the colonists found
themselves at the north angle of the cliff, where it terminated in long slo=
pes
which died away on the shore. From this place, to its extreme limit in the
west, it only formed a sort of declivity, a thick mass of stones, earth, and
sand, bound together by plants, bushes, and grass inclined at an angle of o=
nly forty-five
degrees. Clumps of trees grew on these slopes, which were also carpeted with
thick grass. But the vegetation did not extend far, and a long, sandy plain,
which began at the foot of these slopes, reached to the beach.
Cyrus Harding thought, not without reason, that
the overplus of the lake must overflow on this side. The excess of water
furnished by the Red Creek must also escape by some channel or other. Now t=
he
engineer had not yet found this channel on any part of the shore already
explored, that is to say, from the mouth of the stream on the west of Prosp=
ect Heights.
The engineer now proposed to his companions to
climb the slope, and to return to the Chimneys by the heights, while explor=
ing
the northern and eastern shores of the lake. The proposal was accepted, and=
in
a few minutes Herbert and Neb were on the upper plateau. Cyrus Harding, Gid=
eon Spilett,
and Pencroft followed with more sedate steps.
The beautiful sheet of water glittered through=
the
trees under the rays of the sun. In this direction the country was charming.
The eye feasted on the groups of trees. Some old trunks, bent with age, sho=
wed
black against the verdant grass which covered the ground. Crowds of brillia=
nt cockatoos
screamed among the branches, moving prisms, hopping from one bough to anoth=
er.
The settlers instead of going directly to the
north bank of the lake, made a circuit round the edge of the plateau, so as=
to
join the mouth of the creek on its left bank. It was a detour of more than a
mile and a half. Walking was easy, for the trees widely spread, left a
considerable space between them. The fertile zone evidently stopped at this
point, and vegetation would be less vigorous in the part between the course=
of the
Creek and the Mercy.
Cyrus Harding and his companions walked over t=
his
new ground with great care. Bows, arrows, and sticks with sharp iron points
were their only weapons. However, no wild beast showed itself, and it was
probable that these animals frequented rather the thick forests in the sout=
h;
but the settlers had the disagreeable surprise of seeing Top stop before a
snake of great size, measuring from fourteen to fifteen feet in length. Neb=
killed
it by a blow from his stick. Cyrus Harding examined the reptile, and declar=
ed
it not venomous, for it belonged to that species of diamond serpents which =
the
natives of New South Wales rear. But it was possible that others existed wh=
ose
bite was mortal such as the deaf vipers with forked tails, which rise up un=
der
the feet, or those winged snakes, furnished with two ears, which enable the=
m to
proceed with great rapidity. Top, the first moment of surprise over, began a
reptile chase with such eagerness, that they feared for his safety. His mas=
ter
called him back directly.
The mouth of the Red Creek, at the place where=
it
entered into the lake, was soon reached. The explorers recognized on the
opposite shore the point which they had visited on their descent from Mount
Franklin. Cyrus Harding ascertained that the flow of water into it from the
creek was considerable. Nature must therefore have provided some place for =
the escape
of the overplus. This doubtless formed a fall, which, if it could be
discovered, would be of great use.
The colonists, walking apart, but not straying=
far
from each other, began to skirt the edge of the lake, which was very steep.=
The
water appeared to be full of fish, and Pencroft resolved to make some fishi=
ng-rods,
so as to try and catch some.
The northeast point was first to be doubled. It
might have been supposed that the discharge of water was at this place, for=
the
extremity of the lake was almost on a level with the edge of the plateau. B=
ut
no signs of this were discovered, and the colonists continued to explore the
bank, which, after a slight bend, descended parallel to the shore.
On this side the banks were less woody, but cl=
umps
of trees, here and there, added to the picturesqueness of the country. Lake
Grant was viewed from thence in all its extent, and no breath disturbed the=
surface
of its waters. Top, in beating the bushes, put up flocks of birds of differ=
ent
kinds, which Gideon Spilett and Herbert saluted with arrows. One was hit by=
the
lad, and fell into some marshy grass. Top rushed forward, and brought a
beautiful swimming bird, of a slate color, short beak, very developed front=
al
plate, and wings edged with white. It was a "coot," the size of a
large partridge, belonging to the group of macrodactyls which form the
transition between the order of wading birds and that of palmipeds. Sorry g=
ame,
in truth, and its flavor is far from pleasant. But Top was not so particula=
r in
these things as his masters, and it was agreed that the coot should be for =
his
supper.
The settlers were now following the eastern ba=
nk
of the lake, and they would not be long in reaching the part which they alr=
eady
knew. The engineer was much surprised at not seeing any indication of the d=
ischarge
of water. The reporter and the sailor talked with him, and he could not con=
ceal
his astonishment.
At this moment Top, who had been very quiet ti=
ll
then, gave signs of agitation. The intelligent animal went backwards and
forwards on the shore, stopped suddenly, and looked at the water, one paw
raised, as if he was pointing at some invisible game; then he barked furiou=
sly,
and was suddenly silent.
Neither Cyrus Harding nor his companions had at
first paid any attention to Top's behavior; but the dog's barking soon beca=
me
so frequent that the engineer noticed it.
"What is there, Top?" he asked.
The dog bounded towards his master, seeming to=
be
very uneasy, and then rushed again towards the bank. Then, all at once, he
plunged into the lake.
"Here, Top!" cried Cyrus Harding, who
did not like his dog to venture into the treacherous water.
"What's happening down there?" asked
Pencroft, examining the surface of the lake.
"Top smells some amphibious creature,&quo=
t;
replied Herbert.
"An alligator, perhaps," said the
reporter.
"I do not think so," replied Harding.
"Alligators are only met with in regions less elevated in latitude.&qu=
ot;
Meanwhile Top had returned at his master's cal=
l,
and had regained the shore: but he could not stay quiet; he plunged in among
the tall grass, and guided by instinct, he appeared to follow some invisible
being which was slipping along under the surface of the water. However the
water was calm; not a ripple disturbed its surface. Several times the settl=
ers stopped
on the bank, and observed it attentively. Nothing appeared. There was some
mystery there.
The engineer was puzzled.
"Let us pursue this exploration to the
end," said he.
Half an hour after they had all arrived at the
southeast angle of the lake, on Prospect Heights. At this point the examina=
tion
of the banks of the lake was considered finished, and yet the engineer had =
not
been able to discover how and where the waters were discharged. "There=
is
no doubt this overflow exists," he repeated, "and since it is not
visible it must go through the granite cliff at the west!"
"But what importance do you attach to kno=
wing
that, my dear Cyrus?" asked Gideon Spilett.
"Considerable importance," replied t=
he
engineer; "for if it flows through the cliff there is probably some
cavity, which it would be easy to render habitable after turning away the
water."
"But is it not possible, captain, that the
water flows away at the bottom of the lake," said Herbert, "and t=
hat it
reaches the sea by some subterranean passage?"
"That might be," replied the enginee=
r,
"and should it be so we shall be obliged to build our house ourselves,
since nature has not done it for us."
The colonists were about to begin to traverse =
the
plateau to return to the Chimneys, when Top gave new signs of agitation. He
barked with fury, and before his master could restrain him, he had plunged a
second time into the lake.
All ran towards the bank. The dog was already =
more
than twenty feet off, and Cyrus was calling him back, when an enormous head
emerged from the water, which did not appear to be deep in that place.
Herbert recognized directly the species of
amphibian to which the tapering head, with large eyes, and adorned with long
silky mustaches, belonged.
"A lamantin!" he cried.
It was not a lamantin, but one of that species=
of
the order of cetaceans, which bear the name of the "dugong," for =
its
nostrils were open at the upper part of its snout. The enormous animal rush=
ed
on the dog, who tried to escape by returning towards the shore. His master =
could
do nothing to save him, and before Gideon Spilett or Herbert thought of ben=
ding
their bows, Top, seized by the dugong, had disappeared beneath the water.
Neb, his iron-tipped spear in his hand, wished=
to
go to Top's help, and attack the dangerous animal in its own element.
"No, Neb," said the engineer,
restraining his courageous servant.
Meanwhile, a struggle was going on beneath the
water, an inexplicable struggle, for in his situation Top could not possibly
resist; and judging by the bubbling of the surface it must be also a terrib=
le struggle,
and could not but terminate in the death of the dog! But suddenly, in the
middle of a foaming circle, Top reappeared. Thrown in the air by some unkno=
wn
power, he rose ten feet above the surface of the lake, fell again into the
midst of the agitated waters, and then soon gained the shore, without any
severe wounds, miraculously saved.
Cyrus Harding and his companions could not
understand it. What was not less inexplicable was that the struggle still
appeared to be going on. Doubtless, the dugong, attacked by some powerful
animal, after having released the dog, was fighting on its own account. But=
it
did not last long. The water became red with blood, and the body of the dug=
ong,
emerging from the sheet of scarlet which spread around, soon stranded on a
little beach at the south angle of the lake. The colonists ran towards it. =
The
dugong was dead. It was an enormous animal, fifteen or sixteen feet long, a=
nd
must have weighed from three to four thousand pounds. At its neck was a wou=
nd,
which appeared to have been produced by a sharp blade.
What could the amphibious creature have been, =
who,
by this terrible blow had destroyed the formidable dugong? No one could tel=
l,
and much interested in this incident, Harding and his companions returned to
the Chimneys.
The next day, the 7th of May, Harding and Gide=
on
Spilett, leaving Neb to prepare breakfast, climbed Prospect Heights, while
Herbert and Pencroft ascended by the river, to renew their store of wood.
The engineer and the reporter soon reached the
little beach on which the dugong had been stranded. Already flocks of birds=
had
attacked the mass of flesh, and had to be driven away with stones, for Cyru=
s wished
to keep the fat for the use of the colony. As to the animal's flesh it would
furnish excellent food, for in the islands of the Malay Archipelago and
elsewhere, it is especially reserved for the table of the native princes. B=
ut
that was Neb's affair.
At this moment Cyrus Harding had other thought=
s.
He was much interested in the incident of the day before. He wished to
penetrate the mystery of that submarine combat, and to ascertain what monst=
er
could have given the dugong so strange a wound. He remained at the edge of =
the
lake, looking, observing; but nothing appeared under the tranquil waters, w=
hich
sparkled in the first rays of the rising sun.
At the beach, on which lay the body of the dug=
ong,
the water was tolerably shallow, but from this point the bottom of the lake
sloped gradually, and it was probable that the depth was considerable in th=
e center.
The lake might be considered as a large center basin, which was filled by t=
he
water from the Red Creek.
"Well, Cyrus," said the reporter,
"there seems to be nothing suspicious in this water."
"No, my dear Spilett," replied the
engineer, "and I really do not know how to account for the incident of
yesterday."
"I acknowledge," returned Spilett,
"that the wound given this creature is, at least, very strange, and I
cannot explain either how Top was so vigorously cast up out of the water. O=
ne
could have thought that a powerful arm hurled him up, and that the same arm
with a dagger killed the dugong!"
"Yes," replied the engineer, who had
become thoughtful; "there is something there that I cannot understand.=
But
do you better understand either, my dear Spilett, in what way I was saved
myself--how I was drawn from the waves, and carried to the downs? No! Is it=
not
true? Now, I feel sure that there is some mystery there, which, doubtless, =
we
shall discover some day. Let us observe, but do not dwell on these singular=
incidents
before our companions. Let us keep our remarks to ourselves, and continue o=
ur
work."
It will be remembered that the engineer had no=
t as
yet been able to discover the place where the surplus water escaped, but he
knew it must exist somewhere. He was much surprised to see a strong current=
at
this place. By throwing in some bits of wood he found that it set towards t=
he southern
angle. He followed the current, and arrived at the south point of the lake.=
There was there a sort of depression in the wa=
ter,
as if it was suddenly lost in some fissure in the ground.
Harding listened; placing his ear to the level=
of
the lake, he very distinctly heard the noise of a subterranean fall.
"There," said he, rising, "is t=
he
discharge of the water; there, doubtless, by a passage in the granite cliff=
, it
joins the sea, through cavities which we can use to our profit. Well, I can
find it!"
The engineer cut a long branch, stripped it of=
its
leaves, and plunging it into the angle between the two banks, he found that
there was a large hole one foot only beneath the surface of the water. This
hole was the opening so long looked for in vain, and the force of the curre=
nt
was such that the branch was torn from the engineer's hands and disappeared=
.
"There is no doubt about it now,"
repeated Harding. "There is the outlet, and I will lay it open to
view!"
"How?" asked Gideon Spilett.
"By lowering the level of the water of the
lake three feet."
"And how will you lower the level?"<= o:p>
"By opening another outlet larger than
this."
"At what place, Cyrus?"
"At the part of the bank nearest the
coast."
"But it is a mass of granite!" obser=
ved
Spilett.
"Well," replied Cyrus Harding, "=
;I
will blow up the granite, and the water escaping, will subside, so as to lay
bare this opening--"
"And make a waterfall, by falling on to t=
he
beach," added the reporter.
"A fall that we shall make use of!"
replied Cyrus. "Come, come!"
The engineer hurried away his companion, whose
confidence in Harding was such that he did not doubt the enterprise would
succeed. And yet, how was this granite wall to be opened without powder, and
with imperfect instruments? Was not this work upon which the engineer was so
bent above their strength?
When Harding and the reporter entered the
Chimneys, they found Herbert and Pencroft unloading their raft of wood.
"The woodmen have just finished,
captain." said the sailor, laughing, "and when you want
masons--"
"Masons,--no, but chemists," replied=
the
engineer.
"Yes," added the reporter, "we =
are
going to blow up the island--"
"Blow up the island?" cried Pencroft=
.
"Part of it, at least," replied Spil=
ett.
"Listen to me, my friends," said the
engineer. And he made known to them the result of his observations.
According to him, a cavity, more or less
considerable, must exist in the mass of granite which supported Prospect
Heights, and he intended to penetrate into it. To do this, the opening thro=
ugh
which the water rushed must first be cleared, and the level lowered by maki=
ng a
larger outlet. Therefore an explosive substance must be manufactured, which=
would
make a deep trench in some other part of the shore. This was what Harding w=
as
going to attempt with the minerals which nature placed at his disposal.
It is useless to say with what enthusiasm all,
especially Pencroft, received this project. To employ great means, open the
granite, create a cascade, that suited the sailor. And he would just as soo=
n be
a chemist as a mason or bootmaker, since the engineer wanted chemicals. He
would be all that they liked, "even a professor of dancing and
deportment," said he to Neb, if that was ever necessary.
Neb and Pencroft were first of all told to ext=
ract
the grease from the dugong, and to keep the flesh, which was destined for f=
ood.
Such perfect confidence had they in the engineer, that they set out directl=
y, without
even asking a question. A few minutes after them, Cyrus Harding, Herbert, a=
nd
Gideon Spilett, dragging the hurdle, went towards the vein of coals, where
those shistose pyrites abound which are met with in the most recent transit=
ion
soil, and of which Harding had already found a specimen. All the day being
employed in carrying a quantity of these stones to the Chimneys, by evening
they had several tons.
The next day, the 8th of May, the engineer beg=
an
his manipulations. These shistose pyrites being composed principally of coa=
l,
flint, alumina, and sulphuret of iron--the latter in excess--it was necessa=
ry to
separate the sulphuret of iron, and transform it into sulphate as rapidly as
possible. The sulphate obtained, the sulphuric acid could then be extracted=
.
This was the object to be attained. Sulphuric =
acid
is one of the agents the most frequently employed, and the manufacturing
importance of a nation can be measured by the consumption which is made of =
it.
This acid would later be of great use to the settlers, in the manufacturing=
of candles,
tanning skins, etc., but this time the engineer reserved it for another use=
.
Cyrus Harding chose, behind the Chimneys, a si=
te
where the ground was perfectly level. On this ground he placed a layer of
branches and chopped wood, on which were piled some pieces of shistose pyri=
tes,
buttressed one against the other, the whole being covered with a thin layer=
of
pyrites, previously reduced to the size of a nut.
This done, they set fire to the wood, the heat=
was
communicated to the shist, which soon kindled, since it contains coal and
sulphur. Then new layers of bruised pyrites were arranged so as to form an
immense heap, the exterior of which was covered with earth and grass, sever=
al air-holes
being left, as if it was a stack of wood which was to be carbonized to make
charcoal.
They then left the transformation to complete
itself, and it would not take less than ten or twelve days for the sulphure=
t of
iron to be changed to sulphate of iron and the alumina into sulphate of
alumina, two equally soluble substances, the others, flint, burnt coal, and=
cinders,
not being so.
While this chemical work was going on, Cyrus
Harding proceeded with other operations, which were pursued with more than
zeal,--it was eagerness.
Neb and Pencroft had taken away the fat from t=
he
dugong, and placed it in large earthen pots. It was then necessary to separ=
ate
the glycerine from the fat by saponifying it. Now, to obtain this result, it
had to be treated either with soda or lime. In fact, one or other of these =
substances,
after having attacked the fat, would form a soap by separating the glycerin=
e,
and it was just this glycerine which the engineer wished to obtain. There w=
as
no want of lime, only treatment by lime would give calcareous soap, insolub=
le,
and consequently useless, while treatment by soda would furnish, on the
contrary, a soluble soap, which could be put to domestic use. Now, a practi=
cal
man, like Cyrus Harding, would rather try to obtain soda. Was this difficul=
t?
No; for marine plants abounded on the shore, glass-wort, ficoides, and all =
those
fucaceae which form wrack. A large quantity of these plants was collected,
first dried, then burnt in holes in the open air. The combustion of these
plants was kept up for several days, and the result was a compact gray mass,
which has been long known under the name of "natural soda."
This obtained, the engineer treated the fat wi=
th
soda, which gave both a soluble soap and that neutral substance, glycerine.=
But this was not all. Cyrus Harding still need=
ed,
in view of his future preparation, another substance, nitrate of potash, wh=
ich
is better known under the name of salt niter, or of saltpeter.
Cyrus Harding could have manufactured this
substance by treating the carbonate of potash, which would be easily extrac=
ted
from the cinders of the vegetables, by azotic acid. But this acid was wanti=
ng,
and he would have been in some difficulty, if nature had not happily furnis=
hed
the saltpeter, without giving them any other trouble than that of picking i=
t up.
Herbert found a vein of it at the foot of Mount Franklin, and they had noth=
ing
to do but purify this salt.
These different works lasted a week. They were
finished before the transformation of the sulphuret into sulphate of iron h=
ad
been accomplished. During the following days the settlers had time to const=
ruct
a furnace of bricks of a particular arrangement, to serve for the distillat=
ion
of the sulphate or iron when it had been obtained. All this was finished ab=
out
the 18th of May, nearly at the time when the chemical transformation
terminated. Gideon Spilett, Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft, skillfully directed=
by
the engineer, had become most clever workmen. Before all masters, necessity=
is
the one most listened to, and who teaches the best.
When the heap of pyrites had been entirely red=
uced
by fire, the result of the operation, consisting of sulphate of iron, sulph=
ate
of alumina, flint, remains of coal, and cinders was placed in a basinful of
water. They stirred this mixture, let it settle, then decanted it, and obta=
ined
a clear liquid containing in solution sulphate of iron and sulphate of alum=
ina,
the other matters remaining solid, since they are insoluble. Lastly, this
liquid being partly evaporated, crystals of sulphate of iron were deposited,
and the not evaporated liquid, which contained the sulphate of alumina, was
thrown away.
Cyrus Harding had now at his disposal a large
quantity of these sulphate of iron crystals, from which the sulphuric acid =
had
to be extracted. The making of sulphuric acid is a very expensive manufactu=
re.
Considerable works are necessary--a special set of tools, an apparatus of p=
latina,
leaden chambers, unassailable by the acid, and in which the transformation =
is
performed, etc. The engineer had none of these at his disposal, but he knew
that, in Bohemia especially, sulphuric acid is manufactured by very simple
means, which have also the advantage of producing it to a superior degree of
concentration. It is thus that the acid known under the name of Nordhausen =
acid
is made.
To obtain sulphuric acid, Cyrus Harding had on=
ly
one operation to make, to calcine the sulphate of iron crystals in a closed
vase, so that the sulphuric acid should distil in vapor, which vapor, by
condensation, would produce the acid.
The crystals were placed in pots, and the heat
from the furnace would distil the sulphuric acid. The operation was
successfully completed, and on the 20th of May, twelve days after commencing
it, the engineer was the possessor of the agent which later he hoped to use=
in
so many different ways.
Now, why did he wish for this agent? Simply to
produce azotic acid; and that was easy, since saltpeter, attacked by sulphu=
ric
acid, gives azotic, or nitric, acid by distillation.
But, after all, how was he going to employ this
azotic acid? His companions were still ignorant of this, for he had not
informed them of the result at which he aimed.
However, the engineer had nearly accomplished =
his
purpose, and by a last operation he would procure the substance which had g=
iven
so much trouble.
Taking some azotic acid, he mixed it with
glycerine, which had been previously concentrated by evaporation, subjected=
to
the water-bath, and he obtained, without even employing a refrigerant mixtu=
re,
several pints of an oily yellow mixture.
This last operation Cyrus Harding had made alo=
ne,
in a retired place, at a distance from the Chimneys, for he feared the dang=
er
of an explosion, and when he showed a bottle of this liquid to his friends,=
he
contented himself with saying,--
"Here is nitro-glycerine!"
It was really this terrible production, of whi=
ch
the explosive power is perhaps tenfold that of ordinary powder, and which h=
as
already caused so many accidents. However, since a way has been found to
transform it into dynamite, that is to say, to mix with it some solid
substance, clay or sugar, porous enough to hold it, the dangerous liquid has
been used with some security. But dynamite was not yet known at the time wh=
en
the settlers worked on Lincoln Island.
"And is it that liquid that is going to b=
low
up our rocks?" said Pencroft incredulously.
"Yes, my friend," replied the engine=
er,
"and this nitro-glycerine will produce so much the more effect, as the
granite is extremely hard, and will oppose a greater resistance to the
explosion."
"And when shall we see this, captain?&quo=
t;
"To-morrow, as soon as we have dug a hole=
for
the mine, replied the engineer."
The next day, the 21st of May, at daybreak, the
miners went to the point which formed the eastern shore of Lake Grant, and =
was
only five hundred feet from the coast. At this place, the plateau inclined
downwards from the waters, which were only restrained by their granite case.
Therefore, if this case was broken, the water would escape by the opening a=
nd
form a stream, which, flowing over the inclined surface of the plateau, wou=
ld
rush on to the beach. Consequently, the level of the lake would be greatly
lowered, and the opening where the water escaped would be exposed, which was
their final aim.
Under the engineer's directions, Pencroft, arm=
ed
with a pickaxe, which he handled skillfully and vigorously, attacked the
granite. The hole was made on the point of the shore, slanting, so that it
should meet a much lower level than that of the water of the lake. In this =
way
the explosive force, by scattering the rock, would open a large place for t=
he
water to rush out.
The work took some time, for the engineer, wis=
hing
to produce a great effect, intended to devote not less than seven quarts of
nitro-glycerine to the operation. But Pencroft, relieved by Neb, did so wel=
l,
that towards four o'clock in the evening, the mine was finished.
Now the question of setting fire to the explos=
ive
substance was raised. Generally, nitro-glycerine is ignited by caps of
fulminate, which in bursting cause the explosion. A shock is therefore need=
ed
to produce the explosion, for, simply lighted, this substance would burn
without exploding.
Cyrus Harding could certainly have fabricated a
percussion cap. In default of fulminate, he could easily obtain a substance
similar to guncotton, since he had azotic acid at his disposal. This substa=
nce,
pressed in a cartridge, and introduced among the nitro-glycerine, would bur=
st
by means of a fuse, and cause the explosion.
But Cyrus Harding knew that nitro-glycerine wo=
uld
explode by a shock. He resolved to employ this means, and try another way, =
if
this did not succeed.
In fact, the blow of a hammer on a few drops of
nitro-glycerine, spread out on a hard surface, was enough to create an
explosion. But the operator could not be there to give the blow, without
becoming a victim to the operation. Harding, therefore, thought of suspendi=
ng a
mass of iron, weighing several pounds, by means of a fiber, to an upright j=
ust above
the mine. Another long fiber, previously impregnated with sulphur, was atta=
ched
to the middle of the first, by one end, while the other lay on the ground
several feet distant from the mine. The second fiber being set on fire, it
would burn till it reached the first. This catching fire in its turn, would
break, and the mass of iron would fall on the nitro-glycerine. This apparat=
us
being then arranged, the engineer, after having sent his companions to a
distance, filled the hole, so that the nitro-glycerine was on a level with =
the
opening; then he threw a few drops of it on the surface of the rock, above
which the mass of iron was already suspended.
This done, Harding lit the end of the sulphure=
d fiber,
and leaving the place, he returned with his companions to the Chimneys.
The fiber was intended to burn five and twenty
minutes, and, in fact, five and twenty minutes afterwards a most tremendous
explosion was heard. The island appeared to tremble to its very foundation.
Stones were projected in the air as if by the eruption of a volcano. The sh=
ock produced
by the displacing of the air was such, that the rocks of the Chimneys shook.
The settlers, although they were more than two miles from the mine, were th=
rown
on the ground.
They rose, climbed the plateau, and ran towards
the place where the bank of the lake must have been shattered by the explos=
ion.
A cheer escaped them! A large rent was seen in=
the
granite! A rapid stream of water rushed foaming across the plateau and dash=
ed
down a height of three hundred feet on to the beach!
Cyrus Harding's project had succeeded, but,
according to his usual habit he showed no satisfaction; with closed lips an=
d a
fixed look, he remained motionless. Herbert was in ecstasies, Neb bounded w=
ith
joy, Pencroft nodded his great head, murmuring these words,--
"Come, our engineer gets on capitally!&qu=
ot;
The nitro-glycerine had indeed acted powerfull=
y.
The opening which it had made was so large that the volume of water which
escaped through this new outlet was at least treble that which before passed
through the old one. The result was, that a short time after the operation =
the
level of the lake would be lowered two feet, or more.
The settlers went to the Chimneys to take some
pickaxes, iron-tipped spears, string made of fibers, flint and steel; they =
then
returned to the plateau, Top accompanying them.
On the way the sailor could not help saying to=
the
engineer,--
"Don't you think, captain, that by means =
of
that charming liquid you have made, one could blow up the whole of our
island?"
"Without any doubt, the island, continent=
s,
and the world itself," replied the engineer. "It is only a questi=
on
of quantity."
"Then could you not use this nitro-glycer=
ine
for loading firearms?" asked the sailor.
"No, Pencroft; for it is too explosive a
substance. But it would be easy to make some guncotton, or even ordinary
powder, as we have azotic acid, saltpeter, sulphur, and coal. Unhappily, it=
is
the guns which we have not got.
"Oh, captain," replied the sailor,
"with a little determination--"
Pencroft had erased the word
"impossible" from the dictionary of Lincoln Island.
The settlers, having arrived at Prospect Heigh= ts, went immediately towards that point of the lake near which was the old open= ing now uncovered. This outlet had now become practicable, since the water no l= onger rushed through it, and it would doubtless be easy to explore the interior.<= o:p>
In a few minutes the settlers had reached the
lower point of the lake, and a glance showed them that the object had been
attained.
In fact, in the side of the lake, and now above
the surface of the water, appeared the long-looked-for opening. A narrow ri=
dge,
left bare by the retreat of the water, allowed them to approach it. This
orifice was nearly twenty feet in width, but scarcely two in height. It was
like the mouth of a drain at the edge of the pavement, and therefore did not
offer an easy passage to the settlers; but Neb and Pencroft, taking their
pickaxes, soon made it of a suitable height.
The engineer then approached, and found that t=
he
sides of the opening, in its upper part at least, had not a slope of more t=
han
from thirty to thirty-five degrees. It was therefore practicable, and, prov=
ided
that the declivity did not increase, it would be easy to descend even to th=
e level
of the sea. If then, as was probable, some vast cavity existed in the inter=
ior
of the granite, it might, perhaps, be of great use.
"Well, captain, what are we stopping
for?" asked the sailor, impatient to enter the narrow passage. "Y=
ou
see Top has got before us!"
"Very well," replied the engineer.
"But we must see our way. Neb, go and cut some resinous branches."=
;
Neb and Herbert ran to the edge of the lake,
shaded with pines and other green trees, and soon returned with some branch=
es,
which they made into torches. The torches were lighted with flint and steel,
and Cyrus Harding leading, the settlers ventured into the dark passage, whi=
ch
the overplus of the lake had formerly filled.
Contrary to what might have been supposed, the
diameter of the passage increased as the explorers proceeded, so that they =
very
soon were able to stand upright. The granite, worn by the water for an infi=
nite
time, was very slippery, and falls were to be dreaded. But the settlers wer=
e all
attached to each other by a cord, as is frequently done in ascending mounta=
ins.
Happily some projections of the granite, forming regular steps, made the
descent less perilous. Drops, still hanging from the rocks, shone here and
there under the light of the torches, and the explorers guessed that the si=
des
were clothed with innumerable stalactites. The engineer examined this black
granite. There was not a stratum, not a break in it. The mass was compact, =
and
of an extremely close grain. The passage dated, then, from the very origin =
of
the island. It was not the water which little by little had hollowed it. Pl=
uto
and not Neptune had bored it with his own hand, and on the wall traces of an
eruptive work could be distinguished, which all the washing of the water had
not been able totally to efface.
The settlers descended very slowly. They could=
not
but feel a certain awe, in this venturing into these unknown depths, for the
first time visited by human beings. They did not speak, but they thought; a=
nd the
thought came to more than one, that some polypus or other gigantic cephalop=
od
might inhabit the interior cavities, which were in communication with the s=
ea.
However, Top kept at the head of the little band, and they could rely on the
sagacity of the dog, who would not fail to give the alarm if there was any =
need
for it.
After having descended about a hundred feet,
following a winding road, Harding who was walking on before, stopped, and h=
is
companions came up with him. The place where they had halted was wider, so =
as
to form a cavern of moderate dimensions. Drops of water fell from the vault,
but that did not prove that they oozed through the rock. They were simply t=
he
last traces left by the torrent which had so long thundered through this ca=
vity,
and the air there was pure though slightly damp, but producing no mephitic
exhalation.
"Well, my dear Cyrus," said Gideon
Spilett, "here is a very secure retreat, well hid in the depths of the
rock, but it is, however, uninhabitable."
"Why uninhabitable?" asked the sailo=
r.
"Because it is too small and too dark.&qu=
ot;
"Couldn't we enlarge it, hollow it out, m=
ake
openings to let in light and air?" replied Pencroft, who now thought
nothing impossible.
"Let us go on with our exploration,"
said Cyrus Harding. "Perhaps lower down, nature will have spared us th=
is
labor."
"We have only gone a third of the way,&qu=
ot;
observed Herbert.
"Nearly a third," replied Harding,
"for we have descended a hundred feet from the opening, and it is not
impossible that a hundred feet farther down--"
"Where is Top?" asked Neb, interrupt=
ing
his master.
They searched the cavern, but the dog was not
there.
"Most likely he has gone on," said
Pencroft.
"Let us join him," replied Harding.<= o:p>
The descent was continued. The engineer carefu=
lly
observed all the deviations of the passage, and notwithstanding so many
detours, he could easily have given an account of its general direction, wh=
ich
went towards the sea.
The settlers had gone some fifty feet farther,
when their attention was attracted by distant sounds which came up from the
depths. They stopped and listened. These sounds, carried through the passag=
e as
through an acoustic tube, came clearly to the ear.
"That is Top barking!" cried Herbert=
.
"Yes," replied Pencroft, "and o=
ur
brave dog is barking furiously!"
"We have our iron-tipped spears," sa=
id
Cyrus Harding. "Keep on your guard, and forward!"
"It is becoming more and more
interesting," murmured Gideon Spilett in the sailor's ear, who nodded.
Harding and his companions rushed to the help of their dog. Top's barking
became more and more perceptible, and it seemed strangely fierce. Was he
engaged in a struggle with some animal whose retreat he had disturbed? With=
out
thinking of the danger to which they might be exposed, the explorers were n=
ow
impelled by an irresistible curiosity, and in a few minutes, sixteen feet l=
ower
they rejoined Top.
There the passage ended in a vast and magnific=
ent
cavern.
Top was running backwards and forwards, barking
furiously. Pencroft and Neb, waving their torches, threw the light into eve=
ry
crevice; and at the same time, Harding, Gideon Spilett, and Herbert, their
spears raised, were ready for any emergency which might arise. The enormous=
cavern
was empty. The settlers explored it in every direction. There was nothing
there, not an animal, not a human being; and yet Top continued to bark. Nei=
ther
caresses nor threats could make him be silent.
"There must be a place somewhere, by which
the waters of the lake reached the sea," said the engineer.
"Of course," replied Pencroft, "=
;and
we must take care not to tumble into a hole."
"Go, Top, go!" cried Harding.
The dog, excited by his master's words, ran
towards the extremity of the cavern, and there redoubled his barking.
They followed him, and by the light of the
torches, perceived the mouth of a regular well in the granite. It was by th=
is
that the water escaped; and this time it was not an oblique and practicable
passage, but a perpendicular well, into which it was impossible to venture.=
The torches were held over the opening: nothing
could be seen. Harding took a lighted branch, and threw it into the abyss. =
The
blazing resin, whose illuminating power increased still more by the rapidit=
y of
its fall, lighted up the interior of the well, but yet nothing appeared. Th=
e flame
then went out with a slight hiss, which showed that it had reached the wate=
r,
that is to say, the level of the sea.
The engineer, calculating the time employed in=
its
fall, was able to calculate the depth of the well, which was found to be ab=
out
ninety feet.
The floor of the cavern must thus be situated
ninety feet above the level of the sea.
"Here is our dwelling," said Cyrus
Harding.
"But it was occupied by some creature,&qu=
ot;
replied Gideon Spilett, whose curiosity was not yet satisfied.
"Well, the creature, amphibious or otherw=
ise,
has made off through this opening," replied the engineer, "and has
left the place for us."
"Never mind," added the sailor, &quo=
t;I
should like very much to be Top just for a quarter of an hour, for he doesn=
't
bark for nothing!"
Cyrus Harding looked at his dog, and those of =
his
companions who were near him might have heard him murmur these words,--
"Yes, I believe that Top knows more than =
we
do about a great many things."
However, the wishes of the settlers were for t=
he
most part satisfied. Chance, aided by the marvelous sagacity of their leade=
r,
had done them great service. They had now at their disposal a vast cavern, =
the
size of which could not be properly calculated by the feeble light of their=
torches,
but it would certainly be easy to divide it into rooms, by means of brick
partitions, or to use it, if not as a house, at least as a spacious apartme=
nt.
The water which had left it could not return. The place was free.
Two difficulties remained; firstly, the possib=
ility
of lighting this excavation in the midst of solid rock; secondly, the neces=
sity
of rendering the means of access more easy. It was useless to think of ligh=
ting
it from above, because of the enormous thickness of the granite which compo=
sed
the ceiling; but perhaps the outer wall next the sea might be pierced. Cyrus
Harding, during the descent, had roughly calculated its obliqueness, and
consequently the length of the passage, and was therefore led to believe th=
at
the outer wall could not be very thick. If light was thus obtained, so woul=
d a
means of access, for it would be as easy to pierce a door as windows, and to
establish an exterior ladder.
Harding made known his ideas to his companions=
.
"Then, captain, let us set to work!"
replied Pencroft. "I have my pickaxe, and I shall soon make my way thr=
ough
this wall. Where shall I strike?"
"Here," replied the engineer, showing
the sturdy sailor a considerable recess in the side, which would much dimin=
ish
the thickness.
Pencroft attacked the granite, and for half an
hour, by the light of the torches, he made the splinters fly around him. Neb
relieved him, then Spilett took Neb's place.
This work had lasted two hours, and they began=
to
fear that at this spot the wall would not yield to the pickaxe, when at a l=
ast
blow given by Gideon Spilett, the instrument, passing through the rock, fell
outside.
"Hurrah! hurrah!" cried Pencroft.
The wall only measured there three feet in
thickness.
Harding applied his eye to the aperture, which
overlooked the ground from a height of eighty feet. Before him was extended=
the
sea-coast, the islet, and beyond the open sea.
Floods of light entered by this hole, inundati=
ng
the splendid cavern and producing a magic effect! On its left side it did n=
ot
measure more than thirty feet in height and breadth, but on the right it was
enormous, and its vaulted roof rose to a height of more than eighty feet.
In some places granite pillars, irregularly
disposed, supported the vaulted roof, as those in the nave of a cathedral, =
here
forming lateral piers, there elliptical arches, adorned with pointed moldin=
gs,
losing themselves in dark bays, amid the fantastic arches of which glimpses=
could
be caught in the shade, covered with a profusion of projections formed like=
so
many pendants. This cavern was a picturesque mixture of all the styles of
Byzantine, Roman, or Gothic architecture ever produced by the hand of man. =
And
yet this was only the work of nature. She alone had hollowed this fairy
Alhambra in a mass of granite.
The settlers were overwhelmed with admiration.
Where they had only expected to find a narrow cavity, they had found a sort=
of
marvelous palace, and Neb had taken off his hat, as if he had been transpor=
ted into
a temple!
Cries of admiration issued from every mouth.
Hurrahs resounded, and the echo was repeated again and again till it died a=
way
in the dark naves.
"Ah, my friends!" exclaimed Cyrus
Harding, "when we have lighted the interior of this place, and have
arranged our rooms and storehouses in the left part, we shall still have th=
is
splendid cavern, which we will make our study and our museum!"
"And we will call it?--" asked Herbe=
rt.
"Granite House," replied Harding; a =
name
which his companions again saluted with a cheer.
The torches were now almost consumed, and as t=
hey
were obliged to return by the passage to reach the summit of the plateau, it
was decided to put off the work necessary for the arrangement of their new
dwelling till the next day.
Before departing, Cyrus Harding leaned once mo=
re
over the dark well, which descended perpendicularly to the level of the sea=
. He
listened attentively. No noise was heard, not even that of the water, which=
the
undulations of the surge must sometimes agitate in its depths. A flaming br=
anch
was again thrown in. The sides of the well were lighted up for an instant, =
but
as at the first time, nothing suspicious was seen.
If some marine monster had been surprised unaw=
ares
by the retreat of the water, he would by this time have regained the sea by=
the
subterranean passage, before the new opening had been offered to him.
Meanwhile, the engineer was standing motionles=
s,
his eyes fixed on the gulf, without uttering a word.
The sailor approached him, and touching his ar=
m,
"Captain!" said he.
"What do you want, my friend?" asked=
the
engineer, as if he had returned from the land of dreams.
"The torches will soon go out."
"Forward!" replied Cyrus Harding.
The little band left the cavern and began to
ascend through the dark passage. Top closed the rear, still growling every =
now
and then. The ascent was painful enough. The settlers rested a few minutes =
in
the upper grotto, which made a sort of landing-place halfway up the long gr=
anite
staircase. Then they began to climb again.
Soon fresher air was felt. The drops of water,
dried by evaporation, no longer sparkled on the walls. The flaring torches
began to grow dim. The one which Neb carried went out, and if they did not =
wish
to find their way in the dark, they must hasten.
This was done, and a little before four o'cloc=
k,
at the moment when the sailor's torch went out in its turn, Cyrus Harding a=
nd
his companions passed out of the passage.
The next day, the 22nd of May, the arrangement=
of
their new dwelling was commenced. In fact, the settlers longed to exchange =
the
insufficient shelter of the Chimneys for this large and healthy retreat, in=
the
midst of solid rock, and sheltered from the water both of the sea and sky. =
Their
former dwelling was not, however, to be entirely abandoned, for the engineer
intended to make a manufactory of it for important works. Cyrus Harding's f=
irst
care was to find out the position of the front of Granite House from the
outside. He went to the beach, and as the pickaxe when it escaped from the
hands of the reporter must have fallen perpendicularly to the foot of the
cliff, the finding it would be sufficient to show the place where the hole =
had
been pierced in the granite.
The pickaxe was easily found, and the hole cou=
ld
be seen in a perpendicular line above the spot where it was stuck in the sa=
nd.
Some rock pigeons were already flying in and out of the narrow opening; the=
y evidently
thought that Granite House had been discovered on purpose for them. It was =
the
engineer's intention to divide the right portion of the cavern into several
rooms, preceded by an entrance passage, and to light it by means of five
windows and a door, pierced in the front. Pencroft was much pleased with the
five windows, but he could not understand the use of the door, since the
passage offered a natural staircase, through which it would always be easy =
to
enter Granite House.
"My friend," replied Harding, "=
if
it is easy for us to reach our dwelling by this passage, it will be equally
easy for others besides us. I mean, on the contrary, to block up that openi=
ng,
to seal it hermetically, and, if it is necessary, to completely hide the
entrance by making a dam, and thus causing the water of the lake to rise.&q=
uot;
"And how shall we get in?" asked the
sailor.
"By an outside ladder," replied Cyrus
Harding, "a rope ladder, which, once drawn up, will render access to o=
ur
dwelling impossible."
"But why so many precautions?" asked
Pencroft. "As yet we have seen no dangerous animals. As to our island
being inhabited by natives, I don't believe it!"
"Are you quite sure of that, Pencroft?&qu=
ot;
asked the engineer, looking at the sailor.
"Of course we shall not be quite sure, ti=
ll
we have explored it in every direction," replied Pencroft.
"Yes," said Harding, "for we kn=
ow
only a small portion of it as yet. But at any rate, if we have no enemies in
the interior, they may come from the exterior, for parts of the Pacific are
very dangerous. We must be provided against every contingency."
Cyrus Harding spoke wisely; and without making=
any
further objection, Pencroft prepared to execute his orders.
The front of Granite House was then to be ligh=
ted
by five windows and a door, besides a large bay window and some smaller oval
ones, which would admit plenty of light to enter into the marvelous nave wh=
ich
was to be their chief room. This facade, situated at a height of eighty feet
above the ground, was exposed to the east, and the rising sun saluted it wi=
th its
first rays. It was found to be just at that part of the cliff which was bet=
ween
the projection at the mouth of the Mercy and a perpendicular line traced ab=
ove
the heap of rocks which formed the Chimneys. Thus the winds from the northe=
ast
would only strike it obliquely, for it was protected by the projection.
Besides, until the window-frames were made, the engineer meant to close the
openings with thick shutters, which would prevent either wind or rain from
entering, and which could be concealed in need.
The first work was to make the openings. This
would have taken too long with the pickaxe alone, and it is known that Hard=
ing
was an ingenious man. He had still a quantity of nitro-glycerine at his
disposal, and he employed it usefully. By means of this explosive substance=
the
rock was broken open at the very places chosen by the engineer. Then, with =
the pickaxe
and spade, the windows and doors were properly shaped, the jagged edges were
smoothed off, and a few days after the beginning of the work, Granite House=
was
abundantly lighted by the rising sun, whose rays penetrated into its most
secret recesses. Following the plan proposed by Cyrus Harding, the space wa=
s to
be divided into five compartments looking out on the sea; to the right, an
entry with a door, which would meet the ladder; then a kitchen, thirty feet
long; a dining-room, measuring forty feet; a sleeping-room, of equal size; =
and lastly,
a "Visitor's room," petitioned for by Pencroft, and which was nex=
t to
the great hall. These rooms, or rather this suite of rooms, would not occupy
all the depth of the cave. There would be also a corridor and a storehouse,=
in
which their tools, provisions, and stores would be kept. All the production=
s of
the island, the flora as well as the fauna, were to be there in the best
possible state of preservation, and completely sheltered from the damp. The=
re
was no want of space, so that each object could be methodically arranged.
Besides, the colonists had still at their disposal the little grotto above =
the
great cavern, which was like the garret of the new dwelling.
This plan settled, it had only to be put into
execution. The miners became brickmakers again, then the bricks were brough=
t to
the foot of Granite House. Till then, Harding and his companions had only
entered the cavern by the long passage. This mode of communication obliged =
them
first to climb Prospect Heights, making a detour by the river's bank, and t=
hen
to descend two hundred feet through the passage, having to climb as far when
they wished to return to the plateau. This was a great loss of time, and was
also very fatiguing. Cyrus Harding, therefore, resolved to proceed without =
any
further delay to the fabrication of a strong rope ladder, which, once raise=
d,
would render Granite House completely inaccessible.
This ladder was manufactured with extreme care,
and its uprights, formed of the twisted fibers of a species of cane, had the
strength of a thick cable. As to the rounds, they were made of a sort of red
cedar, with light, strong branches; and this apparatus was wrought by the
masterly hand of Pencroft.
Other ropes were made with vegetable fibers, a=
nd a
sort of crane with a tackle was fixed at the door. In this way bricks could
easily be raised into Granite House. The transport of the materials being t=
hus simplified,
the arrangement of the interior could begin immediately. There was no want =
of
lime, and some thousands of bricks were there ready to be used. The framewo=
rk
of the partitions was soon raised, very roughly at first, and in a short ti=
me,
the cave was divided into rooms and storehouses, according to the plan agre=
ed
upon.
These different works progressed rapidly under=
the
direction of the engineer, who himself handled the hammer and the trowel. No
labor came amiss to Cyrus Harding, who thus set an example to his intellige=
nt
and zealous companions. They worked with confidence, even gaily, Pencroft a=
lways
having some joke to crack, sometimes carpenter, sometimes rope-maker, somet=
imes
mason, while he communicated his good humor to all the members of their lit=
tle
world. His faith in the engineer was complete; nothing could disturb it. He
believed him capable of undertaking anything and succeeding in everything. =
The
question of boots and clothes--assuredly a serious question,--that of light
during the winter months, utilizing the fertile parts of the island,
transforming the wild flora into cultivated flora, it all appeared easy to =
him;
Cyrus Harding helping, everything would be done in time. He dreamed of cana=
ls facilitating
the transport of the riches of the ground; workings of quarries and mines;
machines for every industrial manufacture; railroads; yes, railroads! of wh=
ich
a network would certainly one day cover Lincoln Island.
The engineer let Pencroft talk. He did not put
down the aspirations of this brave heart. He knew how communicable confiden=
ce
is; he even smiled to hear him speak, and said nothing of the uneasiness for
the future which he felt. In fact, in that part of the Pacific, out of the
course of vessels, it was to be feared that no help would ever come to them=
. It
was on themselves, on themselves alone, that the settlers must depend, for =
the
distance of Lincoln Island from all other land was such, that to hazard
themselves in a boat, of a necessarily inferior construction, would be a
serious and perilous thing.
"But," as the sailor said, "they
quite took the wind out of the sails of the Robinsons, for whom everything =
was
done by a miracle."
In fact, they were energetic; an energetic man
will succeed where an indolent one would vegetate and inevitably perish.
Herbert distinguished himself in these works. =
He
was intelligent and active; understanding quickly, he performed well; and C=
yrus
Harding became more and more attached to the boy. Herbert had a lively and =
reverent
love for the engineer. Pencroft saw the close sympathy which existed between
the two, but he was not in the least jealous. Neb was Neb: he was what he w=
ould
be always, courage, zeal, devotion, self-denial personified. He had the same
faith in his master that Pencroft had, but he showed it less vehemently. Wh=
en
the sailor was enthusiastic, Neb always looked as if he would say,
"Nothing could be more natural." Pencroft and he were great frien=
ds.
As to Gideon Spilett, he took part in the comm=
on
work, and was not less skilful in it than his companions, which always rath=
er
astonished the sailor. A "journalist," clever, not only in
understanding, but in performing everything.
The ladder was finally fixed on the 28th of Ma=
y.
There were not less than a hundred rounds in this perpendicular height of
eighty feet. Harding had been able, fortunately, to divide it in two parts,
profiting by an overhanging of the cliff which made a projection forty feet
above the ground. This projection, carefully leveled by the pickaxe, made a=
sort
of platform, to which they fixed the first ladder, of which the oscillation=
was
thus diminished one-half, and a rope permitted it to be raised to the level=
of
Granite House. As to the second ladder, it was secured both at its lower pa=
rt,
which rested on the projection, and at its upper end, which was fastened to=
the
door. In short the ascent had been made much easier. Besides, Cyrus Harding
hoped later to establish an hydraulic apparatus, which would avoid all fati=
gue
and loss of time, for the inhabitants of Granite House.
The settlers soon became habituated to the use=
of
this ladder. They were light and active, and Pencroft, as a sailor, accusto=
med
to run up the masts and shrouds, was able to give them lessons. But it was =
also
necessary to give them to Top. The poor dog, with his four paws, was not fo=
rmed
for this sort of exercise. But Pencroft was such a zealous master, that Top
ended by properly performing his ascents, and soon mounted the ladder as
readily as his brethren in the circus. It need not be said that the sailor =
was
proud of his pupil. However, more than once Pencroft hoisted him on his bac=
k,
which Top never complained of.
It must be mentioned here, that during these
works, which were actively conducted, for the bad season was approaching, t=
he
alimentary question was not neglected. Every day, the reporter and Herbert,=
who
had been voted purveyors to the colony, devoted some hours to the chase. As
yet, they only hunted in Jacamar Wood, on the left of the river, because, f=
or want
of a bridge or boat, the Mercy had not yet been crossed. All the immense wo=
ods,
to which the name of the Forests of the Far West had been given, were not
explored. They reserved this important excursion for the first fine days of=
the
next spring. But Jacamar Wood was full of game; kangaroos and boars abounde=
d,
and the hunters' iron-tipped spears and bows and arrows did wonders. Beside=
s,
Herbert discovered towards the southwest point of the lagoon a natural warr=
en,
a slightly damp meadow, covered with willows and aromatic herbs which scent=
ed
the air, such as thyme, basil, savory, all the sweet-scented species of the
labiated plants, which the rabbits appeared to be particularly fond of.
On the reporter observing that since the table=
was
spread for the rabbits, it was strange that the rabbits themselves should be
wanting, the two sportsmen carefully explored the warren. At any rate, it p=
roduced
an abundance of useful plants, and a naturalist would have had a good
opportunity of studying many specimens of the vegetable kingdom. Herbert
gathered several shoots of the basil, rosemary, balm, betony, etc., which
possess different medicinal properties, some pectoral, astringent, febrifug=
e,
others anti-spasmodic, or anti-rheumatic. When, afterwards, Pencroft asked =
the
use of this collection of herbs,--
"For medicine," replied the lad,
"to treat us when we are ill."
"Why should we be ill, since there are no
doctors in the island?" asked Pencroft quite seriously.
There was no reply to be made to that, but the=
lad
went on with his collection all the same, and it was well received at Grani=
te
House. Besides these medicinal herbs, he added a plant known in North Ameri=
ca as
"Oswego tea," which made an excellent beverage.
At last, by searching thoroughly, the hunters
arrived at the real site of the warren. There the ground was perforated lik=
e a
sieve.
"Here are the burrows!" cried Herber=
t.
"Yes," replied the reporter, "s=
o I
see."
"But are they inhabited?"
"That is the question."
This was soon answered. Almost immediately,
hundreds of little animals, similar to rabbits, fled in every direction, wi=
th
such rapidity that even Top could not overtake them. Hunters and dog ran in
vain; these rodents escaped them easily. But the reporter resolved not to l=
eave
the place, until he had captured at least half-a-dozen of the quadrupeds. He
wished to stock their larder first, and domesticate those which they might =
take
later. It would not have been difficult to do this, with a few snares stret=
ched
at the openings of the burrows. But at this moment they had neither snares,=
nor
anything to make them of. They must, therefore, be satisfied with visiting =
each
hole, and rummaging in it with a stick, hoping by dint of patience to do wh=
at
could not be done in any other way.
At last, after half an hour, four rodents were
taken in their holes. They were similar to their European brethren, and are
commonly known by the name of American rabbits.
This produce of the chase was brought back to
Granite House, and figured at the evening repast. The tenants of the warren
were not at all to be despised, for they were delicious. It was a valuable
resource of the colony, and it appeared to be inexhaustible.
On the 31st of May the partitions were finishe=
d.
The rooms had now only to be furnished, and this would be work for the long
winter days. A chimney was established in the first room, which served as a
kitchen. The pipe destined to conduct the smoke outside gave some trouble t=
o these
amateur bricklayers. It appeared simplest to Harding to make it of brick cl=
ay;
as creating an outlet for it to the upper plateau was not to be thought of,=
a
hole was pierced in the granite above the window of the kitchen, and the pi=
pe
met it like that of an iron stove. Perhaps the winds which blew directly
against the facade would make the chimney smoke, but these winds were rare,=
and
besides, Master Neb, the cook, was not so very particular about that.
When these interior arrangements were finished,
the engineer occupied himself in blocking up the outlet by the lake, so as =
to
prevent any access by that way. Masses of rock were rolled to the entrance =
and strongly
cemented together. Cyrus Harding did not yet realize his plan of drowning t=
his
opening under the waters of the lake, by restoring them to their former lev=
el
by means of a dam. He contented himself with hiding the obstruction with gr=
ass
and shrubs, which were planted in the interstices of the rocks, and which n=
ext
spring would sprout thickly. However, he used the waterfall so as to lead a
small stream of fresh water to the new dwelling. A little trench, made below
their level, produced this result; and this derivation from a pure and
inexhaustible source yielded twenty-five or thirty gallons a day. There wou=
ld
never be any want of water at Granite House. At last all was finished, and =
it
was time, for the bad season was near. Thick shutters closed the windows of=
the
facade, until the engineer had time to make glass.
Gideon Spilett had very artistically arranged =
on
the rocky projections around the windows plants of different kinds, as well=
as
long streaming grass, so that the openings were picturesquely framed in gre=
en,
which had a pleasing effect.
The inhabitants of this solid, healthy, and se=
cure
dwelling, could not but be charmed with their work. The view from the windo=
ws
extended over a boundless horizon, which was closed by the two Mandible Cap=
es
on the north, and Claw Cape on the south. All Union Bay was spread before t=
hem.
Yes, our brave settlers had reason to be satisfied, and Pencroft was lavish=
in
his praise of what he humorously called, "his apartments on the fifth
floor above the ground!"
The winter season set in with the month of Jun=
e,
which corresponds with the month of December in the Northern Hemisphere. It
began with showers and squalls, which succeeded each other without
intermission. The tenants of Granite House could appreciate the advantages =
of a
dwelling which sheltered them from the inclement weather. The Chimneys would
have been quite insufficient to protect them against the rigor of winter, a=
nd it
was to be feared that the high tides would make another irruption. Cyrus
Harding had taken precautions against this contingency, so as to preserve as
much as possible the forge and furnace which were established there.
During the whole of the month of June the time=
was
employed in different occupations, which excluded neither hunting nor fishi=
ng,
the larder being, therefore, abundantly supplied. Pencroft, so soon as he h=
ad leisure,
proposed to set some traps, from which he expected great results. He soon m=
ade
some snares with creepers, by the aid of which the warren henceforth every =
day
furnished its quota of rodents. Neb employed nearly all his time in salting=
or smoking
meat, which insured their always having plenty of provisions. The question =
of
clothes was now seriously discussed, the settlers having no other garments =
than
those they wore when the balloon threw them on the island. These clothes we=
re warm
and good; they had taken great care of them as well as of their linen, and =
they
were perfectly whole, but they would soon need to be replaced. Moreover, if=
the
winter was severe, the settlers would suffer greatly from cold.
On this subject the ingenuity of Harding was at
fault. They must provide for their most pressing wants, settle their dwelli=
ng,
and lay in a store of food; thus the cold might come upon them before the
question of clothes had been settled. They must therefore make up their min=
ds
to pass this first winter without additional clothing. When the fine season=
came
round again, they would regularly hunt those musmons which had been seen on=
the
expedition to Mount Franklin, and the wool once collected, the engineer wou=
ld
know how to make it into strong warm stuff.... How? He would consider.
"Well, we are free to roast ourselves at
Granite House!" said Pencroft. "There are heaps of fuel, and no
reason for sparing it."
"Besides," added Gideon Spilett,
"Lincoln Island is not situated under a very high latitude, and probab=
ly
the winters here are not severe. Did you not say, Cyrus, that this thirty-f=
ifth
parallel corresponded to that of Spain in the other hemisphere?"
"Doubtless," replied the engineer,
"but some winters in Spain are very cold! No want of snow and ice; and
perhaps Lincoln Island is just as rigorously tried. However, it is an islan=
d,
and as such, I hope that the temperature will be more moderate."
"Why, captain?" asked Herbert.
"Because the sea, my boy, may be consider=
ed
as an immense reservoir, in which is stored the heat of the summer. When wi=
nter
comes, it restores this heat, which insures for the regions near the ocean a
medium temperature, less high in summer, but less low in winter."
"We shall prove that," replied Pencr=
oft.
"But I don't want to bother myself about whether it will be cold or no=
t.
One thing is certain, that is that the days are already short, and the even=
ings
long. Suppose we talk about the question of light."
"Nothing is easier," replied Harding=
.
"To talk about?" asked the sailor.
"To settle."
"And when shall we begin?"
"To-morrow, by having a seal hunt."<= o:p>
"To make candles?"
"Yes."
Such was the engineer's project; and it was qu=
ite
feasible, since he had lime and sulphuric acid, while the amphibians of the
islet would furnish the fat necessary for the manufacture.
They were now at the 4th of June. It was Whit
Sunday and they agreed to observe this feast. All work was suspended, and
prayers were offered to Heaven. But these prayers were now thanksgivings. T=
he
settlers in Lincoln Island were no longer the miserable castaways thrown on=
the
islet. They asked for nothing more--they gave thanks. The next day, the 5th=
of
June, in rather uncertain weather, they set out for the islet. They had to
profit by the low tide to cross the Channel, and it was agreed that they wo=
uld
construct, for this purpose, as well as they could, a boat which would rend=
er
communication so much easier, and would also permit them to ascend the Merc=
y,
at the time of their grand exploration of the southwest of the island, which
was put off till the first fine days.
The seals were numerous, and the hunters, armed
with their iron-tipped spears, easily killed half-a-dozen. Neb and Pencroft
skinned them, and only brought back to Granite House their fat and skin, th=
is
skin being intended for the manufacture of boots.
The result of the hunt was this: nearly three
hundred pounds of fat, all to be employed in the fabrication of candles.
The operation was extremely simple, and if it =
did
not yield absolutely perfect results, they were at least very useful. Cyrus
Harding would only have had at his disposal sulphuric acid, but by heating =
this
acid with the neutral fatty bodies he could separate the glycerine; then fr=
om this
new combination, he easily separated the olein, the margarin, and the stear=
in,
by employing boiling water. But to simplify the operation, he preferred to
saponify the fat by means of lime. By this he obtained a calcareous soap, e=
asy
to decompose by sulphuric acid, which precipitated the lime into the state =
of
sulphate, and liberated the fatty acids.
From these three acids-oleic, margaric, and
stearic-the first, being liquid, was driven out by a sufficient pressure. A=
s to
the two others, they formed the very substance of which the candles were to=
be
molded.
This operation did not last more than four and
twenty hours. The wicks, after several trials, were made of vegetable fiber=
s,
and dipped in the liquefied substance, they formed regular stearic candles,
molded by the hand, which only wanted whiteness and polish. They would not
doubtless have the advantages of the wicks which are impregnated with borac=
ic acid,
and which vitrify as they burn and are entirely consumed, but Cyrus Harding
having manufactured a beautiful pair of snuffers, these candles would be
greatly appreciated during the long evenings in Granite House.
During this month there was no want of work in=
the
interior of their new dwelling. The joiners had plenty to do. They improved
their tools, which were very rough, and added others also.
Scissors were made among other things, and the
settlers were at last able to cut their hair, and also to shave, or at least
trim their beards. Herbert had none, Neb but little, but their companions w=
ere bristling
in a way which justified the making of the said scissors.
The manufacture of a hand-saw cost infinite
trouble, but at last an instrument was obtained which, when vigorously hand=
led,
could divide the ligneous fibers of the wood. They then made tables, seats,
cupboards, to furnish the principal rooms, and bedsteads, of which all the
bedding consisted of grass mattresses. The kitchen, with its shelves, on wh=
ich rested
the cooking utensils, its brick stove, looked very well, and Neb worked away
there as earnestly as if he was in a chemist's laboratory.
But the joiners had soon to be replaced by
carpenters. In fact, the waterfall created by the explosion rendered the
construction of two bridges necessary, one on Prospect Heights, the other on
the shore. Now the plateau and the shore were transversely divided by a
watercourse, which had to be crossed to reach the northern part of the isla=
nd.
To avoid it the colonists had been obliged to make a considerable detour, by
climbing up to the source of the Red Creek. The simplest thing was to estab=
lish
on the plateau, and on the shore, two bridges from twenty to five and twenty
feet in length. All the carpenter's work that was needed was to clear some
trees of their branches: this was a business of some days. Directly the bri=
dges
were established, Neb and Pencroft profited by them to go to the oyster-bed
which had been discovered near the downs. They dragged with them a sort of
rough cart, which replaced the former inconvenient hurdle, and brought back
some thousands of oysters, which soon increased among the rocks and formed a
bed at the mouth of the Mercy. These molluscs were of excellent quality, and
the colonists consumed some daily.
It has been seen that Lincoln Island, although=
its
inhabitants had as yet only explored a small portion of it, already contrib=
uted
to almost all their wants. It was probable that if they hunted into its mos=
t secret
recesses, in all the wooded part between the Mercy and Reptile Point, they
would find new treasures.
The settlers in Lincoln Island had still one
privation. There was no want of meat, nor of vegetable products; those lign=
eous
roots which they had found, when subjected to fermentation, gave them an ac=
id
drink, which was preferable to cold water; they also made sugar, without ca=
nes or
beet-roots, by collecting the liquor which distils from the "acer sace=
harinum,"
a sort of maple-tree, which flourishes in all the temperate zones, and of w=
hich
the island possessed a great number; they made a very agreeable tea by
employing the herbs brought from the warren; lastly, they had an abundance =
of
salt, the only mineral which is used in food... but bread was wanting.
Perhaps in time the settlers could replace this
want by some equivalent, it was possible that they might find the sago or t=
he
breadfruit tree among the forests of the south, but they had not as yet met
with these precious trees. However, Providence came directly to their aid, =
in
an infinitesimal proportion it is true, but Cyrus Harding, with all his int=
elligence,
all his ingenuity, would never have been able to produce that which, by the
greatest chance, Herbert one day found in the lining of his waistcoat, whic=
h he
was occupied in setting to rights.
On this day, as it was raining in torrents, the
settlers were assembled in the great hall in Granite House, when the lad cr=
ied
out all at once,--
"Look here, captain--A grain of corn!&quo=
t;
And he showed his companions a grain--a single
grain--which from a hole in his pocket had got into the lining of his
waistcoat.
The presence of this grain was explained by the
fact that Herbert, when at Richmond, used to feed some pigeons, of which
Pencroft had made him a present.
"A grain of corn?" said the engineer
quickly.
"Yes, captain; but one, only one!"
"Well, my boy," said Pencroft, laugh=
ing,
"we're getting on capitally, upon my word! What shall we make with one
grain of corn?"
"We will make bread of it," replied
Cyrus Harding.
"Bread, cakes, tarts!" replied the
sailor. "Come, the bread that this grain of corn will make won't choke=
us
very soon!"
Herbert, not attaching much importance to his
discovery, was going to throw away the grain in question; but Harding took =
it,
examined it, found that it was in good condition, and looking the sailor fu=
ll
in the face--"Pencroft," he asked quietly, "do you know how =
many
ears one grain of corn can produce?"
"One, I suppose!" replied the sailor,
surprised at the question.
"Ten, Pencroft! And do you know how many
grains one ear bears?"
"No, upon my word."
"About eighty!" said Cyrus Harding.
"Then, if we plant this grain, at the first crop we shall reap eight
hundred grains which at the second will produce six hundred and forty thous=
and;
at the third, five hundred and twelve millions; at the fourth, more than fo=
ur
hundred thousands of millions! There is the proportion."
Harding's companions listened without answerin=
g.
These numbers astonished them. They were exact, however.
"Yes, my friends," continued the
engineer, "such are the arithmetical progressions of prolific nature; =
and
yet what is this multiplication of the grain of corn, of which the ear only
bears eight hundred grains, compared to the poppy-plant, which bears thirty=
-two
thousand seeds; to the tobacco-plant, which produces three hundred and sixty
thousand? In a few years, without the numerous causes of destruction, which
arrests their fecundity, these plants would overrun the earth."
But the engineer had not finished his lecture.=
"And now, Pencroft," he continued,
"do you know how many bushels four hundred thousand millions of grains
would make?"
"No," replied the sailor; "but =
what
I do know is, that I am nothing better than a fool!"
"Well, they would make more than three
millions, at a hundred and thirty thousand a bushel, Pencroft."
"Three millions!" cried Pencroft.
"Three millions."
"In four years?"
"In four years," replied Cyrus Hardi=
ng,
"and even in two years, if, as I hope, in this latitude we can obtain =
two
crops a year."
At that, according to his usual custom, Pencro=
ft
could not reply otherwise than by a tremendous hurrah.
"So, Herbert," added the engineer,
"you have made a discovery of great importance to us. Everything, my
friends, everything can serve us in the condition in which we are. Do not
forget that, I beg of you."
"No, captain, no, we shan't forget it,&qu=
ot;
replied Pencroft; "and if ever I find one of those tobacco-seeds, which
multiply by three hundred and sixty thousand, I assure you I won't throw it
away! And now, what must we do?"
"We must plant this grain," replied
Herbert.
"Yes," added Gideon Spilett, "a=
nd
with every possible care, for it bears in itself our future harvests."=
"Provided it grows!" cried the sailo=
r.
"It will grow," replied Cyrus Hardin=
g.
This was the 20th of June. The time was then
propitious for sowing this single precious grain of corn. It was first prop=
osed
to plant it in a pot, but upon reflection it was decided to leave it to nat=
ure,
and confide it to the earth. This was done that very day, and it is needles=
s to
add, that every precaution was taken that the experiment might succeed.
The weather having cleared, the settlers climb=
ed
the height above Granite House. There, on the plateau, they chose a spot, w=
ell
sheltered from the wind, and exposed to all the heat of the midday sun. The
place was cleared, carefully weeded, and searched for insects and worms; th=
en a
bed of good earth, improved with a little lime, was made; it was surrounded=
by
a railing; and the grain was buried in the damp earth.
Did it not seem as if the settlers were laying=
the
first stone of some edifice? It recalled to Pencroft the day on which he
lighted his only match, and all the anxiety of the operation. But this time=
the
thing was more serious. In fact, the castaways would have been always able =
to
procure fire, in some mode or other, but no human power could supply another
grain of corn, if unfortunately this should be lost!
From this time Pencroft did not let a single d=
ay
pass without going to visit what he gravely called his "corn-field.&qu=
ot;
And woe to the insects which dared to venture there! No mercy was shown the=
m.
Towards the end of the month of June, after
incessant rain, the weather became decidedly colder, and on the 29th a
Fahrenheit thermometer would certainly have announced only twenty degrees a=
bove
zero, that is considerably below the freezing-point. The next day, the 30th=
of
June, the day which corresponds to the 31st of December in the northern yea=
r, was
a Friday. Neb remarked that the year finished on a bad day, but Pencroft
replied that naturally the next would begin on a good one, which was better=
.
At any rate it commenced by very severe cold. =
Ice
accumulated at the mouth of the Mercy, and it was not long before the whole
expanse of the lake was frozen.
The settlers had frequently been obliged to re=
new
their store of wood. Pencroft also had wisely not waited till the river was
frozen, but had brought enormous rafts of wood to their destination. The
current was an indefatigable moving power, and it was employed in conveying=
the
floating wood to the moment when the frost enchained it. To the fuel which =
was
so abundantly supplied by the forest, they added several cartloads of coal,
which had to be brought from the foot of the spurs of Mount Franklin. The
powerful heat of the coal was greatly appreciated in the low temperature, w=
hich
on the 4th of July fell to eight degrees of Fahrenheit, that is, thirteen
degrees below zero. A second fireplace had been established in the dining-r=
oom,
where they all worked together at their different avocations. During this
period of cold, Cyrus Harding had great cause to congratulate himself on ha=
ving
brought to Granite House the little stream of water from Lake Grant. Taken
below the frozen surface, and conducted through the passage, it preserved i=
ts
fluidity, and arrived at an interior reservoir which had been hollowed out =
at
the back part of the storeroom, while the overflow ran through the well to =
the
sea.
About this time, the weather being extremely d=
ry,
the colonists, clothed as warmly as possible, resolved to devote a day to t=
he
exploration of that part of the island between the Mercy and Claw Cape. It =
was
a wide extent of marshy land, and they would probably find good sport, for =
water-birds
ought to swarm there.
They reckoned that it would be about eight or =
nine
miles to go there, and as much to return, so that the whole of the day woul=
d be
occupied. As an unknown part of the island was about to be explored, the wh=
ole colony
took part in the expedition. Accordingly, on the 5th of July, at six o'cloc=
k in
the morning, when day had scarcely broken, Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett,
Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft, armed with spears, snares, bows and arrows, and
provided with provisions, left Granite House, preceded by Top, who bounded
before them.
Their shortest way was to cross the Mercy on t=
he
ice, which then covered it.
"But," as the engineer justly observ=
ed,
"that could not take the place of a regular bridge!" So, the
construction of a regular bridge was noted in the list of future works.
It was the first time that the settlers had set
foot on the right bank of the Mercy, and ventured into the midst of those
gigantic and superb coniferae now sprinkled over with snow.
But they had not gone half a mile when from a
thicket a whole family of quadrupeds, who had made a home there, disturbed =
by
Top, rushed forth into the open country.
"Ah! I should say those are foxes!"
cried Herbert, when he saw the troop rapidly decamping.
They were foxes, but of a very large size, who
uttered a sort of barking, at which Top seemed to be very much astonished, =
for
he stopped short in the chase, and gave the swift animals time to disappear=
.
The dog had reason to be surprised, as he did =
not
know Natural History. But, by their barking, these foxes, with reddish-gray
hair, black tails terminating in a white tuft, had betrayed their origin. So
Herbert was able, without hesitating, to give them their real name of
"Arctic foxes." They are frequently met with in Chile, in the
Falkland Islands, and in all parts of America traversed by the thirtieth and
fortieth parallels. Herbert much regretted that Top had not been able to ca=
tch one
of these carnivora.
"Are they good to eat?" asked Pencro=
ft,
who only regarded the representatives of the fauna in the island from one
special point of view.
"No," replied Herbert; "but
zoologists have not yet found out if the eye of these foxes is diurnal or
nocturnal, or whether it is correct to class them in the genus dog, properl=
y so
called."
Harding could not help smiling on hearing the
lad's reflection, which showed a thoughtful mind. As to the sailor, from the
moment when he found that the foxes were not classed in the genus eatable, =
they
were nothing to him. However, when a poultry-yard was established at Granit=
e House,
he observed that it would be best to take some precautions against a probab=
le
visit from these four-legged plunderers, and no one disputed this.
After having turned the point, the settlers sa=
w a
long beach washed by the open sea. It was then eight o'clock in the morning.
The sky was very clear, as it often is after prolonged cold; but warmed by
their walk, neither Harding nor his companions felt the sharpness of the
atmosphere too severely. Besides there was no wind, which made it much more=
bearable.
A brilliant sun, but without any calorific action, was just issuing from the
ocean. The sea was as tranquil and blue as that of a Mediterranean gulf, wh=
en
the sky is clear. Claw Cape, bent in the form of a yataghan, tapered away
nearly four miles to the southeast. To the left the edge of the marsh was
abruptly ended by a little point. Certainly, in this part of Union Bay, whi=
ch
nothing sheltered from the open sea, not even a sandbank, ships beaten by t=
he
east winds would have found no shelter. They perceived by the tranquillity =
of
the sea, in which no shallows troubled the waters, by its uniform color, wh=
ich
was stained by no yellow shades, by the absence of even a reef, that the co=
ast
was steep and that the ocean there covered a deep abyss. Behind in the west,
but at a distance of four miles, rose the first trees of the forests of the=
Far
West. They might have believed themselves to be on the desolate coast of so=
me
island in the Antarctic regions which the ice had invaded. The colonists ha=
lted
at this place for breakfast. A fire of brushwood and dried seaweed was ligh=
ted,
and Neb prepared the breakfast of cold meat, to which he added some cups of
Oswego tea.
While eating they looked around them. This par=
t of
Lincoln Island was very sterile, and contrasted with all the western part. =
The
reporter was thus led to observe that if chance had thrown them at first on=
the
shore, they would have had but a deplorable idea of their future domain.
"I believe that we should not have been a=
ble
to reach it," replied the engineer, "for the sea is deep, and the=
re
is not a rock on which we could have taken refuge. Before Granite House, at
least, there were sandbanks, an islet, which multiplied our chances of safe=
ty.
Here, nothing but the depths!"
"It is singular enough," remarked
Spilett, "that this comparatively small island should present such var=
ied
ground. This diversity of aspect, logically only belongs to continents of a
certain extent. One would really say, that the western part of Lincoln Isla=
nd,
so rich and so fertile, is washed by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico,=
and
that its shores to the north and the southeast extend over a sort of Arctic=
sea."
"You are right, my dear Spilett,"
replied Cyrus Harding, "I have also observed this. I think the form and
also the nature of this island strange. It is a summary of all the aspects
which a continent presents, and I should not be surprised if it was a conti=
nent
formerly."
"What! a continent in the middle of the
Pacific?" cried Pencroft.
"Why not?" replied Cyrus Harding.
"Why should not Australia, New Ireland, Australasia, united to the
archipelagoes of the Pacific, have once formed a sixth part of the world, as
important as Europe or Asia, as Africa or the two Americas? To my mind, it =
is
quite possible that all these islands, emerging from this vast ocean, are b=
ut
the summits of a continent, now submerged, but which was above the waters a=
t a prehistoric
period."
"As the Atlantis was formerly," repl=
ied
Herbert.
"Yes, my boy... if, however, it
existed."
"And would Lincoln Island have been a par=
t of
that continent?" asked Pencroft.
"It is probable," replied Cyrus Hard=
ing,
"and that would sufficiently, explain the variety of productions which=
are
seen on its surface."
"And the great number of animals which st=
ill
inhabit it," added Herbert.
"Yes, my boy," replied the engineer,
"and you furnish me with an argument to support my theory. It is certa=
in,
after what we have seen, that animals are numerous in this island, and what=
is
more strange, that the species are extremely varied. There is a reason for
that, and to me it is that Lincoln Island may have formerly been a part of =
some
vast continent which had gradually sunk below the Pacific."
"Then, some fine day," said Pencroft,
who did not appear to be entirely convinced, "the rest of this ancient
continent may disappear in its turn, and there will be nothing between Amer=
ica
and Asia."
"Yes," replied Harding, "there =
will
be new continents which millions and millions of animalculae are building at
this moment."
"And what are these masons?" asked
Pencroft.
"Coral insects," replied Cyrus Hardi=
ng.
"By constant work they made the island of Clermont-Tonnerre, and numer=
ous
other coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. Forty-seven millions of these ins=
ects
are needed to weigh a grain, and yet, with the sea-salt they absorb, the so=
lid
elements of water which they assimilate, these animalculae produce limeston=
e,
and this limestone forms enormous submarine erections, of which the hardnes=
s and
solidity equal granite. Formerly, at the first periods of creation, nature
employing fire, heaved up the land, but now she entrusts to these microscop=
ic
creatures the task of replacing this agent, of which the dynamic power in t=
he
interior of the globe has evidently diminished--which is proved by the numb=
er
of volcanoes on the surface of the earth, now actually extinct. And I belie=
ve
that centuries succeeding to centuries, and insects to insects, this Pacific
may one day be changed into a vast continent, which new generations will
inhabit and civilize in their turn."
"That will take a long time," said
Pencroft.
"Nature has time for it," replied the
engineer.
"But what would be the use of new
continents?" asked Herbert. "It appears to me that the present ex=
tent
of habitable countries is sufficient for humanity. Yet nature does nothing
uselessly."
"Nothing uselessly, certainly," repl=
ied
the engineer, "but this is how the necessity of new continents for the
future, and exactly on the tropical zone occupied by the coral islands, may=
be
explained. At least to me this explanation appears plausible."
"We are listening, captain," said
Herbert.
"This is my idea: philosophers generally =
admit
that some day our globe will end, or rather that animal and vegetable life =
will
no longer be possible, because of the intense cold to which it will be
subjected. What they are not agreed upon, is the cause of this cold. Some t=
hink
that it will arise from the falling of the temperature, which the sun will
experience after millions of years; others, from the gradual extinction of =
the
fires in the interior of our globe, which have a greater influence on it th=
an
is generally supposed. I hold to this last hypothesis, grounding it on the =
fact
that the moon is really a cold star, which is no longer habitable, although=
the
sun continues to throw on its surface the same amount of heat. If, then, the
moon has become cold, it is because the interior fires to which, as do all =
the
stars of the stellar world, it owes its origin, are completely extinct. Las=
tly,
whatever may be the cause, our globe will become cold some day, but this co=
ld
will only operate gradually. What will happen, then? The temperate zones, a=
t a
more or less distant period, will not be more habitable than the polar regi=
ons
now are. Then the population of men, as well as the animals, will flow towa=
rds
the latitudes which are more directly under the solar influence. An immense
emigration will take place. Europe, Central Asia, North America, will gradu=
ally
be abandoned, as well as Australasia and the lower parts of South America. =
The
vegetation will follow the human emigration. The flora will retreat towards=
the
Equator at the same time as the fauna. The central parts of South America a=
nd Africa
will be the continents chiefly inhabited. The Laplanders and the Samoides w=
ill
find the climate of the polar regions on the shores of the Mediterranean. W=
ho
can say, that at this period, the equatorial regions will not be too small,=
to
contain and nourish terrestrial humanity? Now, may not provident nature, so=
as
to give refuge to all the vegetable and animal emigration, be at present la=
ying
the foundation of a new continent under the Equator, and may she not have e=
ntrusted
these insects with the construction of it? I have often thought of all thes=
e things,
my friends, and I seriously believe that the aspect of our globe will some =
day
be completely changed; that by the raising of new continents the sea will c=
over
the old, and that, in future ages, a Columbus will go to discover the islan=
ds
of Chimborazo, of the Himalayas, or of Mont Blanc, remains of a submerged
America, Asia, and Europe. Then these new continents will become, in their
turn, uninhabitable; heat will die away, as does the heat from a body when =
the
soul has left it; and life will disappear from the globe, if not for ever, =
at
least for a period. Perhaps then, our spheroid will rest--will be left to
death--to revive some day under superior conditions! But all that, my frien=
ds,
is the secret of the Author of all things; and beginning by the work of the
insects, I have perhaps let myself be carried too far, in investigating the
secrets of the future.
"My dear Cyrus," replied Spilett,
"these theories are prophecies to me, and they will be accomplished so=
me
day."
"That is the secret of God," said the
engineer.
"All that is well and good," then sa=
id
Pencroft, who had listened with all his might, "but will you tell me,
captain, if Lincoln Island has been made by your insects?"
"No," replied Harding; "it is o=
f a
purely volcanic origin."
"Then it will disappear some day?"
"That is probable."
"I hope we won't be here then."
"No, don't be uneasy, Pencroft; we shall =
not
be here then, as we have no wish to die here, and hope to get away some
time."
"In the meantime," replied Gideon
Spilett, "let us establish ourselves here as if forever. There is no u=
se
in doing things by halves."
This ended the conversation. Breakfast was
finished, the exploration was continued, and the settlers arrived at the bo=
rder
of the marshy region. It was a marsh of which the extent, to the rounded co=
ast
which terminated the island at the southeast, was about twenty square miles=
. The
soil was formed of clayey flint-earth, mingled with vegetable matter, such =
as
the remains of rushes, reeds, grass, etc. Here and there beds of grass, thi=
ck
as a carpet, covered it. In many places icy pools sparkled in the sun. Neit=
her
rain nor any river, increased by a sudden swelling, could supply these pond=
s. They
therefore naturally concluded that the marsh was fed by the infiltrations of
the soil and it was really so. It was also to be feared that during the heat
miasmas would arise, which might produce fevers.
Above the aquatic plants, on the surface of the
stagnant water, fluttered numbers of birds. Wild duck, teal, snipe lived th=
ere
in flocks, and those fearless birds allowed themselves to be easily approac=
hed.
One shot from a gun would certainly have broug=
ht
down some dozen of the birds, they were so close together. The explorers we=
re,
however, obliged to content themselves with bows and arrows. The result was
less, but the silent arrow had the advantage of not frightening the birds,
while the noise of firearms would have dispersed them to all parts of the
marsh. The hunters were satisfied, for this time, with a dozen ducks, which=
had
white bodies with a band of cinnamon, a green head, wings black, white, and
red, and flattened beak. Herbert called them tadorns. Top helped in the cap=
ture
of these birds, whose name was given to this marshy part of the island. The
settlers had here an abundant reserve of aquatic game. At some future time =
they
meant to explore it more carefully, and it was probable that some of the bi=
rds
there might be domesticated, or at least brought to the shores of the lake,=
so
that they would be more within their reach.
About five o'clock in the evening Cyrus Harding
and his companions retraced their steps to their dwelling by traversing
Tadorn's Fens, and crossed the Mercy on the ice-bridge.
At eight in the evening they all entered Grani=
te
House.
This intense cold lasted till the 15th of Augu=
st,
without, however, passing the degree of Fahrenheit already mentioned. When =
the
atmosphere was calm, the low temperature was easily borne, but when the wind
blew, the poor settlers, insufficiently clothed, felt it severely. Pencroft=
regretted
that Lincoln Island was not the home of a few families of bears rather than=
of
so many foxes and seals.
"Bears," said he, "are generally
very well dressed, and I ask no more than to borrow for the winter the warm
cloaks which they have on their backs."
"But," replied Neb, laughing,
"perhaps the bears would not consent to give you their cloaks, Pencrof=
t.
These beasts are not St. Martins."
"We would make them do it, Neb, we would =
make
them," replied Pencroft, in quite an authoritative tone.
But these formidable carnivora did not exist in
the island, or at any rate they had not yet shown themselves.
In the meanwhile, Herbert, Pencroft, and the r=
eporter
occupied themselves with making traps on Prospect Heights and at the border=
of the
forest.
According to the sailor, any animal, whatever =
it
was, would be a lawful prize, and the rodents or carnivora which might get =
into
the new snares would be well received at Granite House.
The traps were besides extremely simple; being
pits dug in the ground, a platform of branches and grass above, which conce=
aled
the opening, and at the bottom some bait, the scent of which would attract
animals. It must be mentioned also, that they had not been dug at random, b=
ut at
certain places where numerous footprints showed that quadrupeds frequented =
the
ground. They were visited every day, and at three different times, during t=
he
first days, specimens of those Antarctic foxes which they had already seen =
on
the right bank of the Mercy were found in them.
"Why, there are nothing but foxes in this
country!" cried Pencroft, when for the third time he drew one of the
animals out of the pit. Looking at it in great disgust, he added, "bea=
sts
which are good for nothing!"
"Yes," said Gideon Spilett, "th=
ey
are good for something!"
"And what is that?"
"To make bait to attract other
creatures!"
The reporter was right, and the traps were
henceforward baited with the foxes carcasses.
The sailor had also made snares from the long
tough fibers of a certain plant, and they were even more successful than the
traps. Rarely a day passed without some rabbits from the warren being caugh=
t.
It was always rabbit, but Neb knew how to vary his sauces and the settlers =
did
not think of complaining.
However, once or twice in the second week of
August, the traps supplied the hunters with other animals more useful than
foxes, namely, several of those small wild boars which had already been see=
n to
the north of the lake. Pencroft had no need to ask if these beasts were
eatable. He could see that by their resemblance to the pig of America and
Europe.
"But these are not pigs," said Herbe=
rt
to him, "I warn you of that, Pencroft."
"My boy," replied the sailor, bending
over the trap and drawing out one of these representatives of the family of=
sus
by the little appendage which served it as a tail. "Let me believe that
these are pigs."
"Why?"
"Because that pleases me!"
"Are you very fond of pig then, Pencroft?=
"
"I am very fond of pig," replied the
sailor, "particularly of its feet, and if it had eight instead of four=
, I
should like it twice as much!"
As to the animals in question, they were pecca=
ries
belonging to one of the four species which are included in the family, and =
they
were also of the species of Tajacu, recognizable by their deep color and the
absence of those long teeth with which the mouths of their congeners are ar=
med.
These peccaries generally live in herds, and it was probable that they abou=
nded
in the woody parts of the island.
At any rate, they were eatable from head to fo=
ot,
and Pencroft did not ask more from them.
Towards the 15th of August, the state of the
atmosphere was suddenly moderated by the wind shifting to the northwest. Th=
e temperature
rose some degrees, and the accumulated vapor in the air was not long in res=
olving
into snow. All the island was covered with a sheet of white, and showed its=
elf
to its inhabitants under a new aspect. The snow fell abundantly for several
days, and it soon reached a thickness of two feet.
The wind also blew with great violence, and at=
the
height of Granite House the sea could be heard thundering against the reefs=
. In
some places, the wind, eddying round the corners, formed the snow into tall=
whirling
columns, resembling those waterspouts which turn round on their base, and w=
hich
vessels attack with a shot from a gun. However, the storm, coming from the
northwest, blew across the island, and the position of Granite House preser=
ved
it from a direct attack.
But in the midst of this snow-storm, as terrib=
le
as if it had been produced in some polar country, neither Cyrus Harding nor=
his
companions could, notwithstanding their wish for it, venture forth, and the=
y remained
shut up for five days, from the 20th to the 25th of August. They could hear=
the
tempest raging in Jacamar Wood, which would surely suffer from it. Many of =
the
trees would no doubt be torn up by the roots, but Pencroft consoled himself=
by
thinking that he would not have the trouble of cutting them down.
"The wind is turning woodman, let it
alone," he repeated.
Besides, there was no way of stopping it, if t=
hey
had wished to do so.
How grateful the inhabitants of Granite House =
then
were to Heaven for having prepared for them this solid and immovable retrea=
t!
Cyrus Harding had also his legitimate share of thanks, but after all, it was
Nature who had hollowed out this vast cavern, and he had only discovered it=
. There
all were in safety, and the tempest could not reach them. If they had const=
ructed
a house of bricks and wood on Prospect Heights, it certainly would not have
resisted the fury of this storm. As to the Chimneys, it must have been
absolutely uninhabitable, for the sea, passing over the islet, would beat
furiously against it. But here, in Granite House, in the middle of a solid
mass, over which neither the sea nor air had any influence, there was nothi=
ng
to fear.
During these days of seclusion the settlers did
not remain inactive.
There was no want of wood, cut up into planks,=
in
the storeroom, and little by little they completed their furnishing;
constructing the most solid of tables and chairs, for material was not spar=
ed.
Neb and Pencroft were very proud of this rather heavy furniture, which they=
would
not have changed on any account.
Then the carpenters became basket-makers, and =
they
did not succeed badly in this new manufacture. At the point of the lake whi=
ch
projected to the north, they had discovered an osier-bed in which grew a la=
rge
number of purple osiers. Before the rainy season, Pencroft and Herbert had =
cut down
these useful shrubs, and their branches, well prepared, could now be
effectively employed. The first attempts were somewhat crude, but in
consequence of the cleverness and intelligence of the workmen, by consultin=
g,
and recalling the models which they had seen, and by emulating each other, =
the
possessions of the colony were soon increased by several baskets of differe=
nt
sizes. The storeroom was provided with them, and in special baskets Neb pla=
ced
his collection of rhizomes, stone-pine almonds, etc.
During the last week of the month of August the
weather moderated again. The temperature fell a little, and the tempest aba=
ted.
The colonists sallied out directly. There was certainly two feet of snow on=
the
shore, but they were able to walk without much difficulty on the hardened s=
urface.
Cyrus Harding and his companions climbed Prospect Heights.
What a change! The woods, which they had left
green, especially in the part at which the firs predominated, had disappear=
ed under
a uniform color. All was white, from the summit of Mount Franklin to the sh=
ore,
the forests, the plains, the lake, the river. The waters of the Mercy flowed
under a roof of ice, which, at each rising and ebbing of the tide, broke up
with loud crashes. Numerous birds fluttered over the frozen surface of the
lake. Ducks and snipe, teal and guillemots were assembled in thousands. The
rocks among which the cascade flowed were bristling with icicles. One might
have said that the water escaped by a monstrous gargoyle, shaped with all t=
he
imagination of an artist of the Renaissance. As to the damage caused by the
storm in the forest, that could not as yet be ascertained; they would have =
to
wait till the snowy covering was dissipated.
Gideon Spilett, Pencroft, and Herbert did not =
miss
this opportunity of going to visit their traps. They did not find them easi=
ly,
under the snow with which they were covered. They had also to be careful no=
t to
fall into one or other of them, which would have been both dangerous and hu=
miliating;
to be taken in their own snares! But happily they avoided this unpleasantne=
ss,
and found their traps perfectly intact. No animal had fallen into them, and=
yet
the footprints in the neighborhood were very numerous, among others, certain
very clear marks of claws. Herbert did not hesitate to affirm that some ani=
mal
of the feline species had passed there, which justified the engineer's opin=
ion
that dangerous beasts existed in Lincoln Island. These animals doubtless
generally lived in the forests of the Far West, but pressed by hunger, they=
had
ventured as far as Prospect Heights. Perhaps they had smelled out the inhab=
itants
of Granite House. "Now, what are these feline creatures?" asked
Pencroft. "They are tigers," replied Herbert. "I thought tho=
se beasts
were only found in hot countries?"
"On the new continent," replied the =
lad,
"they are found from Mexico to the Pampas of Buenos Aires. Now, as Lin=
coln
Island is nearly under the same latitude as the provinces of La Plata, it is
not surprising that tigers are to be met with in it."
"Well, we must look out for them,"
replied Pencroft.
However, the snow soon disappeared, quickly
dissolving under the influence of the rising temperature. Rain fell, and the
sheet of white soon vanished. Notwithstanding the bad weather, the settlers
renewed their stores of different things, stone-pine almonds, rhizomes, syr=
up from
the maple-tree, for the vegetable part; rabbits from the warren, agouties, =
and
kangaroos for the animal part. This necessitated several excursions into the
forest, and they found that a great number of trees had been blown down by =
the
last hurricane. Pencroft and Neb also pushed with the cart as far as the ve=
in
of coal, and brought back several tons of fuel. They saw in passing that the
pottery kiln had been severely damaged by the wind, at least six feet of it
having been blown off.
At the same time as the coal, the store of wood
was renewed at Granite House, and they profited by the current of the Mercy
having again become free, to float down several rafts. They could see that =
the
cold period was not ended.
A visit was also paid to the Chimneys, and the
settlers could not but congratulate themselves on not having been living th=
ere
during the hurricane. The sea had left unquestionable traces of its ravages=
. Sweeping
over the islet, it had furiously assailed the passages, half filling them w=
ith
sand, while thick beds of seaweed covered the rocks. While Neb, Herbert, and
Pencroft hunted or collected wood, Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett busied
themselves in putting the Chimneys to rights, and they found the forge and =
the
bellows almost unhurt, protected as they had been from the first by the hea=
ps
of sand.
The store of fuel had not been made uselessly.=
The
settlers had not done with the rigorous cold. It is known that, in the Nort=
hern
Hemisphere, the month of February is principally distinguished by rapid
fallings of the temperature. It is the same in the Southern Hemisphere, and=
the
end of the month of August, which is the February of North America, does no=
t escape
this climatic law.
About the 25th, after another change from snow=
to
rain, the wind shifted to the southeast, and the cold became, suddenly, very
severe. According to the engineer's calculation, the mercurial column of a
Fahrenheit thermometer would not have marked less than eight degrees below
zero, and this intense cold, rendered still more painful by a sharp gale, l=
asted
for several days. The colonists were again shut up in Granite House, and as=
it
was necessary to hermetically seal all the openings of the facade, only lea=
ving
a narrow passage for renewing the air, the consumption of candles was
considerable. To economize them, the cavern was often only lighted by the
blazing hearths, on which fuel was not spared. Several times, one or other =
of
the settlers descended to the beach in the midst of ice which the waves hea=
ped
up at each tide, but they soon climbed up again to Granite House, and it was
not without pain and difficulty that their hands could hold to the rounds of
the ladder. In consequence of the intense cold, their fingers felt as if bu=
rned
when they touched the rounds. To occupy the leisure hours, which the tenant=
s of
Granite House now had at their disposal, Cyrus Harding undertook an operati=
on
which could be performed indoors.
We know that the settlers had no other sugar at
their disposal than the liquid substance which they drew from the maple, by
making deep incisions in the tree. They contented themselves with collecting
this liquor in jars and employing it in this state for different culinary p=
urposes,
and the more so, as on growing old, this liquid began to become white and t=
o be
of a syrupy consistence.
But there was something better to be made of i=
t,
and one day Cyrus Harding announced that they were going to turn into refin=
ers.
"Refiners!" replied Pencroft. "=
That
is rather a warm trade, I think."
"Very warm," answered the engineer.<= o:p>
"Then it will be seasonable!" said t=
he
sailor.
This word refining need not awake in the mind thoughts of an elaborate manufactory with apparatus and numerous workmen. N= o! to crystallize this liquor, only an extremely easy operation is required. Placed on the fire in large earthen pots, it was simply subjected to evaporation, and soon a scum arose to its surface. As soon as this began to thicken, Neb carefully removed it with a wooden spatula; this accelerated t= he evaporation, and at the same time prevented it from contracting an empyreumatic flavor.<= o:p>
After boiling for several hours on a hot fire,
which did as much good to the operators as the substance operated upon, the
latter was transformed into a thick syrup. This syrup was poured into clay
molds, previously fabricated in the kitchen stove, and to which they had gi=
ven
various shapes. The next day this syrup had become cold, and formed cakes a=
nd
tablets. This was sugar of rather a reddish color, but nearly transparent a=
nd
of a delicious taste.
The cold continued to the middle of September,=
and
the prisoners in Granite House began to find their captivity rather tedious.
Nearly every day they attempted sorties which they could not prolong. They
constantly worked at the improvement of their dwelling. They talked while
working. Harding instructed his companions in many things, principally
explaining to them the practical applications of science. The colonists had=
no library
at their disposal; but the engineer was a book which was always at hand, al=
ways
open at the page which one wanted, a book which answered all their question=
s,
and which they often consulted. The time thus passed away pleasantly, these
brave men not appearing to have any fears for the future.
However, all were anxious to see, if not the f=
ine
season, at least the cessation of the insupportable cold. If only they had =
been
clothed in a way to meet it, how many excursions they would have attempted,
either to the downs or to Tadorn's Fens! Game would have been easily
approached, and the chase would certainly have been most productive. But Cy=
rus Harding
considered it of importance that no one should injure his health, for he had
need of all his hands, and his advice was followed.
But it must be said, that the one who was most
impatient of this imprisonment, after Pencroft perhaps, was Top. The faithf=
ul
dog found Granite House very narrow. He ran backwards and forwards from one=
room
to another, showing in his way how weary he was of being shut up. Harding o=
ften
remarked that when he approached the dark well which communicated with the =
sea,
and of which the orifice opened at the back of the storeroom, Top uttered
singular growlings. He ran round and round this hole, which had been covered
with a wooden lid. Sometimes even he tried to put his paws under the lid, a=
s if
he wished to raise it. He then yelped in a peculiar way, which showed at on=
ce
anger and uneasiness.
The engineer observed this maneuver several ti=
mes.
What could there be in this abyss to make such=
an
impression on the intelligent animal? The well led to the sea, that was
certain. Could narrow passages spread from it through the foundations of the
island? Did some marine monster come from time to time, to breathe at the
bottom of this well? The engineer did not know what to think, and could not=
refrain
from dreaming of many strange improbabilities. Accustomed to go far into the
regions of scientific reality, he would not allow himself to be drawn into =
the
regions of the strange and almost of the supernatural; but yet how to expla=
in
why Top, one of those sensible dogs who never waste their time in barking at
the moon, should persist in trying with scent and hearing to fathom this ab=
yss,
if there was nothing there to cause his uneasiness? Top's conduct puzzled C=
yrus
Harding even more than he cared to acknowledge to himself.
At all events, the engineer only communicated =
his
impressions to Gideon Spilett, for he thought it useless to explain to his
companions the suspicions which arose from what perhaps was only Top's fanc=
y.
At last the cold ceased. There had been rain,
squalls mingled with snow, hailstorms, gusts of wind, but these inclemencies
did not last. The ice melted, the snow disappeared; the shore, the plateau,=
the
banks of the Mercy, the forest, again became practicable. This return of sp=
ring
delighted the tenants of Granite House, and they soon only passed in it the
hours necessary for eating and sleeping.
They hunted much in the second part of Septemb=
er,
which led Pencroft to again entreat for the firearms, which he asserted had
been promised by Cyrus Harding. The latter, knowing well that without speci=
al
tools it would be nearly impossible for him to manufacture a gun which woul=
d be
of any use, still drew back and put off the operation to some future time,
observing in his usual dry way, that Herbert and Spilett had become very
skilful archers, so that many sorts of excellent animals, agouties, kangaro=
os,
capybaras, pigeons, bustards, wild ducks, snipes, in short, game both with =
fur
and feathers, fell victims to their arrows, and that, consequently, they co=
uld
wait. But the obstinate sailor would listen to nothing of this, and he would
give the engineer no peace till he promised to satisfy his desire. Gideon
Spilett, however, supported Pencroft.
"If, which may be doubted," said he,
"the island is inhabited by wild beasts, we must think how to fight wi=
th
and exterminate them. A time may come when this will be our first duty.&quo=
t;
But at this period, it was not the question of
firearms which occupied Harding, but that of clothes. Those which the settl=
ers
wore had passed this winter, but they would not last until next winter. Ski=
ns
of carnivora or the wool of ruminants must be procured at any price, and si=
nce
there were plenty of musmons, it was agreed to consult on the means of form=
ing
a flock which might be brought up for the use of the colony. An enclosure f=
or
the domestic animals, a poultry-yard for the birds, in a word to establish a
sort of farm in the island, such were the two important projects for the fi=
ne
season.
In consequence and in view of these future
establishments, it became of much importance that they should penetrate into
all the yet unknown parts of Lincoln Island, that is to say, through that t=
hick
forest which extended on the right bank of the Mercy, from its mouth to the
extremity of the Serpentine Peninsula, as well as on the whole of its weste=
rn side.
But this needed settled weather, and a month must pass before this explorat=
ion
could be profitably undertaken.
They therefore waited with some impatience, wh=
en
an incident occurred which increased the desire the settlers had to visit t=
he
whole of their domain.
It was the 24th of October. On this day, Pencr=
oft
had gone to visit his traps, which he always kept properly baited. In one of
them he found three animals which would be very welcome for the larder. They
were a female peccary and her two young ones.
Pencroft then returned to Granite House, encha=
nted
with his capture, and, as usual, he made a great show of his game.
"Come, we shall have a grand feast,
captain!" he exclaimed. "And you too, Mr. Spilett, you will eat
some!"
"I shall be very happy," replied the
reporter; "but what is it that I am going to eat?"
"Suckling-pig."
"Oh, indeed, suckling-pig, Pencroft? To h=
ear
you, I thought that you were bringing back a young partridge stuffed with
truffles!"
"What?" cried Pencroft. "Do you
mean to say that you turn up your nose at suckling-pig?'
"No," replied Gideon Spilett, without
showing any enthusiasm; "provided one doesn't eat too much."
"That's right, that's right," return=
ed
the sailor, who was not pleased whenever he heard his chase made light of.
"You like to make objections. Seven months ago, when we landed on the
island, you would have been only too glad to have met with such game!"=
"Well, well," replied the reporter,
"man is never perfect, nor contented."
"Now," said Pencroft, "I hope t=
hat
Neb will distinguish himself. Look here! These two little peccaries are not
more than three months old! They will be as tender as quails! Come along, N=
eb,
come! I will look after the cooking myself."
And the sailor, followed by Neb, entered the
kitchen, where they were soon absorbed in their culinary labors.
They were allowed to do it in their own way. N=
eb,
therefore, prepared a magnificent repast--the two little peccaries, kangaroo
soup, a smoked ham, stone-pine almonds, Oswego tea; in fact, all the best t=
hat
they had, but among all the dishes figured in the first rank the savory pec=
caries.
At five o'clock dinner was served in the
dining-room of Granite House. The kangaroo soup was smoking on the table. T=
hey
found it excellent.
To the soup succeeded the peccaries, which
Pencroft insisted on carving himself, and of which he served out monstrous
portions to each of the guests.
These suckling-pigs were really delicious, and
Pencroft was devouring his share with great gusto, when all at once a cry a=
nd
an oath escaped him.
"What's the matter?" asked Cyrus
Harding.
"The matter? the matter is that I have ju=
st
broken a tooth!" replied the sailor.
"What, are there pebbles in your
peccaries?" said Gideon Spilett.
"I suppose so," replied Pencroft,
drawing from his lips the object which had cost him a grinder--!
It was not a pebble--it was a leaden bullet.
It was now exactly seven months since the ball=
oon
voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island. During that time, notwithstandi=
ng
the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered. No smoke =
even
had betrayed the presence of man on the surface of the island. No vestiges =
of
his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man li=
ved
there. Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, =
but
the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited. A=
nd
now, all this scaffolding of reasonings fell before a simple ball of metal,
found in the body of an inoffensive rodent! In fact, this bullet must have
issued from a firearm, and who but a human being could have used such a wea=
pon?
When Pencroft had placed the bullet on the tab=
le,
his companions looked at it with intense astonishment. All the consequences
likely to result from this incident, notwithstanding its apparent
insignificance, immediately took possession of their minds. The sudden
apparition of a supernatural being could not have startled them more
completely.
Cyrus Harding did not hesitate to give utteran=
ce
to the suggestions which this fact, at once surprising and unexpected, could
not fail to raise in his mind. He took the bullet, turned it over and over,
rolled it between his finger and thumb; then, turning to Pencroft, he asked=
,--
"Are you sure that the peccary wounded by
this bullet was not more than three months old?"
"Not more, captain," replied Pencrof=
t.
"It was still sucking its mother when I found it in the trap."
"Well," said the engineer, "that
proves that within three months a gun-shot was fired in Lincoln Island.&quo=
t;
"And that a bullet," added Gideon
Spilett, "wounded, though not mortally, this little animal."
"That is unquestionable," said Cyrus
Harding, "and these are the deductions which must be drawn from this
incident: that the island was inhabited before our arrival, or that men hav=
e landed
here within three months. Did these men arrive here voluntarily or
involuntarily, by disembarking on the shore or by being wrecked? This point=
can
only be cleared up later. As to what they were, Europeans or Malays, enemie=
s or
friends of our race, we cannot possibly guess; and if they still inhabit the
island, or if they have left it, we know not. But these questions are of too
much importance to be allowed to remain long unsettled."
"No! a hundred times no! a thousand times
no!" cried the sailor, springing up from the table. "There are no
other men than ourselves on Lincoln Island! By my faith! The island isn't l=
arge
and if it had been inhabited, we should have seen some of the inhabitants l=
ong
before this!"
"In fact, the contrary would be very asto=
nishing,"
said Herbert.
"But it would be much more astonishing, I
should think," observed the reporter, "if this peccary had been b=
orn
with a bullet in its inside!"
"At least," said Neb seriously, &quo=
t;if
Pencroft has not had--"
"Look here, Neb," burst out Pencroft.
"Do you think I could have a bullet in my jaw for five or six months
without finding it out? Where could it be hidden?" he asked, opening h=
is
mouth to show the two-and-thirty teeth with which it was furnished. "L=
ook
well, Neb, and if you find one hollow tooth in this set, I will let you pull
out half a dozen!"
"Neb's supposition is certainly
inadmissible," replied Harding, who, notwithstanding the gravity of his
thoughts, could not restrain a smile. "It is certain that a gun has be=
en
fired in the island, within three months at most. But I am inclined to think
that the people who landed on this coast were only here a very short time a=
go,
or that they just touched here; for if, when we surveyed the island from the
summit of Mount Franklin, it had been inhabited, we should have seen them o=
r we
should have been seen ourselves. It is therefore, probable that within only=
a
few weeks castaways have been thrown by a storm on some part of the coast.
However that may be, it is of consequence to us to have this point
settled."
"I think that we should act with
caution," said the reporter.
"Such is my advice," replied Cyrus
Harding, "for it is to be feared that Malay pirates have landed on the
island!"
"Captain," asked the sailor, "w=
ould
it not be a good plan, before setting out, to build a canoe in which we cou=
ld
either ascend the river, or, if we liked, coast round the inland? It will n=
ot
do to be unprovided."
"Your idea is good, Pencroft," repli=
ed
the engineer, "but we cannot wait for that. It would take at least a m=
onth
to build a boat."
"Yes, a real boat," replied the sail=
or;
"but we do not want one for a sea voyage, and in five days at the most=
, I
will undertake to construct a canoe fit to navigate the Mercy."
"Five days," cried Neb, "to bui=
ld a
boat?"
"Yes, Neb; a boat in the Indian
fashion."
"Of wood?" asked the Negro, looking
still unconvinced.
"Of wood," replied Pencroft, "or
rather of bark. I repeat, captain, that in five days the work will be
finished!"
"In five days, then, be it," replied=
the
engineer.
"But till that time we must be very
watchful," said Herbert.
"Very watchful indeed, my friends,"
replied Harding; "and I beg you to confine your hunting excursions to =
the
neighborhood of Granite House."
The dinner ended less gaily than Pencroft had
hoped.
So, then, the island was, or had been, inhabit=
ed
by others than the settlers. Proved as it was by the incident of the bullet=
, it
was hereafter an unquestionable fact, and such a discovery could not but ca=
use
great uneasiness among the colonists.
Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett, before sleep=
ing,
conversed long about the matter. They asked themselves if by chance this
incident might not have some connection with the inexplicable way in which =
the
engineer had been saved, and the other peculiar circumstances which had str=
uck
them at different times. However, Cyrus Harding, after having discussed the=
pros
and cons of the question, ended by saying,--
"In short, would you like to know my opin=
ion,
my dear Spilett?"
"Yes, Cyrus."
"Well, then, it is this: however minutely=
we
explore the island, we shall find nothing."
The next day Pencroft set to work. He did not =
mean
to build a boat with boards and planking, but simply a flat-bottomed canoe,
which would be well suited for navigating the Mercy--above all, for approac=
hing
its source, where the water would naturally be shallow. Pieces of bark, fas=
tened
one to the other, would form a light boat; and in case of natural obstacles,
which would render a portage necessary, it would be easily carried. Pencroft
intended to secure the pieces of bark by means of nails, to insure the canoe
being water-tight.
It was first necessary to select the trees whi=
ch
would afford a strong and supple bark for the work. Now the last storm had
brought down a number of large birch-trees, the bark of which would be
perfectly suited for their purpose. Some of these trees lay on the ground, =
and
they had only to be barked, which was the most difficult thing of all, owin=
g to
the imperfect tools which the settlers possessed. However, they overcame all
difficulties.
While the sailor, seconded by the engineer, th=
us
occupied himself without losing an hour, Gideon Spilett and Herbert were not
idle.
They were made purveyors to the colony. The
reporter could not but admire the boy, who had acquired great skill in hand=
ling
the bow and spear. Herbert also showed great courage and much of that prese=
nce
of mind which may justly be called "the reasoning of bravery." Th=
ese
two companions of the chase, remembering Cyrus Harding's recommendations, d=
id
not go beyond a radius of two miles round Granite House; but the borders of=
the
forest furnished a sufficient tribute of agoutis, capybaras, kangaroos,
peccaries, etc.; and if the result from the traps was less than during the
cold, still the warren yielded its accustomed quota, which might have fed a=
ll
the colony in Lincoln Island.
Often during these excursions, Herbert talked =
with
Gideon Spilett on the incident of the bullet, and the deductions which the
engineer drew from it, and one day--it was the 26th of October--he
said--"But, Mr. Spilett, do you not think it very extraordinary that, =
if
any castaways have landed on the island, they have not yet shown themselves
near Granite House?"
"Very astonishing if they are still
here," replied the reporter, "but not astonishing at all if they =
are
here no longer!"
"So you think that these people have alre=
ady
quitted the island?" returned Herbert.
"It is more than probable, my boy; for if
their stay was prolonged, and above all, if they were still here, some acci=
dent
would have at last betrayed their presence."
"But if they were able to go away,"
observed the lad, "they could not have been castaways."
"No, Herbert; or, at least, they were what
might be called provisional castaways. It is very possible that a storm may
have driven them to the island without destroying their vessel, and that, t=
he
storm over, they went away again."
"I must acknowledge one thing," said
Herbert, "it is that Captain Harding appears rather to fear than desire
the presence of human beings on our island."
"In short," responded the reporter,
"there are only Malays who frequent these seas, and those fellows are
ruffians which it is best to avoid."
"It is not impossible, Mr. Spilett,"
said Herbert, "that some day or other we may find traces of their
landing."
"I do not say no, my boy. A deserted camp,
the ashes of a fire, would put us on the track, and this is what we will lo=
ok
for in our next expedition."
The day on which the hunters spoke thus, they =
were
in a part of the forest near the Mercy, remarkable for its beautiful trees.
There, among others, rose, to a height of nearly 200 feet above the ground,
some of those superb coniferae, to which, in New Zealand, the natives give =
the name
of Kauris.
"I have an idea, Mr. Spilett," said
Herbert. "If I were to climb to the top of one of these kauris, I could
survey the country for an immense distance round."
"The idea is good," replied the
reporter; "but could you climb to the top of those giants?"
"I can at least try," replied Herber=
t.
The light and active boy then sprang on the fi=
rst
branches, the arrangement of which made the ascent of the kauri easy, and i=
n a
few minutes he arrived at the summit, which emerged from the immense plain =
of
verdure.
From this elevated situation his gaze extended
over all the southern portion of the island, from Claw Cape on the southeas=
t,
to Reptile End on the southwest. To the northwest rose Mount Franklin, which
concealed a great part of the horizon.
But Herbert, from the height of his observator=
y, could
examine all the yet unknown portion of the island, which might have given
shelter to the strangers whose presence they suspected.
The lad looked attentively. There was nothing =
in
sight on the sea, not a sail, neither on the horizon nor near the island.
However, as the bank of trees hid the shore, it was possible that a vessel,
especially if deprived of her masts, might lie close to the land and thus be
invisible to Herbert.
Neither in the forests of the Far West was
anything to be seen. The wood formed an impenetrable screen, measuring seve=
ral
square miles, without a break or an opening. It was impossible even to foll=
ow
the course of the Mercy, or to ascertain in what part of the mountain it to=
ok
its source. Perhaps other creeks also ran towards the west, but they could =
not
be seen.
But at last, if all indication of an encampment
escaped Herbert's sight could he not even catch a glimpse of smoke, the
faintest trace of which would be easily discernible in the pure atmosphere?=
For an instant Herbert thought he could percei=
ve a
slight smoke in the west, but a more attentive examination showed that he w=
as
mistaken. He strained his eyes in every direction, and his sight was excell=
ent.
No, decidedly there was nothing there.
Herbert descended to the foot of the kauri, and
the two sportsmen returned to Granite House. There Cyrus Harding listened to
the lad's account, shook his head and said nothing. It was very evident tha=
t no
decided opinion could be pronounced on this question until after a complete
exploration of the island.
Two days after--the 28th of October--another
incident occurred, for which an explanation was again required.
While strolling along the shore about two miles
from Granite House, Herbert and Neb were fortunate enough to capture a magn=
ificent
specimen of the order of chelonia. It was a turtle of the species Midas, th=
e edible
green turtle, so called from the color both of its shell and fat.
Herbert caught sight of this turtle as it was
crawling among the rocks to reach the sea.
"Help, Neb, help!" he cried.
Neb ran up.
"What a fine animal!" said Neb;
"but how are we to catch it?"
"Nothing is easier, Neb," replied
Herbert. "We have only to turn the turtle on its back, and it cannot
possibly get away. Take your spear and do as I do."
The reptile, aware of danger, had retired betw=
een
its carapace and plastron. They no longer saw its head or feet, and it was
motionless as a rock.
Herbert and Neb then drove their sticks undern=
eath
the animal, and by their united efforts managed without difficulty to turn =
it
on its back. The turtle, which was three feet in length, would have weighed=
at
least four hundred pounds.
"Capital!" cried Neb; "this is
something which will rejoice friend Pencroft's heart."
In fact, the heart of friend Pencroft could not
fail to be rejoiced, for the flesh of the turtle, which feeds on wrack-gras=
s,
is extremely savory. At this moment the creature's head could be seen, which
was small, flat, but widened behind by the large temporal fossae hidden und=
er
the long roof.
"And now, what shall we do with our
prize?" said Neb. "We can't drag it to Granite House!"
"Leave it here, since it cannot turn
over," replied Herbert, "and we will come back with the cart to f=
etch
it."
"That is the best plan."
However, for greater precaution, Herbert took =
the
trouble, which Neb deemed superfluous, to wedge up the animal with great
stones; after which the two hunters returned to Granite House, following the
beach, which the tide had left uncovered. Herbert, wishing to surprise Penc=
roft,
said nothing about the "superb specimen of a chelonian" which they
had turned over on the sand; but, two hours later, he and Neb returned with=
the
cart to the place where they had left it. The "superb specimen of a
chelonian" was no longer there!
Neb and Herbert stared at each other first; th=
en
they stared about them. It was just at this spot that the turtle had been l=
eft.
The lad even found the stones which he had used, and therefore he was certa=
in
of not being mistaken.
"Well!" said Neb, "these beasts=
can
turn themselves over, then?''
"It appears so," replied Herbert, who
could not understand it at all, and was gazing at the stones scattered on t=
he
sand.
"Well, Pencroft will be disgusted!"<= o:p>
"And Captain Harding will perhaps be very
perplexed how to explain this disappearance," thought Herbert.
"Look here," said Neb, who wished to
hide his ill-luck, "we won't speak about it."
"On the contrary, Neb, we must speak about
it," replied Herbert.
And the two, taking the cart, which there was =
now
no use for, returned to Granite House.
Arrived at the dockyard, where the engineer and
the sailor were working together, Herbert recounted what had happened.
"Oh! the stupids!" cried the sailor,
"to have let at least fifty meals escape!"
"But, Pencroft," replied Neb, "=
it
wasn't our fault that the beast got away; as I tell you, we had turned it o=
ver
on its back!"
"Then you didn't turn it over enough!&quo=
t;
returned the obstinate sailor.
"Not enough!" cried Herbert.
And he told how he had taken care to wedge up =
the
turtle with stones.
"It is a miracle, then!" replied
Pencroft.
"I thought, captain," said Herbert,
"that turtles, once placed on their backs, could not regain their feet,
especially when they are of a large size?'
"That is true, my boy," replied Cyrus
Harding.
"Then how did it manage?"
"At what distance from the sea did you le=
ave
this turtle?" asked the engineer, who, having suspended his work, was
reflecting on this incident.
"Fifteen feet at the most," replied
Herbert.
"And the tide was low at the time?"<= o:p>
"Yes, captain."
"Well," replied the engineer, "=
what
the turtle could not do on the sand it might have been able to do in the wa=
ter.
It turned over when the tide overtook it, and then quietly returned to the =
deep
sea."
"Oh! what stupids we were!" cried Ne=
b.
"That is precisely what I had the honor of
telling you before!" returned the sailor.
Cyrus Harding had given this explanation, whic=
h,
no doubt, was admissible. But was he himself convinced of the accuracy of t=
his explanation?
It cannot be said that he was.
On the 9th of October the bark canoe was entir=
ely
finished. Pencroft had kept his promise, and a light boat, the shell of whi=
ch
was joined together by the flexible twigs of the crejimba, had been constru=
cted
in five days. A seat in the stern, a second seat in the middle to preserve =
the
equilibrium, a third seat in the bows, rowlocks for the two oars, a scull to
steer with, completed the little craft, which was twelve feet long, and did=
not
weigh more than two hundred pounds. The operation of launching it was extre=
mely
simple. The canoe was carried to the beach and laid on the sand before Gran=
ite
House, and the rising tide floated it. Pencroft, who leaped in directly,
maneuvered it with the scull and declared it to be just the thing for the
purpose to which they wished to put it.
"Hurrah!" cried the sailor, who did =
not
disdain to celebrate thus his own triumph. "With this we could go
round--"
"The world?" asked Gideon Spilett.
"No, the island. Some stones for ballast,=
a
mast and a sail, which the captain will make for us some day, and we shall =
go
splendidly! Well, captain--and you, Mr. Spilett; and you, Herbert; and you,
Neb--aren't you coming to try our new vessel? Come along! we must see if it
will carry all five of us!"
This was certainly a trial which ought to be m=
ade.
Pencroft soon brought the canoe to the shore by a narrow passage among the
rocks, and it was agreed that they should make a trial of the boat that day=
by
following the shore as far as the first point at which the rocks of the sou=
th ended.
As they embarked, Neb cried,--
"But your boat leaks rather, Pencroft.&qu=
ot;
"That's nothing, Neb," replied the
sailor; "the wood will get seasoned. In two days there won't be a sing=
le
leak, and our boat will have no more water in her than there is in the stom=
ach
of a drunkard. Jump in!"
They were soon all seated, and Pencroft shoved off. The weather was magnificent, the sea as calm as if its waters were contained within the narrow limits of a lake. Thus the boat could proceed w= ith as much security as if it was ascending the tranquil current of the Mercy.<= o:p>
Neb took one of the oars, Herbert the other, a=
nd
Pencroft remained in the stern in order to use the scull.
The sailor first crossed the channel, and stee=
red
close to the southern point of the islet. A light breeze blew from the sout=
h.
No roughness was found either in the channel or the green sea. A long swell,
which the canoe scarcely felt, as it was heavily laden, rolled regularly ov=
er
the surface of the water. They pulled out about half a mile distant from th=
e shore,
that they might have a good view of Mount Franklin.
Pencroft afterwards returned towards the mouth=
of
the river. The boat then skirted the shore, which, extending to the extreme
point, hid all Tadorn's Fens.
This point, of which the distance was increase=
d by
the irregularity of the coast, was nearly three miles from the Mercy. The
settlers resolved to go to its extremity, and only go beyond it as much as =
was
necessary to take a rapid survey of the coast as far as Claw Cape.
The canoe followed the windings of the shore,
avoiding the rocks which fringed it, and which the rising tide began to cov=
er.
The cliff gradually sloped away from the mouth of the river to the point. T=
his
was formed of granite rocks, capriciously distributed, very different from =
the
cliff at Prospect Heights, and of an extremely wild aspect. It might have b=
een
said that an immense cartload of rocks had been emptied out there. There wa=
s no
vegetation on this sharp promontory, which projected two miles from the for=
est,
and it thus represented a giant's arm stretched out from a leafy sleeve.
The canoe, impelled by the two oars, advanced
without difficulty. Gideon Spilett, pencil in one hand and notebook in the
other, sketched the coast in bold strokes. Neb, Herbert, and Pencroft chatt=
ed,
while examining this part of their domain, which was new to them, and, in p=
roportion
as the canoe proceeded towards the south, the two Mandible Capes appeared to
move, and surround Union Bay more closely.
As to Cyrus Harding, he did not speak; he simp=
ly
gazed, and by the mistrust which his look expressed, it appeared that he was
examining some strange country.
In the meantime, after a voyage of three-quart=
ers
of an hour, the canoe reached the extremity of the point, and Pencroft was
preparing to return, when Herbert, rising, pointed to a black object, sayin=
g,--
"What do I see down there on the beach?&q=
uot;
All eyes turned towards the point indicated.
"Why," said the reporter, "ther=
e is
something. It looks like part of a wreck half buried in the sand."
"Ah!" cried Pencroft, "I see wh=
at
it is!"
"What?" asked Neb.
"Barrels, barrels, which perhaps are
full," replied the sailor.
"Pull to the shore, Pencroft!" said
Cyrus.
A few strokes of the oar brought the canoe int=
o a
little creek, and its passengers leaped on shore.
Pencroft was not mistaken. Two barrels were th=
ere,
half buried in the sand, but still firmly attached to a large chest, which,
sustained by them, had floated to the moment when it stranded on the beach.=
"There has been a wreck, then, in some pa=
rt
of the island," said Herbert.
"Evidently," replied Spilett.
"But what's in this chest?" cried
Pencroft, with very natural impatience. "What's in this chest? It is s=
hut
up, and nothing to open it with! Well, perhaps a stone--"
And the sailor, raising a heavy block, was abo=
ut
to break in one of the sides of the chest, when the engineer arrested his h=
and.
"Pencroft," said he, "can you
restrain your impatience for one hour only?"
"But, captain, just think! Perhaps there =
is
everything we want in there!"
"We shall find that out, Pencroft,"
replied the engineer; "but trust to me, and do not break the chest, wh=
ich
may be useful to us. We must convey it to Granite House, where we can open =
it
easily, and without breaking it. It is quite prepared for a voyage; and sin=
ce
it has floated here, it may just as well float to the mouth of the river.&q=
uot;
"You are right, captain, and I was wrong,=
as
usual," replied the sailor.
The engineer's advice was good. In fact, the c=
anoe
probably would not have been able to contain the articles possibly enclosed=
in
the chest, which doubtless was heavy, since two empty barrels were required=
to
buoy it up. It was, therefore, much better to tow it to the beach at Granit=
e House.
And now, whence had this chest come? That was =
the
important question. Cyrus Harding and his companions looked attentively aro=
und
them, and examined the shore for several hundred steps. No other articles o=
r pieces
of wreck could be found. Herbert and Neb climbed a high rock to survey the =
sea,
but there was nothing in sight--neither a dismasted vessel nor a ship under
sail.
However, there was no doubt that there had bee=
n a
wreck. Perhaps this incident was connected with that of the bullet? Perhaps
strangers had landed on another part of the island? Perhaps they were still
there? But the thought which came naturally to the settlers was, that these=
strangers
could not be Malay pirates, for the chest was evidently of American or Euro=
pean
make.
All the party returned to the chest, which was=
of
an unusually large size. It was made of oak wood, very carefully closed and
covered with a thick hide, which was secured by copper nails. The two great
barrels, hermetically sealed, but which sounded hollow and empty, were fast=
ened
to its sides by strong ropes, knotted with a skill which Pencroft directly
pronounced sailors alone could exhibit. It appeared to be in a perfect stat=
e of
preservation, which was explained by the fact that it had stranded on a san=
dy
beach, and not among rocks. They had no doubt whatever, on examining it
carefully, that it had not been long in the water, and that its arrival on =
this
coast was recent. The water did not appear to have penetrated to the inside,
and the articles which it contained were no doubt uninjured.
It was evident that this chest had been thrown
overboard from some dismasted vessel driven towards the island, and that, in
the hope that it would reach the land, where they might afterwards find it,=
the
passengers had taken the precaution to buoy it up by means of this floating
apparatus.
"We will tow this chest to Granite
House," said the engineer, "where we can make an inventory of its
contents; then, if we discover any of the survivors from the supposed wreck=
, we
can return it to those to whom it belongs. If we find no one--"
"We will keep it for ourselves!" cri=
ed
Pencroft. "But what in the world can there be in it?"
The sea was already approaching the chest, and=
the
high tide would evidently float it. One of the ropes which fastened the bar=
rels
was partly unlashed and used as a cable to unite the floating apparatus wit=
h the
canoe. Pencroft and Neb then dug away the sand with their oars, so as to
facilitate the moving of the chest, towing which the boat soon began to dou=
ble
the point, to which the name of Flotsam Point was given.
The chest was heavy, and the barrels were scar=
cely
sufficient to keep it above water. The sailor also feared every instant tha=
t it
would get loose and sink to the bottom of the sea. But happily his fears we=
re
not realized, and an hour and a half after they set out--all that time had =
been
taken up in going a distance of three miles--the boat touched the beach bel=
ow
Granite House.
Canoe and chest were then hauled up on the san=
ds;
and as the tide was then going out, they were soon left high and dry. Neb,
hurrying home, brought back some tools with which to open the chest in such=
a
way that it might be injured as little as possible, and they proceeded to i=
ts inventory.
Pencroft did not try to hide that he was greatly excited.
The sailor began by detaching the two barrels,
which, being in good condition, would of course be of use. Then the locks w=
ere
forced with a cold chisel and hammer, and the lid thrown back. A second cas=
ing
of zinc lined the interior of the chest, which had been evidently arranged =
that
the articles which it enclosed might under any circumstances be sheltered f=
rom
damp.
"Oh!" cried Neb, "suppose it's =
jam!
"I hope not," replied the reporter.<= o:p>
"If only there was--" said the sailo=
r in
a low voice.
"What?" asked Neb, who overheard him=
.
"Nothing!"
The covering of zinc was torn off and thrown b=
ack
over the sides of the chest, and by degrees numerous articles of very varied
character were produced and strewn about on the sand. At each new object
Pencroft uttered fresh hurrahs, Herbert clapped his hands, and Neb danced up
and down. There were books which made Herbert wild with joy, and cooking ut=
ensils
which Neb covered with kisses!
In short, the colonists had reason to be extre=
mely
satisfied, for this chest contained tools, weapons, instruments, clothes,
books; and this is the exact list of them as stated in Gideon Spilett's
note-book: --Tools:--3 knives with several blades, 2 woodmen's axes, 2
carpenter's hatchets, 3 planes, 2 adzes, 1 twibil or mattock, 6 chisels, 2 =
files,
3 hammers, 3 gimlets, 2 augers, 10 bags of nails and screws, 3 saws of diff=
erent
sizes, 2 boxes of needles.
Weapons:--2 flint-lock guns, 2 for percussion
caps, 2 breach-loader carbines, 5 boarding cutlasses, 4 sabers, 2 barrels of
powder, each containing twenty-five pounds; 12 boxes of percussion caps.
Instruments:--1 sextant, 1 double opera-glass,=
1
telescope, 1 box of mathematical instruments, 1 mariner's compass, 1 Fahren=
heit
thermometer, 1 aneroid barometer, 1 box containing a photographic apparatus=
, object-glass,
plates, chemicals, etc.
Clothes:--2 dozen shirts of a peculiar material
resembling wool, but evidently of a vegetable origin; 3 dozen stockings of =
the
same material.
Utensils:--1 iron pot, 6 copper saucepans, 3 i=
ron
dishes, 10 metal plates, 2 kettles, 1 portable stove, 6 table-knives.
Books:--1 Bible, 1 atlas, 1 dictionary of the
different Polynesian idioms, 1 dictionary of natural science, in six volume=
s; 3
reams of white paper, 2 books with blank pages.
"It must be allowed," said the repor=
ter,
after the inventory had been made, "that the owner of this chest was a
practical man! Tools, weapons, instruments, clothes, utensils, books--nothi=
ng
is wanting! It might really be said that he expected to be wrecked, and had
prepared for it beforehand."
"Nothing is wanting, indeed," murmur=
ed
Cyrus Harding thoughtfully.
"And for a certainty," added Herbert,
"the vessel which carried this chest and its owner was not a Malay
pirate!"
"Unless," said Pencroft, "the o=
wner
had been taken prisoner by pirates--"
"That is not admissible," replied the
reporter. "It is more probable that an American or European vessel has
been driven into this quarter, and that her passengers, wishing to save
necessaries at least, prepared this chest and threw it overboard."
"Is that your opinion, captain?" ask=
ed
Herbert.
"Yes, my boy," replied the engineer,
"that may have been the case. It is possible that at the moment, or in
expectation of a wreck, they collected into this chest different articles of
the greatest use in hopes of finding it again on the coast--"
"Even the photographic box!" exclaim=
ed
the sailor incredulously.
"As to that apparatus," replied Hard=
ing,
"I do not quite see the use of it; and a more complete supply of cloth=
es
or more abundant ammunition would have been more valuable to us as well as =
to
any other castaways!"
"But isn't there any mark or direction on
these instruments, tools, or books, which would tell us something about
them?" asked Gideon Spilett.
That might be ascertained. Each article was
carefully examined, especially the books, instruments and weapons. Neither =
the
weapons nor the instruments, contrary to the usual custom, bore the name of=
the
maker; they were, besides, in a perfect state, and did not appear to have b=
een
used. The same peculiarity marked the tools and utensils; all were new, whi=
ch
proved that the articles had not been taken by chance and thrown into the
chest, but, on the contrary, that the choice of things had been well consid=
ered
and arranged with care. This was also indicated by the second case of metal
which had preserved them from damp, and which could not have been soldered =
in a
moment of haste.
As to the dictionaries of natural science and
Polynesian idioms, both were English; but they neither bore the name of the
publisher nor the date of publication.
The same with the Bible printed in English, in
quarto, remarkable from a typographic point of view, and which appeared to =
have
been often used.
The atlas was a magnificent work, comprising m=
aps
of every country in the world, and several planispheres arranged upon
Mercator's projection, and of which the nomenclature was in French--but whi=
ch
also bore neither date nor name of publisher.
There was nothing, therefore, on these differe=
nt
articles by which they could be traced, and nothing consequently of a natur=
e to
show the nationality of the vessel which must have recently passed these
shores.
But, wherever the chest might have come from, =
it
was a treasure to the settlers on Lincoln Island. Till then, by making use =
of
the productions of nature, they had created everything for themselves, and,
thanks to their intelligence, they had managed without difficulty. But did =
it
not appear as if Providence had wished to reward them by sending them these=
productions
of human industry? Their thanks rose unanimously to Heaven.
However, one of them was not quite satisfied: =
it
was Pencroft. It appeared that the chest did not contain something which he
evidently held in great esteem, for in proportion as they approached the bo=
ttom
of the box, his hurrahs diminished in heartiness, and, the inventory finish=
ed,
he was heard to mutter these words:--"That's all very fine, but you can
see that there is nothing for me in that box!"
This led Neb to say,--
"Why, friend Pencroft, what more do you
expect?"
"Half a pound of tobacco," replied
Pencroft seriously, "and nothing would have been wanting to complete my
happiness!"
No one could help laughing at this speech of t=
he
sailor's.
But the result of this discovery of the chest =
was,
that it was now more than ever necessary to explore the island thoroughly. =
It
was therefore agreed that the next morning at break of day, they should set
out, by ascending the Mercy so as to reach the western shore. If any castaw=
ays had
landed on the coast, it was to be feared they were without resources, and it
was therefore the more necessary to carry help to them without delay.
During the day the different articles were car=
ried
to Granite House, where they were methodically arranged in the great hall. =
This
day--the 29th of October--happened to be a Sunday, and, before going to bed=
, Herbert
asked the engineer if he would not read them something from the Gospel.
"Willingly," replied Cyrus Harding.<= o:p>
He took the sacred volume, and was about to op=
en
it, when Pencroft stopped him, saying,--"Captain, I am superstitious. =
Open
at random and read the first verse which, your eye falls upon. We will see =
if
it applies to our situation."
Cyrus Harding smiled at the sailor's idea, and,
yielding to his wish, he opened exactly at a place where the leaves were
separated by a marker.
Immediately his eyes were attracted by a cross which, made with a pencil, was placed against the eighth verse of the seven= th chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew. He read the verse, which was this:--<= o:p>
"For every one that asketh receiveth; and=
he
that seeketh findeth."
The next day, the 30th of October, all was rea=
dy
for the proposed exploring expedition, which recent events had rendered so
necessary. In fact, things had so come about that the settlers in Lincoln
Island no longer needed help for themselves, but were even able to carry it=
to others.
It was therefore agreed that they should ascend
the Mercy as far as the river was navigable. A great part of the distance w=
ould
thus be traversed without fatigue, and the explorers could transport their =
provisions
and arms to an advanced point in the west of the island.
It was necessary to think not only of the thin=
gs
which they should take with them, but also of those which they might have by
chance to bring back to Granite House. If there had been a wreck on the coa=
st,
as was supposed, there would be many things cast up, which would be lawfull=
y their
prizes. In the event of this, the cart would have been of more use than the
light canoe, but it was heavy and clumsy to drag, and therefore more diffic=
ult
to use; this led Pencroft to express his regret that the chest had not
contained, besides "his halfpound of tobacco," a pair of strong N=
ew
Jersey horses, which would have been very useful to the colony!
The provisions, which Neb had already packed u=
p,
consisted of a store of meat and of several gallons of beer, that is to say
enough to sustain them for three days, the time which Harding assigned for =
the
expedition. They hoped besides to supply themselves on the road, and Neb to=
ok
care not to forget the portable stove.
The only tools the settlers took were the two
woodmen's axes, which they could use to cut a path through the thick forest=
s,
as also the instruments, the telescope and pocket-compass.
For weapons they selected the two flint-lock g=
uns,
which were likely to be more useful to them than the percussion fowling-pie=
ces,
the first only requiring flints which could be easily replaced, and the lat=
ter needing
fulminating caps, a frequent use of which would soon exhaust their limited
stock. However, they took also one of the carbines and some cartridges. As =
to
the powder, of which there was about fifty pounds in the barrel, a small su=
pply
of it had to be taken, but the engineer hoped to manufacture an explosive
substance which would allow them to husband it. To the firearms were added =
the
five cutlasses well sheathed in leather, and, thus supplied, the settlers c=
ould
venture into the vast forest with some chance of success.
It is useless to add that Pencroft, Herbert, a=
nd
Neb, thus armed, were at the summit of their happiness, although Cyrus Hard=
ing
made them promise not to fire a shot unless it was necessary.
At six in the morning the canoe put off from t=
he
shore; all had embarked, including Top, and they proceeded to the mouth of =
the
Mercy.
The tide had begun to come up half an hour bef=
ore.
For several hours, therefore, there would be a current, which it was well to
profit by, for later the ebb would make it difficult to ascend the river. T=
he
tide was already strong, for in three days the moon would be full, and it w=
as enough
to keep the boat in the center of the current, where it floated swiftly alo=
ng
between the high banks without its being necessary to increase its speed by=
the
aid of the oars. In a few minutes the explorers arrived at the angle formed=
by
the Mercy and exactly at the place where, seven months before, Pencroft had
made his first raft of wood.
After this sudden angle the river widened and
flowed under the shade of great evergreen firs.
The aspect of the banks was magnificent. Cyrus
Harding and his companions could not but admire the lovely effects so easily
produced by nature with water and trees. As they advanced the forest elemen=
t diminished.
On the right bank of the river grew magnificent specimens of the ulmaceae
tribe, the precious elm, so valuable to builders, and which withstands well=
the
action of water. Then there were numerous groups belonging to the same fami=
ly,
among others one in particular, the fruit of which produces a very useful o=
il.
Further on, Herbert remarked the lardizabala, a twining shrub which, when
bruised in water, furnishes excellent cordage; and two or three ebony trees=
of
a beautiful black, crossed with capricious veins.
From time to time, in certain places where the
landing was easy, the canoe was stopped, when Gideon Spilett, Herbert, and
Pencroft, their guns in their hands, and preceded by Top, jumped on shore.
Without expecting game, some useful plant might be met with, and the young =
naturalist
was delighted with discovering a sort of wild spinach, belonging to the ord=
er
of chenopodiaceae, and numerous specimens of cruciferae, belonging to the
cabbage tribe, which it would certainly be possible to cultivate by
transplanting. There were cresses, horseradish, turnips, and lastly, little
branching hairy stalks, scarcely more than three feet high, which produced
brownish grains.
"Do you know what this plant is?" as=
ked
Herbert of the sailor.
"Tobacco!" cried Pencroft, who evide=
ntly
had never seen his favorite plant except in the bowl of his pipe.
"No, Pencroft," replied Herbert;
"this is not tobacco, it is mustard."
"Mustard be hanged!" returned the
sailor; "but if by chance you happen to come across a tobacco-plant, my
boy, pray don't scorn that!"
"We shall find it some day!" said Gi=
deon
Spilett.
"Well!" exclaimed Pencroft, "wh=
en
that day comes, I do not know what more will be wanting in our island!"=
;
These different plants, which had been careful=
ly
rooted up, were carried to the canoe, where Cyrus Harding had remained buri=
ed
in thought.
The reporter, Herbert, and Pencroft in this ma=
nner
frequently disembarked, sometimes on the right bank, sometimes on the left =
bank
of the Mercy.
The latter was less abrupt, but the former more
wooded. The engineer ascertained by consulting his pocket-compass that the
direction of the river from the first turn was obviously southwest and
northeast, and nearly straight for a length of about three miles. But it wa=
s to
be supposed that this direction changed beyond that point, and that the Mer=
cy
continued to the north-west, towards the spurs of Mount Franklin, among whi=
ch
the river rose.
During one of these excursions, Gideon Spilett
managed to get hold of two couples of living gallinaceae. They were birds w=
ith
long, thin beaks, lengthened necks, short wings, and without any appearance=
of a
tail. Herbert rightly gave them the name of tinamous, and it was resolved t=
hat
they should be the first tenants of their future poultry-yard.
But till then the guns had not spoken, and the
first report which awoke the echoes of the forest of the Far West was provo=
ked
by the appearance of a beautiful bird, resembling the kingfisher.
"I recognize him!" cried Pencroft, a=
nd
it seemed as if his gun went off by itself.
"What do you recognize?" asked the
reporter.
"The bird which escaped us on our first
excursion, and from which we gave the name to that part of the forest."=
;
"A jacamar!" cried Herbert.
It was indeed a jacamar, of which the plumage
shines with a metallic luster. A shot brought it to the ground, and Top car=
ried
it to the canoe. At the same time half a dozen lories were brought down. The
lory is of the size of a pigeon, the plumage dashed with green, part of the
wings crimson, and its crest bordered with white. To the young boy belonged=
the
honor of this shot, and he was proud enough of it. Lories are better food t=
han
the jacamar, the flesh of which is rather tough, but it was difficult to
persuade Pencroft that he had not killed the king of eatable birds. It was =
ten
o'clock in the morning when the canoe reached a second angle of the Mercy,
nearly five miles from its mouth. Here a halt was made for breakfast under =
the
shade of some splendid trees. The river still measured from sixty to seventy
feet in breadth, and its bed from five to six feet in depth. The engineer h=
ad
observed that it was increased by numerous affluents, but they were
unnavigable, being simply little streams. As to the forest, including Jacam=
ar
Wood, as well as the forests of the Far West, it extended as far as the eye=
could
reach. In no place, either in the depths of the forests or under the trees =
on
the banks of the Mercy, was the presence of man revealed. The explorers cou=
ld
not discover one suspicious trace. It was evident that the woodman's axe had
never touched these trees, that the pioneer's knife had never severed the
creepers hanging from one trunk to another in the midst of tangled brushwood
and long grass. If castaways had landed on the island, they could not have =
yet
quitted the shore, and it was not in the woods that the survivors of the
supposed shipwreck should be sought.
The engineer therefore manifested some impatie=
nce
to reach the western coast of Lincoln Island, which was at least five miles
distant according to his estimation.
The voyage was continued, and as the Mercy
appeared to flow not towards the shore, but rather towards Mount Franklin, =
it
was decided that they should use the boat as long as there was enough water
under its keel to float it. It was both fatigue spared and time gained, for=
they
would have been obliged to cut a path through the thick wood with their axe=
s. But
soon the flow completely failed them, either the tide was going down, and it
was about the hour, or it could no longer be felt at this distance from the
mouth of the Mercy. They had therefore to make use of the oars. Herbert and=
Neb
each took one, and Pencroft took the scull. The forest soon became less den=
se,
the trees grew further apart and often quite isolated. But the further they
were from each other the more magnificent they appeared, profiting, as they
did, by the free, pure air which circulated around them.
What splendid specimens of the flora of this
latitude! Certainly their presence would have been enough for a botanist to
name without hesitation the parallel which traversed Lincoln Island.
"Eucalypti!" cried Herbert.
They were, in fact, those splendid trees, the
giants of the extratropical zone, the congeners of the Australian and New
Zealand eucalyptus, both situated under the same latitude as Lincoln Island=
. Some
rose to a height of two hundred feet. Their trunks at the base measured twe=
nty
feet in circumference, and their bark was covered by a network of farrows
containing a red, sweet-smelling gum. Nothing is more wonderful or more
singular than those enormous specimens of the order of the myrtaceae, with
their leaves placed vertically and not horizontally, so that an edge and no=
t a
surface looks upwards, the effect being that the sun's rays penetrate more
freely among the trees.
The ground at the foot of the eucalypti was
carpeted with grass, and from the bushes escaped flights of little birds, w=
hich
glittered in the sunlight like winged rubies.
"These are something like trees!" cr=
ied
Neb; "but are they good for anything?"
"Pooh!" replied Pencroft. "Of c=
ourse
there are vegetable giants as well as human giants, and they are no good,
except to show themselves at fairs!"
"I think that you are mistaken,
Pencroft," replied Gideon Spilett, "and that the wood of the
eucalyptus has begun to be very advantageously employed in
cabinet-making."
"And I may add," said Herbert,
"that the eucalyptus belongs to a family which comprises many useful
members; the guava-tree, from whose fruit guava jelly is made; the clove-tr=
ee,
which produces the spice; the pomegranate-tree, which bears pomegranates; t=
he
Eugeacia Cauliflora, the fruit of which is used in making a tolerable wine;=
the
Ugui myrtle, which contains an excellent alcoholic liquor; the Caryophyllus
myrtle, of which the bark forms an esteemed cinnamon; the Eugenia Pimenta, =
from
whence comes Jamaica pepper; the common myrtle, from whose buds and berries
spice is sometimes made; the Eucalyptus manifera, which yields a sweet sort=
of
manna; the Guinea Eucalyptus, the sap of which is transformed into beer by
fermentation; in short, all those trees known under the name of gum-trees or
iron-bark trees in Australia, belong to this family of the myrtaceae, which
contains forty-six genera and thirteen hundred species!"
The lad was allowed to run on, and he delivered
his little botanical lecture with great animation. Cyrus Harding listened
smiling, and Pencroft with an indescribable feeling of pride.
"Very good, Herbert," replied Pencro=
ft,
"but I could swear that all those useful specimens you have just told =
us
about are none of them giants like these!"
"That is true, Pencroft."
"That supports what I said," returned
the sailor, "namely, that these giants are good for nothing!"
"There you are wrong, Pencroft," said
the engineer; "these gigantic eucalypti, which shelter us, are good for
something."
"And what is that?"
"To render the countries which they inhab=
it
healthy. Do you know what they are called in Australia and New Zealand?&quo=
t;
"No, captain."
"They are called 'fever trees.'"
"Because they give fevers?"
"No, because they prevent them!"
"Good. I must note that," said the
reporter.
"Note it then, my dear Spilett; for it
appears proved that the presence of the eucalyptus is enough to neutralize
miasmas. This natural antidote has been tried in certain countries in the m=
iddle
of Europe and the north of Africa where the soil was absolutely unhealthy, =
and
the sanitary condition of the inhabitants has been gradually ameliorated. N=
o more
intermittent fevers prevail in the regions now covered with forests of the
myrtaceae. This fact is now beyond doubt, and it is a happy circumstance fo=
r us
settlers in Lincoln Island."
"Ah! what an island! What a blessed
island!" cried Pencroft. "I tell you, it wants nothing--unless it
is--"
"That will come, Pencroft, that will be
found," replied the engineer; "but now we must continue our voyage
and push on as far as the river will carry our boat!"
The exploration was therefore continued for
another two miles in the midst of country covered with eucalypti, which
predominated in the woods of this portion of the island. The space which th=
ey
occupied extended as far as the eye could reach on each side of the Mercy,
which wound along between high green banks. The bed was often obstructed by
long weeds, and even by pointed rocks, which rendered the navigation very
difficult. The action of the oars was prevented, and Pencroft was obliged to
push with a pole. They found also that the water was becoming shallower and
shallower, and that the canoe must soon stop. The sun was already sinking
towards the horizon, and the trees threw long shadows on the ground. Cyrus
Harding, seeing that he could not hope to reach the western coast of the is=
land
in one journey, resolved to camp at the place where any further navigation =
was
prevented by want of water. He calculated that they were still five or six
miles from the coast, and this distance was too great for them to attempt
during the night in the midst of unknown woods.
The boat was pushed on through the forest, whi=
ch
gradually became thicker again, and appeared also to have more inhabitants;=
for
if the eyes of the sailor did not deceive him, he thought he saw bands of m=
onkeys
springing among the trees. Sometimes even two or three of these animals sto=
pped
at a little distance from the canoe and gazed at the settlers without
manifesting any terror, as if, seeing men for the first time, they had not =
yet
learned to fear them. It would have been easy to bring down one of these
quadramani with a gunshot, and Pencroft was greatly tempted to fire, but
Harding opposed so useless a massacre. This was prudent, for the monkeys, or
apes rather, appearing to be very powerful and extremely active, it was use=
less
to provoke an unnecessary aggression, and the creatures might, ignorant of =
the
power of the explorers' firearms, have attacked them. It is true that the
sailor considered the monkeys from a purely alimentary point of view, for t=
hose
animals which are herbivorous make very excellent game; but since they had =
an
abundant supply of provisions, it was a pity to waste their ammunition.
Towards four o'clock, the navigation of the Me=
rcy
became exceedingly difficult, for its course was obstructed by aquatic plan=
ts
and rocks. The banks rose higher and higher, and already they were approach=
ing
the spurs of Mount Franklin. The source could not be far off, since it was =
fed
by the water from the southern slopes of the mountain.
"In a quarter of an hour," said the
sailor, "we shall be obliged to stop, captain."
"Very well, we will stop, Pencroft, and we
will make our encampment for the night."
"At what distance are we from Granite
House?" asked Herbert.
"About seven miles," replied the
engineer, "taking into calculation, however, the detours of the river,
which has carried us to the northwest."
"Shall we go on?" asked the reporter=
.
"Yes, as long as we can," replied Cy=
rus
Harding. "To-morrow, at break of day, we will leave the canoe, and in =
two
hours I hope we shall cross the distance which separates us from the coast,=
and
then we shall have the whole day in which to explore the shore."
"Go ahead!" replied Pencroft.
But soon the boat grated on the stony bottom of
the river, which was now not more than twenty feet in breadth. The trees met
like a bower overhead, and caused a half-darkness. They also heard the nois=
e of
a waterfall, which showed that a few hundred feet up the river there was a =
natural
barrier.
Presently, after a sudden turn of the river, a
cascade appeared through the trees. The canoe again touched the bottom, and=
in
a few minutes it was moored to a trunk near the right bank.
It was nearly five o'clock. The last rays of t=
he
sun gleamed through the thick foliage and glanced on the little waterfall,
making the spray sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow. Beyond that, t=
he
Mercy was lost in the bushwood, where it was fed from some hidden source. T=
he different
streams which flowed into it increased it to a regular river further down, =
but
here it was simply a shallow, limpid brook.
It was agreed to camp here, as the place was
charming. The colonists disembarked, and a fire was soon lighted under a cl=
ump
of trees, among the branches of which Cyrus Harding and his companions coul=
d,
if it was necessary, take refuge for the night.
Supper was quickly devoured, for they were very
hungry, and then there was only sleeping to think of. But, as roarings of
rather a suspicious nature had been heard during the evening, a good fire w=
as
made up for the night, so as to protect the sleepers with its crackling fla=
mes.
Neb and Pencroft also watched by turns, and did not spare fuel. They though=
t they
saw the dark forms of some wild animals prowling round the camp among the
bushes, but the night passed without incident, and the next day, the 31st of
October, at five o'clock in the morning, all were on foot, ready for a star=
t.
It was six o' clock in the morning when the
settlers, after a hasty breakfast, set out to reach by the shortest way, the
western coast of the island. And how long would it take to do this? Cyrus
Harding had said two hours, but of course that depended on the nature of th=
e obstacles
they might meet with. As it was probable that they would have to cut a path
through the grass, shrubs, and creepers, they marched axe in hand, and with
guns also ready, wisely taking warning from the cries of the wild beasts he=
ard
in the night.
The exact position of the encampment could be
determined by the bearing of Mount Franklin, and as the volcano arose in the
north at a distance of less than three miles, they had only to go straight
towards the southwest to reach the western coast. They set out, having firs=
t carefully
secured the canoe. Pencroft and Neb carried sufficient provision for the li=
ttle
band for at least two days. It would not thus be necessary to hunt. The
engineer advised his companions to refrain from firing, that their presence
might not be betrayed to any one near the shore. The first hatchet blows we=
re
given among the brushwood in the midst of some mastic-trees, a little above=
the
cascade; and his compass in his hand, Cyrus Harding led the way.
The forest here was composed for the most part=
of
trees which had already been met with near the lake and on Prospect Heights.
There were deodars, Douglas firs, casuarinas, gum trees, eucalypti, hibiscu=
s, cedars,
and other trees, generally of a moderate size, for their number prevented t=
heir
growth.
Since their departure, the settlers had descen=
ded
the slopes which constituted the mountain system of the island, on to a dry
soil, but the luxuriant vegetation of which indicated it to be watered eith=
er
by some subterranean marsh or by some stream. However, Cyrus Harding did no=
t remember
having seen, at the time of his excursion to the crater, any other watercou=
rses
but the Red Creek and the Mercy.
During the first part of their excursion, they=
saw
numerous troops of monkeys who exhibited great astonishment at the sight of
men, whose appearance was so new to them. Gideon Spilett jokingly asked whe=
ther
these active and merry quadrupeds did not consider him and his companions as
degenerate brothers.
And certainly, pedestrians, hindered at each s=
tep
by bushes, caught by creepers, barred by trunks of trees, did not shine bes=
ide
those supple animals, who, bounding from branch to branch, were hindered by
nothing on their course. The monkeys were numerous, but happily they did no=
t manifest
any hostile disposition.
Several pigs, agoutis, kangaroos, and other
rodents were seen, also two or three koalas, at which Pencroft longed to ha=
ve a
shot.
"But," said he, "you may jump a=
nd
play just now; we shall have one or two words to say to you on our way
back!"
At half-past nine the way was suddenly found t=
o be
barred by an unknown stream, from thirty to forty feet broad, whose rapid
current dashed foaming over the numerous rocks which interrupted its course.
This creek was deep and clear, but it was absolutely unnavigable.
"We are cut off!" cried Neb.
"No," replied Herbert, "it is o=
nly
a stream, and we can easily swim over."
"What would be the use of that?"
returned Harding. "This creek evidently runs to the sea. Let us remain=
on
this side and follow the bank, and I shall be much astonished if it does not
lead us very quickly to the coast. Forward!"
"One minute," said the reporter.
"The name of this creek, my friends? Do not let us leave our geography
incomplete."
"All right!" said Pencroft.
"Name it, my boy," said the engineer,
addressing the lad.
"Will it not be better to wait until we h=
ave
explored it to its mouth?" answered Herbert.
"Very well," replied Cyrus Harding.
"Let us follow it as fast as we can without stopping."
"Still another minute!" said Pencrof=
t.
"What's the matter?" asked the repor=
ter.
"Though hunting is forbidden, fishing is
allowed, I suppose," said the sailor.
"We have no time to lose," replied t=
he
engineer.
"Oh! five minutes!" replied Pencroft,
"I only ask for five minutes to use in the interest of our
breakfast!"
And Pencroft, lying down on the bank, plunged =
his
arm into the water, and soon pulled up several dozen of fine crayfish from
among the stones.
"These will be good!" cried Neb, goi=
ng
to the sailor's aid.
"As I said, there is everything in this
island, except tobacco!" muttered Pencroft with a sigh.
The fishing did not take five minutes, for the
crayfish were swarming in the creek. A bag was filled with the crustaceae,
whose shells were of a cobalt blue. The settlers then pushed on.
They advanced more rapidly and easily along the
bank of the river than in the forest. From time to time they came upon the
traces of animals of a large size who had come to quench their thirst at the
stream, but none were actually seen, and it was evidently not in this part =
of
the forest that the peccary had received the bullet which had cost Pencroft=
a grinder.
In the meanwhile, considering the rapid curren=
t,
Harding was led to suppose that he and his companions were much farther from
the western coast than they had at first supposed. In fact, at this hour, t=
he
rising tide would have turned back the current of the creek, if its mouth h=
ad only
been a few miles distant. Now, this effect was not produced, and the water
pursued its natural course. The engineer was much astonished at this, and
frequently consulted his compass, to assure himself that some turn of the r=
iver
was not leading them again into the Far West.
However, the creek gradually widened and its
waters became less tumultuous. The trees on the right bank were as close
together as on the left bank, and it was impossible to distinguish anything
beyond them; but these masses of wood were evidently uninhabited, for Top d=
id
not bark, and the intelligent animal would not have failed to signal the pr=
esence
of any stranger in the neighborhood.
At half-past ten, to the great surprise of Cyr=
us
Harding, Herbert, who was a little in front, suddenly stopped and exclaimed=
,--
"The sea!"
In a few minutes more, the whole western shore=
of
the island lay extended before the eyes of the settlers.
But what a contrast between this and the easte=
rn
coast, upon which chance had first thrown them. No granite cliff, no rocks,=
not
even a sandy beach. The forest reached the shore, and the tall trees bendin=
g over
the water were beaten by the waves. It was not such a shore as is usually
formed by nature, either by extending a vast carpet of sand, or by grouping
masses of rock, but a beautiful border consisting of the most splendid tree=
s.
The bank was raised a little above the level of the sea, and on this luxuri=
ant
soil, supported by a granite base, the fine forest trees seemed to be as fi=
rmly
planted as in the interior of the island.
The colonists were then on the shore of an
unimportant little harbor, which would scarcely have contained even two or
three fishing-boats. It served as a neck to the new creek, of which the cur=
ious
thing was that its waters, instead of joining the sea by a gentle slope, fe=
ll
from a height of more than forty feet, which explained why the rising tide =
was not
felt up the stream. In fact, the tides of the Pacific, even at their maximum
elevation, could never reach the level of the river, and, doubtless, millio=
ns
of years would pass before the water would have worn away the granite and
hollowed a practicable mouth.
It was settled that the name of Falls River sh=
ould
be given to this stream. Beyond, towards the north, the forest border was
prolonged for a space of nearly two miles; then the trees became scarcer, a=
nd
beyond that again the picturesque heights described a nearly straight line,=
which
ran north and south. On the contrary, all the part of the shore between Fal=
ls
River and Reptile End was a mass of wood, magnificent trees, some straight,
others bent, so that the long sea-swell bathed their roots. Now, it was this
coast, that is, all the Serpentine Peninsula, that was to be explored, for =
this
part of the shore offered a refuge to castaways, which the other wild and
barren side must have refused.
The weather was fine and clear, and from a hei=
ght
of a hillock on which Neb and Pencroft had arranged breakfast, a wide view =
was
obtained. There was, however, not a sail in sight; nothing could be seen al=
ong
the shore as far as the eye could reach. But the engineer would take nothing
for granted until he had explored the coast to the very extremity of the Se=
rpentine
Peninsula.
Breakfast was soon despatched, and at half-past
eleven the captain gave the signal for departure. Instead of proceeding over
the summit of a cliff or along a sandy beach, the settlers were obliged to
remain under cover of the trees so that they might continue on the shore.
The distance which separated Falls River from
Reptile End was about twelve miles. It would have taken the settlers four h=
ours
to do this, on a clear ground and without hurrying themselves; but as it was
they needed double the time, for what with trees to go round, bushes to cut=
down,
and creepers to chop away, they were impeded at every step, these obstacles
greatly lengthening their journey.
There was, however, nothing to show that a
shipwreck had taken place recently. It is true that, as Gideon Spilett
observed, any remains of it might have drifted out to sea, and they must not
take it for granted that because they could find no traces of it, a ship had
not been castaway on the coast.
The reporter's argument was just, and besides,=
the
incident of the bullet proved that a shot must have been fired in Lincoln
Island within three months.
It was already five o'clock, and there were st=
ill
two miles between the settlers and the extremity of the Serpentine Peninsul=
a.
It was evident that after having reached Reptile End, Harding and his
companions would not have time to return before dark to their encampment ne=
ar
the source of the Mercy. It would therefore be necessary to pass the night =
on
the promontory. But they had no lack of provisions, which was lucky, for th=
ere
were no animals on the shore, though birds, on the contrary, abound--jacama=
rs,
couroucous, tragopans, grouse, lories, parrots, cockatoos, pheasants, pigeo=
ns,
and a hundred others. There was not a tree without a nest, and not a nest w=
hich
was not full of flapping wings.
Towards seven o'clock the weary explorers arri=
ved
at Reptile End. Here the seaside forest ended, and the shore resumed the
customary appearance of a coast, with rocks, reefs, and sands. It was possi=
ble
that something might be found here, but darkness came on, and the further
exploration had to be put off to the next day.
Pencroft and Herbert hastened on to find a sui=
table
place for their camp. Among the last trees of the forest of the Far West, t=
he
boy found several thick clumps of bamboos.
"Good," said he; "this is a
valuable discovery."
"Valuable?" returned Pencroft.
"Certainly," replied Herbert. "I
may say, Pencroft, that the bark of the bamboo, cut into flexible laths, is
used for making baskets; that this bark, mashed into a paste, is used for t=
he
manufacture of Chinese paper; that the stalks furnish, according to their s=
ize,
canes and pipes and are used for conducting water; that large bamboos make
excellent material for building, being light and strong, and being never
attacked by insects. I will add that by sawing the bamboo in two at the joi=
nt, keeping
for the bottom the part of the transverse film which forms the joint, useful
cups are obtained, which are much in use among the Chinese. No! you don't c=
are
for that. But--"
"But what?"
"But I can tell you, if you are ignorant =
of
it, that in India these bamboos are eaten like asparagus."
"Asparagus thirty feet high!" exclai=
med
the sailor. "And are they good?"
"Excellent," replied Herbert. "=
Only
it is not the stems of thirty feet high which are eaten, but the young
shoots."
"Perfect, my boy, perfect!" replied
Pencroft.
"I will also add that the pith of the you=
ng
stalks, preserved in vinegar, makes a good pickle."
"Better and better, Herbert!"
"And lastly, that the bamboos exude a swe=
et
liquor which can be made into a very agreeable drink."
"Is that all?" asked the sailor.
"That is all!"
"And they don't happen to do for
smoking?"
"No, my poor Pencroft."
Herbert and the sailor had not to look long fo=
r a
place in which to pass the night. The rocks, which must have been violently
beaten by the sea under the influence of the winds of the southwest, presen=
ted
many cavities in which shelter could be found against the night air. But ju=
st as
they were about to enter one of these caves a loud roaring arrested them.
"Back!" cried Pencroft. "Our gu=
ns
are only loaded with small shot, and beasts which can roar as loud as that
would care no more for it than for grains of salt!" And the sailor,
seizing Herbert by the arm, dragged him behind a rock, just as a magnificent
animal showed itself at the entrance of the cavern.
It was a jaguar of a size at least equal to its
Asiatic congeners, that is to say, it measured five feet from the extremity=
of
its head to the beginning of its tail. The yellow color of its hair was
relieved by streaks and regular oblong spots of black, which contrasted with
the white of its chest. Herbert recognized it as the ferocious rival of the
tiger, as formidable as the puma, which is the rival of the largest wolf!
The jaguar advanced and gazed around him with
blazing eyes, his hair bristling as if this was not the first time he had
scented men.
At this moment the reporter appeared round a r=
ock,
and Herbert, thinking that he had not seen the jaguar, was about to rush
towards him, when Gideon Spilett signed to him to remain where he was. This=
was
not his first tiger, and advancing to within ten feet of the animal he rema=
ined
motionless, his gun to his shoulder, without moving a muscle. The jaguar co=
llected
itself for a spring, but at that moment a shot struck it in the eyes, and it
fell dead.
Herbert and Pencroft rushed towards the jaguar.
Neb and Harding also ran up, and they remained for some instants contemplat=
ing
the animal as it lay stretched on the ground, thinking that its magnificent
skin would be a great ornament to the hall at Granite House.
"Oh, Mr. Spilett, how I admire and envy y=
ou!"
cried Herbert, in a fit of very natural enthusiasm.
"Well, my boy," replied the reporter,
"you could have done the same."
"I! with such coolness!--"
"Imagine to yourself, Herbert, that the
jaguar is only a hare, and you would fire as quietly as possible."
"That is," rejoined Pencroft, "=
that
it is not more dangerous than a hare!"
"And now," said Gideon Spilett,
"since the jaguar has left its abode, I do not see, my friends, why we
should not take possession of it for the night."
"But others may come," said Pencroft=
.
"It will be enough to light a fire at the
entrance of the cavern," said the reporter, "and no wild beasts w=
ill
dare to cross the threshold."
"Into the jaguar's house, then!" rep=
lied
the sailor, dragging after him the body of the animal.
While Neb skinned the jaguar, his companions
collected an abundant supply of dry wood from the forest, which they heaped=
up
at the cave.
Cyrus Harding, seeing the clump of bamboos, cu=
t a
quantity, which he mingled with the other fuel.
This done, they entered the grotto, of which t=
he
floor was strewn with bones, the guns were carefully loaded, in case of a
sudden attack, they had supper, and then just before they lay down to rest,=
the
heap of wood piled at the entrance was set fire to. Immediately, a regular
explosion, or rather a series of reports, broke the silence! The noise was
caused by the bamboos, which, as the flames reached them, exploded like fir=
eworks.
The noise was enough to terrify even the boldest of wild beasts.
It was not the engineer who had invented this =
way
of causing loud explosions, for, according to Marco Polo, the Tartars have
employed it for many centuries to drive away from their encampments the
formidable wild beasts of Central Asia.
Cyrus Harding and his companions slept like
innocent marmots in the cave which the jaguar had so politely left at their
disposal.
At sunrise all were on the shore at the extrem=
ity
of the promontory, and their gaze was directed towards the horizon, of which
two-thirds of the circumference were visible. For the last time the engineer
could ascertain that not a sail nor the wreck of a ship was on the sea, and=
even
with the telescope nothing suspicious could be discovered.
There was nothing either on the shore, at leas=
t,
in the straight line of three miles which formed the south side of the
promontory, for beyond that, rising ground had the rest of the coast, and e=
ven
from the extremity of the Serpentine Peninsula Claw Cape could not be seen.=
The southern coast of the island still remaine=
d to
be explored. Now should they undertake it immediately, and devote this day =
to
it?
This was not included in their first plan. In
fact, when the boat was abandoned at the sources of the Mercy, it had been
agreed that after having surveyed the west coast, they should go back to it,
and return to Granite House by the Mercy. Harding then thought that the wes=
tern
coast would have offered refuge, either to a ship in distress, or to a vess=
el in
her regular course; but now, as he saw that this coast presented no good
anchorage, he wished to seek on the south what they had not been able to fi=
nd
on the west.
Gideon Spilett proposed to continue the
exploration, that the question of the supposed wreck might be completely
settled, and he asked at what distance Claw Cape might be from the extremit=
y of
the peninsula.
"About thirty miles," replied the
engineer, "if we take into consideration the curvings of the coast.&qu=
ot;
"=
;Thirty
miles!" returned Spilett. "That would be a long day's march. Neve=
rtheless,
I think that we should return to Granite House by the south coast."
"But," observed Herbert, "from =
Claw
Cape to Granite House there must be at least another ten miles.
"Make it forty miles in all," replied
the engineer, "and do not hesitate to do it. At least we should survey=
the
unknown shore, and then we shall not have to begin the exploration again.&q=
uot;
"Very good," said Pencroft. "But
the boat?"
"The boat has remained by itself for one =
day
at the sources of the Mercy," replied Gideon Spilett; "it may jus=
t as
well stay there two days! As yet, we have had no reason to think that the
island is infested by thieves!"
"Yet," said the sailor, "when I remember the history of the turtle, I am far from confident of that."<= o:p>
"The turtle! the turtle!" replied the
reporter. "Don't you know that the sea turned it over?"
"Who knows?" murmured the engineer.<= o:p>
"But,--" said Neb.
Neb had evidently something to say, for he ope=
ned
his mouth to speak and yet said nothing.
"What do you want to say, Neb?" asked
the engineer.
"If we return by the shore to Claw
Cape," replied Neb, "after having doubled the Cape, we shall be
stopped--"
"By the Mercy! of course," replied
Herbert, "and we shall have neither bridge nor boat by which to
cross."
"But, captain," added Pencroft,
"with a few floating trunks we shall have no difficulty in crossing the
river."
"Never mind," said Spilett, "it
will be useful to construct a bridge if we wish to have an easy access to t=
he
Far West!"
"A bridge!" cried Pencroft. "We=
ll,
is not the captain the best engineer in his profession? He will make us a
bridge when we want one. As to transporting you this evening to the other s=
ide
of the Mercy, and that without wetting one thread of your clothes, I will t=
ake
care of that. We have provisions for another day, and besides we can get pl=
enty
of game. Forward!"
The reporter's proposal, so strongly seconded =
by
the sailor, received general approbation, for each wished to have their dou=
bts
set at rest, and by returning by Claw Cape the exploration would be ended. =
But
there was not an hour to lose, for forty miles was a long march, and they c=
ould
not hope to reach Granite House before night.
At six o'clock in the morning the little band =
set
out. As a precaution the guns were loaded with ball, and Top, who led the v=
an,
received orders to beat about the edge of the forest.
From the extremity of the promontory which for=
med
the tail of the peninsula the coast was rounded for a distance of five mile=
s,
which was rapidly passed over, without even the most minute investigations =
bringing
to light the least trace of any old or recent landings; no debris, no mark =
of
an encampment, no cinders of a fire, nor even a footprint!
From the point of the peninsula on which the
settlers now were their gaze could extend along the southwest. Twenty-five =
miles
off the coast terminated in the Claw Cape, which loomed dimly through the
morning mists, and which, by the phenomenon of the mirage, appeared as if s=
uspended
between land and water.
Between the place occupied by the colonists and
the other side of the immense bay, the shore was composed, first, of a trac=
t of
low land, bordered in the background by trees; then the shore became more i=
rregular,
projecting sharp points into the sea, and finally ended in the black rocks
which, accumulated in picturesque disorder, formed Claw Cape.
Such was the development of this part of the
island, which the settlers took in at a glance, while stopping for an insta=
nt.
"If a vessel ran in here," said
Pencroft, "she would certainly be lost. Sandbanks and reefs everywhere!
Bad quarters!"
"But at least something would be left of =
the
ship," observed the reporter.
"There might be pieces of wood on the roc=
ks,
but nothing on the sands," replied the sailor.
"Why?"
"Because the sands are still more dangero=
us
than the rocks, for they swallow up everything that is thrown on them. In a=
few
days the hull of a ship of several hundred tons would disappear entirely in
there!"
"So, Pencroft," asked the engineer,
"if a ship has been wrecked on these banks, is it not astonishing that=
there
is now no trace of her remaining?"
"No, captain, with the aid of time and
tempest. However, it would be surprising, even in this case, that some of t=
he
masts or spars should not have been thrown on the beach, out of reach of the
waves."
"Let us go on with our search, then,"
returned Cyrus Harding.
At one o'clock the colonists arrived at the ot=
her
side of Washington Bay, they having now gone a distance of twenty miles.
They then halted for breakfast.
Here began the irregular coast, covered with l=
ines
of rocks and sandbanks. The long sea-swell could be seen breaking over the
rocks in the bay, forming a foamy fringe. From this point to Claw Cape the
beach was very narrow between the edge of the forest and the reefs.
Walking was now more difficult, on account of =
the
numerous rocks which encumbered the beach. The granite cliff also gradually
increased in height, and only the green tops of the trees which crowned it
could be seen.
After half an hour's rest, the settlers resumed
their journey, and not a spot among the rocks was left unexamined. Pencroft=
and
Neb even rushed into the surf whenever any object attracted their attention.
But they found nothing, some curious formations of the rocks having deceive=
d them.
They ascertained, however, that eatable shellfish abounded there, but these
could not be of any great advantage to them until some easy means of
communication had been established between the two banks of the Mercy, and
until the means of transport had been perfected.
Nothing therefore which threw any light on the
supposed wreck could be found on this shore, yet an object of any importanc=
e,
such as the hull of a ship, would have been seen directly, or any of her ma=
sts
and spars would have been washed on shore, just as the chest had been, which
was found twenty miles from here. But there was nothing.
Towards three o'clock Harding and his companio=
ns
arrived at a snug little creek. It formed quite a natural harbor, invisible
from the sea, and was entered by a narrow channel.
At the back of this creek some violent convuls=
ion
had torn up the rocky border, and a cutting, by a gentle slope, gave access=
to
an upper plateau, which might be situated at least ten miles from Claw Cape,
and consequently four miles in a straight line from Prospect Heights. Gideo=
n Spilett
proposed to his companions that they should make a halt here. They agreed
readily, for their walk had sharpened their appetites; and although it was =
not
their usual dinner-hour, no one refused to strengthen himself with a piece =
of
venison. This luncheon would sustain them until their supper, which they
intended to take at Granite House. In a few minutes the settlers, seated un=
der
a clump of fine sea-pines, were devouring the provisions which Neb produced
from his bag.
This spot was raised from fifty to sixty feet
above the level of the sea. The view was very extensive, but beyond the cap=
e it
ended in Union Bay. Neither the islet nor Prospect Heights was visible, and
could not be from thence, for the rising ground and the curtain of trees cl=
osed
the northern horizon.
It is useless to add that notwithstanding the =
wide
extent of sea which the explorers could survey, and though the engineer swe=
pt
the horizon with his glass, no vessel could be found.
The shore was of course examined with the same=
care
from the edge of the water to the cliff, and nothing could be discovered ev=
en
with the aid of the instrument.
"Well," said Gideon Spilett, "it
seems we must make up our minds to console ourselves with thinking that no =
one
will come to dispute with us the possession of Lincoln Island!"
"But the bullet," cried Herbert.
"That was not imaginary, I suppose!"
"Hang it, no!" exclaimed Pencroft,
thinking of his absent tooth.
"Then what conclusion may be drawn?"
asked the reporter.
"This," replied the engineer, "=
that
three months or more ago, a vessel, either voluntarily or not, came here.&q=
uot;
"What! then you admit, Cyrus, that she was
swallowed up without leaving any trace?" cried the reporter.
"No, my dear Spilett; but you see that if=
it
is certain that a human being set foot on the island, it appears no less
certain that he has now left it."
"Then, if I understand you right,
captain," said Herbert, "the vessel has left again?"
"Evidently."
"And we have lost an opportunity to get b=
ack
to our country?" said Neb.
"I fear so."
"Very well, since the opportunity is lost,
let us go on; it can't be helped," said Pencroft, who felt home-sickne=
ss
for Granite House.
But just as they were rising, Top was heard lo=
udly
barking; and the dog issued from the wood, holding in his mouth a rag soiled
with mud.
Neb seized it. It was a piece of strong cloth!=
Top still barked, and by his going and coming,
seemed to invite his master to follow him into the forest.
"Now there's something to explain the
bullet!" exclaimed Pencroft.
"A castaway!" replied Herbert.
"Wounded, perhaps!" said Neb.
"Or dead!" added the reporter.
All ran after the dog, among the tall pines on=
the
border of the forest. Harding and his companions made ready their firearms,=
in
case of an emergency.
They advanced some way into the wood, but to t=
heir
great disappointment, they as yet saw no signs of any human being having pa=
ssed
that way. Shrubs and creepers were uninjured, and they had even to cut them
away with the axe, as they had done in the deepest recesses of the forest. =
It
was difficult to fancy that any human creature had ever passed there, but y=
et
Top went backward and forward, not like a dog who searches at random, but l=
ike
a dog being endowed with a mind, who is following up an idea.
In about seven or eight minutes Top stopped in=
a
glade surrounded with tall trees. The settlers gazed around them, but saw
nothing, neither under the bushes nor among the trees.
"What is the matter, Top?" said Cyrus
Harding.
Top barked louder, bounding about at the foot =
of a
gigantic pine. All at once Pencroft shouted,--"Ho, splendid!
capital!"
"What is it?" asked Spilett.
"We have been looking for a wreck at sea =
or
on land!"
"Well?"
"Well; and here we've found one in the
air!"
And the sailor pointed to a great white rag,
caught in the top of the pine, a fallen scrap of which the dog had brought =
to
them.
"But that is not a wreck!" cried Gid=
eon
Spilett.
"I beg your pardon!" returned Pencro=
ft.
"Why? is it--?"
"It is all that remains of our airy boat,=
of
our balloon, which has been caught up aloft there, at the top of that
tree!"
Pencroft was not mistaken, and he gave vent to=
his
feelings in a tremendous hurrah, adding,--
"There is good cloth! There is what will
furnish us with linen for years. There is what will make us handkerchiefs a=
nd
shirts! Ha, ha, Mr. Spilett, what do you say to an island where shirts grow=
on
the trees?"
It was certainly a lucky circumstance for the
settlers in Lincoln Island that the balloon, after having made its last bou=
nd
into the air, had fallen on the island and thus given them the opportunity =
of
finding it again, whether they kept the case under its present form, or whe=
ther
they wished to attempt another escape by it, or whether they usefully emplo=
yed
the several hundred yards of cotton, which was of fine quality. Pencroft's =
joy
was therefore shared by all.
But it was necessary to bring down the remains=
of
the balloon from the tree, to place it in security, and this was no slight
task. Neb, Herbert, and the sailor, climbing to the summit of the tree, used
all their skill to disengage the now reduced balloon.
The operation lasted two hours, and then not o=
nly
the case, with its valve, its springs, its brasswork, lay on the ground, but
the net, that is to say a considerable quantity of ropes and cordage, and t=
he circle
and the anchor. The case, except for the fracture, was in good condition, o=
nly
the lower portion being torn.
It was a fortune which had fallen from the sky=
.
"All the same, captain," said the
sailor, "if we ever decide to leave the island, it won't be in a ballo=
on,
will it? These airboats won't go where we want them to go, and we have had =
some
experience in that way! Look here, we will build a craft of some twenty ton=
s,
and then we can make a main-sail, a foresail, and a jib out of that cloth. =
As
to the rest of it, that will help to dress us."
"We shall see, Pencroft," replied Cy=
rus
Harding; "we shall see."
"In the meantime, we must put it in a safe
place," said Neb.
They certainly could not think of carrying thi=
s load
of cloth, ropes, and cordage, to Granite House, for the weight of it was ve=
ry considerable,
and while waiting for a suitable vehicle in which to convey it, it was of
importance that this treasure should not be left longer exposed to the merc=
ies
of the first storm. The settlers, uniting their efforts, managed to drag it=
as
far as the shore, where they discovered a large rocky cavity, which owing to
its position could not be visited either by the wind or rain.
"We needed a locker, and now we have
one," said Pencroft; "but as we cannot lock it up, it will be pru=
dent
to hide the opening. I don't mean from two-legged thieves, but from those w=
ith
four paws!"
At six o'clock, all was stowed away, and after
having given the creek the very suitable name of "Port Balloon," =
the
settlers pursued their way along Claw Cape. Pencroft and the engineer talke=
d of
the different projects which it was agreed to put into execution with the
briefest possible delay. It was necessary first of all to throw a bridge ov=
er
the Mercy, so as to establish an easy communication with the south of the i=
sland;
then the cart must be taken to bring back the balloon, for the canoe alone
could not carry it, then they would build a decked boat, and Pencroft would=
rig
it as a cutter, and they would be able to undertake voyages of circumnaviga=
tion
round the island, etc.
In the meanwhile night came on, and it was alr=
eady
dark when the settlers reached Flotsam Point, where they had found the prec=
ious
chest.
The distance between Flotsam Point and Granite
House was another four miles, and it was midnight when, after having follow=
ed
the shore to the mouth of the Mercy, the settlers arrived at the first angle
formed by the Mercy.
There the river was eighty feet in breadth, wh=
ich
was awkward to cross, but as Pencroft had taken upon himself to conquer this
difficulty, he was compelled to do it. The settlers certainly had reason to=
be
pretty tired. The journey had been long, and the task of getting down the b=
alloon
had not rested either their arms or legs. They were anxious to reach Granite
House to eat and sleep, and if the bridge had been constructed, in a quarte=
r of
an hour they would have been at home.
The night was very dark. Pencroft prepared to =
keep
his promise by constructing a sort of raft, on which to make the passage of=
the
Mercy. He and Neb, armed with axes, chose two trees near the water, and beg=
an to
attack them at the base.
Cyrus Harding and Spilett, seated on the bank,
waited till their companions were ready for their help, while Herbert roamed
about, though without going to any distance. All at once, the lad, who had
strolled by the river, came running back, and, pointing up the Mercy,
exclaimed,--
"What is floating there?"
Pencroft stopped working, and seeing an indist=
inct
object moving through the gloom,--
"A canoe!" cried he.
All approached, and saw to their extreme surpr=
ise,
a boat floating down the current.
"Boat ahoy!" shouted the sailor, wit=
hout
thinking that perhaps it would be best to keep silence.
No reply. The boat still drifted onward, and it
was not more than twelve feet off, when the sailor exclaimed,--
"But it is our own boat! she has broken h=
er
moorings, and floated down the current. I must say she has arrived very
opportunely."
"Our boat?" murmured the engineer.
Pencroft was right. It was indeed the canoe, of
which the rope had undoubtedly broken, and which had come alone from the
sources of the Mercy. It was very important to seize it before the rapid
current should have swept it away out of the mouth of the river, but Neb and
Pencroft cleverly managed this by means of a long pole.
The canoe touched the shore. The engineer leap=
ed
in first, and found, on examining the rope, that it had been really worn
through by rubbing against the rocks.
"Well," said the reporter to him, in=
a
low voice, "this is a strange thing."
"Strange indeed!" returned Cyrus
Harding.
Strange or not, it was very fortunate. Herbert,
the reporter, Neb, and Pencroft, embarked in turn. There was no doubt about=
the
rope having been worn through, but the astonishing part of the affair was, =
that
the boat should arrive just at the moment when the settlers were there to s=
eize
it on its way, for a quarter of an hour earlier or later it would have been
lost in the sea.
If they had been living in the time of genii, =
this
incident would have given them the right to think that the island was haunt=
ed
by some supernatural being, who used his power in the service of the castaw=
ays!
A few strokes of the oar brought the settlers =
to
the mouth of the Mercy. The canoe was hauled up on the beach near the Chimn=
eys,
and all proceeded towards the ladder of Granite House.
But at that moment, Top barked angrily, and Ne=
b,
who was looking for the first steps, uttered a cry.
There was no longer a ladder!
Cyrus Harding stood still, without saying a wo=
rd.
His companions searched in the darkness on the wall, in case the wind should
have moved the ladder, and on the ground, thinking that it might have falle=
n down....
But the ladder had quite disappeared. As to ascertaining if a squall had bl=
own
it on the landing-place, half way up, that was impossible in the dark.
"If it is a joke," cried Pencroft,
"it is a very stupid one! To come home and find no staircase to go up =
to
your room by--that's nothing for weary men to laugh at."
Neb could do nothing but cry out "Oh! oh!
oh!"
"I begin to think that very curious things
happen in Lincoln Island!" said Pencroft.
"Curious?" replied Gideon Spilett,
"not at all, Pencroft, nothing can be more natural. Some one has come
during our absence, taken possession of our dwelling and drawn up the
ladder."
"Some one," cried the sailor. "=
But
who?"
"Who but the hunter who fired the
bullet?" replied the reporter.
"Well, if there is any one up there,"
replied Pencroft, who began to lose patience, "I will give them a hail,
and they must answer."
And in a stentorian voice the sailor gave a
prolonged "Halloo!" which was echoed again and again from the cli=
ff
and rocks.
The settlers listened and they thought they he=
ard
a sort of chuckling laugh, of which they could not guess the origin. But no
voice replied to Pencroft, who in vain repeated his vigorous shouts.
There was something indeed in this to astonish=
the
most apathetic of men, and the settlers were not men of that description. In
their situation every incident had its importance, and, certainly, during t=
he seven
months which they had spent on the island, they had not before met with
anything of so surprising a character.
Be that as it may, forgetting their fatigue in=
the
singularity of the event, they remained below Granite House, not knowing wh=
at
to think, not knowing what to do, questioning each other without any hope o=
f a
satisfactory reply, every one starting some supposition each more unlikely =
than
the last. Neb bewailed himself, much disappointed at not being able to get =
into
his kitchen, for the provisions which they had had on their expedition were
exhausted, and they had no means of renewing them.
"My friends," at last said Cyrus Harding, "there is only one thing to be done at present; wait for day,= and then act according to circumstances. But let us go to the Chimneys. There we shall be under shelter, and if we cannot eat, we can at least sleep."<= o:p>
"But who is it that has played us this co=
ol
trick?" again asked Pencroft, unable to make up his mind to retire from
the spot.
Whoever it was, the only thing practicable was=
to
do as the engineer proposed, to go to the Chimneys and there wait for day. =
In
the meanwhile Top was ordered to mount guard below the windows of Granite
House, and when Top received an order he obeyed it without any questioning.=
The
brave dog therefore remained at the foot of the cliff while his master with=
his
companions sought a refuge among the rocks.
To say that the settlers, notwithstanding their
fatigue, slept well on the sandy floor of the Chimneys would not be true. It
was not only that they were extremely anxious to find out the cause of what=
had
happened, whether it was the result of an accident which would be discovere=
d at
the return of day, or whether on the contrary it was the work of a human be=
ing;
but they also had very uncomfortable beds. That could not be helped, howeve=
r,
for in some way or other at that moment their dwelling was occupied, and th=
ey
could not possibly enter it.
Now Granite House was more than their dwelling=
, it
was their warehouse. There were all the stores belonging to the colony,
weapons, instruments, tools, ammunition, provisions, etc. To think that all
that might be pillaged and that the settlers would have all their work to d=
o over
again, fresh weapons and tools to make, was a serious matter. Their uneasin=
ess
led one or other of them also to go out every few minutes to see if Top was
keeping good watch. Cyrus Harding alone waited with his habitual patience,
although his strong mind was exasperated at being confronted with such an
inexplicable fact, and he was provoked at himself for allowing a feeling to
which he could not give a name, to gain an influence over him. Gideon Spile=
tt
shared his feelings in this respect, and the two conversed together in whis=
pers
of the inexplicable circumstance which baffled even their intelligence and
experience.
"It is a joke," said Pencroft; "=
;it
is a trick some one has played us. Well, I don't like such jokes, and the j=
oker
had better look out for himself, if he falls into my hands, I can tell
him."
As soon as the first gleam of light appeared in
the east, the colonists, suitably armed, repaired to the beach under Granite
House. The rising sun now shone on the cliff and they could see the windows,
the shutters of which were closed, through the curtains of foliage.
All here was in order; but a cry escaped the
colonists when they saw that the door, which they had closed on their
departure, was now wide open.
Some one had entered Granite House--there coul=
d be
no more doubt about that.
The upper ladder, which generally hung from the
door to the landing, was in its place, but the lower ladder was drawn up and
raised to the threshold. It was evident that the intruders had wished to gu=
ard themselves
against a surprise.
Pencroft hailed again.
No reply.
"The beggars," exclaimed the sailor.
"There they are sleeping quietly as if they were in their own house. H=
allo
there, you pirates, brigands, robbers, sons of John Bull!"
When Pencroft, being a Yankee, treated any one=
to
the epithet of "son of John Bull," he considered he had reached t=
he
last limits of insult.
The sun had now completely risen, and the whole
facade of Granite House became illuminated by its rays; but in the interior=
as
well as on the exterior all was quiet and calm.
The settlers asked if Granite House was inhabi=
ted
or not, and yet the position of the ladder was sufficient to show that it w=
as;
it was also certain that the inhabitants, whoever they might be, had not be=
en
able to escape. But how were they to be got at?
Herbert then thought of fastening a cord to an
arrow, and shooting the arrow so that it should pass between the first roun=
ds
of the ladder which hung from the threshold. By means of the cord they would
then be able to draw down the ladder to the ground, and so re-establish the=
communication
between the beach and Granite House. There was evidently nothing else to be
done, and, with a little skill, this method might succeed. Very fortunately
bows and arrows had been left at the Chimneys, where they also found a quan=
tity
of light hibiscus cord. Pencroft fastened this to a well-feathered arrow. T=
hen
Herbert fixing it to his bow, took a careful aim for the lower part of the
ladder.
Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett, Pencroft, and N=
eb drew
back, so as to see if anything appeared at the windows. The reporter lifted=
his
gun to his shoulder and covered the door.
The bow was bent, the arrow flew, taking the c=
ord
with it, and passed between the two last rounds.
The operation had succeeded.
Herbert immediately seized the end of the cord,
but, at that moment when he gave it a pull to bring down the ladder, an arm,
thrust suddenly out between the wall and the door, grasped it and dragged it
inside Granite House.
"The rascals!" shouted the sailor.
"If a ball can do anything for you, you shall not have long to wait for
it.
"But who was it?" asked Neb.
"Who was it? Didn't you see?"
"No."
"It was a monkey, a sapajou, an orangouta=
ng,
a baboon, a gorilla, a sagoin. Our dwelling has been invaded by monkeys, who
climbed up the ladder during our absence."
And, at this moment, as if to bear witness to =
the
truth of the sailor's words, two or three quadrumana showed themselves at t=
he
windows, from which they had pushed back the shutters, and saluted the real=
proprietors
of the place with a thousand hideous grimaces.
"I knew that it was only a joke," cr=
ied
Pencroft; "but one of the jokers shall pay the penalty for the rest.&q=
uot;
So saying, the sailor, raising his piece, took=
a
rapid aim at one of the monkeys and fired. All disappeared, except one who =
fell
mortally wounded on the beach. This monkey, which was of a large size,
evidently belonged to the first order of the quadrumana. Whether this was a
chimpanzee, an orangoutang, or a gorilla, he took rank among the anthropoid
apes, who are so called from their resemblance to the human race. However,
Herbert declared it to be an orangoutang.
"What a magnificent beast!" cried Ne=
b.
"Magnificent, if you like," replied
Pencroft; "but still I do not see how we are to get into our house.&qu=
ot;
"Herbert is a good marksman," said t=
he
reporter, "and his bow is here. He can try again."
"Why, these apes are so cunning,"
returned Pencroft; "they won't show themselves again at the windows an=
d so
we can't kill them; and when I think of the mischief they may do in the roo=
ms
and storehouse--"
"Have patience," replied Harding;
"these creatures cannot keep us long at bay."
"I shall not be sure of that till I see t=
hem
down here," replied the sailor. "And now, captain, do you know how
many dozens of these fellows are up there?"
It was difficult to reply to Pencroft, and as =
for
the young boy making another attempt, that was not easy; for the lower part=
of
the ladder had been drawn again into the door, and when another pull was gi=
ven,
the line broke and the ladder remained firm. The case was really perplexing=
. Pencroft
stormed. There was a comic side to the situation, but he did not think it f=
unny
at all. It was certain that the settlers would end by reinstating themselve=
s in
their domicile and driving out the intruders, but when and how? this is what
they were not able to say.
Two hours passed, during which the apes took c=
are
not to show themselves, but they were still there, and three or four times a
nose or a paw was poked out at the door or windows, and was immediately sal=
uted
by a gun-shot.
"Let us hide ourselves," at last said
the engineer. "Perhaps the apes will think we have gone quite away and
will show themselves again. Let Spilett and Herbert conceal themselves behi=
nd
those rocks and fire on all that may appear."
The engineer's orders were obeyed, and while t=
he
reporter and the lad, the best marksmen in the colony, posted themselves in=
a
good position, but out of the monkeys' sight, Neb, Pencroft, and Cyrus clim=
bed
the plateau and entered the forest in order to kill some game, for it was n=
ow
time for breakfast and they had no provisions remaining.
In half an hour the hunters returned with a few
rock pigeons, which they roasted as well as they could. Not an ape had appe=
ared.
Gideon Spilett and Herbert went to take their share of the breakfast, leavi=
ng
Top to watch under the windows. They then, having eaten, returned to their =
post.
Two hours later, their situation was in no deg=
ree
improved. The quadrumana gave no sign of existence, and it might have been
supposed that they had disappeared; but what seemed more probable was that,=
terrified
by the death of one of their companions, and frightened by the noise of the
firearms, they had retreated to the back part of the house or probably even
into the store-room. And when they thought of the valuables which this
storeroom contained, the patience so much recommended by the engineer, fast
changed into great irritation, and there certainly was room for it.
"Decidedly it is too bad," said the
reporter; "and the worst of it is, there is no way of putting an end to
it."
"But we must drive these vagabonds out
somehow," cried the sailor. "We could soon get the better of them,
even if there are twenty of the rascals; but for that, we must meet them ha=
nd
to hand. Come now, is there no way of getting at them?"
"Let us try to enter Granite House by the=
old
opening at the lake," replied the engineer.
"Oh!" shouted the sailor, "and I
never thought of that."
This was in reality the only way by which to
penetrate into Granite House so as to fight with and drive out the intruder=
s.
The opening was, it is true, closed up with a wall of cemented stones, whic=
h it
would be necessary to sacrifice, but that could easily be rebuilt. Fortunat=
ely,
Cyrus Harding had not as yet effected his project of hiding this opening by
raising the waters of the lake, for the operation would then have taken some
time.
It was already past twelve o'clock, when the
colonists, well armed and provided with picks and spades, left the Chimneys,
passed beneath the windows of Granite House, after telling Top to remain at=
his
post, and began to ascend the left bank of the Mercy, so as to reach Prospe=
ct Heights.
But they had not made fifty steps in this
direction, when they heard the dog barking furiously.
And all rushed down the bank again.
Arrived at the turning, they saw that the
situation had changed.
In fact, the apes, seized with a sudden panic,
from some unknown cause, were trying to escape. Two or three ran and clambe=
red
from one window to another with the agility of acrobats. They were not even
trying to replace the ladder, by which it would have been easy to descend;
perhaps in their terror they had forgotten this way of escape. The colonist=
s, now
being able to take aim without difficulty, fired. Some, wounded or killed, =
fell
back into the rooms, uttering piercing cries. The rest, throwing themselves
out, were dashed to pieces in their fall, and in a few minutes, so far as t=
hey
knew, there was not a living quadrumana in Granite House.
At this moment the ladder was seen to slip over
the threshold, then unroll and fall to the ground.
"Hullo!" cried the sailor, "thi=
s is
queer!"
"Very strange!" murmured the enginee=
r,
leaping first up the ladder.
"Take care, captain!" cried Pencroft,
"perhaps there are still some of these rascals.
"We shall soon see," replied the
engineer, without stopping however.
All his companions followed him, and in a minu=
te
they had arrived at the threshold. They searched everywhere. There was no o=
ne
in the rooms nor in the storehouse, which had been respected by the band of
quadrumana.
"Well now, and the ladder," cried the sailor; "who can the gentleman have been who sent us that down?"<= o:p>
But at that moment a cry was heard, and a great
orang, who had hidden himself in the passage, rushed into the room, pursued=
by
Neb.
"Ah, the robber!" cried Pencroft.
And hatchet in hand, he was about to cleave the
head of the animal, when Cyrus Harding seized his arm, saying,--
"Spare him, Pencroft."
"Pardon this rascal?"
"Yes! it was he who threw us the
ladder!"
And the engineer said this in such a peculiar
voice that it was difficult to know whether he spoke seriously or not.
Nevertheless, they threw themselves on the ora=
ng,
who defended himself gallantly, but was soon overpowered and bound.
"There!" said Pencroft. "And wh=
at
shall we make of him, now we've got him?"
"A servant!" replied Herbert.
The lad was not joking in saying this, for he =
knew
how this intelligent race could be turned to account.
The settlers then approached the ape and gazed=
at
it attentively. He belonged to the family of anthropoid apes, of which the
facial angle is not much inferior to that of the Australians and Hottentots=
. It
was an orangoutang, and as such, had neither the ferocity of the gorilla, n=
or the
stupidity of the baboon. It is to this family of the anthropoid apes that so
many characteristics belong which prove them to be possessed of an almost h=
uman
intelligence. Employed in houses, they can wait at table, sweep rooms, brush
clothes, clean boots, handle a knife, fork, and spoon properly, and even dr=
ink
wine... doing everything as well as the best servant that ever walked upon =
two
legs. Buffon possessed one of these apes, who served him for a long time as=
a
faithful and zealous servant.
The one which had been seized in the hall of
Granite House was a great fellow, six feet high, with an admirably poportio=
ned
frame, a broad chest, head of a moderate size, the facial angle reaching
sixty-five degrees, round skull, projecting nose, skin covered with soft gl=
ossy
hair, in short, a fine specimen of the anthropoids. His eyes, rather smaller
than human eyes, sparkled with intelligence; his white teeth glittered under
his mustache, and he wore a little curly brown beard.
"A handsome fellow!" said Pencroft;
"if we only knew his language, we could talk to him."
"But, master," said Neb, "are y=
ou
serious? Are we going to take him as a servant?"
"Yes, Neb," replied the engineer,
smiling. "But you must not be jealous."
"And I hope he will make an excellent
servant," added Herbert. "He appears young, and will be easy to
educate, and we shall not be obliged to use force to subdue him, nor draw h=
is
teeth, as is sometimes done. He will soon grow fond of his masters if they =
are
kind to him."
"And they will be," replied Pencroft,
who had forgotten all his rancor against "the jokers."
Then, approaching the orang,--
"Well, old boy!" he asked, "how=
are
you?"
The orang replied by a little grunt which did =
not
show any anger.
"You wish to join the colony?" again
asked the sailor. "You are going to enter the service of Captain Cyrus
Harding?"
Another respondent grunt was uttered by the ap=
e.
"And you will be satisfied with no other
wages than your food?"
Third affirmative grunt.
"This conversation is slightly
monotonous," observed Gideon Spilett.
"So much the better," replied Pencro=
ft;
"the best servants are those who talk the least. And then, no wages, do
you hear, my boy? We will give you no wages at first, but we will double th=
em
afterwards if we are pleased with you."
Thus the colony was increased by a new member.=
As
to his name the sailor begged that in memory of another ape which he had kn=
own,
he might be called Jupiter, and Jup for short.
And so, without more ceremony, Master Jup was =
installed
in Granite House.
The settlers in Lincoln Island had now regained
their dwelling, without having been obliged to reach it by the old opening,=
and
were therefore spared the trouble of mason's work. It was certainly lucky, =
that
at the moment they were about to set out to do so, the apes had been seized=
with
that terror, no less sudden than inexplicable, which had driven them out of
Granite House. Had the animals discovered that they were about to be attack=
ed
from another direction? This was the only explanation of their sudden retre=
at.
During the day the bodies of the apes were car=
ried
into the wood, where they were buried; then the settlers busied themselves =
in
repairing the disorder caused by the intruders, disorder but not damage, fo=
r although
they had turned everything in the rooms topsy-turvy, yet they had broken no=
thing.
Neb relighted his stove, and the stores in the larder furnished a substanti=
al
repast, to which all did ample justice.
Jup was not forgotten, and he ate with relish =
some
stonepine almonds and rhizome roots, with which he was abundantly supplied.
Pencroft had unfastened his arms, but judged it best to have his legs tied
until they were more sure of his submission.
Then, before retiring to rest, Harding and his
companions seated round their table, discussed those plans, the execution of
which was most pressing. The most important and most urgent was the
establishment of a bridge over the Mercy, so as to form a communication with
the southern part of the island and Granite House; then the making of an
enclosure for the musmons or other woolly animals which they wished to capt=
ure.
These two projects would help to solve the
difficulty as to their clothing, which was now serious. The bridge would re=
nder
easy the transport of the balloon case, which would furnish them with linen,
and the inhabitants of the enclosure would yield wool which would supply th=
em
with winter clothes.
As to the enclosure, it was Cyrus Harding's
intention to establish it at the sources of the Red Creek, where the rumina=
nts
would find fresh and abundant pasture. The road between Prospect Heights and
the sources of the stream was already partly beaten, and with a better cart
than the first, the material could be easily conveyed to the spot, especial=
ly
if they could manage to capture some animals to draw it.
But though there might be no inconvenience in =
the
enclosure being so far from Granite House, it would not be the same with the
poultry-yard, to which Neb called the attention of the colonists. It was in=
deed
necessary that the birds should be close within reach of the cook, and no p=
lace
appeared more favorable for the establishment of the said poultry-yard than
that portion of the banks of the lake which was close to the old opening.
Water-birds would prosper there as well as oth=
ers,
and the couple of tinamous taken in their last excursion would be the first=
to
be domesticated.
The next day, the 3rd of November, the new wor=
ks
were begun by the construction of the bridge, and all hands were required f=
or
this important task. Saws, hatchets, and hammers were shouldered by the set=
tlers,
who, now transformed into carpenters, descended to the shore.
There Pencroft observed,--
"Suppose, that during our absence, Master=
Jup
takes it into his head to draw up the ladder which he so politely returned =
to
us yesterday?"
"Let us tie its lower end down firmly,&qu=
ot;
replied Cyrus Harding.
This was done by means of two stakes securely
fixed in the sand. Then the settlers, ascending the left bank of the Mercy,
soon arrived at the angle formed by the river.
There they halted, in order to ascertain if the
bridge could be thrown across. The place appeared suitable.
In fact, from this spot, to Port Balloon,
discovered the day before on the southern coast, there was only a distance =
of
three miles and a half, and from the bridge to the Port, it would be easy to
make a good cart-road which would render the communication between Granite
House and the south of the island extremely easy.
Cyrus Harding now imparted to his companions a
scheme for completely isolating Prospect Heights so as to shelter it from t=
he
attacks both of quadrupeds and quadrumana. In this way, Granite House, the
Chimneys, the poultry-yard, and all the upper part of the plateau which was=
to
be used for cultivation, would be protected against the depredations of
animals. Nothing could be easier than to execute this project, and this is =
how the
engineer intended to set to work.
The plateau was already defended on three side=
s by
water-courses, either artificial or natural. On the northwest, by the shore=
s of
Lake Grant, from the entrance of the passage to the breach made in the bank=
s of
the lake for the escape of the water.
On the north, from this breach to the sea, by =
the
new water-course which had hollowed out a bed for itself across the plateau=
and
shore, above and below the fall, and it would be enough to dig the bed of t=
his
creek a little deeper to make it impracticable for animals, on all the east=
ern border
by the sea itself, from the mouth of the aforesaid creek to the mouth of the
Mercy.
Lastly, on the south, from the mouth to the tu=
rn
of the Mercy where the bridge was to be established.
The western border of the plateau now remained
between the turn of the river and the southern angle of the lake, a distanc=
e of
about a mile, which was open to all comers. But nothing could be easier tha=
n to
dig a broad deep ditch, which could be filled from the lake, and the overfl=
ow of
which would throw itself by a rapid fall into the bed of the Mercy. The lev=
el
of the lake would, no doubt, be somewhat lowered by this fresh discharge of=
its
waters, but Cyrus Harding had ascertained that the volume of water in the R=
ed
Creek was considerable enough to allow of the execution of this project.
"So then," added the engineer,
"Prospect Heights will become a regular island, being surrounded with
water on all sides, and only communicating with the rest of our domain by t=
he
bridge which we are about to throw across the Mercy, the two little bridges
already established above and below the fall; and, lastly, two other little
bridges which must be constructed, one over the canal which I propose to di=
g,
the other across to the left bank of the Mercy. Now, if these bridges can be
raised at will, Prospect Heights will be guarded from any surprise."
The bridge was the most urgent work. Trees were
selected, cut down, stripped of their branches, and cut into beams, joists,=
and
planks. The end of the bridge which rested on the right bank of the Mercy w=
as
to be firm, but the other end on the left bank was to be movable, so that i=
t might
be raised by means of a counterpoise, as some canal bridges are managed.
This was certainly a considerable work, and th=
ough
it was skillfully conducted, it took some time, for the Mercy at this place=
was
eighty feet wide. It was therefore necessary to fix piles in the bed of the
river so as to sustain the floor of the bridge and establish a pile-driver =
to
act on the tops of these piles, which would thus form two arches and allow =
the
bridge to support heavy loads.
Happily there was no want of tools with which =
to
shape the wood, nor of iron-work to make it firm, nor of the ingenuity of a=
man
who had a marvelous knowledge of the work, nor lastly, the zeal of his
companions, who in seven months had necessarily acquired great skill in the=
use
of their tools; and it must be said that not the least skilful was Gideon S=
pilett,
who in dexterity almost equaled the sailor himself. "Who would ever ha=
ve
expected so much from a newspaper man!" thought Pencroft.
The construction of the Mercy bridge lasted th=
ree
weeks of regular hard work. They even breakfasted on the scene of their lab=
ors,
and the weather being magnificent, they only returned to Granite House to
sleep.
During this period it may be stated that Master
Jup grew more accustomed to his new masters, whose movements he always watc=
hed
with very inquisitive eyes. However, as a precautionary measure, Pencroft d=
id
not as yet allow him complete liberty, rightly wishing to wait until the li=
mits
of the plateau should be settled by the projected works. Top and Jup were g=
ood
friends and played willingly together, but Jup did everything solemnly.
On the 20th of November the bridge was finishe=
d.
The movable part, balanced by the counterpoise, swung easily, and only a sl=
ight
effort was needed to raise it; between its hinge and the last cross-bar on
which it rested when closed, there existed a space of twenty feet, which wa=
s sufficiently
wide to prevent any animals from crossing.
The settlers now began to talk of fetching the
balloon-case, which they were anxious to place in perfect security; but to
bring it, it would be necessary to take a cart to Port Balloon, and
consequently, necessary to beat a road through the dense forests of the Far
West. This would take some time. Also, Neb and Pencroft having gone to exam=
ine
into the state of things at Port Balloon, and reported that the stock of cl=
oth
would suffer no damage in the grotto where it was stored, it was decided th=
at the
work at Prospect Heights should not be discontinued.
"That," observed Pencroft, "will
enable us to establish our poultry-yard under better conditions, since we n=
eed
have no fear of visits from foxes nor the attacks of other beasts."
"Then," added Neb, "we can clear
the plateau, and transplant wild plants to it."
"And prepare our second corn-field!"
cried the sailor with a triumphant air.
In fact, the first corn-field sown with a sing=
le
grain had prospered admirably, thanks to Pencroft's care. It had produced t=
he
ten ears foretold by the engineer, and each ear containing eighty grains, t=
he colony
found itself in possession of eight hundred grains, in six months, which
promised a double harvest each year.
These eight hundred grains, except fifty, which
were prudently reserved, were to be sown in a new field, but with no less c=
are
than was bestowed on the single grain.
The field was prepared, then surrounded with a
strong palisade, high and pointed, which quadrupeds would have found diffic=
ulty
in leaping. As to birds, some scarecrows, due to Pencroft's ingenious brain,
were enough to frighten them. The seven hundred and fifty grains deposited =
in
very regular furrows were then left for nature to do the rest.
On the 21st of November, Cyrus Harding began to
plan the canal which was to close the plateau on the west, from the south a=
ngle
of Lake Grant to the angle of the Mercy. There was there two or three feet =
of
vegetable earth, and below that granite. It was therefore necessary to
manufacture some more nitro-glycerine, and the nitro-glycerine did its
accustomed work. In less than a fortnight a ditch, twelve feet wide and six
deep, was dug out in the hard ground of the plateau. A new trench was made =
by the
same means in the rocky border of the lake, forming a small stream, to which
they gave the name of Creek Glycerine, and which was thus an affluent of the
Mercy. As the engineer had predicted, the level of the lake was lowered, th=
ough
very slightly. To complete the enclosure the bed of the stream on the beach=
was
considerably enlarged, and the sand supported by means of stakes.
By the end of the first fortnight of December
these works were finished, and Prospect Heights--that is to say, a sort of
irregular pentagon, having a perimeter of nearly four miles, surrounded by a
liquid belt--was completely protected from depredators of every description=
.
During the month of December, the heat was very
great. In spite of it, however, the settlers continued their work, and as t=
hey
were anxious to possess a poultry-yard they forthwith commenced it.
It is useless to say that since the enclosing =
of
the plateau had been completed, Master Jup had been set at liberty. He did =
not
leave his masters, and evinced no wish to escape. He was a gentle animal,
though very powerful and wonderfully active. He was already taught to make =
himself
useful by drawing loads of wood and carting away the stones which were
extracted from the bed of Creek Glycerine.
The poultry-yard occupied an area of two hundr=
ed
square yards, on the southeastern bank of the lake. It was surrounded by a
palisade, and in it were constructed various shelters for the birds which w=
ere
to populate it. These were simply built of branches and divided into compar=
tments,
made ready for the expected guests.
The first were the two tinamous, which were not
long in having a number of young ones; they had for companions half a dozen
ducks, accustomed to the borders of the lake. Some belonged to the Chinese
species, of which the wings open like a fan, and which by the brilliancy of
their plumage rival the golden pheasants. A few days afterwards, Herbert sn=
ared
a couple of gallinaceae, with spreading tails composed of long feathers, ma=
gnificent
alectors, which soon became tame. As to pelicans, kingfishers, water-hens, =
they
came of themselves to the shores of the poultry-yard, and this little
community, after some disputes, cooing, screaming, clucking, ended by settl=
ing
down peacefully, and increased in encouraging proportion for the future use=
of
the colony.
Cyrus Harding, wishing to complete his
performance, established a pigeon-house in a corner of the poultry-yard. Th=
ere
he lodged a dozen of those pigeons which frequented the rocks of the platea=
u.
These birds soon became accustomed to returning every evening to their new
dwelling, and showed more disposition to domesticate themselves than their =
congeners,
the wood-pigeons.
Lastly, the time had come for turning the
balloon-case to use, by cutting it up to make shirts and other articles; fo=
r as
to keeping it in its present form, and risking themselves in a balloon fill=
ed
with gas, above a sea of the limits of which they had no idea, it was not t=
o be
thought of.
It was necessary to bring the case to Granite
House, and the colonists employed themselves in rendering their heavy cart
lighter and more manageable. But though they had a vehicle, the moving power
was yet to be found.
But did there not exist in the island some ani=
mal
which might supply the place of the horse, ass, or ox? That was the questio=
n.
"Certainly," said Pencroft, "a
beast of burden would be very useful to us until the captain has made a ste=
am
cart, or even an engine, for some day we shall have a railroad from Granite
House to Port Balloon, with a branch line to Mount Franklin!"
One day, the 23rd of December, Neb and Top were
heard shouting and barking, each apparently trying to see who could make the
most noise. The settlers, who were busy at the Chimneys, ran, fearing some
vexatious incident.
What did they see? Two fine animals of a large
size that had imprudently ventured on the plateau, when the bridges were op=
en.
One would have said they were horses, or at least donkeys, male and female,=
of
a fine shape, dove-colored, the legs and tail white, striped with black on =
the
head and neck. They advanced quietly without showing any uneasiness, and ga=
zed
at the men, in whom they could not as yet recognize their future masters.
"These are onagers!" cried Herbert,
"animals something between the zebra and the quagga!"
"Why not donkeys?" asked Neb.
"Because they have not long ears, and the=
ir
shape is more graceful!"
"Donkeys or horses," interrupted
Pencroft, "they are 'moving powers,' as the captain would say, and as =
such
must be captured!"
The sailor, without frightening the animals, c=
rept
through the grass to the bridge over Creek Glycerine, lowered it, and the
onagers were prisoners.
Now, should they seize them with violence and
master them by force? No. It was decided that for a few days they should be
allowed to roam freely about the plateau, where there was an abundance of
grass, and the engineer immediately began to prepare a stable near the
poultry-yard, in which the onagers might find food, with a good litter, and
shelter during the night.
This done, the movements of the two magnificent
creatures were left entirely free, and the settlers avoided even approaching
them so as to terrify them. Several times, however, the onagers appeared to
wish to leave the plateau, too confined for animals accustomed to the plain=
s and
forests. They were then seen following the water-barrier which everywhere
presented itself before them, uttering short neighs, then galloping through=
the
grass, and becoming calmer, they would remain entire hours gazing at the wo=
ods,
from which they were cut off for ever!
In the meantime harness of vegetable fiber had
been manufactured, and some days after the capture of the onagers, not only=
the
cart was ready, but a straight road, or rather a cutting, had been made thr=
ough
the forests of the Far West, from the angle of the Mercy to Port Balloon. T=
he
cart might then be driven there, and towards the end of December they tried=
the
onagers for the first time.
Pencroft had already coaxed the animals to come
and eat out of his hand, and they allowed him to approach without making any
difficulty, but once harnessed they reared and could with difficulty be held
in. However, it was not long before they submitted to this new service, for=
the
onager, being less refractory than the zebra, is frequently put in harness =
in
the mountainous regions of Southern Africa, and it has even been acclimatiz=
ed
in Europe, under zones of a relative coolness.
On this day all the colony, except Pencroft who
walked at the animals' heads, mounted the cart, and set out on the road to =
Port
Balloon.
Of course they were jolted over the somewhat r=
ough
road, but the vehicle arrived without any accident, and was soon loaded with
the case and rigging of the balloon.
At eight o'clock that evening the cart, after
passing over the Mercy bridge, descended the left bank of the river, and
stopped on the beach. The onagers being unharnessed, were thence led to the=
ir
stable, and Pencroft before going to sleep gave vent to his feelings in a d=
eep
sigh of satisfaction that awoke all the echoes of Granite House.
The first week of January was devoted to the
manufacture of the linen garments required by the colony. The needles found=
in
the box were used by sturdy if not delicate fingers, and we may be sure that
what was sewn was sewn firmly.
There was no lack of thread, thanks to Cyrus
Harding's idea of re-employing that which had been already used in the cove=
ring
of the balloon. This with admirable patience was all unpicked by Gideon Spi=
lett
and Herbert, for Pencroft had been obliged to give this work up, as it irri=
tated
him beyond measure; but he had no equal in the sewing part of the business.
Indeed, everybody knows that sailors have a remarkable aptitude for tailori=
ng.
The cloth of which the balloon-case was made w=
as
then cleaned by means of soda and potash, obtained by the incineration of
plants, in such a way that the cotton, having got rid of the varnish, resum=
ed
its natural softness and elasticity; then, exposed to the action of the
atmosphere, it soon became perfectly white. Some dozen shirts and sock--the
latter not knitted, of course, but made of cotton--were thus manufactured. =
What
a comfort it was to the settlers to clothe themselves again in clean linen,
which was doubtless rather rough, but they were not troubled about that! and
then to go to sleep between sheets, which made the couches at Granite House
into quite comfortable beds!
It was about this time also that they made boo=
ts
of seal-leather, which were greatly needed to replace the shoes and boots
brought from America. We may be sure that these new shoes were large enough=
and
never pinched the feet of the wearers.
With the beginning of the year 1866 the heat w=
as
very great, but the hunting in the forests did not stand still. Agouties,
peccaries, capybaras, kangaroos, game of all sorts, actually swarmed there,=
and
Spilett and Herbert were too good marksmen ever to throw away their shot us=
elessly.
Cyrus Harding still recommended them to husband
the ammunition, and he took measures to replace the powder and shot which h=
ad
been found in the box, and which he wished to reserve for the future. How d=
id
he know where chance might one day cast his companions and himself in the e=
vent
of their leaving their domain? They should, then, prepare for the unknown
future by husbanding their ammunition and by substituting for it some easily
renewable substance.
To replace lead, of which Harding had found no
traces in the island, he employed granulated iron, which was easy to
manufacture. These bullets, not having the weight of leaden bullets, were m=
ade
larger, and each charge contained less, but the skill of the sportsmen made=
up
this deficiency. As to powder, Cyrus Harding would have been able to make t=
hat
also, for he had at his disposal saltpeter, sulphur, and coal; but this
preparation requires extreme care, and without special tools it is difficul=
t to
produce it of a good quality. Harding preferred, therefore, to manufacture
pyroxyle, that is to say gun-cotton, a substance in which cotton is not
indispensable, as the elementary tissue of vegetables may be used, and this=
is
found in an almost pure state, not only in cotton, but in the textile fiber=
of
hemp and flax, in paper, the pith of the elder, etc. Now, the elder abounde=
d in
the island towards the mouth of Red Creek, and the colonists had already ma=
de
coffee of the berries of these shrubs, which belong to the family of the
caprifoliaceae.
The only thing to be collected, therefore, was
elder-pith, for as to the other substance necessary for the manufacture of
pyroxyle, it was only fuming azotic acid. Now, Harding having sulphuric aci=
d at
his disposal, had already been easily able to produce azotic acid by attack=
ing
the saltpeter with which nature supplied him. He accordingly resolved to ma=
nufacture
and employ pyroxyle, although it has some inconveniences, that is to say, a
great inequality of effect, an excessive inflammability, since it takes fir=
e at
one hundred and seventy degrees instead of two hundred and forty, and lastl=
y,
an instantaneous deflagration which might damage the firearms. On the other
hand, the advantages of pyroxyle consist in this, that it is not injured by
damp, that it does not make the gun-barrels dirty, and that its force is fo=
ur times
that of ordinary powder.
To make pyroxyle, the cotton must be immersed =
in
the fuming azotic acid for a quarter of an hour, then washed in cold water =
and
dried. Nothing could be more simple.
Cyrus Harding had only at his disposal the
ordinary azotic acid and not the fuming or monohydrate azotic acid, that is=
to
say, acid which emits white vapors when it comes in contact with damp air; =
but
by substituting for the latter ordinary azotic acid, mixed, in the proporti=
on
of from three to five volumes of concentrated sulphuric acid, the engineer =
obtained
the same result. The sportsmen of the island therefore soon had a perfectly
prepared substance, which, employed discreetly, produced admirable results.=
About this time the settlers cleared three acr=
es
of the plateau, and the rest was preserved in a wild state, for the benefit=
of
the onagers. Several excursions were made into the Jacamar Wood and the for=
ests
of the Far West, and they brought back from thence a large collection of wi=
ld
vegetables, spinach, cress, radishes, and turnips, which careful culture wo=
uld
soon improve, and which would temper the regimen on which the settlers had =
till
then subsisted. Supplies of wood and coal were also carted. Each excursion =
was
at the same time a means of improving the roads, which gradually became
smoother under the wheels of the cart.
The rabbit-warren still continued to supply the
larder of Granite House. As fortunately it was situated on the other side of
Creek Glycerine, its inhabitants could not reach the plateau nor ravage the
newly-made plantation. The oyster-bed among the rocks was frequently renewed
and furnished excellent molluscs. Besides that, the fishing, either in the =
lake
or the Mercy, was very profitable, for Pencroft had made some lines, armed =
with
iron hooks, with which they frequently caught fine trout, and a species of =
fish
whose silvery sides were speckled with yellow, and which were also extremely
savory. Master Neb, who was skilled in the culinary art, knew how to vary
agreeably the bill of fare. Bread alone was wanting at the table of the
settlers, and as has been said, they felt this privation greatly.
The settlers hunted too the turtles which
frequented the shores of Cape Mandible. At this place the beach was covered
with little mounds, concealing perfectly spherical turtles' eggs, with white
hard shells, the albumen of which does not coagulate as that of birds' eggs.
They were hatched by the sun, and their number was naturally considerable, =
as each
turtle can lay annually two hundred and fifty.
"A regular egg-field," observed Gide=
on
Spilett, "and we have nothing to do but to pick them up."
But not being contented with simply the produc=
e,
they made chase after the producers, the result of which was that they were
able to bring back to Granite House a dozen of these chelonians, which were
really valuable from an alimentary point of view. The turtle soup, flavored
with aromatic herbs, often gained well-merited praises for its preparer, Ne=
b.
We must here mention another fortunate
circumstance by which new stores for the winter were laid in. Shoals of sal=
mon
entered the Mercy, and ascended the country for several miles. It was the t=
ime
at which the females, going to find suitable places in which to spawn, prec=
ede
the males and make a great noise through the fresh water. A thousand of the=
se
fish, which measured about two feet and a half in length, came up the river,
and a large quantity were retained by fixing dams across the stream. More t=
han
a hundred were thus taken, which were salted and stored for the time when
winter, freezing up the streams, would render fishing impracticable. By this
time the intelligent Jup was raised to the duty of valet. He had been dress=
ed
in a jacket, white linen breeches, and an apron, the pockets of which were =
his
delight. The clever orang had been marvelously trained by Neb, and any one
would have said that the Negro and the ape understood each other when they
talked together. Jup had besides a real affection for Neb, and Neb returned=
it.
When his services were not required, either for carrying wood or for climbi=
ng
to the top of some tree, Jup passed the greatest part of his time in the
kitchen, where he endeavored to imitate Neb in all that he saw him do. The
black showed the greatest patience and even extreme zeal in instructing his
pupil, and the pupil exhibited remarkable intelligence in profiting by the
lessons he received from his master.
Judge then of the pleasure Master Jup gave to =
the
inhabitants of Granite House when, without their having had any idea of it,=
he
appeared one day, napkin on his arm, ready to wait at table. Quick, attenti=
ve,
he acquitted himself perfectly, changing the plates, bringing dishes, pouri=
ng
out water, all with a gravity which gave intense amusement to the settlers,=
and
which enraptured Pencroft.
"Jup, some soup!"
"Jup, a little agouti!"
"Jup, a plate!"
"Jup! Good Jup! Honest Jup!"
Nothing was heard but that, and Jup without ev=
er
being disconcerted, replied to every one, watched for everything, and he sh=
ook
his head in a knowing way when Pencroft, referring to his joke of the first
day, said to him,--
"Decidedly, Jup, your wages must be
doubled."
It is useless to say that the orang was now
thoroughly domesticated at Granite House, and that he often accompanied his
masters to the forest without showing any wish to leave them. It was most
amusing to see him walking with a stick which Pencroft had given him, and w=
hich
he carried on his shoulder like a gun. If they wished to gather some fruit =
from
the summit of a tree, how quickly he climbed for it. If the wheel of the ca=
rt
stuck in the mud, with what energy did Jup with a single heave of his shoul=
der
put it right again.
"What a jolly fellow he is!" cried
Pencroft often. "If he was as mischievous as he is good, there would b=
e no
doing anything with him!"
It was towards the end of January the colonists
began their labors in the center of the island. It had been decided that a
corral should be established near the sources of the Red Creek, at the foot=
of
Mount Franklin, destined to contain the ruminants, whose presence would hav=
e been
troublesome at Granite House, and especially for the musmons, who were to
supply the wool for the settlers' winter garments.
Each morning, the colony, sometimes entire, but
more often represented only by Harding, Herbert, and Pencroft, proceeded to=
the
sources of the Creek, a distance of not more than five miles, by the newly
beaten road to which the name of Corral Road had been given.
There a site was chosen, at the back of the
southern ridge of the mountain. It was a meadow land, dotted here and there
with clumps of trees, and watered by a little stream, which sprung from the
slopes which closed it in on one side. The grass was fresh, and it was not =
too
much shaded by the trees which grew about it. This meadow was to be surroun=
ded
by a palisade, high enough to prevent even the most agile animals from leap=
ing
over. This enclosure would be large enough to contain a hundred musmons and
wild goats, with all the young ones they might produce.
The perimeter of the corral was then traced by=
the
engineer, and they would then have proceeded to fell the trees necessary for
the construction of the palisade, but as the opening up of the road had alr=
eady
necessitated the sacrifice of a considerable number, those were brought and
supplied a hundred stakes, which were firmly fixed in the ground.
The construction of this corral did not take l=
ess
than three weeks, for besides the palisade, Cyrus Harding built large sheds=
, in
which the animals could take shelter. These buildings had also to be made v=
ery strong,
for musmons are powerful animals, and their first fury was to be feared. The
stakes, sharpened at their upper end and hardened by fire, had been fixed by
means of cross-bars, and at regular distances props assured the solidity of=
the
whole.
The corral finished, a raid had to be made on =
the
pastures frequented by the ruminants. This was done on the 7th of February,=
on
a beautiful summer's day, and every one took part in it. The onagers, alrea=
dy
well trained, were ridden by Spilett and Herbert, and were of great use.
The maneuver consisted simply in surrounding t=
he
musmons and goats, and gradually narrowing the circle around them. Cyrus
Harding, Pencroft, Neb, and Jup, posted themselves in different parts of the
wood, while the two cavaliers and Top galloped in a radius of half a mile r=
ound
the corral.
The musmons were very numerous in this part of=
the
island. These fine animals were as large as deer; their horns were stronger
than those of the ram, and their gray-colored fleece was mixed with long ha=
ir.
This hunting day was very fatiguing. Such going
and coming, and running and riding and shouting! Of a hundred musmons which=
had
been surrounded, more than two-thirds escaped, but at last, thirty of these
animals and ten wild goats were gradually driven back towards the corral, t=
he
open door of which appearing to offer a means of escape, they rushed in and=
were
prisoners.
In short, the result was satisfactory, and the
settlers had no reason to complain. There was no doubt that the flock would
prosper, and that at no distant time not only wool but hides would be abund=
ant.
That evening the hunters returned to Granite H=
ouse
quite exhausted. However, notwithstanding their fatigue, they returned the =
next
day to visit the corral. The prisoners had been trying to overthrow the pal=
isade,
but of course had not succeeded, and were not long in becoming more tranqui=
l.
During the month of February, no event of any
importance occurred. The daily labors were pursued methodically, and, as we=
ll
as improving the roads to the corral and to Port Balloon, a third was
commenced, which, starting from the enclosure, proceeded towards the western
coast. The yet unknown portion of Lincoln Island was that of the wood-cover=
ed Serpentine
Peninsula, which sheltered the wild beasts, from which Gideon Spilett was so
anxious to clear their domain.
Before the cold season should appear the most
assiduous care was given to the cultivation of the wild plants which had be=
en
transplanted from the forest to Prospect Heights. Herbert never returned fr=
om
an excursion without bringing home some useful vegetable. One day, it was s=
ome specimens
of the chicory tribe, the seeds of which by pressure yield an excellent oil;
another, it was some common sorrel, whose antiscorbutic qualities were not =
to
be despised; then, some of those precious tubers, which have at all times b=
een
cultivated in South America, potatoes, of which more than two hundred speci=
es
are now known. The kitchen garden, now well stocked and carefully defended =
from
the birds, was divided into small beds, where grew lettuces, kidney potatoe=
s,
sorrel, turnips, radishes, and other coneiferae. The soil on the plateau was
particularly fertile, and it was hoped that the harvests would be abundant.=
They had also a variety of different beverages,
and so long as they did not demand wine, the most hard to please would have=
had
no reason to complain. To the Oswego tea, and the fermented liquor extracted
from the roots of the dragonnier, Harding had added a regular beer, made fr=
om the
young shoots of the spruce-fir, which, after having been boiled and ferment=
ed,
made that agreeable drink called by the Anglo-Americans spring-beer.
Towards the end of the summer, the poultry-yard
was possessed of a couple of fine bustards, which belonged to the houbara
species, characterized by a sort of feathery mantle; a dozen shovelers, who=
se upper
mandible was prolonged on each side by a membraneous appendage; and also so=
me
magnificent cocks, similar to the Mozambique cocks, the comb, caruncle, and
epidermis being black. So far, everything had succeeded, thanks to the acti=
vity
of these courageous and intelligent men. Nature did much for them, doubtles=
s;
but faithful to the great precept, they made a right use of what a bountiful
Providence gave them.
After the heat of these warm summer days, in t=
he
evening when their work was finished and the sea-breeze began to blow, they
liked to sit on the edge of Prospect Heights, in a sort of veranda, covered
with creepers, which Neb had made with his own hands. There they talked, th=
ey instructed
each other, they made plans, and the rough good-humor of the sailor always
amused this little world, in which the most perfect harmony had never cease=
d to
reign.
They often spoke of their country, of their de=
ar
and great America. What was the result of the War of Secession? It could not
have been greatly prolonged. Richmond had doubtless soon fallen into the ha=
nds
of General Grant. The taking of the capital of the Confederates must have b=
een
the last action of this terrible struggle. Now the North had triumphed in t=
he
good cause, how welcome would have been a newspaper to the exiles in Lincoln
Island! For eleven months all communication between them and the rest of th=
eir
fellow-creatures had been interrupted, and in a short time the 24th of March
would arrive, the anniversary of the day on which the balloon had thrown th=
em
on this unknown coast. They were then mere castaways, not even knowing how =
they
should preserve their miserable lives from the fury of the elements! And no=
w,
thanks to the knowledge of their captain, and their own intelligence, they =
were
regular colonists, furnished with arms, tools, and instruments; they had be=
en
able to turn to their profit the animals, plants, and minerals of the islan=
d,
that is to say, the three kingdoms of Nature.
Yes; they often talked of all these things and
formed still more plans.
As to Cyrus Harding he was for the most part
silent, and listened to his companions more often than he spoke to them.
Sometimes he smiled at Herbert's ideas or Pencroft's nonsense, but always a=
nd
everywhere he pondered over those inexplicable facts, that strange enigma, =
of
which the secret still escaped him!
The weather changed during the first week of
March. There had been a full moon at the commencement of the month, and the
heat was excessive. The atmosphere was felt to be full of electricity, and a
period of some length of tempestuous weather was to be feared.
Indeed, on the 2nd, peals of thunder were hear=
d,
the wind blew from the east, and hail rattled against the facade of Granite
House like volleys of grape-shot. The door and windows were immediately clo=
sed,
or everything in the rooms would have been drenched. On seeing these hailst=
ones,
some of which were the size of a pigeon's egg, Pencroft's first thought was
that his cornfield was in serious danger.
He directly rushed to his field, where little
green heads were already appearing, and by means of a great cloth, he manag=
ed
to protect his crop.
This bad weather lasted a week, during which t=
ime
the thunder rolled without cessation in the depths of the sky.
The colonists, not having any pressing work ou=
t of
doors, profited by the bad weather to work at the interior of Granite House,
the arrangement of which was becoming more complete from day to day. The en=
gineer
made a turning-lathe, with which he turned several articles both for the to=
ilet
and the kitchen, particularly buttons, the want of which was greatly felt. A
gunrack had been made for the firearms, which were kept with extreme care, =
and
neither tables nor cupboards were left incomplete. They sawed, they planed,
they filed, they turned; and during the whole of this bad season, nothing w=
as
heard but the grinding of tools or the humming of the turning-lathe which
responded to the growling of the thunder.
Master Jup had not been forgotten, and he occu=
pied
a room at the back, near the storeroom, a sort of cabin with a cot always f=
ull
of good litter, which perfectly suited his taste.
"With good old Jup there is never any
quarreling," often repeated Pencroft, "never any improper reply. =
What
a servant, Neb, what a servant!"
Of course Jup was now well used to service. He
brushed their clothes, he turned the spit, he waited at table, he swept the
rooms, he gathered wood, and he performed another admirable piece of service
which delighted Pencroft--he never went to sleep without first coming to tu=
ck up
the worthy sailor in his bed.
As to the health of the members of the colony,
bipeds or bimana, quadrumana or quadrupeds, it left nothing to be desired. =
With
their life in the open air, on this salubrious soil, under that temperate z=
one,
working both with head and hands, they could not suppose that illness would
ever attack them.
All were indeed wonderfully well. Herbert had
already grown two inches in the year. His figure was forming and becoming m=
ore
manly, and he promised to be an accomplished man, physically as well as
morally. Besides he improved himself during the leisure hours which manual =
occupations
left to him; he read the books found in the case; and after the practical
lessons which were taught by the very necessity of their position, he found=
in
the engineer for science, and the reporter for languages, masters who were
delighted to complete his education.
The tempest ended about the 9th of March, but =
the
sky remained covered with clouds during the whole of this last summer month.
The atmosphere, violently agitated by the electric commotions, could not
recover its former purity, and there was almost invariably rain and fog, ex=
cept
for three or four fine days on which several excursions were made. About th=
is
time the female onager gave birth to a young one which belonged to the same=
sex
as its mother, and which throve capitally. In the corral, the flock of musm=
ons
had also increased, and several lambs already bleated in the sheds, to the
great delight of Neb and Herbert, who had each their favorite among these
newcomers. An attempt was also made for the domestication of the peccaries,
which succeeded well. A sty was constructed under the poultry-yard, and soon
contained several young ones in the way to become civilized, that is to say=
, to
become fat under Neb's care. Master Jup, entrusted with carrying them their=
daily
nourishment, leavings from the kitchen, etc., acquitted himself conscientio=
usly
of his task. He sometimes amused himself at the expense of his little
pensioners by tweaking their tails; but this was mischief, and not wickedne=
ss,
for these little twisted tails amused him like a plaything, and his instinct
was that of a child. One day in this month of March, Pencroft, talking to t=
he
engineer, reminded Cyrus Harding of a promise which the latter had not as y=
et
had time to fulfil.
"You once spoke of an apparatus which wou=
ld
take the place of the long ladders at Granite House, captain," said he;
"won't you make it some day?"
"Nothing will be easier; but is this a re=
ally
useful thing?"
"Certainly, captain. After we have given
ourselves necessaries, let us think a little of luxury. For us it may be
luxury, if you like, but for things it is necessary. It isn't very convenie=
nt
to climb up a long ladder when one is heavily loaded."
"Well, Pencroft, we will try to please
you," replied Cyrus Harding.
"But you have no machine at your
disposal."
"We will make one."
"A steam machine?"
"No, a water machine."
And, indeed, to work his apparatus there was
already a natural force at the disposal of the engineer which could be used
without great difficulty. For this, it was enough to augment the flow of the
little stream which supplied the interior of Granite House with water. The =
opening
among the stones and grass was then increased, thus producing a strong fall=
at
the bottom of the passage, the overflow from which escaped by the inner wel=
l.
Below this fall the engineer fixed a cylinder with paddles, which was joine=
d on
the exterior with a strong cable rolled on a wheel, supporting a basket. In
this way, by means of a long rope reaching to the ground, which enabled the=
m to
regulate the motive power, they could rise in the basket to the door of Gra=
nite
House.
It was on the 17th of March that the lift acted
for the first time, and gave universal satisfaction. Henceforward all the
loads, wood, coal, provisions, and even the settlers themselves, were hoist=
ed
by this simple system, which replaced the primitive ladder, and, as may be =
supposed,
no one thought of regretting the change. Top particularly was enchanted with
this improvement, for he had not, and never could have possessed Master Jup=
's
skill in climbing ladders, and often it was on Neb's back, or even on that =
of
the orang that he had been obliged to make the ascent to Granite House. Abo=
ut
this time, too, Cyrus Harding attempted to manufacture glass, and he at fir=
st
put the old pottery-kiln to this new use. There were some difficulties to be
encountered; but, after several fruitless attempts, he succeeded in setting=
up
a glass manufactory, which Gideon Spilett and Herbert, his usual assistants,
did not leave for several days. As to the substances used in the compositio=
n of
glass, they are simply sand, chalk, and soda, either carbonate or sulphate.=
Now
the beach supplied sand, lime supplied chalk, sea-weeds supplied soda, pyri=
tes
supplied sulphuric acid, and the ground supplied coal to heat the kiln to t=
he
wished-for temperature. Cyrus Harding thus soon had everything ready for
setting to work.
The tool, the manufacture of which presented t=
he
most difficulty, was the pipe of the glass-maker, an iron tube, five or six
feet long, which collects on one end the material in a state of fusion. But=
by
means of a long, thin piece of iron rolled up like the barrel of a gun,
Pencroft succeeded in making a tube soon ready for use.
On the 28th of March the tube was heated. A
hundred parts of sand, thirty-five of chalk, forty of sulphate of soda, mix=
ed
with two or three parts of powdered coal, composed the substance, which was
placed in crucibles. When the high temperature of the oven had reduced it t=
o a liquid,
or rather a pasty state, Cyrus Harding collected with the tube a quantity of
the paste: he turned it about on a metal plate, previously arranged, so as =
to
give it a form suitable for blowing, then he passed the tube to Herbert,
telling him to blow at the other extremity.
And Herbert, swelling out his cheeks, blew so =
much
and so well into the tube-taking care to twirl it round at the same time--t=
hat
his breath dilated the glassy mass. Other quantities of the substance in a
state of fusion were added to the first, and in a short time the result was=
a bubble
which measured a foot in diameter. Harding then took the tube out of Herber=
t's
hands, and, giving it a pendulous motion, he ended by lengthening the malle=
able
bubble so as to give it a cylindroconic shape.
The blowing operation had given a cylinder of
glass terminated by two hemispheric caps, which were easily detached by mea=
ns
of a sharp iron dipped in cold water; then, by the same proceeding, this
cylinder was cut lengthways, and after having been rendered malleable by a
second heating, it was extended on a plate and spread out with a wooden rol=
ler.
The first pane was thus manufactured, and they=
had
only to perform this operation fifty times to have fifty panes. The windows=
at
Granite House were soon furnished with panes; not very white, perhaps, but
still sufficiently transparent.
As to bottles and tumblers, that was only play.
They were satisfied with them, besides, just as they came from the end of t=
he
tube. Pencroft had asked to be allowed to "blow" in his turn, and=
it
was great fun for him; but he blew so hard that his productions took the mo=
st
ridiculous shapes, which he admired immensely.
Cyrus Harding and Herbert, while hunting one d=
ay,
had entered the forest of the Far West, on the left bank of the Mercy, and,=
as
usual, the lad was asking a thousand questions of the engineer, who answered
them heartily. Now, as Harding was not a sportsman, and as, on the other si=
de,
Herbert was talking chemistry and natural philosophy, numbers of kangaroos,
capybaras, and agouties came within range, which, however, escaped the lad's
gun; the consequence was that the day was already advanced, and the two hun=
ters
were in danger of having made a useless excursion, when Herbert, stopping, =
and
uttering a cry of joy, exclaimed,--
"Oh, Captain Harding, do you see that
tree?" and he pointed to a shrub, rather than a tree, for it was compo=
sed
of a single stem, covered with a scaly bark, which bore leaves streaked with
little parallel veins.
"And what is this tree which resembles a
little palm?" asked Harding.
"It is a 'cycas revoluta,' of which I hav=
e a
picture in our dictionary of Natural History!" said Herbert.
"But I can't see any fruit on this
shrub!" observed his companion.
"No, captain," replied Herbert;
"but its stem contains a flour with which nature has provided us all r=
eady
ground."
"It is, then, the bread-tree?"
"Yes, the bread-tree."
"Well, my boy," replied the engineer,
"this is a valuable discovery, since our wheat harvest is not yet ripe=
; I
hope that you are not mistaken!"
Herbert was not mistaken: he broke the stem of=
a
cycas, which was composed of a glandulous tissue, containing a quantity of
floury pith, traversed with woody fiber, separated by rings of the same
substance, arranged concentrically. With this fecula was mingled a mucilagi=
nous
juice of disagreeable flavor, but which it would be easy to get rid of by
pressure. This cellular substance was regular flour of a superior quality,
extremely nourishing; its exportation was formerly forbidden by the Japanese
laws.
Cyrus Harding and Herbert, after having examin=
ed
that part of the Far West where the cycas grew, took their bearings, and
returned to Granite House, where they made known their discovery.
The next day the settlers went to collect some,
and returned to Granite House with an ample supply of cycas stems. The engi=
neer
constructed a press, with which to extract the mucilaginous juice mingled w=
ith
the fecula, and he obtained a large quantity of flour, which Neb soon trans=
formed
into cakes and puddings. This was not quite real wheaten bread, but it was =
very
like it.
Now, too, the onager, the goats, and the sheep=
in
the corral furnished daily the milk necessary to the colony. The cart, or
rather a sort of light carriole which had replaced it, made frequent journe=
ys
to the corral, and when it was Pencroft's turn to go he took Jup, and let h=
im drive,
and Jup, cracking his whip, acquitted himself with his customary intelligen=
ce.
Everything prospered, as well in the corral as=
in
Granite House, and certainly the settlers, if it had not been that they wer=
e so
far from their native land, had no reason to complain. They were so well su=
ited
to this life, and were, besides, so accustomed to the island, that they cou=
ld
not have left its hospitable soil without regret!
And yet so deeply is the love of his country
implanted in the heart of man, that if a ship had unexpectedly come in sigh=
t of
the island, the colonists would have made signals, would have attracted her
attention, and would have departed!
It was the 1st of April, a Sunday, Easter Day,
which Harding and his companions sanctified by rest and prayer. The day was
fine, such as an October day in the Northern Hemisphere might be.
All, towards the evening after dinner, were se=
ated
under the veranda on the edge of Prospect Heights, and they were watching t=
he darkness
creeping up from the horizon. Some cups of the infusion of elder-berries, w=
hich
took the place of coffee, had been served by Neb. They were speaking of the
island and of its isolated situation in the Pacific, which led Gideon Spile=
tt
to say,--
"My dear Cyrus, have you ever, since you
possessed the sextant found in the case, again taken the position of our
island?"
"No," replied the engineer.
"But it would perhaps be a good thing to =
do
it with this instrument, which is more perfect than that which you before
used."
"What is the good?" said Pencroft.
"The island is quite comfortable where it is!"
"Well, who knows," returned the
reporter, "who knows but that we may be much nearer inhabited land tha=
n we
think?"
"We shall know to-morrow," replied C=
yrus
Harding, "and if it had not been for the occupations which left me no
leisure, we should have known it already."
"Good!" said Pencroft. "The cap=
tain
is too good an observer to be mistaken, and, if it has not moved from its
place, the island is just where he put it."
"We shall see."
On the next day, therefore, by means of the
sextant, the engineer made the necessary observations to verify the position
which he had already obtained, and this was the result of his operation. His
first observation had given him the situation of Lincoln Island,--
In we=
st
longitude: from 150deg. to 155deg.;
In south latitude: from 30deg. to 35deg.
The s=
econd
gave exactly:
In
longitude: 150deg. 30'
In south latitude: 34deg. 57'
So then, notwithstanding the imperfection of h=
is
apparatus, Cyrus Harding had operated with so much skill that his error did=
not
exceed five degrees.
"Now," said Gideon Spilett, "si=
nce
we possess an atlas as well as a sextant, let us see, my dear Cyrus, the ex=
act
position which Lincoln Island occupies in the Pacific."
Herbert fetched the atlas, and the map of the
Pacific was opened, and the engineer, compass in hand, prepared to determine
their position.
Suddenly the compasses stopped, and he exclaim=
ed,
"But an island exists in this part of the
Pacific already!"
"An island?" cried Pencroft.
"Tabor Island."
"An important island?"
"No, an islet lost in the Pacific, and wh=
ich
perhaps has never been visited."
"Well, we will visit it," said Pencr=
oft.
"We?"
"Yes, captain. We will build a decked boa=
t,
and I will undertake to steer her. At what distance are we from this Tabor
Island?"
"About a hundred and fifty miles to the
northeast," replied Harding.
"A hundred and fifty miles! And what's
that?" returned Pencroft. "In forty-eight hours, with a good wind=
, we
should sight it!"
And, on this reply, it was decided that a vess=
el
should be constructed in time to be launched towards the month of next Octo=
ber,
on the return of the fine season.
When Pencroft had once got a plan in his head,=
he
had no peace till it was executed. Now he wished to visit Tabor Island, and=
as
a boat of a certain size was necessary for this voyage, he determined to bu=
ild
one.
What wood should he employ? Elm or fir, both of
which abounded in the island? They decided for the fir, as being easy to wo=
rk,
but which stands water as well as the elm.
These details settled, it was agreed that since
the fine season would not return before six months, Cyrus Harding and Pencr=
oft
should work alone at the boat. Gideon Spilett and Herbert were to continue =
to hunt,
and neither Neb nor Master Jup, his assistant, were to leave the domestic
duties which had devolved upon them.
Directly the trees were chosen, they were fell=
ed,
stripped of their branches, and sawn into planks as well as sawyers would h=
ave
been able to do it. A week after, in the recess between the Chimneys and th=
e cliff,
a dockyard was prepared, and a keel five-and-thirty feet long, furnished wi=
th a
stern-post at the stern and a stem at the bows, lay along the sand.
Cyrus Harding was not working in the dark at t=
his
new trade. He knew as much about ship-building as about nearly everything e=
lse,
and he had at first drawn the model of his ship on paper. Besides, he was a=
bly seconded
by Pencroft, who, having worked for several years in a dockyard in Brooklyn,
knew the practical part of the trade. It was not until after careful
calculation and deep thought that the timbers were laid on the keel.
Pencroft, as may be believed, was all eagernes= s to carry out his new enterprise, and would not leave his work for an instant.<= o:p>
A single thing had the honor of drawing him, b=
ut
for one day only, from his dockyard. This was the second wheat-harvest, whi=
ch
was gathered in on the 15th of April. It was as much a success as the first,
and yielded the number of grains which had been predicted.
"Five bushels, captain," said Pencro=
ft,
after having scrupulously measured his treasure.
"Five bushels," replied the engineer;
"and a hundred and thirty thousand grains a bushel will make six hundr=
ed
and fifty thousand grains."
"Well, we will sow them all this time,&qu=
ot;
said the sailor, "except a little in reserve."
"Yes, Pencroft, and if the next crop give=
s a
proportionate yield, we shall have four thousand bushels."
"And shall we eat bread?"
"We shall eat bread."
"But we must have a mill.
"We will make one."
The third corn-field was very much larger than=
the
two first, and the soil, prepared with extreme care, received the precious
seed. That done, Pencroft returned to his work.
During this time Spilett and Herbert hunted in=
the
neighborhood, and they ventured deep into the still unknown parts of the Far
West, their guns loaded with ball, ready for any dangerous emergency. It wa=
s a
vast thicket of magnificent trees, crowded together as if pressed for room.=
The
exploration of these dense masses of wood was difficult in the extreme, and=
the
reporter never ventured there without the pocket-compass, for the sun scarc=
ely
pierced through the thick foliage and it would have been very difficult for
them to retrace their way. It naturally happened that game was more rare in
those situations where there was hardly sufficient room to move; two or thr=
ee
large herbivorous animals were however killed during the last fortnight of
April. These were koalas, specimens of which the settlers had already seen =
to
the north of the lake, and which stupidly allowed themselves to be killed a=
mong
the thick branches of the trees in which they took refuge. Their skins were
brought back to Granite House, and there, by the help of sulphuric acid, th=
ey
were subjected to a sort of tanning process which rendered them capable of
being used.
On the 30th of April, the two sportsmen were in
the depth of the Far West, when the reporter, preceding Herbert a few paces,
arrived in a sort of clearing, into which the trees more sparsely scattered=
had
permitted a few rays to penetrate. Gideon Spilett was at first surprised at=
the
odor which exhaled from certain plants with straight stalks, round and bran=
chy,
bearing grape-like clusters of flowers and very small berries. The reporter
broke off one or two of these stalks and returned to the lad, to whom he
said,--
"What can this be, Herbert?"
"Well, Mr. Spilett," said Herbert,
"this is a treasure which will secure you Pencroft's gratitude
forever."
"Is it tobacco?"
"Yes, and though it may not be of the fir=
st
quality, it is none the less tobacco!"
"Oh, good old Pencroft! Won't he be pleas=
ed!
But we must not let him smoke it all, he must give us our share."
"Ah! an idea occurs to me, Mr. Spilett,&q=
uot;
replied Herbert. "Don't let us say anything to Pencroft yet; we will
prepare these leaves, and one fine day we will present him with a pipe alre=
ady
filled!"
"All right, Herbert, and on that day our
worthy companion will have nothing left to wish for in this world."
The reporter and the lad secured a good store =
of
the precious plant, and then returned to Granite House, where they smuggled=
it
in with as much precaution as if Pencroft had been the most vigilant and se=
vere
of custom-house officers.
Cyrus Harding and Neb were taken into confiden=
ce,
and the sailor suspected nothing during the whole time, necessarily somewhat
long, which was required in order to dry the small leaves, chop them up, an=
d subject
them to a certain torrefaction on hot stones. This took two months; but all
these manipulations were successfully carried on unknown to Pencroft, for,
occupied with the construction of his boat, he only returned to Granite Hou=
se
at the hour of rest.
For some days they had observed an enormous an=
imal
two or three miles out in the open sea swimming around Lincoln Island. This=
was
a whale of the largest size, which apparently belonged to the southern spec=
ies,
called the "Cape Whale."
"What a lucky chance it would be if we co=
uld
capture it!" cried the sailor. "Ah! if we only had a proper boat =
and
a good harpoon, I would say 'After the beast,' for he would be well worth t=
he
trouble of catching!"
"Well, Pencroft," observed Harding,
"I should much like to watch you handling a harpoon. It would be very
interesting."
"I am astonished," said the reporter,
"to see a whale in this comparatively high latitude."
"Why so, Mr. Spilett?" replied Herbe=
rt.
"We are exactly in that part of the Pacific which English and American
whalemen call the whale field, and it is here, between New Zealand and South
America, that the whales of the Southern Hemisphere are met with in the
greatest numbers."
And Pencroft returned to his work, not without
uttering a sigh of regret, for every sailor is a born fisherman, and if the
pleasure of fishing is in exact proportion to the size of the animal, one c=
an
judge how a whaler feels in sight of a whale. And if this had only been for=
pleasure!
But they could not help feeling how valuable such a prize would have been to
the colony, for the oil, fat, and bones would have been put to many uses.
Now it happened that this whale appeared to ha=
ve
no wish to leave the waters of the island. Therefore, whether from the wind=
ows
of Granite House, or from Prospect Heights, Herbert and Gideon Spilett, when
they were not hunting, or Neb, unless presiding over his fires, never left =
the
telescope, but watched all the animal's movements. The cetacean, having ent=
ered
far into Union Bay, made rapid furrows across it from Mandible Cape to Claw
Cape, propelled by its enormously powerful flukes, on which it supported
itself, and making its way through the water at the rate little short of tw=
elve
knots. Sometimes also it approached so near to the island that it could be
clearly distinguished. It was the southern whale, which is completely black,
the head being more depressed than that of the northern whale.
They could also see it throwing up from its
air-holes to a great height a cloud of vapor, or of water, for, strange as =
it
may appear, naturalists and whalers are not agreed on this subject. Is it a=
ir
or is it water which is thus driven out? It is generally admitted to be vap=
or, which,
condensing suddenly by contact with the cold air, falls again as rain.
However, the presence of this mammifer preoccu=
pied
the colonists. It irritated Pencroft especially, as he could think of nothi=
ng
else while at work. He ended by longing for it, like a child for a thing wh=
ich
it has been denied. At night he talked about it in his sleep, and certainly=
if
he had had the means of attacking it, if the sloop had been in a fit state =
to
put to sea, he would not have hesitated to set out in pursuit.
But what the colonists could not do for themse=
lves
chance did for them, and on the 3rd of May shouts from Neb, who had station=
ed
himself at the kitchen window, announced that the whale was stranded on the
beach of the island.
Herbert and Gideon Spilett, who were just abou=
t to
set out hunting, left their guns, Pencroft threw down his ax, and Harding a=
nd
Neb joining their companions, all rushed towards the scene of action.
The stranding had taken place on the beach of
Flotsam Point, three miles from Granite House, and at high tide. It was
therefore probable that the cetacean would not be able to extricate itself =
easily;
at any rate it was best to hasten, so as to cut off its retreat if necessar=
y.
They ran with pick-axes and iron-tipped poles in their hands, passed over t=
he Mercy
bridge, descended the right bank of the river, along the beach, and in less
than twenty minutes the settlers were close to the enormous animal, above w=
hich
flocks of birds already hovered.
"What a monster!" cried Neb.
And the exclamation was natural, for it was a
southern whale, eighty feet long, a giant of the species, probably not weig=
hing
less than a hundred and fifty thousand pounds!
In the meanwhile, the monster thus stranded did
not move, nor attempt by struggling to regain the water while the tide was
still high.
It was dead, and a harpoon was sticking out of=
its
left side.
"There are whalers in these quarters,
then?" said Gideon Spilett directly.
"Oh, Mr. Spilett, that doesn't prove
anything!" replied Pencroft. "Whales have been known to go thousa=
nds
of miles with a harpoon in the side, and this one might even have been stru=
ck in
the north of the Atlantic and come to die in the south of the Pacific, and =
it
would be nothing astonishing."
Pencroft, having torn the harpoon from the
animal's side, read this inscription on it:
MARIA STELLA, VINEYARD
"=
;A
vessel from the Vineyard! A ship from my country!" he cried. "The=
'Maria
Stella!' A fine whaler, 'pon my word; I know her well! Oh, my friends, a ve=
ssel
from the Vineyard!--a whaler from the Vineyard!"
And the sailor brandishing the harpoon, repeat=
ed,
not without emotion, the name which he loved so well--the name of his
birthplace.
But as it could not be expected that the
"Maria Stella" would come to reclaim the animal harpooned by her,
they resolved to begin cutting it up before decomposition should commence. =
The
birds, who had watched this rich prey for several days, had determined to t=
ake
possession of it without further delay, and it was necessary to drive them =
off
by firing at them repeatedly.
The whale was a female, and a large quantity of
milk was taken from it, which, according to the opinion of the naturalist
Duffenbach, might pass for cow's milk, and, indeed, it differs from it neit=
her
in taste, color, nor density.
Pencroft had formerly served on board a
whaling-ship, and he could methodically direct the operation of cutting up,=
a
sufficiently disagreeable operation lasting three days, but from which the
settlers did not flinch, not even Gideon Spilett, who, as the sailor said,
would end by making a "real good castaway."
The blubber, cut in parallel slices of two feet
and a half in thickness, then divided into pieces which might weigh about a
thousand pounds each, was melted down in large earthen pots brought to the
spot, for they did not wish to taint the environs of Granite House, and in =
this
fusion it lost nearly a third of its weight.
But there was an immense quantity of it; the
tongue alone yielded six thousand pounds of oil, and the lower lip four
thousand. Then, besides the fat, which would insure for a long time a store=
of
stearine and glycerine, there were still the bones, for which a use could
doubtless be found, although there were neither umbrellas nor stays used at=
Granite
House. The upper part of the mouth of the cetacean was, indeed, provided on
both sides with eight hundred horny blades, very elastic, of a fibrous text=
ure,
and fringed at the edge like great combs, at which the teeth, six feet long,
served to retain the thousands of animalculae, little fish, and molluscs, on
which the whale fed.
The operation finished, to the great satisfact=
ion
of the operators, the remains of the animal were left to the birds, who wou=
ld
soon make every vestige of it disappear, and their usual daily occupations =
were
resumed by the inmates of Granite House.
However, before returning to the dockyard, Cyr=
us
Harding conceived the idea of fabricating certain machines, which greatly
excited the curiosity of his companions. He took a dozen of the whale's bon=
es,
cut them into six equal parts, and sharpened their ends.
"This machine is not my own invention, an=
d it
is frequently employed by the Aleutian hunters in Russian America. You see
these bones, my friends; well, when it freezes, I will bend them, and then =
wet
them with water till they are entirely covered with ice, which will keep th=
em bent,
and I will strew them on the snow, having previously covered them with fat.
Now, what will happen if a hungry animal swallows one of these baits? Why, =
the
heat of his stomach will melt the ice, and the bone, springing straight, wi=
ll
pierce him with its sharp points."
"Well! I do call that ingenious!" sa=
id
Pencroft.
"And it will spare the powder and shot,&q=
uot;
rejoined Cyrus Harding.
"That will be better than traps!" ad=
ded
Neb.
In the meanwhile the boat-building progressed,=
and
towards the end of the month half the planking was completed. It could alre=
ady
be seen that her shape was excellent, and that she would sail well.
Pencroft worked with unparalleled ardor, and o=
nly
a sturdy frame could have borne such fatigue; but his companions were prepa=
ring
in secret a reward for his labors, and on the 31st of May he was to meet wi=
th
one of the greatest joys of his life.
On that day, after dinner, just as he was abou=
t to
leave the table, Pencroft felt a hand on his shoulder.
It was the hand of Gideon Spilett, who said,--=
"One moment, Master Pencroft, you mustn't
sneak off like that! You've forgotten your dessert."
"Thank you, Mr. Spilett," replied the
sailor, "I am going back to my work."
"Well, a cup of coffee, my friend?"<= o:p>
"Nothing more."
"A pipe, then?"
Pencroft jumped up, and his great good-natured
face grew pale when he saw the reporter presenting him with a ready-filled
pipe, and Herbert with a glowing coal.
The sailor endeavored to speak, but could not =
get
out a word; so, seizing the pipe, he carried it to his lips, then applying =
the
coal, he drew five or six great whiffs. A fragrant blue cloud soon arose, a=
nd from
its depths a voice was heard repeating excitedly,--
"Tobacco! real tobacco!"
"Yes, Pencroft," returned Cyrus Hard=
ing,
"and very good tobacco too!"
"O, divine Providence; sacred Author of a=
ll
things!" cried the sailor. "Nothing more is now wanting to our
island."
And Pencroft smoked, and smoked, and smoked.
"And who made this discovery?" he as=
ked
at length. "You, Herbert, no doubt?"
"No, Pencroft, it was Mr. Spilett."<= o:p>
"Mr. Spilett!" exclaimed the sailor,
seizing the reporter, and clasping him to his breast with such a squeeze th=
at
he had never felt anything like it before.
"Oh Pencroft," said Spilett, recover=
ing
his breath at last, "a truce for one moment. You must share your grati=
tude
with Herbert, who recognized the plant, with Cyrus, who prepared it, and wi=
th
Neb, who took a great deal of trouble to keep our secret."
"Well, my friends, I will repay you some
day," replied the sailor. "Now we are friends for life."
Winter arrived with the month of June, which is
the December of the northern zones, and the great business was the making of
warm and solid clothing.
The musmons in the corral had been stripped of
their wool, and this precious textile material was now to be transformed in=
to
stuff.
Of course Cyrus Harding, having at his disposal
neither carders, combers, polishers, stretchers, twisters, mule-jenny, nor
self-acting machine to spin the wool, nor loom to weave it, was obliged to
proceed in a simpler way, so as to do without spinning and weaving. And ind=
eed he
proposed to make use of the property which the filaments of wool possess wh=
en
subjected to a powerful pressure of mixing together, and of manufacturing by
this simple process the material called felt. This felt could then be obtai=
ned
by a simple operation which, if it diminished the flexibility of the stuff,
increased its power of retaining heat in proportion. Now the wool furnished=
by
the musmons was composed of very short hairs, and was in a good condition t=
o be
felted.
The engineer, aided by his companions, includi=
ng
Pencroft, who was once more obliged to leave his boat, commenced the
preliminary operations, the subject of which was to rid the wool of that fat
and oily substance with which it is impregnated, and which is called grease.
This cleaning was done in vats filled with water, which was maintained at t=
he temperature
of seventy degrees, and in which the wool was soaked for four-and-twenty ho=
urs;
it was then thoroughly washed in baths of soda, and, when sufficiently drie=
d by
pressure, it was in a state to be compressed, that is to say, to produce a
solid material, rough, no doubt, and such as would have no value in a
manufacturing center of Europe or America, but which would be highly esteem=
ed
in the Lincoln Island markets.
This sort of material must have been known from
the most ancient times, and, in fact, the first woolen stuffs were manufact=
ured
by the process which Harding was now about to employ. Where Harding's
engineering qualifications now came into play was in the construction of the
machine for pressing the wool; for he knew how to turn ingeniously to profi=
t the
mechanical force, hitherto unused, which the waterfall on the beach possess=
ed
to move a fulling-mill.
Nothing could be more rudimentary. The wool was
placed in troughs, and upon it fell in turns heavy wooden mallets; such was=
the
machine in question, and such it had been for centuries until the time when=
the
mallets were replaced by cylinders of compression, and the material was no
longer subjected to beating, but to regular rolling.
The operation, ably directed by Cyrus Harding,=
was
a complete success. The wool, previously impregnated with a solution of soa=
p,
intended on the one hand to facilitate the interlacing, the compression, and
the softening of the wool, and on the other to prevent its diminution by the
beating, issued from the mill in the shape of thick felt cloth. The roughne=
sses
with which the staple of wool is naturally filled were so thoroughly entang=
led and
interlaced together that a material was formed equally suitable either for
garments or bedclothes. It was certainly neither merino, muslin, cashmere, =
rep,
satin, alpaca, cloth, nor flannel. It was "Lincolnian felt," and
Lincoln Island possessed yet another manufacture. The colonists had now warm
garments and thick bedclothes, and they could without fear await the approa=
ch
of the winter of 1866-67.
The severe cold began to be felt about the 20t=
h of
June, and, to his great regret, Pencroft was obliged to suspend his
boat-building, which he hoped to finish in time for next spring.
The sailor's great idea was to make a voyage of
discovery to Tabor Island, although Harding could not approve of a voyage
simply for curiosity's sake, for there was evidently nothing to be found on
this desert and almost arid rock. A voyage of a hundred and fifty miles in =
a comparatively
small vessel, over unknown seas, could not but cause him some anxiety. Supp=
ose
that their vessel, once out at sea, should be unable to reach Tabor Island,=
and
could not return to Lincoln Island, what would become of her in the midst of
the Pacific, so fruitful of disasters?
Harding often talked over this project with
Pencroft, and he found him strangely bent upon undertaking this voyage, for
which determination he himself could give no sufficient reason.
"Now," said the engineer one day to =
him,
"I must observe, my friend, that after having said so much, in praise =
of
Lincoln Island, after having spoken so often of the sorrow you would feel if
you were obliged to forsake it, you are the first to wish to leave it."=
;
"Only to leave it for a few days,"
replied Pencroft, "only for a few days, captain. Time to go and come b=
ack,
and see what that islet is like!"
"But it is not nearly as good as Lincoln =
Island."
"I know that beforehand."
"Then why venture there?"
"To know what is going on in Tabor
Island."
"But nothing is going on there; nothing c=
ould
happen there."
"Who knows?"
"And if you are caught in a hurricane?&qu=
ot;
"There is no fear of that in the fine
season," replied Pencroft. "But, captain, as we must provide agai=
nst
everything, I shall ask your permission to take Herbert only with me on this
voyage."
"Pencroft," replied the engineer,
placing his hand on the sailor's shoulder, "if any misfortune happens =
to
you, or to this lad, whom chance has made our child, do you think we could =
ever
cease to blame ourselves?"
"Captain Harding," replied Pencroft,
with unshaken confidence, "we shall not cause you that sorrow. Besides=
, we
will speak further of this voyage, when the time comes to make it. And I fa=
ncy,
when you have seen our tight-rigged little craft, when you have observed how
she behaves at sea, when we sail round our island, for we will do so
together--I fancy, I say, that you will no longer hesitate to let me go. I
don't conceal from you that your boat will be a masterpiece."
"Say 'our' boat, at least, Pencroft," replied the engineer, disarmed for the moment. The conversation ended thus,= to be resumed later on, without convincing either the sailor or the engineer.<= o:p>
The first snow fell towards the end of the mon=
th
of June. The corral had previously been largely supplied with stores, so th=
at
daily visits to it were not requisite; but it was decided that more than a =
week
should never be allowed to pass without someone going to it.
Traps were again set, and the machines
manufactured by Harding were tried. The bent whalebones, imprisoned in a ca=
se
of ice, and covered with a thick outer layer of fat, were placed on the bor=
der
of the forest at a spot where animals usually passed on their way to the la=
ke.
To the engineer's great satisfaction, this
invention, copied from the Aleutian fishermen, succeeded perfectly. A dozen
foxes, a few wild boars, and even a jaguar, were taken in this way, the ani=
mals
being found dead, their stomachs pierced by the unbent bones.
An incident must here be related, not only as
interesting in itself, but because it was the first attempt made by the
colonists to communicate with the rest of mankind.
Gideon Spilett had already several times ponde=
red
whether to throw into the sea a letter enclosed in a bottle, which currents
might perhaps carry to an inhabited coast, or to confide it to pigeons.
But how could it be seriously hoped that either
pigeons or bottles could cross the distance of twelve hundred miles which
separated the island from any inhabited land? It would have been pure folly=
.
But on the 30th of June the capture was effect=
ed,
not without difficulty, of an albatross, which a shot from Herbert's gun ha=
d slightly
wounded in the foot. It was a magnificent bird, measuring ten feet from win=
g to
wing, and which could traverse seas as wide as the Pacific.
Herbert would have liked to keep this superb b=
ird,
as its wound would soon heal, and he thought he could tame it; but Spilett
explained to him that they should not neglect this opportunity of attemptin=
g to
communicate by this messenger with the lands of the Pacific; for if the alb=
atross
had come from some inhabited region, there was no doubt but that it would
return there so soon as it was set free.
Perhaps in his heart Gideon Spilett, in whom t=
he
journalist sometimes came to the surface, was not sorry to have the opportu=
nity
of sending forth to take its chance an exciting article relating the advent=
ures
of the settlers in Lincoln Island. What a success for the authorized report=
er
of the New York Herald, and for the number which should contain the article=
, if
it should ever reach the address of its editor, the Honorable James Bennett=
!
Gideon Spilett then wrote out a concise accoun=
t,
which was placed in a strong waterproof bag, with an earnest request to who=
ever
might find it to forward it to the office of the New York Herald. This litt=
le
bag was fastened to the neck of the albatross, and not to its foot, for the=
se birds
are in the habit of resting on the surface of the sea; then liberty was giv=
en
to this swift courier of the air, and it was not without some emotion that =
the
colonists watched it disappear in the misty west.
"Where is he going to?" asked Pencro=
ft.
"Towards New Zealand," replied Herbe=
rt.
"A good voyage to you," shouted the
sailor, who himself did not expect any great result from this mode of
correspondence.
With the winter, work had been resumed in the
interior of Granite House, mending clothes and different occupations, among
others making the sails for their vessel, which were cut from the inexhaust=
ible
balloon-case.
During the month of July the cold was intense,=
but
there was no lack of either wood or coal. Cyrus Harding had established a
second fireplace in the dining-room, and there the long winter evenings were
spent. Talking while they worked, reading when the hands remained idle, the
time passed with profit to all.
It was real enjoyment to the settlers when in
their room, well lighted with candles, well warmed with coal, after a good
dinner, elderberry coffee smoking in the cups, the pipes giving forth an
odoriferous smoke, they could hear the storm howling without. Their comfort
would have been complete, if complete comfort could ever exist for those who
are far from their fellow-creatures, and without any means of communication
with them. They often talked of their country, of the friends whom they had=
left,
of the grandeur of the American Republic, whose influence could not but
increase; and Cyrus Harding, who had been much mixed up with the affairs of=
the
Union, greatly interested his auditors by his recitals, his views, and his
prognostics.
It chanced one day that Spilett was led to say=
--
"But now, my dear Cyrus, all this industr=
ial
and commercial movement to which you predict a continual advance, does it n=
ot
run the danger of being sooner or later completely stopped?"
"Stopped! And by what?"
"By the want of coal, which may justly be
called the most precious of minerals."
"Yes, the most precious indeed," rep=
lied
the engineer; "and it would seem that nature wished to prove that it w=
as
so by making the diamond, which is simply pure carbon crystallized."
"You don't mean to say, captain,"
interrupted Pencroft, "that we burn diamonds in our stoves in the shap=
e of
coal?"
"No, my friend," replied Harding.
"However," resumed Gideon Spilett,
"you do not deny that some day the coal will be entirely consumed?&quo=
t;
"Oh! the veins of coal are still
considerable, and the hundred thousand miners who annually extract from the=
m a
hundred millions of hundredweights have not nearly exhausted them."
"With the increasing consumption of
coal," replied Gideon Spilett, "it can be foreseen that the hundr=
ed
thousand workmen will soon become two hundred thousand, and that the rate of
extraction will be doubled."
"Doubtless; but after the European mines,
which will be soon worked more thoroughly with new machines, the American a=
nd
Australian mines will for a long time yet provide for the consumption in
trade."
"For how long a time?" asked the
reporter.
"For at least two hundred and fifty or th=
ree
hundred years."
"That is reassuring for us, but a bad
look-out for our great-grandchildren!" observed Pencroft.
"They will discover something else,"
said Herbert.
"It is to be hoped so," answered
Spilett, "for without coal there would be no machinery, and without
machinery there would be no railways, no steamers, no manufactories, nothin=
g of
that which is indispensable to modern civilization!"
"But what will they find?" asked
Pencroft. "Can you guess, captain?"
"Nearly, my friend."
"And what will they burn instead of
coal?"
"Water," replied Harding.
"Water!" cried Pencroft, "water=
as
fuel for steamers and engines! water to heat water!"
"Yes, but water decomposed into its primi=
tive
elements," replied Cyrus Harding, "and decomposed doubtless, by
electricity, which will then have become a powerful and manageable force, f=
or
all great discoveries, by some inexplicable laws, appear to agree and become
complete at the same time. Yes, my friends, I believe that water will one d=
ay
be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it, used sin=
gly
or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an
intensity of which coal is not capable. Some day the coalrooms of steamers =
and
the tenders of locomotives will, instead of coal, be stored with these two
condensed gases, which will burn in the furnaces with enormous calorific po=
wer.
There is, therefore, nothing to fear. As long as the earth is inhabited it =
will
supply the wants of its inhabitants, and there will be no want of either li=
ght
or heat as long as the productions of the vegetable, mineral or animal king=
doms
do not fail us. I believe, then, that when the deposits of coal are exhaust=
ed
we shall heat and warm ourselves with water. Water will be the coal of the =
future."
"I should like to see that," observed
the sailor.
"You were born too soon, Pencroft,"
returned Neb, who only took part in the discussion by these words.
However, it was not Neb's speech which interru=
pted
the conversation, but Top's barking, which broke out again with that strange
intonation which had before perplexed the engineer. At the same time Top be=
gan
to run round the mouth of the well, which opened at the extremity of the in=
terior
passage.
"What can Top be barking in that way
for?" asked Pencroft.
"And Jup be growling like that?" add=
ed
Herbert.
In fact the orang, joining the dog, gave
unequivocal signs of agitation, and, singular to say, the two animals appea=
red
more uneasy than angry.
"It is evident," said Gideon Spilett,
"that this well is in direct communication with the sea, and that some
marine animal comes from time to time to breathe at the bottom."
"That's evident," replied the sailor,
"and there can be no other explanation to give. Quiet there, Top!"
added Pencroft, turning to the dog, "and you, Jup, be off to your
room!"
The ape and the dog were silent. Jup went off =
to
bed, but Top remained in the room, and continued to utter low growls at
intervals during the rest of the evening. There was no further talk on the
subject, but the incident, however, clouded the brow of the engineer.
During the remainder of the month of July there
was alternate rain and frost. The temperature was not so low as during the
preceding winter, and its maximum did not exceed eight degrees Fahrenheit. =
But
although this winter was less cold, it was more troubled by storms and squa=
lls;
the sea besides often endangered the safety of the Chimneys. At times it al=
most
seemed as if an under-current raised these monstrous billows which thundered
against the wall of Granite House.
When the settlers, leaning from their windows,
gazed on the huge watery masses breaking beneath their eyes, they could not=
but
admire the magnificent spectacle of the ocean in its impotent fury. The wav=
es rebounded
in dazzling foam, the beach entirely disapppearing under the raging flood, =
and
the cliff appearing to emerge from the sea itself, the spray rising to a he=
ight
of more than a hundred feet.
During these storms it was difficult and even
dangerous to venture out, owing to the frequently falling trees; however, t=
he
colonists never allowed a week to pass without having paid a visit to the
corral. Happily, this enclosure, sheltered by the southeastern spur of Moun=
t Franklin,
did not greatly suffer from the violence of the hurricanes, which spared its
trees, sheds, and palisades; but the poultry-yard on Prospect Heights, being
directly exposed to the gusts of wind from the east, suffered considerable
damage. The pigeon-house was twice unroofed and the paling blown down. All =
this
required to be remade more solidly than before, for, as may be clearly seen,
Lincoln Island was situated in one of the most dangerous parts of the Pacif=
ic.
It really appeared as if it formed the central point of vast cyclones, which
beat it perpetually as the whip does the top, only here it was the top which
was motionless and the whip which moved. During the first week of the month=
of
August the weather became more moderate, and the atmosphere recovered the c=
alm which
it appeared to have lost forever. With the calm the cold again became inten=
se,
and the thermometer fell to eight degrees Fahrenheit, below zero.
On the 3rd of August an excursion which had be=
en
talked of for several days was made into the southeastern part of the islan=
d,
towards Tadorn Marsh. The hunters were tempted by the aquatic game which to=
ok
up their winter quarters there. Wild duck, snipe, teal and grebe abounded
there, and it was agreed that a day should be devoted to an expedition agai=
nst these
birds.
Not only Gideon Spilett and Herbert, but Pencr=
oft
and Neb also took part in this excursion. Cyrus Harding alone, alleging some
work as an excuse, did not join them, but remained at Granite House.
The hunters proceeded in the direction of Port
Balloon, in order to reach the marsh, after having promised to be back by t=
he
evening. Top and Jup accompanied them. As soon as they had passed over the
Mercy Bridge, the engineer raised it and returned, intending to put into ex=
ecution
a project for the performance of which he wished to be alone.
Now this project was to minutely explore the
interior well, the mouth of which was on a level with the passage of Granite
House, and which communicated with the sea, since it formerly supplied a wa=
y to
the waters of the lake.
Why did Top so often run round this opening? W=
hy
did he utter such strange barks when a sort of uneasiness seemed to draw him
towards this well? Why did Jup join Top in a sort of common anxiety? Had th=
is
well branches besides the communication with the sea? Did it spread towards=
other
parts of the island? This is what Cyrus Harding wished to know. He had
resolved, therefore, to attempt the exploration of the well during the abse=
nce
of his companions, and an opportunity for doing so had now presented itself=
.
It was easy to descend to the bottom of the we=
ll
by employing the rope ladder which had not been used since the establishmen=
t of
the lift. The engineer drew the ladder to the hole, the diameter of which
measured nearly six feet, and allowed it to unroll itself after having secu=
rely
fastened its upper extremity. Then, having lighted a lantern, taken a revol=
ver,
and placed a cutlass in his belt, he began the descent.
The sides were everywhere entire; but points of
rock jutted out here and there, and by means of these points it would have =
been
quite possible for an active creature to climb to the mouth of the well.
The engineer remarked this; but although he
carefully examined these points by the light of his lantern, he could find =
no
impression, no fracture which could give any reason to suppose that they had
either recently or at any former time been used as a staircase. Cyrus Hardi=
ng descended
deeper, throwing the light of his lantern on all sides.
He saw nothing suspicious.
When the engineer had reached the last rounds =
he
came upon the water, which was then perfectly calm. Neither at its level no=
r in
any other part of the well, did any passage open, which could lead to the
interior of the cliff. The wall which Harding struck with the hilt of his
cutlass sounded solid. It was compact granite, through which no living bein=
g could
force a way. To arrive at the bottom of the well and then climb up to its m=
outh
it was necessary to pass through the channel under the rocky subsoil of the
beach, which placed it in communication with the sea, and this was only
possible for marine animals. As to the question of knowing where this chann=
el
ended, at what point of the shore, and at what depth beneath the water, it
could not be answered.
Then Cyrus Harding, having ended his survey,
re-ascended, drew up the ladder, covered the mouth of the well, and returned
thoughtfully to the diningroom, saying to himself,--
"I have seen nothing, and yet there is
something there!"
In the evening the hunters returned, having
enjoyed good sport, and being literally loaded with game; indeed, they had =
as
much as four men could possibly carry. Top wore a necklace of teal and Jup
wreaths of snipe round his body.
"Here, master," cried Neb; "her=
e's something
to employ our time! Preserved and made into pies we shall have a welcome st=
ore!
But I must have some one to help me. I count on you, Pencroft."
"No, Neb," replied the sailor; "=
;I
have the rigging of the vessel to finish and to look after, and you will ha=
ve
to do without me."
"And you, Mr. Herbert?"
"I must go to the corral to-morrow,
Neb," replied the lad.
"It will be you then, Mr. Spilett, who wi=
ll
help me?"
"To oblige you, Neb, I will," replied
the reporter; "but I warn you that if you disclose your recipes to me,=
I
shall publish them."
"Whenever you like, Mr. Spilett,"
replied Neb; "whenever you like."
And so the next day Gideon Spilett became Neb's
assistant and was installed in his culinary laboratory. The engineer had
previously made known to him the result of the exploration which he had made
the day before, and on this point the reporter shared Harding's opinion, th=
at although
he had found nothing, a secret still remained to be discovered!
The frost continued for another week, and the
settlers did not leave Granite House unless to look after the poultry-yard.=
The
dwelling was filled with appetizing odors, which were emitted from the lear=
ned manipulation
of Neb and the reporter. But all the results of the chase were not made into
preserved provisions; and as the game kept perfectly in the intense cold, w=
ild
duck and other fowl were eaten fresh, and declared superior to all other
aquatic birds in the known world.
During this week, Pencroft, aided by Herbert, =
who
handled the sailmaker's needle with much skill, worked with such energy that
the sails of the vessel were finished. There was no want of cordage. Thanks=
to
the rigging which had been discovered with the case of the balloon, the rop=
es
and cables from the net were all of good quality, and the sailor turned them
all to account. To the sails were attached strong bolt ropes, and there sti=
ll
remained enough from which to make the halyards, shrouds, and sheets, etc. =
The
blocks were manufactured by Cyrus Harding under Pencroft's directions by me=
ans
of the turning lathe. It therefore happened that the rigging was entirely
prepared before the vessel was finished. Pencroft also manufactured a flag,
that flag so dear to every true American, containing the stars and stripes =
of
their glorious Union. The colors for it were supplied from certain plants u=
sed
in dyeing, and which were very abundant in the island; only to the thirty-s=
even
stars, representing the thirty-seven States of the Union, which shine on the
American flag, the sailor added a thirty-eighth, the star of "the Stat=
e of
Lincoln," for he considered his island as already united to the great
republic. "And," said he, "it is so already in heart, if not=
in
deed!"
In the meantime, the flag was hoisted at the
central window of Granite House, and the settlers saluted it with three che=
ers.
The cold season was now almost at an end, and =
it
appeared as if this second winter was to pass without any unusual occurrenc=
e,
when on the night of the 11th of August, the plateau of Prospect Heights was
menaced with complete destruction.
After a busy day the colonists were sleeping
soundly, when towards four o'clock in the morning they were suddenly awaken=
ed
by Top's barking.
The dog was not this time barking near the mou=
th
of the well, but at the threshold of the door, at which he was scratching a=
s if
he wished to burst it open. Jup was also uttering piercing cries.
"Hello, Top!" cried Neb, who was the
first awake. But the dog continued to bark more furiously than ever.
"What's the matter now?" asked Hardi=
ng.
And all dressing in haste rushed to the window=
s,
which they opened.
Beneath their eyes was spread a sheet of snow
which looked gray in the dim light. The settlers could see nothing, but they
heard a singular yelping noise away in the darkness. It was evident that the
beach had been invaded by a number of animals which could not be seen.
"What are they?" cried Pencroft.
"Wolves, jaguars, or apes?" replied =
Neb.
"They have nearly reached the plateau,&qu=
ot;
said the reporter.
"And our poultry-yard," exclaimed
Herbert, "and our garden!"
"Where can they have crossed?" asked
Pencroft.
"They must have crossed the bridge on the
shore," replied the engineer, "which one of us must have forgotte=
n to
close."
"True," said Spilett, "I rememb=
er
having left it open."
"A fine job you have made of it, Mr.
Spilett," cried the sailor.
"What is done cannot be undone," rep= lied Cyrus Harding. "We must consult what it will now be best to do."<= o:p>
Such were the questions and answers which were
rapidly exchanged between Harding and his companions. It was certain that t=
he
bridge had been crossed, that the shore had been invaded by animals, and th=
at
whatever they might be they could by ascending the left bank of the Mercy r=
each
Prospect Heights. They must therefore be advanced against quickly and fought
with if necessary.
"But what are these beasts?" was ask=
ed a
second time, as the yelpings were again heard more loudly than before. These
yelps made Herbert start, and he remembered having heard them before during=
his
first visit to the sources of the Red Creek.
"They are colpeo foxes!" he exclaime=
d.
"Forward!" shouted the sailor.
And all arming themselves with hatchets, carbi=
nes,
and revolvers, threw themselves into the lift and soon set foot on the shor=
e.
Colpeos are dangerous animals when in great
numbers and irritated by hunger, nevertheless the colonists did not hesitat=
e to
throw themselves into the midst of the troop, and their first shots vividly
lighting up the darkness made their assailants draw back.
The chief thing was to hinder these plunderers
from reaching the plateau, for the garden and the poultry-yard would then h=
ave
been at their mercy, and immense, perhaps irreparable mischief, would
inevitably be the result, especially with regard to the corn-field. But as =
the invasion
of the plateau could only be made by the left bank of the Mercy, it was
sufficient to oppose the colpeos on the narrow bank between the river and t=
he
cliff of granite.
This was plain to all, and, by Cyrus Harding's
orders, they reached the spot indicated by him, while the colpeos rushed
fiercely through the gloom. Harding, Gideon Spilett, Herbert, Pencroft and =
Neb
posted themselves in impregnable line. Top, his formidable jaws open, prece=
ded the
colonists, and he was followed by Jup, armed with a knotty cudgel, which he
brandished like a club.
The night was extremely dark, it was only by t=
he
flashes from the revolvers as each person fired that they could see their
assailants, who were at least a hundred in number, and whose eyes were glow=
ing
like hot coals.
"They must not pass!" shouted Pencro=
ft.
"They shall not pass!" returned the
engineer.
But if they did not pass it was not for want of
having attempted it. Those in the rear pushed on the foremost assailants, a=
nd
it was an incessant struggle with revolvers and hatchets. Several colpeos
already lay dead on the ground, but their number did not appear to diminish=
, and
it might have been supposed that reinforcements were continually arriving o=
ver
the bridge.
The colonists were soon obliged to fight at cl=
ose
quarters, not without receiving some wounds, though happily very slight one=
s.
Herbert had, with a shot from his revolver, rescued Neb, on whose back a co=
lpeo
had sprung like a tiger cat. Top fought with actual fury, flying at the thr=
oats
of the foxes and strangling them instantaneously. Jup wielded his weapon
valiantly, and it was in vain that they endeavored to keep him in the rear.
Endowed doubtless with sight which enabled him to pierce the obscurity, he =
was
always in the thick of the fight uttering from time to time--a sharp hissing
sound, which was with him the sign of great rejoicing.
At one moment he advanced so far, that by the
light from a revolver he was seen surrounded by five or six large colpeos, =
with
whom he was coping with great coolness.
However, the struggle was ended at last, and
victory was on the side of the settlers, but not until they had fought for =
two
long hours! The first signs of the approach of day doubtless determined the
retreat of their assailants, who scampered away towards the North, passing =
over
the bridge, which Neb ran immediately to raise. When day had sufficiently l=
ighted
up the field of battle, the settlers counted as many as fifty dead bodies
scattered about on the shore.
"And Jup!" cried Pencroft; "whe=
re is
Jup?" Jup had disappeared. His friend Neb called him, and for the first
time Jup did not reply to his friend's call.
Everyone set out in search of Jup, trembling l=
est
he should be found among the slain; they cleared the place of the bodies wh=
ich
stained the snow with their blood. Jup was found in the midst of a heap of
colpeos whose broken jaws and crushed bodies showed that they had to do with
the terrible club of the intrepid animal.
Poor Jup still held in his hand the stump of h=
is
broken cudgel, but deprived of his weapon he had been overpowered by number=
s,
and his chest was covered with severe wounds.
"He is living," cried Neb, who was
bending over him.
"And we will save him," replied the
sailor. "We will nurse him as if he was one of ourselves."
It appeared as if Jup understood, for he leaned
his head on Pencroft's shoulder as if to thank him. The sailor was wounded
himself, but his wound was insignificant, as were those of his companions; =
for
thanks to their firearms they had been almost always able to keep their
assailants at a distance. It was therefore only the orang whose condition w=
as serious.
Jup, carried by Neb and Pencroft, was placed in
the lift, and only a slight moan now and then escaped his lips. He was gent=
ly
drawn up to Granite House. There he was laid on a mattress taken from one of
the beds, and his wounds were bathed with the greatest care. It did not app=
ear
that any vital part had been reached, but Jup was very weak from loss of bl=
ood,
and a high fever soon set in after his wounds had been dressed. He was laid
down, strict diet was imposed, "just like a real person," as Neb
said, and they made him swallow several cups of a cooling drink, for which =
the
ingredients were supplied from the vegetable medicine chest of Granite Hous=
e.
Jup was at first restless, but his breathing gradually became more regular,=
and
he was left sleeping quietly. From time to time Top, walking on tip-toe, as=
one
might say, came to visit his friend, and seemed to approve of all the care =
that
had been taken of him. One of Jup's hands hung over the side of his bed, and
Top licked it with a sympathizing air.
They employed the day in interring the dead, w=
ho
were dragged to the forest of the Far West, and there buried deep.
This attack, which might have had such serious
consequences, was a lesson to the settlers, who from this time never went to
bed until one of their number had made sure that all the bridges were raise=
d,
and that no invasion was possible.
However, Jup, after having given them serious
anxiety for several days, began to recover. His constitution brought him
through, the fever gradually subsided, and Gideon Spilett, who was a bit of=
a
doctor, pronounced him quite out of danger. On the 16th of August, Jup bega=
n to
eat. Neb made him nice little sweet dishes, which the invalid devoured with
great relish, for if he had a pet failing it was that of being somewhat of a
gourmand, and Neb had never done anything to cure him of this fault.
"What would you have?" said he to Gi=
deon
Spilett, who sometimes expostulated with him for spoiling the ape. "Po=
or
Jup has no other pleasure than that of the palate, and I am only too glad t=
o be
able to reward his services in this way!"
Ten days after taking to his bed, on the 21st =
of
August, Master Jup arose. His wounds were healed, and it was evident that he
would not be long in regaining his usual strength and agility. Like all con=
valescents,
he was tremendously hungry, and the reporter allowed him to eat as much as =
he
liked, for he trusted to that instinct, which is too often wanting in reaso=
ning
beings, to keep the orang from any excess. Neb was delighted to see his pup=
il's
appetite returning.
"Eat away, my Jup," said he, "a=
nd
don't spare anything; you have shed your blood for us, and it is the least I
can do to make you strong again!"
On the 25th of August Neb's voice was heard
calling to his companions.
"Captain, Mr. Spilett, Mr. Herbert, Pencr=
oft,
come! come!"
The colonists, who were together in the
dining-room, rose at Neb's call, who was then in Jup's room.
"What's the matter?" asked the repor=
ter.
"Look," replied Neb, with a shout of
laughter. And what did they see? Master Jup smoking calmly and seriously,
sitting crosslegged like a Turk at the entrance to Granite House!
"My pipe," cried Pencroft. "He =
has
taken my pipe! Hello, my honest Jup, I make you a present of it! Smoke away,
old boy, smoke away!"
And Jup gravely puffed out clouds of smoke whi=
ch
seemed to give him great satisfaction. Harding did not appear to be much
astonished at this incident, and he cited several examples of tame apes, to
whom the use of tobacco had become quite familiar.
But from this day Master Jup had a pipe of his
own, the sailor's ex-pipe, which was hung in his room near his store of
tobacco. He filled it himself, lighted it with a glowing coal, and appeared=
to
be the happiest of quadrumana. It may readily be understood that this simil=
arity
of tastes of Jup and Pencroft served to tighten the bonds of friendship whi=
ch
already existed between the honest ape and the worthy sailor.
"Perhaps he is really a man," said
Pencroft sometimes to Neb. "Should you be surprised to hear him beginn=
ing
to speak to us some day?"
"My word, no," replied Neb. "Wh=
at
astonishes me is that he hasn't spoken to us before, for now he wants nothi=
ng
but speech!"
"It would amuse me all the same,"
resumed the sailor, "if some fine day he said to me, 'Suppose we change
pipes, Pencroft.'"
"Yes," replied Neb, "what a pit=
y he
was born dumb!"
With the month of September the winter ended, =
and
the works were again eagerly commenced. The building of the vessel advanced
rapidly, she was already completely decked over, and all the inside parts of
the hull were firmly united with ribs bent by means of steam, which answered
all the purposes of a mold.
As there was no want of wood, Pencroft propose=
d to
the engineer to give a double lining to the hull, to insure the strength of=
the
vessel.
Harding, not knowing what the future might hav=
e in
store for them, approved the sailor's idea of making the craft as strong as
possible. The interior and deck of the vessel was entirely finished towards=
the
15th of September. For calking the seams they made oakum of dry seaweed, wh=
ich
was hammered in between the planks; then these seams were covered with boil=
ing
tar, which was obtained in great abundance from the pines in the forest.
The management of the vessel was very simple. =
She
had from the first been ballasted with heavy blocks of granite walled up, i=
n a
bed of lime, twelve thousand pounds of which they stowed away.
A deck was placed over this ballast, and the
interior was divided into two cabins; two benches extended along them and
served also as lockers. The foot of the mast supported the partition which
separated the two cabins, which were reached by two hatchways let into the
deck.
Pencroft had no trouble in finding a tree suit=
able
for the mast. He chose a straight young fir, with no knots, and which he had
only to square at the step, and round off at the top. The ironwork of the m=
ast,
the rudder and the hull had been roughly but strongly forged at the Chimney=
s.
Lastly, yards, masts, boom, spars, oars, etc., were all furnished by the fi=
rst
week in October, and it was agreed that a trial trip should be taken round =
the
island, so as to ascertain how the vessel would behave at sea, and how far =
they
might depend upon her.
During all this time the necessary works had n=
ot
been neglected. The corral was enlarged, for the flock of musmons and goats=
had
been increased by a number of young ones, who had to be housed and fed. The=
colonists
had paid visits also to the oyster bed, the warren, the coal and iron mines,
and to the till then unexplored districts of the Far West forest, which
abounded in game. Certain indigenous plants were discovered, and those fit =
for
immediate use contributed to vary the vegetable stores of Granite House.
They were a species of ficoide, some similar to
those of the Cape, with eatable fleshy leaves, others bearing seeds contain=
ing
a sort of flour.
On the 10th of October the vessel was launched.
Pencroft was radiant with joy, the operation was perfectly successful; the =
boat
completely rigged, having been pushed on rollers to the water's edge, was
floated by the rising tide, amid the cheers of the colonists, particularly =
of Pencroft,
who showed no modesty on this occasion. Besides his importance was to last
beyond the finishing of the vessel, since, after having built her, he was to
command her. The grade of captain was bestowed upon him with the approbatio=
n of
all. To satisfy Captain Pencroft, it was now necessary to give a name to the
vessel, and, after many propositions had been discussed, the votes were all=
in
favor of the "Bonadventure." As soon as the "Bonadventure&qu=
ot;
had been lifted by the rising tide, it was seen that she lay evenly in the
water, and would be easily navigated. However, the trial trip was to be made
that very day, by an excursion off the coast. The weather was fine, the bre=
eze
fresh, and the sea smooth, especially towards the south coast, for the wind=
was
blowing from the northwest.
"All hands on board," shouted Pencro=
ft;
but breakfast was first necessary, and it was thought best to take provisio=
ns
on board, in the event of their excursion being prolonged until the evening=
.
Cyrus Harding was equally anxious to try the
vessel, the model of which had originated with him, although on the sailor's
advice he had altered some parts of it, but he did not share Pencroft's
confidence in her, and as the latter had not again spoken of the voyage to
Tabor Island, Harding hoped he had given it up. He would have indeed great
reluctance in letting two or three of his companions venture so far in so s=
mall
a boat, which was not of more than fifteen tons' burden.
At half-past ten everybody was on board, even =
Top
and Jup, and Herbert weighed the anchor, which was fast in the sand near the
mouth of the Mercy. The sail was hoisted, the Lincolnian flag floated from =
the masthead,
and the "Bonadventure," steered by Pencroft, stood out to sea.
The wind blowing out of Union Bay she ran befo=
re
it, and thus showed her owners, much to their satisfaction, that she posses=
sed
a remarkably fast pair of heels, according to Pencroft's mode of speaking.
After having doubled Flotsam Point and Claw Cape, the captain kept her close
hauled, so as to sail along the southern coast of the island, when it was f=
ound
she sailed admirably within five points of the wind. All hands were enchant=
ed,
they had a good vessel, which, in case of need, would be of great service to
them, and with fine weather and a fresh breeze the voyage promised to be ch=
arming.
Pencroft now stood off the shore, three or four
miles across from Port Balloon. The island then appeared in all its extent =
and
under a new aspect, with the varied panorama of its shore from Claw Cape to
Reptile End, the forests in which dark firs contrasted with the young folia=
ge of
other trees and overlooked the whole, and Mount Franklin whose lofty head w=
as
still whitened with snow.
"How beautiful it is!" cried Herbert=
.
"Yes, our island is beautiful and good,&q=
uot;
replied Pencroft. "I love it as I loved my poor mother. It received us
poor and destitute, and now what is wanting to us five fellows who fell on =
it
from the sky?"
"Nothing," replied Neb; "nothin=
g,
captain."
And the two brave men gave three tremendous ch=
eers
in honor of their island!
During all this time Gideon Spilett, leaning
against the mast, sketched the panorama which was developed before his eyes=
.
Cyrus Harding gazed on it in silence.
"Well, Captain Harding," asked Pencr=
oft,
"what do you think of our vessel?"
"She appears to behave well," replied
the engineer.
"Good! And do you think now that she could
undertake a voyage of some extent?"
"What voyage, Pencroft?"
"One to Tabor Island, for instance."=
"My friend," replied Harding, "I
think that in any pressing emergency we need not hesitate to trust ourselve=
s to
the 'Bonadventure' even for a longer voyage; but you know I should see you =
set
off to Tabor Island with great uneasiness, since nothing obliges you to go
there."
"One likes to know one's neighbors,"
returned the sailor, who was obstinate in his idea. "Tabor Island is o=
ur
neighbor, and the only one! Politeness requires us to go at least to pay a
visit."
"By Jove," said Spilett, "our
friend Pencroft has become very particular about the proprieties all at
once!"
"I am not particular about anything at
all," retorted the sailor, who was rather vexed by the engineer's
opposition, but who did not wish to cause him anxiety.
"Consider, Pencroft," resumed Hardin=
g,
"you cannot go alone to Tabor Island."
"One companion will be enough for me.&quo=
t;
"Even so," replied the engineer,
"you will risk depriving the colony of Lincoln Island of two settlers =
out
of five."
"Out of six," answered Pencroft;
"you forget Jup."
"Out of seven," added Neb; "Top=
is
quite worth another."
"There is no risk at all in it,
captain," replied Pencroft.
"That is possible, Pencroft; but I repeat=
it
is to expose ourselves uselessly."
The obstinate sailor did not reply, and let the
conversation drop, quite determined to resume it again. But he did not susp=
ect
that an incident would come to his aid and change into an act of humanity t=
hat
which was at first only a doubtful whim.
After standing off the shore the
"Bonadventure" again approached it in the direction of Port Ballo=
on.
It was important to ascertain the channels between the sandbanks and reefs,
that buoys might be laid down since this little creek was to be the harbor.=
They were not more than half a mile from the
coast, and it was necessary to tack to beat against the wind. The
"Bonadventure" was then going at a very moderate rate, as the bre=
eze,
partly intercepted by the high land, scarcely swelled her sails, and the se=
a,
smooth as glass, was only rippled now and then by passing gusts.
Herbert had stationed himself in the bows that=
he
might indicate the course to be followed among the channels, when all at on=
ce
he shouted,--
"Luff, Pencroft, luff!"
"What's the matter," replied the sai=
lor;
"a rock?"
"No--wait," said Herbert; "I do=
n't
quite see. Luff again--right--now."
So saying, Herbert, leaning over the side, plu=
nged
his arm into the water, and pulled it out, exclaiming,--
"A bottle!"
He held in his hand a corked bottle which he h=
ad
just seized a few cables' length from the shore.
Cyrus Harding took the bottle. Without utterin=
g a
single word he drew the cork, and took from it a damp paper, on which were
written these words:--
"Castaway.... Tabor island: 153deg W. lon=
g.,
37deg 11' S. lat."
"A castaway!" exclaimed Pencroft;
"left on this Tabor Island not two hundred miles from us! Ah, Captain
Harding, you won't now oppose my going."
"No, Pencroft," replied Cyrus Hardin=
g;
"and you shall set out as soon as possible."
"To-morrow?"
"To-morrow!"
The engineer still held in his hand the paper
which he had taken from the bottle. He contemplated it for some instants, t=
hen
resumed,
"From this document, my friends, from the=
way
in which it is worded, we may conclude this: first, that the castaway on Ta=
bor
Island is a man possessing a considerable knowledge of navigation, since he
gives the latitude and longitude of the island exactly as we ourselves found
it, and to a second of approximation; secondly, that he is either English o=
r American,
as the document is written in the English language."
"That is perfectly logical," answered
Spilett; "and the presence of this castaway explains the arrival of the
case on the shores of our island. There must have been a wreck, since there=
is
a castaway. As to the latter, whoever he may be, it is lucky for him that
Pencroft thought of building this boat and of trying her this very day, for=
a
day later and this bottle might have been broken on the rocks."
"Indeed," said Herbert, "it is a
fortunate chance that the 'Bonadventure' passed exactly where the bottle was
still floating!"
"Does not this appear strange to you?&quo=
t;
asked Harding of Pencroft.
"It appears fortunate, that's all,"
answered the sailor. "Do you see anything extraordinary in it, captain?
The bottle must go somewhere, and why not here as well as anywhere else?&qu=
ot;
"Perhaps you are right, Pencroft," r=
eplied
the engineer; "and yet--"
"But," observed Herbert, "there= 's nothing to prove that this bottle has been floating long in the sea."<= o:p>
"Nothing," replied Gideon Spilett,
"and the document appears even to have been recently written. What do =
you
think about it, Cyrus?"
During this conversation Pencroft had not rema=
ined
inactive. He had put the vessel about, and the "Bonadventure," all
sails set, was running rapidly towards Claw Cape.
Every one was thinking of the castaway on Tabor
Island. Should they be in time to save him? This was a great event in the l=
ife
of the colonists! They themselves were but castaways, but it was to be fear=
ed that
another might not have been so fortunate, and their duty was to go to his
succor.
Claw Cape was doubled, and about four o'clock =
the
"Bonadventure" dropped her anchor at the mouth of the Mercy.
That same evening the arrangements for the new
expedition were made. It appeared best that Pencroft and Herbert, who knew =
how
to work the vessel, should undertake the voyage alone. By setting out the n=
ext
day, the 10th of October, they would arrive on the 13th, for with the prese=
nt wind
it would not take more than forty-eight hours to make this passage of a hun=
dred
and fifty miles. One day in the island, three or four to return, they might
hope therefore that on the 17th they would again reach Lincoln Island. The
weather was fine, the barometer was rising, the wind appeared settled,
everything then was in favor of these brave men whom an act of humanity was
taking far from their island.
Thus it had been agreed that Cyrus Harding, Ne=
b,
and Gideon Spilett should remain at Granite House, but an objection was rai=
sed,
and Spilett, who had not forgotten his business as reporter to the New York=
Herald,
having declared that he would go by swimming rather than lose such an
opportunity, he was admitted to take a part in the voyage.
The evening was occupied in transporting on bo=
ard
the "Bonadventure," articles of bedding, utensils, arms, ammuniti=
on,
a compass, provisions for a week; this being rapidly done, the colonists
ascended to Granite House.
The next day, at five o'clock in the morning, =
the
farewells were said, not without some emotion on both sides, and Pencroft
setting sail made towards Claw Cape, which had to be doubled in order to pr=
oceed
to the southwest.
The "Bonadventure" was already a qua=
rter
of a mile from the coast when the passengers perceived on the heights of
Granite House two men waving their farewells; they were Cyrus Harding and N=
eb.
"Our friends," exclaimed Spilett,
"this is our first separation in fifteen months."
Pencroft, the reporter and Herbert waved in
return, and Granite House soon disappeared behind the high rocks of the Cap=
e.
During the first part of the day the
"Bonadventure" was still in sight of the southern coast of Lincoln
Island, which soon appeared just like a green basket, with Mount Franklin
rising from the center. The heights, diminished by distance, did not presen=
t an
appearance likely to tempt vessels to touch there. Reptile End was passed in
about an hour, though at a distance of about ten miles.
At this distance it was no longer possible to
distinguish anything of the Western Coast, which stretched away to the ridg=
es
of Mount Franklin, and three hours after the last of Lincoln Island sank be=
low
the horizon.
The "Bonadventure" behaved capitally.
Bounding over the waves she proceeded rapidly on her course. Pencroft had
hoisted the foresail, and steering by the compass followed a rectilinear
direction. From time to time Herbert relieved him at the helm, and the lad's
hand was so firm that the sailor had not a point to find fault with.
Gideon Spilett chatted sometimes with one,
sometimes with the other, if wanted he lent a hand with the ropes, and Capt=
ain
Pencroft was perfectly satisfied with his crew.
In the evening the crescent moon, which would =
not
be in its first quarter until the 16th, appeared in the twilight and soon s=
et
again. The night was dark but starry, and the next day again promised to be
fine.
Pencroft prudently lowered the foresail, not
wishing to be caught by a sudden gust while carrying too much canvas; it was
perhaps an unnecessary precaution on such a calm night, but Pencroft was a
prudent sailor and cannot be blamed for it.
The reporter slept part of the night. Pencroft=
and
Herbert took turns for a spell of two hours each at the helm. The sailor
trusted Herbert as he would himself, and his confidence was justified by the
coolness and judgment of the lad. Pencroft gave him his directions as a
commander to his steersman, and Herbert never allowed the
"Bonadventure" to swerve even a point. The night passed quickly, =
as
did the day of the 12th of October. A south-easterly direction was strictly
maintained. Unless the "Bonadventure" fell in with some unknown
current she would come exactly within sight of Tabor Island.
As to the sea over which the vessel was then
sailing, it was absolutely deserted. Now and then a great albatross or frig=
ate
bird passed within gunshot, and Gideon Spilett wondered if it was to one of
them that he had confided his last letter addressed to the New York Herald.
These birds were the only beings that appeared to frequent this part of the=
ocean
between Tabor and Lincoln Islands.
"And yet," observed Herbert, "t=
his
is the time that whalers usually proceed towards the southern part of the
Pacific. Indeed I do not think there could be a more deserted sea than
this."
"It is not quite so deserted as all
that," replied Pencroft.
"What do you mean?" asked the report=
er.
"We are on it. Do you take our vessel for=
a
wreck and us for porpoises?"
And Pencroft laughed at his joke.
By the evening, according to calculation, it w=
as
thought that the "Bonadventure" had accomplished a distance of a
hundred and twenty miles since her departure from Lincoln Island, that is to
say in thirty-six hours, which would give her a speed of between three and =
four
knots. The breeze was very slight and might soon drop altogether. However, =
it
was hoped that the next morning by break of day, if the calculation had been
correct and the course true, they would sight Tabor Island.
Neither Gideon Spilett, Herbert, nor Pencroft
slept that night. In the expectation of the next day they could not but feel
some emotion. There was so much uncertainty in their enterprise! Were they =
near
Tabor Island? Was the island still inhabited by the castaway to whose succo=
r they
had come? Who was this man? Would not his presence disturb the little colony
till then so united? Besides, would he be content to exchange his prison for
another? All these questions, which would no doubt be answered the next day,
kept them in suspense, and at the dawn of day they all fixed their gaze on =
the
western horizon.
"Land!" shouted Pencroft at about six
o'clock in the morning.
And it was impossible that Pencroft should be
mistaken, it was evident that land was there. Imagine the joy of the little
crew of the "Bonadventure." In a few hours they would land on the
beach of the island!
The low coast of Tabor Island, scarcely emergi=
ng
from the sea, was not more than fifteen miles distant.
The head of the "Bonadventure," which
was a little to the south of the island, was set directly towards it, and as
the sun mounted in the east, its rays fell upon one or two headlands.
"This is a much less important isle than
Lincoln Island," observed Herbert, "and is probably due like ours=
to
some submarine convulsion."
At eleven o'clock the "Bonadventure"=
was
not more than two miles off, and Pencroft, while looking for a suitable pla=
ce
at which to land, proceeded very cautiously through the unknown waters. The
whole of the island could now be surveyed, and on it could be seen groups of
gum and other large trees, of the same species as those growing on Lincoln =
Island.
But the astonishing thing was that no smoke arose to show that the island w=
as
inhabited, no signal whatever appeared on the shore!
And yet the document was clear enough; there w=
as a
castaway, and this castaway should have been on the watch.
In the meanwhile the "Bonadventure"
entered the winding channels among the reefs, and Pencroft observed every t=
urn
with extreme care. He had put Herbert at the helm, posting himself in the b=
ows,
inspecting the water, while he held the halliard in his hand, ready to lower
the sail at a moment's notice. Gideon Spilett with his glass eagerly scanned
the shore, though without perceiving anything.
However, at about twelve o'clock the keel of t=
he
"Bonadventure" grated on the bottom. The anchor was let go, the s=
ails
furled, and the crew of the little vessel landed.
And there was no reason to doubt that this was
Tabor Island, since according to the most recent charts there was no island=
in
this part of the Pacific between New Zealand and the American Coast.
The vessel was securely moored, so that there
should be no danger of her being carried away by the receding tide; then
Pencroft and his companions, well armed, ascended the shore, so as to gain =
an
elevation of about two hundred and fifty or three hundred feet which rose a=
t a distance
of half a mile.
"From the summit of that hill," said
Spilett, "we can no doubt obtain a complete view of the island, which =
will
greatly facilitate our search."
"So as to do here," replied Herbert,
"that which Captain Harding did the very first thing on Lincoln Island=
, by
climbing Mount Franklin."
"Exactly so," answered the reporter,
"and it is the best plan."
While thus talking the explorers had advanced along a clearing which terminated at the foot of the hill. Flocks of rock-pigeons and sea-swallows, similar to those of Lincoln Island, fluttered around them. Under the woods which skirted the glade on the left they could hear the bushes rustling and see the grass waving, which indicated the pres= ence of timid animals, but still nothing to show that the island was inhabited.<= o:p>
Arrived at the foot of the hill, Pencroft,
Spilett, and Herbert climbed it in a few minutes, and gazed anxiously round=
the
horizon.
They were on an islet, which did not measure m=
ore
than six miles in circumference, its shape not much bordered by capes or
promontories, bays or creeks, being a lengthened oval. All around, the lone=
ly
sea extended to the limits of the horizon. No land nor even a sail was in s=
ight.
This woody islet did not offer the varied aspe=
cts
of Lincoln Island, arid and wild in one part, but fertile and rich in the
other. On the contrary this was a uniform mass of verdure, out of which rose
two or three hills of no great height. Obliquely to the oval of the island =
ran a
stream through a wide meadow falling into the sea on the west by a narrow
mouth.
"The domain is limited," said Herber=
t.
"Yes," rejoined Pencroft: "It w=
ould
have been too small for us."
"And moreover," said the reporter,
"it appears to be uninhabited."
"Indeed," answered Herbert,
"nothing here betrays the presence of man."
"Let us go down," said Pencroft,
"and search."
The sailor and his two companions returned to =
the
shore, to the place where they had left the "Bonadventure."
They had decided to make the tour of the islan=
d on
foot, before exploring the interior; so that not a spot should escape their=
investigations.
The beach was easy to follow, and only in some places was their way barred =
by
large rocks, which, however, they easily passed round. The explorers procee=
ded
towards the south, disturbing numerous flocks of sea-birds and herds of sea=
ls,
which threw themselves into the sea as soon as they saw the strangers at a
distance.
"Those beasts yonder," observed the
reporter, "do not see men for the first time. They fear them, therefore
they must know them."
An hour after their departure they arrived on =
the
southern point of the islet, terminated by a sharp cape, and proceeded towa=
rds
the north along the western coast, equally formed by sand and rocks, the
background bordered with thick woods.
There was not a trace of a habitation in any p=
art,
not the print of a human foot on the shore of the island, which after four
hours' walking had been gone completely round.
It was to say the least very extraordinary, and
they were compelled to believe that Tabor Island was not or was no longer
inhabited. Perhaps, after all the document was already several months or
several years old, and it was possible in this case, either that the castaw=
ay
had been enabled to return to his country, or that he had died of misery.
Pencroft, Spilett, and Herbert, forming more or
less probable conjectures, dined rapidly on board the "Bonadventure&qu=
ot;
so as to be able to continue their excursion until nightfall. This was done=
at
five o'clock in the evening, at which hour they entered the wood.
Numerous animals fled at their approach, being
principally, one might say, only goats and pigs, which were obviously Europ=
ean
species.
Doubtless some whaler had landed them on the
island, where they had rapidly increased. Herbert resolved to catch one or =
two
living, and take them back to Lincoln Island.
It was no longer doubtful that men at some per=
iod
or other had visited this islet, and this became still more evident when pa=
ths
appeared trodden through the forest, felled trees, and everywhere traces of=
the
hand of man; but the trees were becoming rotten, and had been felled many y=
ears
ago; the marks of the axe were velveted with moss, and the grass grew long =
and
thick on the paths, so that it was difficult to find them.
"But," observed Gideon Spilett,
"this not only proves that men have landed on the island, but also that
they lived on it for some time. Now, who were these men? How many of them
remain?"
"The document," said Herbert, "=
only
spoke of one castaway."
"Well, if he is still on the island," replied Pencroft, "it is impossible but that we shall find him."<= o:p>
The exploration was continued. The sailor and =
his
companions naturally followed the route which cut diagonally across the isl=
and,
and they were thus obliged to follow the stream which flowed towards the se=
a.
If the animals of European origin, if works du=
e to
a human hand, showed incontestably that men had already visited the island,
several specimens of the vegetable kingdom did not prove it less. In some
places, in the midst of clearings, it was evident that the soil had been
planted with culinary plants, at probably the same distant period.
What, then, was Herbert's joy, when he recogni=
zed
potatoes, chicory, sorrel, carrots, cabbages, and turnips, of which it was
sufficient to collect the seed to enrich the soil of Lincoln Island.
"Capital, jolly!" exclaimed Pencroft.
"That will suit Neb as well as us. Even if we do not find the castaway=
, at
least our voyage will not have been useless, and God will have rewarded
us."
"Doubtless," replied Gideon Spilett,
"but to see the state in which we find these plantations, it is to be
feared that the island has not been inhabited for some time."
"Indeed," answered Herbert, "an
inhabitant, whoever he was, could not have neglected such an important
culture!"
"Yes," said Pencroft, "the cast=
away
has gone."
"We must suppose so."
"It must then be admitted that the docume=
nt
has already a distant date?"
"Evidently."
"And that the bottle only arrived at Linc=
oln
Island after having floated in the sea a long time."
"Why not?" returned Pencroft. "=
But
night is coming on," added he, "and I think that it will be best =
to
give up the search for the present."
"Let us go on board, and to-morrow we will
begin again," said the reporter.
This was the wisest course, and it was about t=
o be
followed when Herbert, pointing to a confused mass among the trees,
exclaimed,--
"A hut!"
All three immediately ran towards the dwelling=
. In
the twilight it was just possible to see that it was built of planks and
covered with a thick tarpaulin.
The half-closed door was pushed open by Pencro=
ft,
who entered with a rapid step.
The hut was empty!
Pencroft, Herbert, and Gideon Spilett remained
silent in the midst of the darkness.
Pencroft shouted loudly.
No reply was made.
The sailor then struck a light and set fire to=
a
twig. This lighted for a minute a small room, which appeared perfectly empt=
y.
At the back was a rude fireplace, with a few cold cinders, supporting an ar=
mful
of dry wood. Pencroft threw the blazing twig on it, the wood crackled and g=
ave forth
a bright light.
The sailor and his two companions then perceiv=
ed a
disordered bed, of which the damp and yellow coverlets proved that it had n=
ot
been used for a long time. In the corner of the fireplace were two kettles,
covered with rust, and an overthrown pot. A cupboard, with a few moldy sail=
or's
clothes; on the table a tin plate and a Bible, eaten away by damp; in a cor=
ner
a few tools, a spade, pickaxe, two fowling-pieces, one of which was broken;=
on
a plank, forming a shelf, stood a barrel of powder, still untouched, a barr=
el
of shot, and several boxes of caps, all thickly covered with dust, accumula=
ted,
perhaps, by many long years.
"There is no one here," said the
reporter.
"No one," replied Pencroft.
"It is a long time since this room has be=
en
inhabited," observed Herbert.
"Yes, a very long time!" answered the
reporter.
"Mr. Spilett," then said Pencroft,
"instead of returning on board, I think that it would be well to pass =
the
night in this hut."
"You are right, Pencroft," answered
Gideon Spilett, "and if its owner returns, well! perhaps he will not be
sorry to find the place taken possession of."
"He will not return," said the sailo=
r,
shaking his head.
"You think that he has quitted the
island?" asked the reporter.
"If he had quitted the island he would ha=
ve
taken away his weapons and his tools," replied Pencroft. "You know
the value which castaways set on such articles as these the last remains of=
a
wreck. No! no!" repeated the sailor, in a tone of conviction; "no=
, he
has not left the island! If he had escaped in a boat made by himself, he wo=
uld
still less have left these indispensable and necessary articles. No! he is =
on
the island!"
"Living?" asked Herbert.
"Living or dead. But if he is dead, I sup=
pose
he has not buried himself, and so we shall at least find his remains!"=
It was then agreed that the night should be pa=
ssed
in the deserted dwelling, and a store of wood found in a corner was suffici=
ent
to warm it. The door closed, Pencroft, Herbert and Spilett remained there, =
seated
on a bench, talking little but wondering much. They were in a frame of mind=
to
imagine anything or expect anything. They listened eagerly for sounds outsi=
de.
The door might have opened suddenly, and a man presented himself to them
without their being in the least surprised, notwithstanding all that the hut
revealed of abandonment, and they had their hands ready to press the hands =
of
this man, this castaway, this unknown friend, for whom friends were waiting=
.
But no voice was heard, the door did not open.=
The
hours thus passed away.
How long the night appeared to the sailor and =
his
companions! Herbert alone slept for two hours, for at his age sleep is a
necessity. They were all three anxious to continue their exploration of the=
day
before, and to search the most secret recesses of the islet! The inferences=
deduced
by Pencroft were perfectly reasonable, and it was nearly certain that, as t=
he
hut was deserted, and the tools, utensils, and weapons were still there, the
owner had succumbed. It was agreed, therefore, that they should search for =
his
remains, and give them at least Christian burial.
Day dawned; Pencroft and his companions
immediately proceeded to survey the dwelling. It had certainly been built i=
n a
favorable situation, at the back of a little hill, sheltered by five or six
magnificent gum-trees. Before its front and through the trees the axe had
prepared a wide clearing, which allowed the view to extend to the sea. Beyo=
nd a
lawn, surrounded by a wooden fence falling to pieces, was the shore, on the
left of which was the mouth of the stream.
The hut had been built of planks, and it was e=
asy
to see that these planks had been obtained from the hull or deck of a ship.=
It
was probable that a disabled vessel had been cast on the coast of the islan=
d,
that one at least of the crew had been saved, and that by means of the wreck
this man, having tools at his disposal, had built the dwelling.
And this became still more evident when Gideon
Spilett, after having walked around the hut, saw on a plank, probably one of
those which had formed the armor of the wrecked vessel, these letters alrea=
dy
half effaced:
BR--TAN--A
"=
;Britannia,"
exclaimed Pencroft, whom the reporter had called; "it is a common name=
for
ships, and I could not say if she was English or American!"
"It matters very little, Pencroft!"<= o:p>
"Very little indeed," answered the
sailor, "and we will save the survivor of her crew if he is still livi=
ng,
to whatever country he may belong. But before beginning our search again le=
t us
go on board the 'Bonadventure'."
A sort of uneasiness had seized Pencroft upon =
the
subject of his vessel. Should the island be inhabited after all, and should
some one have taken possession of her? But he shrugged his shoulders at suc=
h an
unreasonable supposition. At any rate the sailor was not sorry to go to
breakfast on board. The road already trodden was not long, scarcely a mile.
They set out on their walk, gazing into the wood and thickets through which
goats and pigs fled in hundreds.
Twenty minutes after leaving the hut Pencroft =
and
his companions reached the western coast of the island, and saw the
"Bonadventure" held fast by her anchor, which was buried deep in =
the
sand.
Pencroft could not restrain a sigh of
satisfaction. After all this vessel was his child, and it is the right of f=
athers
to be often uneasy when there is no occasion for it.
They returned on board, breakfasted, so that it
should not be necessary to dine until very late; then the repast being ende=
d,
the exploration was continued and conducted with the most minute care. Inde=
ed,
it was very probable that the only inhabitant of the island had perished. I=
t was
therefore more for the traces of a dead than of a living man that Pencroft =
and
his companions searched. But their searches were vain, and during the half =
of
that day they sought to no purpose among the thickets of trees which covered
the islet. There was then scarcely any doubt that, if the castaway was dead=
, no
trace of his body now remained, but that some wild beast had probably devou=
red
it to the last bone.
"We will set off to-morrow at daybreak,&q=
uot;
said Pencroft to his two companions, as about two o'clock they were resting=
for
a few minutes under the shade of a clump of firs.
"I should think that we might without scr=
uple
take the utensils which belonged to the castaway," added Herbert.
"I think so, too," returned Gideon
Spilett, "and these arms and tools will make up the stores of Granite
House. The supply of powder and shot is also most important."
"Yes," replied Pencroft, "but we
must not forget to capture a couple or two of those pigs, of which Lincoln
Island is destitute."
"Nor to gather those seeds," added
Herbert, "which will give us all the vegetables of the Old and the New
Worlds."
"Then perhaps it would be best," said
the reporter, "to remain a day longer on Tabor Island, so as to collect
all that may be useful to us."
"No, Mr. Spilett," answered Pencroft,
"I will ask you to set off to-morrow at daybreak. The wind seems to me=
to
be likely to shift to the west, and after having had a fair wind for coming=
we
shall have a fair wind for going back."
"Then do not let us lose time," said
Herbert, rising.
"We won't waste time," returned
Pencroft. "You, Herbert, go and gather the seeds, which you know better
than we do. While you do that, Mr. Spilett and I will go and have a pig hun=
t,
and even without Top I hope we shall manage to catch a few!"
Herbert accordingly took the path which led
towards the cultivated part of the islet, while the sailor and the reporter
entered the forest.
Many specimens of the porcine race fled before
them, and these animals, which were singularly active, did not appear to be=
in
a humor to allow themselves to be approached.
However, after an hour's chase, the hunters had
just managed to get hold of a couple lying in a thicket, when cries were he=
ard
resounding from the north part of the island, With the cries were mingled
terrible yells, in which there was nothing human.
Pencroft and Gideon Spilett were at once on th=
eir
feet, and the pigs by this movement began to run away, at the moment when t=
he
sailor was getting ready the rope to bind them.
"That's Herbert's voice," said the
reporter.
"Run!" exclaimed Pencroft.
And the sailor and Spilett immediately ran at =
full
speed towards the spot from whence the cries proceeded.
They did well to hasten, for at a turn of the =
path
near a clearing they saw the lad thrown on the ground and in the grasp of a
savage being, apparently a gigantic ape, who was about to do him some great
harm.
To rush on this monster, throw him on the grou=
nd
in his turn, snatch Herbert from him, then bind him securely, was the work =
of a
minute for Pencroft and Gideon Spilett. The sailor was of Herculean strengt=
h,
the reporter also very powerful, and in spite of the monster's resistance h=
e was
firmly tied so that he could not even move.
"You are not hurt, Herbert?" asked
Spilett.
"No, no!"
"Oh, if this ape had wounded him!"
exclaimed Pencroft.
"But he is not an ape," answered
Herbert.
At these words Pencroft and Gideon Spilett loo=
ked
at the singular being who lay on the ground. Indeed it was not an ape; it w=
as a
human being, a man. But what a man! A savage in all the horrible acceptatio=
n of
the word, and so much the more frightful that he seemed fallen to the lowes=
t degree
of brutishness!
Shaggy hair, untrimmed beard descending to the
chest, the body almost naked except a rag round the waist, wild eyes, enorm=
ous
hands with immensely long nails, skin the color of mahogany, feet as hard a=
s if
made of horn, such was the miserable creature who yet had a claim to be cal=
led
a man. But it might justly be asked if there were yet a soul in this body, =
or
if the brute instinct alone survived in it!
"Are you quite sure that this is a man, or
that he has ever been one?" said Pencroft to the reporter.
"Alas! there is no doubt about it,"
replied Spilett.
"Then this must be the castaway?" as=
ked
Herbert.
"Yes," replied Gideon Spilett, "=
;but
the unfortunate man has no longer anything human about him!"
The reporter spoke the truth. It was evident t=
hat
if the castaway had ever been a civilized being, solitude had made him a
savage, or worse, perhaps a regular man of the woods. Hoarse sounds issued =
from
his throat between his teeth, which were sharp as the teeth of a wild beast
made to tear raw flesh.
Memory must have deserted him long before, and=
for
a long time also he had forgotten how to use his gun and tools, and he no
longer knew how to make a fire! It could be seen that he was active and
powerful, but the physical qualities had been developed in him to the injur=
y of
the moral qualities. Gideon Spilett spoke to him. He did not appear to
understand or even to hear. And yet on looking into his eyes, the reporter
thought he could see that all reason was not extinguished in him. However, =
the prisoner
did not struggle, nor even attempt to break his bonds. Was he overwhelmed by
the presence of men whose fellow he had once been? Had he found in some cor=
ner
of his brain a fleeting remembrance which recalled him to humanity? If free,
would he attempt to fly, or would he remain? They could not tell, but they =
did
not make the experiment; and after gazing attentively at the miserable
creature,--
"Whoever he may be," remarked Gideon
Spilett, "whoever he may have been, and whatever he may become, it is =
our
duty to take him with us to Lincoln Island."
"Yes, yes!" replied Herbert, "a=
nd
perhaps with care we may arouse in him some gleam of intelligence."
"The soul does not die," said the
reporter, "and it would be a great satisfaction to rescue one of God's
creatures from brutishness."
Pencroft shook his head doubtfully.
"We must try at any rate," returned =
the
reporter; "humanity commands us."
It was indeed their duty as Christians and
civilized beings. All three felt this, and they well knew that Cyrus Harding
would approve of their acting thus.
"Shall we leave him bound?" asked the
sailor.
"Perhaps he would walk if his feet were
unfastened," said Herbert.
"Let us try," replied Pencroft.
The cords which shackled the prisoner's feet w=
ere
cut off, but his arms remained securely fastened. He got up by himself and =
did
not manifest any desire to run away. His hard eyes darted a piercing glance=
at
the three men, who walked near him, but nothing denoted that he recollected=
being
their fellow, or at least having been so. A continual hissing sound issued =
from
his lips, his aspect was wild, but he did not attempt to resist.
By the reporter's advice the unfortunate man w=
as
taken to the hut. Perhaps the sight of the things that belonged to him would
make some impression on him! Perhaps a spark would be sufficient to revive =
his obscured
intellect, to rekindle his dulled soul. The dwelling was not far off. In a =
few
minutes they arrived there, but the prisoner remembered nothing, and it
appeared that he had lost consciousness of everything.
What could they think of the degree of brutish=
ness
into which this miserable being had fallen, unless that his imprisonment on=
the
islet dated from a very distant period and after having arrived there a rat=
ional
being solitude had reduced him to this condition.
The reporter then thought that perhaps the sig=
ht
of fire would have some effect on him, and in a moment one of those beautif=
ul
flames, that attract even animals, blazed up on the hearth. The sight of the
flame seemed at first to fix the attention of the unhappy object, but soon =
he
turned away and the look of intelligence faded. Evidently there was nothing=
to
be done, for the time at least, but to take him on board the
"Bonadventure." This was done, and he remained there in Pencroft'=
s charge.
Herbert and Spilett returned to finish their w=
ork;
and some hours after they came back to the shore, carrying the utensils and
guns, a store of vegetables, of seeds, some game, and two couple of pigs.
All was embarked, and the "Bonadventure&q=
uot;
was ready to weigh anchor and sail with the morning tide.
The prisoner had been placed in the fore-cabin,
where he remained quiet, silent, apparently deaf and dumb.
Pencroft offered him something to eat, but he
pushed away the cooked meat that was presented to him and which doubtless d=
id
not suit him. But on the sailor showing him one of the ducks which Herbert =
had
killed, he pounced on it like a wild beast, and devoured it greedily.
"You think that he will recover his
senses?" asked Pencroft. "It is not impossible that our care will
have an effect upon him, for it is solitude that has made him what he is, a=
nd
from this time forward he will be no longer alone."
"The poor man must no doubt have been in =
this
state for a long time," said Herbert.
"Perhaps," answered Gideon Spilett.<= o:p>
"About what age is he?" asked the la=
d.
"It is difficult to say," replied the
reporter, "for it is impossible to see his features under the thick be=
ard
which covers his face, but he is no longer young, and I suppose he might be
about fifty."
"Have you noticed, Mr. Spilett, how deeply
sunk his eyes are?" asked Herbert.
"Yes, Herbert, but I must add that they a=
re
more human than one could expect from his appearance."
"However, we shall see," replied
Pencroft, "and I am anxious to know what opinion Captain Harding will =
have
of our savage. We went to look for a human creature, and we are bringing ba=
ck a
monster! After all, we did what we could."
The night passed, and whether the prisoner sle=
pt
or not could not be known, but at any rate, although he had been unbound, h=
e did
not move. He was like a wild animal, which appears stunned at first by its =
capture,
and becomes wild again afterwards.
At da=
ybreak
the next morning, the 15th of October, the change of weather predicted by
Pencroft occurred. The wind having shifted to the northwest favored the ret=
urn
of the "Bonadventure," but at the same time it freshened, which m=
ight
render navigation more difficult.
At five o'clock in the morning the anchor was
weighed. Pencroft took a reef in the mainsail, and steered towards the nort=
h-east,
so as to sail straight for Lincoln Island.
The first day of the voyage was not marked by =
any
incident. The prisoner remained quiet in the fore-cabin, and as he had been=
a
sailor it appeared that the motion of the vessel might produce on him a sal=
utary
reaction. Did some recollection of his former calling return to him? However
that might be, he remained tranquil, astonished rather than depressed.
The next day the wind increased, blowing more =
from
the north, consequently in a less favorable direction for the
"Bonadventure." Pencroft was soon obliged to sail close-hauled, a=
nd
without saying anything about it he began to be uneasy at the state of the =
sea,
which frequently broke over the bows. Certainly, if the wind did not modera=
te, it
would take a longer time to reach Lincoln Island than it had taken to make
Tabor Island.
Indeed, on the morning of the 17th, the
"Bonadventure" had been forty-eight hours at sea, and nothing sho=
wed
that she was near the island. It was impossible, besides, to estimate the
distance traversed, or to trust to the reckoning for the direction, as the
speed had been very irregular.
Twenty-four hours after there was yet no land =
in
sight. The wind was right ahead and the sea very heavy. The sails were
close-reefed, and they tacked frequently. On the 18th, a wave swept complet=
ely
over the "Bonadventure"; and if the crew had not taken the precau=
tion
of lashing themselves to the deck, they would have been carried away.
On this occasion Pencroft and his companions, =
who
were occupied with loosing themselves, received unexpected aid from the
prisoner, who emerged from the hatchway as if his sailor's instinct had
suddenly returned, broke a piece out of the bulwarks with a spar so as to l=
et the
water which filled the deck escape. Then the vessel being clear, he descend=
ed
to his cabin without having uttered a word. Pencroft, Gideon Spilett, and
Herbert, greatly astonished, let him proceed.
Their situation was truly serious, and the sai=
lor
had reason to fear that he was lost on the wide sea without any possibility=
of
recovering his course.
The night was dark and cold. However, about el=
even
o'clock, the wind fell, the sea went down, and the speed of the vessel, as =
she
labored less, greatly increased.
Neither Pencroft, Spilett, nor Herbert thought=
of
taking an hour's sleep. They kept a sharp look-out, for either Lincoln Isla=
nd
could not be far distant and would be sighted at daybreak, or the
"Bonadventure," carried away by currents, had drifted so much tha=
t it
would be impossible to rectify her course. Pencroft, uneasy to the last deg=
ree,
yet did not despair, for he had a gallant heart, and grasping the tiller he
anxiously endeavored to pierce the darkness which surrounded them.
About two o'clock in the morning he started
forward,--
"A light! a light!" he shouted.
Indeed, a bright light appeared twenty miles to
the northeast. Lincoln Island was there, and this fire, evidently lighted by
Cyrus Harding, showed them the course to be followed. Pencroft, who was bea=
ring
too much to the north, altered his course and steered towards the fire, whi=
ch
burned brightly above the horizon like a star of the first magnitude.
The next day, the 20th of October, at seven
o'clock in the morning, after a voyage of four days, the
"Bonadventure" gently glided up to the beach at the mouth of the
Mercy.
Cyrus Harding and Neb, who had become very une=
asy
at the bad weather and the prolonged absence of their companions, had climb=
ed
at daybreak to the plateau of Prospect Heights, and they had at last caught
sight of the vessel which had been so long in returning.
"God be praised! there they are!"
exclaimed Cyrus Harding.
As to Neb in his joy, he began to dance, to tw=
irl
round, clapping his hands and shouting, "Oh! my master!" A more
touching pantomime than the finest discourse.
The engineer's first idea, on counting the peo=
ple
on the deck of the "Bonadventure," was that Pencroft had not found
the castaway of Tabor Island, or at any rate that the unfortunate man had
refused to leave his island and change one prison for another.
Indeed Pencroft, Gideon Spilett, and Herbert w=
ere
alone on the deck of the "Bonadventure."
The moment the vessel touched, the engineer and
Neb were waiting on the beach, and before the passengers had time to leap o=
n to
the sand, Harding said: "We have been very uneasy at your delay, my
friends! Did you meet with any accident?"
"No," replied Gideon Spilett; "=
on
the contrary, everything went wonderfully well. We will tell you all about
it."
"However," returned the engineer,
"your search has been unsuccessful, since you are only three, just as =
you
went!"
"Excuse me, captain," replied the
sailor, "we are four."
"You have found the castaway?"
"Yes."
"And you have brought him?"
"Yes."
"Living?"
"Yes."
"Where is he? Who is he?"
"He is," replied the reporter, "=
;or
rather he was a man! There, Cyrus, that is all we can tell you!"
The engineer was then informed of all that had
passed during the voyage, and under what conditions the search had been
conducted; how the only dwelling in the island had long been abandoned; how=
at
last a castaway had been captured, who appeared no longer to belong to the
human species.
"And that's just the point," added
Pencroft, "I don't know if we have done right to bring him here."=
"Certainly you have, Pencroft," repl=
ied
the engineer quickly.
"But the wretched creature has no
sense!"
"That is possible at present," repli=
ed
Cyrus Harding, "but only a few months ago the wretched creature was a =
man
like you and me. And who knows what will become of the survivor of us after=
a
long solitude on this island? It is a great misfortune to be alone, my frie=
nds;
and it must be believed that solitude can quickly destroy reason, since you=
have
found this poor creature in such a state!"
"But, captain," asked Herbert,
"what leads you to think that the brutishness of the unfortunate man b=
egan
only a few months back?"
"Because the document we found had been
recently written," answered the engineer, "and the castaway alone=
can
have written it."
"Always supposing," observed Gideon
Spilett, "that it had not been written by a companion of this man, sin=
ce
dead."
"That is impossible, my dear Spilett.&quo=
t;
"Why so?" asked the reporter.
"Because the document would then have spo=
ken
of two castaways," replied Harding, "and it mentioned only one.&q=
uot;
Herbert then in a few words related the incide=
nts
of the voyage, and dwelt on the curious fact of the sort of passing gleam in
the prisoner's mind, when for an instant in the height of the storm he had
become a sailor.
"Well, Herbert," replied the enginee=
r,
"you are right to attach great importance to this fact. The unfortunate
man cannot be incurable, and despair has made him what he is; but here he w=
ill
find his fellow-men, and since there is still a soul in him, this soul we s=
hall
save!"
The castaway of Tabor Island, to the great pit=
y of
the engineer and the great astonishment of Neb, was then brought from the c=
abin
which he occupied in the fore part of the "Bonadventure"; when on=
ce
on land he manifested a wish to run away.
But Cyrus Harding approaching, placed his hand=
on
his shoulder with a gesture full of authority, and looked at him with infin=
ite
tenderness. Immediately the unhappy man, submitting to a superior will,
gradually became calm, his eyes fell, his head bent, and he made no more re=
sistance.
"Poor fellow!" murmured the engineer=
.
Cyrus Harding had attentively observed him. To
judge by his appearance this miserable being had no longer anything human a=
bout
him, and yet Harding, as had the reporter already, observed in his look an =
indefinable
trace of intelligence.
It was decided that the castaway, or rather the
stranger as he was thenceforth termed by his companions, should live in one=
of
the rooms of Granite House, from which, however, he could not escape. He was
led there without difficulty, and with careful attention, it might, perhaps=
, be
hoped that some day he would be a companion to the settlers in Lincoln Isla=
nd.
Cyrus Harding, during breakfast, which Neb had
hastened to prepare, as the reporter, Herbert, and Pencroft were dying of
hunger, heard in detail all the incidents which had marked the voyage of
exploration to the islet. He agreed with his friends on this point, that the
stranger must be either English or American, the name Britannia leading the=
m to
suppose this, and, besides, through the bushy beard, and under the shaggy,
matted hair, the engineer thought he could recognize the characteristic
features of the Anglo-Saxon.
"But, by the bye," said Gideon Spile=
tt,
addressing Herbert, "you never told us how you met this savage, and we
know nothing, except that you would have been strangled, if we had not happ=
ened
to come up in time to help you!"
"Upon my word," answered Herbert,
"it is rather difficult to say how it happened. I was, I think, occupi=
ed
in collecting my plants, when I heard a noise like an avalanche falling fro=
m a
very tall tree. I scarcely had time to look round. This unfortunate man, who
was without doubt concealed in a tree, rushed upon me in less time than I t=
ake
to tell you about it, and unless Mr. Spilett and Pencroft--"
"My boy!" said Cyrus Harding, "=
you
ran a great danger, but, perhaps, without that, the poor creature would have
still hidden himself from your search, and we should not have had a new
companion."
"You hope, then, Cyrus, to succeed in
reforming the man?" asked the reporter.
"Yes," replied the engineer.
Breakfast over, Harding and his companions left
Granite House and returned to the beach. They there occupied themselves in
unloading the "Bonadventure," and the engineer, having examined t=
he
arms and tools, saw nothing which could help them to establish the identity=
of
the stranger.
The capture of pigs, made on the islet, was lo=
oked
upon as being very profitable to Lincoln Island, and the animals were led to
the sty, where they soon became at home.
The two barrels, containing the powder and sho=
t,
as well as the box of caps, were very welcome. It was agreed to establish a
small powder-magazine, either outside Granite House or in the Upper Cavern,=
where
there would be no fear of explosion. However, the use of pyroxyle was to be
continued, for this substance giving excellent results, there was no reason=
for
substituting ordinary powder.
When the unloading of the vessel was finished,=
--
"Captain," said Pencroft, "I th=
ink
it would be prudent to put our 'Bonadventure' in a safe place."
"Is she not safe at the mouth of the
Mercy?" asked Cyrus Harding.
"No, captain," replied the sailor.
"Half of the time she is stranded on the sand, and that works her. She=
is
a famous craft, you see, and she behaved admirably during the squall which
struck us on our return."
"Could she not float in the river?"<= o:p>
"No doubt, captain, she could; but there =
is
no shelter there, and in the east winds, I think that the 'Bonadventure' wo=
uld
suffer much from the surf."
"Well, where would you put her,
Pencroft?"
"In Port Balloon," replied the sailo=
r.
"That little creek, shut in by rocks, seems to me to be just the harbo=
r we
want."
"Is it not rather far?"
"Pooh! it is not more than three miles fr=
om
Granite House, and we have a fine straight road to take us there!"
"Do it then, Pencroft, and take your
'Bonadventure' there," replied the engineer, "and yet I would rat=
her
have her under our more immediate protection. When we have time, we must ma=
ke a
little harbor for her."
"Famous!" exclaimed Pencroft. "A
harbor with a lighthouse, a pier, and dock! Ah! really with you, captain,
everything becomes easy."
"Yes, my brave Pencroft," answered t=
he
engineer, "but on condition, however, that you help me, for you do as =
much
as three men in all our work."
Herbert and the sailor then re-embarked on boa=
rd
the "Bonadventure," the anchor was weighed, the sail hoisted, and=
the
wind drove her rapidly towards Claw Cape. Two hours after, she was reposing=
on
the tranquil waters of Port Balloon.
During the first days passed by the stranger in
Granite House, had he already given them reason to think that his savage na=
ture
was becoming tamed? Did a brighter light burn in the depths of that obscured
mind? In short, was the soul returning to the body?
Yes, to a certainty, and to such a degree, that
Cyrus Harding and the reporter wondered if the reason of the unfortunate man
had ever been totally extinguished. At first, accustomed to the open air, to
the unrestrained liberty which he had enjoyed on Tabor Island, the stranger=
manifested
a sullen fury, and it was feared that he might throw himself onto the beach,
out of one of the windows of Granite House. But gradually he became calmer,=
and
more freedom was allowed to his movements.
They had reason to hope, and to hope much.
Already, forgetting his carnivorous instincts, the stranger accepted a less
bestial nourishment than that on which he fed on the islet, and cooked meat=
did
not produce in him the same sentiment of repulsion which he had showed on b=
oard
the "Bonadventure." Cyrus Harding had profited by a moment when he
was sleeping, to cut his hair and matted beard, which formed a sort of mane=
and
gave him such a savage aspect. He had also been clothed more suitably, after
having got rid of the rag which covered him. The result was that, thanks to
these attentions, the stranger resumed a more human appearance, and it even
seemed as if his eyes had become milder. Certainly, when formerly lighted u=
p by
intelligence, this man's face must have had a sort of beauty.
Every day, Harding imposed on himself the task=
of
passing some hours in his company. He came and worked near him, and occupied
himself in different things, so as to fix his attention. A spark, indeed, w=
ould
be sufficient to reillumine that soul, a recollection crossing that brain to
recall reason. That had been seen, during the storm, on board the "Bon=
adventure!"
The engineer did not neglect either to speak aloud, so as to penetrate at t=
he
same time by the organs of hearing and sight the depths of that torpid
intelligence. Sometimes one of his companions, sometimes another, sometimes=
all
joined him. They spoke most often of things belonging to the navy, which mu=
st
interest a sailor.
At times, the stranger gave some slight attent=
ion to
what was said, and the settlers were soon convinced that he partly understo=
od
them. Sometimes the expression of his countenance was deeply sorrowful, a p=
roof
that he suffered mentally, for his face could not be mistaken; but he did n=
ot
speak, although at different times, however, they almost thought that words
were about to issue from his lips. At all events, the poor creature was qui=
te
quiet and sad!
But was not his calm only apparent? Was not his
sadness only the result of his seclusion? Nothing could yet be ascertained.
Seeing only certain objects and in a limited space, always in contact with =
the
colonists, to whom he would soon become accustomed, having no desires to
satisfy, better fed, better clothed, it was natural that his physical natur=
e should
gradually improve; but was he penetrated with the sense of a new life? or
rather, to employ a word which would be exactly applicable to him, was he n=
ot
becoming tamed, like an animal in company with his master? This was an
important question, which Cyrus Harding was anxious to answer, and yet he d=
id
not wish to treat his invalid roughly! Would he ever be a convalescent?
How the engineer observed him every moment! Ho=
w he
was on the watch for his soul, if one may use the expression! How he was re=
ady
to grasp it! The settlers followed with real sympathy all the phases of the
cure undertaken by Harding. They aided him also in this work of humanity, a=
nd all,
except perhaps the incredulous Pencroft, soon shared both his hope and his
faith.
The calm of the stranger was deep, as has been
said, and he even showed a sort of attachment for the engineer, whose influ=
ence
he evidently felt. Cyrus Harding resolved then to try him, by transporting =
him to
another scene, from that ocean which formerly his eyes had been accustomed =
to
contemplate, to the border of the forest, which might perhaps recall those
where so many years of his life had been passed!
"But," said Gideon Spilett, "ca=
n we
hope that he will not escape, if once set at liberty?"
"The experiment must be tried," repl=
ied
the engineer.
"Well!" said Pencroft. "When th=
at
fellow is outside, and feels the fresh air, he will be off as fast as his l=
egs
can carry him!"
"I do not think so," returned Hardin=
g.
"Let us try," said Spilett.
"We will try," replied the engineer.=
This was on the 30th of October, and consequen=
tly
the castaway of Tabor Island had been a prisoner in Granite House for nine
days. It was warm, and a bright sun darted its rays on the island. Cyrus
Harding and Pencroft went to the room occupied by the stranger, who was fou=
nd
lying near the window and gazing at the sky.
"Come, my friend," said the engineer=
to
him.
The stranger rose immediately. His eyes were f=
ixed
on Cyrus Harding, and he followed him, while the sailor marched behind them,
little confident as to the result of the experiment.
Arrived at the door, Harding and Pencroft made=
him
take his place in the lift, while Neb, Herbert, and Gideon Spilett waited f=
or
them before Granite House. The lift descended, and in a few moments all were
united on the beach.
The settlers went a short distance from the
stranger, so as to leave him at liberty.
He then made a few steps toward the sea, and h=
is
look brightened with extreme animation, but he did not make the slightest
attempt to escape. He was gazing at the little waves which, broken by the
islet, rippled on the sand.
"This is only the sea," observed Gid=
eon
Spilett, "and possibly it does not inspire him with any wish to
escape!"
"Yes," replied Harding, "we must
take him to the plateau, on the border of the forest. There the experiment =
will
be more conclusive."
"Besides, he could not run away," sa=
id
Neb, "since the bridge is raised."
"Oh!" said Pencroft, "that isn'=
t a
man to be troubled by a stream like Creek Glycerine! He could cross it
directly, at a single bound!"
"We shall soon see," Harding content=
ed
himself with replying, his eyes not quitting those of his patient.
The latter was then led towards the mouth of t=
he
Mercy, and all climbing the left bank of the river, reached Prospect Height=
s.
Arrived at the spot on which grew the first
beautiful trees of the forest, their foliage slightly agitated by the breez=
e,
the stranger appeared greedily to drink in the penetrating odor which filled
the atmosphere, and a long sigh escaped from his chest.
The settlers kept behind him, ready to seize h=
im
if he made any movement to escape!
And, indeed, the poor creature was on the poin=
t of
springing into the creek which separated him from the forest, and his legs =
were
bent for an instant as if for a spring, but almost immediately he stepped b=
ack,
half sank down, and a large tear fell from his eyes.
"Ah!" exclaimed Cyrus Harding, "=
;you
have become a man again, for you can weep!"
Yes! the unfortunate man had wept! Some
recollection doubtless had flashed across his brain, and to use Cyrus Hardi=
ng's
expression, by those tears he was once more a man.
The colonists left him for some time on the
plateau, and withdrew themselves to a short distance, so that he might feel
himself free; but he did not think of profiting by this liberty, and Harding
soon brought him back to Granite House. Two days after this occurrence, the
stranger appeared to wish gradually to mingle with their common life. He ev=
idently
heard and understood, but no less evidently was he strangely determined not=
to
speak to the colonists; for one evening, Pencroft, listening at the door of=
his
room, heard these words escape from his lips:--
"No! here! I! never!"
The sailor reported these words to his compani=
ons.
"There is some painful mystery there!&quo=
t;
said Harding.
The stranger had begun to use the laboring too=
ls,
and he worked in the garden. When he stopped in his work, as was often the
case, he remained retired within himself, but on the engineer's recommendat=
ion,
they respected the reserve which he apparently wished to keep. If one of th=
e settlers
approached him, he drew back, and his chest heaved with sobs, as if
overburdened!
Was it remorse that overwhelmed him thus? They
were compelled to believe so, and Gideon Spilett could not help one day mak=
ing
this observation,--
"If he does not speak it is because he ha=
s, I
fear, things too serious to be told!"
They must be patient and wait.
A few days later, on the 3rd of November, the
stranger, working on the plateau, had stopped, letting his spade drop to the
ground, and Harding, who was observing him from a little distance, saw that
tears were again flowing from his eyes. A sort of irresistible pity led him
towards the unfortunate man, and he touched his arm lightly.
"My friend!" said he.
The stranger tried to avoid his look, and Cyrus
Harding having endeavored to take his hand, he drew back quickly.
"My friend," said Harding in a firmer
voice, "look at me, I wish it!"
The stranger looked at the engineer, and seeme=
d to
be under his power, as a subject under the influence of a mesmerist. He wis=
hed
to run away. But then his countenance suddenly underwent a transformation. =
His
eyes flashed. Words struggled to escape from his lips. He could no longer c=
ontain
himself! At last he folded his arms; then, in a hollow voice,--"Who are
you?" he asked Cyrus Harding.
"Castaways, like you," replied the
engineer, whose emotion was deep. "We have brought you here, among your
fellow-men."
"My fellow-men!.... I have none!"
"You are in the midst of friends."
"Friends!--for me! friends!" exclaim=
ed
the stranger, hiding his face in his hands. "No--never--leave me! leave
me!"
Then he rushed to the side of the plateau which
overlooked the sea, and remained there a long time motionless.
Harding rejoined his companions and related to
them what had just happened.
"Yes! there is some mystery in that man's
life," said Gideon Spilett, "and it appears as if he had only
re-entered society by the path of remorse."
"I don't know what sort of a man we have
brought here," said the sailor. "He has secrets--"
"Which we will respect," interrupted
Cyrus Harding quickly. "If he has committed any crime, he has most
fearfully expiated it, and in our eyes he is absolved."
For two hours the stranger remained alone on t=
he
shore, evidently under the influence of recollections which recalled all his
past life--a melancholy life doubtless--and the colonists, without losing s=
ight
of him, did not attempt to disturb his solitude. However, after two hours, =
appearing
to have formed a resolution, he came to find Cyrus Harding. His eyes were r=
ed
with the tears he had shed, but he wept no longer. His countenance expressed
deep humility. He appeared anxious, timorous, ashamed, and his eyes were
constantly fixed on the ground.
"Sir," said he to Harding, "your
companions and you, are you English?"
"No," answered the engineer, "we
are Americans."
"Ah!" said the stranger, and he
murmured, "I prefer that!"
"And you, my friend?" asked the
engineer.
"English," replied he hastily.
And as if these few words had been difficult to
say, he retreated to the beach, where he walked up and down between the cas=
cade
and the mouth of the Mercy, in a state of extreme agitation.
Then, passing one moment close to Herbert, he
stopped and in a stifled voice,--
"What month?" he asked.
"December," replied Herbert.
"What year?"
"1866."
"Twelve years! twelve years!" he
exclaimed.
Then he left him abruptly.
Herbert reported to the colonists the questions
and answers which had been made.
"This unfortunate man," observed Gid= eon Spilett, "was no longer acquainted with either months or years!"<= o:p>
"Yes!" added Herbert, "and he h=
ad
been twelve years already on the islet when we found him there!"
"Twelve years!" rejoined Harding.
"Ah! twelve years of solitude, after a wicked life, perhaps, may well
impair a man's reason!"
"I am induced to think," said Pencro=
ft,
"that this man was not wrecked on Tabor Island, but that in consequenc=
e of
some crime he was left there."
"You must be right, Pencroft," repli=
ed
the reporter, "and if it is so it is not impossible that those who left
him on the island may return to fetch him some day!"
"And they will no longer find him," =
said
Herbert.
"But then," added Pencroft, "th=
ey
must return, and--"
"My friends," said Cyrus Harding,
"do not let us discuss this question until we know more about it. I
believe that the unhappy man has suffered, that he has severely expiated his
faults, whatever they may have been, and that the wish to unburden himself
stifles him. Do not let us press him to tell us his history! He will tell i=
t to
us doubtless, and when we know it, we shall see what course it will be best=
to
follow. He alone besides can tell us, if he has more than a hope, a certain=
ty, of
returning some day to his country, but I doubt it!"
"And why?" asked the reporter.
"Because that, in the event of his being =
sure
of being delivered at a certain time, he would have waited the hour of his
deliverance and would not have thrown this document into the sea. No, it is
more probable that he was condemned to die on that islet, and that he never
expected to see his fellow-creatures again!"
"But," observed the sailor, "th=
ere
is one thing which I cannot explain."
"What is it?"
"If this man had been left for twelve yea=
rs
on Tabor Island, one may well suppose that he had been several years alread=
y in
the wild state in which we found him!"
"That is probable," replied Cyrus
Harding.
"It must then be many years since he wrote
that document!"
"No doubt," and yet the document app=
ears
to have been recently written!
"Besides, how do you know that the bottle
which enclosed the document may not have taken several years to come from T=
abor
Island to Lincoln Island?"
"That is not absolutely impossible,"
replied the reporter.
"Might it not have been a long time alrea=
dy
on the coast of the island?"
"No," answered Pencroft, "for it
was still floating. We could not even suppose that after it had stayed for =
any
length of time on the shore, it would have been swept off by the sea, for t=
he
south coast is all rocks, and it would certainly have been smashed to pieces
there!"
"That is true," rejoined Cyrus Hardi=
ng
thoughtfully.
"And then," continued the sailor,
"if the document was several years old, if it had been shut up in that
bottle for several years, it would have been injured by damp. Now, there is
nothing of the kind, and it was found in a perfect state of preservation.&q=
uot;
The sailor's reasoning was very just, and poin=
ted
out an incomprehensible fact, for the document appeared to have been recent=
ly written,
when the colonists found it in the bottle. Moreover, it gave the latitude a=
nd
longitude of Tabor Island correctly, which implied that its author had a mo=
re
complete knowledge of hydrography than could be expected of a common sailor=
.
"There is in this, again, something
unaccountable," said the engineer, "but we will not urge our
companion to speak. When he likes, my friends, then we shall be ready to he=
ar
him!"
During the following days the stranger did not
speak a word, and did not once leave the precincts of the plateau. He worked
away, without losing a moment, without taking a minute's rest, but always i=
n a
retired place. At meal times he never came to Granite House, although invit=
ed
several times to do so, but contented himself with eating a few raw vegetab=
les.
At nightfall he did not return to the room assigned to him, but remained un=
der
some clump of trees, or when the weather was bad crouched in some cleft of =
the
rocks. Thus he lived in the same manner as when he had no other shelter than
the forests of Tabor Island, and as all persuasion to induce him to improve=
his
life was in vain, the colonists waited patiently. And the time was near, wh=
en,
as it seemed, almost involuntarily urged by his conscience, a terrible
confession escaped him.
On the 10th of November, about eight o'clock in
the evening, as night was coming on, the stranger appeared unexpectedly bef=
ore
the settlers, who were assembled under the veranda. His eyes burned strange=
ly,
and he had quite resumed the wild aspect of his worst days.
Cyrus Harding and his companions were astounde=
d on
seeing that, overcome by some terrible emotion, his teeth chattered like th=
ose
of a person in a fever. What was the matter with him? Was the sight of his =
fellow-creatures
insupportable to him? Was he weary of this return to a civilized mode of
existence? Was he pining for his former savage life? It appeared so, as soo=
n he
was heard to express himself in these incoherent sentences:--
"Why am I here?.... By what right have you
dragged me from my islet?.... Do you think there could be any tie between y=
ou
and me?.... Do you know who I am--what I have done--why I was there--alone?=
And
who told you that I was not abandoned there--that I was not condemned to di=
e there?....
Do you know my past?.... How do you know that I have not stolen, murdered--=
that
I am not a wretch--an accursed being--only fit to live like a wild beast, f=
ar
from all--speak--do you know it?"
The colonists listened without interrupting the
miserable creature, from whom these broken confessions escaped, as it were,=
in
spite of himself. Harding wishing to calm him, approached him, but he hasti=
ly
drew back.
"No! no!" he exclaimed; "one wo=
rd
only--am I free?"
"You are free," answered the enginee=
r.
"Farewell, then!" he cried, and fled
like a madman.
Neb, Pencroft, and Herbert ran also towards the
edge of the wood--but they returned alone.
"We must let him alone!" said Cyrus
Harding.
"He will never come back!" exclaimed
Pencroft.
"He will come back," replied the
engineer.
Many days passed; but Harding--was it a sort o=
f presentiment?--persisted
in the fixed idea that sooner or later the unhappy man would return.
"It is the last revolt of his wild
nature," said he, "which remorse has touched, and which renewed
solitude will terrify."
In the meanwhile, works of all sorts were
continued, as well on Prospect Heights as at the corral, where Harding inte=
nded
to build a farm. It is unnecessary to say that the seeds collected by Herbe=
rt
on Tabor Island had been carefully sown. The plateau thus formed one immens=
e kitchen-garden,
well laid out and carefully tended, so that the arms of the settlers were n=
ever
in want of work. There was always something to be done. As the esculents
increased in number, it became necessary to enlarge the simple beds, which
threatened to grow into regular fields and replace the meadows. But grass
abounded in other parts of the island, and there was no fear of the onagers
being obliged to go on short allowance. It was well worth while, besides, to
turn Prospect Heights into a kitchen-garden, defended by its deep belt of
creeks, and to remove them to the meadows, which had no need of protection
against the depredations of quadrumana and quadrapeds.
On the 15th of November, the third harvest was
gathered in. How wonderfully had the field increased in extent, since eight=
een
months ago, when the first grain of wheat was sown! The second crop of six =
hundred
thousand grains produced this time four thousand bushels, or five hundred
millions of grains!
The colony was rich in corn, for ten bushels a=
lone
were sufficient for sowing every year to produce an ample crop for the food
both of men and beasts. The harvest was completed, and the last fortnight of
the month of November was devoted to the work of converting it into food for
man. In fact, they had corn, but not flour, and the establishment of a mill=
was
necessary. Cyrus Harding could have utilized the second fall which flowed i=
nto
the Mercy to establish his motive power, the first being already occupied w=
ith
moving the felting mill, but, after some consultation, it was decided that a
simple windmill should be built on Prospect Heights. The building of this
presented no more difficulty than the building of the former, and it was
moreover certain that there would be no want of wind on the plateau, expose=
d as
it was to the sea breezes.
"Not to mention," said Pencroft,
"that the windmill will be more lively and will have a good effect in =
the
landscape!"
They set to work by choosing timber for the fr=
ame
and machinery of the mill. Some large stones, found at the north of the lak=
e,
could be easily transformed into millstones, and as to the sails, the
inexhaustible case of the balloon furnished the necessary material.
Cyrus Harding made his model, and the site of =
the
mill was chosen a little to the right of the poultry-yard, near the shore of
the lake. The frame was to rest on a pivot supported with strong timbers, so
that it could turn with all the machinery it contained according as the win=
d required
it. The work advanced rapidly. Neb and Pencroft had become very skilful
carpenters, and had nothing to do but to copy the models provided by the
engineer.
Soon a sort of cylindrical box, in shape like a
pepper-pot, with a pointed roof, rose on the spot chosen. The four frames w=
hich
formed the sails had been firmly fixed in the center beam, so as to form a
certain angle with it, and secured with iron clamps. As to the different pa=
rts
of the internal mechanism, the box destined to contain the two millstones, =
the
fixed stone and the moving stone, the hopper, a sort of large square trough,
wide at the top, narrow at the bottom, which would allow the grain to fall =
on
the stones, the oscillating spout intended to regulate the passing of the
grain, and lastly the bolting machine, which by the operation of sifting,
separates the bran from the flour, were made without difficulty. The tools =
were
good, and the work not difficult, for in reality, the machinery of a mill is
very simple. This was only a question of time.
Every one had worked at the construction of the
mill, and on the 1st of December it was finished. As usual, Pencroft was
delighted with his work, and had no doubt that the apparatus was perfect.
"Now for a good wind," said he,
"and we shall grind our first harvest splendidly!"
"A good wind, certainly," answered t=
he
engineer, "but not too much, Pencroft."
"Pooh! our mill would only go the
faster!"
"There is no need for it to go so very
fast," replied Cyrus Harding. "It is known by experience that the
greatest quantity of work is performed by a mill when the number of turns m=
ade
by the sails in a minute is six times the number of feet traversed by the w=
ind
in a second. A moderate breeze, which passes over twenty-four feet to the
second, will give sixteen turns to the sails during a minute, and there is =
no
need of more."
"Exactly!" cried Herbert, "a fi=
ne
breeze is blowing from the northeast, which will soon do our business for
us."
There was no reason for delaying the inaugurat=
ion
of the mill, for the settlers were eager to taste the first piece of bread =
in
Lincoln Island. On this morning two or three bushels of wheat were ground, =
and
the next day at breakfast a magnificent loaf, a little heavy perhaps, altho=
ugh raised
with yeast, appeared on the table at Granite House. Every one munched away =
at
it with a pleasure which may be easily understood.
In the meanwhile, the stranger had not reappea=
red.
Several times Gideon Spilett and Herbert searched the forest in the
neighborhood of Granite House, without meeting or finding any trace of him.
They became seriously uneasy at this prolonged absence. Certainly, the form=
er savage
of Tabor island could not be perplexed how to live in the forest, abounding=
in
game, but was it not to be feared that he had resumed his habits, and that =
this
freedom would revive in him his wild instincts? However, Harding, by a sort=
of
presentiment, doubtless, always persisted in saying that the fugitive would
return.
"Yes, he will return!" he repeated w=
ith
a confidence which his companions could not share. "When this unfortun=
ate
man was on Tabor Island, he knew himself to be alone! Here, he knows that
fellow-men are awaiting him! Since he has partially spoken of his past life,
the poor penitent will return to tell the whole, and from that day he will
belong to us!"
The event justified Cyrus Harding's prediction=
s.
On the 3rd of December, Herbert had left the plateau to go and fish on the
southern bank of the lake. He was unarmed, and till then had never taken any
precautions for defense, as dangerous animals had not shown themselves on t=
hat
part of the island.
Meanwhile, Pencroft and Neb were working in the
poultry-yard, while Harding and the reporter were occupied at the Chimneys =
in
making soda, the store of soap being exhausted.
Suddenly cries resounded,--
"Help! help!"
Cyrus Harding and the reporter, being at too g=
reat
a distance, had not been able to hear the shouts. Pencroft and Neb, leaving=
the
poultry-yard in all haste, rushed towards the lake.
But before then, the stranger, whose presence =
at
this place no one had suspected, crossed Creek Glycerine, which separated t=
he
plateau from the forest, and bounded up the opposite bank.
Herbert was there face to face with a fierce
jaguar, similar to the one which had been killed on Reptile End. Suddenly
surprised, he was standing with his back against a tree, while the animal
gathering itself together was about to spring.
But the stranger, with no other weapon than a
knife, rushed on the formidable animal, who turned to meet this new adversa=
ry.
The struggle was short. The stranger possessed
immense strength and activity. He seized the jaguar's throat with one power=
ful
hand, holding it as in a vise, without heeding the beast's claws which tore=
his
flesh, and with the other he plunged his knife into its heart.
The jaguar fell. The stranger kicked away the
body, and was about to fly at the moment when the settlers arrived on the f=
ield
of battle, but Herbert, clinging to him, cried,--
"No, no! you shall not go!"
Harding advanced towards the stranger, who fro=
wned
when he saw him approaching. The blood flowed from his shoulder under his t=
orn
shirt, but he took no notice of it.
"My friend," said Cyrus Harding,
"we have just contracted a debt of gratitude to you. To save our boy y=
ou
have risked your life!"
"My life!" murmured the stranger.
"What is that worth? Less than nothing!"
"You are wounded?"
"It is no matter."
"Will you give me your hand?"
And as Herbert endeavored to seize the hand wh=
ich
had just saved him, the stranger folded his arms, his chest heaved, his look
darkened, and he appeared to wish to escape, but making a violent effort ov=
er
himself, and in an abrupt tone,--
"Who are you?" he asked, "and w=
hat
do you claim to be to me?"
It was the colonists' history which he thus
demanded, and for the first time. Perhaps this history recounted, he would =
tell
his own.
In a few words Harding related all that had
happened since their departure from Richmond; how they had managed, and what
resources they now had at their disposal.
The stranger listened with extreme attention.<= o:p>
Then the engineer told who they all were, Gide=
on
Spilett, Herbert, Pencroft, Neb, himself, and, he added, that the greatest
happiness they had felt since their arrival in Lincoln Island was on the re=
turn
of the vessel from Tabor Island, when they had been able to include among t=
hem a
new companion.
At these words the stranger's face flushed, his
head sunk on his breast, and confusion was depicted on his countenance.
"And now that you know us," added Cy=
rus
Harding, "will you give us your hand?"
"No," replied the stranger in a hoar=
se
voice; "no! You are honest men! And I--"
These last words justified the colonists'
presentiment. There had been some mournful past, perhaps expiated in the si=
ght
of men, but from which his conscience had not yet absolved him. At any rate=
the
guilty man felt remorse, he repented, and his new friends would have cordia=
lly
pressed the hand which they sought; but he did not feel himself worthy to
extend it to honest men! However, after the scene with the jaguar, he did n=
ot return
to the forest, and from that day did not go beyond the enclosure of Granite
House.
What was the mystery of his life? Would the
stranger one day speak of it? Time alone could show. At any rate, it was ag=
reed
that his secret should never be asked from him, and that they would live wi=
th
him as if they suspected nothing.
For some days their life continued as before.
Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett worked together, sometimes chemists, somet=
imes
experimentalists. The reporter never left the engineer except to hunt with
Herbert, for it would not have been prudent to allow the lad to ramble alon=
e in
the forest; and it was very necessary to be on their guard. As to Neb and
Pencroft, one day at the stables and poultry-yard, another at the corral,
without reckoning work in Granite House, they were never in want of employm=
ent.
The stranger worked alone, and he had resumed =
his
usual life, never appearing at meals, sleeping under the trees in the plate=
au,
never mingling with his companions. It really seemed as if the society of t=
hose
who had saved him was insupportable to him!
"But then," observed Pencroft, "=
;why
did he entreat the help of his fellow-creatures? Why did he throw that paper
into the sea?"
"He will tell us why," invariably
replied Cyrus Harding.
"When?"
"Perhaps sooner than you think,
Pencroft."
And, indeed, the day of confession was near.
On the 10th of December, a week after his retu=
rn
to Granite House, Harding saw the stranger approaching, who, in a calm voice
and humble tone, said to him: "Sir, I have a request to make of you.&q=
uot;
"Speak," answered the engineer,
"but first let me ask you a question."
At these words the stranger reddened, and was =
on
the point of withdrawing. Cyrus Harding understood what was passing in the =
mind
of the guilty man, who doubtless feared that the engineer would interrogate=
him
on his past life.
Harding held him back.
"Comrade," said he, "we are not
only your companions but your friends. I wish you to believe that, and now I
will listen to you."
The stranger pressed his hand over his eyes. He
was seized with a sort of trembling, and remained a few moments without bei=
ng
able to articulate a word.
"Sir," said he at last, "I have
come to beg you to grant me a favor."
"What is it?"
"You have, four or five miles from here, a
corral for your domesticated animals. These animals need to be taken care o=
f.
Will you allow me to live there with them?"
Cyrus Harding gazed at the unfortunate man for=
a
few moments with a feeling of deep commiseration; then,--
"=
;My
friend," said he, "the corral has only stables hardly fit for ani=
mals."
"It will be good enough for me, sir."=
;
"My friend," answered Harding, "=
;we
will not constrain you in anything. You wish to live at the corral, so be i=
t.
You will, however, be always welcome at Granite House. But since you wish to
live at the corral we will make the necessary arrangements for your being
comfortably established there."
"Never mind that, I shall do very well.&q=
uot;
"My friend," answered Harding, who
always intentionally made use of this cordial appellation, "you must l=
et
us judge what it will be best to do in this respect."
"Thank you, sir," replied the strang=
er
as he withdrew.
The engineer then made known to his companions=
the
proposal which had been made to him, and it was agreed that they should bui=
ld a
wooden house at the corral, which they would make as comfortable as possibl=
e.
That very day the colonists repaired to the co= rral with the necessary tools, and a week had not passed before the house was re= ady to receive its tenant. It was built about twenty feet from the sheds, and f= rom there it was easy to overlook the flock of sheep, which then numbered more than eighty. Some furniture, a bed, table, bench, cupboard, and chest were manufactured, and a gun, ammunition, and tools were carried to the corral.<= o:p>
The stranger, however, had seen nothing of his=
new
dwelling, and he had allowed the settlers to work there without him, while =
he
occupied himself on the plateau, wishing, doubtless, to put the finishing
stroke to his work. Indeed, thanks to him, all the ground was dug up and re=
ady to
be sowed when the time came.
It was on the 20th of December that all the
arrangements at the corral were completed. The engineer announced to the
stranger that his dwelling was ready to receive him, and the latter replied
that he would go and sleep there that very evening.
On this evening the colonists were gathered in=
the
diningroom of Granite House. It was then eight o'clock, the hour at which t=
heir
companion was to leave them. Not wishing to trouble him by their presence, =
and
thus imposing on him the necessity of saying farewells which might perhaps =
be painful
to him, they had left him alone and ascended to Granite House.
Now, they had been talking in the room for a f=
ew
minutes, when a light knock was heard at the door. Almost immediately the
stranger entered, and without any preamble,--
"Gentlemen," said he, "before I
leave you, it is right that you should know my history. I will tell it
you."
These simple words profoundly impressed Cyrus
Harding and his companions. The engineer rose.
"We ask you nothing, my friend," said
he; "it is your right to be silent."
"It is my duty to speak."
"Sit down, then."
"No, I will stand."
"We are ready to hear you," replied
Harding.
The stranger remained standing in a corner of =
the
room, a little in the shade. He was bareheaded, his arms folded across his
chest, and it was in this posture that in a hoarse voice, speaking like some
one who obliges himself to speak, he gave the following recital, which his =
auditors
did not once interrupt:--
"On the 20th of December, 1854, a
steam-yacht, belonging to a Scotch nobleman, Lord Glenarvan, anchored off C=
ape
Bernouilli, on the western coast of Australia, in the thirty-seventh parall=
el.
On board this yacht were Lord Glenarvan and his wife, a major in the English
army, a French geographer, a young girl, and a young boy. These two last we=
re
the children of Captain Grant, whose ship, the 'Britannia,' had been lost, =
crew
and cargo, a year before. The 'Duncan' was commanded by Captain John Mangle=
s,
and manned by a crew of fifteen men.
"This is the reason the yacht at this time
lay off the coast of Australia. Six months before, a bottle, enclosing a
document written in English, German, and French, had been found in the Irish
Sea, and picked up by the 'Duncan.' This document stated in substance that
there still existed three survivors from the wreck of the 'Britannia,' that
these survivors were Captain Grant and two of his men, and that they had fo=
und refuge
on some land, of which the document gave the latitude, but of which the
longitude, effaced by the sea, was no longer legible.
"This latitude was 37deg 11' south;
therefore, the longitude being unknown, if they followed the thirty-seventh
parallel over continents and seas, they would be certain to reach the spot
inhabited by Captain Grant and his two companions. The English Admiralty ha=
ving
hesitated to undertake this search, Lord Glenarvan resolved to attempt
everything to find the captain. He communicated with Mary and Robert Grant,=
who
joined him. The 'Duncan' yacht was equipped for the distant voyage, in whic=
h the
nobleman's family and the captain's children wished to take part, and the
'Duncan,' leaving Glasgow, proceeded towards the Atlantic, passed through t=
he
Straits of Magellan, and ascended the Pacific as far as Patagonia, where,
according to a previous interpretation of the document, they supposed that
Captain Grant was a prisoner among the Indians.
"The 'Duncan' disembarked her passengers =
on
the western coast of Patagonia, and sailed to pick them up again on the eas=
tern
coast at Cape Corrientes. Lord Glenarvan traversed Patagonia, following the=
thirty-seventh
parallel, and having found no trace of the captain, he re-embarked on the 1=
3th
of November, so as to pursue his search through the Ocean.
"After having unsuccessfully visited the
islands of Tristan d'Acunha and Amsterdam, situated in her course, the
'Duncan,' as I have said, arrived at Cape Bernouilli, on the Australian coa=
st,
on the 20th of December, 1854.
"It was Lord Glenarvan's intention to
traverse Australia as he had traversed America, and he disembarked. A few m=
iles
from the coast was established a farm, belonging to an Irishman, who offered
hospitality to the travelers. Lord Glenarvan made known to the Irishman the
cause which had brought him to these parts, and asked if he knew whether a =
three-masted
English vessel, the 'Britannia,' had been lost less than two years before on
the west coast of Australia.
"The Irishman had never heard of this wre=
ck,
but, to the great surprise of the bystanders, one of his servants came forw=
ard
and said,--
"'My lord, praise and thank God! If Capta=
in
Grant is still living, he is living on the Australian shores.'
"'Who are you?' asked Lord Glenarvan.
"'A Scotchman like yourself, my lord,'
replied the man; 'I am one of Captain Grant's crew--one of the castaways of=
the
"Britannia.'"
"This man was called Ayrton. He was, in f=
act,
the boatswain's mate of the 'Britannia,' as his papers showed. But, separat=
ed
from Captain Grant at the moment when the ship struck upon the rocks, he had
till then believed that the captain with all his crew had perished, and that
he, Ayrton, was the sole survivor of the 'Britannia.'
"'Only,' he added, 'it was not on the west
coast, but on the east coast of Australia that the vessel was lost, and if
Captain Grant is still living, as his document indicates, he is a prisoner
among the natives, and it is on the other coast that he must be looked for.=
'
"This man spoke in a frank voice and with=
a
confident look; his words could not be doubted. The Irishman, in whose serv=
ice
he had been for more than a year, answered for his trustworthiness. Lord
Glenarvan, therefore, believed in the fidelity of this man and, by his advi=
ce, resolved
to cross Australia, following the thirty-seventh parallel. Lord Glenarvan, =
his
wife, the two children, the major, the Frenchman, Captain Mangles, and a few
sailors composed the little band under the command of Ayrton, while the
'Duncan,' under charge of the mate, Tom Austin, proceeded to Melbourne, the=
re
to await Lord Glenarvan's instructions.
"They set out on the 23rd of December, 18=
54.
"It is time to say that Ayrton was a trai=
tor.
He was, indeed, the boatswain's mate of the 'Britannia,' but, after some
dispute with his captain, he endeavored to incite the crew to mutiny and se=
ize
the ship, and Captain Grant had landed him, on the 8th of April, 1852, on t=
he west
coast of Australia, and then sailed, leaving him there, as was only just.
"Therefore this wretched man knew nothing=
of
the wreck of the 'Britannia'; he had just heard of it from Glenarvan's acco=
unt.
Since his abandonment, he had become, under the name of Ben Joyce, the lead=
er
of the escaped convicts; and if he boldly maintained that the wreck had tak=
en
place on the east coast, and led Lord Glenarvan to proceed in that directio=
n,
it was that he hoped to separate him from his ship, seize the 'Duncan,' and
make the yacht a pirate in the Pacific."
Here the stranger stopped for a moment. His vo=
ice
trembled, but he continued,--
"The expedition set out and proceeded acr=
oss
Australia. It was inevitably unfortunate, since Ayrton, or Ben Joyce, as he=
may
be called, guided it, sometimes preceded, sometimes followed by his band of=
convicts,
who had been told what they had to do.
"Meanwhile, the 'Duncan' had been sent to
Melbourne for repairs. It was necessary, then, to get Lord Glenarvan to ord=
er
her to leave Melbourne and go to the east coast of Australia, where it woul=
d be
easy to seize her. After having led the expedition near enough to the coast=
, in
the midst of vast forests with no resources, Ayrton obtained a letter, whic=
h he
was charged to carry to the mate of the 'Duncan'--a letter which ordered the
yacht to repair immediately to the east coast, to Twofold Bay, that is to s=
ay a
few days' journey from the place where the expedition had stopped. It was t=
here
that Ayrton had agreed to meet his accomplices, and two days after gaining
possession of the letter, he arrived at Melbourne.
"So far the villain had succeeded in his
wicked design. He would be able to take the 'Duncan' into Twofold Bay, wher=
e it
would be easy for the convicts to seize her, and her crew massacred, Ben Jo=
yce
would become master of the seas. But it pleased God to prevent the
accomplishment of these terrible projects.
"Ayrton, arrived at Melbourne, delivered =
the
letter to the mate, Tom Austin, who read it and immediately set sail, but j=
udge
of Ayrton's rage and disappointment, when the next day he found that the ma=
te
was taking the vessel, not to the east coast of Australia, to Twofold Bay, =
but
to the east coast of New Zealand. He wished to stop him, but Austin showed =
him
the letter!... And indeed, by a providential error of the French geographer,
who had written the letter, the east coast of New Zealand was mentioned as =
the
place of destination.
"All Ayrton's plans were frustrated! He
became outrageous. They put him in irons. He was then taken to the coast of=
New
Zealand, not knowing what would become of his accomplices, or what would be=
come
of Lord Glenarvan.
"The 'Duncan' cruised about on this coast
until the 3rd of March. On that day Ayrton heard the report of guns. The gu=
ns
on the 'Duncan' were being fired, and soon Lord Glenarvan and his companions
came on board.
"This is what had happened.
"After a thousand hardships, a thousand
dangers, Lord Glenarvan had accomplished his journey, and arrived on the ea=
st
coast of Australia, at Twofold Bay. 'No "Duncan!"' He telegraphed=
to
Melbourne. They answered, "Duncan" sailed on the 18th instant.
Destination unknown.'
"Lord Glenarvan could only arrive at one
conclusion; that his honest yacht had fallen into the hands of Ben Joyce, a=
nd
had become a pirate vessel!
"However, Lord Glenarvan would not give u=
p.
He was a bold and generous man. He embarked in a merchant vessel, sailed to=
the
west coast of New Zealand, traversed it along the thirty-seventh parallel,
without finding any trace of Captain Grant; but on the other side, to his g=
reat
surprise, and by the will of Heaven, he found the 'Duncan,' under command of
the mate, who had been waiting for him for five weeks!
"This was on the 3rd of March, 1855. Lord
Glenarvan was now on board the 'Duncan,' but Ayrton was there also. He appe=
ared
before the nobleman, who wished to extract from him all that the villain kn=
ew
about Captain Grant. Ayrton refused to speak. Lord Glenarvan then told him,
that at the first port they put into, he would be delivered up to the Engli=
sh authorities.
Ayrton remained mute.
"The 'Duncan' continued her voyage along =
the
thirty-seventh parallel. In the meanwhile, Lady Glenarvan undertook to vanq=
uish
the resistance of the ruffian.
"At last, her influence prevailed, and
Ayrton, in exchange for what he could tell, proposed that Lord Glenarvan sh=
ould
leave him on some island in the Pacific, instead of giving him up to the
English authorities. Lord Glenarvan, resolving to do anything to obtain
information about Captain Grant, consented.
"Ayrton then related all his life, and it=
was
certain that he knew nothing from the day on which Captain Grant had landed=
him
on the Australian coast.
"Nevertheless, Lord Glenarvan kept the
promise which he had given. The 'Duncan' continued her voyage and arrived at
Tabor Island. It was there that Ayrton was to be landed, and it was there a=
lso
that, by a veritable miracle, they found Captain Grant and two men, exactly=
on
the thirty-seventh parallel.
"The convict, then, went to take their pl=
ace
on this desert islet, and at the moment he left the yacht these words were
pronounced by Lord Glenarvan:--
"'Here, Ayrton, you will be far from any
land, and without any possible communication with your fellow-creatures. You
cannot escape from this islet on which the 'Duncan' leaves you. You will be
alone, under the eye of a God who reads the depths of the heart, but you wi=
ll
be neither lost nor forgotten, as was Captain Grant. Unworthy as you are to=
be remembered
by men, men will remember you. I know where you are Ayrton, and I know wher=
e to
find you. I will never forget it!
"And the 'Duncan,' making sail, soon
disappeared. This was 18th of March, 1855.
(=
The
events which have just been briefly related are taken from a work which some of our reader=
s have
no doubt read, and which is
entitled, "Captain Grant's children." They will remark on this occasion, as well as =
later,
some discrepancy in the dates;=
but
later again, they will understand why the real dates were not at first given.)=
"Ayrton was alone, but he had no want of
either ammunition, weapons, tools, or seeds.
"At his, the convict's disposal, was the
house built by honest Captain Grant. He had only to live and expiate in
solitude the crimes which he had committed.
"Gentlemen, he repented, he was ashamed of
his crimes and was very miserable! He said to himself, that if men came some
day to take him from that islet, he must be worthy to return among them! Ho=
w he
suffered, that wretched man! How he labored to recover himself by work! How=
he
prayed to be reformed by prayer! For two years, three years, this went on, =
but
Ayrton, humbled by solitude, always looking for some ship to appear on the
horizon, asking himself if the time of expiation would soon be complete,
suffered as none other suffered! Oh! how dreadful was this solitude, to a h=
eart
tormented by remorse!
"But doubtless Heaven had not sufficiently
punished this unhappy man, for he felt that he was gradually becoming a sav=
age!
He felt that brutishness was gradually gaining on him!
"He could not say if it was after two or
three years of solitude, but at last he became the miserable creature you
found!
"I have no need to tell you, gentlemen, t=
hat
Ayrton, Ben Joyce, and I, are the same."
Cyrus Harding and his companions rose at the e=
nd
of this account. It is impossible to say how much they were moved! What mis=
ery,
grief, and despair lay revealed before them!
"Ayrton," said Harding, rising,
"you have been a great criminal, but Heaven must certainly think that =
you
have expiated your crimes! That has been proved by your having been brought
again among your fellow-creatures. Ayrton, you are forgiven! And now you wi=
ll
be our companion?"
Ayrton drew back.
"Here is my hand!" said the engineer=
.
Ayrton grasped the hand which Harding extended=
to
him, and great tears fell from his eyes.
"Will you live with us?" asked Cyrus
Harding.
"Captain Harding, leave me some time
longer," replied Ayrton, "leave me alone in the hut in the
corral!"
"As you like, Ayrton," answered Cyrus
Harding. Ayrton was going to withdraw, when the engineer addressed one more
question to him:--
"One word more, my friend. Since it was y=
our
intention to live alone, why did you throw into the sea the document which =
put
us on your track?"
"A document?" repeated Ayrton, who d=
id
not appear to know what he meant.
"Yes, the document which we found enclose=
d in
a bottle, giving us the exact position of Tabor Island!"
Ayrton passed his hand over his brow, then aft=
er
having thought, "I never threw any document into the sea!" he
answered.
"Never?" exclaimed Pencroft.
"Never!"
And Ayrton, bowing, reached the door and depar=
ted.
"Poor man!" said Herbert, who had ru=
shed
to the door, but returned, having seen Ayrton slide down the rope on the li=
ft
and disappear in the darkness.
"He will come back," said Cyrus Hard=
ing.
"Come, now, captain," exclaimed
Pencroft, "what does that mean? What! wasn't it Ayrton who threw that
bottle into the sea? Who was it then?"
Certainly, if ever a question was necessary to=
be
made, it was that one!
"It was he," answered Neb, "only
the unhappy man was half-mad."
"Yes!" said Herbert, "and he wa=
s no
longer conscious of what he was doing."
"It can only be explained in that way, my
friends," replied Harding quickly, "and I understand now how Ayrt=
on
was able to point out exactly the situation of Tabor Island, since the even=
ts
which had preceded his being left on the island had made it known to him.&q=
uot;
"However," observed Pencroft, "=
if
he was not yet a brute when he wrote that document, and if he threw it into=
the
sea seven or eight years ago, how is it that the paper has not been injured=
by
damp?"
"That proves," answered Cyrus Hardin=
g,
"that Ayrton was deprived of intelligence at a more recent time than he
thinks."
"Of course it must be so," replied
Pencroft, "without that the fact would be unaccountable."
"Unaccountable indeed," answered the
engineer, who did not appear desirous to prolong the conversation.
"But has Ayrton told the truth?" ask=
ed
the sailor.
"Yes," replied the reporter. "T=
he
story which he has told is true in every point. I remember quite well the
account in the newspapers of the yacht expedition undertaken by Lord Glenar=
van,
and its result."
"Ayrton has told the truth," added
Harding. "Do not doubt it, Pencroft, for it was painful to him. People
tell the truth when they accuse themselves like that!"
The next day--the 21st of December--the coloni=
sts
descended to the beach, and having climbed the plateau they found nothing of
Ayrton. He had reached his house in the corral during the night and the
settlers judged it best not to agitate him by their presence. Time would do=
ubtless
perform what sympathy had been unable to accomplish.
Herbert, Pencroft, and Neb resumed their ordin=
ary
occupations. On this day the same work brought Harding and the reporter to =
the
workshop at the Chimneys.
"Do you know, my dear Cyrus," said
Gideon Spilett, "that the explanation you gave yesterday on the subjec=
t of
the bottle has not satisfied me at all! How can it be supposed that the
unfortunate man was able to write that document and throw the bottle into t=
he
sea without having the slightest recollection of it?"
"Nor was it he who threw it in, my dear
Spilett."
"You think then--"
"I think nothing, I know nothing!"
interrupted Cyrus Harding. "I am content to rank this incident among t=
hose
which I have not been able to explain to this day!"
"Indeed, Cyrus," said Spilett,
"these things are incredible! Your rescue, the case stranded on the sa=
nd,
Top's adventure, and lastly this bottle... Shall we never have the answer to
these enigmas?"
"Yes!" replied the engineer quickly,
"yes, even if I have to penetrate into the bowels of this island!"=
;
"Chance will perhaps give us the key to t=
his
mystery!"
"Chance! Spilett! I do not believe in cha=
nce,
any more than I believe in mysteries in this world. There is a reason for
everything unaccountable which has happened here, and that reason I shall
discover. But in the meantime we must work and observe."
The month of January arrived. The year 1867
commenced. The summer occupations were assiduously continued. During the da=
ys
which followed, Herbert and Spilett having gone in the direction of the cor=
ral,
ascertained that Ayrton had taken possession of the habitation which had be=
en
prepared for him. He busied himself with the numerous flock confided to his
care, and spared his companions the trouble of coming every two or three da=
ys
to visit the corral. Nevertheless, in order not to leave Ayrton in solitude=
for
too long a time, the settlers often paid him a visit.
It was not unimportant either, in consequence =
of
some suspicions entertained by the engineer and Gideon Spilett, that this p=
art
of the island should be subject to a surveillance of some sort, and that Ay=
rton,
if any incident occurred unexpectedly, should not neglect to inform the
inhabitants of Granite House of it.
Nevertheless it might happen that something wo=
uld
occur which it would be necessary to bring rapidly to the engineer's knowle=
dge.
Independently of facts bearing on the mystery of Lincoln Island, many other=
s might
happen, which would call for the prompt interference of the colonists,--suc=
h as
the sighting of a vessel, a wreck on the western coast, the possible arriva=
l of
pirates, etc.
Therefore Cyrus Harding resolved to put the co=
rral
in instantaneous communication with Granite House.
It was on the 10th of January that he made kno=
wn
his project to his companions.
"Why! how are you going to manage that,
captain?" asked Pencroft. "Do you by chance happen to think of
establishing a telegraph?"
"Exactly so," answered the engineer.=
"Electric?" cried Herbert.
"Electric," replied Cyrus Harding.
"We have all the necessary materials for making a battery, and the most
difficult thing will be to stretch the wires, but by means of a drawplate I
think we shall manage it."
"Well, after that," returned the sai=
lor,
"I shall never despair of seeing ourselves some day rolling along on a
railway!"
They then set to work, beginning with the most
difficult thing, for, if they failed in that, it would be useless to
manufacture the battery and other accessories.
The iron of Lincoln Island, as has been said, =
was
of excellent quality, and consequently very fit for being drawn out. Harding
commenced by manufacturing a drawplate, that is to say, a plate of steel,
pierced with conical holes of different sizes, which would successively bri=
ng the
wire to the wished-for tenacity. This piece of steel, after having been
tempered, was fixed in as firm a way as possible in a solid framework plant=
ed
in the ground, only a few feet from the great fall, the motive power of whi=
ch
the engineer intended to utilize. In fact as the fulling-mill was there,
although not then in use, its beam moved with extreme power would serve to
stretch out the wire by rolling it round itself. It was a delicate operatio=
n,
and required much care. The iron, prepared previously in long thin rods, the
ends of which were sharpened with the file, having been introduced into the
largest hole of the drawplate, was drawn out by the beam which wound it rou=
nd
itself, to a length of twenty-five or thirty feet, then unrolled, and the s=
ame operation
was performed successively through the holes of a less size. Finally, the
engineer obtained wires from forty to fifty feet long, which could be easily
fastened together and stretched over the distance of five miles, which
separated the corral from the bounds of Granite House.
It did not take more than a few days to perform
this work, and indeed as soon as the machine had been commenced, Cyrus Hard=
ing
left his companions to follow the trade of wiredrawers, and occupied himself
with manufacturing his battery.
It was necessary to obtain a battery with a
constant current. It is known that the elements of modern batteries are
generally composed of retort coal, zinc, and copper. Copper was absolutely
wanting to the engineer, who, notwithstanding all his researches, had never
been able to find any trace of it in Lincoln Island, and was therefore obli=
ged
to do without it. Retort coal, that is to say, the hard graphite which is f=
ound
in the retorts of gas manufactories, after the coal has been dehydrogenized,
could have been obtained, but it would have been necessary to establish a
special apparatus, involving great labor. As to zinc, it may be remembered =
that
the case found at Flotsam Point was lined with this metal, which could not =
be
better utilized than for this purpose.
Cyrus Harding, after mature consideration, dec=
ided
to manufacture a very simple battery, resembling as nearly as possible that
invented by Becquerel in 1820, and in which zinc only is employed. The othe=
r substances,
azotic acid and potash, were all at his disposal.
The way in which the battery was composed was =
as
follows, and the results were to be attained by the reaction of acid and po=
tash
on each other. A number of glass bottles were made and filled with azotic a=
cid.
The engineer corked them by means of a stopper through which passed a glass
tube, bored at its lower extremity, and intended to be plunged into the aci=
d by
means of a clay stopper secured by a rag. Into this tube, through its upper
extremity, he poured a solution of potash, previously obtained by burning a=
nd
reducing to ashes various plants, and in this way the acid and potash could=
act
on each other through the clay.
Cyrus Harding then took two slips of zinc, one=
of
which was plunged into azotic acid, the other into a solution of potash. A
current was immediately produced, which was transmitted from the slip of zi=
nc
in the bottle to that in the tube, and the two slips having been connected =
by a
metallic wire the slip in the tube became the positive pole, and that in the
bottle the negative pole of the apparatus. Each bottle, therefore, produced=
as
many currents as united would be sufficient to produce all the phenomena of=
the
electric telegraph. Such was the ingenious and very simple apparatus
constructed by Cyrus Harding, an apparatus which would allow them to establ=
ish
a telegraphic communication between Granite House and the corral.
On the 6th of February was commenced the plant=
ing
along the road to the corral, of posts furnished with glass insulators, and
intended to support the wire. A few days after, the wire was extended, read=
y to
produce the electric current at a rate of twenty thousand miles a second.
Two batteries had been manufactured, one for
Granite House, the other for the corral; for if it was necessary the corral
should be able to communicate with Granite House it might also be useful th=
at
Granite House should be able to communicate with the corral.
As to the receiver and manipulator, they were =
very
simple. At the two stations the wire was wound round a magnet, that is to s=
ay,
round a piece of soft iron surrounded with a wire. The communication was th=
us established
between the two poles; the current, starting from the positive pole, traver=
sed
the wire, passed through the magnet which was temporarily magnetized, and
returned through the earth to the negative pole. If the current was
interrupted, the magnet immediately became unmagnetized. It was sufficient =
to
place a plate of soft iron before the magnet, which, attracted during the
passage of the current, would fall back when the current was interrupted. T=
his
movement of the plate thus obtained, Harding could easily fasten to it a ne=
edle
arranged on a dial, bearing the letters of the alphabet, and in this way
communicate from one station to the other.
All was completely arranged by the 12th of
February. On this day, Harding, having sent the current through the wire, a=
sked
if all was going on well at the corral, and received in a few moments a sat=
isfactory
reply from Ayrton. Pencroft was wild with joy, and every morning and evenin=
g he
sent a telegram to the corral, which always received an answer.
This mode of communication presented two very =
real
advantages: firstly, because it enabled them to ascertain that Ayrton was at
the corral; and secondly, that he was thus not left completely isolated.
Besides, Cyrus Harding never allowed a week to pass without going to see hi=
m,
and Ayrton came from time to time to Granite House, where he always found a=
cordial
welcome.
The fine season passed away in the midst of the
usual work. The resources of the colony, particularly in vegetables and cor=
n,
increased from day to day, and the plants brought from Tabor Island had
succeeded perfectly.
The plateau of Prospect Heights presented an
encouraging aspect. The fourth harvest had been admirable and it may be
supposed that no one thought of counting whether the four hundred thousand
millions of grains duly appeared in the crop. However, Pencroft had thought=
of
doing so, but Cyrus Harding having told him that even if he managed to count
three hundred grains a minute, or nine thousand an hour, it would take him =
nearly
five thousand five-hundred years to finish his task, the honest sailor
considered it best to give up the idea.
The weather was splendid, the temperature very
warm in the day time, but in the evening the sea-breezes tempered the heat =
of
the atmosphere and procured cool nights for the inhabitants of Granite Hous=
e.
There were, however, a few storms, which, although they were not of long
duration, swept over Lincoln Island with extraordinary fury. The lightning
blazed and the thunder continued to roll for some hours.
At this period the little colony was extremely
prosperous.
The tenants of the poultry-yard swarmed, and t=
hey
lived on the surplus, but it became necessary to reduce the population to a
more moderate number. The pigs had already produced young, and it may be
understood that their care for these animals absorbed a great part of Neb a=
nd Pencroft's
time. The onagers, who had two pretty colts, were most often mounted by Gid=
eon
Spilett and Herbert, who had become an excellent rider under the reporter's
instruction, and they also harnessed them to the cart either for carrying w=
ood
and coal to Granite House, or different mineral productions required by the
engineer.
Several expeditions were made about this time =
into
the depths of the Far West Forests. The explorers could venture there witho=
ut
having anything to fear from the heat, for the sun's rays scarcely penetrat=
ed
through the thick foliage spreading above their heads. They thus visited all
the left bank of the Mercy, along which ran the road from the corral to the=
mouth
of Falls River.
But in these excursions the settlers took care=
to
be well armed, for they met with savage wild boars, with which they often h=
ad a
tussle. They also, during this season, made fierce war against the jaguars.=
Gideon
Spilett had vowed a special hatred against them, and his pupil Herbert seco=
nded
him well. Armed as they were, they no longer feared to meet one of those
beasts. Herbert's courage was superb, and the reporter's sang-froid
astonishing. Already twenty magnificent skins ornamented the dining-room of
Granite House, and if this continued, the jaguar race would soon be extinct=
in
the island, the object aimed at by the hunters.
The engineer sometimes took part in the expedi=
tions
made to the unknown parts of the island, which he surveyed with great
attention. It was for other traces than those of animals that he searched t=
he
thickets of the vast forest, but nothing suspicious ever appeared. Neither =
Top
nor Jup, who accompanied him, ever betrayed by their behavior that there wa=
s anything
strange there, and yet more than once again the dog barked at the mouth of =
the
well, which the engineer had before explored without result.
At this time Gideon Spilett, aided by Herbert,
took several views of the most picturesque parts of the island, by means of=
the
photographic apparatus found in the cases, and of which they had not as yet
made any use.
This apparatus, provided with a powerful
object-glass, was very complete. Substances necessary for the photographic
reproduction, collodion for preparing the glass plate, nitrate of silver to
render it sensitive, hyposulfate of soda to fix the prints obtained, chlori=
de
of ammonium in which to soak the paper destined to give the positive proof,=
acetate
of soda and chloride of gold in which to immerse the paper, nothing was
wanting. Even the papers were there, all prepared, and before laying in the
printing-frame upon the negatives, it was sufficient to soak them for a few
minutes in the solution of nitrate of silver.
The reporter and his assistant became in a sho=
rt
time very skilful operators, and they obtained fine views of the country, s=
uch
as the island, taken from Prospect Heights with Mount Franklin in the dista=
nce,
the mouth of the Mercy, so picturesquely framed in high rocks, the glade and
the corral, with the spurs of the mountain in the background, the curious
development of Claw Cape, Flotsam Point, etc.
Nor did the photographers forget to take the
portraits of all the inhabitants of the island, leaving out no one.
"It multiplies us," said Pencroft.
And the sailor was enchanted to see his own
countenance, faithfully reproduced, ornamenting the walls of Granite House,=
and
he stopped as willingly before this exhibition as he would have done before=
the
richest shop-windows in Broadway.
But it must be acknowledged that the most
successful portrait was incontestably that of Master Jup. Master Jup had sat
with a gravity not to be described, and his portrait was lifelike!
"He looks as if he was just going to
grin!" exclaimed Pencroft.
And if Master Jup had not been satisfied, he w=
ould
have been very difficult to please; but he was quite contented and contempl=
ated
his own countenance with a sentimental air which expressed some small amoun=
t of
conceit.
The summer heat ended with the month of March.=
The
weather was sometimes rainy, but still warm. The month of March, which
corresponds to the September of northern latitudes, was not so fine as might
have been hoped. Perhaps it announced an early and rigorous winter.
It might have been supposed one morning--the 21
st--that the first snow had already made its appearance. In fact Herbert
looking early from one of the windows of Granite House, exclaimed,--
"Hallo! the islet is covered with snow!&q=
uot;
"Snow at this time?" answered the
reporter, joining the boy.
Their companions were soon beside them, but co=
uld
only ascertain one thing, that not only the islet but all the beach below
Granite House was covered with one uniform sheet of white.
"It must be snow!" said Pencroft.
"Or rather it's very like it!" repli=
ed
Neb.
"But the thermometer marks fifty-eight
degrees!" observed Gideon Spilett.
Cyrus Harding gazed at the sheet of white with=
out
saying anything, for he really did not know how to explain this phenomenon,=
at
this time of year and in such a temperature.
"By Jove!" exclaimed Pencroft, "=
;all
our plants will be frozen!"
And the sailor was about to descend, when he w=
as
preceded by the nimble Jup, who slid down to the sand.
But the orang had not touched the ground, when=
the
snowy sheet arose and dispersed in the air in such innumerable flakes that =
the
light of the sun was obscured for some minutes.
"Birds!" cried Herbert.
They were indeed swarms of sea-birds, with
dazzling white plumage. They had perched by thousands on the islet and on t=
he
shore, and they disappeared in the distance, leaving the colonists amazed a=
s if
they had been present at some transformation scene, in which summer succeed=
ed winter
at the touch of a fairy's wand. Unfortunately the change had been so sudden,
that neither the reporter nor the lad had been able to bring down one of th=
ese
birds, of which they could not recognize the species.
A few days after came the 26th of March, the d=
ay
on which, two years before, the castaways from the air had been thrown upon
Lincoln Island.
Two years already! and for two years the colon=
ists
had had no communication with their fellow-creatures! They were without news
from the civilized world, lost on this island, as completely as if they had=
been
on the most minute star of the celestial hemisphere!
What was now happening in their country? The
picture of their native land was always before their eyes, the land torn by
civil war at the time they left it, and which the Southern rebellion was
perhaps still staining with blood! It was a great sorrow to them, and they
often talked together of these things, without ever doubting however that t=
he
cause of the North must triumph, for the honor of the American Confederatio=
n.
During these two years not a vessel had passed=
in
sight of the island; or, at least, not a sail had been seen. It was evident
that Lincoln Island was out of the usual track, and also that it was
unknown,--as was besides proved by the maps,--for though there was no port,=
vessels
might have visited it for the purpose of renewing their store of water. But=
the
surrounding ocean was deserted as far as the eye could reach, and the colon=
ists
must rely on themselves for regaining their native land.
However, one chance of rescue existed, and this
chance was discussed one day on the first week of April, when the colonists
were gathered together in the dining-room of Granite House.
They had been talking of America, of their nat=
ive
country, which they had so little hope of ever seeing again.
"Decidedly we have only one way," sa=
id
Spilett, "one single way for leaving Lincoln Island, and that is, to b=
uild
a vessel large enough to sail several hundred miles. It appears to me, that
when one has built a boat it is just as easy to build a ship!"
"And in which we might go to the
Pomoutous," added Herbert, "just as easily as we went to Tabor
Island."
"I do not say no," replied Pencroft,=
who
had always the casting vote in maritime questions; "I do not say no,
although it is not exactly the same thing to make a long as a short voyage!=
If
our little craft had been caught in any heavy gale of wind during the voyag=
e to
Tabor Island, we should have known that land was at no great distance either
way; but twelve hundred miles is a pretty long way, and the nearest land is=
at least
that distance!"
"Would you not, in that case, Pencroft,
attempt the adventure?" asked the reporter.
"I will attempt anything that is desired,=
Mr.
Spilett," answered the sailor, "and you know well that I am not a=
man
to flinch!"
"Remember, besides, that we number another
sailor amongst us now," remarked Neb.
"Who is that?" asked Pencroft.
"Ayrton."
"If he will consent to come," said
Pencroft.
"Nonsense!" returned the reporter;
"do you think that if Lord Glenarvan's yacht had appeared at Tabor Isl=
and,
while he was still living there, Ayrton would have refused to depart?"=
"You forget, my friends," then said
Cyrus Harding, "that Ayrton was not in possession of his reason during=
the
last years of his stay there. But that is not the question. The point is to
know if we may count among our chances of being rescued, the return of the
Scotch vessel. Now, Lord Glenarvan promised Ayrton that he would return to =
take
him off from Tabor Island when he considered that his crimes were expiated,=
and
I believe that he will return."
"Yes," said the reporter, "and I
will add that he will return soon, for it is twelve years since Ayrton was
abandoned."
"Well!" answered Pencroft, "I a=
gree
with you that the nobleman will return, and soon too. But where will he tou=
ch?
At Tabor Island, and not at Lincoln Island."
"That is the more certain," replied
Herbert, "as Lincoln Island is not even marked on the map."
"Therefore, my friends," said the engineer, "we ought to take the necessary precautions for making our presence and that of Ayrton on Lincoln Island known at Tabor Island."<= o:p>
"Certainly," answered the reporter,
"and nothing is easier than to place in the hut, which was Captain Gra=
nt's
and Ayrton's dwelling, a notice which Lord Glenarvan and his crew cannot he=
lp
finding, giving the position of our island."
"It is a pity," remarked the sailor,
"that we forgot to take that precaution on our first visit to Tabor
Island."
"And why should we have done it?" as=
ked
Herbert. "At that time we did not know Ayrton's history; we did not kn=
ow
that any one was likely to come some day to fetch him, and when we did know=
his
history, the season was too advanced to allow us to return then to Tabor
Island."
"Yes," replied Harding, "it was=
too
late, and we must put off the voyage until next spring."
"But suppose the Scotch yacht comes before
that," said Pencroft.
"That is not probable," replied the
engineer, "for Lord Glenarvan would not choose the winter season to
venture into these seas. Either he has already returned to Tabor Island, si=
nce
Ayrton has been with us, that is to say, during the last five months and has
left again; or he will not come till later, and it will be time enough in t=
he
first fine October days to go to Tabor Island, and leave a notice there.&qu=
ot;
"We must allow," said Neb, "tha=
t it
will be very unfortunate if the 'Duncan' has returned to these parts only a=
few
months ago!"
"I hope that it is not so," replied
Cyrus Harding, "and that Heaven has not deprived us of the best chance
which remains to us."
"I think," observed the reporter,
"that at any rate we shall know what we have to depend on when we have
been to Tabor Island, for if the yacht has returned there, they will
necessarily have left some traces of their visit."
"That is evident," answered the
engineer. "So then, my friends, since we have this chance of returning=
to
our country, we must wait patiently, and if it is taken from us we shall see
what will be best to do."
"At any rate," remarked Pencroft,
"it is well understood that if we do leave Lincoln Island, it will not=
be
because we were uncomfortable there!"
"No, Pencroft," replied the engineer,
"it will be because we are far from all that a man holds dearest in the
world, his family, his friends, his native land!"
Matters being thus decided, the building of a
vessel large enough to sail either to the Archipelagoes in the north, or to=
New
Zealand in the west, was no longer talked of, and they busied themselves in
their accustomed occupations, with a view to wintering a third time in Gran=
ite House.
However, it was agreed that before the stormy
weather came on, their little vessel should be employed in making a voyage
round the island. A complete survey of the coast had not yet been made, and=
the
colonists had but an imperfect idea of the shore to the west and north, from
the mouth of Falls River to the Mandible Capes, as well as of the narrow ba=
y between
them, which opened like a shark's jaws.
The plan of this excursion was proposed by
Pencroft, and Cyrus Harding fully acquiesced in it, for he himself wished to
see this part of his domain.
The weather was variable, but the barometer did
not fluctuate by sudden movements, and they could therefore count on tolera=
ble
weather. However, during the first week of April, after a sudden barometric=
al
fall, a renewed rise was marked by a heavy gale of wind, lasting five or si=
x days;
then the needle of the instrument remained stationary at a height of
twenty-nine inches and nine-tenths, and the weather appeared propitious for=
an
excursion.
The departure was fixed for the 16th of April,=
and
the "Bonadventure," anchored in Port Balloon, was provisioned for=
a
voyage which might be of some duration.
Cyrus Harding informed Ayrton of the projected
expedition, and proposed that he should take part in it, but Ayrton preferr=
ing
to remain on shore, it was decided that he should come to Granite House dur=
ing
the absence of his companions. Master Jup was ordered to keep him company, =
and
made no remonstrance.
On the morning of the 16th of April all the co=
lonists,
including Top, embarked. A fine breeze blew from the south-west, and the
"Bonadventure" tacked on leaving Port Balloon so as to reach Rept=
ile
End. Of the ninety miles which the perimeter of the island measured, twenty
included the south coast between the port and the promontory. The wind being
right ahead it was necessary to hug the shore.
It took the whole day to reach the promontory,=
for
the vessel on leaving port had only two hours of ebb tide and had therefore=
to
make way for six hours against the flood. It was nightfall before the
promontory was doubled.
The sailor then proposed to the engineer that =
they
should continue sailing slowly with two reefs in the sail. But Harding
preferred to anchor a few cable-lengths from the shore, so as to survey that
part of the coast during the day. It was agreed also that as they were anxi=
ous for
a minute exploration of the coast they should not sail during the night, but
would always, when the weather permitted it, be at anchor near the shore.
The night was passed under the promontory, and=
the
wind having fallen, nothing disturbed the silence. The passengers, with the
exception of the sailor, scarcely slept as well on board the
"Bonadventure" as they would have done in their rooms at Granite
House, but they did sleep however. Pencroft set sail at break of day, and by
going on the larboard tack they could keep close to the shore.
The colonists knew this beautiful wooded coast,
since they had already explored it on foot, and yet it again excited their
admiration. They coasted along as close in as possible, so as to notice
everything, avoiding always the trunks of trees which floated here and ther=
e. Several
times also they anchored, and Gideon Spilett took photographs of the superb
scenery.
About noon the "Bonadventure" arrive=
d at
the mouth of Falls River. Beyond, on the left bank, a few scattered trees
appeared, and three miles further even these dwindled into solitary groups
among the western spurs of the mountain, whose arid ridge sloped down to the
shore.
What a contrast between the northern and south=
ern
part of the coast! In proportion as one was woody and fertile so was the ot=
her
rugged and barren! It might have been designated as one of those iron coast=
s,
as they are called in some countries, and its wild confusion appeared to in=
dicate
that a sudden crystallization had been produced in the yet liquid basalt of
some distant geological sea. These stupendous masses would have terrified t=
he
settlers if they had been cast at first on this part of the island! They had
not been able to perceive the sinister aspect of this shore from the summit=
of
Mount Franklin, for they overlooked it from too great a height, but viewed =
from
the sea it presented a wild appearance which could not perhaps be equaled in
any corner of the globe.
The "Bonadventure" sailed along this
coast for the distance of half a mile. It was easy to see that it was compo=
sed
of blocks of all sizes, from twenty to three hundred feet in height, and of=
all
shapes, round like towers, prismatic like steeples, pyramidal like obelisks,
conical like factory chimneys. An iceberg of the Polar seas could not have =
been
more capricious in its terrible sublimity! Here, bridges were thrown from o=
ne
rock to another; there, arches like those of a wave, into the depths of whi=
ch
the eye could not penetrate; in one place, large vaulted excavations presen=
ted
a monumental aspect; in another, a crowd of columns, spires, and arches, su=
ch
as no Gothic cathedral ever possessed. Every caprice of nature, still more
varied than those of the imagination, appeared on this grand coast, which
extended over a length of eight or nine miles.
Cyrus Harding and his companions gazed, with a
feeling of surprise bordering on stupefaction. But, although they remained
silent, Top, not being troubled with feelings of this sort, uttered barks w=
hich
were repeated by the thousand echoes of the basaltic cliff. The engineer ev=
en
observed that these barks had something strange in them, like those which t=
he
dog had uttered at the mouth of the well in Granite House.
"Let us go close in," said he.
And the "Bonadventure" sailed as nea=
r as
possible to the rocky shore. Perhaps some cave, which it would be advisable=
to
explore, existed there? But Harding saw nothing, not a cavern, not a cleft
which could serve as a retreat to any being whatever, for the foot of the c=
liff
was washed by the surf. Soon Top's barks ceased, and the vessel continued h=
er
course at a few cables-length from the coast.
In the northwest part of the island the shore
became again flat and sandy. A few trees here and there rose above a low,
marshy ground, which the colonists had already surveyed, and in violent
contrast to the other desert shore, life was again manifested by the presen=
ce
of myriads of water-fowl. That evening the "Bonadventure" anchore=
d in
a small bay to the north of the island, near the land, such was the depth of
water there. The night passed quietly, for the breeze died away with the la=
st light
of day, and only rose again with the first streaks of dawn.
As it was easy to land, the usual hunters of t=
he
colony, that is to say, Herbert and Gideon Spilett, went for a ramble of two
hours or so, and returned with several strings of wild duck and snipe. Top =
had done
wonders, and not a bird had been lost, thanks to his zeal and cleverness.
At eight o'clock in the morning the
"Bonadventure" set sail, and ran rapidly towards North Mandible C=
ape,
for the wind was right astern and freshening rapidly.
"However," observed Pencroft, "I
should not be surprised if a gale came up from the west. Yesterday the sun =
set
in a very red-looking horizon, and now, this morning, those mares-tails don=
't
forbode anything good."
These mares-tails are cirrus clouds, scattered=
in
the zenith, their height from the sea being less than five thousand feet. T=
hey
look like light pieces of cotton wool, and their presence usually announces
some sudden change in the weather.
"Well," said Harding, "let us c=
arry
as much sail as possible, and run for shelter into Shark Gulf. I think that=
the
'Bonadventure' will be safe there."
"Perfectly," replied Pencroft, "=
;and
besides, the north coast is merely sand, very uninteresting to look at.&quo=
t;
"I shall not be sorry," resumed the
engineer, "to pass not only to-night but to-morrow in that bay, which =
is
worth being carefully explored."
"I think that we shall be obliged to do s=
o,
whether we like it or not," answered Pencroft, "for the sky looks
very threatening towards the west. Dirty weather is coming on!"
"At any rate we have a favorable wind for
reaching Cape Mandible," observed the reporter.
"A very fine wind," replied the sail=
or;
"but we must tack to enter the gulf, and I should like to see my way c=
lear
in these unknown quarters."
"Quarters which appear to be filled with
rocks," added Herbert, "if we judge by what we saw on the south c=
oast
of Shark Gulf."
"Pencroft," said Cyrus Harding, &quo=
t;do
as you think best, we will leave it to you."
"Don't make your mind uneasy, captain,&qu=
ot;
replied the sailor, "I shall not expose myself needlessly! I would rat=
her
a knife were run into my ribs than a sharp rock into those of my
'Bonadventure!'"
That which Pencroft called ribs was the part of
his vessel under water, and he valued it more than his own skin.
"What o'clock is it?" asked Pencroft=
.
"Ten o'clock," replied Gideon Spilet=
t.
"And what distance is it to the Cape,
captain?"
"About fifteen miles," replied the
engineer.
"That's a matter of two hours and a
half," said the sailor, "and we shall be off the Cape between twe=
lve
and one o'clock. Unluckily, the tide will be turning at that moment, and wi=
ll
be ebbing out of the gulf. I am afraid that it will be very difficult to get
in, having both wind and tide against us."
"And the more so that it is a full moon
to-day," remarked Herbert, "and these April tides are very
strong."
"Well, Pencroft," asked Harding,
"can you not anchor off the Cape?"
"Anchor near land, with bad weather coming
on!" exclaimed the sailor. "What are you thinking of, captain? We
should run aground, of a certainty!"
"What will you do then?"
"I shall try to keep in the offing until =
the
flood, that is to say, till about seven in the evening, and if there is sti=
ll
light enough I will try to enter the gulf; if not, we must stand off and on
during the night, and we will enter to-morrow at sunrise."
"As I told you, Pencroft, we will leave i=
t to
you," answered Harding.
"Ah!" said Pencroft, "if there =
was
only a lighthouse on the coast, it would be much more convenient for
sailors."
"Yes," replied Herbert, "and th=
is
time we shall have no obliging engineer to light a fire to guide us into
port!"
"Why, indeed, my dear Cyrus," said
Spilett, "we have never thanked you; but frankly, without that fire we
should never have been able--"
"A fire?" asked Harding, much astoni=
shed
at the reporter's words.
"We mean, captain," answered Pencrof=
t,
"that on board the 'Bonadventure' we were very anxious during the few
hours before our return, and we should have passed to windward of the islan=
d,
if it had not been for the precaution you took of lighting a fire the night=
of
the 19th of October, on Prospect Heights."
"Yes, yes! That was a lucky idea of
mine!" replied the engineer.
"And this time," continued the sailo=
r,
"unless the idea occurs to Ayrton, there will be no one to do us that
little service!"
"No! No one!" answered Cyrus Harding=
.
A few minutes after, finding himself alone in =
the
bows of the vessel, with the reporter, the engineer bent down and whispered=
,--
"If there is one thing certain in this wo=
rld,
Spilett, it is that I never lighted any fire during the night of the 19th of
October, neither on Prospect Heights nor on any other part of the island!&q=
uot;
Things happened as Pencroft had predicted, he
being seldom mistaken in his prognostications. The wind rose, and from a fr=
esh
breeze it soon increased to a regular gale; that is to say, it acquired a s=
peed
of from forty to forty-five miles an hour, before which a ship in the open =
sea would
have run under close-reefed topsails. Now, as it was nearly six o'clock when
the "Bonadventure" reached the gulf, and as at that moment the ti=
de
turned, it was impossible to enter. They were therefore compelled to stand =
off,
for even if he had wished to do so, Pencroft could not have gained the mout=
h of
the Mercy. Hoisting the jib to the mainmast by way of a storm-sail, he hove=
to,
putting the head of the vessel towards the land.
Fortunately, although the wind was strong the =
sea,
being sheltered by the land, did not run very high. They had then little to
fear from the waves, which always endanger small craft. The
"Bonadventure" would doubtlessly not have capsized, for she was w=
ell
ballasted, but enormous masses of water falling on the deck might injure he=
r if
her timbers could not sustain them. Pencroft, as a good sailor, was prepare=
d for
anything. Certainly, he had great confidence in his vessel, but nevertheles=
s he
awaited the return of day with some anxiety.
During the night, Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spi=
lett
had no opportunity for talking together, and yet the words pronounced in the
reporter's ear by the engineer were well worth being discussed, together wi=
th
the mysterious influence which appeared to reign over Lincoln Island. Gideo=
n Spilett
did not cease from pondering over this new and inexplicable incident, the
appearance of a fire on the coast of the island. The fire had actually been
seen! His companions, Herbert and Pencroft, had seen it with him! The fire =
had
served to signalize the position of the island during that dark night, and =
they
had not doubted that it was lighted by the engineer's hand; and here was Cy=
rus
Harding expressly declaring that he had never done anything of the sort!
Spilett resolved to recur to this incident as soon as the
"Bonadventure" returned, and to urge Cyrus Harding to acquaint th=
eir
companions with these strange facts. Perhaps it would be decided to make in
common a complete investigation of every part of Lincoln Island.
However that might be, on this evening no fire=
was
lighted on these yet unknown shores, which formed the entrance to the gulf,=
and
the little vessel stood off during the night.
When the first streaks of dawn appeared in the
western horizon, the wind, which had slightly fallen, shifted two points, a=
nd
enabled Pencroft to enter the narrow gulf with greater ease. Towards seven =
o'clock
in the morning, the "Bonadventure," weathering the North Mandible
Cape, entered the strait and glided on to the waters, so strangely enclosed=
in
the frame of lava.
"Well," said Pencroft, "this bay
would make admirable roads, in which a whole fleet could lie at their
ease!"
"What is especially curious," observ=
ed
Harding, "is that the gulf has been formed by two rivers of lava, thro=
wn
out by the volcano, and accumulated by successive eruptions. The result is =
that
the gulf is completely sheltered on all sides, and I believe that even in t=
he stormiest
weather, the sea here must be as calm as a lake."
"No doubt," returned the sailor,
"since the wind has only that narrow entrance between the two capes to=
get
in by, and, besides, the north cape protects that of the south in a way whi=
ch
would make the entrance of gusts very difficult. I declare our 'Bonadventur=
e'
could stay here from one end of the year to the other, without even draggin=
g at
her anchor!"
"It is rather large for her!" observ=
ed
the reporter.
"Well! Mr. Spilett," replied the sai=
lor,
"I agree that it is too large for the 'Bonadventure,' but if the fleet=
s of
the Union were in want of a harbor in the Pacific, I don't think they would
ever find a better place than this!"
"We are in the shark's mouth," remar=
ked
Neb, alluding to the form of the gulf.
"Right into its mouth, my honest Neb!&quo=
t;
replied Herbert, "but you are not afraid that it will shut upon us, are
you?"
"No, Mr. Herbert," answered Neb,
"and yet this gulf here doesn't please me much! It has a wicked
look!"
"Hallo!" cried Pencroft, "here =
is
Neb turning up his nose at my gulf, just as I was thinking of presenting it=
to
America!"
"But, at any rate, is the water deep
enough?" asked the engineer, "for a depth sufficient for the keel=
of
the 'Bonadventure' would not be enough for those of our iron-clads."
"That is easily found out," replied
Pencroft.
And the sailor sounded with a long cord, which
served him as a lead-line, and to which was fastened a lump of iron. This c=
ord
measured nearly fifty fathoms, and its entire length was unrolled without
finding any bottom.
"There," exclaimed Pencroft, "o=
ur
iron-clads can come here after all! They would not run aground!"
"Indeed," said Gideon Spilett,
"this gulf is a regular abyss, but, taking into consideration the volc=
anic
origin of the island, it is not astonishing that the sea should offer simil=
ar
depressions."
"One would say too," observed Herber=
t,
"that these cliffs were perfectly perpendicular; and I believe that at
their foot, even with a line five or six times longer, Pencroft would not f=
ind bottom."
"That is all very well," then said t=
he
reporter, "but I must point out to Pencroft that his harbor is wanting=
in
one very important respect!"
"And what is that, Mr. Spilett?"
"An opening, a cutting of some sort, to g=
ive
access to the interior of the island. I do not see a spot on which we could
land." And, in fact, the steep lava cliffs did not afford a single pla=
ce
suitable for landing. They formed an insuperable barrier, recalling, but wi=
th
more wildness, the fiords of Norway. The "Bonadventure," coasting=
as
close as possible along the cliffs, did not discover even a projection whic=
h would
allow the passengers to leave the deck.
Pencroft consoled himself by saying that with =
the
help of a mine they could soon open out the cliff when that was necessary, =
and
then, as there was evidently nothing to be done in the gulf, he steered his=
vessel
towards the strait and passed out at about two o'clock in the afternoon.
"Ah!" said Neb, uttering a sigh of
satisfaction.
One might really say that the honest Negro did=
not
feel at his ease in those enormous jaws.
The distance from Mandible Cape to the mouth of
the Mercy was not more than eight miles. The head of the
"Bonadventure" was put towards Granite House, and a fair wind fil=
ling
her sails, she ran rapidly along the coast.
To the enormous lava rocks succeeded soon those
capricious sand dunes, among which the engineer had been so singularly
recovered, and which seabirds frequented in thousands.
About four o'clock, Pencroft leaving the point=
of
the islet on his left, entered the channel which separated it from the coas=
t,
and at five o'clock the anchor of the "Bonadventure" was buried in
the sand at the mouth of the Mercy.
The colonists had been absent three days from
their dwelling. Ayrton was waiting for them on the beach, and Jup came joyo=
usly
to meet them, giving vent to deep grunts of satisfaction.
A complete exploration of the coast of the isl=
and
had now been made, and no suspicious appearances had been observed. If any
mysterious being resided on it, it could only be under cover of the
impenetrable forest of the Serpentine Peninsula, to which the colonists had=
not
yet directed their investigations.
Gideon Spilett discussed these things with the
engineer, and it was agreed that they should direct the attention of their
companions to the strange character of certain incidents which had occurred=
on
the island, and of which the last was the most unaccountable.
However, Harding, returning to the fact of a f=
ire
having been kindled on the shore by an unknown hand, could not refrain from
repeating for the twentieth time to the reporter,--
"But are you quite sure of having seen it?
Was it not a partial eruption of the volcano, or perhaps some meteor?"=
"No, Cyrus," answered the reporter,
"it was certainly a fire lighted by the hand of man. Besides; question
Pencroft and Herbert. They saw it as I saw it myself, and they will confirm=
my
words."
In consequence, therefore, a few days after, on
the 25th of April, in the evening, when the settlers were all collected on
Prospect Heights, Cyrus Harding began by saying,--
"My friends, I think it my duty to call y=
our
attention to certain incidents which have occurred in the island, on the
subject of which I shall be happy to have your advice. These incidents are,=
so
to speak, supernatural--"
"Supernatural!" exclaimed the sailor,
emitting a volume of smoke from his mouth. "Can it be possible that our
island is supernatural?"
"No, Pencroft, but mysterious, most
certainly," replied the engineer; "unless you can explain that wh=
ich
Spilett and I have until now failed to understand."
"Speak away, captain," answered the
sailor.
"Well, have you understood," then sa=
id
the engineer, "how was it that after falling into the sea, I was found=
a
quarter of a mile into the interior of the island, and that, without my hav=
ing
any consciousness of my removal there?"
"Unless, being unconscious--" said
Pencroft.
"That is not admissible," replied the engineer. "But to continue. Have you understood how Top was able to discover your retreat five miles from the cave in which I was lying?"<= o:p>
"The dog's instinct--" observed Herb=
ert.
"Singular instinct!" returned the
reporter, "since notwithstanding the storm of rain and wind which was
raging during that night, Top arrived at the Chimneys, dry and without a sp=
eck
of mud!"
"Let us continue," resumed the engin=
eer.
"Have you understood how our dog was so strangely thrown up out of the
water of the lake, after his struggle with the dugong?"
"No! I confess, not at all," replied
Pencroft, "and the wound which the dugong had in its side, a wound whi=
ch
seemed to have been made with a sharp instrument; that can't be understood,
either."
"Let us continue again," said Hardin=
g.
"Have you understood, my friends, how that bullet got into the body of=
the
young peccary; how that case happened to be so fortunately stranded, without
there being any trace of a wreck; how that bottle containing the document
presented itself so opportunely, during our first sea-excursion; how our ca=
noe,
having broken its moorings, floated down the current of the Mercy and rejoi=
ned us
at the very moment we needed it; how after the ape invasion the ladder was =
so
obligingly thrown down from Granite House; and lastly, how the document, wh=
ich
Ayrton asserts was never written by him, fell into our hands?"
As Cyrus Harding thus enumerated, without
forgetting one, the singular incidents which had occurred in the island,
Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft stared at each other, not knowing what to reply,=
for
this succession of incidents, grouped thus for the first time, could not but
excite their surprise to the highest degree.
"'Pon my word," said Pencroft at las=
t,
"you are right, captain, and it is difficult to explain all these
things!"
"Well, my friends," resumed the
engineer, "a last fact has just been added to these, and it is no less
incomprehensible than the others!"
"What is it, captain?" asked Herbert
quickly.
"When you were returning from Tabor Islan=
d,
Pencroft," continued the engineer, "you said that a fire appeared=
on
Lincoln Island?"
"Certainly," answered the sailor.
"And you are quite certain of having seen
this fire?"
"As sure as I see you now."
"You also, Herbert?"
"Why, captain," cried Herbert,
"that fire was blazing like a star of the first magnitude!"
"But was it not a star?" urged the
engineer.
"No," replied Pencroft, "for the
sky was covered with thick clouds, and at any rate a star would not have be=
en
so low on the horizon. But Mr. Spilett saw it as well as we, and he will
confirm our words."
"I will add," said the reporter,
"that the fire was very bright, and that it shot up like a sheet of
lightning."
"Yes, yes! exactly," added Herbert,
"and it was certainly placed on the heights of Granite House."
"Well, my friends," replied Cyrus
Harding, "during the night of the 19th of October, neither Neb nor I
lighted any fire on the coast."
"You did not!" exclaimed Pencroft, in
the height of his astonishment, not being able to finish his sentence.
"We did not leave Granite House,"
answered Cyrus Harding, "and if a fire appeared on the coast, it was
lighted by another hand than ours!"
Pencroft, Herbert, and Neb were stupefied. No
illusion could be possible, and a fire had actually met their eyes during t=
he
night of the 19th of October. Yes! they had to acknowledge it, a mystery
existed! An inexplicable influence, evidently favorable to the colonists, b=
ut
very irritating to their curiosity, was executed always in the nick of time=
on
Lincoln Island. Could there be some being hidden in its profoundest recesse=
s?
It was necessary at any cost to ascertain this.
Harding also reminded his companions of the
singular behavior of Top and Jup when they prowled round the mouth of the w=
ell,
which placed Granite House in communication with the sea, and he told them =
that
he had explored the well, without discovering anything suspicious. The fina=
l resolve
taken, in consequence of this conversation, by all the members of the colon=
y,
was that as soon as the fine season returned they would thoroughly search t=
he
whole of the island.
But from that day Pencroft appeared to be anxi=
ous.
He felt as if the island which he had made his own personal property belong=
ed
to him entirely no longer, and that he shared it with another master, to wh=
om,
willing or not, he felt subject. Neb and he often talked of those unaccount=
able
things, and both, their natures inclining them to the marvelous, were not f=
ar
from believing that Lincoln Island was under the dominion of some supernatu=
ral
power.
In the meanwhile, the bad weather came with the
month of May, the November of the northern zones. It appeared that the wint=
er
would be severe and forward. The preparations for the winter season were th=
erefore
commenced without delay.
Nevertheless, the colonists were well prepared=
to
meet the winter, however hard it might be. They had plenty of felt clothing,
and the musmons, very numerous by this time, had furnished an abundance of =
wool
necessary for the manufacture of this warm material.
It is unnecessary to say that Ayrton had been
provided with this comfortable clothing. Cyrus Harding proposed that he sho=
uld
come to spend the bad season with them in Granite House, where he would be =
better
lodged than at the corral, and Ayrton promised to do so, as soon as the last
work at the corral was finished. He did this towards the middle of April. F=
rom
that time Ayrton shared the common life, and made himself useful on all
occasions; but still humble and sad, he never took part in the pleasures of=
his
companions.
For the greater part of this, the third winter
which the settlers passed in Lincoln Island, they were confined to Granite
House. There were many violent storms and frightful tempests, which appeare=
d to
shake the rocks to their very foundations. Immense waves threatened to
overwhelm the island, and certainly any vessel anchored near the shore would
have been dashed to pieces. Twice, during one of these hurricanes, the Merc=
y swelled
to such a degree as to give reason to fear that the bridges would be swept
away, and it was necessary to strengthen those on the shore, which disappea=
red
under the foaming waters, when the sea beat against the beach.
It may well be supposed that such storms,
comparable to water-spouts in which were mingled rain and snow, would cause
great havoc on the plateau of Prospect Heights. The mill and the poultry-ya=
rd
particularly suffered. The colonists were often obliged to make immediate
repairs, without which the safety of the birds would have been seriously th=
reatened.
During the worst weather, several jaguars and
troops of quadrumana ventured to the edge of the plateau, and it was always=
to
be feared that the most active and audacious would, urged by hunger, manage=
to
cross the stream, which besides, when frozen, offered them an easy passage.=
Plantations
and domestic animals would then have been infallibly destroyed, without a
constant watch, and it was often necessary to make use of the guns to keep
those dangerous visitors at a respectful distance. Occupation was not wanti=
ng
to the colonists, for without reckoning their out-door cares, they had alwa=
ys a
thousand plans for the fitting up of Granite House.
They had also some fine sporting excursions, w=
hich
were made during the frost in the vast Tadorn Marsh. Gideon Spilett and
Herbert, aided by Jup and Top, did not miss a shot in the midst of myriads =
of
wild-duck, snipe, teal, and others. The access to these hunting-grounds was
easy; besides, whether they reached them by the road to Port Balloon, after=
having
passed the Mercy Bridge, or by turning the rocks from Flotsam Point, the
hunters were never distant from Granite House more than two or three miles.=
Thus passed the four winter months, which were
really rigorous, that is to say, June, July, August, and September. But, in
short, Granite House did not suffer much from the inclemency of the weather,
and it was the same with the corral, which, less exposed than the plateau, =
and sheltered
partly by Mount Franklin, only received the remains of the hurricanes, alre=
ady
broken by the forests and the high rocks of the shore. The damages there we=
re
consequently of small importance, and the activity and skill of Ayrton prom=
ptly
repaired them, when some time in October he returned to pass a few days in =
the
corral.
During this winter, no fresh inexplicable inci= dent occurred. Nothing strange happened, although Pencroft and Neb were on the w= atch for the most insignificant facts to which they attached any mysterious caus= e. Top and Jup themselves no longer growled round the well or gave any signs of uneasiness. It appeared, therefore, as if the series of supernatural incide= nts was interrupted, although they often talked of them during the evenings in Granite House, and they remained thoroughly resolved that the island should= be searched, even in those parts the most difficult to explore. But an event of the highest importance, and of which the consequences might be terrible, momentarily diverted from their projects Cyrus Harding and his companions.<= o:p>
It was the month of October. The fine season w=
as
swiftly returning. Nature was reviving; and among the evergreen foliage of =
the
coniferae which formed the border of the wood, already appeared the young
leaves of the banksias, deodars, and other trees.
It may be remembered that Gideon Spilett and
Herbert had, at different times, taken photographic views of Lincoln Island=
.
Now, on the 17th of this month of October, tow=
ards
three o'clock in the afternoon, Herbert, enticed by the charms of the sky,
thought of reproducing Union Bay, which was opposite to Prospect Heights, f=
rom
Cape Mandible to Claw Cape.
The horizon was beautifully clear, and the sea,
undulating under a soft breeze, was as calm as the waters of a lake, sparkl=
ing
here and there under the sun's rays.
The apparatus had been placed at one of the
windows of the dining-room at Granite House, and consequently overlooked the
shore and the bay. Herbert proceeded as he was accustomed to do, and the
negative obtained, he went away to fix it by means of the chemicals deposit=
ed
in a dark nook of Granite House.
Returning to the bright light, and examining it
well, Herbert perceived on his negative an almost imperceptible little spot=
on
the sea horizon. He endeavored to make it disappear by reiterated washing, =
but
could not accomplish it.
"It is a flaw in the glass," he thou=
ght.
And then he had the curiosity to examine this =
flaw
with a strong magnifier which he unscrewed from one of the telescopes.
But he had scarcely looked at it, when he utte=
red
a cry, and the glass almost fell from his hands.
Immediately running to the room in which Cyrus
Harding then was, he extended the negative and magnifier towards the engine=
er,
pointing out the little spot.
Harding examined it; then seizing his telescop=
e he
rushed to the window.
The telescope, after having slowly swept the
horizon, at last stopped on the looked-for spot, and Cyrus Harding, lowering
it, pronounced one word only,--
"A vessel!"
And in fact a vessel was in sight, off Lincoln
Island!
It was now two years and a half since the
castaways from the balloon had been thrown on Lincoln Island, and during th=
at
period there had been no communication between them and their fellow-creatu=
res.
Once the reporter had attempted to communicate with the inhabited world by
confiding to a bird a letter which contained the secret of their situation,=
but
that was a chance on which it was impossible to reckon seriously. Ayrton, a=
lone,
under the circumstances which have been related, had come to join the little
colony. Now, suddenly, on this day, the 17th of October, other men had
unexpectedly appeared in sight of the island, on that deserted sea!
There could be no doubt about it! A vessel was
there! But would she pass on, or would she put into port? In a few hours the
colonists would definitely know what to expect.
Cyrus Harding and Herbert having immediately
called Gideon Spilett, Pencroft, and Neb into the dining-room of Granite Ho=
use,
told them what had happened. Pencroft, seizing the telescope, rapidly swept=
the
horizon, and stopping on the indicated point, that is to say, on that which=
had
made the almost imperceptible spot on the photographic negative,--
"I'm blessed but it is really a vessel!&q=
uot;
he exclaimed, in a voice which did not express any great amount of
satisfaction.
"Is she coming here?" asked Gideon
Spilett.
"Impossible to say anything yet,"
answered Pencroft, "for her rigging alone is above the horizon, and no=
t a
bit of her hull can be seen."
"What is to be done?" asked the lad.=
"Wait," replied Harding.
And for a considerable time the settlers remai=
ned
silent, given up to all the thoughts, and the emotions, all the fears, all =
the
hopes, which were aroused by this incident--the most important which had
occurred since their arrival in Lincoln Island. Certainly, the colonists we=
re
not in the situation of castaways abandoned on a sterile islet, constantly =
contending
against a cruel nature for their miserable existence, and incessantly torme=
nted
by the longing to return to inhabited countries. Pencroft and Neb, especial=
ly,
who felt themselves at once so happy and so rich, would not have left their
island without regret. They were accustomed, besides, to this new life in t=
he
midst of the domain which their intelligence had as it were civilized. But =
at
any rate this ship brought news from the world, perhaps even from their nat=
ive
land. It was bringing fellow-creatures to them, and it may be conceived how
deeply their hearts were moved at the sight!
From time to time Pencroft took the glass and
rested himself at the window. From thence he very attentively examined the
vessel, which was at a distance of twenty miles to the east. The colonists =
had
as yet, therefore, no means of signalizing their presence. A flag would not
have been perceived; a gun would not have been heard; a fire would not have=
been
visible. However, it was certain that the island, overtopped by Mount Frank=
lin,
could not escape the notice of the vessel's lookout. But why was the ship
coming there? Was it simple chance which brought it to that part of the
Pacific, where the maps mentioned no land except Tabor Island, which itself=
was
out of the route usually followed by vessels from the Polynesian Archipelag=
oes,
from New Zealand, and from the American coast? To this question, which each=
one
asked himself, a reply was suddenly made by Herbert.
"Can it be the 'Duncan'?" he cried.<= o:p>
The "Duncan," as has been said, was =
Lord
Glenarvan's yacht, which had left Ayrton on the islet, and which was to ret=
urn
there someday to fetch him. Now, the islet was not so far distant from Linc=
oln
Island, but that a vessel, standing for the one, could pass in sight of the
other. A hundred and fifty miles only separated them in longitude, and seve=
nty
in latitude.
"We must tell Ayrton," said Gideon
Spilett, "and send for him immediately. He alone can say if it is the
'Duncan.'"
This was the opinion of all, and the reporter,
going to the telegraphic apparatus which placed the corral in communication
with Granite House, sent this telegram:--"Come with all possible
speed."
In a few minutes the bell sounded.
"I am coming," replied Ayrton.
Then the settlers continued to watch the vesse=
l.
"If it is the 'Duncan,'" said Herber=
t,
"Ayrton will recognize her without difficulty, since he sailed on board
her for some time."
"And if he recognizes her," added
Pencroft, "it will agitate him exceedingly!"
"Yes," answered Cyrus Harding; "=
;but
now Ayrton is worthy to return on board the 'Duncan,' and pray Heaven that =
it
is indeed Lord Glenarvan's yacht, for I should be suspicious of any other
vessel. These are ill-famed seas, and I have always feared a visit from Mal=
ay
pirates to our island."
"We could defend it,', cried Herbert.
"No doubt, my boy," answered the
engineer smiling, "but it would be better not to have to defend it.&qu=
ot;
"A useless observation," said Spilet=
t.
"Lincoln Island is unknown to navigators, since it is not marked even =
on
the most recent maps. Do you think, Cyrus, that that is a sufficient motive=
for
a ship, finding herself unexpectedly in sight of new land, to try and visit
rather than avoid it?"
"Certainly," replied Pencroft.
"I think so too," added the engineer.
"It may even be said that it is the duty of a captain to come and surv=
ey
any land or island not yet known, and Lincoln Island is in this position.&q=
uot;
"Well," said Pencroft, "suppose
this vessel comes and anchors there a few cables-lengths from our island, w=
hat
shall we do?"
This sudden question remained at first without=
any
reply. But Cyrus Harding, after some moments' thought, replied in the calm =
tone
which was usual to him,--
"What we shall do, my friends? What we ou=
ght
to do is this:--we will communicate with the ship, we will take our passage=
on
board her, and we will leave our island, after having taken possession of i=
t in
the name of the United States. Then we will return with any who may wish to=
follow
us to colonize it definitely, and endow the American Republic with a useful
station in this part of the Pacific Ocean!"
"Hurrah!" exclaimed Pencroft, "=
and
that will be no small present which we shall make to our country! The
colonization is already almost finished; names are given to every part of t=
he
island; there is a natural port, fresh water, roads, a telegraph, a dockyar=
d,
and manufactories; and there will be nothing to be done but to inscribe Lin=
coln
Island on the maps!"
"But if anyone seizes it in our
absence?" observed Gideon Spilett.
"Hang it!" cried the sailor. "I
would rather remain all alone to guard it: and trust to Pencroft, they
shouldn't steal it from him, like a watch from the pocket of a swell!"=
For an hour it was impossible to say with any
certainty whether the vessel was or was not standing towards Lincoln Island.
She was nearer, but in what direction was she sailing? This Pencroft could =
not determine.
However, as the wind was blowing from the northeast, in all probability the
vessel was sailing on the starboard tack. Besides, the wind was favorable f=
or
bringing her towards the island, and, the sea being calm, she would not be
afraid to approach although the shallows were not marked on the chart.
Towards four o'clock--an hour after he had been
sent for--Ayrton arrived at Granite House. He entered the dining-room sayin=
g,--
"At your service, gentlemen."
Cyrus Harding gave him his hand, as was his cu=
stom
to do, and, leading him to the window,--
"Ayrton," said he, "we have beg=
ged
you to come here for an important reason. A ship is in sight of the
island."
Ayrton at first paled slightly, and for a mome=
nt
his eyes became dim; then, leaning out the window, he surveyed the horizon,=
but
could see nothing.
"Take this telescope," said Spilett,
"and look carefully, Ayrton, for it is possible that this ship may be =
the
'Duncan' come to these seas for the purpose of taking you home again."=
"The 'Duncan!'" murmured Ayrton.
"Already?" This last word escaped Ayrton's lips as if involuntari=
ly,
and his head drooped upon his hands.
Did not twelve years' solitude on a desert isl=
and
appear to him a sufficient expiation? Did not the penitent yet feel himself
pardoned, either in his own eyes or in the eyes of others?
"No," said he, "no! it cannot be
the 'Duncan'!"
"Look, Ayrton," then said the engine=
er,
"for it is necessary that we should know beforehand what to expect.&qu=
ot;
Ayrton took the glass and pointed it in the
direction indicated. During some minutes he examined the horizon without
moving, without uttering a word. Then,--
"It is indeed a vessel," said he,
"but I do not think she is the 'Duncan.'"
"Why do you not think so?" asked Gid=
eon
Spilett.
"Because the 'Duncan' is a steam-yacht, a= nd I cannot perceive any trace of smoke either above or near that vessel."<= o:p>
"Perhaps she is simply sailing,"
observed Pencroft. "The wind is favorable for the direction which she
appears to be taking, and she may be anxious to economize her coal, being so
far from land."
"It is possible that you may be right, Mr.
Pencroft," answered Ayrton, "and that the vessel has extinguished=
her
fires. We must wait until she is nearer, and then we shall soon know what to
expect."
So saying, Ayrton sat down in a corner of the =
room
and remained silent. The colonists again discussed the strange ship, but Ay=
rton
took no part in the conversation. All were in such a mood that they found i=
t impossible
to continue their work. Gideon Spilett and Pencroft were particularly nervo=
us,
going, coming, not able to remain still in one place. Herbert felt more
curiosity. Neb alone maintained his usual calm manner. Was not his country =
that
where his master was? As to the engineer, he remained plunged in deep thoug=
ht,
and in his heart feared rather than desired the arrival of the ship. In the
meanwhile, the vessel was a little nearer the island. With the aid of the
glass, it was ascertained that she was a brig, and not one of those Malay
proas, which are generally used by the pirates of the Pacific. It was,
therefore, reasonable to believe that the engineer's apprehensions would no=
t be
justified, and that the presence of this vessel in the vicinity of the isla=
nd
was fraught with no danger.
Pencroft, after a minute examination, was able
positively to affirm that the vessel was rigged as a brig, and that she was
standing obliquely towards the coast, on the starboard tack, under her tops=
ails
and top-gallant-sails. This was confirmed by Ayrton. But by continuing in t=
his
direction she must soon disappear behind Claw Cape, as the wind was from the
southwest, and to watch her it would be then necessary to ascend the height=
of
Washington Bay, near Port Balloon--a provoking circumstance, for it was alr=
eady
five o'clock in the evening, and the twilight would soon make any observati=
on
extremely difficult.
"What shall we do when night comes on?&qu=
ot;
asked Gideon Spilett. "Shall we light a fire, so as to signal our pres=
ence
on the coast?"
This was a serious question, and yet, although=
the
engineer still retained some of his presentiments, it was answered in the
affirmative. During the night the ship might disappear and leave for ever, =
and,
this ship gone, would another ever return to the waters of Lincoln Island? =
Who
could foresee what the future would then have in store for the colonists?
"Yes," said the reporter, "we o=
ught
to make known to that vessel, whoever she may be, that the island is inhabi=
ted.
To neglect the opportunity which is offered to us might be to create
everlasting regrets."
It was therefore decided that Neb and Pencroft
should go to Port Balloon, and that there, at nightfall, they should light =
an
immense fire, the blaze of which would necessarily attract the attention of=
the
brig.
But at the moment when Neb and the sailor were
preparing to leave Granite House, the vessel suddenly altered her course, a=
nd
stood directly for Union Bay. The brig was a good sailer, for she approache=
d rapidly.
Neb and Pencroft put off their departure, therefore, and the glass was put =
into
Ayrton's hands, that he might ascertain for certain whether the ship was or=
was
not the "Duncan." The Scotch yacht was also rigged as a brig. The
question was, whether a chimney could be discerned between the two masts of=
the
vessel, which was now at a distance of only five miles.
The horizon was still very clear. The examinat=
ion
was easy, and Ayrton soon let the glass fall again, saying--
"It is not the 'Duncan'! It could not
be!"
Pencroft again brought the brig within the ran=
ge
of the telescope, and could see that she was of between three and four hund=
red
tons burden, wonderfully narrow, well-masted, admirably built, and must be a
very rapid sailer. But to what nation did she belong? That was difficult to=
say.
"And yet," added the sailor, "a
flag is floating from her peak, but I cannot distinguish the colors of
it."
"In half an hour we shall be certain about
that," answered the reporter. "Besides, it is very evident that t=
he
intention of the captain of this ship is to land, and, consequently, if not
today, to-morrow at the latest, we shall make his acquaintance."
"Never mind!" said Pencroft. "I=
t is
best to know whom we have to deal with, and I shall not be sorry to recogni=
ze
that fellow's colors!"
And, while thus speaking, the sailor never left
the glass. The day began to fade, and with the day the breeze fell also. The
brig's ensign hung in folds, and it became more and more difficult to obser=
ve
it.
"It is not the American flag," said
Pencroft from time to time, "nor the English, the red of which could be
easily seen, nor the French or German colors, nor the white flag of Russia,=
nor
the yellow of Spain. One would say it was all one color. Let's see: in these
seas, what do we generally meet with? The Chilean flag?--but that is tri-co=
lor.
Brazilian?--it is green. Japanese?--it is yellow and black, while this--&qu=
ot;
At that moment the breeze blew out the unknown
flag. Ayrton seizing the telescope which the sailor had put down, put it to=
his
eye, and in a hoarse voice,--
"The black flag!" he exclaimed.
And indeed the somber bunting was floating from
the mast of the brig, and they had now good reason for considering her to b=
e a suspicious
vessel!
Had the engineer, then, been right in his
presentiments? Was this a pirate vessel? Did she scour the Pacific, competi=
ng
with the Malay proas which still infest it? For what had she come to look at
the shores of Lincoln Island? Was it to them an unknown island, ready to be=
come
a magazine for stolen cargoes? Had she come to find on the coast a sheltered
port for the winter months? Was the settlers' honest domain destined to be
transformed into an infamous refuge--the headquarters of the piracy of the
Pacific?
All these ideas instinctively presented themse=
lves
to the colonists' imaginations. There was no doubt, besides, of the
signification which must be attached to the color of the hoisted flag. It w=
as
that of pirates! It was that which the "Duncan" would have carrie=
d,
had the convicts succeeded in their criminal design! No time was lost befor=
e discussing
it.
"My friends," said Cyrus Harding,
"perhaps this vessel only wishes to survey the coast of the island.
Perhaps her crew will not land. There is a chance of it. However that may b=
e,
we ought to do everything we can to hide our presence here. The windmill on
Prospect Heights is too easily seen. Let Ayrton and Neb go and take down the
sails. We must also conceal the windows of Granite House with thick branche=
s.
All the fires must be extinguished, so that nothing may betray the presence=
of
men on the island."
"And our vessel?" said Herbert.
"Oh," answered Pencroft, "she is
sheltered in Port Balloon, and I defy any of those rascals there to find
her!"
The engineer's orders were immediately execute=
d.
Neb and Ayrton ascended the plateau, and took the necessary precautions to
conceal any indication of a settlement. While they were thus occupied, thei=
r companions
went to the border of Jacamar Wood, and brought back a large quantity of
branches and creepers, which would at some distance appear as natural folia=
ge,
and thus disguise the windows in the granite cliff. At the same time, the
ammunition and guns were placed ready so as to be at hand in case of an
unexpected attack.
When all these precautions had been taken,--
"My friends," said Harding, and his
voice betrayed some emotion, "if the wretches endeavor to seize Lincoln
Island, we shall defend it--shall we not?"
"Yes, Cyrus," replied the reporter,
"and if necessary we will die to defend it!"
The engineer extended his hand to his companio=
ns,
who pressed it warmly. Ayrton remained in his corner, not joining the
colonists. Perhaps he, the former convict, still felt himself unworthy to do
so!
Cyrus Harding understood what was passing in
Ayrton's mind, and going to him--
"And you, Ayrton," he asked, "w=
hat
will you do?"
"My duty," answered Ayrton.
He then took up his station near the window and
gazed through the foliage.
It was now half-past seven. The sun had
disappeared twenty minutes ago behind Granite House. Consequently the Easte=
rn
horizon was becoming obscured. In the meanwhile the brig continued to advan=
ce
towards Union Bay. She was now not more than two miles off, and exactly
opposite the plateau of Prospect Heights, for after having tacked off Claw
Cape, she had drifted towards the north in the current of the rising tide. =
One might
have said that at this distance she had already entered the vast bay, for a
straight line drawn from Claw Cape to Cape Mandible would have rested on her
starboard quarter.
Was the brig about to penetrate far into the b=
ay?
That was the first question. When once in the bay, would she anchor there? =
That
was the second. Would she not content herself with only surveying the coast,
and stand out to sea again without landing her crew? They would know this i=
n an
hour. The colonists could do nothing but wait.
Cyrus Harding had not seen the suspected vessel
hoist the black flag without deep anxiety. Was it not a direct menace again=
st
the work which he and his companions had till now conducted so successfully?
Had these pirates--for the sailors of the brig could be nothing else--alrea=
dy visited
the island, since on approaching it they had hoisted their colors. Had they
formerly invaded it, so that certain unaccountable peculiarities might be
explained in this way? Did there exist in the as yet unexplored parts some
accomplice ready to enter into communication with them?
To all these questions which he mentally asked=
himself,
Harding knew not what to reply; but he felt that the safety of the colony c=
ould
not but be seriously threatened by the arrival of the brig.
However, he and his companions were determined=
to
fight to the last gasp. It would have been very important to know if the
pirates were numerous and better armed than the colonists. But how was this=
information
to be obtained?
Night fell. The new moon had disappeared. Prof=
ound
darkness enveloped the island and the sea. No light could pierce through the
heavy piles of clouds on the horizon. The wind had died away completely with
the twilight. Not a leaf rustled on the trees, not a ripple murmured on the
shore. Nothing could be seen of the ship, all her lights being extinguished,
and if she was still in sight of the island, her whereabouts could not be
discovered.
"Well! who knows?" said Pencroft.
"Perhaps that cursed craft will stand off during the night, and we sha=
ll
see nothing of her at daybreak."
As if in reply to the sailor's observation, a
bright light flashed in the darkness, and a cannon-shot was heard.
The vessel was still there and had guns on boa=
rd.
Six seconds elapsed between the flash and the
report.
Therefore the brig was about a mile and a quar=
ter
from the coast.
At the same time, the chains were heard rattli=
ng
through the hawse-holes.
The vessel had just anchored in sight of Grani=
te
House!
There was no longer any doubt as to the pirate=
s'
intentions. They had dropped anchor at a short distance from the island, an=
d it
was evident that the next day by means of their boats they purposed to land=
on
the beach!
Cyrus Harding and his companions were ready to
act, but, determined though they were, they must not forget to be prudent.
Perhaps their presence might still be concealed in the event of the pirates
contenting themselves with landing on the shore without examining the inter=
ior
of the island. It might be, indeed, that their only intention was to obtain=
fresh
water from the Mercy, and it was not impossible that the bridge, thrown acr=
oss
a mile and a half from the mouth, and the manufactory at the Chimneys might
escape their notice.
But why was that flag hoisted at the brig's pe=
ak?
What was that shot fired for? Pure bravado doubtless, unless it was a sign =
of
the act of taking possession. Harding knew now that the vessel was well arm=
ed.
And what had the colonists of Lincoln Island to reply to the pirates' guns?=
A
few muskets only.
"However," observed Cyrus Harding,
"here we are in an impregnable position. The enemy cannot discover the=
mouth
of the outlet, now that it is hidden under reeds and grass, and consequentl=
y it
would be impossible for them to penetrate into Granite House."
"But our plantations, our poultry-yard, o=
ur
corral, all, everything!" exclaimed Pencroft, stamping his foot.
"They may spoil everything, destroy everything in a few hours!"
"Everything, Pencroft," answered
Harding, "and we have no means of preventing them."
"Are they numerous? that is the
question," said the reporter. "If they are not more than a dozen,=
we
shall be able to stop them, but forty, fifty, more perhaps!"
"Captain Harding," then said Ayrton,
advancing towards the engineer, "will you give me leave?"
"For what, my friend?"
"To go to that vessel to find out the
strength of her crew."
"But Ayrton--" answered the engineer,
hesitating, "you will risk your life--"
"Why not, sir?"
"That is more than your duty."
"I have more than my duty to do,"
replied Ayrton.
"Will you go to the ship in the boat?&quo=
t;
asked Gideon Spilett.
"No, sir, but I will swim. A boat would be
seen where a man may glide between wind and water."
"Do you know that the brig is a mile and a
quarter from the shore?" said Herbert.
"I am a good swimmer, Mr. Herbert."<= o:p>
"I tell you it is risking your life,"
said the engineer.
"That is no matter," answered Ayrton.
"Captain Harding, I ask this as a favor. Perhaps it will be a means of
raising me in my own eyes!"
"Go, Ayrton," replied the engineer, =
who
felt sure that a refusal would have deeply wounded the former convict, now
become an honest man.
"I will accompany you," said Pencrof=
t.
"You mistrust me!" said Ayrton quick=
ly.
Then more humbly,--
"Alas!"
"No! no!" exclaimed Harding with
animation, "no, Ayrton, Pencroft does not mistrust you. You interpret =
his
words wrongly."
"Indeed," returned the sailor, "=
;I
only propose to accompany Ayrton as far as the islet. It may be, although i=
t is
scarcely possible, that one of these villains has landed, and in that case =
two
men will not be too many to hinder him from giving the alarm. I will wait f=
or
Ayrton on the islet, and he shall go alone to the vessel, since he has prop=
osed
to do so." These things agreed to, Ayrton made preparations for his
departure. His plan was bold, but it might succeed, thanks to the darkness =
of
the night. Once arrived at the vessel's side, Ayrton, holding on to the mai=
n chains,
might reconnoiter the number and perhaps overhear the intentions of the
pirates.
Ayrton and Pencroft, followed by their compani=
ons,
descended to the beach. Ayrton undressed and rubbed himself with grease, so=
as
to suffer less from the temperature of the water, which was still cold. He
might, indeed, be obliged to remain in it for several hours.
Pencroft and Neb, during this time, had gone to fetch the boat, moored a few hundred feet higher up, on the bank of the Mer= cy, and by the time they returned, Ayrton was ready to start. A coat was thrown over his shoulders, and the settlers all came round him to press his hand.<= o:p>
Ayrton then shoved off with Pencroft in the bo=
at.
It was half-past ten in the evening when the t=
wo
adventurers disappeared in the darkness. Their companions returned to wait =
at
the Chimneys.
The channel was easily traversed, and the boat
touched the opposite shore of the islet. This was not done without precauti=
on,
for fear lest the pirates might be roaming about there. But after a careful
survey, it was evident that the islet was deserted. Ayrton then, followed b=
y Pencroft,
crossed it with a rapid step, scaring the birds nestled in the holes of the
rocks; then, without hesitating, he plunged into the sea, and swam noiseles=
sly
in the direction of the ship, in which a few lights had recently appeared,
showing her exact situation. As to Pencroft, he crouched down in a cleft of=
the
rock, and awaited the return of his companion.
In the meanwhile, Ayrton, swimming with a vigo=
rous
stroke, glided through the sheet of water without producing the slightest
ripple. His head just emerged above it and his eyes were fixed on the dark =
hull
of the brig, from which the lights were reflected in the water. He thought =
only
of the duty which he had promised to accomplish, and nothing of the danger
which he ran, not only on board the ship, but in the sea, often frequented =
by
sharks. The current bore him along and he rapidly receded from the shore.
Half an hour afterwards, Ayrton, without having
been either seen or heard, arrived at the ship and caught hold of the
main-chains. He took breath, then, hoisting himself up, he managed to reach=
the
extremity of the cutwater. There were drying several pairs of sailors'
trousers. He put on a pair. Then settling himself firmly, he listened. They
were not sleeping on board the brig. On the contrary, they were talking,
singing, laughing. And these were the sentences, accompanied with oaths, wh=
ich principally
struck Ayrton:--
"Our brig is a famous acquisition."<= o:p>
"She sails well, and merits her name of t=
he
'Speedy.'"
"She would show all the navy of Norfolk a
clean pair of heels."
"Hurrah for her captain!"
"Hurrah for Bob Harvey!"
What Ayrton felt when he overheard this fragme=
nt
of conversation may be understood when it is known that in this Bob Harvey =
he
recognized one of his old Australian companions, a daring sailor, who had
continued his criminal career. Bob Harvey had seized, on the shores of Norf=
olk
Island this brig, which was loaded with arms, ammunition, utensils, and too=
ls of
all sorts, destined for one of the Sandwich Islands. All his gang had gone =
on
board, and pirates after having been convicts, these wretches, more ferocio=
us
than the Malays themselves, scoured the Pacific, destroying vessels, and
massacring their crews.
The convicts spoke loudly, they recounted their
deeds, drinking deeply at the same time, and this is what Ayrton gathered. =
The
actual crew of the "Speedy" was composed solely of English prison=
ers,
escaped from Norfolk Island.
Here it may be well to explain what this island
was. In 29deg 2' south latitude, and 165deg 42' east longitude, to the east=
of
Australia, is found a little island, six miles in circumference, overlooked=
by
Mount Pitt, which rises to a height of 1,100 feet above the level of the se=
a. This
is Norfolk Island, once the seat of an establishment in which were lodged t=
he
most intractable convicts from the English penitentiaries. They numbered 50=
0,
under an iron discipline, threatened with terrible punishments, and were
guarded by 150 soldiers, and 150 employed under the orders of the governor.=
It
would be difficult to imagine a collection of greater ruffians.
Sometimes,--although very rarely,--notwithstanding the extreme surveillance=
of
which they were the object, many managed to escape, and seizing vessels whi=
ch
they surprised, they infested the Polynesian Archipelagoes.
Thus had Bob Harvey and his companions done. T=
hus
had Ayrton formerly wished to do. Bob Harvey had seized the brig
"Speedy," anchored in sight of Norfolk Island; the crew had been
massacred; and for a year this ship had scoured the Pacific, under the comm=
and
of Harvey, now a pirate, and well known to Ayrton!
The convicts were, for the most part, assembled
under the poop; but a few, stretched on the deck, were talking loudly.
The conversation still continued amid shouts a=
nd
libations. Ayrton learned that chance alone had brought the "Speedy&qu=
ot;
in sight of Lincoln Island; Bob Harvey had never yet set foot on it; but, as
Cyrus Harding had conjectured, finding this unknown land in his course, its
position being marked on no chart, he had formed the project of visiting it,
and, if he found it suitable, of making it the brig's headquarters.
As to the black flag hoisted at the
"Speedy's" peak, and the gun which had been fired, in imitation of
men-of-war when they lower their colors, it was pure piratical bravado. It =
was
in no way a signal, and no communication yet existed between the convicts a=
nd
Lincoln Island.
The settlers' domain was now menaced with terr=
ible
danger. Evidently the island, with its water, its harbor, its resources of =
all
kinds so increased in value by the colonists, and the concealment afforded =
by Granite
House, could not but be convenient for the convicts; in their hands it would
become an excellent place of refuge, and, being unknown, it would assure th=
em,
for a long time perhaps, impunity and security. Evidently, also, the lives =
of
the settlers would not be respected, and Bob Harvey and his accomplices' fi=
rst
care would be to massacre them without mercy. Harding and his companions ha=
d,
therefore, not even the choice of flying and hiding themselves in the islan=
d,
since the convicts intended to reside there, and since, in the event of the
"Speedy" departing on an expedition, it was probable that some of=
the
crew would remain on shore, so as to settle themselves there. Therefore, it=
would
be necessary to fight, to destroy every one of these scoundrels, unworthy of
pity, and against whom any means would be right. So thought Ayrton, and he =
well
knew that Cyrus Harding would be of his way of thinking.
But was resistance and, in the last place, vic=
tory
possible? That would depend on the equipment of the brig, and the number of=
men
which she carried.
This Ayrton resolved to learn at any cost, and=
as
an hour after his arrival the vociferations had begun to die away, and as a
large number of the convicts were already buried in a drunken sleep, Ayrton=
did
not hesitate to venture onto the "Speedy's" deck, which the extin=
guished
lanterns now left in total darkness. He hoisted himself onto the cutwater, =
and
by the bowsprit arrived at the forecastle. Then, gliding among the convicts
stretched here and there, he made the round of the ship, and found that the
"Speedy" carried four guns, which would throw shot of from eight =
to
ten pounds in weight. He found also, on touching them that these guns were
breech-loaders. They were therefore, of modern make, easily used, and of
terrible effect.
As to the men lying on the deck, they were abo=
ut
ten in number, but it was to be supposed that more were sleeping down below.
Besides, by listening to them, Ayrton had understood that there were fifty =
on board.
That was a large number for the six settlers of Lincoln Island to contend w=
ith!
But now, thanks to Ayrton's devotion, Cyrus Harding would not be surprised,=
he
would know the strength of his adversaries, and would make his arrangements
accordingly.
There was nothing more for Ayrton to do but to
return, and render to his companions an account of the mission with which he
had charged himself, and he prepared to regain the bows of the brig, so tha=
t he
might let himself down into the water. But to this man, whose wish was, as =
he
had said, to do more than his duty, there came an heroic thought. This was =
to
sacrifice his own life, but save the island and the colonists. Cyrus Harding
evidently could not resist fifty ruffians, all well armed, who, either by
penetrating by main force into Granite House, or by starving out the besieg=
ed,
could obtain from them what they wanted. And then he thought of his
preservers--those who had made him again a man, and an honest mm, those to =
whom
he owed all--murdered without pity, their works destroyed, their island tur=
ned
into a pirates' den! He said to himself that he, Ayrton, was the principal
cause of so many disasters, since his old companion, Bob Harvey, had but
realized his own plans, and a feeling of horror took possession of him. The=
n he
was seized with an irresistible desire to blow up the brig and with her, all
whom she had on board. He would perish in the explosion, but he would have =
done
his duty.
Ayrton did not hesitate. To reach the powder-r=
oom,
which is always situated in the after-part of a vessel, was easy. There wou=
ld
be no want of powder in a vessel which followed such a trade, and a spark w=
ould
be enough to destroy it in an instant.
Ayrton stole carefully along the between-decks,
strewn with numerous sleepers, overcome more by drunkenness than sleep. A
lantern was lighted at the foot of the mainmast, round which was hung a
gun-rack, furnished with weapons of all sorts.
Ayrton took a revolver from the rack, and assu=
red
himself that it was loaded and primed. Nothing more was needed to accomplish
the work of destruction. He then glided towards the stern, so as to arrive
under the brig's poop at the powder-magazine.
It was difficult to proceed along the dimly
lighted deck without stumbling over some half-sleeping convict, who retorte=
d by
oaths and kicks. Ayrton was, therefore, more than once obliged to halt. But=
at last
he arrived at the partition dividing the aftercabin, and found the door ope=
ning
into the magazine itself.
Ayrton, compelled to force it open, set to wor=
k.
It was a difficult operation to perform without noise, for he had to break a
padlock. But under his vigorous hand, the padlock broke, and the door was o=
pen.
At that moment a hand was laid on Ayrton's
shoulder.
"What are you doing here?" asked a t=
all
man, in a harsh voice, who, standing in the shadow, quickly threw the light=
of
a lantern in Ayrton's face.
Ayrton drew back. In the rapid flash of the
lantern, he had recognized his former accomplice, Bob Harvey, who could not
have known him, as he must have thought Ayrton long since dead.
"What are you doing here?" again sai=
d Bob
Harvey, seizing Ayrton by the waistband.
But Ayrton, without replying, wrenched himself
from his grasp and attempted to rush into the magazine. A shot fired into t=
he
midst of the powder-casks, and all would be over!
"Help, lads!" shouted Bob Harvey.
At his shout two or three pirates awoke, jumped
up, and, rushing on Ayrton, endeavored to throw him down. He soon extricated
himself from their grasp. He fired his revolver, and two of the convicts fe=
ll,
but a blow from a knife which he could not ward off made a gash in his shou=
lder.
Ayrton perceived that he could no longer hope =
to
carry out his project. Bob Harvey had reclosed the door of the powder-magaz=
ine,
and a movement on the deck indicated a general awakening of the pirates. Ay=
rton
must reserve himself to fight at the side of Cyrus Harding. There was nothi=
ng for
him but flight!
But was flight still possible? It was doubtful,
yet Ayrton resolved to dare everything in order to rejoin his companions.
Four barrels of the revolver were still
undischarged. Two were fired--one, aimed at Bob Harvey, did not wound him, =
or
at any rate only slightly, and Ayrton, profiting by the momentary retreat of
his adversaries, rushed towards the companion-ladder to gain the deck. Pass=
ing
before the lantern, he smashed it with a blow from the butt of his revolver=
. A
profound darkness ensued, which favored his flight. Two or three pirates,
awakened by the noise, were descending the ladder at the same moment.
A fifth shot from Ayrton laid one low, and the
others drew back, not understanding what was going on. Ayrton was on deck in
two bounds, and three seconds later, having discharged his last barrel in t=
he
face of a pirate who was about to seize him by the throat, he leaped over t=
he bulwarks
into the sea.
Ayrton had not made six strokes before shots w=
ere
splashing around him like hail.
What were Pencroft's feelings, sheltered under=
a
rock on the islet! What were those of Harding, the reporter, Herbert, and N=
eb,
crouched in the Chimneys, when they heard the reports on board the brig! Th=
ey
rushed out on to the beach, and, their guns shouldered, they stood ready to
repel any attack.
They had no doubt about it themselves! Ayrton,
surprised by the pirates, had been murdered, and, perhaps, the wretches wou=
ld
profit by the night to make a descent on the island!
Half an hour was passed in terrible anxiety. T=
he
firing had ceased, and yet neither Ayrton nor Pencroft had reappeared. Was =
the
islet invaded? Ought they not to fly to the help of Ayrton and Pencroft? But
how? The tide being high at that time, rendered the channel impassable. The
boat was not there! We may imagine the horrible anxiety which took possessi=
on of
Harding and his companions!
At last, towards half-past twelve, a boat,
carrying two men, touched the beach. It was Ayrton, slightly wounded in the
shoulder, and Pencroft, safe and sound, whom their friends received with op=
en
arms.
All immediately took refuge in the Chimneys. T=
here
Ayrton recounted all that had passed, even to his plan for blowing up the b=
rig,
which he had attempted to put into execution.
All hands were extended to Ayrton, who did not
conceal from them that their situation was serious. The pirates had been
alarmed. They knew that Lincoln Island was inhabited. They would land upon =
it
in numbers and well armed. They would respect nothing. Should the settlers =
fall
into their hands, they must expect no mercy!
"Well, we shall know how to die!" sa=
id
the reporter.
"Let us go in and watch," answered t=
he
engineer.
"Have we any chance of escape, captain?&q=
uot;
asked the sailor.
"Yes, Pencroft."
"Hum! six against fifty!"
"Yes! six! without counting--"
"Who?" asked Pencroft.
Cyrus did not reply, but pointed upwards.
The night passed without incident. The colonis=
ts
were on the qui vive, and did not leave their post at the Chimneys. The
pirates, on their side, did not appear to have made any attempt to land. Si=
nce
the last shots fired at Ayrton not a report, not even a sound, had betrayed=
the
presence of the brig in the neighborhood of the island. It might have been
fancied that she had weighed anchor, thinking that she had to deal with her
match, and had left the coast.
But it was no such thing, and when day began to
dawn the settlers could see a confused mass through the morning mist. It was
the "Speedy."
"These, my friends," said the engine=
er,
"are the arrangements which appear to me best to make before the fog
completely clears away. It hides us from the eyes of the pirates, and we can
act without attracting their attention. The most important thing is, that t=
he
convicts should believe that the inhabitants of the island are numerous, an=
d consequently
capable of resisting them. I therefore propose that we divide into three
parties. The first of which shall be posted at the Chimneys, the second at =
the
mouth of the Mercy. As to the third, I think it would be best to place it on
the islet, so as to prevent, or at all events delay, any attempt at landing=
. We
have the use of two rifles and four muskets. Each of us will be armed, and,=
as
we are amply provided with powder and shot, we need not spare our fire. We =
have
nothing to fear from the muskets nor even from the guns of the brig. What c=
an
they do against these rocks? And, as we shall not fire from the windows of =
Granite
House, the pirates will not think of causing irreparable damage by throwing
shell against it. What is to be feared is, the necessity of meeting
hand-to-hand, since the convicts have numbers on their side. We must theref=
ore
try to prevent them from landing, but without discovering ourselves. Theref=
ore,
do not economize the ammunition. Fire often, but with a sure aim. We have e=
ach
eight or ten enemies to kill, and they must be killed!"
Cyrus Harding had clearly represented their
situation, although he spoke in the calmest voice, as if it was a question =
of
directing a piece of work and not ordering a battle. His companions approved
these arrangements without even uttering a word. There was nothing more to =
be done
but for each to take his place before the fog should be completely dissipat=
ed.
Neb and Pencroft immediately ascended to Granite House and brought back a
sufficient quantity of ammunition. Gideon Spilett and Ayrton, both very good
marksmen, were armed with the two rifles, which carried nearly a mile. The =
four
other muskets were divided among Harding, Neb, Pencroft, and Herbert.
The posts were arranged in the following manne=
r:--
Cyrus Harding and Herbert remained in ambush at
the Chimneys, thus commanding the shore to the foot of Granite House.
Gideon Spilett and Neb crouched among the rock=
s at
the mouth of the Mercy, from which the drawbridges had been raised, so as to
prevent any one from crossing in a boat or landing on the opposite shore.
As to Ayrton and Pencroft, they shoved off in =
the
boat, and prepared to cross the channel and to take up two separate station=
s on
the islet. In this way, shots being fired from four different points at onc=
e, the
convicts would be led to believe that the island was both largely peopled a=
nd
strongly defended.
In the event of a landing being effected witho= ut their having been able to prevent it, and also if they saw that they were on the point of being cut off by the brig's boat, Ayrton and Pencroft were to return in their boat to the shore and proceed towards the threatened spot.<= o:p>
Before starting to occupy their posts, the
colonists for the last time wrung each other's hands.
Pencroft succeeded in controlling himself
sufficiently to suppress his emotion when he embraced Herbert, his boy! and
then they separated.
In a few moments Harding and Herbert on one si=
de,
the reporter and Neb on the other, had disappeared behind the rocks, and fi=
ve
minutes later Ayrton and Pencroft, having without difficulty crossed the
channel, disembarked on the islet and concealed themselves in the clefts of=
its
eastern shore.
None of them could have been seen, for they
themselves could scarcely distinguish the brig in the fog.
It was half-past six in the morning.
Soon the fog began to clear away, and the topm=
asts
of the brig issued from the vapor. For some minutes great masses rolled over
the surface of the sea, then a breeze sprang up, which rapidly dispelled the
mist.
The "Speedy" now appeared in full vi=
ew,
with a spring on her cable, her head to the north, presenting her larboard =
side
to the island. Just as Harding had calculated, she was not more than a mile=
and
a quarter from the coast.
The sinister black flag floated from the peak.=
The engineer, with his telescope, could see th=
at
the four guns on board were pointed at the island. They were evidently read=
y to
fire at a moment's notice.
In the meanwhile the "Speedy" remain=
ed
silent. About thirty pirates could be seen moving on the deck. A few more on
the poop; two others posted in the shrouds, and armed with spyglasses, were
attentively surveying the island.
Certainly, Bob Harvey and his crew would not be
able easily to give an account of what had happened during the night on boa=
rd
the brig. Had this half-naked man, who had forced the door of the
powder-magazine, and with whom they had struggled, who had six times discha=
rged
his revolver at them, who had killed one and wounded two others, escaped th=
eir
shot? Had he been able to swim to shore? Whence did he come? What had been =
his object?
Had his design really been to blow up the brig, as Bob Harvey had thought? =
All
this must be confused enough to the convicts' minds. But what they could no
longer doubt was that the unknown island before which the "Speedy"
had cast anchor was inhabited, and that there was, perhaps, a numerous colo=
ny
ready to defend it. And yet no one was to be seen, neither on the shore, no=
r on
the heights. The beach appeared to be absolutely deserted. At any rate, the=
re
was no trace of dwellings. Had the inhabitants fled into the interior? Thus
probably the pirate captain reasoned, and doubtless, like a prudent man, he
wished to reconnoiter the locality before he allowed his men to venture the=
re.
During an hour and a half, no indication of at=
tack
or landing could be observed on board the brig. Evidently Bob Harvey was
hesitating. Even with his strongest telescopes he could not have perceived =
one
of the settlers crouched among the rocks. It was not even probable that his=
attention
had been awakened by the screen of green branches and creepers hiding the
windows of Granite House, and showing rather conspicuously on the bare rock.
Indeed, how could he imagine that a dwelling was hollowed out, at that heig=
ht,
in the solid granite? From Claw Cape to the Mandible Capes, in all the exte=
nt
of Union Bay, there was nothing to lead him to suppose that the island was =
or
could be inhabited.
At eight o'clock, however, the colonists obser=
ved
a movement on board the "Speedy." A boat was lowered, and seven m=
en
jumped into her. They were armed with muskets; one took the yoke-lines, four
others the oars, and the two others, kneeling in the bows, ready to fire,
reconnoitered the island. Their object was no doubt to make an examination =
but
not to land, for in the latter case they would have come in larger numbers.=
The
pirates from their look-out could have seen that the coast was sheltered by=
an
islet, separated from it by a channel half a mile in width. However, it was
soon evident to Cyrus Harding, on observing the direction followed by the b=
oat,
that they would not attempt to penetrate into the channel, but would land on
the islet.
Pencroft and Ayrton, each hidden in a narrow c=
left
of the rock, saw them coming directly towards them, and waited till they we=
re
within range.
The boat advanced with extreme caution. The oa=
rs
only dipped into the water at long intervals. It could now be seen that one=
of
the convicts held a lead-line in his hand, and that he wished to fathom the
depth of the channel hollowed out by the current of the Mercy. This showed =
that
it was Bob Harvey's intention to bring his brig as near as possible to the =
coast.
About thirty pirates, scattered in the rigging, followed every movement of =
the
boat, and took the bearings of certain landmarks which would allow them to
approach without danger. The boat was not more than two cables-lengths off =
the
islet when she stopped. The man at the tiller stood up and looked for the b=
est
place at which to land.
At that moment two shots were heard. Smoke cur=
led
up from among the rocks of the islet. The man at the helm and the man with =
the
lead-line fell backwards into the boat. Ayrton's and Pencroft's balls had
struck them both at the same moment.
Almost immediately a louder report was heard, a
cloud of smoke issued from the brig's side, and a ball, striking the summit=
of
the rock which sheltered Ayrton and Pencroft, made it fly in splinters, but=
the
two marksmen remained unhurt.
Horrible imprecations burst from the boat, whi=
ch
immediately continued its way. The man who had been at the tiller was repla=
ced
by one of his comrades, and the oars were rapidly plunged into the water. H=
owever,
instead of returning on board as might have been expected, the boat coasted
along the islet, so as to round its southern point. The pirates pulled
vigorously at their oars that they might get out of range of the bullets.
They advanced to within five cables-lengths of
that part of the shore terminated by Flotsam Point, and after having rounde=
d it
in a semicircular line, still protected by the brig's guns, they proceeded =
towards
the mouth of the Mercy.
Their evident intention was to penetrate into =
the
channel, and cut off the colonists posted on the islet, in such a way, that
whatever their number might be, being placed between the fire from the boat=
and
the fire from the brig, they would find themselves in a very disadvantageou=
s position.
A quarter of an hour passed while the boat
advanced in this direction. Absolute silence, perfect calm reigned in the a=
ir
and on the water.
Pencroft and Ayrton, although they knew they r=
an
the risk of being cut off, had not left their post, both that they did not =
wish
to show themselves as yet to their assailants, and expose themselves to the=
"Speedy's"
guns, and that they relied on Neb and Gideon Spilett, watching at the mouth=
of
the river, and on Cyrus Harding and Herbert, in ambush among the rocks at t=
he
Chimneys.
Twenty minutes after the first shots were fire=
d,
the boat was less than two cables-lengths off the Mercy. As the tide was
beginning to rise with its accustomed violence, caused by the narrowness of=
the
straits, the pirates were drawn towards the river, and it was only by dint =
of
hard rowing that they were able to keep in the middle of the channel. But, =
as they
were passing within good range of the mouth of the Mercy, two balls saluted
them, and two more of their number were laid in the bottom of the boat. Neb=
and
Spilett had not missed their aim.
The brig immediately sent a second ball on the
post betrayed by the smoke, but without any other result than that of
splintering the rock.
The boat now contained only three able men.
Carried on by the current, it shot through the channel with the rapidity of=
an
arrow, passed before Harding and Herbert, who, not thinking it within range,
withheld their fire, then, rounding the northern point of the islet with the
two remaining oars, they pulled towards the brig.
Hitherto the settlers had nothing to complain =
of.
Their adversaries had certainly had the worst of it. The latter already cou=
nted
four men seriously wounded if not dead; they, on the contrary, unwounded, h=
ad
not missed a shot. If the pirates continued to attack them in this way, if =
they
renewed their attempt to land by means of a boat, they could be destroyed o=
ne
by one.
It was now seen how advantageous the engineer's
arrangements had been. The pirates would think that they had to deal with
numerous and well-armed adversaries, whom they could not easily get the bet=
ter
of.
Half an hour passed before the boat, having to
pull against the current, could get alongside the "Speedy." Frigh=
tful
cries were heard when they returned on board with the wounded, and two or t=
hree
guns were fired with no results.
But now about a dozen other convicts, maddened
with rage, and possibly by the effect of the evening's potations, threw
themselves into the boat. A second boat was also lowered, in which eight men
took their places, and while the first pulled straight for the islet, to
dislodge the colonists from thence the second maneuvered so as to force the=
entrance
of the Mercy.
The situation was evidently becoming very
dangerous for Pencroft and Ayrton, and they saw that they must regain the
mainland.
However, they waited till the first boat was
within range, when two well-directed balls threw its crew into disorder. Th=
en,
Pencroft and Ayrton, abandoning their posts, under fire from the dozen musk=
ets,
ran across the islet at full speed, jumped into their boat, crossed the cha=
nnel
at the moment the second boat reached the southern end, and ran to hide
themselves in the Chimneys.
They had scarcely rejoined Cyrus Harding and
Herbert, before the islet was overrun with pirates in every direction. Almo=
st
at the same moment, fresh reports resounded from the Mercy station, to which
the second boat was rapidly approaching. Two, out of the eight men who mann=
ed
her, were mortally wounded by Gideon Spilett and Neb, and the boat herself,=
carried
irresistibly onto the reefs, was stove in at the mouth of the Mercy. But the
six survivors, holding their muskets above their heads to preserve them from
contact with the water, managed to land on the right bank of the river. The=
n,
finding they were exposed to the fire of the ambush there, they fled in the
direction of Flotsam Point, out of range of the balls.
The actual situation was this: on the islet we=
re a
dozen convicts, of whom some were no doubt wounded, but who had still a boa=
t at
their disposal; on the island were six, but who could not by any possibilit=
y reach
Granite House, as they could not cross the river, all the bridges being rai=
sed.
"Hallo," exclaimed Pencroft as he ru=
shed
into the Chimneys, "hallo, captain! What do you think of it, now?"=
;
"I think," answered the engineer,
"that the combat will now take a new form, for it cannot be supposed t=
hat
the convicts will be so foolish as to remain in a position so unfavorable f=
or
them!"
"They won't cross the channel," said=
the
sailor. "Ayrton and Mr. Spilett's rifles are there to prevent them. You
know that they carry more than a mile!"
"No doubt," replied Herbert; "b=
ut
what can two rifles do against the brig's guns?"
"Well, the brig isn't in the channel yet,=
I
fancy!" said Pencroft.
"But suppose she does come there?" s=
aid
Harding.
"That's impossible, for she would risk
running aground and being lost!"
"It is possible," said Ayrton. "=
;The
convicts might profit by the high tide to enter the channel, with the risk =
of
grounding at low tide, it is true; but then, under the fire from her guns, =
our
posts would be no longer tenable."
"Confound them!" exclaimed Pencroft,
"it really seems as if the blackguards were preparing to weigh
anchor."
"Perhaps we shall be obliged to take refu=
ge
in Granite House!" observed Herbert.
"We must wait!" answered Cyrus Hardi=
ng.
"But Mr. Spilett and Neb?" said
Pencroft.
"They will know when it is best to rejoin=
us.
Be ready, Ayrton. It is yours and Spilett's rifles which must speak now.&qu=
ot;
It was only too true. The "Speedy" w=
as
beginning to weigh her anchor, and her intention was evidently to approach =
the
islet. The tide would be rising for an hour and a half, and the ebb current
being already weakened, it would be easy for the brig to advance. But as to
entering the channel, Pencroft, contrary to Ayrton's opinion, could not bel=
ieve
that she would dare to attempt it.
In the meanwhile, the pirates who occupied the
islet had gradually advanced to the opposite shore, and were now only separ=
ated
from the mainland by the channel.
Being armed with muskets alone, they could do =
no
harm to the settlers, in ambush at the Chimneys and the mouth of the Mercy;
but, not knowing the latter to be supplied with long-range rifles, they on
their side did not believe themselves to be exposed. Quite uncovered,
therefore, they surveyed the islet, and examined the shore.
Their illusion was of short duration. Ayrton's= and Gideon Spilett's rifles then spoke, and no doubt imparted some very disagreeable intelligence to two of the convicts, for they fell backwards.<= o:p>
Then there was a general helter-skelter. The t=
en
others, not even stopping to pick up their dead or wounded companions, fled=
to
the other side of the islet, tumbled into the boat which had brought them, =
and pulled
away with all their strength.
"Eight less!" exclaimed Pencroft.
"Really, one would have thought that Mr. Spilett and Ayrton had given =
the
word to fire together!"
"Gentlemen," said Ayrton, as he relo=
aded
his gun, "this is becoming more serious. The brig is making sail!"=
;
"The anchor is weighed!" exclaimed
Pencroft.
"Yes, and she is already moving."
In fact, they could distinctly hear the creaki=
ng
of the windlass. The "Speedy" was at first held by her anchor; th=
en,
when that had been raised, she began to drift towards the shore. The wind w=
as
blowing from the sea; the jib and the foretopsail were hoisted, and the ves=
sel gradually
approached the island.
From the two posts of the Mercy and the Chimne=
ys
they watched her without giving a sign of life, but not without some emotio=
n.
What could be more terrible for the colonists than to be exposed, at a shor=
t distance,
to the brig's guns, without being able to reply with any effect? How could =
they
then prevent the pirates from landing?
Cyrus Harding felt this strongly, and he asked
himself what it would be possible to do. Before long, he would be called up=
on
for his determination. But what was it to be? To shut themselves up in Gran=
ite House,
to be besieged there, to remain there for weeks, for months even, since they
had an abundance of provisions? So far good! But after that? The pirates wo=
uld
not the less be masters of the island, which they would ravage at their
pleasure, and in time, they would end by having their revenge on the prison=
ers
in Granite House.
However, one chance yet remained; it was that =
Bob
Harvey, after all, would not venture his ship into the channel, and that he
would keep outside the islet. He would be still separated from the coast by
half a mile, and at that distance his shot could not be very destructive.
"Never!" repeated Pencroft, "Bob
Harvey will never, if he is a good seaman, enter that channel! He knows well
that it would risk the brig, if the sea got up ever so little! And what wou=
ld
become of him without his vessel?"
In the meanwhile the brig approached the islet,
and it could be seen that she was endeavoring to make the lower end. The br=
eeze
was light, and as the current had then lost much of its force, Bob Harvey h=
ad absolute
command over his vessel.
The route previously followed by the boats had
allowed her to reconnoiter the channel, and she boldly entered it.
The pirate's design was now only too evident; =
he
wished to bring her broadside to bear on the Chimneys and from there to rep=
ly
with shell and ball to the shot which had till then decimated her crew.
Soon the "Speedy" reached the point =
of
the islet; she rounded it with ease; the mainsail was braced up, and the br=
ig
hugging the wind, stood across the mouth of the Mercy.
"The scoundrels! they are coming!" s=
aid
Pencroft.
At that moment, Cyrus Harding, Ayrton, the sai=
lor,
and Herbert, were rejoined by Neb and Gideon Spilett.
The reporter and his companion had judged it b=
est
to abandon the post at the Mercy, from which they could do nothing against =
the
ship, and they had acted wisely. It was better that the colonists should be
together at the moment when they were about to engage in a decisive action.
Gideon Spilett and Neb had arrived by dodging behind the rocks, though not =
without
attracting a shower of bullets, which had not, however, reached them.
"Spilett! Neb!" cried the engineer.
"You are not wounded?"
"No," answered the reporter, "a=
few
bruises only from the ricochet! But that cursed brig has entered the
channel!"
"Yes," replied Pencroft, "and in
ten minutes she will have anchored before Granite House!"
"Have you formed any plan, Cyrus?" a=
sked
the reporter.
"We must take refuge in Granite House whi=
le
there is still time, and the convicts cannot see us."
"That is, my opinion, too," replied
Gideon Spilett, "but once shut up--"
"We must be guided by circumstances,"
said the engineer.
"Let us be off, then, and make haste!&quo=
t;
said the reporter.
"Would you not wish, captain, that Ayrton=
and
I should remain here?" asked the sailor.
"What would be the use of that,
Pencroft?" replied Harding. "No. We will not separate!"
There was not a moment to be lost. The colonis=
ts
left the Chimneys. A bend of the cliff prevented them from being seen by th=
ose
in the brig, but two or three reports, and the crash of bullets on the rock,
told them that the "Speedy" was at no great distance.
To spring into the lift, hoist themselves up to
the door of Granite House, where Top and Jup had been shut up since the eve=
ning
before, to rush into the large room, was the work of a minute only.
It was quite time, for the settlers, through t=
he
branches, could see the "Speedy," surrounded with smoke, gliding =
up
the channel. The firing was incessant, and shot from the four guns struck
blindly, both on the Mercy post, although it was not occupied, and on the
Chimneys. The rocks were splintered, and cheers accompanied each discharge.
However, they were hoping that Granite House would be spared, thanks to
Harding's precaution of concealing the windows when a shot, piercing the do=
or, penetrated
into the passage.
"We are discovered!" exclaimed Pencr=
oft.
The colonists had not, perhaps, been seen, but=
it
was certain that Bob Harvey had thought proper to send a ball through the
suspected foliage which concealed that part of the cliff. Soon he redoubled=
his
attack, when another ball having torn away the leafy screen, disclosed a ga=
ping
aperture in the granite.
The colonists' situation was desperate. Their
retreat was discovered. They could not oppose any obstacle to these missile=
s,
nor protect the stone, which flew in splinters around them. There was nothi=
ng
to be done but to take refuge in the upper passage of Granite House, and le=
ave their
dwelling to be devastated, when a deep roar was heard, followed by frightful
cries!
Cyrus Harding and his companions rushed to one=
of
the windows--
The brig, irresistibly raised on a sort of
water-spout, had just split in two, and in less than ten seconds she was
swallowed up with all her criminal crew!
"She has blown up!" cried Herbert.
"Yes! blown up, just as if Ayrton had set
fire to the powder!" returned Pencroft, throwing himself into the lift
together with Neb and the lad.
"But what has happened?" asked Gideon
Spilett, quite stunned by this unexpected catastrophe.
"Oh! this time, we shall know--"
answered the engineer quickly.
"What shall we know?--"
"Later! later! Come, Spilett. The main po=
int
is that these pirates have been exterminated!"
And Cyrus Harding, hurrying away the reporter =
and
Ayrton, joined Pencroft, Neb, and Herbert on the beach.
Nothing could be seen of the brig, not even her
masts. After having been raised by the water-spout, she had fallen on her s=
ide,
and had sunk in that position, doubtless in consequence of some enormous le=
ak.
But as in that place the channel was not more than twenty feet in depth, it=
was
certain that the sides of the submerged brig would reappear at low water.
A few things from the wreck floated on the sur=
face
of the water, a raft could be seen consisting of spare spars, coops of poul=
try
with their occupants still living, boxes and barrels, which gradually came =
to
the surface, after having escaped through the hatchways, but no pieces of t=
he
wreck appeared, neither planks from the deck, nor timber from the hull,--wh=
ich
rendered the sudden disappearance of the "Speedy" perfectly inexp=
licable.
However, the two masts, which had been broken =
and
escaped from the shrouds and stays came up, and with their sails, some furl=
ed
and the others spread. But it was not necessary to wait for the tide to bri=
ng up
these riches, and Ayrton and Pencroft jumped into the boat with the intenti=
on
of towing the pieces of wreck either to the beach or to the islet. But just=
as
they were shoving off, an observation from Gideon Spilett arrested them.
"What about those six convicts who
disembarked on the right bank of the Mercy?" said he.
In fact, it would not do to forget that the six
men whose boat had gone to pieces on the rocks had landed at Flotsam Point.=
They looked in that direction. None of the
fugitives were visible. It was probable that, having seen their vessel engu=
lfed
in the channel, they had fled into the interior of the island.
"We will deal with them later," said
Harding. "As they are armed, they will still be dangerous; but as it is
six against six, the chances are equal. To the most pressing business
first."
Ayrton and Pencroft pulled vigorously towards =
the
wreck.
The sea was calm and the tide very high, as th=
ere
had been a new moon but two days before. A whole hour at least would elapse
before the hull of the brig could emerge from the water of the channel.
Ayrton and Pencroft were able to fasten the ma=
sts
and spars by means of ropes, the ends of which were carried to the beach.
There, by the united efforts of the settlers the pieces of wreck were hauled
up. Then the boat picked up all that was floating, coops, barrels, and boxe=
s,
which were immediately carried to the Chimneys.
Several bodies floated also. Among them, Ayrton
recognized that of Bob Harvey, which he pointed out to his companion, saying
with some emotion,--
"That is what I have been, Pencroft."=
;
"But what you are no longer, brave
Ayrton!" returned the sailor warmly.
It was singular enough that so few bodies floa=
ted.
Only five or six were counted, which were already being carried by the curr=
ent
towards the open sea. Very probably the convicts had not had time to escape,
and the ship lying over on her side, the greater number of them had remaine=
d below.
Now the current, by carrying the bodies of these miserable men out to sea,
would spare the colonists the sad task of burying them in some corner of th=
eir
island.
For two hours, Cyrus Harding and his companions
were solely occupied in hauling up the spars on to the sand, and then in
spreading the sails which were perfectly uninjured, to dry. They spoke litt=
le,
for they were absorbed in their work, but what thoughts occupied their mind=
s!
The possession of this brig, or rather all that
she contained, was a perfect mine of wealth. In fact, a ship is like a litt=
le
world in miniature, and the stores of the colony would be increased by a la=
rge number
of useful articles. It would be, on a large scale, equivalent to the chest
found at Flotsam Point.
"And besides," thought Pencroft,
"why should it be impossible to refloat the brig? If she has only a le=
ak,
that may be stopped up; a vessel from three to four hundred tons, why she i=
s a
regular ship compared to our 'Bonadventure'! And we could go a long distanc=
e in
her! We could go anywhere we liked! Captain Harding, Ayrton and I must exam=
ine
her! She would be well worth the trouble!"
In fact, if the brig was still fit to navigate,
the colonists' chances of returning to their native land were singularly
increased. But, to decide this important question, it was necessary to wait
until the tide was quite low, so that every part of the brig's hull might be
examined.
When their treasures had been safely conveyed =
on
shore, Harding and his companions agreed to devote some minutes to breakfas=
t.
They were almost famished; fortunately, the larder was not far off, and Neb=
was
noted for being an expeditious cook. They breakfasted, therefore, near the =
Chimneys,
and during their repast, as may be supposed, nothing was talked of but the
event which had so miraculously saved the colony.
"Miraculous is the word," repeated
Pencroft, "for it must be acknowledged that those rascals blew up just=
at
the right moment! Granite House was beginning to be uncomfortable as a
habitation!"
"And can you guess, Pencroft," asked=
the
reporter, "how it happened, or what can have occasioned the
explosion?"
"Oh! Mr. Spilett, nothing is more
simple," answered Pencroft. "A convict vessel is not disciplined =
like
a man-of-war! Convicts are not sailors. Of course the powder-magazine was o=
pen,
and as they were firing incessantly, some careless or clumsy fellow just bl=
ew
up the vessel!"
"Captain Harding," said Herbert,
"what astonishes me is that the explosion has not produced more effect.
The report was not loud, and besides there are so few planks and timbers to=
rn
out. It seems as if the ship had rather foundered than blown up."
"Does that astonish you, my boy?" as=
ked
the engineer.
"Yes, captain."
"And it astonishes me also, Herbert,"
replied he, "but when we visit the hull of the brig, we shall no doubt
find the explanation of the matter."
"Why, captain," said Pencroft, "=
;you
don't suppose that the 'Speedy' simply foundered like a ship which has stru=
ck
on a rock?"
"Why not," observed Neb, "if th=
ere
are rocks in the channel?"
"Nonsense, Neb," answered Pencroft,
"you did not look at the right moment. An instant before she sank, the
brig, as I saw perfectly well, rose on an enormous wave, and fell back on h=
er
larboard side. Now, if she had only struck, she would have sunk quietly and
gone to the bottom like an honest vessel."
"It was just because she was not an honest
vessel!" returned Neb.
"Well, we shall soon see, Pencroft,"
said the engineer.
"We shall soon see," rejoined the
sailor, "but I would wager my head there are no rocks in the channel. =
Look
here, captain, to speak candidly, do you mean to say that there is anything
marvelous in the occurrence?"
Cyrus Harding did not answer.
"At any rate," said Gideon Spilett,
"whether rock or explosion, you will agree, Pencroft, that it occurred
just in the nick of time!"
"Yes! yes!" replied the sailor,
"but that is not the question. I ask Captain Harding if he sees anythi=
ng
supernatural in all this."
"I cannot say, Pencroft," said the
engineer. "That is all the answer I can make."
A reply which did not satisfy Pencroft at all.=
He
stuck to "an explosion," and did not wish to give it up. He would
never consent to admit that in that channel, with its fine sandy bed, just =
like
the beach, which he had often crossed at low water, there could be an unkno=
wn
rock.
And besides, at the time the brig foundered, it
was high water, that is to say, there was enough water to carry the vessel
clear over any rocks which would not be uncovered at low tide. Therefore, t=
here
could not have been a collision. Therefore, the vessel had not struck. So s=
he
had blown up.
And it must be confessed that the sailor's
arguments were reasonable.
Towards half-past one, the colonists embarked =
in
the boat to visit the wreck. It was to be regretted that the brig's two boa=
ts
had not been saved; but one, as has been said, had gone to pieces at the mo=
uth
of the Mercy, and was absolutely useless; the other had disappeared when th=
e brig
went down, and had not again been seen, having doubtless been crushed.
The hull of the "Speedy" was just
beginning to issue from the water. The brig was lying right over on her sid=
e,
for her masts being broken, pressed down by the weight of the ballast displ=
aced
by the shock, the keel was visible along her whole length. She had been
regularly turned over by the inexplicable but frightful submarine action, w=
hich
had been at the same time manifested by an enormous water-spout.
The settlers rowed round the hull, and in
proportion as the tide went down, they could ascertain, if not the cause wh=
ich
had occasioned the catastrophe, at least the effect produced.
Towards the bows, on both sides of the keel, s=
even
or eight feet from the beginning of the stem, the sides of the brig were
frightfully torn. Over a length of at least twenty feet there opened two la=
rge
leaks, which would be impossible to stop up. Not only had the copper sheath=
ing and
the planks disappeared, reduced, no doubt, to powder, but also the ribs, the
iron bolts, and treenails which united them. From the entire length of the =
hull
to the stern the false keel had been separated with an unaccountable violen=
ce,
and the keel itself, torn from the carline in several places, was split in =
all
its length.
"I've a notion!" exclaimed Pencroft,
"that this vessel will be difficult to get afloat again."
"It will be impossible," said Ayrton=
.
"At any rate," observed Gideon Spile=
tt
to the sailor, "the explosion, if there has been one, has produced
singular effects! It has split the lower part of the hull, instead of blowi=
ng
up the deck and topsides! These great rents appear rather to have been made=
by
a rock than by the explosion of a powder-magazine."
"There is not a rock in the channel!"
answered the sailor. "I will admit anything you like, except the
rock."
"Let us try to penetrate into the interio=
r of
the brig," said the engineer; "perhaps we shall then know what to
think of the cause of her destruction."
This was the best thing to be done, and it was
agreed, besides, to take an inventory of all the treasures on board, and to
arrange their preservation.
Access to the interior of the brig was now eas= y. The tide was still going down and the deck was practicable. The ballast, composed of heavy masses of iron, had broken through in several places. The noise of the sea could be heard as it rushed out at the holes in the hull.<= o:p>
Cyrus Harding and his companions, hatchets in
hand, advanced along the shattered deck. Cases of all sorts encumbered it, =
and,
as they had been but a very short time in the water, their contents were
perhaps uninjured.
They then busied themselves in placing all this
cargo in safety. The water would not return for several hours, and these ho=
urs
must be employed in the most profitable way. Ayrton and Pencroft had, at th=
e entrance
made in the hull, discovered tackle, which would serve to hoist up the barr=
els
and chests. The boat received them and transported them to the shore. They =
took
the articles as they came, intending to sort them afterwards.
At any rate, the settlers saw at once, with
extreme satisfaction, that the brig possessed a very varied cargo--an
assortment of all sorts of articles, utensils, manufactured goods, and tool=
s--such
as the ships which make the great coasting-trade of Polynesia are usually l=
aden
with. It was probable that they would find a little of everything, and they=
agreed
that it was exactly what was necessary for the colony of Lincoln Island.
However--and Cyrus Harding observed it in sile=
nt
astonishment--not only, as has been said, had the hull of the brig enormous=
ly
suffered from the shock, whatever it was, that had occasioned the catastrop=
he,
but the interior arrangements had been destroyed, especially towards the bo=
ws. Partitions
and stanchions were smashed, as if some tremendous shell had burst in the
interior of the brig. The colonists could easily go fore and aft, after hav=
ing
removed the cases as they were extricated. They were not heavy bales, which
would have been difficult to remove, but simple packages, of which the stow=
age,
besides, was no longer recognizable.
The colonists then reached the stern of the
brig--the part formerly surmounted by the poop. It was there that, following
Ayrton's directions, they must look for the powder-magazine. Cyrus Harding =
thought
that it had not exploded; that it was possible some barrels might be saved,=
and
that the powder, which is usually enclosed in metal coverings might not have
suffered from contact with the water.
This, in fact, was just what had happened. They
extricated from among a large number of shot twenty barrels, the insides of
which were lined with copper. Pencroft was convinced by the evidence of his=
own
eyes that the destruction of the "Speedy" could not be attributed=
to
an explosion. That part of the hull in which the magazine was situated was,
moreover, that which had suffered least.
"It may be so," said the obstinate
sailor; "but as to a rock, there is not one in the channel!"
"Then, how did it happen?" asked
Herbert.
"I don't know," answered Pencroft,
"Captain Harding doesn't know, and nobody knows or ever will know!&quo=
t;
Several hours had passed during these research=
es,
and the tide began to flow. Work must be suspended for the present. There w=
as
no fear of the brig being carried away by the sea, for she was already fixe=
d as
firmly as if moored by her anchors.
They could, therefore, without inconvenience, =
wait
until the next day to resume operations; but, as to the vessel itself, she =
was
doomed, and it would be best to hasten to save the remains of her hull, as =
she
would not be long in disappearing in the quicksands of the channel.
It was now five o'clock in the evening. It had
been a hard day's work for the men. They ate with good appetite, and
notwithstanding their fatigue, they could not resist, after dinner, their
desire of inspecting the cases which composed the cargo of the
"Speedy."
Most of them contained clothes, which, as may =
be
believed, was well received. There were enough to clothe a whole colony--li=
nen
for every one's use, shoes for every one's feet.
"We are too rich!" exclaimed Pencrof=
t,
"But what are we going to do with all this?"
And every moment burst forth the hurrahs of the
delighted sailor when he caught sight of the barrels of gunpowder, firearms=
and
sidearms, balls of cotton, implements of husbandry, carpenter's, joiner's, =
and blacksmith's
tools, and boxes of all kinds of seeds, not in the least injured by their s=
hort
sojourn in the water. Ah, two years before, how these things would have been
prized! And now, even though the industrious colonists had provided themsel=
ves
with tools, these treasures would find their use.
There was no want of space in the store-rooms =
of
Granite House, but that daytime would not allow them to stow away the whole=
. It
would not do also to forget that the six survivors of the "Speedy's&qu=
ot;
crew had landed on the island, for they were in all probability scoundrels =
of
the deepest dye, and it was necessary that the colonists should be on their=
guard
against them. Although the bridges over the Mercy were raised, the convicts
would not be stopped by a river or a stream and, rendered desperate, these
wretches would be capable of anything.
They would see later what plan it would be bes=
t to
follow; but in the meantime it was necessary to mount guard over cases and
packages heaped up near the Chimneys, and thus the settlers employed themse=
lves
in turn during the night.
The morning came, however, without the convicts
having attempted any attack. Master Jup and Top, on guard at the foot of
Granite House, would have quickly given the alarm. The three following
days--the 19th, 20th, and 21st of October--were employed in saving everythi=
ng
of value, or of any use whatever, either from the cargo or rigging of the b=
rig.
At low tide they overhauled the hold--at high tide they stowed away the res=
cued
articles. A great part of the copper sheathing had been torn from the hull,
which every day sank lower. But before the sand had swallowed the heavy thi=
ngs
which had fallen through the bottom, Ayrton and Pencroft, diving to the bed=
of
the channel, recovered the chains and anchors of the brig, the iron of her
ballast, and even four guns, which, floated by means of empty casks, were
brought to shore.
It may be seen that the arsenal of the colony =
had
gained by the wreck, as well as the storerooms of Granite House. Pencroft,
always enthusiastic in his projects, already spoke of constructing a batter=
y to
command the channel and the mouth of the river. With four guns, he engaged =
to
prevent any fleet, "however powerful it might be," from venturing
into the waters of Lincoln Island!
In the meantime, when nothing remained of the =
brig
but a useless hulk, bad weather came on, which soon finished her. Cyrus Har=
ding
had intended to blow her up, so as to collect the remains on the shore, but=
a
strong gale from the northeast and a heavy sea compelled him to economize h=
is powder.
In fact, on the night of the 23rd, the hull
entirely broke up, and some of the wreck was cast up on the beach.
As to the papers on board, it is useless to say
that, although he carefully searched the lockers of the poop, Harding did n=
ot
discover any trace of them. The pirates had evidently destroyed everything =
that
concerned either the captain or the owners of the "Speedy," and, =
as
the name of her port was not painted on her counter, there was nothing whic=
h would
tell them her nationality. However, by the shape of her boats Ayrton and
Pencroft believed that the brig was of English build.
A week after the castrophe--or, rather, after =
the
fortunate, though inexplicable, event to which the colony owed its
preservation--nothing more could be seen of the vessel, even at low tide. T=
he
wreck had disappeared, and Granite House was enriched by nearly all it had =
contained.
However, the mystery which enveloped its stran=
ge
destruction would doubtless never have been cleared away if, on the 30th of
November, Neb, strolling on the beach, had not found a piece of a thick iron
cylinder, bearing traces of explosion. The edges of this cylinder were twis=
ted
and broken, as if they had been subjected to the action of some explosive s=
ubstance.
Neb brought this piece of metal to his master,=
who
was then occupied with his companions in the workshop of the Chimneys.
Cyrus Harding examined the cylinder attentivel=
y,
then, turning to Pencroft,--
"You persist, my friend," said he,
"in maintaining that the 'Speedy' was not lost in consequence of a
collision?"
"Yes, captain," answered the sailor.
"You know as well as I do that there are no rocks in the channel."=
;
"But suppose she had run against this pie=
ce
of iron?" said the engineer, showing the broken cylinder.
"What, that bit of pipe!" exclaimed
Pencroft in a tone of perfect incredulity.
"My friends," resumed Harding, "=
;you
remember that before she foundered the brig rose on the summit of a regular
waterspout?"
"Yes, captain," replied Herbert.
"Well, would you like to know what occasi=
oned
that waterspout? It was this," said the engineer, holding up the broken
tube.
"That?" returned Pencroft.
"Yes! This cylinder is all that remains o=
f a
torpedo!"
"A torpedo!" exclaimed the engineer's
companions.
"And who put the torpedo there?"
demanded Pencroft, who did not like to yield.
"All that I can tell you is, that it was =
not
I," answered Cyrus Harding; "but it was there, and you have been =
able
to judge of its incomparable power!"
So, then, all was explained by the submarine
explosion of this torpedo. Cyrus Harding could not be mistaken, as, during =
the
war of the Union, he had had occasion to try these terrible engines of
destruction. It was under the action of this cylinder, charged with some
explosive substance, nitro-glycerine, picrate, or some other material of the
same nature, that the water of the channel had been raised like a dome, the=
bottom
of the brig crushed in, and she had sunk instantly, the damage done to her =
hull
being so considerable that it was impossible to refloat her. The
"Speedy" had not been able to withstand a torpedo that would have
destroyed an ironclad as easily as a fishing-boat!
Yes! all was explained, everything--except the
presence of the torpedo in the waters of the channel!
"My friends, then," said Cyrus Hardi=
ng,
"we can no longer be in doubt as to the presence of a mysterious being=
, a
castaway like us, perhaps, abandoned on our island, and I say this in order
that Ayrton may be acquainted with all the strange events which have occurr=
ed
during these two years. Who this beneficent stranger is, whose intervention
has, so fortunately for us, been manifested on many occasions, I cannot
imagine. What his object can be in acting thus, in concealing himself after=
rendering
us so many services, I cannot understand: But his services are not the less
real, and are of such a nature that only a man possessed of prodigious powe=
r,
could render them. Ayrton is indebted to him as much as we are, for, if it =
was
the stranger who saved me from the waves after the fall from the balloon,
evidently it was he who wrote the document, who placed the bottle in the
channel, and who has made known to us the situation of our companion. I will
add that it was he who guided that chest, provided with everything we wante=
d,
and stranded it on Flotsam Point; that it was he who lighted that fire on t=
he
heights of the island, which permitted you to land; that it was he who fired
that bullet found in the body of the peccary; that it was he who plunged th=
at torpedo
into the channel, which destroyed the brig; in a word, that all those
inexplicable events, for which we could not assign a reason, are due to this
mysterious being. Therefore, whoever he may be, whether shipwrecked, or exi=
led
on our island, we shall be ungrateful, if we think ourselves freed from
gratitude towards him. We have contracted a debt, and I hope that we shall =
one
day pay it."
"You are right in speaking thus, my dear
Cyrus," replied Gideon Spilett. "Yes, there is an almost all-powe=
rful
being, hidden in some part of the island, and whose influence has been
singularly useful to our colony. I will add that the unknown appears to pos=
sess
means of action which border on the supernatural, if in the events of pract=
ical
life the supernatural were recognizable. Is it he who is in secret
communication with us by the well in Granite House, and has he thus a knowl=
edge
of all our plans? Was it he who threw us that bottle, when the vessel made =
her first
cruise? Was it he who threw Top out of the lake, and killed the dugong? Was=
it
he, who as everything leads us to believe, saved you from the waves, and th=
at
under circumstances in which any one else would not have been able to act? =
If
it was he, he possesses a power which renders him master of the elements.&q=
uot;
The reporter's reasoning was just, and every o=
ne
felt it to be so.
"Yes," rejoined Cyrus Harding, "=
;if
the intervention of a human being is not more questionable for us, I agree =
that
he has at his disposal means of action beyond those possessed by humanity.
There is a mystery still, but if we discover the man, the mystery will be
discovered also. The question, then, is, ought we to respect the incognito =
of
this generous being, or ought we to do everything to find him out? What is =
your
opinion on the matter?"
"My opinion," said Pencroft, "is
that, whoever he may be, he is a brave man, and he has my esteem!"
"Be it so," answered Harding, "=
but
that is not an answer, Pencroft."
"Master," then said Neb, "my id=
ea
is, that we may search as long as we like for this gentleman whom you are
talking about, but that we shall not discover him till he pleases."
"That's not bad, what you say, Neb,"
observed Pencroft.
"I am of Neb's opinion," said Gideon
Spilett, "but that is no reason for not attempting the adventure. Whet=
her
we find this mysterious being or not, we shall at least have fulfilled our =
duty
towards him."
"And you, my boy, give us your opinion,&q=
uot;
said the engineer, turning to Herbert.
"Oh," cried Herbert, his countenance
full of animation, "how I should like to thank him, he who saved you
first, and who has now saved us!"
"Of course, my boy," replied Pencrof=
t,
"so would I and all of us. I am not inquisitive, but I would give one =
of
my eyes to see this individual face to face! It seems to me that he must be
handsome, tall, strong, with a splendid beard, radiant hair, and that he mu=
st
be seated on clouds, a great ball in his hands!"
"But, Pencroft," answered Spilett,
"you are describing a picture of the Creator."
"Possibly, Mr. Spilett," replied the
sailor, "but that is how I imagine him!"
"And you, Ayrton?" asked the enginee=
r.
"Captain Harding," replied Ayrton,
"I can give you no better advice in this matter. Whatever you do will =
be
best; when you wish me to join you in your researches, I am ready to follow
you.
"I thank you, Ayrton," answered Cyrus
Harding, "but I should like a more direct answer to the question I put=
to
you. You are our companion; you have already endangered your life several t=
imes
for us, and you, as well as the rest, ought to be consulted in the matter of
any important decision. Speak, therefore."
"Captain Harding," replied Ayrton,
"I think that we ought to do everything to discover this unknown
benefactor. Perhaps he is alone. Perhaps he is suffering. Perhaps he has a =
life
to be renewed. I, too, as you said, have a debt of gratitude to pay him. It=
was
he, it could be only he who must have come to Tabor Island, who found there=
the
wretch you knew, and who made known to you that there was an unfortunate ma=
n there
to be saved. Therefore it is, thanks to him, that I have become a man again.
No, I will never forget him!"
"That is settled, then," said Cyrus
Harding. "We will begin our researches as soon as possible. We will not
leave a corner of the island unexplored. We will search into its most secret
recesses, and will hope that our unknown friend will pardon us in considera=
tion
of our intentions!"
For several days the colonists were actively
employed in haymaking and the harvest. Before putting their project of
exploring the yet unknown parts of the island into execution, they wished to
get all possible work finished. It was also the time for collecting the var=
ious
vegetables from the Tabor Island plants. All was stowed away, and happily t=
here
was no want of room in Granite House, in which they might have housed all t=
he
treasures of the island. The products of the colony were there, methodically
arranged, and in a safe place, as may be believed, sheltered as much from
animals as from man.
There was no fear of damp in the middle of that
thick mass of granite. Many natural excavations situated in the upper passa=
ge
were enlarged either by pick-axe or mine, and Granite House thus became a
general warehouse, containing all the provisions, arms, tools, and spare ut=
ensils--in
a word, all the stores of the colony.
As to the guns obtained from the brig, they we=
re
pretty pieces of ordnance, which, at Pencroft's entreaty, were hoisted by m=
eans
of tackle and pulleys, right up into Granite House; embrasures were made
between the windows, and the shining muzzles of the guns could soon be seen=
through
the granite cliff. From this height they commanded all Union Bay. It was li=
ke a
little Gibraltar, and any vessel anchored off the islet would inevitably be
exposed to the fire of this aerial battery.
"Captain," said Pencroft one day, it=
was
the 8th of November, "now that our fortifications are finished, it wou=
ld
be a good thing if we tried the range of our guns."
"Do you think that is useful?" asked=
the
engineer.
"It is more than useful, it is necessary!
Without that how are we to know to what distance we can send one of those
pretty shot with which we are provided?"
"Try them, Pencroft," replied the
engineer. "However, I think that in making the experiment, we ought to
employ, not the ordinary powder, the supply of which, I think, should remain
untouched, but the pyroxyle which will never fail us."
"Can the cannon support the shock of the
pyroxyle?" asked the reporter, who was not less anxious than Pencroft =
to
try the artillery of Granite House.
"I believe so. However," added the
engineer, "we will be prudent." The engineer was right in thinking
that the guns were of excellent make. Made of forged steel, and breech-load=
ers,
they ought consequently to be able to bear a considerable charge, and also =
have
an enormous range. In fact, as regards practical effect, the transit descri=
bed
by the ball ought to be as extended as possible, and this tension could onl=
y be
obtained under the condition that the projectile should be impelled with a =
very
great initial velocity.
"Now," said Harding to his companion=
s,
"the initial velocity is in proportion to the quantity of powder used.=
In
the fabrication of these pieces, everything depends on employing a metal wi=
th
the highest possible power of resistance, and steel is incontestably that m=
etal
of all others which resists the best. I have, therefore, reason to believe =
that
our guns will bear without risk the expansion of the pyroxyle gas, and will
give excellent results."
"We shall be a great deal more certain of
that when we have tried them!" answered Pencroft.
It is unnecessary to say that the four cannons
were in perfect order. Since they had been taken from the water, the sailor=
had
bestowed great care upon them. How many hours he had spent, in rubbing,
greasing, and polishing them, and in cleaning the mechanism! And now the pi=
eces
were as brilliant as if they had been on board a frigate of the United Stat=
es Navy.
On this day, therefore, in presence of all the
members of the colony, including Master Jup and Top, the four cannon were
successively tried. They were charged with pyroxyle, taking into considerat=
ion
its explosive power, which, as has been said, is four times that of ordinary
powder: the projectile to be fired was cylindroconic.
Pencroft, holding the end of the quick-match,
stood ready to fire.
At Harding's signal, he fired. The shot, passi=
ng
over the islet, fell into the sea at a distance which could not be calculat=
ed
with exactitude.
The second gun was pointed at the rocks at the=
end
of Flotsam Point, and the shot striking a sharp rock nearly three miles from
Granite House, made it fly into splinters. It was Herbert who had pointed t=
his
gun and fired it, and very proud he was of his first shot. Pencroft only wa=
s prouder
than he! Such a shot, the honor of which belonged to his dear boy.
The third shot, aimed this time at the downs
forming the upper side of Union Bay, struck the sand at a distance of four
miles, then having ricocheted: was lost in the sea in a cloud of spray.
For the fourth piece Cyrus Harding slightly
increased the charge, so as to try its extreme range. Then, all standing as=
ide
for fear of its bursting, the match was lighted by means of a long cord.
A tremendous report was heard, but the piece h=
ad
held good, and the colonists rushing to the windows, saw the shot graze the
rocks of Mandible Cape, nearly five miles from Granite House, and disappear=
in Shark
Gulf.
"Well, captain," exclaimed Pencroft,
whose cheers might have rivaled the reports themselves, "what do you s=
ay
of our battery? All the pirates in the Pacific have only to present themsel=
ves
before Granite House! Not one can land there now without our permission!&qu=
ot;
"Believe me, Pencroft," replied the
engineer, "it would be better not to have to make the experiment."=
;
"Well," said the sailor, "what
ought to be done with regard to those six villains who are roaming about the
island? Are we to leave them to overrun our forests, our fields, our
plantations? These pirates are regular jaguars, and it seems to me we ought=
not
to hesitate to treat them as such! What do you think, Ayrton?" added
Pencroft, turning to his companion.
Ayrton hesitated at first to reply, and Cyrus =
Harding
regretted that Pencroft had so thoughtlessly put this question. And he was =
much
moved when Ayrton replied in a humble tone,--
"I have been one of those jaguars, Mr.
Pencroft. I have no right to speak."
And with a slow step he walked away.
Pencroft understood.
"What a brute I am!" he exclaimed.
"Poor Ayrton! He has as much right to speak here as any one!"
"Yes," said Gideon Spilett, "but
his reserve does him honor, and it is right to respect the feeling which he=
has
about his sad past."
"Certainly, Mr. Spilett," answered t=
he
sailor, "and there is no fear of my doing so again. I would rather bit=
e my
tongue off than cause Ayrton any pain! But to return to the question. It se=
ems
to me that these ruffians have no right to any pity, and that we ought to r=
id
the island of them as soon as possible."
"Is that your opinion, Pencroft?" as=
ked
the engineer.
"Quite my opinion."
"And before hunting them mercilessly, you
would not wait until they had committed some fresh act of hostility against
us?"
"Isn't what they have done already
enough?" asked Pencroft, who did not understand these scruples.
"They may adopt other sentiments!" s=
aid
Harding, "and perhaps repent."
"They repent!" exclaimed the sailor,
shrugging his shoulders.
"Pencroft, think of Ayrton!" said
Herbert, taking the sailor's hand. "He became an honest man again!&quo=
t;
Pencroft looked at his companions one after the
other. He had never thought of his proposal being met with any objection. H=
is
rough nature could not allow that they ought to come to terms with the rasc=
als
who had landed on the island with Bob Harvey's accomplices, the murderers o=
f the
crew of the "Speedy," and he looked upon them as wild beasts whic=
h ought
to be destroyed without delay and without remorse.
"Come!" said be. "Everybody is
against me! You wish to be generous to those villains! Very well; I hope we
mayn't repent it!"
"What danger shall we run," said
Herbert, "if we take care to be always on our guard?"
"Hum!" observed the reporter, who had
not given any decided opinion. "They are six and well armed. If they e=
ach
lay hid in a corner, and each fired at one of us, they would soon be master=
s of
the colony!"
"Why have they not done so?" said
Herbert. "No doubt because it was not their interest to do it. Besides=
, we
are six also."
"Well, well!" replied Pencroft, whom=
no
reasoning could have convinced. "Let us leave these good people to do =
what
they like, and don't think anything more about them!"
"Come, Pencroft," said Neb, "do= n't make yourself out so bad as all that! Suppose one of these unfortunate men = were here before you, within good range of your guns, you would not fire."<= o:p>
"I would fire on him as I would on a mad =
dog,
Neb," replied Pencroft coldly.
"Pencroft," said the engineer, "=
;you
have always shown much deference to my advice; will you, in this matter, yi=
eld
to me?"
"I will do as you please, Captain
Harding," answered the sailor, who was not at all convinced.
"Very well, wait, and we will not attack =
them
unless we are attacked first."
Thus their behavior towards the pirates was ag=
reed
upon, although Pencroft augured nothing good from it. They were not to atta=
ck
them, but were to be on their guard. After all, the island was large and
fertile. If any sentiment of honesty yet remained in the bottom of their
hearts, these wretches might perhaps be reclaimed. Was it not their interes=
t in
the situation in which they found themselves to begin a new life? At any ra=
te,
for humanity's sake alone, it would be right to wait. The colonists would no
longer as before, be able to go and come without fear. Hitherto they had on=
ly
wild beasts to guard against, and now six convicts of the worst description,
perhaps, were roaming over their island. It was serious, certainly, and to =
less
brave men, it would have been security lost! No matter! At present, the
colonists had reason on their side against Pencroft. Would they be right in=
the
future? That remained to be seen.
However, the chief business of the colonists w=
as
to make that complete exploration of the island which had been decided upon,
and which would have two objects: to discover the mysterious being whose
existence was now indisputable, and at the same time to find out what had
become of the pirates, what retreat they had chosen, what sort of life they
were leading, and what was to be feared from them. Cyrus Harding wished to =
set
out without delay; but as the expedition would be of some days duration, it
appeared best to load the cart with different materials and tools in order =
to
facilitate the organization of the encampments. One of the onagers, however,
having hurt its leg, could not be harnessed at present, and a few days' rest
was necessary. The departure was, therefore, put off for a week, until the =
20th
of November. The month of November in this latitude corresponds to the mont=
h of
May in the northern zones. It was, therefore, the fine season. The sun was
entering the tropic of Capricorn, and gave the longest days in the year. The
time was, therefore, very favorable for the projected expedition, which, if=
it
did not accomplish its principal object, would at any rate be fruitful in
discoveries, especially of natural productions, since Harding proposed to
explore those dense forests of the Far West, which stretched to the extremi=
ty
of the Serpentine Peninsula.
During the nine days which preceded their
departure, it was agreed that the work on Prospect Heights should be finish=
ed
off.
Moreover, it was necessary for Ayrton to retur=
n to
the corral, where the domesticated animals required his care. It was decided
that he should spend two days there, and return to Granite House after havi=
ng
liberally supplied the stables.
As he was about to start, Harding asked him if=
he
would not like one of them to accompany him, observing that the island was =
less
safe than formerly. Ayrton replied that this was unnecessary, as he was eno=
ugh for
the work, and that besides he apprehended no danger. If anything occurred at
the corral, or in the neighborhood, he could instantly warn the colonists by
sending a telegram to Granite House.
Ayrton departed at dawn on the 9th, taking the
cart drawn by one onager, and two hours after, the electric wire announced =
that
he had found all in order at the corral.
During these two days Harding busied himself in
executing a project which would completely guard Granite House against any
surprise. It was necessary to completely conceal the opening of the old out=
let,
which was already walled up and partly hidden under grass and plants, at th=
e southern
angle of Lake Grant. Nothing was easier, since if the level of the lake was
raised two or three feet, the opening would be quite beneath it. Now, to ra=
ise
this level they had only to establish a dam at the two openings made by the
lake, and by which were fed Creek Glycerine and Falls River.
The colonists worked with a will, and the two =
dams
which besides did not exceed eight feet in width by three in height, were
rapidly erected by means of well-cemented blocks of stone.
This work finished, it would have been impossi=
ble
to guess that at that part of the lake, there existed a subterranean passage
through which the overflow of the lake formerly escaped.
Of course the little stream which fed the
reservoir of Granite House and worked the lift, had been carefully preserve=
d,
and the water could not fail. The lift once raised, this sure and comfortab=
le
retreat would be safe from any surprise.
This work had been so quickly done, that Pencr=
oft,
Gideon Spilett, and Herbert found time to make an expedition to Port Balloo=
n,
The sailor was very anxious to know if the little creek in which the
"Bonadventure" was moored, had been visited by the convicts.
"These gentlemen," he observed,
"landed on the south coast, and if they followed the shore, it is to be
feared that they may have discovered the little harbor, and in that case, I
wouldn't give half-a-dollar for our 'Bonadventure.'"
Pencroft's apprehensions were not without
foundation, and a visit to Port Balloon appeared to be very desirable. The
sailor and his companions set off on the 10th of November, after dinner, we=
ll
armed. Pencroft, ostentatiously slipping two bullets into each barrel of hi=
s rifle,
shook his head in a way which betokened nothing good to any one who approac=
hed
too near him, whether "man or beast," as he said. Gideon Spilett =
and
Herbert also took their guns, and about three o'clock all three left Granite
House.
Neb accompanied them to the turn of the Mercy,=
and
after they had crossed, he raised the bridge. It was agreed that a gunshot
should announce the colonists' return, and that at the signal Neb should re=
turn
and reestablish the communication between the two banks of the river.
The little band advanced directly along the ro=
ad
which led to the southern coast of the island. This was only a distance of
three miles and a half, but Gideon Spilett and his companions took two hour=
s to
traverse it. They examined all the border of the road, the thick forest, as
well as Tabor Marsh. They found no trace of the fugitives who, no doubt, not
having yet discovered the number of the colonists, or the means of defense =
which
they had at their disposal, had gained the less accessible parts of the isl=
and.
Arrived at Port Balloon, Pencroft saw with ext=
reme
satisfaction that the "Bonadventure" was tranquilly floating in t=
he
narrow creek. However, Port Balloon was so well hidden among high rocks, th=
at
it could scarcely be discovered either from the land or the sea.
"Come," said Pencroft, "the
blackguards have not been there yet. Long grass suits reptiles best, and
evidently we shall find them in the Far West."
"And it's very lucky, for if they had fou=
nd
the 'Bonadventure'," added Herbert, "they would have gone off in =
her,
and we should have been prevented from returning to Tabor Island."
"Indeed," remarked the reporter,
"it will be important to take a document there which will make known t=
he
situation of Lincoln Island, and Ayrton's new residence, in case the Scotch
yacht returns to fetch him."
"Well, the 'Bonadventure' is always there,
Mr. Spilett," answered the sailor. "She and her crew are ready to
start at a moment's notice!"
"I think, Pencroft, that that is a thing =
to
be done after our exploration of the island is finished. It is possible aft=
er
all that the stranger, if we manage to find him, may know as much about Tab=
or
Island as about Lincoln Island. Do not forget that he is certainly the auth=
or of
the document, and he may, perhaps, know how far we may count on the return =
of
the yacht!"
"But!" exclaimed Pencroft, "who=
in
the world can he be? The fellow knows us and we know nothing about him! If =
he
is a simple castaway, why should he conceal himself! We are honest men, I
suppose, and the society of honest men isn't unpleasant to any one. Did he =
come
here voluntarily? Can he leave the island if he likes? Is he here still? Wi=
ll
he remain any longer?"
Chatting thus, Pencroft, Gideon Spilett, and
Herbert got on board and looked about the deck of the "Bonadventure.&q=
uot;
All at once, the sailor having examined the bitts to which the cable of the
anchor was secured,--
"Hallo," he cried, "this is
queer!"
"What is the matter, Pencroft?" asked
the reporter.
"The matter is, that it was not I who made
this knot!"
And Pencroft showed a rope which fastened the
cable to the bitt itself.
"What, it was not you?" asked Gideon
Spilett.
"No! I can swear to it. This is a reef kn=
ot,
and I always make a running bowline."
"You must be mistaken, Pencroft."
"I am not mistaken!" declared the
sailor. "My hand does it so naturally, and one's hand is never
mistaken!"
"Then can the convicts have been on
board?" asked Herbert.
"I know nothing about that," answered Pencroft, "but what is certain, is that some one has weighed the 'Bonadventure's' anchor and dropped it again! And look here, here is another proof! The cable of the anchor has been run out, and its service is no long= er at the hawse-hole. I repeat that some one has been using our vessel!"<= o:p>
"But if the convicts had used her, they w=
ould
have pillaged her, or rather gone off with her."
"Gone off! where to--to Tabor Island?&quo=
t;
replied Pencroft. "Do you think, they would risk themselves in a boat =
of
such small tonnage?"
"We must, besides, be sure that they know=
of
the islet," rejoined the reporter.
"However that may be," said the sail=
or,
"as sure as my name is Bonadventure Pencroft, of the Vineyard, our
'Bonadventure' has sailed without us!"
The sailor was positive that neither Gideon
Spilett nor Herbert could dispute his statement. It was evident that the ve=
ssel
had been moved, more or less, since Pencroft had brought her to Port Balloo=
n.
As to the sailor, he had not the slightest doubt that the anchor had been
raised and then dropped again. Now, what was the use of these two maneuvers=
, unless
the vessel had been employed in some expedition?
"But how was it we did not see the
'Bonadventure' pass in the sight of the island?" observed the reporter,
who was anxious to bring forward every possible objection.
"Why, Mr. Spilett," replied the sail=
or,
"they would only have to start in the night with a good breeze, and th=
ey
would be out of sight of the island in two hours."
"Well," resumed Gideon Spilett, &quo=
t;I
ask again, what object could the convicts have had in using the 'Bonadventu=
re,'
and why, after they had made use of her, should they have brought her back =
to
port?"
"Why, Mr. Spilett," replied the sail=
or,
"we must put that among the unaccountable things, and not think anythi=
ng
more about it. The chief thing is that the 'Bonadventure' was there, and sh=
e is
there now. Only, unfortunately, if the convicts take her a second time, we
shall very likely not find her again in her place!"
"Then, Pencroft," said Herbert,
"would it not be wisest to bring the 'Bonadventure' off to Granite
House?"
"Yes and no," answered Pencroft,
"or rather no. The mouth of the Mercy is a bad place for a vessel, and=
the
sea is heavy there."
"But by hauling her up on the sand, to the
foot of the Chimneys?"
"Perhaps yes," replied Pencroft. "At any rate, since we must leave Granite House for a long expedition,= I think the 'Bonadventure' will be safer here during our absence, and we shal= l do best to leave her here until the island is rid of these blackguards."<= o:p>
"That is exactly my opinion," said t=
he
reporter. "At any rate in the event of bad weather, she will not be
exposed here as she would be at the mouth of the Mercy."
"But suppose the convicts pay her another
visit," said Herbert.
"Well, my boy," replied Pencroft,
"not finding her here, they would not be long in finding her on the sa=
nds
of Granite House, and, during our absence, nothing could hinder them from
seizing her! I agree, therefore, with Mr. Spilett, that she must be left in
Port Balloon. But, if on our return we have not rid the island of those
rascals, it will be prudent to bring our boat to Granite House, until the t=
ime
when we need not fear any unpleasant visits."
"That's settled. Let us be off," said
the reporter.
Pencroft, Herbert, and Gideon Spilett, on their
return to Granite House, told the engineer all that had passed, and the lat=
ter
approved of their arrangements both for the present and the future. He also
promised the sailor that he would study that part of the channel situated
between the islet and the coast, so as to ascertain if it would not be poss=
ible
to make an artificial harbor there by means of dams. In this way, the "=
;Bonadventure"
would be always within reach, under the eyes of the colonists, and if
necessary, under lock and key.
That evening a telegram was sent to Ayrton,
requesting him to bring from the corral a couple of goats, which Neb wished=
to
acclimatize to the plateau. Singularly enough, Ayrton did not acknowledge t=
he
receipt of the despatch, as he was accustomed to do. This could not but
astonish the engineer. But it might be that Ayrton was not at that moment in
the corral, or even that he was on his way back to Granite House. In fact, =
two
days had already passed since his departure, and it had been decided that on
the evening of the 10th or at the latest the morning of the 11th, he should
return. The colonists waited, therefore, for Ayrton to appear on Prospect
Heights. Neb and Herbert even watched at the bridge so as to be ready to lo=
wer
it the moment their companion presented himself.
But up to ten in the evening, there were no si=
gns
of Ayrton. It was, therefore, judged best to send a fresh despatch, requiri=
ng
an immediate reply.
The bell of the telegraph at Granite House
remained mute.
The colonists' uneasiness was great. What had
happened? Was Ayrton no longer at the corral, or if he was still there, had=
he
no longer control over his movements? Could they go to the corral in this d=
ark
night?
They consulted. Some wished to go, the others =
to
remain.
"But," said Herbert, "perhaps s=
ome
accident has happened to the telegraphic apparatus, so that it works no
longer?"
"That may be," said the reporter.
"Wait till to-morrow," replied Cyrus
Harding. "It is possible, indeed, that Ayrton has not received our
despatch, or even that we have not received his."
They waited, of course not without some anxiet=
y.
At dawn of day, the 11th of November, Harding
again sent the electric current along the wire and received no reply.
He tried again: the same result.
"Off to the corral," said he.
"And well armed!" added Pencroft.
It was immediately decided that Granite House
should not be left alone and that Neb should remain there. After having
accompanied his friends to Creek Glycerine, he raised the bridge; and waiti=
ng
behind a tree he watched for the return of either his companions or Ayrton.=
In the event of the pirates presenting themsel=
ves
and attempting to force the passage, he was to endeavor to stop them by fir=
ing
on them, and as a last resource he was to take refuge in Granite House, whe=
re, the
lift once raised, he would be in safety.
Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett, Herbert, and
Pencroft were to repair to the corral, and if they did not find Ayrton, sea=
rch
the neighboring woods.
At six o'clock in the morning, the engineer and
his three companions had passed Creek Glycerine, and Neb posted himself beh=
ind
a small mound crowned by several dragon trees, on the left bank of the stre=
am.
The colonists, after leaving the plateau of
Prospect Heights, immediately took the road to the corral. They shouldered
their guns, ready to fire on the slightest hostile demonstration. The two
rifles and the two guns had been loaded with ball.
The wood was thick on each side of the road and
might easily have concealed the convicts, who owing to their weapons would =
have
been really formidable.
The colonists walked rapidly and in silence. T=
op
preceded them, sometimes running on the road, sometimes taking a ramble into
the wood, but always quiet and not appearing to fear anything unusual. And =
they
could be sure that the faithful dog would not allow them to be surprised, b=
ut
would bark at the least appearance of danger.
Cyrus Harding and his companions followed besi=
de
the road the wire which connected the corral with Granite House. After walk=
ing
for nearly two miles, they had not as yet discovered any explanation of the
difficulty. The posts were in good order, the wire regularly extended. Howe=
ver,
at that moment the engineer observed that the wire appeared to be slack, an=
d on
arriving at post No. 74, Herbert, who was in advance stopped, exclaiming,--=
"The wire is broken!"
His companions hurried forward and arrived at =
the
spot where the lad was standing. The post was rooted up and lying across the
path. The unexpected explanation of the difficulty was here, and it was evi=
dent
that the despatches from Granite House had not been received at the corral,=
nor
those from the corral at Granite House.
"It wasn't the wind that blew down this
post," observed Pencroft.
"No," replied Gideon Spilett. "=
The
earth has been dug up round its foot, and it has been torn up by the hand of
man."
"Besides, the wire is broken," added
Herbert, showing that the wire had been snapped.
"Is the fracture recent?" asked Hard=
ing.
"Yes," answered Herbert, "it has
certainly been done quite lately."
"To the corral! to the corral!"
exclaimed the sailor.
The colonists were now half way between Granite
House and the corral, having still two miles and a half to go. They pressed
forward with redoubled speed.
Indeed, it was to be feared that some serious
accident had occurred in the corral. No doubt, Ayrton might have sent a
telegram which had not arrived, but this was not the reason why his compani=
ons
were so uneasy, for, a more unaccountable circumstance, Ayrton, who had
promised to return the evening before, had not reappeared. In short, it was=
not
without a motive that all communication had been stopped between the corral=
and
Granite House, and who but the convicts could have any interest in interrup=
ting
this communication?
The settlers hastened on, their hearts oppress=
ed
with anxiety. They were sincerely attached to their new companion. Were the=
y to
find him struck down by the hands of those of whom he was formerly the lead=
er?
Soon they arrived at the place where the road =
led
along the side of the little stream which flowed from the Red Creek and wat=
ered
the meadows of the corral. They then moderated their pace so that they shou=
ld
not be out of breath at the moment when a struggle might be necessary. Thei=
r guns
were in their hands ready cocked. The forest was watched on every side. Top
uttered sullen groans which were rather ominous.
At last the palisade appeared through the tree=
s.
No trace of any damage could be seen. The gate was shut as usual. Deep sile=
nce
reigned in the corral. Neither the accustomed bleating of the sheep nor
Ayrton's voice could be heard.
"Let us enter," said Cyrus Harding.<= o:p>
And the engineer advanced, while his companion=
s,
keeping watch about twenty paces behind him, were ready to fire at a moment=
's
notice.
Harding raised the inner latch of the gate and=
was
about to push it back, when Top barked loudly. A report sounded and was
responded to by a cry of pain.
Herbert, struck by a bullet, lay stretched on =
the
ground.
At
Herbert's cry, Pencroft, letting his gun fall, rushed towards him.
"They have killed him!" he cried.
"My boy! They have killed him!"
Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett ran to Herber=
t.
The reporter listened to ascertain if the poor
lad's heart was still beating.
"He lives," said he, "but he mu=
st
be carried--"
"To Granite House? that is impossible!&qu=
ot;
replied the engineer.
"Into the corral, then!" said Pencro=
ft.
"In a moment," said Harding.
And he ran round the left corner of the palisa=
de.
There he found a convict, who aiming at him, sent a ball through his hat. I=
n a
few seconds, before he had even time to fire his second barrel, he fell, st=
ruck
to the heart by Harding's dagger, more sure even than his gun.
During this time, Gideon Spilett and the sailor
hoisted themselves over the palisade, leaped into the enclosure, threw down=
the
props which supported the inner door, ran into the empty house, and soon, p=
oor Herbert
was lying on Ayrton's bed. In a few moments, Harding was by his side.
On seeing Herbert senseless, the sailor's grief
was terrible.
He sobbed, he cried, he tried to beat his head
against the wall.
Neither the engineer nor the reporter could ca=
lm
him. They themselves were choked with emotion. They could not speak.
However, they knew that it depended on them to
rescue from death the poor boy who was suffering beneath their eyes. Gideon
Spilett had not passed through the many incidents by which his life had been
checkered without acquiring some slight knowledge of medicine. He knew a li=
ttle
of everything, and several times he had been obliged to attend to wounds pr=
oduced
either by a sword-bayonet or shot. Assisted by Cyrus Harding, he proceeded =
to
render the aid Herbert required.
The reporter was immediately struck by the
complete stupor in which Herbert lay, a stupor owing either to the hemorrha=
ge,
or to the shock, the ball having struck a bone with sufficient force to pro=
duce
a violent concussion.
Herbert was deadly pale, and his pulse so feeb=
le
that Spilett only felt it beat at long intervals, as if it was on the point=
of
stopping.
These symptoms were very serious.
Herbert's chest was laid bare, and the blood
having been stanched with handkerchiefs, it was bathed with cold water.
The contusion, or rather the contused wound
appeared,--an oval below the chest between the third and fourth ribs. It was
there that Herbert had been hit by the bullet.
Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett then turned t=
he
poor boy over; as they did so, he uttered a moan so feeble that they almost
thought it was his last sigh.
Herberts back was covered with blood from anot=
her
contused wound, by which the ball had immediately escaped.
"God be praised!" said the reporter,
"the ball is not in the body, and we shall not have to extract it.&quo=
t;
"But the heart?" asked Harding.
"The heart has not been touched; if it had
been, Herbert would be dead!"
"Dead!" exclaimed Pencroft, with a
groan.
The sailor had only heard the last words utter=
ed
by the reporter.
"No, Pencroft," replied Cyrus Hardin=
g,
"no! He is not dead. His pulse still beats. He has even uttered a moan.
But for your boy's sake, calm yourself. We have need of all our
self-possession."
"Do not make us lose it, my friend."=
Pencroft was silent, but a reaction set in, and
great tears rolled down his cheeks.
In the meanwhile, Gideon Spilett endeavored to
collect his ideas, and proceed methodically. After his examination he had no
doubt that the ball, entering in front, between the seventh and eighth ribs,
had issued behind between the third and fourth. But what mischief had the b=
all committed
in its passage? What important organs had been reached? A professional surg=
eon
would have had difficulty in determining this at once, and still more so the
reporter.
However, he knew one thing, this was that he w=
ould
have to prevent the inflammatory strangulation of the injured parts, then to
contend with the local inflammation and fever which would result from the
wound, perhaps mortal! Now, what styptics, what antiphlogistics ought to be=
employed?
By what means could inflammation be prevented?
At any rate, the most important thing was that=
the
two wounds should be dressed without delay. It did not appear necessary to
Gideon Spilett that a fresh flow of blood should be caused by bathing them =
in
tepid water, and compressing their lips. The hemorrhage had been very abund=
ant,
and Herbert was already too much enfeebled by the loss of blood.
The reporter, therefore, thought it best to si=
mply
bathe the two wounds with cold water.
Herbert was placed on his left side, and was
maintained in that position.
"He must not be moved." said Gideon
Spilett. "He is in the most favorable position for the wounds in his b=
ack
and chest to suppurate easily, and absolute rest is necessary."
"What! can't we carry him to Granite
House?" asked Pencroft.
"No, Pencroft," replied the reporter=
.
"I'll pay the villains off!" cried t=
he
sailor, shaking his fist in a menacing manner.
"Pencroft!" said Cyrus Harding.
Gideon Spilett had resumed his examination of =
the
wounded boy. Herbert was still so frightfully pale, that the reporter felt
anxious.
"Cyrus," said he, "I am not a
surgeon. I am in terrible perplexity. You must aid me with your advice, your
experience!"
"Take courage, my friend," answered =
the
engineer, pressing the reporter's hand. "Judge coolly. Think only of t=
his:
Herbert must be saved!"
These words restored to Gideon Spilett that
self-possession which he had lost in a moment of discouragement on feeling =
his
great responsibility. He seated himself close to the bed. Cyrus Harding sto=
od
near. Pencroft had torn up his shirt, and was mechanically making lint.
Spilett then explained to Cyrus Harding that he
thought he ought first of all to stop the hemorrhage, but not close the two
wounds, or cause their immediate cicatrization, for there had been internal
perforation, and the suppuration must not be allowed to accumulate in the
chest.
Harding approved entirely, and it was decided =
that
the two wounds should be dressed without attempting to close them by immedi=
ate
coaptation.
And now did the colonists possess an efficacio=
us
agent to act against the inflammation which might occur?
Yes. They had one, for nature had generously
lavished it. They had cold water, that is to say, the most powerful sedative
that can be employed against inflammation of wounds, the most efficacious
therapeutic agent in grave cases, and the one which is now adopted by all
physicians. Cold water has, moreover, the advantage of leaving the wound in
absolute rest, and preserving it from all premature dressing, a considerabl=
e advantage,
since it has been found by experience that contact with the air is dangerous
during the first days.
Gideon Spilett and Cyrus Harding reasoned thus
with their simple good sense, and they acted as the best surgeon would have
done. Compresses of linen were applied to poor Herbert's two wounds, and we=
re
kept constantly wet with cold water.
The sailor had at first lighted a fire in the =
hut,
which was not wanting in things necessary for life. Maple sugar, medicinal
plants, the same which the lad had gathered on the banks of Lake Grant, ena=
bled
them to make some refreshing drinks, which they gave him without his taking=
any
notice of it. His fever was extremely high, and all that day and night pass=
ed
without his becoming conscious.
Herbert's life hung on a thread, and this thre=
ad
might break at any moment. The next day, the 12th of November, the hopes of
Harding and his companions slightly revived. Herbert had come out of his lo=
ng
stupor. He opened his eyes, he recognized Cyrus Harding, the reporter, and =
Pencroft.
He uttered two or three words. He did not know what had happened. They told
him, and Spilett begged him to remain perfectly still, telling him that his
life was not in danger, and that his wounds would heal in a few days. Howev=
er,
Herbert scarcely suffered at all, and the cold water with which they were
constantly bathed, prevented any inflammation of the wounds. The suppuration
was established in a regular way, the fever did not increase, and it might =
now
be hoped that this terrible wound would not involve any catastrophe. Pencro=
ft
felt the swelling of his heart gradually subside. He was like a sister of
mercy, like a mother by the bed of her child.
Herbert dozed again, but his sleep appeared mo=
re
natural.
"Tell me again that you hope, Mr. Spilett=
,"
said Pencroft. "Tell me again that you will save Herbert!"
"Yes, we will save him!" replied the
reporter. "The wound is serious, and, perhaps, even the ball has trave=
rsed
the lungs, but the perforation of this organ is not fatal."
"God bless you!" answered Pencroft.<= o:p>
As may be believed, during the four-and-twenty
hours they had been in the corral, the colonists had no other thought than =
that
of nursing Herbert. They did not think either of the danger which threatened
them should the convicts return, or of the precautions to be taken for the =
future.
But on this day, while Pencroft watched by the
sick-bed, Cyrus Harding and the reporter consulted as to what it would be b=
est
to do.
First of all they examined the corral. There w=
as
not a trace of Ayrton. Had the unhappy man been dragged away by his former
accomplices? Had he resisted, and been overcome in the struggle? This last
supposition was only too probable. Gideon Spilett, at the moment he scaled =
the
palisade, had clearly seen some one of the convicts running along the south=
ern spur
of Mount Franklin, towards whom Top had sprung. It was one of those whose
object had been so completely defeated by the rocks at the mouth of the Mer=
cy.
Besides, the one killed by Harding, and whose body was found outside the
enclosure, of course belonged to Bob Harvey's crew.
As to the corral, it had not suffered any dama=
ge.
The gates were closed, and the animals had not been able to disperse in the
forest. Nor could they see traces of any struggle, any devastation, either =
in
the hut, or in the palisade. The ammunition only, with which Ayrton had bee=
n supplied,
had disappeared with him.
"The unhappy man has been surprised,"
said Harding, "and as he was a man to defend himself, he must have been
overpowered."
"Yes, that is to be feared!" said the
reporter. "Then, doubtless, the convicts installed themselves in the
corral where they found plenty of everything, and only fled when they saw us
coming. It is very evident, too, that at this moment Ayrton, whether living=
or
dead, is not here!"
"We shall have to beat the forest," =
said
the engineer, "and rid the island of these wretches. Pencroft's
presentiments were not mistaken, when he wished to hunt them as wild beasts.
That would have spared us all these misfortunes!"
"Yes," answered the reporter, "=
but
now we have the right to be merciless!"
"At any rate," said the engineer,
"we are obliged to wait some time, and to remain at the corral until we
can carry Herbert without danger to Granite House."
"But Neb?" asked the reporter.
"Neb is in safety."
"But if, uneasy at our absence, he would
venture to come?"
"He must not come!" returned Cyrus
Harding quickly. "He would be murdered on the road!"
"It is very probable, however, that he wi=
ll
attempt to rejoin us!"
"Ah, if the telegraph still acted, he mig=
ht
be warned! But that is impossible now! As to leaving Pencroft and Herbert h=
ere
alone, we could not do it! Well, I will go alone to Granite House."
"No, no! Cyrus," answered the report=
er,
"you must not expose yourself! Your courage would be of no avail. The
villains are evidently watching the corral, they are hidden in the thick wo=
ods
which surround it, and if you go we shall soon have to regret two misfortun=
es
instead of one!"
"But Neb?" repeated the engineer.
"It is now four-and-twenty hours since he has had any news of us! He w=
ill
be sure to come!"
"And as he will be less on his guard than=
we
should be ourselves," added Spilett, "he will be killed!"
"Is there really no way of warning him?&q=
uot;
While the engineer thought, his eyes fell on T=
op,
who, going backwards and forwards seemed to say,--
"Am not I here?"
"Top!" exclaimed Cyrus Harding.
The animal sprang at his master's call.
"Yes, Top will go," said the reporte=
r,
who had understood the engineer.
"Top can go where we cannot! He will carr=
y to
Granite House the news of the corral, and he will bring back to us that from
Granite House!"
"Quick!" said Harding.
"Quick!"
Spilett rapidly tore a leaf from his note-book,
and wrote these words:--
"Herbert wounded. We are at the corral. B=
e on
your guard. Do not leave Granite House. Have the convicts appeared in the
neighborhood? Reply by Top."
This laconic note contained all that Neb ought=
to
know, and at the same time asked all that the colonists wished to know. It =
was
folded and fastened to Top's collar in a conspicuous position.
"Top, my dog," said the engineer,
caressing the animal, "Neb, Top! Neb! Go, go!"
Top bounded at these words. He understood, he =
knew
what was expected of him. The road to the corral was familiar to him. In le=
ss
than an hour he could clear it, and it might be hoped that where neither Cy=
rus
Harding nor the reporter could have ventured without danger, Top, running a=
mong
the grass or in the wood, would pass unperceived.
The engineer went to the gate of the corral and
opened it.
"Neb, Top! Neb!" repeated the engine=
er,
again pointing in the direction of Granite House.
Top sprang forwards, then almost immediately
disappeared.
"He will get there!" said the report=
er.
"Yes, and he will come back, the faithful
animal!"
"What o'clock is it?" asked Gideon
Spilett.
"Ten."
"In an hour he may be here. We will watch=
for
his return."
The gate of the corral was closed. The engineer
and the reporter re-entered the house. Herbert was still in a sleep. Pencro=
ft
kept the compresses always wet. Spilett, seeing there was nothing he could =
do at
that moment, busied himself in preparing some nourishment, while attentively
watching that part of the enclosure against the hill, at which an attack mi=
ght
be expected.
The settlers awaited Top's return with much
anxiety. A little before eleven o'clock, Cyrus Harding and the reporter, ri=
fle
in hand, were behind the gate, ready to open it at the first bark of their =
dog.
They did not doubt that if Top had arrived saf=
ely
at Granite House, Neb would have sent him back immediately.
They had both been there for about ten minutes,
when a report was heard, followed by repeated barks.
The engineer opened the gate, and seeing smoke=
a
hundred feet off in the wood, he fired in that direction.
Almost immediately Top bounded into the corral,
and the gate was quickly shut.
"Top, Top!" exclaimed the engineer,
taking the dog's great honest head between his hands.
A note was fastened to his neck, and Cyrus Har=
ding
read these words, traced in Neb's large writing:--"No pirates in the
neighborhood of Granite House. I will not stir. Poor Mr. Herbert!"
So the convicts were still there, watching the
corral, and determined to kill the settlers one after the other. There was
nothing to be done but to treat them as wild beasts. But great precautions =
must
be taken, for just now the wretches had the advantage on their side, seeing,
and not being seen, being able to surprise by the suddenness of their attac=
k, yet
not to be surprised themselves. Harding made arrangements, therefore, for
living in the corral, of which the provisions would last for a tolerable le=
ngth
of time. Ayrton's house had been provided with all that was necessary for
existence, and the convicts, scared by the arrival of the settlers, had not=
had
time to pillage it. It was probable, as Gideon Spilett observed, that things
had occurred as follows:
The six convicts, disembarking on the island, =
had
followed the southern shore, and after having traversed the double shore of=
the
Serpentine Peninsula, not being inclined to venture into the Far West woods,
they had reached the mouth of Falls River. From this point, by following th=
e right
bank of the watercourse, they would arrive at the spurs of Mount Franklin,
among which they would naturally seek a retreat, and they could not have be=
en
long in discovering the corral, then uninhabited. There they had regularly
installed themselves, awaiting the moment to put their abominable schemes i=
nto
execution. Ayrton's arrival had surprised them, but they had managed to
overpower the unfortunate man, and--the rest may be easily imagined!
Now, the convicts,--reduced to five, it is tru=
e,
but well armed,--were roaming the woods, and to venture there was to expose
themselves to their attacks, which could be neither guarded against nor
prevented.
"Wait! There is nothing else to be
done!" repeated Cyrus Harding. "When Herbert is cured, we can
organize a general battle of the island, and have satisfaction of these
convicts. That will be the object of our grand expedition at the same
time--"
"As the search for our mysterious
protector," added Gideon Spilett, finishing the engineer's sentence.
"And it must be acknowledged, my dear Cyrus, that this time his protec=
tion
was wanting at the very moment when it was most necessary to us!"
"Who knows?" replied the engineer.
"What do you mean?" asked the report=
er.
"That we are not at the end of our trouble
yet, my dear Spilett, and that his powerful intervention may have another
opportunity of exercising itself. But that is not the question now. Herbert=
's
life before everything."
This was the colonists' saddest thought. Sever=
al
days passed, and the poor boy's state was happily no worse. Cold water, alw=
ays
kept at a suitable temperature, had completely prevented the inflammation of
the wounds. It even seemed to the reporter that this water, being slightly =
sulphurous,--which
was explained by the neighborhood of the volcano, had a more direct action =
on
the healing. The suppuration was much less abundant, and thanks to the
incessant care by which he was surrounded!--Herbert returned to life, and h=
is
fever abated. He was besides subjected to a severe diet, and consequently h=
is
weakness was and would be extreme; but there was no want of refreshing drin=
ks,
and absolute rest was of the greatest benefit to him. Cyrus Harding, Gideon=
Spilett,
and Pencroft had become very skilful in dressing the lad's wounds. All the
linen in the house had been sacrificed. Herbert's wounds, covered with
compresses and lint, were pressed neither too much nor too little, so as to
cause their cicatrization without effecting any inflammatory reaction. The
reporter used extreme care in the dressing, knowing well the importance of =
it,
and repeating to his companions that which most surgeons willingly admit, t=
hat
it is perhaps rarer to see a dressing well done than an operation well
performed.
In ten days, on the 22nd of November, Herbert =
was
considerably better. He had begun to take some nourishment.
The color was returning to his cheeks, and his=
bright
eyes smiled at his nurses. He talked a little, notwithstanding Pencroft's
efforts, who talked incessantly to prevent him from beginning to speak, and
told him the most improbable stories. Herbert had questioned him on the sub=
ject
of Ayrton, whom he was astonished not to see near him, thinking that he was=
at
the corral. But the sailor, not wishing to distress Herbert, contented hims=
elf
by replying that Ayrton had rejoined Neb, so as to defend Granite House.
"Humph!" said Pencroft, "these
pirates! they are gentlemen who have no right to any consideration! And the
captain wanted to win them by kindness! I'll send them some kindness, but in
the shape of a good bullet!"
"And have they not been seen again?"
asked Herbert.
"No, my boy," answered the sailor, &=
quot;but
we shall find them, and when you are cured we shall see if the cowards who
strike us from behind will dare to meet us face to face!"
"I am still very weak, my poor
Pencroft!"
"Well! your strength will return graduall=
y!
What's a ball through the chest? Nothing but a joke! I've seen many, and I
don't think much of them!"
At last things appeared to be going on well, a=
nd
if no complication occurred, Herbert's recovery might be regarded as certai=
n.
But what would have been the condition of the colonists if his state had be=
en aggravated,--if,
for example, the ball had remained in his body, if his arm or his leg had h=
ad
to be amputated?
"No," said Spilett more than once, "I have never thought of such a contingency without shuddering!"<= o:p>
"And yet, if it had been necessary to
operate," said Harding one day to him, "you would not have
hesitated?"
"No, Cyrus!" said Gideon Spilett,
"but thank God that we have been spared this complication!"
As in so many other conjectures, the colonists=
had
appealed to the logic of that simple good sense of which they had made use =
so
often, and once more, thanks to their general knowledge, it had succeeded! =
But
might not a time come when all their science would be at fault? They were a=
lone
on the island. Now, men in all states of society are necessary to each othe=
r.
Cyrus Harding knew this well, and sometimes he asked if some circumstance m=
ight
not occur which they would be powerless to surmount. It appeared to him
besides, that he and his companions, till then so fortunate, had entered in=
to
an unlucky period. During the two years and a half which had elapsed since
their escape from Richmond, it might be said that they had had everything t=
heir
own way. The island had abundantly supplied them with minerals, vegetables,
animals, and as Nature had constantly loaded them, their science had known =
how
to take advantage of what she offered them.
The wellbeing of the colony was therefore
complete. Moreover, in certain occurrences an inexplicable influence had co=
me
to their aid!... But all that could only be for a time.
In short, Cyrus Harding believed that fortune =
had
turned against them.
In fact, the convicts' ship had appeared in the
waters of the island, and if the pirates had been, so to speak, miraculously
destroyed, six of them, at least, had escaped the catastrophe. They had
disembarked on the island, and it was almost impossible to get at the five =
who
survived. Ayrton had no doubt been murdered by these wretches, who possesse=
d firearms,
and at the first use that they had made of them, Herbert had fallen, wounded
almost mortally. Were these the first blows aimed by adverse fortune at the
colonists? This was often asked by Harding. This was often repeated by the
reporter; and it appeared to him also that the intervention, so strange, ye=
t so
efficacious, which till then had served them so well, had now failed them. =
Had
this mysterious being, whatever he was, whose existence could not be denied,
abandoned the island? Had he in his turn succumbed?
No reply was possible to these questions. But =
it
must not be imagined that because Harding and his companions spoke of these
things, they were men to despair. Far from that. They looked their situatio=
n in
the face, they analyzed the chances, they prepared themselves for any event,
they stood firm and straight before the future, and if adversity was at las=
t to
strike them, it would find in them men prepared to struggle against it.
The convalescence of the young invalid was
regularly progressing. One thing only was now to be desired, that his state
would allow him to be brought to Granite House. However well built and supp=
lied
the corral house was, it could not be so comfortable as the healthy granite=
dwelling.
Besides, it did not offer the same security, and its tenants, notwithstandi=
ng
their watchfulness, were here always in fear of some shot from the convicts.
There, on the contrary, in the middle of that impregnable and inaccessible
cliff, they would have nothing to fear, and any attack on their persons wou=
ld
certainly fail. They therefore waited impatiently for the moment when Herbe=
rt
might be moved without danger from his wound, and they were determined to m=
ake
this move, although the communication through Jacamar Wood was very difficu=
lt.
They had no news from Neb, but were not uneasy=
on
that account. The courageous Negro, well entrenched in the depths of Granite
House, would not allow himself to be surprised. Top had not been sent again=
to
him, as it appeared useless to expose the faithful dog to some shot which m=
ight
deprive the settlers of their most useful auxiliary.
They waited, therefore, although they were anx=
ious
to be reunited at Granite House. It pained the engineer to see his forces
divided, for it gave great advantage to the pirates. Since Ayrton's
disappearance they were only four against five, for Herbert could not yet be
counted, and this was not the least care of the brave boy, who well underst=
ood
the trouble of which he was the cause.
The question of knowing how, in their conditio=
n,
they were to act against the pirates, was thoroughly discussed on the 29th =
of
November by Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett, and Pencroft, at a moment when
Herbert was asleep and could not hear them.
"My friends," said the reporter, aft=
er
they had talked of Neb and of the impossibility of communicating with him,
"I think,--like you, that to venture on the road to the corral would b=
e to
risk receiving a gunshot without being able to return it. But do you not th=
ink
that the best thing to be done now is to openly give chase to these
wretches?"
"That is just what I was thinking,"
answered Pencroft. "I believe we're not fellows to be afraid of a bull=
et,
and as for me, if Captain Harding approves, I'm ready to dash into the fore=
st!
Why, hang it, one man is equal to another!"
"But is he equal to five?" asked the
engineer.
"I will join Pencroft," said the
reporter, "and both of us, well-armed and accompanied by Top--"
"My dear Spilett, and you, Pencroft,"
answered Harding, "let us reason coolly. If the convicts were hid in o=
ne
spot of the island, if we knew that spot, and had only to dislodge them, I
would undertake a direct attack; but is there not occasion to fear, on the
contrary, that they are sure to fire the first shot?"
"Well, captain," cried Pencroft, &qu=
ot;a
bullet does not always reach its mark."
"That which struck Herbert did not miss,
Pencroft," replied the engineer. "Besides, observe that if both of
you left the corral I should remain here alone to defend it. Do you imagine
that the convicts will not see you leave it, that they will not allow you to
enter the forest, and that they will not attack it during your absence, kno=
wing
that there is no one here but a wounded boy and a man?"
"You are right, captain," replied
Pencroft, his chest swelling with sullen anger. "You are right; they w=
ill do
all they can to retake the corral, which they know to be well stored; and a=
lone
you could not hold it against them."
"Oh, if we were only at Granite House!&qu=
ot;
"If we were at Granite House," answe=
red
the engineer, "the case would be very different. There I should not be
afraid to leave Herbert with one, while the other three went to search the
forests of the island. But we are at the corral, and it is best to stay here
until we can leave it together."
Cyrus Harding's reasoning was unanswerable, and
his companions understood it well.
"If only Ayrton was still one of us!"
said Gideon Spilett. "Poor fellow! his return to social life will have
been but of short duration."
"If he is dead," added Pencroft, in a
peculiar tone.
"Do you hope, then, Pencroft, that the
villains have spared him?" asked Gideon Spilett.
"Yes, if they had any interest in doing
so."
"What! you suppose that Ayrton finding his
old companions, forgetting all that he owes us--"
"Who knows?" answered the sailor, who
did not hazard this shameful supposition without hesitating.
"Pencroft," said Harding, taking the
sailor's arm, "that is a wicked idea of yours, and you will distress me
much if you persist in speaking thus. I will answer for Ayrton's
fidelity."
"And I also," added the reporter
quickly.
"Yes, yes, captain, I was wrong,"
replied Pencroft; "it was a wicked idea indeed that I had, and nothing
justifies it. But what can I do? I'm not in my senses. This imprisonment in=
the
corral wearies me horribly, and I have never felt so excited as I do now.
"Be patient, Pencroft," replied the
engineer. "How long will it be, my dear Spilett, before you think Herb=
ert
may be carried to Granite House?"
"That is difficult to say, Cyrus,"
answered the reporter, "for any imprudence might involve terrible
consequences. But his convalescence is progressing, and if he continues to =
gain
strength, in eight days from now--well, we shall see."
Eight days! That would put off the return to
Granite House until the first days of December. At this time two months of
spring had already passed. The weather was fine, and the heat began to be
great. The forests of the island were in full leaf, and the time was
approaching when the usual crops ought to be gathered. The return to the
plateau of Prospect Heights would, therefore, be followed by extensive
agricultural labors, interrupted only by the projected expedition through t=
he
island.
It can, therefore, be well understood how
injurious this seclusion in the corral must have been to the colonists.
But if they were compelled to bow before
necessity, they did not do so without impatience.
Once or twice the reporter ventured out into t=
he
road and made the tour of the palisade. Top accompanied him, and Gideon
Spilett, his gun cocked, was ready for any emergency.
He met with no misadventure and found no
suspicious traces. His dog would have warned him of any danger, and, as Top=
did
not bark, it might be concluded that there was nothing to fear at the momen=
t at
least, and that the convicts were occupied in another part of the island.
However, on his second sortie, on the 27th of
November, Gideon Spilett, who had ventured a quarter of a mile into the woo=
ds,
towards the south of the mountain, remarked that Top scented something. The=
dog
had no longer his unconcerned manner; he went backwards and forwards, ferre=
ting
among the grass and bushes as if his smell had revealed some suspicious obj=
ect
to him.
Gideon Spilett followed Top, encouraged him,
excited him by his voice, while keeping a sharp look-out, his gun ready to =
fire,
and sheltering himself behind the trees. It was not probable that Top scent=
ed
the presence of man, for in that case, he would have announced it by half-u=
ttered,
sullen, angry barks. Now, as he did not growl, it was because danger was
neither near nor approaching.
Nearly five minutes passed thus, Top rummaging,
the reporter following him prudently when, all at once, the dog rushed towa=
rds
a thick bush, and drew out a rag.
It was a piece of cloth, stained and torn, whi=
ch
Spilett immediately brought back to the corral. There it was examined by the
colonists, who found that it was a fragment of Ayrton's waistcoat, a piece =
of
that felt, manufactured solely by the Granite House factory.
"You see, Pencroft," observed Hardin=
g,
"there has been resistance on the part of the unfortunate Ayrton. The
convicts have dragged him away in spite of himself! Do you still doubt his
honesty?"
"No, captain," answered the sailor,
"and I repented of my suspicion a long time ago! But it seems to me th=
at
something may be learned from the incident."
"What is that?" asked the reporter.<= o:p>
"It is that Ayrton was not killed at the
corral! That they dragged him away living, since he has resisted. Therefore,
perhaps, he is still living!"
"Perhaps, indeed," replied the engin=
eer,
who remained thoughtful.
This was a hope, to which Ayrton's companions
could still hold. Indeed, they had before believed that, surprised in the
corral, Ayrton had fallen by a bullet, as Herbert had fallen. But if the
convicts had not killed him at first, if they had brought him living to ano=
ther
part of the island, might it not be admitted that he was still their prison=
er? Perhaps,
even, one of them had found in Ayrton his old Australian companion Ben Joyc=
e,
the chief of the escaped convicts. And who knows but that they had conceived
the impossible hope of bringing back Ayrton to themselves? He would have be=
en
very useful to them, if they had been able to make him turn traitor!
This incident was, therefore, favorably
interpreted at the corral, and it no longer appeared impossible that they
should find Ayrton again. On his side, if he was only a prisoner, Ayrton wo=
uld
no doubt do all he could to escape from the hands of the villains, and this
would be a powerful aid to the settlers!
"At any rate," observed Gideon Spile=
tt,
"if happily Ayrton did manage to escape, he would go directly to Grani=
te
House, for he could not know of the attempted assassination of which Herbert
has been a victim, and consequently would never think of our being imprison=
ed
in the corral."
"Oh! I wish that he was there, at Granite
House!" cried Pencroft, "and that we were there, too! For, althou=
gh
the rascals can do nothing to our house, they may plunder the plateau, our
plantations, our poultry-yard!"
Pencroft had become a thorough farmer, heartily
attached to his crops. But it must be said that Herbert was more anxious th=
an
any to return to Granite House, for he knew how much the presence of the
settlers was needed there. And it was he who was keeping them at the corral=
! Therefore,
one idea occupied his mind--to leave the corral, and when! He believed he c=
ould
bear removal to Granite House. He was sure his strength would return more
quickly in his room, with the air and sight of the sea!
Several times he pressed Gideon Spilett, but t=
he
latter, fearing, with good reason, that Herbert's wounds, half healed, might
reopen on the way, did not give the order to start.
However, something occurred which compelled Cy=
rus
Harding and his two friends to yield to the lad's wish, and God alone knew =
that
this determination might cause them grief and remorse.
It was the 29th of November, seven o'clock in =
the
evening. The three settlers were talking in Herbert's room, when they heard=
Top
utter quick barks.
Harding, Pencroft, and Spilett seized their gu=
ns and
ran out of the house. Top, at the foot of the palisade, was jumping, barkin=
g,
but it was with pleasure, not anger.
"Some one is coming."
"Yes."
"It is not an enemy!"
"Neb, perhaps?"
"Or Ayrton?"
These words had hardly been exchanged between =
the
engineer and his two companions when a body leaped over the palisade and fe=
ll
on the ground inside the corral.
It was Jup, Master Jup in person, to whom Top
immediately gave a most cordial reception.
"Jup!" exclaimed Pencroft.
"=
;Neb
has sent him to us," said the reporter.
"Then," replied the engineer, "=
he
must have some note on him."
Pencroft rushed up to the orang. Certainly if =
Neb
had any important matter to communicate to his master he could not employ a
more sure or more rapid messenger, who could pass where neither the colonis=
ts
could, nor even Top himself.
Cyrus Harding was not mistaken. At Jup's neck = hung a small bag, and in this bag was found a little note traced by Neb's hand.<= o:p>
The despair of Harding and his companions may =
be
imagined when they read these words:--
"=
;Friday,
six o'clock in the morning.
"Plateau invaded by convicts.
"Neb.&q=
uot;
They =
gazed
at each other without uttering a word, then they re-entered the house. What
were they to do? The convicts on Prospect Heights! that was disaster,
devastation, ruin.
Herbert, on seeing the engineer, the reporter,=
and
Pencroft re-enter, guessed that their situation was aggravated, and when he=
saw
Jup, he no longer doubted that some misfortune menaced Granite House.
"Captain Harding," said he, "I =
must
go; I can bear the journey. I must go."
Gideon Spilett approached Herbert; then, having
looked at him,--
"Let us go, then!" said he.
The question was quickly decided whether Herbe=
rt
should be carried on a litter or in the cart which had brought Ayrton to the
corral. The motion of the litter would have been more easy for the wounded =
lad,
but it would have necessitated two bearers, that is to say, there would hav=
e been
two guns less for defense if an attack was made on the road. Would they not=
, on
the contrary, by employing the cart leave every arm free? Was it impossible=
to
place the mattress on which Herbert was lying in it, and to advance with so
much care that any jolt should be avoided? It could be done.
The cart was brought. Pencroft harnessed the
onager. Cyrus Harding and the reporter raised Herbert's mattress and placed=
it
on the bottom of the cart. The weather was fine. The sun's bright rays glan=
ced
through the trees.
"Are the guns ready?" asked Cyrus
Harding.
They were. The engineer and Pencroft, each arm=
ed
with a double-barreled gun, and Gideon Spilett carrying his rifle, had noth=
ing
to do but start.
"Are you comfortable, Herbert?" asked
the engineer.
"Ah, captain," replied the lad,
"don't be uneasy, I shall not die on the road!"
While speaking thus, it could be seen that the
poor boy had called up all his energy, and by the energy of a powerful will=
had
collected his failing strength.
The engineer felt his heart sink painfully. He
still hesitated to give the signal for departure; but that would have driven
Herbert to despair--killed him perhaps.
"Forward!" said Harding.
The gate of the corral was opened. Jup and Top,
who knew when to be silent, ran in advance. The cart came out, the gate was
reclosed, and the onager, led by Pencroft, advanced at a slow pace.
Certainly, it would have been safer to have ta=
ken
a different road than that which led straight from the corral to Granite Ho=
use,
but the cart would have met with great difficulties in moving under the tre=
es.
It was necessary, therefore, to follow this way, although it was well known=
to the
convicts.
Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett walked one on
each side of the cart, ready to answer to any attack. However, it was not
probable that the convicts would have yet left the plateau of Prospect Heig=
hts.
Neb's note had evidently been written and sent= as soon as the convicts had shown themselves there. Now, this note was dated s= ix o'clock in the morning, and the active orang, accustomed to come frequently= to the corral, had taken scarcely three quarters of an hour to cross the five = miles which separated it from Granite House. They would, therefore, be safe at th= at time, and if there was any occasion for firing, it would probably not be un= til they were in the neighborhood of Granite House. However, the colonists kept= a strict watch. Top and Jup, the latter armed with his club, sometimes in fro= nt, sometimes beating the wood at the sides of the road, signalized no danger.<= o:p>
The cart advanced slowly under Pencroft's guid=
ance.
It had left the corral at half-past seven. An hour after, four out of the f=
ive
miles had been cleared, without any incident having occurred. The road was =
as
deserted as all that part of the Jacamar Wood which lay between the Mercy a=
nd
the lake. There was no occasion for any warning. The wood appeared as deser=
ted
as on the day when the colonists first landed on the island.
They approached the plateau. Another mile and =
they
would see the bridge over Creek Glycerine. Cyrus Harding expected to find i=
t in
its place; supposing that the convicts would have crossed it, and that, aft=
er having
passed one of the streams which enclosed the plateau, they would have taken=
the
precaution to lower it again, so as to keep open a retreat.
At length an opening in the trees allowed the
sea-horizon to be seen. But the cart continued its progress, for not one of=
its
defenders thought of abandoning it.
At that moment Pencroft stopped the onager, an=
d in
a hoarse voice,--
"Oh! the villains!" he exclaimed.
And he pointed to a thick smoke rising from the
mill, the sheds, and the buildings at the poultry-yard.
A man was moving about in the midst of the smo=
ke.
It was Neb.
His companions uttered a shout. He heard, and =
ran
to meet them.
The convicts had left the plateau nearly
half-an-hour before, having devastated it!
"And Mr. Herbert?" asked Neb.
Gideon Spilett returned to the cart.
Herbert had lost consciousness!
Of the convicts, the dangers which menaced Gra=
nite
House, the ruins with which the plateau was covered, the colonists thought =
no
longer. Herbert's critical state outweighed all other considerations. Would=
the
removal prove fatal to him by causing some internal injury? The reporter co=
uld
not affirm it, but he and his companions almost despaired of the result. The
cart was brought to the bend of the river. There some branches, disposed as=
a
liner, received the mattress on which lay the unconscious Herbert. Ten minu=
tes
after, Cyrus Harding, Spilett, and Pencroft were at the foot of the cliff,
leaving Neb to take the cart on to the plateau of Prospect Heights. The lift
was put in motion, and Herbert was soon stretched on his bed in Granite Hou=
se.
What cares were lavished on him to bring him b=
ack
to life! He smiled for a moment on finding himself in his room, but could
scarcely even murmur a few words, so great was his weakness. Gideon Spilett
examined his wounds. He feared to find them reopened, having been imperfect=
ly
healed. There was nothing of the sort. From whence, then, came this
prostration? why was Herbert so much worse? The lad then fell into a kind of
feverish sleep, and the reporter and Pencroft remained near the bed. During
this time, Harding told Neb all that had happened at the corral, and Neb re=
counted
to his master the events of which the plateau had just been the theater.
It was only during the preceding night that the
convicts had appeared on the edge of the forest, at the approaches to Creek
Glycerine. Neb, who was watching near the poultry-yard, had not hesitated to
fire at one of the pirates, who was about to cross the stream; but in the
darkness he could not tell whether the man had been hit or not. At any rate=
, it
was not enough to frighten away the band, and Neb had only just time to get=
up
to Granite House, where at least he was in safety.
But what was he to do there? How prevent the
devastations with which the convicts threatened the plateau? Had Neb any me=
ans
by which to warn his master? And, besides, in what situation were the
inhabitants of the corral themselves? Cyrus Harding and his companions had =
left
on the 11th of November, and it was now the 29th. It was, therefore, ninete=
en
days since Neb had had other news than that brought by Top--disastrous news=
: Ayrton
disappeared, Herbert severely wounded, the engineer, reporter, and sailor, =
as
it were, imprisoned in the corral!
What was he to do? asked poor Neb. Personally =
he
had nothing to fear, for the convicts could not reach him in Granite House.=
But
the buildings, the plantations, all their arrangements at the mercy of the =
pirates!
Would it not be best to let Cyrus Harding judge of what he ought to do, and=
to
warn him, at least, of the danger which threatened him?
Neb then thought of employing Jup, and confidi=
ng a
note to him. He knew the orang's great intelligence, which had been often p=
ut
to the proof. Jup understood the word corral, which had been frequently
pronounced before him, and it may be remembered, too, that he had often dri=
ven the
cart thither in company with Pencroft. Day had not yet dawned. The active o=
rang
would know how to pass unperceived through the woods, of which the convicts,
besides, would think he was a native.
Neb did not hesitate. He wrote the note, he ti=
ed
it to Jup's neck, he brought the ape to the door of Granite House, from whi=
ch
he let down a long cord to the ground; then, several times he repeated these
words,--
"Jup Jup! corral, corral!"
The creature understood, seized the cord, glid=
ed
rapidly down the beach, and disappeared in the darkness without the convict=
s'
attention having been in the least excited.
"You did well, Neb," said Harding,
"but perhaps in not warning us you would have done still better!"=
And, in speaking thus, Cyrus Harding thought of
Herbert, whose recovery the removal had so seriously checked.
Neb ended his account. The convicts had not
appeared at all on the beach. Not knowing the number of the island's
inhabitants, they might suppose that Granite House was defended by a large
party. They must have remembered that during the attack by the brig numerous
shot had been fired both from the lower and upper rocks, and no doubt they =
did
not wish to expose themselves. But the plateau of Prospect Heights was open=
to
them, and not covered by the fire of Granite House. They gave themselves up,
therefore, to their instinct of destruction,--plundering, burning, devastat=
ing
everything,--and only retiring half an hour before the arrival of the
colonists, whom they believed still confined in the corral.
On their retreat, Neb hurried out. He climbed =
the
plateau at the risk of being perceived and fired at, tried to extinguish the
fire which was consuming the buildings of the poultry-yard, and had struggl=
ed,
though in vain, against it until the cart appeared at the edge of the wood.=
Such had been these serious events. The presen=
ce
of the convicts constituted a permanent source of danger to the settlers in
Lincoln Island, until then so happy, and who might now expect still greater=
misfortunes.
Spilett remained in Granite House with Herbert=
and
Pencroft, while Cyrus Harding, accompanied by Neb, proceeded to judge for
himself of the extent of the disaster.
It was fortunate that the convicts had not
advanced to the foot of Granite House. The workshop at the Chimneys would in
that case not have escaped destruction. But after all, this evil would have
been more easily reparable than the ruins accumulated on the plateau of
Prospect Heights. Harding and Neb proceeded towards the Mercy, and ascended=
its
left bank without meeting with any trace of the convicts; nor on the other =
side
of the river, in the depths of the wood, could they perceive any suspicious
indications.
Besides, it might be supposed that in all
probability either the convicts knew of the return of the settlers to Grani=
te
House, by having seen them pass on the road from the corral, or, after the
devastation of the plateau, they had penetrated into Jacamar Wood, following
the course of the Mercy, and were thus ignorant of their return.
In the former case, they must have returned
towards the corral, now without defenders, and which contained valuable sto=
res.
In the latter, they must have regained their
encampment, and would wait on opportunity to recommence the attack.
It was, therefore, possible to prevent them, b=
ut
any enterprise to clear the island was now rendered difficult by reason of =
Herbert's
condition. Indeed, their whole force would have been barely sufficient to c=
ope
with the convicts, and just now no one could leave Granite House.
The engineer and Neb arrived on the plateau.
Desolation reigned everywhere. The fields had been trampled over; the ears =
of
wheat, which were nearly full-grown, lay on the ground. The other plantatio=
ns
had not suffered less.
The kitchen-garden was destroyed. Happily, Gra=
nite
House possessed a store of seed which would enable them to repair these
misfortunes.
As to the wall and buildings of the poultry-ya=
rd
and the onagers stable, the fire had destroyed all. A few terrified creatur=
es
roamed over the plateau. The birds, which during the fire had taken refuge =
on
the waters of the lake, had already returned to their accustomed spot, and =
were
dabbling on the banks. Everything would have to be reconstructed.
Cyrus Harding's face, which was paler than usu=
al,
expressed an internal anger which he commanded with difficulty, but he did =
not
utter a word. Once more he looked at his devastated fields, and at the smoke
which still rose from the ruins, then he returned to Granite House.
The following days were the saddest of any that
the colonists had passed on the island! Herbert's weakness visibly increase=
d.
It appeared that a more serious malady, the consequence of the profound
physiological disturbance he had gone through, threatened to declare itself,
and Gideon Spilett feared such an aggravation of his condition that he woul=
d be
powerless to fight against it!
In fact, Herbert remained in an almost continu=
ous
state of drowsiness, and symptoms of delirium began to manifest themselves.
Refreshing drinks were the only remedies at the colonists' disposal. The fe=
ver
was not as yet very high, but it soon appeared that it would probably recur=
at regular
intervals. Gideon Spilett first recognized this on the 6th of December.
The poor boy, whose fingers, nose, and ears had
become extremely pale, was at first seized with slight shiverings,
horripilations, and tremblings. His pulse was weak and irregular, his skin =
dry,
his thirst intense. To this soon succeeded a hot fit; his face became flush=
ed;
his skin reddened; his pulse quick; then a profuse perspiration broke out a=
fter
which the fever seemed to diminish. The attack had lasted nearly five hours=
.
Gideon Spilett had not left Herbert, who, it w=
as
only too certain, was now seized by an intermittent fever, and this fever m=
ust
be cured at any cost before it should assume a more serious aspect.
"And in order to cure it," said Spil=
ett
to Cyrus Harding, "we need a febrifuge."
"A febrifuge--" answered the enginee=
r.
"We have neither Peruvian bark, nor sulphate of quinine."
"No," said Gideon Spilett, "but
there are willows on the border of the lake, and the bark of the willow mig=
ht,
perhaps, prove to be a substitute for quinine."
"Let us try it without losing a moment,&q=
uot;
replied Cyrus Harding.
The bark of the willow has, indeed, been justly
considered as a succedaneum for Peruvian bark, as has also that of the
horse-chestnut tree, the leaf of the holly, the snake-root, etc. It was
evidently necessary to make trial of this substance, although not so valuab=
le
as Peruvian bark, and to employ it in its natural state, since they had no =
means
for extracting its essence.
Cyrus Harding went himself to cut from the tru=
nk
of a species of black willow, a few pieces of bark; he brought them back to
Granite House, and reduced them to a powder, which was administered that sa=
me
evening to Herbert.
The night passed without any important change.=
Herbert
was somewhat delirious, but the fever did not reappear in the night, and did
not return either during the following day.
Pencroft again began to hope. Gideon Spilett s=
aid
nothing. It might be that the fever was not quotidian, but tertian, and tha=
t it
would return next day. Therefore, he awaited the next day with the greatest
anxiety.
It might have been remarked besides that during
this period Herbert remained utterly prostrate, his head weak and giddy.
Another symptom alarmed the reporter to the highest degree. Herbert's liver
became congested, and soon a more intense delirium showed that his brain wa=
s also
affected.
Gideon Spilett was overwhelmed by this new
complication. He took the engineer aside.
"It is a malignant fever," said he.<= o:p>
"A malignant fever!" cried Harding.
"You are mistaken, Spilett. A malignant fever does not declare itself
spontaneously; its germ must previously have existed."
"I am not mistaken," replied the
reporter. "Herbert no doubt contracted the germ of this fever in the m=
arshes
of the island. He has already had one attack; should a second come on and
should we not be able to prevent a third, he is lost."
"But the willow bark?"
"That is insufficient," answered the
reporter, "and the third attack of a malignant fever, which is not
arrested by means of quinine, is always fatal."
Fortunately, Pencroft heard nothing of this
conversation or he would have gone mad.
It may be imagined what anxiety the engineer a=
nd
the reporter suffered during the day of the 7th of December and the followi=
ng
night.
Towards the middle of the day the second attack
came on. The crisis was terrible. Herbert felt himself sinking. He stretched
his arms towards Cyrus Harding, towards Spilett, towards Pencroft. He was so
young to die! The scene was heart-rending. They were obliged to send Pencro=
ft away.
The fit lasted five hours. It was evident that
Herbert could not survive a third.
The night was frightful. In his delirium Herbe=
rt
uttered words which went to the hearts of his companions. He struggled with=
the
convicts, he called to Ayrton, he poured forth entreaties to that mysteriou=
s being,--that
powerful unknown protector,--whose image was stamped upon his mind; then he
again fell into a deep exhaustion which completely prostrated him. Several
times Gideon Spilett thought that the poor boy was dead.
The next day, the 8th of December, was but a
succession of the fainting fits. Herbert's thin hands clutched the sheets. =
They
had administered further doses of pounded bark, but the reporter expected no
result from it.
"If before tomorrow morning we have not g=
iven
him a more energetic febrifuge," said the reporter, "Herbert will=
be
dead."
Night arrived--the last night, it was too much=
to
be feared, of the good, brave, intelligent boy, so far in advance of his ye=
ars,
and who was loved by all as their own child. The only remedy which existed =
against
this terrible malignant fever, the only specific which could overcome it, w=
as
not to be found in Lincoln Island.
During the night of the 8th of December, Herbe=
rt was
seized by a more violent delirium. His liver was fearfully congested, his b=
rain
affected, and already it was impossible for him to recognize any one.
Would he live until the next day, until that t=
hird
attack which must infallibly carry him off? It was not probable. His streng=
th
was exhausted, and in the intervals of fever he lay as one dead.
Towards three o'clock in the morning Herbert
uttered a piercing cry. He seemed to be torn by a supreme convulsion. Neb, =
who
was near him, terrified, ran into the next room where his companions were
watching.
Top, at that moment, barked in a strange manne=
r.
All rushed in immediately and managed to restr=
ain
the dying boy, who was endeavoring to throw himself out of his bed, while
Spilett, taking his arm, felt his pulse gradually quicken.
It was five in the morning. The rays of the ri=
sing
sun began to shine in at the windows of Granite House. It promised to be a =
fine
day, and this day was to be poor Herbert's last!
A ray glanced on the table placed near the bed=
.
Suddenly Pencroft, uttering a cry, pointed to =
the
table.
On it lay a little oblong box, of which the co=
ver
bore these words:--"SULPHATE OF QUININE."
Gideon Spilett took the box and opened it. It
contained nearly two hundred grains of a white powder, a few particles of w=
hich
he carried to his lips. The extreme bitterness of the substance precluded a=
ll
doubt; it was certainly the precious extract of quinine, that pre-eminent a=
ntifebrile.
This powder must be administered to Herbert
without delay. How it came there might be discussed later.
"Some coffee!" said Spilett.
In a few moments Neb brought a cup of the warm
infusion. Gideon Spilett threw into it about eighteen grains of quinine, and
they succeeded in making Herbert drink the mixture.
There was still time, for the third attack of =
the
malignant fever had not yet shown itself. How they longed to be able to add
that it would not return!
Besides, it must be remarked, the hopes of all=
had
now revived. The mysterious influence had been again exerted, and in a crit=
ical
moment, when they had despaired of it.
In a few hours Herbert was much calmer. The
colonists could now discuss this incident. The intervention of the stranger=
was
more evident than ever. But how had he been able to penetrate during the ni=
ght
into Granite House? It was inexplicable, and, in truth, the proceedings of =
the
genius of the island were not less mysterious than was that genius himself.
During this day the sulphate of quinine was administered to Herbert every t=
hree
hours.
The next day some improvement in Herbert's
condition was apparent. Certainly, he was not out of danger, intermittent
fevers being subject to frequent and dangerous relapses, but the most assid=
uous
care was bestowed on him. And besides, the specific was at hand; nor,
doubtless, was he who had brought it far distant! And the hearts of all wer=
e animated
by returning hope.
This hope was not disappointed. Ten days after=
, on
the 20th of December, Herbert's convalescence commenced.
He was still weak, and strict diet had been
imposed upon him, but no access of fever supervened. And then, the poor boy
submitted with such docility to all the prescriptions ordered him! He longe=
d so
to get well!
Pencroft was as a man who has been drawn up fr=
om
the bottom of an abyss. Fits of joy approaching delirium seized him. When t=
he
time for the third attack had passed by, he nearly suffocated the reporter =
in
his embrace. Since then, he always called him Dr. Spilett.
The real doctor, however, remained undiscovere=
d.
"We will find him!" repeated the sai=
lor.
Certainly, this man, whoever he was, might exp=
ect
a somewhat too energetic embrace from the worthy Pencroft!
The month of December ended, and with it the y=
ear
1867, during which the colonists of Lincoln Island had of late been so seve=
rely
tried. They commenced the year 1868 with magnificent weather, great heat, a=
nd a
tropical temperature, delightfully cooled by the sea-breeze. Herbert's reco=
very
progressed, and from his bed, placed near one of the windows of Granite Hou=
se,
he could inhale the fresh air, charged with ozone, which could not fail to
restore his health. His appetite returned, and what numberless delicate, sa=
vory
little dishes Neb prepared for him!
"It is enough to make one wish to have a
fever oneself!" said Pencroft.
During all this time, the convicts did not once
appear in the vicinity of Granite House. There was no news of Ayrton, and
though the engineer and Herbert still had some hopes of finding him again,
their companions did not doubt but that the unfortunate man had perished.
However, this uncertainty could not last, and when once the lad should have
recovered, the expedition, the result of which must be so important, would =
be undertaken.
But they would have to wait a month, perhaps, for all the strength of the
colony must be put into requisition to obtain satisfaction from the convict=
s.
However, Herbert's convalescence progressed
rapidly. The congestion of the liver had disappeared, and his wounds might =
be
considered completely healed.
During the month of January, important work was
done on the plateau of Prospect Heights; but it consisted solely in saving =
as
much as was possible from the devastated crops, either of corn or vegetable=
s.
The grain and the plants were gathered, so as to provide a new harvest for =
the
approaching half-season. With regard to rebuilding the poultry-yard, wall, =
or
stables, Cyrus Harding preferred to wait. While he and his companions were =
in
pursuit of the convicts, the latter might very probably pay another visit to
the plateau, and it would be useless to give them an opportunity of
recommencing their work of destruction. When the island should be cleared of
these miscreants, they would set about rebuilding. The young convalescent b=
egan
to get up in the second week of January, at first for one hour a day, then =
two,
then three. His strength visibly returned, so vigorous was his constitution=
. He
was now eighteen years of age. He was tall, and promised to become a man of
noble and commanding presence. From this time his recovery, while still
requiring care,--and Dr. Spilett was very strict,--made rapid progress. Tow=
ards
the end of the month, Herbert was already walking about on Prospect Heights,
and the beach.
He derived, from several sea-baths, which he t=
ook
in company with Pencroft and Neb, the greatest possible benefit. Cyrus Hard=
ing
thought he might now settle the day for their departure, for which the 15th=
of February
was fixed. The nights, very clear at this time of year, would be favorable =
to
the researches they intended to make all over the island.
The necessary preparations for this exploration
were now commenced, and were important, for the colonists had sworn not to
return to Granite House until their twofold object had been achieved; on the
one hand, to exterminate the convicts, and rescue Ayrton, if he was still
living; on the other, to discover who it was that presided so effectually o=
ver
the fortunes of the colony.
Of Lincoln Island, the settlers knew thoroughly
all the eastern coast from Claw Cape to the Mandible Capes, the extensive
Tadorn Marsh, the neighborhood of Lake Grant, Jacamar Wood, between the roa=
d to
the corral and the Mercy, the courses of the Mercy and Red Creek, and lastl=
y,
the spurs of Mount Franklin, among which the corral had been established.
They had explored, though only in an imperfect
manner, the vast shore of Washington Bay from Claw Cape to Reptile End, the
woody and marshy border of the west coast, and the interminable downs, endi=
ng
at the open mouth of Shark Gulf. But they had in no way surveyed the woods
which covered the Serpentine Peninsula, all to the right of the Mercy, the =
left
bank of Falls River, and the wilderness of spurs and valleys which supported
three quarters of the base of Mount Franklin, to the east, the north, and t=
he
west, and where doubtless many secret retreats existed. Consequently, many
millions of acres of the island had still escaped their investigations.
It was, therefore, decided that the expedition
should be carried through the Far West, so as to include all that region si=
tuated
on the right of the Mercy.
It might, perhaps, be better worth while to go
direct to the corral, where it might be supposed that the convicts had again
taken refuge, either to pillage or to establish themselves there. But either
the devastation of the corral would have been an accomplished fact by this
time, and it would be too late to prevent it, or it had been the convicts'
interest to entrench themselves there, and there would be still time to go =
and
turn them out on their return.
Therefore, after some discussion, the first pl=
an
was adhered to, and the settlers resolved to proceed through the wood to
Reptile End. They would make their way with their hatchets, and thus lay the
first draft of a road which would place Granite House in communication with=
the
end of the peninsula for a length of from sixteen to seventeen miles.
The cart was in good condition. The onagers, w=
ell
rested, could go a long journey. Provisions, camp effects, a portable stove,
and various utensils were packed in the cart, as also weapons and ammunitio=
n, carefully
chosen from the now complete arsenal of Granite House. But it was necessary=
to
remember that the convicts were, perhaps, roaming about the woods, and that=
in
the midst of these thick forests a shot might quickly be fired and received=
. It
was therefore resolved that the little band of settlers should remain toget=
her
and not separate under any pretext whatever.
It was also decided that no one should remain =
at
Granite House. Top and Jup themselves were to accompany the expedition; the
inaccessible dwelling needed no guard. The 14th of February, eve of the
departure, was consecrated entirely to repose, and--thanksgiving addressed =
by
the colonists to the Creator. A place in the cart was reserved for Herbert,=
who,
though thoroughly convalescent, was still a little weak. The next morning, =
at
daybreak, Cyrus Harding took the necessary measures to protect Granite House
from any invasion. The ladders, which were formerly used for the ascent, we=
re
brought to the Chimneys and buried deep in the sand, so that they might be
available on the return of the colonists, for the machinery of the lift had
been taken to pieces, and nothing of the apparatus remained. Pencroft stayed
the last in Granite House in order to finish this work, and he then lowered
himself down by means of a double rope held below, and which, when once hau=
led
down, left no communication between the upper landing and the beach.
The weather was magnificent.
"We shall have a warm day of it," sa=
id
the reporter, laughing.
"Pooh! Dr. Spilett," answered Pencro=
ft,
"we shall walk under the shade of the trees and shan't even see the
sun!"
"Forward!" said the engineer.
The cart was waiting on the beach before the
Chimneys. The reporter made Herbert take his place in it during the first h=
ours
at least of the journey, and the lad was obliged to submit to his doctor's
orders.
Neb placed himself at the onagers' heads. Cyrus
Harding, the reporter, and the sailor, walked in front. Top bounded joyfully
along. Herbert offered a seat in his vehicle to Jup, who accepted it without
ceremony. The moment for departure had arrived, and the little band set out=
.
The cart first turned the angle of the mouth of
the Mercy, then, having ascended the left bank for a mile, crossed the brid=
ge,
at the other side of which commenced the road to Port Balloon, and there the
explorers, leaving this road on their left, entered the cover of the immense
woods which formed the region of the Far West.
For the first two miles the widely scattered t=
rees
allowed the cart to pass with ease; from time to time it became necessary to
cut away a few creepers and bushes, but no serious obstacle impeded the
progress of the colonists.
The thick foliage of the trees threw a grateful
shade on the ground. Deodars, Douglas firs, casuarinas, banksias, gum-trees,
dragon-trees, and other well-known species, succeeded each other far as the=
eye
could reach. The feathered tribes of the island were all represented--grous=
e, jacamars,
pheasants, lories, as well as the chattering cockatoos, parrots, and paroqu=
ets.
Agouties, kangaroos, and capybaras fled swiftly at their approach; and all =
this
reminded the settlers of the first excursions they had made on their arriva=
l at
the island.
"Nevertheless," observed Cyrus Hardi=
ng,
"I notice that these creatures, both birds and quadrupeds, are more ti=
mid
than formerly. These woods have, therefore, been recently traversed by the
convicts, and we shall certainly find some traces of them."
And, in fact, in several places they could
distinguish traces, more or less recent, of the passage of a band of men--h=
ere
branches broken off the trees, perhaps to mark out the way; there the ashes=
of
a fire, and footprints in clayey spots; but nothing which appeared to belon=
g to
a settled encampment.
The engineer had recommended his companions to
refrain from hunting. The reports of the firearms might give the alarm to t=
he
convicts, who were, perhaps, roaming through the forest. Moreover, the hunt=
ers
would necessarily ramble some distance from the cart, which it was dangerou=
s to
leave unguarded.
In the afterpart of the day, when about six mi=
les
from Granite House, their progress became much more difficult. In order to =
make
their way through some thickets, they were obliged to cut down trees. Befor=
e entering
such places Harding was careful to send in Top and Jup, who faithfully
accomplished their commission, and when the dog and orang returned without
giving any warning, there was evidently nothing to fear, either from convic=
ts
or wild beasts, two varieties of the animal kingdom, whose ferocious instin=
cts
placed them on the same level. On the evening of the first day the colonists
encamped about nine miles from Granite House, on the border of a little str=
eam
falling into the Mercy, and of the existence of which they had till then be=
en
ignorant; it evidently, however, belonged to the hydiographical system to w=
hich
the soil owed its astonishing fertility. The settlers made a hearty meal, f=
or
their appetites were sharpened, and measures were then taken that the night=
might
be passed in safety. If the engineer had had only to deal with wild beasts,
jaguars or others, he would have simply lighted fires all around his camp,
which would have sufficed for its defense; but the convicts would be rather
attracted than terrified by the flames, and it was, therefore, better to be
surrounded by the profound darkness of night.
The watch was, however, carefully organized. T=
wo
of the settlers were to watch together, and every two hours it was agreed t=
hat
they should be relieved by their comrades. And so, notwithstanding his wish=
to
the contrary, Herbert was exempted from guard. Pencroft and Gideon Spilett =
in
one party, the engineer and Neb in another, mounted guard in turns over the
camp.
The night, however, was but of few hours. The
darkness was due rather to the thickness of the foliage than to the
disappearance of the sun. The silence was scarcely disturbed by the howling=
of
jaguars and the chattering of the monkeys, the latter appearing to particul=
arly
irritate Master Jup. The night passed without incident, and on the next day,
the 15th of February, the journey through the forest, tedious rather than d=
ifficult,
was continued. This day they could not accomplish more than six miles, for
every moment they were obliged to cut a road with their hatchets.
Like true settlers, the colonists spared the
largest and most beautiful trees, which would besides have cost immense lab=
or
to fell, and the small ones only were sacrificed, but the result was that t=
he
road took a very winding direction, and lengthened itself by numerous detou=
rs.
During the day Herbert discovered several new
specimens not before met with in the island, such as the tree-fern, with its
leaves spread out like the waters of a fountain, locust-trees, on the long =
pods
of which the onagers browsed greedily, and which supplied a sweet pulp of
excellent flavor. There, too, the colonists again found groups of magnifice=
nt
kauries, their cylindrical trunks, crowded with a cone of verdure, rising t=
o a
height of two hundred feet. These were the tree-kings of New Zealand, as
celebrated as the cedars of Lebanon.
As to the fauna, there was no addition to those
species already known to the hunters. Nevertheless, they saw, though unable=
to
get near them, a couple of those large birds peculiar to Australia, a sort =
of
cassowary, called emu, five feet in height, and with brown plumage, which
belong to the tribe of waders. Top darted after them as fast as his four le=
gs could
carry him, but the emus distanced him with ease, so prodigious was their sp=
eed.
As to the traces left by the convicts, a few m=
ore
were discovered. Some footprints found near an apparently recently extingui=
shed
fire were attentively examined by the settlers. By measuring them one after=
the
other, according to their length and breadth, the marks of five men's feet =
were
easily distinguished. The five convicts had evidently camped on this spot;
but,--and this was the object of so minute an examination,--a sixth footpri=
nt
could not be discovered, which in that case would have been that of Ayrton.=
"Ayrton was not with them!" said
Herbert.
"No," answered Pencroft, "and i=
f he
was not with them, it was because the wretches had already murdered him! but
then these rascals have not a den to which they may be tracked like
tigers!"
"No," replied the reporter, "it=
is
more probable that they wander at random, and it is their interest to rove
about until the time when they will be masters of the island!"
"The masters of the island!" exclaim=
ed
the sailor; "the masters of the island!..." he repeated, and his
voice was choked, as if his throat was seized in an iron grasp. Then in a
calmer tone, "Do you know, Captain Harding," said he, "what =
the
ball is which I have rammed into my gun?"
"No, Pencroft!"
"It is the ball that went through Herbert=
's
chest, and I promise you it won't miss its mark!"
But this just retaliation would not bring Ayrt=
on
back to life, and from the examination of the footprints left in the ground,
they must, alas! conclude that all hopes of ever seeing him again must be a=
bandoned.
That evening they encamped fourteen miles from
Granite House, and Cyrus Harding calculated that they could not be more than
five miles from Reptile Point.
And indeed, the next day the extremity of the
peninsula was reached, and the whole length of the forest had been traverse=
d;
but there was nothing to indicate the retreat in which the convicts had tak=
en
refuge, nor that, no less secret, which sheltered the mysterious unknown.
The next day, the 18th of February, was devote=
d to
the exploration of all that wooded region forming the shore from Reptile En=
d to
Falls River. The colonists were able to search this forest thoroughly, for,=
as it
was comprised between the two shores of the Serpentine Peninsula, it was on=
ly
from three to four miles in breadth. The trees, both by their height and th=
eir
thick foliage, bore witness to the vegetative power of the soil, more
astonishing here than in any other part of the island. One might have said =
that
a corner from the virgin forests of America or Africa had been transported =
into
this temperate zone. This led them to conclude that the superb vegetation f=
ound
a heat in this soil, damp in its upper layer, but warmed in the interior by
volcanic fires, which could not belong to a temperate climate. The most
frequently occurring trees were knaries and eucalypti of gigantic dimension=
s.
But the colonists' object was not simply to ad=
mire
the magnificent vegetation. They knew already that in this respect Lincoln
Island would have been worthy to take the first rank in the Canary group, to
which the first name given was that of the Happy Isles. Now, alas! their is=
land
no longer belonged to them entirely; others had taken possession of it,
miscreants polluted its shores, and they must be destroyed to the last man.=
No traces were found on the western coast,
although they were carefully sought for. No more footprints, no more broken
branches, no more deserted camps.
"This does not surprise me," said Cy=
rus
Harding to his companions. "The convicts first landed on the island in=
the
neighborhood of Flotsam Point, and they immediately plunged into the Far We=
st
forests, after crossing Tadorn Marsh. They then followed almost the same ro=
ute
that we took on leaving Granite House. This explains the traces we found in=
the
wood. But, arriving on the shore, the convicts saw at once that they would
discover no suitable retreat there, and it was then that, going northwards
again, they came upon the corral."
"Where they have perhaps returned," =
said
Pencroft.
"I do not think so," answered the
engineer, "for they would naturally suppose that our researches would =
be
in that direction. The corral is only a storehouse to them, and not a
definitive encampment."
"I am of Cyrus' opinion," said the
reporter, "and I think that it is among the spurs of Mount Franklin th=
at
the convicts will have made their lair."
"Then, captain, straight to the corral!&q=
uot;
cried Pencroft. "We must finish them off, and till now we have only lo=
st
time!"
"No, my friend," replied the enginee=
r;
"you forget that we have a reason for wishing to know if the forests of
the Far West do not contain some habitation. Our exploration has a double
object, Pencroft. If, on the one hand, we have to chastise crime, we have, =
on
the other, an act of gratitude to perform."
"That was well said, captain," repli=
ed
the sailor, "but, all the same, it is my opinion that we shall not find
the gentleman until he pleases."
And truly Pencroft only expressed the opinion =
of
all. It was probable that the stranger's retreat was not less mysterious th=
an
was he himself.
That evening the cart halted at the mouth of F=
alls
River. The camp was organized as usual, and the customary precautions were
taken for the night. Herbert, become again the healthy and vigorous lad he =
was
before his illness, derived great benefit from this life in the open air, b=
etween
the sea breezes and the vivifying air from the forests. His place was no lo=
nger
in the cart, but at the head of the troop.
The next day, the 19th of February, the coloni=
sts,
leaving the shore, where, beyond the mouth, basalts of every shape were so
picturesquely piled up, ascended the river by its left bank. The road had b=
een
already partly cleared in their former excursions made from the corral to t=
he west
coast. The settlers were now about six miles from Mount Franklin.
The engineer's plan was this:--To minutely sur=
vey
the valley forming the bed of the river, and to cautiously approach the
neighborhood of the corral; if the corral was occupied, to seize it by forc=
e;
if it was not, to entrench themselves there and make it the center of the
operations which had for their object the exploration of Mount Franklin.
This plan was unanimously approved by the
colonists, for they were impatient to regain entire possession of their isl=
and.
They made their way then along the narrow vall=
ey
separating two of the largest spurs of Mount Franklin. The trees, crowded on
the river's bank, became rare on the upper slopes of the mountain. The grou=
nd
was hilly and rough, very suitable for ambushes, and over which they did no=
t venture
without extreme precaution. Top and Jup skirmished on the flanks, springing
right and left through the thick brushwood, and emulating each other in
intelligence and activity. But nothing showed that the banks of the stream =
had
been recently frequented--nothing announced either the presence or the
proximity of the convicts. Towards five in the evening the cart stopped nea=
rly
600 feet from the palisade. A semicircular screen of trees still hid it.
It was necessary to reconnoiter the corral, in
order to ascertain if it was occupied. To go there openly, in broad dayligh=
t,
when the convicts were probably in ambush, would be to expose themselves, as
poor Herbert had done, to the firearms of the ruffians. It was better, then=
, to
wait until night came on.
However, Gideon Spilett wished without further
delay to reconnoiter the approaches to the corral, and Pencroft, who was qu=
ite
out of patience, volunteered to accompany him.
"No, my friends," said the engineer,
"wait till night. I will not allow one of you to expose himself in open
day."
"But, captain--" answered the sailor,
little disposed to obey.
"I beg of you, Pencroft," said the
engineer.
"Very well!" replied the sailor, who
vented his anger in another way, by bestowing on the convicts the worst nam=
es
in his maritime vocabulary.
The colonists remained, therefore, near the ca=
rt,
and carefully watched the neighboring parts of the forest.
Three hours passed thus. The wind had fallen, =
and
absolute silence reigned under the great trees. The snapping of the smallest
twig, a footstep on the dry leaves, the gliding of a body among the grass,
would have been heard without difficulty. All was quiet. Besides, Top, lyin=
g on
the grass, his head stretched out on his paws, gave no sign of uneasiness. =
At eight
o'clock the day appeared far enough advanced for the reconnaissance to be m=
ade
under favorable conditions. Gideon Spilett declared himself ready to set out
accompanied by Pencroft. Cyrus Harding consented. Top and Jup were to remain
with the engineer, Herbert, and Neb, for a bark or a cry at a wrong moment
would give the alarm.
"Do not be imprudent," said Harding =
to
the reporter and Pencroft, "you have not to gain possession of the cor=
ral,
but only to find out whether it is occupied or not."
"All right," answered Pencroft.
And the two departed.
Under the trees, thanks to the thickness of th=
eir
foliage, the obscurity rendered any object invisible beyond a radius of from
thirty to forty feet. The reporter and Pencroft, halting at any suspicious
sound, advanced with great caution.
They walked a little distance apart from each
other so as to offer a less mark for a shot. And, to tell the truth, they
expected every moment to hear a report. Five minutes after leaving the cart,
Gideon Spilett and Pencroft arrived at the edge of the wood before the clea=
ring
beyond which rose the palisade.
They stopped. A few straggling beams still fel=
l on
the field clear of trees. Thirty feet distant was the gate of the corral, w=
hich
appeared to be closed. This thirty feet, which it was necessary to cross fr=
om the
wood to the palisade, constituted the dangerous zone, to borrow a ballistic
term: in fact, one or more bullets fired from behind the palisade might kno=
ck
over any one who ventured on to this zone. Gideon Spilett and the sailor we=
re
not men to draw back, but they knew that any imprudence on their part, of w=
hich
they would be the first victims, would fall afterwards on their companions.=
If
they themselves were killed, what would become of Harding, Neb, and Herbert=
?
But Pencroft, excited at feeling himself so ne=
ar
the corral where he supposed the convicts had taken refuge, was about to pr=
ess
forward, when the reporter held him back with a grasp of iron.
"In a few minutes it will be quite
dark," whispered Spilett in the sailor's ear, "then will be the t=
ime
to act."
Pencroft, convulsively clasping the butt-end of
his gun, restrained his energies, and waited, swearing to himself.
Soon the last of the twilight faded away.
Darkness, which seemed as if it issued from the dense forest, covered the
clearing. Mount Franklin rose like an enormous screen before the western
horizon, and night spread rapidly over all, as it does in regions of low
latitudes. Now was the time.
The reporter and Pencroft, since posting
themselves on the edge of the wood, had not once lost sight of the palisade.
The corral appeared to be absolutely deserted. The top of the palisade form=
ed a
line, a little darker than the surrounding shadow, and nothing disturbed it=
s distinctness.
Nevertheless, if the convicts were there, they must have posted one of their
number to guard against any surprise.
Spilett grasped his companion's hand, and both
crept towards the corral, their guns ready to fire.
They reached the gate without the darkness bei=
ng
illuminated by a single ray of light.
Pencroft tried to push open the gate, which, as
the reporter and he had supposed, was closed. However, the sailor was able =
to
ascertain that the outer bars had not been put up. It might, then, be concl=
uded
that the convicts were there in the corral, and that very probably they had=
fastened
the gate in such a way that it could not be forced open.
Gideon Spilett and Pencroft listened.
Not a sound could be heard inside the palisade.
The musmons and the goats, sleeping no doubt in their huts, in no way distu=
rbed
the calm of night.
The reporter and the sailor hearing nothing, a= sked themselves whether they had not better scale the palisades and penetrate in= to the corral. This would have been contrary to Cyrus Harding's instructions.<= o:p>
It is true that the enterprise might succeed, =
but
it might also fail. Now, if the convicts were suspecting nothing, if they k=
new
nothing of the expedition against them, if, lastly, there now existed a cha=
nce of
surprising them, ought this chance to be lost by inconsiderately attempting=
to
cross the palisades?
This was not the reporter's opinion. He though=
t it
better to wait until all the settlers were collected together before attemp=
ting
to penetrate into the corral. One thing was certain, that it was possible to
reach the palisade without being seen, and also that it did not appear to b=
e guarded.
This point settled, there was nothing to be done but to return to the cart,
where they would consult.
Pencroft probably agreed with this decision, f=
or
he followed the reporter without making any objection when the latter turned
back to the wood.
In a few minutes the engineer was made acquain=
ted
with the state of affairs.
"Well," said he, after a little thou=
ght,
"I now have reason to believe that the convicts are not in the
corral."
"We shall soon know," said Pencroft,
"when we have scaled the palisade."
"To the corral, my friends!" said Cy=
rus
Harding.
"Shall we leave the cart in the wood?&quo=
t;
asked Neb.
"No," replied the engineer, "it=
is
our wagon of ammunition and provisions, and, if necessary, it would serve a=
s an
entrenchment."
"Forward, then!" said Gideon Spilett=
.
The cart emerged from the wood and began to ro=
ll
noiselessly towards the palisade. The darkness was now profound, the silenc=
e as
complete as when Pencroft and the reporter crept over the ground. The thick
grass completely muffled their footsteps. The colonists held themselves rea=
dy to
fire. Jup, at Pencroft's orders, kept behind. Neb led Top in a leash, to
prevent him from bounding forward.
The clearing soon came in sight. It was desert=
ed.
Without hesitating, the little band moved towards the palisade. In a short
space of time the dangerous zone was passed. Neb remained at the onagers' h=
eads
to hold them. The engineer, the reporter, Herbert, and Pencroft, proceeded =
to the
door, in order to ascertain if it was barricaded inside. It was open!
"What do you say now?" asked the
engineer, turning to the sailor and Spilett.
Both were stupefied.
"I can swear," said Pencroft, "=
that
this gate was shut just now!"
The colonists now hesitated. Were the convicts=
in
the corral when Pencroft and the reporter made their reconnaissance? It cou=
ld
not be doubted, as the gate then closed could only have been opened by them=
. Were
they still there, or had one of their number just gone out?
All these questions presented themselves
simultaneously to the minds of the colonists, but how could they be answere=
d?
At that moment, Herbert, who had advanced a few
steps into the enclosure, drew back hurriedly, and seized Harding's hand.
"What's the matter?" asked the engin=
eer.
"A light!"
"In the house?"
"Yes!"
All five advanced and indeed, through the wind=
ow
fronting them, they saw glimmering a feeble light. Cyrus Harding made up his
mind rapidly. "It is our only chance," said he to his companions,
"of finding the convicts collected in this house, suspecting nothing! =
They
are in our power! Forward!" The colonists crossed through the enclosur=
e,
holding their guns ready in their hands. The cart had been left outside und=
er
the charge of Jup and Top, who had been prudently tied to it.
Cyrus Harding, Pencroft, and Gideon Spilett on=
one
side, Herbert and Neb on the other, going along by the palisade, surveyed t=
he
absolutely dark and deserted corral.
In a few moments they were near the closed doo=
r of
the house.
Harding signed to his companions not to stir, =
and
approached the window, then feebly lighted by the inner light.
He gazed into the apartment.
On the table burned a lantern. Near the table =
was
the bed formerly used by Ayrton.
On the bed lay the body of a man.
Suddenly Cyrus Harding drew back, and in a hoa=
rse
voice,--"Ayrton!" he exclaimed.
Immediately the door was forced rather than
opened, and the colonists rushed into the room.
Ayrton appeared to be asleep. His countenance
showed that he had long and cruelly suffered. On his wrists and ankles coul=
d be
seen great bruises.
Harding bent over him.
"Ayrton!" cried the engineer, seizing
the arm of the man whom he had just found again under such unexpected
circumstances.
At this exclamation Ayrton opened his eyes, an=
d,
gazing at Harding, then at the others,--
"You!" he cried, "you?"
"Ayrton! Ayrton!" repeated Harding.<= o:p>
"Where am I?"
"In the house in the corral!"
"Alone?"
"Yes!"
"But they will come back!" cried Ayr=
ton.
"Defend yourselves! defend yourselves!"
And he fell back exhausted.
"Spilett," exclaimed the engineer,
"we may be attacked at any moment. Bring the cart into the corral. The=
n,
barricade the door, and all come back here."
Pencroft, Neb, and the reporter hastened to
execute the engineer's orders. There was not a moment to be lost. Perhaps e=
ven
now the cart was in the hands of the convicts!
In a moment the reporter and his two companions
had crossed the corral and reached the gate of the palisade behind which Top
was heard growling sullenly.
The engineer, leaving Ayrton for an instant, c=
ame
out ready to fire. Herbert was at his side. Both surveyed the crest of the =
spur
overlooking the corral. If the convicts were lying in ambush there, they mi=
ght
knock the settlers over one after the other.
At that moment the moon appeared in the east,
above the black curtain of the forest, and a white sheet of light spread ov=
er
the interior of the enclosure. The corral, with its clumps of trees, the li=
ttle
stream which watered it, its wide carpet of grass, was suddenly illuminated.
From the side of the mountain, the house and a part of the palisade stood o=
ut
white in the moonlight. On the opposite side towards the door, the enclosure
remained dark. A black mass soon appeared. This was the cart entering the
circle of light, and Cyrus Harding could hear the noise made by the door, as
his companions shut it and fastened the interior bars.
But, at that moment, Top, breaking loose, bega=
n to
bark furiously and rush to the back of the corral, to the right of the hous=
e.
"Be ready to fire, my friends!" cried
Harding.
The colonists raised their pieces and waited t=
he
moment to fire.
Top still barked, and Jup, running towards the
dog, uttered shrill cries.
The colonists followed him, and reached the
borders of the little stream, shaded by large trees. And there, in the brig=
ht
moonlight, what did they see? Five corpses, stretched on the bank!
They were those of the convicts who, four mont=
hs
previously, had landed on Lincoln Island!
How had it happened? who had killed the convic=
ts?
Was it Ayrton? No, for a moment before he was dreading their return.
But Ayrton was now in a profound stupor, from
which it was no longer possible to rouse him. After uttering those few word=
s he
had again become unconscious, and had fallen back motionless on the bed.
The colonists, a prey to a thousand confused
thoughts, under the influence of violent excitement, waited all night, with=
out
leaving Ayrton's house, or returning to the spot where lay the bodies of th=
e convicts.
It was very probable that Ayrton would not be able to throw any light on the
circumstances under which the bodies had been found, since he himself was n=
ot
aware that he was in the corral. But at any rate he would be in a position =
to
give an account of what had taken place before this terrible execution. The
next day Ayrton awoke from his torpor, and his companions cordially manifes=
ted
all the joy they felt, on seeing him again, almost safe and sound, after a
hundred and four days separation.
Ayrton then in a few words recounted what had
happened, or, at least, as much as he knew.
The day after his arrival at the corral, on the
10th of last November, at nightfall, he was surprised by the convicts, who =
had
scaled the palisade. They bound and gagged him; then he was led to a dark
cavern, at the foot of Mount Franklin, where the convicts had taken refuge.=
His death had been decided upon, and the next =
day
the convicts were about to kill him, when one of them recognized him and ca=
lled
him by the name which he bore in Australia. The wretches had no scruples as=
to murdering
Ayrton! They spared Ben Joyce!
But from that moment Ayrton was exposed to the
importunities of his former accomplices. They wished him to join them again,
and relied upon his aid to enable them to gain possession of Granite House,=
to
penetrate into that hitherto inaccessible dwelling, and to become masters of
the island, after murdering the colonists!
Ayrton remained firm. The once convict, now
repentant and pardoned, would rather die than betray his companions.
Ayrton--bound, gagged, and closely watched--lived in this cave for four mon=
ths.
Nevertheless the convicts had discovered the
corral a short time after their arrival in the island, and since then they =
had subsisted
on Ayrton's stores, but did not live at the corral.
On the 11th of November, two of the villains,
surprised by the colonists' arrival, fired at Herbert, and one of them
returned, boasting of having killed one of the inhabitants of the island; b=
ut
he returned alone. His companion, as is known, fell by Cyrus Harding's dagg=
er.
Ayrton's anxiety and despair may be imagined w=
hen
he learned the news of Herbert's death. The settlers were now only four, an=
d,
as it seemed, at the mercy of the convicts. After this event, and during all
the time that the colonists, detained by Herbert's illness, remained in the=
corral,
the pirates did not leave their cavern, and even after they had pillaged the
plateau of Prospect Heights, they did not think it prudent to abandon it.
The ill-treatment inflicted on Ayrton was now
redoubled. His hands and feet still bore the bloody marks of the cords which
bound him day and night. Every moment he expected to be put to death, nor d=
id
it appear possible that he could escape.
Matters remained thus until the third week of
February. The convicts, still watching for a favorable opportunity, rarely
quitted their retreat, and only made a few hunting excursions, either to the
interior of the island, or the south coast.
Ayrton had no further news of his friends, and
relinquished all hope of ever seeing them again. At last, the unfortunate m=
an,
weakened by ill-treatment, fell into a prostration so profound that sight a=
nd hearing
failed him. From that moment, that is to say, since the last two days, he c=
ould
give no information whatever of what had occurred.
"But, Captain Harding," he added,
"since I was imprisoned in that cavern, how is it that I find myself in
the corral?"
"How is it that the convicts are lying yo=
nder
dead, in the middle of the enclosure?" answered the engineer.
"Dead!" cried Ayrton, half rising fr=
om
his bed, notwithstanding his weakness.
His companions supported him. He wished to get=
up,
and with their assistance he did so. They then proceeded together towards t=
he
little stream.
It was now broad daylight.
There, on the bank, in the position in which t=
hey
had been stricken by death in its most instantaneous form, lay the corpses =
of
the five convicts!
Ayrton was astounded. Harding and his companio=
ns
looked at him without uttering a word. On a sign from the engineer, Neb and
Pencroft examined the bodies, already stiffened by the cold.
They bore no apparent trace of any wound.
Only, after carefully examining them, Pencroft
found on the forehead of one, on the chest of another, on the back of this =
one,
on the shoulder of that, a little red spot, a sort of scarcely visible brui=
se,
the cause of which it was impossible to conjecture.
"It is there that they have been
struck!" said Cyrus Harding.
"But with what weapon?" cried the
reporter.
"A weapon, lightning-like in its effects,=
and
of which we have not the secret!"
"And who has struck the blow?" asked
Pencroft.
"The avenging power of the island," replied Harding, "he who brought you here, Ayrton, whose influence has= once more manifested itself, who does for us all that which we cannot do for ourselves, and who, his will accomplished, conceals himself from us."<= o:p>
"Let us make search for him, then!"
exclaimed Pencroft.
"Yes, we will search for him," answe=
red
Harding, "but we shall not discover this powerful being who performs s=
uch
wonders, until he pleases to call us to him!"
This invisible protection, which rendered their
own action unavailing, both irritated and piqued the engineer. The relative
inferiority which it proved was of a nature to wound a haughty spirit. A
generosity evinced in such a manner as to elude all tokens of gratitude,
implied a sort of disdain for those on whom the obligation was conferred, w=
hich
in Cyrus Harding's eyes marred, in some degree, the worth of the benefit.
"Let us search," he resumed, "a=
nd
God grant that we may some day be permitted to prove to this haughty protec=
tor
that he has not to deal with ungrateful people! What would I not give could=
we
repay him, by rendering him in our turn, although at the price of our lives,
some signal service!"
From this day, the thoughts of the inhabitants=
of
Lincoln Island were solely occupied with the intended search. Everything
incited them to discover the answer to this enigma, an answer which would o=
nly
be the name of a man endowed with a truly inexplicable, and in some degree =
superhuman
power.
In a few minutes, the settlers re-entered the
house, where their influence soon restored to Ayrton his moral and physical
energy. Neb and Pencroft carried the corpses of the convicts into the fores=
t,
some distance from the corral, and buried them deep in the ground.
Ayrton was then made acquainted with the facts
which had occurred during his seclusion. He learned Herbert's adventures, a=
nd
through what various trials the colonists had passed. As to the settlers, t=
hey
had despaired of ever seeing Ayrton again, and had been convinced that the
convicts had ruthlessly murdered him.
"And now," said Cyrus Harding, as he
ended his recital, "a duty remains for us to perform. Half of our task=
is
accomplished, but although the convicts are no longer to be feared, it is n=
ot
owing to ourselves that we are once more masters of the island."
"Well!" answered Gideon Spilett,
"let us search all this labyrinth of the spurs of Mount Franklin. We w=
ill
not leave a hollow, not a hole unexplored! Ah! if ever a reporter found him=
self
face to face with a mystery, it is I who now speak to you, my friends!"=
;
"And we will not return to Granite House
until we have found our benefactor," said Herbert.
"Yes," said the engineer, "we w=
ill
do all that it is humanly possible to do, but I repeat we shall not find him
until he himself permits us."
"Shall we stay at the corral?" asked
Pencroft.
"We shall stay here," answered Hardi=
ng.
"Provisions are abundant, and we are here in the very center of the ci=
rcle
we have to explore. Besides, if necessary, the cart will take us rapidly to
Granite House."
"Good!" answered the sailor. "O=
nly
I have a remark to make."
"What is it?"
"Here is the fine season getting on, and =
we
must not forget that we have a voyage to make."
"A voyage?" said Gideon Spilett.
"Yes, to Tabor Island," answered
Pencroft. "It is necessary to carry a notice there to point out the
position of our island and say that Ayrton is here in case the Scotch yacht
should come to take him off. Who knows if it is not already too late?"=
"But, Pencroft," asked Ayrton, "=
;how
do you intend to make this voyage?"
"In the 'Bonadventure.'"
"The 'Bonadventure!'" exclaimed Ayrt=
on.
"She no longer exists."
"My 'Bonadventure' exists no longer!"
shouted Pencroft, bounding from his seat.
"No," answered Ayrton. "The
convicts discovered her in her little harbor only eight days ago, they put =
to
sea in her--"
"And?" said Pencroft, his heart beat=
ing.
"And not having Bob Harvey to steer her, =
they
ran on the rocks, and the vessel went to pieces."
"Oh, the villains, the cutthroats, the
infamous scoundrels!" exclaimed Pencroft.
"Pencroft," said Herbert, taking the
sailor's hand, "we will build another 'Bonadventure'--a larger one. We
have all the ironwork--all the rigging of the brig at our disposal."
"But do you know," returned Pencroft,
"that it will take at least five or six months to build a vessel of fr=
om
thirty to forty tons?"
"We can take our time," said the
reporter, "and we must give up the voyage to Tabor Island for this
year."
"Oh, my 'Bonadventure!' my poor
'Bonadventure!'" cried Pencroft, almost broken-hearted at the destruct=
ion
of the vessel of which he was so proud.
The loss of the "Bonadventure" was
certainly a thing to be lamented by the colonists, and it was agreed that t=
his
loss should be repaired as soon as possible. This settled, they now occupied
themselves with bringing their researches to bear on the most secret parts =
of
the island.
The exploration was commenced at daybreak on t=
he
19th of February, and lasted an entire week. The base of the mountain, with=
its
spurs and their numberless ramifications, formed a labyrinth of valleys and=
elevations.
It was evident that there, in the depths of these narrow gorges, perhaps ev=
en
in the interior of Mount Franklin itself, was the proper place to pursue th=
eir
researches. No part of the island could have been more suitable to conceal a
dwelling whose occupant wished to remain unknown. But so irregular was the
formation of the valleys that Cyrus Harding was obliged to conduct the
exploration in a strictly methodical manner.
The colonists first visited the valley opening=
to
the south of the volcano, and which first received the waters of Falls Rive=
r. There
Ayrton showed them the cavern where the convicts had taken refuge, and in w=
hich
he had been imprisoned until his removal to the corral. This cavern was jus=
t as
Ayrton had left it. They found there a considerable quantity of ammunition =
and
provisions, conveyed thither by the convicts in order to form a reserve.
The whole of the valley bordering on the cave,
shaded by fir and other trees, was thoroughly explored, and on turning the
point of the southwestern spur, the colonists entered a narrower gorge simi=
lar
to the picturesque columns of basalt on the coast. Here the trees were fewe=
r. Stones
took the place of grass. Goats and musmons gambolled among the rocks. Here
began the barren part of the island. It could already be seen that, of the
numerous valleys branching off at the base of Mount Franklin, three only we=
re
wooded and rich in pasturage like that of the corral, which bordered on the
west on the Falls River valley, and on the east on the Red Creek valley. Th=
ese
two streams, which lower down became rivers by the absorption of several
tributaries, were formed by all the springs of the mountain and thus caused=
the
fertility of its southern part. As to the Mercy, it was more directly fed f=
rom
ample springs concealed under the cover of Jacamar Wood, and it was by spri=
ngs
of this nature, spreading in a thousand streamlets, that the soil of the Se=
rpentine
Peninsula was watered.
Now, of these three well-watered valleys, eith=
er
might have served as a retreat to some solitary who would have found there
everything necessary for life. But the settlers had already explored them, =
and
in no part had they discovered the presence of man.
Was it then in the depths of those barren gorg=
es,
in the midst of the piles of rock, in the rugged northern ravines, among th=
e streams
of lava, that this dwelling and its occupant would be found?
The northern part of Mount Franklin was at its
base composed solely of two valleys, wide, not very deep, without any
appearance of vegetation, strewn with masses of rock, paved with lava, and
varied with great blocks of mineral. This region required a long and careful
exploration. It contained a thousand cavities, comfortless no doubt, but
perfectly concealed and difficult of access.
The colonists even visited dark tunnels, dating
from the volcanic period, still black from the passage of the fire, and
penetrated into the depths of the mountain. They traversed these somber
galleries, waving lighted torches; they examined the smallest excavations; =
they
sounded the shallowest depths, but all was dark and silent. It did not appe=
ar
that the foot of man had ever before trodden these ancient passages, or that
his arm had ever displaced one of these blocks, which remained as the volca=
no
had cast them up above the waters, at the time of the submersion of the isl=
and.
However, although these passages appeared to be
absolutely deserted, and the obscurity was complete, Cyrus Harding was obli=
ged
to confess that absolute silence did not reign there.
On arriving at the end of one of these gloomy
caverns, extending several hundred feet into the interior of the mountain, =
he
was surprised to hear a deep rumbling noise, increased in intensity by the
sonorousness of the rocks.
Gideon Spilett, who accompanied him, also heard
these distant mutterings, which indicated a revivification of the subterran=
ean
fires. Several times both listened, and they agreed that some chemical proc=
ess was
taking place in the bowels of the earth.
"Then the volcano is not totally
extinct?" said the reporter.
"It is possible that since our exploratio=
n of
the crater," replied Cyrus Harding, "some change has occurred. Any
volcano, although considered extinct, may evidently again burst forth."=
;
"But if an eruption of Mount Franklin
occurred," asked Spilett, "would there not be some danger to Linc=
oln
Island?"
"I do not think so," answered the
reporter. "The crater, that is to say, the safety-valve, exists, and t=
he
overflow of smoke and lava, would escape, as it did formerly, by this custo=
mary
outlet."
"Unless the lava opened a new way for its=
elf
towards the fertile parts of the island!"
"And why, my dear Spilett," answered
Cyrus Harding, "should it not follow the road naturally traced out for
it?"
"Well, volcanoes are capricious,"
returned the reporter.
"Notice," answered the engineer, &qu=
ot;that
the inclination of Mount Franklin favors the flow of water towards the vall=
eys
which we are exploring just now. To turn aside this flow, an earthquake wou=
ld
be necessary to change the mountain's center of gravity."
"But an earthquake is always to be feared=
at
these times," observed Gideon Spilett.
"Always," replied the engineer,
"especially when the subterranean forces begin to awake, as they risk
meeting with some obstruction, after a long rest. Thus, my dear Spilett, an
eruption would be a serious thing for us, and it would be better that the
volcano should not have the slightest desire to wake up. But we could not
prevent it, could we? At any rate, even if it should occur, I do not think
Prospect Heights would be seriously threatened. Between them and the mounta=
in,
the ground is considerably depressed, and if the lava should ever take a co=
urse
towards the lake, it would be cast on the downs and the neighboring parts of
Shark Gulf."
"We have not yet seen any smoke at the to=
p of
the mountain, to indicate an approaching eruption," said Gideon Spilet=
t.
"No," answered Harding, "not a
vapor escapes from the crater, for it was only yesterday that I attentively
surveyed the summit. But it is probable that at the lower part of the chimn=
ey,
time may have accumulated rocks, cinders, hardened lava, and that this valv=
e of
which I spoke, may at any time become overcharged. But at the first serious=
effort,
every obstacle will disappear, and you may be certain, my dear Spilett, that
neither the island, which is the boiler, nor the volcano, which is the chim=
ney,
will burst under the pressure of gas. Nevertheless, I repeat, it would be
better that there should not be an eruption."
"And yet we are not mistaken," remar=
ked
the reporter. "Mutterings can be distinctly heard in the very bowels of
the volcano!"
"You are right," said the engineer,
again listening attentively. "There can be no doubt of it. A commotion=
is
going on there, of which we can neither estimate the importance nor the
ultimate result."
Cyrus Harding and Spilett, on coming out, rejo=
ined
their companions, to whom they made known the state of affairs.
"Very well!" cried Pencroft, "T=
he
volcano wants to play his pranks! Let him try, if he likes! He will find his
master!"
"Who?" asked Neb.
"Our good genius, Neb, our good genius, w=
ho
will shut his mouth for him, if he so much as pretends to open it!"
As may be seen, the sailor's confidence in the
tutelary deity of his island was absolute, and, certainly, the occult power,
manifested until now in so many inexplicable ways, appeared to be unlimited;
but also it knew how to escape the colonists' most minute researches, for, =
in spite
of all their efforts, in spite of the more than zeal,--the obstinacy,--with
which they carried on their exploration, the retreat of the mysterious being
could not be discovered.
From the 19th to the 20th of February the circ=
le
of investigation was extended to all the northern region of Lincoln Island,
whose most secret nooks were explored. The colonists even went the length of
tapping every rock. The search was extended to the extreme verge of the
mountain. It was explored thus to the very summit of the truncated cone
terminating the first row of rocks, then to the upper ridge of the enormous
hat, at the bottom of which opened the crater.
They did more; they visited the gulf, now exti=
nct,
but in whose depths the rumbling could be distinctly heard. However, no sig=
n of
smoke or vapor, no heating of the rock, indicated an approaching eruption. =
But
neither there, nor in any other part of Mount Franklin, did the colonists f=
ind
any traces of him of whom they were in search.
Their investigations were then directed to the
downs. They carefully examined the high lava-cliffs of Shark Gulf from the =
base
to the crest, although it was extremely difficult to reach even the level of
the gulf. No one!--nothing!
Indeed, in these three words was summed up so =
much
fatigue uselessly expended, so much energy producing no results, that somew=
hat
of anger mingled with the discomfiture of Cyrus Harding and his companions.=
It was now time to think of returning, for the=
se
researches could not be prolonged indefinitely. The colonists were certainly
right in believing that the mysterious being did not reside on the surface =
of
the island, and the wildest fancies haunted their excited imaginations.
Pencroft and Neb, particularly, were not contented with the mystery, but
allowed their imaginations to wander into the domain of the supernatural.
On the 25th of February the colonists re-enter=
ed
Granite House, and by means of the double cord, carried by an arrow to the
threshold of the door, they re-established communication between their
habitation and the ground.
A month later they commemorated, on the 25th of
March, the third anniversary of their arrival on Lincoln Island.
Three years had passed away since the escape of
the prisoners from Richmond, and how often during those three years had they
spoken of their country, always present in their thoughts!
They had no doubt that the civil war was at an=
end,
and to them it appeared impossible that the just cause of the North had not
triumphed. But what had been the incidents of this terrible war? How much b=
lood
had it not cost? How many of their friends must have fallen in the struggle=
? They
often spoke of these things, without as yet being able to foresee the day w=
hen
they would be permitted once more to see their country. To return thither, =
were
it but for a few days, to renew the social link with the inhabited world, to
establish a communication between their native land and their island, then =
to
pass the longest, perhaps the best, portion of their existence in this colo=
ny,
founded by them, and which would then be dependent on their country, was th=
is a
dream impossible to realize?
There were only two ways of accomplishing
it--either a ship must appear off Lincoln Island, or the colonists must
themselves build a vessel strong enough to sail to the nearest land.
"Unless," said Pencroft, "our g=
ood
genius, himself provides us with the means of returning to our country.&quo=
t;
And, really, had any one told Pencroft and Neb
that a ship of 300 tons was waiting for them in Shark Gulf or at Port Ballo=
on,
they would not even have made a gesture of surprise. In their state of mind
nothing appeared improbable.
But Cyrus Harding, less confident, advised the=
m to
confine themselves to fact, and more especially so with regard to the build=
ing
of a vessel--a really urgent work, since it was for the purpose of depositi=
ng,
as soon as possible, at Tabor Island a document indicating Ayrton's new res=
idence.
As the "Bonadventure" no longer exis=
ted,
six months at least would be required for the construction of a new vessel.=
Now
winter was approaching, and the voyage would not be made before the followi=
ng spring.
"We have time to get everything ready for=
the
fine season," remarked the engineer, who was consulting with Pencroft
about these matters. "I think, therefore, my friend, that since we hav=
e to
rebuild our vessel it will be best to give her larger dimensions. The arriv=
al
of the Scotch yacht at Tabor Island is very uncertain. It may even be that,
having arrived several months ago, she has again sailed after having vainly=
searched
for some trace of Ayrton. Will it not then be best to build a ship which, if
necessary, could take us either to the Polynesian Archipelago or to New
Zealand? What do you think?"
"I think, captain," answered the sai=
lor;
"I think that you are as capable of building a large vessel as a small
one. Neither the wood nor the tools are wanting. It is only a question of
time."
"And how many months would be required to
build a vessel of from 250 to 300 tons?" asked Harding.
"Seven or eight months at least,"
replied Pencroft. "But it must not be forgotten that winter is drawing
near, and that in severe frost wood is difficult to work. We must calculate=
on
several weeks delay, and if our vessel is ready by next November we may thi=
nk
ourselves very lucky."
"Well," replied Cyrus Harding,
"that will be exactly the most favorable time for undertaking a voyage=
of
any importance, either to Tabor Island or to a more distant land."
"So it will, captain," answered the
sailor. "Make out your plans then; the workmen are ready, and I imagine
that Ayrton can lend us a good helping hand."
The colonists, having been consulted, approved=
the
engineer's plan, and it was, indeed, the best thing to be done. It is true =
that
the construction of a ship of from two to three hundred tons would be great=
labor,
but the colonists had confidence in themselves, justified by their previous
success.
Cyrus Harding then busied himself in drawing t=
he
plan of the vessel and making the model. During this time his companions
employed themselves in felling and carting trees to furnish the ribs, timbe=
rs,
and planks. The forest of the Far West supplied the best oaks and elms. They
took advantage of the opening already made on their last excursion to form =
a practicable
road, which they named the Far West Road, and the trees were carried to the
Chimneys, where the dockyard was established. As to the road in question, t=
he
choice of trees had rendered its direction somewhat capricious, but at the =
same
time it facilitated the access to a large part of the Serpentine Peninsula.=
It was important that the trees should be quic=
kly
felled and cut up, for they could not be used while yet green, and some time
was necessary to allow them to get seasoned. The carpenters, therefore, wor=
ked
vigorously during the month of April, which was troubled only by a few
equinoctial gales of some violence. Master Jup aided them dexterously, eith=
er
by climbing to the top of a tree to fasten the ropes or by lending his stout
shoulders to carry the lopped trunks.
All this timber was piled up under a large she=
d,
built near the Chimneys, and there awaited the time for use.
The month of April was tolerably fine, as Octo=
ber
often is in the northern zone. At the same time other work was actively
continued, and soon all trace of devastation disappeared from the plateau o=
f Prospect
Heights. The mill was rebuilt, and new buildings rose in the poultry-yard. =
It
had appeared necessary to enlarge their dimensions, for the feathered
population had increased considerably. The stable now contained five onager=
s,
four of which were well broken, and allowed themselves to be either driven =
or
ridden, and a little colt. The colony now possessed a plow, to which the
onagers were yoked like regular Yorkshire or Kentucky oxen. The colonists
divided their work, and their arms never tired. Then who could have enjoyed
better health than these workers, and what good humor enlivened the evening=
s in
Granite House as they formed a thousand plans for the future!
As a matter of course Ayrton shared the common=
lot
in every respect, and there was no longer any talk of his going to live at =
the
corral. Nevertheless he was still sad and reserved, and joined more in the =
work
than in the pleasures of his companions. But he was a valuable workman at
need--strong, skilful, ingenious, intelligent. He was esteemed and loved by
all, and he could not be ignorant of it.
In the meanwhile the corral was not abandoned.
Every other day one of the settlers, driving the cart or mounted on an onag=
er,
went to look after the flock of musmons and goats and bring back the supply=
of milk
required by Neb. These excursions at the same time afforded opportunities f=
or
hunting. Therefore Herbert and Gideon Spilett, with Top in front, traversed
more often than their companions the road to the corral, and with the capit=
al
guns which they carried, capybaras, agouties, kangaroos, and wild pigs for
large game, ducks, grouse, jacamars, and snipe for small game, were never
wanting in the house. The produce of the warren, of the oyster-bed, several
turtles which were taken, excellent salmon which came up the Mercy, vegetab=
les
from the plateau, wild fruit from the forest, were riches upon riches, and =
Neb,
the head cook, could scarcely by himself store them away.
The telegraphic wire between the corral and
Granite House had of course been repaired, and it was worked whenever one or
other of the settlers was at the corral and found it necessary to spend the
night there. Besides, the island was safe now and no attacks were to be fea=
red,
at any rate from men.
However, that which had happened might happen
again. A descent of pirates, or even of escaped convicts, was always to be
feared. It was possible that companions or accomplices of Bob Harvey had be=
en
in the secret of his plans, and might be tempted to imitate him. The coloni=
sts,
therefore, were careful to observe the sea around the island, and every day
their telescope covered the horizon enclosed by Union and Washington Bays. =
When
they went to the corral they examined the sea to the west with no less
attention, and by climbing the spur their gaze extended over a large sectio=
n of
the western horizon.
Nothing suspicious was discerned, but still it=
was
necessary for them to be on their guard.
The engineer one evening imparted to his frien=
ds a
plan which he had conceived for fortifying the corral. It appeared prudent =
to
him to heighten the palisade and to flank it with a sort of blockhouse, whi=
ch, if
necessary, the settlers could hold against the enemy. Granite House might, =
by
its very position, be considered impregnable; therefore the corral with its
buildings, its stores, and the animals it contained, would always be the ob=
ject
of pirates, whoever they were, who might land on the island, and should the
colonists be obliged to shut themselves up there they ought also to be able=
to
defend themselves without any disadvantage. This was a project which might =
be
left for consideration, and they were, besides, obliged to put off its
execution until the next spring.
About the 15th of May the keel of the new vess=
el
lay along the dockyard, and soon the stem and stern-post, mortised at each =
of
its extremities, rose almost perpendicularly. The keel, of good oak, measur=
ed
110 feet in length, this allowing a width of five-and-twenty feet to the
midship beam. But this was all the carpenters could do before the arrival of
the frosts and bad weather. During the following week they fixed the first =
of
the stern timbers, but were then obliged to suspend work.
During the last days of the month the weather =
was
extremely bad. The wind blew from the east, sometimes with the violence of a
tempest. The engineer was somewhat uneasy on account of the dockyard
shed--which besides, he could not have established in any other place near =
to Granite
House--for the islet only imperfectly sheltered the shore from the fury of =
the
open sea, and in great storms the waves beat against the very foot of the g=
ranite
cliff.
But, very fortunately, these fears were not
realized. The wind shifted to the southeast, and there the beach of Granite
House was completely covered by Flotsam Point.
Pencroft and Ayrton, the most zealous workmen =
at
the new vessel, pursued their labor as long as they could. They were not me=
n to
mind the wind tearing at their hair, nor the rain wetting them to the skin,=
and
a blow from a hammer is worth just as much in bad as in fine weather. But w=
hen a
severe frost succeeded this wet period, the wood, its fibers acquiring the
hardness of iron, became extremely difficult to work, and about the 10th of
June shipbuilding was obliged to be entirely discontinued.
Cyrus Harding and his companions had not omitt=
ed
to observe how severe was the temperature during the winters of Lincoln Isl=
and.
The cold was comparable to that experienced in the States of New England,
situated at almost the same distance from the equator. In the northern
hemisphere, or at any rate in the part occupied by British America and the
north of the United States, this phenomenon is explained by the flat
conformation of the territories bordering on the pole, and on which there i=
s no
intumescence of the soil to oppose any obstacle to the north winds; here, in
Lincoln Island, this explanation would not suffice.
"It has even been observed," remarked Harding one day to his companions, "that in equal latitudes the islands and coast regions are less tried by the cold than inland countries. I have often heard it asserted that the winters of Lombardy, for example, are not = less rigorous than those of Scotland, which results from the sea restoring during the winter the heat which it received during the summer. Islands are, therefore, in a better situation for benefiting by this restitution."<= o:p>
"But then, Captain Harding," asked
Herbert, "why does Lincoln Island appear to escape the common law?&quo=
t;
"That is difficult to explain," answ=
ered
the engineer. "However, I should be disposed to conjecture that this
peculiarity results from the situation of the island in the Southern
Hemisphere, which, as you know, my boy, is colder than the Northern
Hemisphere."
"Yes," said Herbert, "and icebe=
rgs
are met with in lower latitudes in the south than in the north of the
Pacific."
"That is true," remarked Pencroft,
"and when I have been serving on board whalers I have seen icebergs off
Cape Horn."
"The severe cold experienced in Lincoln
Island," said Gideon Spilett, "may then perhaps be explained by t=
he
presence of floes or icebergs comparatively near to Lincoln Island."
"Your opinion is very admissible indeed, =
my
dear Spilett," answered Cyrus Harding, "and it is evidently to the
proximity of icebergs that we owe our rigorous winters. I would draw your
attention also to an entirely physical cause, which renders the Southern co=
lder
than the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, since the sun is nearer to this
hemisphere during the summer, it is necessarily more distant during the win=
ter.
This explains then the excess of temperature in the two seasons, for, if we
find the winters very cold in Lincoln Island, we must not forget that the
summers here, on the contrary, are very hot."
"But why, if you please, captain," a=
sked
Pencroft, knitting his brows, "why should our hemisphere, as you say, =
be
so badly divided? It isn't just, that!"
"Friend Pencroft," answered the
engineer, laughing, "whether just or not, we must submit to it, and he=
re
lies the reason for this peculiarity. The earth does not describe a circle
around the sun, but an ellipse, as it must by the laws of rational mechanic=
s.
Now, the earth occupies one of the foci of the ellipse, and so at one point=
in
its course is at its apogee, that is, at its farthest from the sun, and at
another point it is at its perigee, or nearest to the sun. Now it happens t=
hat
it is during the winter of the southern countries that it is at its most
distant point from the sun, and consequently, in a situation for those regi=
ons
to feel the greatest cold. Nothing can be done to prevent that, and men,
Pencroft, however learned they may be, can never change anything of the
cosmographical order established by God Himself."
"And yet," added Pencroft, "the
world is very learned. What a big book, captain, might be made with all tha=
t is
known!"
"And what a much bigger book still with a=
ll
that is not known!" answered Harding.
At last, for one reason or another, the month =
of
June brought the cold with its accustomed intensity, and the settlers were
often confined to Granite House. Ah! how wearisome this imprisonment was to
them, and more particularly to Gideon Spilett.
"Look here," said he to Neb one day,
"I would give you by notarial deed all the estates which will come to =
me
some day, if you were a good enough fellow to go, no matter where, and
subscribe to some newspaper for me! Decidedly the thing that is most essent=
ial
to my happiness is the knowing every morning what has happened the day befo=
re
in other places than this!"
Neb began to laugh.
"'Pon my word," he replied, "the
only thing I think about is my daily work!"
The truth was that indoors as well as out there
was no want of work.
The colony of Lincoln Island was now at its
highest point of prosperity, achieved by three years of continued hard work.
The destruction of the brig had been a new source of riches. Without speaki=
ng
of the complete rig which would serve for the vessel now on the stocks,
utensils and tools of all sorts, weapons and ammunition, clothes and
instruments, were now piled in the storerooms of Granite House. It had not =
even
been necessary to resort again to the manufacture of the coarse felt materi=
als.
Though the colonists had suffered from cold during their first winter, the =
bad
season might now come without their having any reason to dread its severity.
Linen was plentiful also, and besides, they kept it with extreme care. From
chloride of sodium, which is nothing else than sea salt, Cyrus Harding easi=
ly
extracted the soda and chlorine. The soda, which it was easy to change into
carbonate of soda, and the chlorine, of which he made chloride of lime, were
employed for various domestic purposes, and especially in bleaching linen.
Besides, they did not wash more than four times a year, as was done by fami=
lies
in the olden times, and it may be added, that Pencroft and Gideon Spilett,
while waiting for the postman to bring him his newspaper, distinguished
themselves as washermen.
So passed the winter months, June, July, and
August. They were severe, and the average observations of the thermometer d=
id
not give more than eight degrees of Fahrenheit. It was therefore lower in t=
emperature
than the preceding winter. But then, what splendid fires blazed continually=
on
the hearths of Granite House, the smoke marking the granite wall with long,
zebra-like streaks! Fuel was not spared, as it grew naturally a few steps f=
rom
them. Besides, the chips of the wood destined for the construction of the s=
hip
enabled them to economize the coal, which required more trouble to transpor=
t.
Men and animals were all well. Master Jup was a
little chilly, it must be confessed. This was perhaps his only weakness, an=
d it
was necessary to make him a well-padded dressing-gown. But what a servant he
was, clever, zealous, indefatigable, not indiscreet, not talkative, and he
might have been with reason proposed as a model for all his biped brothers =
in
the Old and New Worlds!
"As for that," said Pencroft, "=
when
one has four hands at one's service, of course one's work ought to be done =
so
much the better!"
And indeed the intelligent creature did it wel=
l.
During the seven months which had passed since=
the
last researches made round the mountain, and during the month of September,
which brought back fine weather, nothing was heard of the genius of the isl=
and.
His power was not manifested in any way. It is true that it would have been
superfluous, for no incident occurred to put the colonists to any painful
trial.
Cyrus Harding even observed that if by chance =
the
communication between the unknown and the tenants of Granite House had ever
been established through the granite, and if Top's instinct had as it were =
felt
it, there was no further sign of it during this period. The dog's growling =
had
entirely ceased, as well as the uneasiness of the orang. The two friends--f=
or
they were such--no longer prowled round the opening of the inner well, nor =
did
they bark or whine in that singular way which from the first the engineer h=
ad
noticed. But could he be sure that this was all that was to be said about t=
his
enigma, and that he should never arrive at a solution? Could he be certain =
that
some conjuncture would not occur which would bring the mysterious personage=
on
the scene? who could tell what the future might have in reserve?
At last the winter was ended, but an event, the
consequences of which might be serious occurred in the first days of the
returning spring.
On the 7th of September, Cyrus Harding, having
observed the crater, saw smoke curling round the summit of the mountain, its
first vapors rising in the air.
The colonists, warned by the engineer, left th=
eir
work and gazed in silence at the summit of Mount Franklin.
The volcano had awoke, and the vapor had
penetrated the mineral layer heaped at the bottom of the crater. But would =
the
subterranean fires provoke any violent eruption? This was an event which co=
uld
not be foreseen. However, even while admitting the possibility of an erupti=
on, it
was not probable that the whole of Lincoln Island would suffer from it. The
flow of volcanic matter is not always disastrous, and the island had already
undergone this trial, as was shown by the streams of lava hardened on the
northern slopes of the mountain. Besides, from the shape of the crater--the
opening broken in the upper edge--the matter would be thrown to the side
opposite the fertile regions of the island.
However, the past did not necessarily answer f=
or the
future. Often, at the summit of volcanoes, the old craters close and new on=
es
open. This had occurred in the two hemispheres--at Etna, Popocatepetl, at O=
rizabaand
on the eve of an eruption there is everything to be feared. In fact, an
earthquake--a phenomenon which often accompanies volcanic eruption--is enou=
gh
to change the interior arrangement of a mountain, and to open new outlets f=
or
the burning lava.
Cyrus Harding explained these things to his
companions, and, without exaggerating the state of things, he told them all=
the
pros and cons. After all, they could not prevent it. It did not appear like=
ly
that Granite House would be threatened unless the ground was shaken by an e=
arthquake.
But the corral would be in great danger should a new crater open in the
southern side of Mount Franklin.
From that day the smoke never disappeared from=
the
top of the mountain, and it could even be perceived that it increased in he=
ight
and thickness, without any flame mingling in its heavy volumes. The phenome=
non
was still concentrated in the lower part of the central crater.
However, with the fine days work had been
continued. The building of the vessel was hastened as much as possible, and=
, by
means of the waterfall on the shore, Cyrus Harding managed to establish an =
hydraulic
sawmill, which rapidly cut up the trunks of trees into planks and joists. T=
he mechanism
of this apparatus was as simple as those used in the rustic sawmills of Nor=
way.
A first horizontal movement to move the piece of wood, a second vertical mo=
vement
to move the saw--this was all that was wanted; and the engineer succeeded by
means of a wheel, two cylinders, and pulleys properly arranged. Towards the=
end
of the month of September the skeleton of the vessel, which was to be rigge=
d as
a schooner, lay in the dockyard. The ribs were almost entirely completed, a=
nd,
all the timbers having been sustained by a provisional band, the shape of t=
he vessel
could already be seen. The schooner, sharp in the bows, very slender in the
after-part, would evidently be suitable for a long voyage, if wanted; but
laying the planking would still take a considerable time. Very fortunately,=
the
iron work of the pirate brig had been saved after the explosion. From the
planks and injured ribs Pencroft and Ayrton had extracted the bolts and a l=
arge
quantity of copper nails. It was so much work saved for the smiths, but the=
carpenters
had much to do.
Shipbuilding was interrupted for a week for the
harvest, the haymaking, and the gathering in of the different crops on the
plateau. This work finished, every moment was devoted to finishing the
schooner. When night came the workmen were really quite exhausted. So as no=
t to
lose any time they had changed the hours for their meals; they dined at twe=
lve o'clock,
and only had their supper when daylight failed them. They then ascended to
Granite House, when they were always ready to go to bed.
Sometimes, however, when the conversation bore=
on
some interesting subject the hour for sleep was delayed for a time. The
colonists then spoke of the future, and talked willingly of the changes whi=
ch a
voyage in the schooner to inhabited lands would make in their situation. But
always, in the midst of these plans, prevailed the thought of a subsequent
return to Lincoln Island. Never would they abandon this colony, founded wit=
h so
much labor and with such success, and to which a communication with America
would afford a fresh impetus. Pencroft and Neb especially hoped to end their
days there.
"Herbert," said the sailor, "you
will never abandon Lincoln Island?"
"Never, Pencroft, and especially if you m=
ake
up your mind to stay there."
"That was made up long ago, my boy,"
answered Pencroft. "I shall expect you. You will bring me your wife and
children, and I shall make jolly chaps of your youngsters!"
"That's agreed," replied Herbert,
laughing and blushing at the same time.
"And you, Captain Harding," resumed
Pencroft enthusiastically, "you will be still the governor of the isla=
nd!
Ah, how many inhabitants could it support? Ten thousand at least!"
They talked in this way, allowing Pencroft to =
run
on, and at last the reporter actually started a newspaper--the New Lincoln
Herald!
So is man's heart. The desire to perform a work
which will endure, which will survive him, is the origin of his superiority=
over
all other living creatures here below. It is this which has established his
dominion, and this it is which justifies it, over all the world.
After that, who knows if Jup and Top had not
themselves their little dream of the future.
Ayrton silently said to himself that he would =
like
to see Lord Glenarvan again and show himself to all restored.
One evening, on the 15th of October, the
conversation was prolonged later than usual. It was nine o'clock. Already, =
long
badly concealed yawns gave warning of the hour of rest, and Pencroft was
proceeding towards his bed, when the electric bell, placed in the dining-ro=
om, suddenly
rang.
All were there, Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett,
Herbert, Ayrton, Pencroft, Neb. Therefore none of the colonists were at the
corral.
Cyrus Harding rose. His companions stared at e=
ach
other, scarcely believing their ears.
"What does that mean?" cried Neb.
"Was it the devil who rang it?"
No one answered.
"The weather is stormy," observed
Herbert. "Might not its influence of electricity--"
Herbert did not finish his phrase. The enginee=
r,
towards whom all eyes were turned, shook his head negatively.
"We must wait," said Gideon Spilett.
"If it is a signal, whoever it may be who has made it, he will renew
it."
"But who do you think it is?" cried =
Neb.
"Who?" answered Pencroft, "but
he--"
The sailor's sentence was cut short by a new
tinkle of the bell.
Harding went to the apparatus, and sent this
question to the corral:--
"What do you want?"
A few moments later the needle, moving on the
alphabetic dial, gave this reply to the tenants of Granite House:--
"Come to the corral immediately."
"At last!" exclaimed Harding.
Yes! At last! The mystery was about to be
unveiled. The colonists' fatigue had disappeared before the tremendous inte=
rest
which was about to urge them to the corral, and all wish for rest had cease=
d.
Without having uttered a word, in a few moments they had left Granite House=
, and
were standing on the beach. Jup and Top alone were left behind. They could =
do
without them.
The night was black. The new moon had disappea=
red
at the same time as the sun. As Herbert had observed, great stormy clouds
formed a lowering and heavy vault, preventing any star rays. A few lightning
flashes, reflections from a distant storm, illuminated the horizon.
It was possible that a few hours later the thu=
nder
would roll over the island itself. The night was very threatening.
But however deep the darkness was, it would not
prevent them from finding the familiar road to the corral.
They ascended the left bank of the Mercy, reac=
hed
the plateau, passed the bridge over Creek Glycerine, and advanced through t=
he
forest.
They walked at a good pace, a prey to the
liveliest emotions. There was no doubt but that they were now going to learn
the long-searched-for answer to the enigma, the name of that mysterious bei=
ng,
so deeply concerned in their life, so generous in his influence, so powerfu=
l in
his action! Must not this stranger have indeed mingled with their existence,
have known the smallest details, have heard all that was said in Granite Ho=
use,
to have been able always to act in the very nick of time?
Every one, wrapped up in his own reflections,
pressed forward. Under the arch of trees the darkness was such that even the
edge of the road could not be seen. Not a sound in the forest. Both animals=
and
birds, influenced by the heaviness of the atmosphere, remained motionless a=
nd
silent. Not a breath disturbed the leaves. The footsteps of the colonists a=
lone
resounded on the hardened ground.
During the first quarter of an hour the silence
was only interrupted by this remark from Pencroft:--
"We ought to have brought a torch."<= o:p>
And by this reply from the engineer:--
"We shall find one at the corral."
Harding and his companions had left Granite Ho=
use
at twelve minutes past nine. At forty-seven minutes past nine they had
traversed three out of the five miles which separated the mouth of the Mercy
from the corral.
At that moment sheets of lightning spread over=
the
island and illumined the dark trees. The flashes dazzled and almost blinded
them. Evidently the storm would not be long in bursting forth.
The flashes gradually became brighter and more
rapid. Distant thunder growled in the sky. The atmosphere was stifling.
The colonists proceeded as if they were urged
onwards by some irresistible force.
At ten o'clock a vivid flash showed them the
palisade, and as they reached the gate the storm burst forth with tremendous
fury.
In a minute the corral was crossed, and Harding
stood before the hut.
Probably the house was occupied by the strange=
r,
since it was from thence that the telegram had been sent. However, no light
shone through the window.
The engineer knocked at the door.
No answer.
Cyrus Harding opened the door, and the settlers
entered the room, which was perfectly dark. A light was struck by Neb, and =
in a
few moments the lantern was lighted and the light thrown into every corner =
of
the room.
There was no one there. Everything was in the
state in which it had been left.
"Have we been deceived by an illusion?&qu=
ot;
murmured Cyrus Harding.
No! that was not possible! The telegram had
clearly said,--
"Come to the corral immediately."
They approached the table specially devoted to=
the
use of the wire. Everything was in order--the pile on the box containing it=
, as
well as all the apparatus.
"Who came here the last time?" asked=
the
engineer.
"I did, captain," answered Ayrton.
"And that was--"
"Four days ago."
"Ah! a note!" cried Herbert, pointin=
g to
a paper lying on the table.
On this paper were written these words in
English:--
"Follow the new wire."
"Forward!" cried Harding, who unders=
tood
that the despatch had not been sent from the corral, but from the mysterious
retreat, communicating directly with Granite House by means of a supplement=
ary
wire joined to the old one.
Neb took the lighted lantern, and all left the
corral. The storm then burst forth with tremendous violence. The interval
between each lightning-flash and each thunder-clap diminished rapidly. The
summit of the volcano, with its plume of vapor, could be seen by occasional=
flashes.
There was no telegraphic communication in any =
part
of the corral between the house and the palisade; but the engineer, running
straight to the first post, saw by the light of a flash a new wire hanging =
from
the isolator to the ground.
"There it is!" said he.
This wire lay along the ground, and was surrou=
nded
with an isolating substance like a submarine cable, so as to assure the free
transmission of the current. It appeared to pass through the wood and the
southern spurs of the mountain, and consequently it ran towards the west.
"Follow it!" said Cyrus Harding.
And the settlers immediately pressed forward,
guided by the wire.
The thunder continued to roar with such violen=
ce
that not a word could be heard. However, there was no occasion for speaking,
but to get forward as fast as possible.
Cyrus Harding and his companions then climbed =
the
spur rising between the corral valley and that of Falls River, which they
crossed at its narrowest part. The wire, sometimes stretched over the lower
branches of the trees, sometimes lying on the ground, guided them surely. T=
he engineer
had supposed that the wire would perhaps stop at the bottom of the valley, =
and
that the stranger's retreat would be there.
Nothing of the sort. They were obliged to asce=
nd
the south-western spur, and re-descend on that arid plateau terminated by t=
he
strangely-wild basalt cliff. From time to time one of the colonists stooped
down and felt for the wire with his hands; but there was now no doubt that =
the wire
was running directly towards the sea. There, to a certainty, in the depths =
of
those rocks, was the dwelling so long sought for in vain.
The sky was literally on fire. Flash succeeded
flash. Several struck the summit of the volcano in the midst of the thick
smoke. It appeared there as if the mountain was vomiting flame. At a few
minutes to eleven the colonists arrived on the high cliff overlooking the o=
cean
to the west. The wind had risen. The surf roared 500 feet below.
Harding calculated that they had gone a mile a=
nd a
half from the corral.
At this point the wire entered among the rocks,
following the steep side of a narrow ravine. The settlers followed it at the
risk of occasioning a fall of the slightly-balanced rocks, and being dashed
into the sea. The descent was extremely perilous, but they did not think of=
the
danger; they were no longer masters of themselves, and an irresistible attr=
action
drew them towards this mysterious place as the magnet draws iron.
Thus they almost unconsciously descended this
ravine, which even in broad daylight would have been considered impracticab=
le.
The stones rolled and sparkled like fiery balls
when they crossed through the gleams of light. Harding was first--Ayrton la=
st.
On they went, step by step. Now they slid over the slippery rock; then they=
struggled
to their feet and scrambled on.
At last the wire touched the rocks on the beac=
h.
The colonists had reached the bottom of the basalt cliff.
There appeared a narrow ridge, running
horizontally and parallel with the sea. The settlers followed the wire along
it. They had not gone a hundred paces when the ridge by a moderate incline
sloped down to the level of the sea.
The engineer seized the wire and found that it
disappeared beneath the waves.
His companions were stupefied.
A cry of disappointment, almost a cry of despa=
ir,
escaped them! Must they then plunge beneath the water and seek there for so=
me
submarine cavern? In their excited state they would not have hesitated to do
it.
The engineer stopped them.
He led his companions to a hollow in the rocks,
and there--
"We must wait," said he. "The t=
ide
is high. At low water the way will be open."
"But what can make you think-" asked
Pencroft.
"He would not have called us if the means=
had
been wanting to enable us to reach him!"
Cyrus Harding spoke in a tone of such thorough
conviction that no objection was raised. His remark, besides, was logical. =
It
was quite possible that an opening, practicable at low water, though hidden=
now
by the high tide, opened at the foot of the cliff.
There was some time to wait. The colonists
remained silently crouching in a deep hollow. Rain now began to fall in
torrents. The thunder was re-echoed among the rocks with a grand sonorousne=
ss.
The colonists' emotion was great. A thousand
strange and extraordinary ideas crossed their brains, and they expected some
grand and superhuman apparition, which alone could come up to the notion th=
ey
had formed of the mysterious genius of the island.
At midnight, Harding carrying the lantern,
descended to the beach to reconnoiter.
The engineer was not mistaken. The beginning o=
f an
immense excavation could be seen under the water. There the wire, bending a=
t a
right angle, entered the yawning gulf.
Cyrus Harding returned to his companions, and =
said
simply,--
"In an hour the opening will be
practicable."
"It is there, then?" said Pencroft.<= o:p>
"Did you doubt it?" returned Harding=
.
"But this cavern must be filled with wate=
r to
a certain height," observed Herbert.
"Either the cavern will be completely
dry," replied Harding, "and in that case we can traverse it on fo=
ot,
or it will not be dry, and some means of transport will be put at our
disposal."
An hour passed. All climbed down through the r=
ain
to the level of the sea. There was now eight feet of the opening above the
water. It was like the arch of a bridge, under which rushed the foaming wat=
er.
Leaning forward, the engineer saw a black obje=
ct
floating on the water. He drew it towards him. It was a boat, moored to some
interior projection of the cave. This boat was iron-plated. Two oars lay at=
the
bottom.
"Jump in!" said Harding.
In a moment the settlers were in the boat. Neb=
and
Ayrton took the oars, Pencroft the rudder. Cyrus Harding in the bows, with =
the
lantern, lighted the way.
The elliptical roof, under which the boat at f=
irst
passed, suddenly rose; but the darkness was too deep, and the light of the
lantern too slight, for either the extent, length, height, or depth of the =
cave
to be ascertained. Solemn silence reigned in this basaltic cavern. Not a so=
und
could penetrate into it, even the thunder peals could not pierce its thick
sides.
Such immense caves exist in various parts of t=
he
world, natural crypts dating from the geological epoch of the globe. Some a=
re
filled by the sea; others contain entire lakes in their sides. Such is Fing=
al's
Cave, in the island of Staffa, one of the Hebrides; such are the caves of M=
orgat,
in the bay of Douarnenez, in Brittany, the caves of Bonifacio, in Corsica,
those of Lyse-Fjord, in Norway; such are the immense Mammoth caverns in
Kentucky, 500 feet in height, and more than twenty miles in length! In many
parts of the globe, nature has excavated these caverns, and preserved them =
for
the admiration of man.
Did the cavern which the settlers were now
exploring extend to the center of the island? For a quarter of an hour the =
boat
had been advancing, making detours, indicated to Pencroft by the engineer i=
n short
sentences, when all at once,--
"More to the right!" he commanded.
The boat, altering its course, came up alongsi=
de
the right wall. The engineer wished to see if the wire still ran along the
side.
The wire was there fastened to the rock.
"Forward!" said Harding.
And the two oars, plunging into the dark water=
s,
urged the boat onwards.
On they went for another quarter of an hour, a=
nd a
distance of half-a-mile must have been cleared from the mouth of the cave, =
when
Harding's voice was again heard.
"Stop!" said he.
The boat stopped, and the colonists perceived a
bright light illuminating the vast cavern, so deeply excavated in the bowel=
s of
the island, of which nothing had ever led them to suspect the existence.
At a height of a hundred feet rose the vaulted
roof, supported on basalt shafts. Irregular arches, strange moldings, appea=
red
on the columns erected by nature in thousands from the first epochs of the
formation of the globe. The basalt pillars, fitted one into the other, meas=
ured
from forty to fifty feet in height, and the water, calm in spite of the tum=
ult
outside, washed their base. The brilliant focus of light, pointed out by the
engineer, touched every point of rocks, and flooded the walls with light.
By reflection the water reproduced the brillia=
nt
sparkles, so that the boat appeared to be floating between two glittering
zones. They could not be mistaken in the nature of the irradiation thrown f=
rom
the glowing nucleus, whose clear rays were shattered by all the angles, all=
the
projections of the cavern. This light proceeded from an electric source, and
its white color betrayed its origin. It was the sun of this cave, and it fi=
lled
it entirely.
At a sign from Cyrus Harding the oars again
plunged into the water, causing a regular shower of gems, and the boat was
urged forward towards the light, which was now not more than half a cable's
length distant.
At this place the breadth of the sheet of water
measured nearly 350 feet, and beyond the dazzling center could be seen an
enormous basaltic wall, blocking up any issue on that side. The cavern wide=
ned
here considerably, the sea forming a little lake. But the roof, the side wa=
lls,
the end cliff, all the prisms, all the peaks, were flooded with the electric
fluid, so that the brilliancy belonged to them, and as if the light issued =
from
them.
In the center of the lake a long cigar-shaped =
object
floated on the surface of the water, silent, motionless. The brilliancy whi=
ch
issued from it escaped from its sides as from two kilns heated to a white h=
eat.
This apparatus, similar in shape to an enormous whale, was about 250 feet l=
ong,
and rose about ten or twelve above the water.
The boat slowly approached it, Cyrus Harding s=
tood
up in the bows. He gazed, a prey to violent excitement. Then, all at once,
seizing the reporter's arm,--
"It is he! It can only be he!" he cr=
ied,
"he!--"
Then, falling back on the seat, he murmured a =
name
which Gideon Spilett alone could hear.
The reporter evidently knew this name, for it =
had
a wonderful effect upon him, and he answered in a hoarse voice,--
"He! an outlawed man!"
"He!" said Harding.
At the engineer's command the boat approached =
this
singular floating apparatus. The boat touched the left side, from which esc=
aped
a ray of light through a thick glass.
Harding and his companions mounted on the
platform. An open hatchway was there. All darted down the opening.
At the bottom of the ladder was a deck, lighte=
d by
electricity. At the end of this deck was a door, which Harding opened.
A richly-ornamented room, quickly traversed by=
the
colonists, was joined to a library, over which a luminous ceiling shed a fl=
ood
of light.
At the end of the library a large door, also s=
hut,
was opened by the engineer.
An immense saloon--a sort of museum, in which =
were
heaped up, with all the treasures of the mineral world, works of art, marve=
ls
of industry--appeared before the eyes of the colonists, who almost thought =
themselves
suddenly transported into a land of enchantment.
Stretched on a rich sofa they saw a man, who d=
id
not appear to notice their presence.
Then Harding raised his voice, and to the extr=
eme
surprise of his companions, he uttered these words,--
"Captain Nemo, you asked for us! We are
here.--"
At these words the reclining figure rose, and =
the
electric light fell upon his countenance; a magnificent head, the forehead
high, the glance commanding, beard white, hair abundant and falling over the
shoulders.
His hand rested upon the cushion of the divan =
from
which he had just risen. He appeared perfectly calm. It was evident that his
strength had been gradually undermined by illness, but his voice seemed yet
powerful, as he said in English, and in a tone which evinced extreme
surprise,--
"Sir, I have no name."
"Nevertheless, I know you!" replied
Cyrus Harding.
Captain Nemo fixed his penetrating gaze upon t=
he
engineer, as though he were about to annihilate him.
Then, falling back amid the pillows of the
divan,--
"After all, what matters now?" he
murmured; "I am dying!"
Cyrus Harding drew near the captain, and Gideon
Spilett took his hand--it was of a feverish heat. Ayrton, Pencroft, Herbert,
and Neb stood respectfully apart in an angle of the magnificent saloon, who=
se atmosphere
was saturated with the electric fluid.
Meanwhile Captain Nemo withdrew his hand, and
motioned the engineer and the reporter to be seated.
All regarded him with profound emotion. Before
them they beheld that being whom they had styled the "genius of the
island," the powerful protector whose intervention, in so many
circumstances, had been so efficacious, the benefactor to whom they owed su=
ch a
debt of gratitude! Their eyes beheld a man only, and a man at the point of
death, where Pencroft and Neb had expected to find an almost supernatural
being!
But how happened it that Cyrus Harding had
recognized Captain Nemo? why had the latter so suddenly risen on hearing th=
is
name uttered, a name which he had believed known to none?--
The captain had resumed his position on the di=
van,
and leaning on his arm, he regarded the engineer, seated near him.
"You know the name I formerly bore,
sir?" he asked.
"I do," answered Cyrus Harding,
"and also that of this wonderful submarine vessel--"
"The 'Nautilus'?" said the captain, =
with
a faint smile.
"The 'Nautilus.'"
"But do you--do you know who I am?"<= o:p>
"I do."
"It is nevertheless many years since I ha=
ve
held any communication with the inhabited world; three long years have I pa=
ssed
in the depth of the sea, the only place where I have found liberty! Who then
can have betrayed my secret?"
"A man who was bound to you by no tie, Captain Nemo, and who, consequently, cannot be accused of treachery."<= o:p>
"The Frenchman who was cast on board my
vessel by chance sixteen years since?"
"The same."
"He and his two companions did not then
perish in the maelstrom, in the midst of which the 'Nautilus' was
struggling?"
"They escaped, and a book has appeared un=
der
the title of 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,' which contains your
history."
"The history of a few months only of my
life!" interrupted the captain impetuously.
"It is true," answered Cyrus Harding,
"but a few months of that strange life have sufficed to make you
known."
"As a great criminal, doubtless!" sa=
id
Captain Nemo, a haughty smile curling his lips. "Yes, a rebel, perhaps=
an
outlaw against humanity!"
The engineer was silent.
"Well, sir?"
"It is not for me to judge you, Captain N=
emo,"
answered Cyrus Harding, "at any rate as regards your past life. I am, =
with
the rest of the world, ignorant of the motives which induced you to adopt t=
his
strange mode of existence, and I cannot judge of effects without knowing th=
eir causes;
but what I do know is, that a beneficent hand has constantly protected us s=
ince
our arrival on Lincoln Island, that we all owe our lives to a good, generou=
s,
and powerful being, and that this being so powerful, good and generous, Cap=
tain
Nemo, is yourself!"
"It is I," answered the captain simp=
ly.
The engineer and the reporter rose. Their
companions had drawn near, and the gratitude with which their hearts were
charged was about to express itself in their gestures and words.
Captain Nemo stopped them by a sign, and in a
voice which betrayed more emotion than he doubtless intended to show.
"Wait till you have heard all," he s=
aid.
And the captain, in a few concise sentences, r=
an
over the events of his life.
His narrative was short, yet he was obliged to
summon up his whole remaining energy to arrive at the end. He was evidently
contending against extreme weakness. Several times Cyrus Harding entreated =
him
to repose for a while, but he shook his head as a man to whom the morrow may
never come, and when the reporter offered his assistance,--
"It is useless," he said; "my h=
ours
are numbered."
Captain Nemo was an Indian, the Prince Dakkar,=
son
of a rajah of the then independent territory of Bundelkund. His father sent
him, when ten years of age, to Europe, in order that he might receive an
education in all respects complete, and in the hopes that by his talents an=
d knowledge
he might one day take a leading part in raising his long degraded and heath=
en
country to a level with the nations of Europe.
From the age of ten years to that of thirty Pr=
ince
Dakkar, endowed by Nature with her richest gifts of intellect, accumulated
knowledge of every kind, and in science, literature, and art his researches
were extensive and profound.
He traveled over the whole of Europe. His rank=
and
fortune caused him to be everywhere sought after; but the pleasures of the
world had for him no attractions. Though young and possessed of every perso=
nal
advantage, he was ever grave--somber even--devoured by an unquenchable thir=
st
for knowledge, and cherishing in the recesses of his heart the hope that he
might become a great and powerful ruler of a free and enlightened people.
Still, for long the love of science triumphed =
over
all other feelings. He became an artist deeply impressed by the marvels of =
art,
a philosopher to whom no one of the higher sciences was unknown, a statesman
versed in the policy of European courts. To the eyes of those who observed =
him
superficially he might have passed for one of those cosmopolitans, curious =
of
knowledge, but disdaining action; one of those opulent travelers, haughty a=
nd
cynical, who move incessantly from place to place, and are of no country.
The history of Captain Nemo has, in fact, been
published under the title of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.&q=
uot;
Here, therefore, will apply the observation already made as to the adventur=
es
of Ayrton with regard to the discrepancy of dates. Readers should therefore
refer to the note already published on this point.
This artist, this philosopher, this man was, h=
owever,
still cherishing the hope instilled into him from his earliest days.
Prince Dakkar returned to Bundelkund in the ye=
ar
1849. He married a noble Indian lady, who was imbued with an ambition not l=
ess
ardent than that by which he was inspired. Two children were born to them, =
whom
they tenderly loved. But domestic happiness did not prevent him from seekin=
g to
carry out the object at which he aimed. He waited an opportunity. At length=
, as
he vainly fancied, it presented itself.
Instigated by princes equally ambitious and le=
ss
sagacious and more unscrupulous than he was, the people of India were persu=
aded
that they might successfully rise against their English rulers, who had bro=
ught
them out of a state of anarchy and constant warfare and misery, and had est=
ablished
peace and prosperity in their country. Their ignorance and gross superstiti=
on
made them the facile tools of their designing chiefs.
In 1857 the great sepoy revolt broke out. Prin=
ce
Dakkar, under the belief that he should thereby have the opportunity of
attaining the object of his long-cherished ambition, was easily drawn into =
it.
He forthwith devoted his talents and wealth to the service of this cause. He
aided it in person; he fought in the front ranks; he risked his life equally
with the humblest of the wretched and misguided fanatics; he was ten times
wounded in twenty engagements, seeking death but finding it not, but at len=
gth
the sanguinary rebels were utterly defeated, and the atrocious mutiny was
brought to an end.
Never before had the British power in India be=
en
exposed to such danger, and if, as they had hoped, the sepoys had received
assistance from without, the influence and supremacy in Asia of the United
Kingdom would have been a thing of the past.
The name of Prince Dakkar was at that time well
known. He had fought openly and without concealment. A price was set upon h=
is
head, but he managed to escape from his pursuers.
Civilization never recedes; the law of necessi=
ty
ever forces it onwards. The sepoys were vanquished, and the land of the raj=
ahs
of old fell again under the rule of England.
Prince Dakkar, unable to find that death he
courted, returned to the mountain fastnesses of Bundelkund. There, alone in=
the
world, overcome by disappointment at the destruction of all his vain hopes,=
a
prey to profound disgust for all human beings, filled with hatred of the ci=
vilized
world, he realized the wreck of his fortune, assembled some score of his mo=
st
faithful companions, and one day disappeared, leaving no trace behind.
Where, then, did he seek that liberty denied h=
im
upon the inhabited earth? Under the waves, in the depths of the ocean, where
none could follow.
The warrior became the man of science. Upon a
deserted island of the Pacific he established his dockyard, and there a
submarine vessel was constructed from his designs. By methods which will at
some future day be revealed he had rendered subservient the illimitable for=
ces
of electricity, which, extracted from inexhaustible sources, was employed f=
or
all the requirements of his floating equipage, as a moving, lighting, and
heating agent. The sea, with its countless treasures, its myriads of fish, =
its
numberless wrecks, its enormous mammalia, and not only all that nature
supplied, but also all that man had lost in its depths, sufficed for every =
want
of the prince and his crew--and thus was his most ardent desire accomplishe=
d,
never again to hold communication with the earth. He named his submarine ve=
ssel
the "Nautilus," called himself simply Captain Nemo, and disappear=
ed
beneath the seas.
During many years this strange being visited e=
very
ocean, from pole to pole. Outcast of the inhabited earth in these unknown
worlds he gathered incalculable treasures. The millions lost in the Bay of
Vigo, in 1702, by the galleons of Spain, furnished him with a mine of
inexhaustible riches which he devoted always, anonymously, in favor of those
nations who fought for the independence of their country.
(This
refers to the resurrection of the Candiotes, who were, in fact, largely assisted by Captain Nemo=
.)
For long, however, he had held no communication
with his fellow-creatures, when, during the night of the 6th of November, 1=
866,
three men were cast on board his vessel. They were a French professor, his
servant, and a Canadian fisherman. These three men had been hurled overboar=
d by
a collision which had taken place between the "Nautilus" and the
United States frigate "Abraham Lincoln," which had chased her.
Captain Nemo learned from this professor that =
the
"Nautilus," taken now for a gigantic mammal of the whale species,=
now
for a submarine vessel carrying a crew of pirates, was sought for in every =
sea.
He might have returned these three men to the
ocean, from whence chance had brought them in contact with his mysterious
existence. Instead of doing this he kept them prisoners, and during seven
months they were enabled to behold all the wonders of a voyage of twenty
thousand leagues under the sea.
One day, the 22nd of June, 1867, these three m=
en,
who knew nothing of the past history of Captain Nemo, succeeded in escaping=
in
one of the "Nautilus's" boats. But as at this time the
"Nautilus" was drawn into the vortex of the maelstrom, off the co=
ast
of Norway, the captain naturally believed that the fugitives, engulfed in t=
hat
frightful whirlpool, found their death at the bottom of the abyss. He was
unaware that the Frenchman and his two companions had been miraculously cas=
t on
shore, that the fishermen of the Lofoten Islands had rendered them assistan=
ce,
and that the professor, on his return to France, had published that work in
which seven months of the strange and eventful navigation of the
"Nautilus" were narrated and exposed to the curiosity of the publ=
ic.
For a long time after this, Captain Nemo conti=
nued
to live thus, traversing every sea. But one by one his companions died, and
found their last resting-place in their cemetery of coral, in the bed of th=
e Pacific.
At last Captain Nemo remained the solitary survivor of all those who had ta=
ken
refuge with him in the depths of the ocean.
He was now sixty years of age. Although alone,=
he
succeeded in navigating the "Nautilus" towards one of those subma=
rine
caverns which had sometimes served him as a harbor.
One of these ports was hollowed beneath Lincoln
Island, and at this moment furnished an asylum to the "Nautilus."=
The captain had now remained there six years,
navigating the ocean no longer, but awaiting death, and that moment when he
should rejoin his former companions, when by chance he observed the descent=
of
the balloon which carried the prisoners of the Confederates. Clad in his di=
ving
dress he was walking beneath the water at a few cables' length from the sho=
re
of the island, when the engineer had been thrown into the sea. Moved by a
feeling of compassion the captain saved Cyrus Harding.
His first impulse was to fly from the vicinity=
of
the five castaways; but his harbor refuge was closed, for in consequence of=
an
elevation of the basalt, produced by the influence of volcanic action, he c=
ould
no longer pass through the entrance of the vault. Though there was sufficie=
nt
depth of water to allow a light craft to pass the bar, there was not enough=
for
the "Nautilus," whose draught of water was considerable.
Captain Nemo was compelled, therefore, to rema=
in.
He observed these men thrown without resources upon a desert island, but ha=
d no
wish to be himself discovered by them. By degrees he became interested in t=
heir
efforts when he saw them honest, energetic, and bound to each other by the =
ties
of friendship. As if despite his wishes, he penetrated all the secrets of t=
heir
existence. By means of the diving dress he could easily reach the well in t=
he
interior of Granite House, and climbing by the projections of rock to its u=
pper
orifice he heard the colonists as they recounted the past, and studied the
present and future. He learned from them the tremendous conflict of America
with America itself, for the abolition of slavery. Yes, these men were wort=
hy
to reconcile Captain Nemo with that humanity which they represented so nobl=
y in
the island.
Captain Nemo had saved Cyrus Harding. It was he also who had brought back the dog to the Chimneys, who rescued Top from the waters of the lake, who caused to fall at Flotsam Point the case containing= so many things useful to the colonists, who conveyed the canoe back into the s= tream of the Mercy, who cast the cord from the top of Granite House at the time of the attack by the baboons, who made known the presence of Ayrton upon Tabor Island, by means of the document enclosed in the bottle, who caused the explosion of the brig by the shock of a torpedo placed at the bottom of the canal, who saved Herbert from certain death by bringing the sulphate of quinine; and finally, it was he who had killed the convicts with the electr= ic balls, of which he possessed the secret, and which he employed in the chase= of submarine creatures. Thus were explained so many apparently supernatural occurrences, and which all proved the generosity and power of the captain.<= o:p>
Nevertheless, this noble misanthrope longed to
benefit his proteges still further. There yet remained much useful advice to
give them, and, his heart being softened by the approach of death, he invit=
ed,
as we are aware, the colonists of Granite House to visit the
"Nautilus," by means of a wire which connected it with the corral.
Possibly he would not have done this had he been aware that Cyrus Harding w=
as
sufficiently acquainted with his history to address him by the name of Nemo=
.
The captain concluded the narrative of his lif=
e.
Cyrus Harding then spoke; he recalled all the incidents which had exercised=
so
beneficent an influence upon the colony, and in the names of his companions=
and
himself thanked the generous being to whom they owed so much.
But Captain Nemo paid little attention; his mi=
nd
appeared to be absorbed by one idea, and without taking the proffered hand =
of
the engineer,--
"Now, sir," said he, "now that =
you
know my history, your judgment!"
In saying this, the captain evidently alluded =
to
an important incident witnessed by the three strangers thrown on board his
vessel, and which the French professor had related in his work, causing a
profound and terrible sensation. Some days previous to the flight of the
professor and his two companions, the "Nautilus," being chased by=
a
frigate in the north of the Atlantic had hurled herself as a ram upon this
frigate, and sunk her without mercy.
Cyrus Harding understood the captain's allusio=
n,
and was silent.
"It was an enemy's frigate," exclaim=
ed
Captain Nemo, transformed for an instant into the Prince Dakkar, "an
enemy's frigate! It was she who attacked me--I was in a narrow and shallow
bay--the frigate barred my way--and I sank her!"
A few moments of silence ensued; then the capt=
ain
demanded,--
"What think you of my life, gentlemen?&qu=
ot;
Cyrus Harding extended his hand to the ci-deva=
nt
prince and replied gravely, "Sir, your error was in supposing that the
past can be resuscitated, and in contending against inevitable progress. It=
is
one of those errors which some admire, others blame; which God alone can ju=
dge.
He who is mistaken in an action which he sincerely believes to be right may=
be
an enemy, but retains our esteem. Your error is one that we may admire, and
your name has nothing to fear from the judgment of history, which does not
condemn heroic folly, but its results."
The old man's breast swelled with emotion, and
raising his hand to heaven,--
"Was I wrong, or in the right?" he
murmured.
Cyrus Harding replied, "All great actions
return to God, from whom they are derived. Captain Nemo, we, whom you have
succored, shall ever mourn your loss."
Herbert, who had drawn near the captain, fell =
on
his knees and kissed his hand.
A tear glistened in the eyes of the dying man.
"My child," he said, "may God bless you!"
Day had returned. No ray of light penetrated i=
nto
the profundity of the cavern. It being high-water, the entrance was closed =
by
the sea. But the artificial light, which escaped in long streams from the
skylights of the "Nautilus" was as vivid as before, and the sheet=
of
water shone around the floating vessel.
An extreme exhaustion now overcame Captain Nem=
o,
who had fallen back upon the divan. It was useless to contemplate removing =
him
to Granite House, for he had expressed his wish to remain in the midst of t=
hose
marvels of the "Nautilus" which millions could not have purchased,
and to wait there for that death which was swiftly approaching.
During a long interval of prostration, which
rendered him almost unconscious, Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett attentive=
ly
observed the condition of the dying man. It was apparent that his strength =
was gradually
diminishing. That frame, once so robust, was now but the fragile tenement o=
f a
departing soul. All of life was concentrated in the heart and head.
The engineer and reporter consulted in whisper=
s.
Was it possible to render any aid to the dying man? Might his life, if not
saved, be prolonged for some days? He himself had said that no remedy could=
avail,
and he awaited with tranquillity that death which had for him no terrors.
"We can do nothing," said Gideon
Spilett.
"But of what is he dying?" asked
Pencroft.
"Life is simply fading out," replied=
the
reporter.
"Nevertheless," said the sailor,
"if we move him into the open air, and the light of the sun, he might
perhaps recover."
"No, Pencroft," answered the enginee=
r,
"it is useless to attempt it. Besides, Captain Nemo would never consen=
t to
leave his vessel. He has lived for a dozen years on board the 'Nautilus,' a=
nd
on board the 'Nautilus' he desires to die."
Without doubt Captain Nemo heard Cyrus Harding=
's
reply, for he raised himself slightly, and in a voice more feeble, but alwa=
ys
intelligible,--
"You are right, sir," he said. "=
;I
shall die here--it is my wish; and therefore I have a request to make of
you."
Cyrus Harding and his companions had drawn near
the divan, and now arranged the cushions in such a manner as to better supp=
ort
the dying man.
They saw his eyes wander over all the marvels =
of
this saloon, lighted by the electric rays which fell from the arabesques of=
the
luminous ceiling. He surveyed, one after the other, the pictures hanging fr=
om the
splendid tapestries of the partitions, the chef-d'oeuvres of the Italian,
Flemish, French, and Spanish masters; the statues of marble and bronze on t=
heir
pedestals; the magnificent organ, leaning against the after-partition; the
aquarium, in which bloomed the most wonderful productions of the sea--marine
plants, zoophytes, chaplets of pearls of inestimable value; and, finally, h=
is
eyes rested on this device, inscribed over the pediment of the museum--the
motto of the "Nautilus"--
"=
;Mobilis
in mobile."
His g=
lance
seemed to rest fondly for the last time on these masterpieces of art and of
nature, to which he had limited his horizon during a sojourn of so many yea=
rs
in the abysses of the seas.
Cyrus Harding respected the captain's silence,=
and
waited till he should speak.
After some minutes, during which, doubtless, he
passed in review his whole life, Captain Nemo turned to the colonists and s=
aid,
"You consider yourselves, gentlemen, under
some obligations to me?"
"Captain, believe us that we would give o=
ur
lives to prolong yours."
"Promise, then," continued Captain N=
emo,
"to carry out my last wishes, and I shall be repaid for all I have done
for you."
"We promise," said Cyrus Harding.
And by this promise he bound both himself and =
his
companions.
"Gentlemen," resumed the captain,
"to-morrow I shall be dead."
Herbert was about to utter an exclamation, but=
a
sign from the captain arrested him.
"To-morrow I shall die, and I desire no o=
ther
tomb than the 'Nautilus.' It is my grave! All my friends repose in the dept=
hs
of the ocean; their resting-place shall be mine."
These words were received with profound silenc=
e.
"Pay attention to my wishes," he
continued. "The 'Nautilus' is imprisoned in this grotto, the entrance =
of
which is blocked up; but, although egress is impossible, the vessel may at
least sink in the abyss, and there bury my remains."
The colonists listened reverently to the words=
of
the dying man.
"To-morrow, after my death, Mr. Harding,&=
quot;
continued the captain, "yourself and companions will leave the 'Nautil=
us,'
for all the treasures it contains must perish with me. One token alone will
remain with you of Prince Dakkar, with whose history you are now acquainted=
. That
coffer yonder contains diamonds of the value of many millions, most of them
mementoes of the time when, husband and father, I thought happiness possible
for me, and a collection of pearls gathered by my friends and myself in the
depths of the ocean. Of this treasure at a future day, you may make good us=
e.
In the hands of such men as yourself and your comrades, Captain Harding, mo=
ney
will never be a source of danger. From on high I shall still participate in
your enterprises, and I fear not but that they will prosper."
After a few moments' repose, necessitated by h=
is
extreme weakness, Captain Nemo continued,--
"To-morrow you will take the coffer, you =
will
leave the saloon, of which you will close the door; then you will ascend on=
to
the deck of the 'Nautilus,' and you will lower the mainhatch so as entirely=
to
close the vessel."
"It shall be done, captain," answered
Cyrus Harding.
"Good. You will then embark in the canoe
which brought you hither; but, before leaving the 'Nautilus,' go to the ste=
rn
and there open two large stop-cocks which you will find upon the water-line.
The water will penetrate into the reservoirs, and the 'Nautilus' will gradu=
ally
sink beneath the water to repose at the bottom of the abyss."
And comprehending a gesture of Cyrus Harding, =
the
captain added,--
"Fear nothing! You will but bury a
corpse!"
Neither Cyrus Harding nor his companions ventu=
red
to offer any observation to Captain Nemo. He had expressed his last wishes,=
and
they had nothing to do but to conform to them.
"I have your promise, gentlemen?" ad=
ded
Captain Nemo.
"You have, captain," replied the
engineer.
The captain thanked the colonists by a sign, a=
nd
requested them to leave him for some hours. Gideon Spilett wished to remain
near him, in the event of a crisis coming on, but the dying man refused,
saying, "I shall live until to-morrow, sir."
All left the saloon, passed through the library
and the dining-room, and arrived forward, in the machine-room where the
electrical apparatus was established, which supplied not only heat and ligh=
t, but
the mechanical power of the "Nautilus."
The "Nautilus" was a masterpiece
containing masterpieces within itself, and the engineer was struck with
astonishment.
The colonists mounted the platform, which rose
seven or eight feet above the water. There they beheld a thick glass lentic=
ular
covering, which protected a kind of large eye, from which flashed forth lig=
ht.
Behind this eye was apparently a cabin containing the wheels of the rudder,=
and
in which was stationed the helmsman, when he navigated the "Nautilus&q=
uot;
over the bed of the ocean, which the electric rays would evidently light up=
to
a considerable distance.
Cyrus Harding and his companions remained for a
time silent, for they were vividly impressed by what they had just seen and
heard, and their hearts were deeply touched by the thought that he whose arm
had so often aided them, the protector whom they had known but a few hours,=
was
at the point of death.
Whatever might be the judgment pronounced by
posterity upon the events of this, so to speak, extra-human existence, the
character of Prince Dakkar would ever remain as one of those whose memory t=
ime
can never efface.
"What a man!" said Pencroft. "I=
s it
possible that he can have lived at the bottom of the sea? And it seems to me
that perhaps he has not found peace there any more than elsewhere!"
"The 'Nautilus,'" observed Ayrton,
"might have enabled us to leave Lincoln Island and reach some inhabited
country."
"Good Heavens!" exclaimed Pencroft,
"I for one would never risk myself in such a craft. To sail on the sea=
s,
good, but under the seas, never!"
"I believe, Pencroft," answered the
reporter, "that the navigation of a submarine vessel such as the
'Nautilus' ought to be very easy, and that we should soon become accustomed=
to
it. There would be no storms, no lee-shore to fear. At some feet beneath the
surface the waters of the ocean are as calm as those of a lake."
"That may be," replied the sailor,
"but I prefer a gale of wind on board a well-found craft. A vessel is
built to sail on the sea, and not beneath it."
"My friends," said the engineer,
"it is useless, at any rate as regards the 'Nautilus,' to discuss the
question of submarine vessels. The 'Nautilus' is not ours, and we have not =
the
right to dispose of it. Moreover, we could in no case avail ourselves of it.
Independently of the fact that it would be impossible to get it out of this
cavern, whose entrance is now closed by the uprising of the basaltic rocks,
Captain Nemo's wish is that it shall be buried with him. His wish is our la=
w, and
we will fulfil it."
After a somewhat prolonged conversation, Cyrus
Harding and his companions again descended to the interior of the
"Nautilus." There they took some refreshment and returned to the
saloon.
Captain Nemo had somewhat rallied from the pro=
stration
which had overcome him, and his eyes shone with their wonted fire. A faint
smile even curled his lips.
The colonists drew around him.
"Gentlemen," said the captain, "=
;you
are brave and honest men. You have devoted yourselves to the common weal. O=
ften
have I observed your conduct. I have esteemed you--I esteem you still! Your
hand, Mr. Harding."
Cyrus Harding gave his hand to the captain, who
clasped it affectionately.
"It is well!" he murmured.
He resumed,--
"But enough of myself. I have to speak
concerning yourselves, and this Lincoln Island, upon which you have taken
refuge. You now desire to leave it?"
"To return, captain!" answered Pencr=
oft
quickly.
"To return, Pencroft?" said the capt=
ain,
with a smile. "I know, it is true, your love for this island. You have
helped to make it what it now is, and it seems to you a paradise!"
"Our project, captain," interposed C= yrus Harding, "is to annex it to the United States, and to establish for our shipping a port so fortunately situated in this part of the Pacific."<= o:p>
"Your thoughts are with your country,
gentlemen," continued the captain; "your toils are for her prospe=
rity
and glory. You are right. One's native land!--there should one live! there =
die!
And I die far from all I loved!"
"You have some last wish to transmit,&quo=
t;
said the engineer with emotion, "some souvenir to send to those friends
you have left in the mountains of India?"
"No, Captain Harding; no friends remain to
me! I am the last of my race, and to all whom I have known I have long been=
as
are the dead.--But to return to yourselves. Solitude, isolation, are painful
things, and beyond human endurance. I die of having thought it possible to =
live
alone! You should, therefore, dare all in the attempt to leave Lincoln Isla=
nd,
and see once more the land of your birth. I am aware that those wretches ha=
ve
destroyed the vessel you have built."
"We propose to construct a vessel," =
said
Gideon Spilett, "sufficiently large to convey us to the nearest land; =
but
if we should succeed, sooner or later we shall return to Lincoln Island. We=
are
attached to it by too many recollections ever to forget it."
"It is here that we have known Captain
Nemo," said Cyrus Harding.
"It is here only that we can make our
home!" added Herbert.
"And here shall I sleep the sleep of
eternity, if--" replied the captain.
He paused for a moment, and, instead of comple=
ting
the sentence, said simply,--
"Mr. Harding, I wish to speak with
you--alone!"
The engineer's companions, respecting the wish,
retired.
Cyrus Harding remained but a few minutes alone
with Captain Nemo, and soon recalled his companions; but he said nothing to
them of the private matters which the dying man had confided to him.
Gideon Spilett now watched the captain with
extreme care. It was evident that he was no longer sustained by his moral
energy, which had lost the power of reaction against his physical weakness.=
The day closed without change. The colonists d=
id
not quit the "Nautilus" for a moment. Night arrived, although it =
was
impossible to distinguish it from day in the cavern.
Captain Nemo suffered no pain, but he was visi=
bly
sinking. His noble features, paled by the approach of death, were perfectly
calm. Inaudible words escaped at intervals from his lips, bearing upon vari=
ous
incidents of his checkered career. Life was evidently ebbing slowly and his=
extremities
were already cold.
Once or twice more he spoke to the colonists w=
ho
stood around him, and smiled on them with that last smile which continues a=
fter
death.
At length, shortly after midnight, Captain Nem=
o by
a supreme effort succeeded in folding his arms across his breast, as if wis=
hing
in that attitude to compose himself for death.
By one o'clock his glance alone showed signs of
life. A dying light gleamed in those eyes once so brilliant. Then, murmuring
the words, "God and my country!" he quietly expired.
Cyrus Harding, bending low closed the eyes of =
him
who had once been the Prince Dakkar, and was now not even Captain Nemo.
Herbert and Pencroft sobbed aloud. Tears fell =
from
Ayrton's eyes. Neb was on his knees by the reporter's side, motionless as a
statue.
Then Cyrus Harding, extending his hand over the
forehead of the dead, said solemnly, "May his soul be with God!"
Turning to his friends, he added, "Let us pray for him whom we have lo=
st!"
Some =
hours
later the colonists fulfilled the promise made to the captain by carrying o=
ut
his dying wishes.
Cyrus Harding and his companions quitted the
"Nautilus," taking with them the only memento left them by their
benefactor, the coffer which contained wealth amounting to millions.
The marvelous saloon, still flooded with light,
had been carefully closed. The iron door leading on deck was then securely
fastened in such a manner as to prevent even a drop of water from penetrati=
ng
to the interior of the "Nautilus."
The colonists then descended into the canoe, w=
hich
was moored to the side of the submarine vessel.
The canoe was now brought around to the stern.
There, at the water-line, were two large stop-cocks communicating with the
reservoirs employed in the submersion of the vessel.
The stop-cocks were opened, the reservoirs fil=
led,
and the "Nautilus," slowly sinking, disappeared beneath the surfa=
ce
of the lake.
But the colonists were yet able to follow its
descent through the waves. The powerful light it gave forth lighted up the
translucent water, while the cavern became gradually obscure. At length this
vast effusion of electric light faded away, and soon after the
"Nautilus," now the tomb of Captain Nemo, reposed in its ocean be=
d.
At br=
eak of
day the colonists regained in silence the entrance of the cavern, to which =
they
gave the name of "Dakkar Grotto," in memory of Captain Nemo. It w=
as
now low-water, and they passed without difficulty under the arcade, washed =
on
the right by the sea.
The canoe was left here, carefully protected f=
rom
the waves. As additional precaution, Pencroft, Neb, and Ayrton drew it up o=
n a
little beach which bordered one of the sides of the grotto, in a spot where=
it could
run no risk of harm.
The storm had ceased during the night. The last
low mutterings of the thunder died away in the west. Rain fell no longer, b=
ut
the sky was yet obscured by clouds. On the whole, this month of October, the
first of the southern spring, was not ushered in by satisfactory tokens, and
the wind had a tendency to shift from one point of the compass to another, =
which
rendered it impossible to count upon settled weather.
Cyrus Harding and his companions, on leaving
Dakkar Grotto, had taken the road to the corral. On their way Neb and Herbe=
rt
were careful to preserve the wire which had been laid down by the captain
between the corral and the grotto, and which might at a future time be of
service.
The colonists spoke but little on the road. The
various incidents of the night of October 15th had left a profound impressi=
on
on their minds. The unknown being whose influence had so effectually protec=
ted
them, the man whom their imagination had endowed with supernatural powers,
Captain Nemo, was no more. His "Nautilus" and he were buried in t=
he
depths of the abyss. To each one of them their existence seemed even more
isolated than before. They had been accustomed to count upon the interventi=
on
of that power which existed no longer, and Gideon Spilett, and even Cyrus H=
arding,
could not escape this impression. Thus they maintained a profound silence
during their journey to the corral.
Towards nine in the morning the colonists arri=
ved
at Granite House.
It had been agreed that the construction of the
vessel should be actively pushed forward, and Cyrus Harding more than ever
devoted his time and labor to this object. It was impossible to divine what
future lay before them. Evidently the advantage to the colonists would be g=
reat
of having at their disposal a substantial vessel, capable of keeping the sea
even in heavy weather, and large enough to attempt, in case of need, a voya=
ge
of some duration. Even if, when their vessel should be completed, the colon=
ists
should not resolve to leave Lincoln Island as yet, in order to gain either =
one
of the Polynesian Archipelagoes of the Pacific or the shores of New Zealand,
they might at least, sooner or later, proceed to Tabor Island, to leave the=
re
the notice relating to Ayrton. This was a precaution rendered indispensable=
by
the possibility of the Scotch yacht reappearing in those seas, and it was of
the highest importance that nothing should be neglected on this point.
The works were then resumed. Cyrus Harding,
Pencroft, and Ayrton, assisted by Neb, Gideon Spilett, and Herbert, except =
when
unavoidably called off by other necessary occupations, worked without
cessation. It was important that the new vessel should be ready in five
months--that is to say, by the beginning of March--if they wished to visit
Tabor Island before the equinoctial gales rendered the voyage impracticable=
. Therefore
the carpenters lost not a moment. Moreover, it was unnecessary to manufactu=
re
rigging, that of the "Speedy" having been saved entire, so that t=
he
hull only of the vessel needed to be constructed.
The end of the year 1868 found them occupied by
these important labors, to the exclusion of almost all others. At the
expiration of two months and a half the ribs had been set up and the first
planks adjusted. It was already evident that the plans made by Cyrus Harding
were admirable, and that the vessel would behave well at sea.
Pencroft brought to the task a devouring energ=
y,
and would even grumble when one or the other abandoned the carpenter's axe =
for
the gun of the hunter. It was nevertheless necessary to keep up the stores =
of
Granite House, in view of the approaching winter. But this did not satisfy =
Pencroft.
The brave, honest sailor was not content when the workmen were not at the
dockyard. When this happened he grumbled vigorously, and, by way of venting=
his
feelings, did the work of six men.
The weather was very unfavorable during the wh=
ole
of the summer season. For some days the heat was overpowering, and the
atmosphere, saturated with electricity, was only cleared by violent storms.=
It
was rarely that the distant growling of the thunder could not be heard, lik=
e a
low but incessant murmur, such as is produced in the equatorial regions of =
the globe.
The 1st of January, 1869, was signalized by a
storm of extreme violence, and the thunder burst several times over the isl=
and.
Large trees were struck by the electric fluid and shattered, and among othe=
rs
one of those gigantic nettle-trees which had shaded the poultry-yard at the=
southern
extremity of the lake. Had this meteor any relation to the phenomena going =
on
in the bowels of the earth? Was there any connection between the commotion =
of
the atmosphere and that of the interior of the earth? Cyrus Harding was
inclined to think that such was the case, for the development of these stor=
ms
was attended by the renewal of volcanic symptoms.
It was on the 3rd of January that Herbert, hav=
ing
ascended at daybreak to the plateau of Prospect Heights to harness one of t=
he
onagers, perceived an enormous hat-shaped cloud rolling from the summit of =
the volcano.
Herbert immediately apprised the colonists, wh=
o at
once joined him in watching the summit of Mount Franklin.
"Ah!" exclaimed Pencroft, "those
are not vapors this time! It seems to me that the giant is not content with
breathing; he must smoke!"
This figure of speech employed by the sailor
exactly expressed the changes going on at the mouth of the volcano. Already=
for
three months had the crater emitted vapors more or less dense, but which we=
re
as yet produced only by an internal ebullition of mineral substances. But n=
ow
the vapors were replaced by a thick smoke, rising in the form of a grayish
column, more than three hundred feet in width at its base, and which spread
like an immense mushroom to a height of from seven to eight hundred feet ab=
ove
the summit of the mountain.
"The fire is in the chimney," observ=
ed
Gideon Spilett.
"And we can't put it out!" replied
Herbert.
"The volcano ought to be swept,"
observed Neb, who spoke as if perfectly serious.
"Well said, Neb!" cried Pencroft, wi=
th a
shout of laughter; "and you'll undertake the job, no doubt?"
Cyrus Harding attentively observed the dense s=
moke
emitted by Mount Franklin, and even listened, as if expecting to hear some
distant muttering. Then, turning towards his companions, from whom he had g=
one somewhat
apart, he said,--
"The truth is, my friends, we must not
conceal from ourselves that an important change is going forward. The volca=
nic
substances are no longer in a state of ebullition, they have caught fire, a=
nd
we are undoubtedly menaced by an approaching eruption."
"Well, captain," said Pencroft, &quo=
t;we
shall witness the eruption; and if it is a good one, we'll applaud it. I do=
n't
see that we need concern ourselves further about the matter."
"It may be so," replied Cyrus Hardin=
g,
"for the ancient track of the lava is still open; and thanks to this, =
the
crater has hitherto overflowed towards the north. And yet--"
"And yet, as we can derive no advantage f=
rom
an eruption, it might be better it should not take place," said the
reporter.
"Who knows?" answered the sailor.
"Perhaps there may be some valuable substance in this volcano, which it
will spout forth, and which we may turn to good account!"
Cyrus Harding shook his head with the air of a=
man
who augured no good from the phenomenon whose development had been so sudde=
n. He
did not regard so lightly as Pencroft the results of an eruption. If the la=
va, in
consequence of the position of the crater, did not directly menace the wood=
ed
and cultivated parts of the island, other complications might present
themselves. In fact, eruptions are not unfrequently accompanied by earthqua=
kes;
and an island of the nature of Lincoln Island, formed of substances so vari=
ed,
basalt on one side, granite on the other, lava on the north, rich soil on t=
he
south, substances which consequently could not be firmly attached to each
other, would be exposed to the risk of disintegration. Although, therefore,=
the
spreading of the volcanic matter might not constitute a serious danger, any
movement of the terrestrial structure which should shake the island might
entail the gravest consequences.
"It seems to me," said Ayrton, who h=
ad
reclined so as to place his ear to the ground, "it seems to me that I =
can
hear a dull, rumbling sound, like that of a wagon loaded with bars of
iron."
The colonists listened with the greatest
attention, and were convinced that Ayrton was not mistaken. The rumbling was
mingled with a subterranean roar, which formed a sort of rinforzando, and d=
ied
slowly away, as if some violent storm had passed through the profundities o=
f the
globe. But no explosion properly so termed, could be heard. It might theref=
ore
be concluded that the vapors and smoke found a free passage through the cen=
tral
shaft; and that the safety-valve being sufficiently large, no convulsion wo=
uld
be produced, no explosion was to be apprehended.
"Well, then!" said Pencroft, "a=
re
we not going back to work? Let Mount Franklin smoke, groan, bellow, or spout
forth fire and flame as much as it pleases, that is no reason why we should=
be
idle! Come, Ayrton, Neb, Herbert, Captain Harding, Mr. Spilett, every one o=
f us
must turn to at our work to-day! We are going to place the keelson, and a d=
ozen
pair of hands would not be too many. Before two months I want our new 'Bona=
dventure'--for
we shall keep the old name, shall we not?--to float on the waters of Port
Balloon! Therefore there is not an hour to lose!"
All the colonists, their services thus
requisitioned by Pencroft, descended to the dockyard, and proceeded to place
the keelson, a thick mass of wood which forms the lower portion of a ship a=
nd
unites firmly the timbers of the hull. It was an arduous undertaking, in wh=
ich
all took part.
They continued their labors during the whole of
this day, the 3rd of January, without thinking further of the volcano, which
could not, besides, be seen from the shore of Granite House. But once or tw=
ice,
large shadows, veiling the sun, which described its diurnal arc through an
extremely clear sky, indicated that a thick cloud of smoke passed between i=
ts
disc and the island. The wind, blowing on the shore, carried all these vapo=
rs
to the westward. Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett remarked these somber
appearances, and from time to time discussed the evident progress of the
volcanic phenomena, but their work went on without interruption. It was, be=
sides,
of the first importance from every point of view, that the vessel should be
finished with the least possible delay. In presence of the eventualities wh=
ich
might arise, the safety of the colonists would be to a great extent secured=
by
their ship. Who could tell that it might not prove some day their only refu=
ge?
In the evening, after supper, Cyrus Harding,
Gideon Spilett, and Herbert again ascended the plateau of Prospect Heights.=
It
was already dark, and the obscurity would permit them to ascertain if flame=
s or
incandescent matter thrown up by the volcano were mingled with the vapor and
smoke accumulated at the mouth of the crater.
"The crater is on fire!" said Herber=
t,
who, more active than his companion, first reached the plateau.
Mount Franklin, distant about six miles, now
appeared like a gigantic torch, around the summit of which turned fuliginous
flames. So much smoke, and possibly scoriae and cinders were mingled with t=
hem,
that their light gleamed but faintly amid the gloom of the night. But a kin=
d of
lurid brilliancy spread over the island, against which stood out confusedly=
the
wooded masses of the heights. Immense whirlwinds of vapor obscured the sky,
through which glimmered a few stars.
"The change is rapid!" said the
engineer.
"That is not surprising," answered t=
he
reporter. "The reawakening of the volcano already dates back some time.
You may remember, Cyrus, that the first vapors appeared about the time we
searched the sides of the mountain to discover Captain Nemo's retreat. It w=
as,
if I mistake not, about the 15th of October."
"Yes," replied Herbert, "two mo=
nths
and a half ago!"
"The subterranean fires have therefore be=
en
smoldering for ten weeks," resumed Gideon Spilett, "and it is not=
to
be wondered at that they now break out with such violence!"
"Do not you feel a certain vibration of t=
he
soil?" asked Cyrus Harding.
"Yes," replied Gideon Spilett, "=
;but
there is a great difference between that and an earthquake."
"I do not affirm that we are menaced with=
an
earthquake," answered Cyrus Harding, "may God preserve us from th=
at!
No; these vibrations are due to the effervescence of the central fire. The
crust of the earth is simply the shell of a boiler, and you know that such a
shell, under the pressure of steam, vibrates like a sonorous plate. It is t=
his
effect which is being produced at this moment."
"What magnificent flames!" exclaimed
Herbert.
At this instant a kind of bouquet of flames sh=
ot
forth from the crater, the brilliancy of which was visible even through the
vapors. Thousands of luminous sheets and barbed tongues of fire were cast in
various directions. Some, extending beyond the dome of smoke, dissipated it,
leaving behind an incandescent powder. This was accompanied by successive
explosions, resembling the discharge of a battery of machine-guns.
Cyrus Harding, the reporter, and Herbert, after
spending an hour on the plateau of Prospect Heights, again descended to the
beach, and returned to Granite House. The engineer was thoughtful and
preoccupied, so much so, indeed, that Gideon Spilett inquired if he apprehe=
nded
any immediate danger, of which the eruption might directly or indirectly be=
the
cause.
"Yes, and no," answered Cyrus Hardin=
g.
"Nevertheless," continued the report=
er,
"would not the greatest misfortune which could happen to us be an
earthquake which would overturn the island? Now, I do not suppose that this=
is
to be feared, since the vapors and lava have found a free outlet."
"True," replied Cyrus Harding, "=
;and
I do not fear an earthquake in the sense in which the term is commonly appl=
ied
to convulsions of the soil provoked by the expansion of subterranean gases.=
But
other causes may produce great disasters."
"How so, my dear Cyrus?'
"I am not certain. I must consider. I must
visit the mountain. In a few days I shall learn more on this point."
Gideon Spilett said no more, and soon, in spit=
e of
the explosions of the volcano, whose intensity increased, and which were
repeated by the echoes of the island, the inhabitants of Granite House were
sleeping soundly.
Three days passed by--the 4th, 5th, and 6th of
January. The construction of the vessel was diligently continued, and witho=
ut
offering further explanations the engineer pushed forward the work with all=
his
energy. Mount Franklin was now hooded by a somber cloud of sinister aspect,
and, amid the flames, vomiting forth incandescent rocks, some of which fell=
back
into the crater itself. This caused Pencroft, who would only look at the ma=
tter
in the light of a joke, to exclaim,--
"Ah! the giant is playing at cup and ball=
; he
is a conjurer."
In fact, the substances thrown up fell back ag=
ain
in to the abyss, and it did not seem that the lava, though swollen by the
internal pressure, had yet risen to the orifice of the crater. At any rate,=
the
opening on the northeast, which was partly visible, poured out no torrent u=
pon
the northern slope of the mountain.
Nevertheless, however pressing was the
construction of the vessel, other duties demanded the presence of the colon=
ists
on various portions of the island. Before everything it was necessary to go=
to
the corral, where the flocks of musmons and goats were enclosed, and replen=
ish
the provision of forage for those animals. It was accordingly arranged that=
Ayrton
should proceed thither the next day, the 7th of January; and as he was
sufficient for the task, to which he was accustomed, Pencroft and the rest =
were
somewhat surprised on hearing the engineer say to Ayrton--
"As you are going to-morrow to the corral=
I
will accompany you."
"But, Captain Harding," exclaimed the
sailor, "our working days will not be many, and if you go also we shal=
l be
two pair of hands short!"
"We shall return to-morrow," replied
Cyrus Harding, "but it is necessary that I should go to the corral. I =
must
learn how the eruption is progressing."
"The eruption! always the eruption!"
answered Pencroft, with an air of discontent. "An important thing, tru=
ly,
this eruption! I trouble myself very little about it."
Whatever might be the sailor's opinion, the
expedition projected by the engineer was settled for the next day. Herbert
wished to accompany Cyrus Harding, but he would not vex Pencroft by his
absence.
The next day, at dawn, Cyrus Harding and Ayrto=
n,
mounting the cart drawn by two onagers, took the road to the corral and set=
off
at a round trot.
Above the forest were passing large clouds, to
which the crater of Mount Franklin incessantly added fuliginous matter. The=
se
clouds, which rolled heavily in the air, were evidently composed of
heterogeneous substances. It was not alone from the volcano that they deriv=
ed
their strange opacity and weight. Scoriae, in a state of dust, like powdere=
d pumice-stone,
and grayish ashes as small as the finest feculae, were held in suspension in
the midst of their thick folds. These ashes are so fine that they have been
observed in the air for whole months. After the eruption of 1783 in Iceland=
for
upwards of a year the atmosphere was thus charged with volcanic dust through
which the rays of the sun were only with difficulty discernible.
But more often this pulverized matter falls, a=
nd
this happened on the present occasion. Cyrus Harding and Ayrton had scarcely
reached the corral when a sort of black snow like fine gunpowder fell, and
instantly changed the appearance of the soil. Trees, meadows, all disappear=
ed beneath
a covering several inches in depth. But, very fortunately, the wind blew fr=
om
the northeast, and the greater part of the cloud dissolved itself over the =
sea.
"This is very singular, Captain
Harding," said Ayrton.
"It is very serious," replied the
engineer. "This powdered pumice-stone, all this mineral dust, proves h=
ow
grave is the convulsion going forward in the lower depths of the volcano.&q=
uot;
"But can nothing be done?"
"Nothing, except to note the progress of =
the
phenomenon. Do you, therefore, Ayrton, occupy yourself with the necessary w=
ork
at the corral. In the meantime I will ascend just beyond the source of Red =
Creek
and examine the condition of the mountain upon its northern aspect.
Then--"
"Well, Captain Harding?"
"Then we will pay a visit to Dakkar Grott=
o. I
wish to inspect it. At any rate I will come back for you in two hours."=
;
Ayrton then proceeded to enter the corral, and,
while awaiting the engineer's return, busied himself with the musmons and g=
oats
which seemed to feel a certain uneasiness in presence of these first signs =
of an
eruption.
Meanwhile Cyrus Harding ascended the crest of =
the
eastern spur, passed Red Creek, and arrived at the spot where he and his
companions had discovered a sulphurous spring at the time of their first ex=
ploration.
How changed was everything! Instead of a single
column of smoke he counted thirteen, forced through the soil as if violently
propelled by some piston. It was evident that the crust of the earth was
subjected in this part of the globe to a frightful pressure. The atmosphere=
was
saturated with gases and carbonic acid, mingled with aqueous vapors. Cyrus
Harding felt the volcanic tufa with which the plain was strewn, and which w=
as
but pulverized cinders hardened into solid blocks by time, tremble beneath =
him,
but he could discover no traces of fresh lava.
The engineer became more assured of this when =
he
observed all the northern part of Mount Franklin. Pillars of smoke and flame
escaped from the crater; a hail of scoriae fell on the ground; but no curre=
nt
of lava burst from the mouth of the volcano, which proved that the volcanic=
matter
had not yet attained the level of the superior orifice of the central shaft=
.
"But I would prefer that it were so,"
said Cyrus Harding to himself. "At any rate, I should then know that t=
he
lava had followed its accustomed track. Who can say that it may not take a =
new
course? But the danger does not consist in that! Captain Nemo foresaw it
clearly! No, the danger does not lie there!"
Cyrus Harding advanced towards the enormous
causeway whose prolongation enclosed the narrow Shark Gulf. He could now
sufficiently examine on this side the ancient channels of the lava. There w=
as
no doubt in his mind that the most recent eruption had occurred at a
far-distant epoch.
He then returned by the same way, listening
attentively to the subterranean mutterings which rolled like long-continued
thunder, interrupted by deafening explosions. At nine in the morning he rea=
ched
the corral.
Ayrton awaited him.
"The animals are cared for, Captain
Harding," said Ayrton.
"Good, Ayrton."
"They seem uneasy, Captain Harding."=
"Yes, instinct speaks through them, and
instinct is never deceived."
"Are you ready?"
"Take a lamp, Ayrton," answered the
engineer; "we will start at once."
Ayrton did as desired. The onagers, unharnesse=
d,
roamed in the corral. The gate was secured on the outside, and Cyrus Hardin=
g,
preceding Ayrton, took the narrow path which led westward to the shore.
The soil they walked upon was choked with the
pulverized matter fallen from the cloud. No quadruped appeared in the woods.
Even the birds had fled. Sometimes a passing breeze raised the covering of
ashes, and the two colonists, enveloped in a whirlwind of dust, lost sight =
of
each other. They were then careful to cover their eyes and mouths with hand=
kerchiefs,
for they ran the risk of being blinded and suffocated.
It was impossible for Cyrus Harding and Ayrton,
with these impediments, to make rapid progress. Moreover, the atmosphere was
close, as if the oxygen had been partly burned up, and had become unfit for
respiration. At every hundred paces they were obliged to stop to take breat=
h.
It was therefore past ten o'clock when the engineer and his companion reach=
ed the
crest of the enormous mass of rocks of basalt and porphyry which composed t=
he
northwest coast of the island.
Ayrton and Cyrus Harding commenced the descent=
of
this abrupt declivity, following almost step for step the difficult path wh=
ich,
during that stormy night, had led them to Dakkar Grotto. In open day the
descent was less perilous, and, besides, the bed of ashes which covered the
polished surface of the rock enabled them to make their footing more secure=
.
The ridge at the end of the shore, about forty
feet in height, was soon reached. Cyrus Harding recollected that this eleva=
tion
gradually sloped towards the level of the sea. Although the tide was at pre=
sent
low, no beach could be seen, and the waves, thickened by the volcanic dust,
beat upon the basaltic rocks.
Cyrus Harding and Ayrton found without difficu=
lty
the entrance to Dakkar Grotto, and paused for a moment at the last rock bef=
ore
it.
"The iron boat should be there," said
the engineer.
"It is here, Captain Harding," repli=
ed
Ayrton, drawing towards him the fragile craft, which was protected by the a=
rch
of the vault.
"On board, Ayrton!"
The two colonists stepped into the boat. A sli=
ght
undulation of the waves carried it farther under the low arch of the crypt,=
and
there Ayrton, with the aid of flint and steel, lighted the lamp. He then to=
ok the
oars, and the lamp having been placed in the bow of the boat, so that its r=
ays
fell before them, Cyrus Harding took the helm and steered through the shade=
s of
the grotto.
The "Nautilus" was there no longer to
illuminate the cavern with its electric light. Possibly it might not yet be
extinguished, but no ray escaped from the depths of the abyss in which repo=
sed
all that was mortal of Captain Nemo.
The light afforded by the lamp, although feebl=
e,
nevertheless enabled the engineer to advance slowly, following the wall of =
the
cavern. A deathlike silence reigned under the vaulted roof, or at least in =
the anterior
portion, for soon Cyrus Harding distinctly heard the rumbling which proceed=
ed
from the bowels of the mountain.
"That comes from the volcano," he sa=
id.
Besides these sounds, the presence of chemical
combinations was soon betrayed by their powerful odor, and the engineer and=
his
companion were almost suffocated by sulphurous vapors.
"This is what Captain Nemo feared,"
murmured Cyrus Harding, changing countenance. "We must go to the end,
notwithstanding."
"Forward!" replied Ayrton, bending to
his oars and directing the boat towards the head of the cavern.
Twenty-five minutes after entering the mouth of
the grotto the boat reached the extreme end.
Cyrus Harding then, standing up, cast the ligh=
t of
the lamp upon the walls of the cavern which separated it from the central s=
haft
of the volcano. What was the thickness of this wall? It might be ten feet o=
r a hundred
feet--it was impossible to say. But the subterranean sounds were too
perceptible to allow of the supposition that it was of any great thickness.=
The engineer, after having explored the wall a=
t a
certain height horizontally, fastened the lamp to the end of an oar, and ag=
ain
surveyed the basaltic wall at a greater elevation.
There, through scarcely visible clefts and
joinings, escaped a pungent vapor, which infected the atmosphere of the cav=
ern.
The wall was broken by large cracks, some of which extended to within two or
three feet of the water's edge.
Cyrus Harding thought for a brief space. Then =
he
said in a low voice,--
"Yes! the captain was right! The danger l=
ies
there, and a terrible danger!"
Ayrton said not a word, but, upon a sign from
Cyrus Harding, resumed the oars, and half an hour later the engineer and he
reached the entrance of Dakkar Grotto.
The next day, the 8th day of January, after a =
day
and night passed at the corral, where they left all in order, Cyrus Harding=
and
Ayrton arrived at Granite House.
The engineer immediately called his companions
together, and informed them of the imminent danger which threatened Lincoln
Island, and from which no human power could deliver them.
"My friends," he said, and his voice
betrayed the depth of his emotion, "our island is not among those which
will endure while this earth endures. It is doomed to more or less speedy
destruction, the cause of which it bears within itself, and from which noth=
ing
can save it."
The colonists looked at each other, then at the
engineer. They did not clearly comprehend him.
"Explain yourself, Cyrus!" said Gide=
on
Spilett.
"I will do so," replied Cyrus Hardin=
g,
"or rather I will simply afford you the explanation which, during our =
few
minutes of private conversation, was given me by Captain Nemo."
"Captain Nemo!" exclaimed the coloni=
sts.
"Yes, and it was the last service he desi=
red
to render us before his death!"
"The last service!" exclaimed Pencro=
ft,
"the last service! You will see that though he is dead he will render =
us
others yet!"
"But what did the captain say?" inqu=
ired
the reporter.
"I will tell you, my friends," said =
the
engineer. "Lincoln Island does not resemble the other islands of the
Pacific, and a fact of which Captain Nemo has made me cognizant must sooner=
or
later bring about the subversion of its foundation."
"Nonsense! Lincoln Island, it can't be!&q=
uot;
cried Pencroft, who, in spite of the respect he felt for Cyrus Harding, cou=
ld
not prevent a gesture of incredulity.
"Listen, Pencroft," resumed the
engineer, "I will tell you what Captain Nemo communicated to me, and w=
hich
I myself confirmed yesterday, during the exploration of Dakkar Grotto.
"This cavern stretches under the island as
far as the volcano, and is only separated from its central shaft by the wall
which terminates it. Now, this wall is seamed with fissures and clefts which
already allow the sulphurous gases generated in the interior of the volcano=
to escape."
"Well?" said Pencroft, his brow sudd=
enly
contracting.
"Well, then, I saw that these fissures wi=
den
under the internal pressure from within, that the wall of basalt is gradual=
ly
giving way and that after a longer or shorter period it will afford a passa=
ge
to the waters of the lake which fill the cavern."
"Good!" replied Pencroft, with an
attempt at pleasantry. "The sea will extinguish the volcano, and there
will be an end of the matter!"
"Not so!" said Cyrus Harding,
"should a day arrive when the sea, rushing through the wall of the cav=
ern,
penetrates by the central shaft into the interior of the island to the boil=
ing lava,
Lincoln Island will that day be blown into the air--just as would happen to=
the
island of Sicily were the Mediterranean to precipitate itself into Mount
Etna."
The colonists made no answer to these signific=
ant
words of the engineer. They now understood the danger by which they were
menaced.
It may be added that Cyrus Harding had in no w=
ay
exaggerated the danger to be apprehended. Many persons have formed an idea =
that
it would be possible to extinguish volcanoes, which are almost always situa=
ted
on the shores of a sea or lake, by opening a passage for the admission of t=
he
water. But they are not aware that this would be to incur the risk of blowi=
ng
up a portion of the globe, like a boiler whose steam is suddenly expanded by
intense heat. The water, rushing into a cavity whose temperature might be
estimated at thousands of degrees, would be converted into steam with a sud=
den
energy which no enclosure could resist.
It was not therefore doubtful that the island,
menaced by a frightful and approaching convulsion, would endure only so lon=
g as
the wall of Dakkar Grotto itself should endure. It was not even a question =
of months,
nor of weeks, but of days; it might be of hours.
The first sentiment which the colonists felt w=
as
that of profound sorrow. They thought not so much of the peril which menaced
themselves personally, but of the destruction of the island which had shelt=
ered
them, which they had cultivated, which they loved so well, and had hoped to
render so flourishing. So much effort ineffectually expended, so much labor
lost.
Pencroft could not prevent a large tear from
rolling down his cheek, nor did he attempt to conceal it.
Some further conversation now took place. The
chances yet in favor of the colonists were discussed; but finally it was ag=
reed
that there was not an hour to be lost, that the building and fitting of the
vessel should be pushed forward with their utmost energy, and that this was=
the
sole chance of safety for the inhabitants of Lincoln Island.
All hands, therefore, set to work on the vesse=
l.
What could it avail to sow, to reap, to hunt, to increase the stores of Gra=
nite
House? The contents of the storehouse and outbuildings contained more than =
sufficient
to provide the ship for a voyage, however long might be its duration. But i=
t was
imperative that the ship should be ready to receive them before the inevita=
ble
catastrophe should arrive.
Their labors were now carried on with feverish
ardor. By the 23rd of January the vessel was half-decked over. Up to this t=
ime
no change had taken place on the summit of the volcano. Vapor and smoke min=
gled
with flames and incandescent stones were thrown up from the crater. But dur=
ing
the night of the 23rd, in consequence of the lava attaining the level of the
first stratum of the volcano, the hat-shaped cone which formed over the lat=
ter
disappeared. A frightful sound was heard. The colonists at first thought the
island was rent asunder, and rushed out of Granite House.
This occurred about two o'clock in the morning=
.
The sky appeared on fire. The superior cone, a
mass of rock a thousand feet in height, and weighing thousands of millions =
of
pounds, had been thrown down upon the island, making it tremble to its
foundation. Fortunately, this cone inclined to the north, and had fallen up=
on
the plain of sand and tufa stretching between the volcano and the sea. The =
aperture
of the crater being thus enlarged projected towards the sky a glare so inte=
nse
that by the simple effect of reflection the atmosphere appeared red-hot. At=
the
same time a torrent of lava, bursting from the new summit, poured out in lo=
ng
cascades, like water escaping from a vase too full, and a thousand tongues =
of
fire crept over the sides of the volcano.
"The corral! the corral!" exclaimed
Ayrton.
It was, in fact, towards the corral that the l=
ava
was rushing as the new crater faced the east, and consequently the fertile
portions of the island, the springs of Red Creek and Jacamar Wood, were men=
aced
with instant destruction.
At Ayrton's cry the colonists rushed to the
onagers' stables. The cart was at once harnessed. All were possessed by the
same thought--to hasten to the corral and set at liberty the animals it
enclosed.
Before three in the morning they arrived at the
corral. The cries of the terrified musmons and goats indicated the alarm wh=
ich
possessed them. Already a torrent of burning matter and liquefied minerals =
fell
from the side of the mountain upon the meadows as far as the side of the pa=
lisade.
The gate was burst open by Ayrton, and the animals, bewildered with terror,
fled in all directions.
An hour afterwards the boiling lava filled the
corral, converting into vapor the water of the little rivulet which ran thr=
ough
it, burning up the house like dry grass, and leaving not even a post of the
palisade to mark the spot where the corral once stood.
To contend against this disaster would have be=
en
folly--nay, madness. In presence of Nature's grand convulsions man is
powerless.
It was now daylight--the 24th of January. Cyrus
Harding and his companions, before returning to Granite House, desired to
ascertain the probable direction this inundation of lava was about to take.=
The
soil sloped gradually from Mount Franklin to the east coast, and it was to =
be feared
that, in spite of the thick Jacamar Wood, the torrent would reach the plate=
au
of Prospect Heights.
"The lake will cover us," said Gideon
Spilett.
"I hope so!" was Cyrus Harding's only
reply.
The colonists were desirous of reaching the pl=
ain
upon which the superior cone of Mount Franklin had fallen, but the lava
arrested their progress. It had followed, on one side, the valley of Red Cr=
eek,
and on the other that of Falls River, evaporating those watercourses in its=
passage.
There was no possibility of crossing the torrent of lava; on the contrary, =
the
colonists were obliged to retreat before it. The volcano, without its crown,
was no longer recognizable, terminated as it was by a sort of flat table wh=
ich
replaced the ancient crater. From two openings in its southern and eastern
sides an unceasing flow of lava poured forth, thus forming two distinct
streams. Above the new crater a cloud of smoke and ashes, mingled with thos=
e of
the atmosphere, massed over the island. Loud peals of thunder broke, and co=
uld
scarcely be distinguished from the rumblings of the mountain, whose mouth v=
omited
forth ignited rocks, which, hurled to more than a thousand feet, burst in t=
he
air like shells. Flashes of lightning rivaled in intensity the volcano's
eruption.
Towards seven in the morning the position was =
no
longer tenable by the colonists, who accordingly took shelter in the border=
s of
Jacamar Wood. Not only did the projectiles begin to rain around them, but t=
he
lava, overflowing the bed of Red Creek, threatened to cut off the road to t=
he corral.
The nearest rows of trees caught fire, and their sap, suddenly transformed =
into
vapor, caused them to explode with loud reports, while others, less moist,
remained unhurt in the midst of the inundation.
The colonists had again taken the road to the
corral. They proceeded but slowly, frequently looking back; but, in consequ=
ence
of the inclination of the soil, the lava gained rapidly in the east, and as=
its
lower waves became solidified others, at boiling heat, covered them
immediately.
Meanwhile, the principal stream of Red Creek
Valley became more and more menacing. All this portion of the forest was on
fire, and enormous wreaths of smoke rolled over the trees, whose trunks were
already consumed by the lava.
The colonists halted near the lake, about half=
a
mile from the mouth of Red Creek. A question of life or death was now to be
decided.
Cyrus Harding, accustomed to the consideration=
of
important crises, and aware that he was addressing men capable of hearing t=
he
truth, whatever it might be, then said,--
"Either the lake will arrest the progress=
of
the lava, and a part of the island will be preserved from utter destruction=
, or
the stream will overrun the forests of the Far West, and not a tree or plant
will remain on the surface of the soil. We shall have no prospect but that =
of
starvation upon these barren rocks--a death which will probably be anticipa=
ted
by the explosion of the island."
"In that case," replied Pencroft,
folding his arms and stamping his foot, "what's the use of working any
longer on the vessel?"
"Pencroft," answered Cyrus Harding, =
"we
must do our duty to the last!"
At this instant the river of lava, after having
broken a passage through the noble trees it devoured in its course, reached=
the
borders of the lake. At this point there was an elevation of the soil which,
had it been greater, might have sufficed to arrest the torrent.
"To work!" cried Cyrus Harding.
The engineer's thought was at once understood.=
It
might be possible to dam, as it were, the torrent, and thus compel it to po=
ur
itself into the lake.
The colonists hastened to the dockyard. They
returned with shovels, picks, axes, and by means of banking the earth with =
the
aid of fallen trees they succeeded in a few hours in raising an embankment
three feet high and some hundreds of paces in length. It seemed to them, wh=
en they
had finished, as if they had scarcely been working more than a few minutes.=
It was not a moment too soon. The liquefied
substances soon after reached the bottom of the barrier. The stream of lava
swelled like a river about to overflow its banks, and threatened to demolish
the sole obstacle which could prevent it from overrunning the whole Far Wes=
t.
But the dam held firm, and after a moment of terrible suspense the torrent =
precipitated
itself into Grant Lake from a height of twenty feet.
The colonists, without moving or uttering a wo=
rd,
breathlessly regarded this strife of the two elements.
What a spectacle was this conflict between wat=
er
and fire! What pen could describe the marvelous horror of this scene--what
pencil could depict it? The water hissed as it evaporated by contact with t=
he
boiling lava. The vapor whirled in the air to an immeasurable height, as if=
the
valves of an immense boiler had been suddenly opened. But, however consider=
able
might be the volume of water contained in the lake, it must eventually be
absorbed, because it was not replenished, while the stream of lava, fed fro=
m an
inexhaustible source, rolled on without ceasing new waves of incandescent
matter.
The first waves of lava which fell in the lake
immediately solidified and accumulated so as speedily to emerge from it. Up=
on
their surface fell other waves, which in their turn became stone, but a ste=
p nearer
the center of the lake. In this manner was formed a pier which threatened to
gradually fill up the lake, which could not overflow, the water displaced by
the lava being evaporated. The hissing of the water rent the air with a
deafening sound, and the vapor, blown by the wind, fell in rain upon the se=
a.
The pier became longer and longer, and the blocks of lava piled themselves =
one
on another. Where formerly stretched the calm waters of the lake now appear=
ed
an enormous mass of smoking rocks, as if an upheaving of the soil had formed
immense shoals. Imagine the waters of the lake aroused by a hurricane, then
suddenly solidified by an intense frost, and some conception may be formed =
of
the aspect of the lake three hours after the eruption of this irresistible
torrent of lava.
This time water would be vanquished by fire.
Nevertheless it was a fortunate circumstance f=
or
the colonists that the effusion of lava should have been in the direction of
Lake Grant. They had before them some days' respite. The plateau of Prospect
Heights, Granite House, and the dockyard were for the moment preserved. And
these few days it was necessary to employ in planking and carefully calking=
the
vessel, and launching her. The colonists would then take refuge on board the
vessel, content to rig her after she should be afloat on the waters. With t=
he
danger of an explosion which threatened to destroy the island there could b=
e no
security on shore. The walls of Granite House, once so sure a retreat, migh=
t at
any moment fall in upon them.
During the six following days, from the 25th to
the 30th of January, the colonists accomplished as much of the construction=
of
their vessel as twenty men could have done. They hardly allowed themselves a
moment's repose, and the glare of the flames which shot from the crater ena=
bled
them to work night and day. The flow of lava continued, but perhaps less
abundantly. This was fortunate, for Lake Grant was almost entirely choked u=
p,
and if more lava should accumulate it would inevitably spread over the plat=
eau
of Prospect Heights, and thence upon the beach.
But if the island was thus partially protected=
on
this side, it was not so with the western part.
In fact, the second stream of lava, which had
followed the valley of Falls River, a valley of great extent, the land on b=
oth
sides of the creek being flat, met with no obstacle. The burning liquid had
then spread through the forest of the Far West. At this period of the year,=
when
the trees were dried up by a tropical heat, the forest caught fire instanta=
neously,
in such a manner that the conflagration extended itself both by the trunks =
of
the trees and by their higher branches, whose interlacement favored its
progress. It even appeared that the current of flame spread more rapidly am=
ong
the summits of the trees than the current of lava at their bases.
Thus it happened that the wild animals, jaguar=
s,
wild boars, capybaras, koalas, and game of every kind, mad with terror, had
fled to the banks of the Mercy and to the Tadorn Marsh, beyond the road to =
Port
Balloon. But the colonists were too much occupied with their task to pay an=
y attention
to even the most formidable of these animals. They had abandoned Granite Ho=
use,
and would not even take shelter at the Chimneys, but encamped under a tent,
near the mouth of the Mercy.
Each day Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett asce=
nded
the plateau of Prospect Heights. Sometimes Herbert accompanied them, but ne=
ver Pencroft,
who could not bear to look upon the prospect of the island now so utterly
devastated.
It was, in truth, a heart-rending spectacle. A=
ll
the wooded part of the island was now completely bare. One single clump of
green trees raised their heads at the extremity of Serpentine Peninsula. He=
re
and there were a few grotesque blackened and branchless stumps. The side of=
the
devastated forest was even more barren than Tadorn Marsh. The eruption of l=
ava
had been complete. Where formerly sprang up that charming verdure, the soil=
was
now nothing but a savage mass of volcanic tufa. In the valleys of the Falls=
and
Mercy rivers no drop of water now flowed towards the sea, and should Lake G=
rant
be entirely dried up, the colonists would have no means of quenching their
thirst. But, fortunately the lava had spared the southern corner of the lak=
e, containing
all that remained of the drinking water of the island. Towards the northwest
stood out the rugged and well-defined outlines of the sides of the volcano,
like a gigantic claw hovering over the island. What a sad and fearful sight,
and how painful to the colonists, who, from a fertile domain covered with
forests, irrigated by watercourses, and enriched by the produce of their to=
ils,
found themselves, as it were, transported to a desolate rock, upon which, b=
ut
for their reserves of provisions, they could not even gather the means of
subsistence!
"It is enough to break one's heart!"
said Gideon Spilett, one day.
"Yes, Spilett," answered the enginee=
r.
"May God grant us the time to complete this vessel, now our sole
refuge!"
"Do not you think, Cyrus, that the violen=
ce
of the eruption has somewhat lessened? The volcano still vomits forth lava,=
but
somewhat less abundantly, if I mistake not."
"It matters little," answered Cyrus
Harding. "The fire is still burning in the interior of the mountain, a=
nd
the sea may break in at any moment. We are in the condition of passengers w=
hose
ship is devoured by a conflagration which they cannot extinguish, and who k=
now that
sooner or later the flames must reach the powder-magazine. To work, Spilett=
, to
work, and let us not lose an hour!"
During eight days more, that is to say until t=
he
7th of February, the lava continued to flow, but the eruption was confined
within the previous limits. Cyrus Harding feared above all lest the liquefi=
ed matter
should overflow the shore, for in that event the dockyard could not escape.
Moreover, about this time the colonists felt in the frame of the island
vibrations which alarmed them to the highest degree.
It was the 20th of February. Yet another month
must elapse before the vessel would be ready for sea. Would the island hold
together till then? The intention of Pencroft and Cyrus Harding was to laun=
ch
the vessel as soon as the hull should be complete. The deck, the upperworks,
the interior woodwork and the rigging might be finished afterwards, but the=
essential
point was that the colonists should have an assured refuge away from the
island. Perhaps it might be even better to conduct the vessel to Port Ballo=
on,
that is to say, as far as possible from the center of eruption, for at the
mouth of the Mercy, between the islet and the wall of granite, it would run=
the
risk of being crushed in the event of any convulsion. All the exertions of =
the
voyagers were therefore concentrated upon the completion of the hull.
Thus the 3rd of March arrived, and they might
calculate upon launching the vessel in ten days.
Hope revived in the hearts of the colonists, w=
ho
had, in this fourth year of their sojourn on Lincoln island, suffered so ma=
ny
trials. Even Pencroft lost in some measure the somber taciturnity occasione=
d by
the devastation and ruin of his domain. His hopes, it is true, were concent=
rated
upon his vessel.
"We shall finish it," he said to the
engineer, "we shall finish it, captain, and it is time, for the season=
is
advancing and the equinox will soon be here. Well, if necessary, we must pu=
t in
to Tabor island to spend the winter. But think of Tabor island after Lincoln
Island. Ah, how unfortunate! Who could have believed it possible?"
"Let us get on," was the engineer's
invariable reply.
And they worked away without losing a moment.<= o:p>
"Master," asked Neb, a few days late=
r,
"do you think all this could have happened if Captain Nemo had been st=
ill
alive?"
"Certainly, Neb," answered Cyrus
Harding.
"I, for one, don't believe it!"
whispered Pencroft to Neb.
"Nor I!" answered Neb seriously.
During the first week of March appearances aga=
in
became menacing. Thousands of threads like glass, formed of fluid lava, fell
like rain upon the island. The crater was again boiling with lava which
overflowed the back of the volcano. The torrent flowed along the surface of=
the
hardened tufa, and destroyed the few meager skeletons of trees which had wi=
thstood
the first eruption. The stream, flowing this time towards the southwest sho=
re
of Lake Grant, stretched beyond Creek Glycerine, and invaded the plateau of
Prospect Heights. This last blow to the work of the colonists was terrible.=
The
mill, the buildings of the inner court, the stables, were all destroyed. The
affrighted poultry fled in all directions. Top and Jup showed signs of the
greatest alarm, as if their instinct warned them of an impending catastroph=
e. A
large number of the animals of the island had perished in the first eruptio=
n.
Those which survived found no refuge but Tadorn Marsh, save a few to which =
the plateau
of Prospect Heights afforded asylum. But even this last retreat was now clo=
sed
to them, and the lava-torrent, flowing over the edge of the granite wall, b=
egan
to pour down upon the beach its cataracts of fire. The sublime horror of th=
is
spectacle passed all description. During the night it could only be compare=
d to
a Niagara of molten fluid, with its incandescent vapors above and its boili=
ng masses
below.
The colonists were driven to their last
entrenchment, and although the upper seams of the vessel were not yet calke=
d,
they decided to launch her at once.
Pencroft and Ayrton therefore set about the
necessary preparations for the launching, which was to take place the morni=
ng
of the next day, the 9th of March.
But during the night of the 8th an enormous co=
lumn
of vapor escaping from the crater rose with frightful explosions to a heigh=
t of
more than three thousand feet. The wall of Dakkar Grotto had evidently given
way under the pressure of gases, and the sea, rushing through the central s=
haft
into the igneous gulf, was at once converted into vapor. But the crater cou=
ld
not afford a sufficient outlet for this vapor. An explosion, which might ha=
ve
been heard at a distance of a hundred miles, shook the air. Fragments of
mountains fell into the Pacific, and, in a few minutes, the ocean rolled ov=
er
the spot where Lincoln island once stood.
An isolated rock, thirty feet in length, twent=
y in
breadth, scarcely ten from the water's edge, such was the only solid point
which the waves of the Pacific had not engulfed.
It was all that remained of the structure of
Granite House! The wall had fallen headlong and been then shattered to
fragments, and a few of the rocks of the large room were piled one above
another to form this point. All around had disappeared in the abyss; the
inferior cone of Mount Franklin, rent asunder by the explosion; the lava ja=
ws
of Shark Gulf, the plateau of Prospect Heights, Safety Islet, the granite r=
ocks
of Port Balloon, the basalts of Dakkar Grotto, the long Serpentine Peninsul=
a,
so distant nevertheless from the center of the eruption. All that could now=
be
seen of Lincoln Island was the narrow rock which now served as a refuge to =
the
six colonists and their dog Top.
The animals had also perished in the catastrop=
he;
the birds, as well as those representing the fauna of the island--all either
crushed or drowned, and the unfortunate Jup himself had, alas! found his de=
ath
in some crevice of the soil.
If Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett, Herbert,
Pencroft, Neb, and Ayrton had survived, it was because, assembled under the=
ir
tent, they had been hurled into the sea at the instant when the fragments of
the island rained down on every side.
When they reached the surface they could only
perceive, at half a cable's length, this mass of rocks, towards which they =
swam
and on which they found footing.
On this barren rock they had now existed for n=
ine
days. A few provisions taken from the magazine of Granite House before the
catastrophe, a little fresh water from the rain which had fallen in a hollo=
w of
the rock, was all that the unfortunate colonists possessed. Their last hope=
, the
vessel, had been shattered to pieces. They had no means of quitting the ree=
f;
no fire, nor any means of obtaining it. It seemed that they must inevitably
perish.
This day, the 18th of March, there remained on=
ly
provisions for two days, although they limited their consumption to the bare
necessaries of life. All their science and intelligence could avail them
nothing in their present position. They were in the hand of God.
Cyrus Harding was calm, Gideon Spilett more
nervous, and Pencroft, a prey to sullen anger, walked to and fro on the roc=
k.
Herbert did not for a moment quit the engineer's side, as if demanding from=
him
that assistance he had no power to give. Neb and Ayrton were resigned to th=
eir
fate.
"Ah, what a misfortune! what a
misfortune!" often repeated Pencroft. "If we had but a walnut-she=
ll
to take us to Tabor Island! But we have nothing, nothing!"
"Captain Nemo did right to die," said
Neb.
During the five ensuing days Cyrus Harding and=
his
unfortunate companions husbanded their provisions with the most extreme car=
e,
eating only what would prevent them from dying of starvation. Their weaknes=
s was
extreme. Herbert and Neb began to show symptoms of delirium.
Under these circumstances was it possible for =
them
to retain even the shadow of a hope? No! What was their sole remaining chan=
ce?
That a vessel should appear in sight of the rock? But they knew only too we=
ll from
experience that no ships ever visited this part of the Pacific. Could they
calculate that, by a truly providential coincidence, the Scotch yacht would
arrive precisely at this time in search of Ayrton at Tabor Island? It was
scarcely probable; and, besides, supposing she should come there, as the
colonists had not been able to deposit a notice pointing out Ayrton's chang=
e of
abode, the commander of the yacht, after having explored Tabor Island witho=
ut
results, would again set sail and return to lower latitudes.
No! no hope of being saved could be retained, =
and
a horrible death, death from hunger and thirst, awaited them upon this rock=
.
Already they were stretched on the rock, inani=
mate,
and no longer conscious of what passed around them. Ayrton alone, by a supr=
eme
effort, from time to time raised his head, and cast a despairing glance over
the desert ocean.
But on the morning of the 24th of March Ayrton=
's
arms were extended toward a point in the horizon; he raised himself, at fir=
st
on his knees, then upright, and his hand seemed to make a signal.
A sail was in sight off the rock. She was
evidently not without an object. The reef was the mark for which she was ma=
king
in a direct line, under all steam, and the unfortunate colonists might have
made her out some hours before if they had had the strength to watch the
horizon.
"The 'Duncan'!" murmured Ayrton--and
fell back without sign of life.
When Cyrus Harding and his companions recovered
consciousness, thanks to the attention lavished upon them, they found
themselves in the cabin of a steamer, without being able to comprehend how =
they
had escaped death.
A word from Ayrton explained everything.
"The 'Duncan'!" he murmured.
"The 'Duncan'!" exclaimed Cyrus Hard=
ing.
And raising his hand to Heaven, he said, "Oh! Almighty God! mercifully
hast Thou preserved us!"
It was, in fact, the "Duncan," Lord
Glenarvan's yacht, now commanded by Robert, son of Captain Grant, who had b=
een
despatched to Tabor Island to find Ayrton, and bring him back to his native
land after twelve years of expiation.
The colonists were not only saved, but already=
on
the way to their native country.
"Captain Grant," asked Cyrus Harding,
"who can have suggested to you the idea, after having left Tabor Islan=
d,
where you did not find Ayrton, of coming a hundred miles farther
northeast?"
"Captain Harding," replied Robert Gr=
ant,
"it was in order to find, not only Ayrton, but yourself and your
companions."
"My companions and myself?"
"Doubtless, at Lincoln Island."
"At Lincoln Island!" exclaimed in a
breath Gideon Spilett, Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft, in the highest degree
astonished.
"How could you be aware of the existence =
of
Lincoln Island?" inquired Cyrus Harding, "it is not even named in=
the
charts."
"I knew of it from a document left by you=
on
Tabor Island," answered Robert Grant.
"A document!" cried Gideon Spilett.<= o:p>
"Without doubt, and here it is,"
answered Robert Grant, producing a paper which indicated the longitude and
latitude of Lincoln Island, "the present residence of Ayrton and five
American colonists."
"It is Captain Nemo!" cried Cyrus
Harding, after having read the notice, and recognized that the handwriting =
was
similar to that of the paper found at the corral.
"Ah!" said Pencroft, "it was th=
en
he who took our 'Bonadventure' and hazarded himself alone to go to Tabor
Island!"
"In order to leave this notice," add=
ed
Herbert.
"I was then right in saying," exclai=
med
the sailor, "that even after his death the captain would render us a l=
ast
service."
"My friends," said Cyrus Harding, in=
a
voice of the profoundest emotion, "may the God of mercy have had pity =
on
the soul of Captain Nemo, our benefactor."
The colonists uncovered themselves at these la=
st
words of Cyrus Harding, and murmured the name of Captain Nemo.
Then Ayrton, approaching the engineer, said
simply, "Where should this coffer be deposited?"
It was the coffer which Ayrton had saved at the
risk of his life, at the very instant that the island had been engulfed, and
which he now faithfully handed to the engineer.
"Ayrton! Ayrton!" said Cyrus Harding,
deeply touched. Then, addressing Robert Grant, "Sir," he added,
"you left behind you a criminal; you find in his place a man who has
become honest by penitence, and whose hand I am proud to clasp in mine.&quo=
t;
Robert Grant was now made acquainted with the strange history of Captain Nemo and the colonists of Lincoln Island. Then, observation being taken of what remained of this shoal, which must hencefor= ward figure on the charts of the Pacific, the order was given to make all sail.<= o:p>
A few weeks afterwards the colonists landed in
America, and found their country once more at peace after the terrible conf=
lict
in which right and justice had triumphed.
Of the treasures contained in the coffer left =
by
Captain Nemo to the colonists of Lincoln Island, the larger portion was
employed in the purchase of a vast territory in the State of Iowa. One pearl
alone, the finest, was reserved from the treasure and sent to Lady Glenarva=
n in
the name of the castaways restored to their country by the "Duncan.&qu=
ot;
There, upon this domain, the colonists invited=
to
labor, that is to say, to wealth and happiness, all those to whom they had
hoped to offer the hospitality of Lincoln Island. There was founded a vast
colony to which they gave the name of that island sunk beneath the waters of
the Pacific. A river there was called the Mercy, a mountain took the name of
Mount Franklin, a small lake was named Lake Grant, and the forests became t=
he
forests of the Far West. It might have been an island on terra firma.
There, under the intelligent hands of the engi=
neer
and his companions, everything prospered. Not one of the former colonists of
Lincoln Island was absent, for they had sworn to live always together. Neb =
was
with his master; Ayrton was there ready to sacrifice himself for all; Pencr=
oft was
more a farmer than he had ever been a sailor; Herbert, who completed his
studies under the superintendence of Cyrus Harding, and Gideon Spilett, who=
founded
the New Lincoln Herald, the best-informed journal in the world.
There Cyrus Harding and his companions receive=
d at
intervals visits from Lord and Lady Glenarvan, Captain John Mangles and his
wife, the sister of Robert Grant, Robert Grant himself, Major McNab, and all
those who had taken part in the history both of Captain Grant and Captain N=
emo.
There, to conclude, all were happy, united in =
the
present as they had been in the past; but never could they forget that isla=
nd
upon which they had arrived poor and friendless, that island which, during =
four
years had supplied all their wants, and of which there remained but a fragm=
ent
of granite washed by the waves of the Pacific, the tomb of him who had borne
the name of Captain Nemo.