The Mysterious Island Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Captain Grant's Children

Chapter 121 The Mysterious Island (6)
The road was difficult, and neither Harbert nor the sailor spoke, but concentrated on moving forward.However, the speed of travel was still very slow, and it took more than an hour to travel one nautical mile.Moreover, so far, their hunting missions have yielded nothing.At this moment, a few birds seemed to be frightened, which may be their instinctive reaction to seeing humans for the first time. They flew back and forth among the thin branches, chirping, and seemed very frightened.Among the flying birds, Hubbert recognized one of them. Their shape was similar to that of a kingfisher, but their feathers were harder and thicker, and they shone with a metallic luster.

"I think it's a flycatcher," Hubbert said as he tried to get close to the birds and hit them.

"This is a good opportunity for us to eat! This bird seems to be willing to let it be roasted."

Then Hubbert hurled a stone, so deftly and swiftly, that the stone struck the bird on the wing, but the blow was probably not hard enough, and the flycatcher fled away and disappeared into the forest.

"Oh, I'm no use!" said Hubbert.

"You hit it well, boy! But, everybody misses it sometimes. Don't worry, maybe we'll catch him some other day!" the sailor comforted Hubbert.

Pencroft continued to observe the terrain. As they went forward, they found that the trees had changed from sparse to dense, but none of them bore the fruit they expected to eat.Sailors are trying to find palm trees, knowing that this kind of tree is very versatile and will be of great help to their lives. Generally speaking, this kind of tree is found in the northern and southern hemispheres, from the northern hemisphere to 40° north latitude, and from the southern hemisphere to 35 south latitude °, such trees can be seen.However, the sailor did not find it here.The woods were all conifers, and among them Hubbert recognized Deodar and Douglas, which resembled certain species that grow on the West Coast of America.Besides, he recognized the fir-trees, which were admirable at a full hundred and fifty feet high.

At this time, Hubbert made a new discovery, a group of small birds scattered among the branches.Their feathers are beautiful, their tails are very long, and their feathers also have iridescent colors.There is a layer of fine fluff on the ground, which shows that their feathers are easy to fall off.Hubbert picked up a few feathers and looked at them carefully, and finally said: "This is a kind of chicken called 'Gulugu' chicken."

"I hope it is a guinea fowl or a grouse. But what about their meat?" asked Pencroft.

"The meat is delicious and delicious! Besides, this kind of chicken is easy to approach. If I guess correctly, we can beat them to death with a wooden stick." Hubbert replied.

So the two of them got into the bushes and came to the root of a tree, the low branches were full of "Gu Lu Gu" chickens.The chickens are waiting for their food and for small insects to pass by.Their claws hold tightly to branches and can support their bodies.The two hunters attacked quickly, picked up the sticks in their hands, and swung them like a sickle. The whole bunch of chickens standing on the branches were knocked to the ground.This kind of chicken is really not smart, and has no intention of flying away. It is not until hundreds of chickens have been laid on the ground that the rest will fly away.

"That's great! This kind of prey is very suitable for hunters like us. I guess they can be caught with hands." It is about the same size as a lark.Then they moved on.At this time, the water flow is circular, forming a sharp bend, but this sharp bend does not extend all the way to the south, but turns into the mountains, and the melted snow in the mountains flows into the water flow.

The purpose of the two hunters this time is to hunt some prey and obtain food.So far, their purpose has been achieved, and there is enough food for the owners of the "chimney".So the sailor set to work, complaining whenever he saw an animal disappear into the grass before he knew it.If only Top!Top disappeared with his master, and perhaps perished with his master.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, they made another discovery.Through some of the trees, a flock of birds could be seen pecking at the berries.One of these trees is the juniper.Suddenly there was a trumpet-like cry in the woods, similar to that of the American grouse.Soon, they discovered the source of the calls, which were several pairs of grouse.Their plumage is light yellow and dark brown in color and their tails are tan.Hubbert knew they were male grouse because the tips of their wings were pointed.They were about the size of a domestic hen, and had such a fine meat that the sailor thought it necessary to catch two.However, they do not let people approach at all and are difficult to catch.After several failed attempts, the chickens were also frightened.The sailor said to Hubbert:

"This method won't work! It's hard to catch them when they are flying, so we have to change the way of fishing!"

"Fishing? Like carp?" asked Hubbert.Apparently he was amazed by the idea.

"Yes, it's like fishing carp." The sailor replied seriously.

The sailor found chicken coops in the grass, each with two or three eggs.They did not touch the eggs, so as not to startle the snake, their purpose was to wait for the master to return.The sailor is going to set some rope near the chicken coop, similar to a fishing line, not a noose.He took Hubert some distance away from the chicken coop and began to prepare fishing gear.Hubbert was skeptical, and watched with interest as the sailor worked on his fishing line.This fishing line is made of thin rattan, which is joined one by one, until it is fifteen or twenty feet long at last.Then there is the fishhook. The sailor finds a few thick thorns with curved tops from the thorn bushes, and fastens them to one end of the thin rope.At last, with only bait left, the sailors caught bloodworms from the ground, which are a delicacy to those partridges.

After the preparations were completed, the sailor got into the grass, put one end of the hook next to the chicken coop, grabbed the other end by himself, and hid himself and Hubbert behind a big tree.Hubbert doesn't seem to have much hope for this resourcefulness.

The two waited patiently for about half an hour, and sure enough, several pairs of grouse came back.They hopped and pecked at the ground, unaware of them both, and of course the grouse could not have found their hiding place.

At this time, Herbert's interest increased greatly, and he held his breath, looking forward to the interesting things that would happen.The sailor, on the other hand, stared at the grouse with wide eyes, and licked his lips with open mouth, as if he was about to taste a delicious grouse.At this moment, he almost stopped breathing.

These few chickens are catching and catching on the ground, but they are not interested in the bugs on the hook.The sailor shook the thin vine a few times, and the bait shook accordingly. These big red worms looked like they were alive.

Sure enough, this quickly attracted the attention of the grouse, and the sailor also felt it on the other side of the thin vine.It is estimated that these are three greedy grouse who swallowed the big bloodworm and the fishhook together.The sailor pulled the vine vigorously, followed by the sound of vigorously flapping wings, it can be seen that the grouse was hooked.

"Excellent!" Excited, the sailor rushed towards the prey and caught them.

Hubbert applauded again and again, this was the first time he had seen chickens caught in this way.The sailor was very modest about this, saying that this was not a new experiment, that it was not a method he had invented, and that he was obviously not good at inventions.

"However, given our current situation, I'm afraid there will be many other attempts in the future," said the sailor.

They tied the grouse's feet together and returned with a full load.The sailor at this time was very satisfied with the hunting operation.At this time, the sky also darkened, and it was time to go back.Don't worry about the direction of going back, as long as you follow the current down the river, you can return to the starting point.At about six o'clock, they finally returned to the "chimney".This trip has been very fruitful, and the two of them are also very tired.

Fight against wind and rain
Jardin Splane stood motionless on the beach with his arms folded.He faced the sea and stared into the distance.At this time, the horizon is mixed with a large dark cloud in the east, and the dark cloud rises rapidly.The wind is getting stronger, the sun is setting, and the weather is getting cooler.The weather is going to be bad, as can be seen from the state of the sky, a sign of a storm.

Hubbert went straight into the "chimney", while the sailor walked towards the reporter.The reporter was too focused to notice that the sailor was coming.

"Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. The storm is coming, and I'm afraid it will only make Haiyan happy." Said the sailor.

The reporter turned, and he said to the sailor:

"As far as you can judge, how far from the shore was the wave when it swept away our companions?"

His question was sudden. The sailor thought for a while and said, "There are at most two chains."

"How much is a chain?" The reporter asked.

"120 inches, or six hundred feet," answered the sailor.

"In other words, the place where Cyrus Harding disappeared was about 1000 or [-] feet from the shore?"

"Almost like that!"

"Will Top be there, too?"

"It's probably the same."

"However, I find it strange that if Cyrus is dead, it is presumed that Top is dead too. And yet their bodies do not appear on the shore!" said the reporter.

"The waves were big at the time, and the current may have carried them further. So, it's not surprising," the sailor replied.

"You mean they've lost their lives?" the reporter asked uneasily.

"I think so," said the sailor.

"I don't doubt your experience, but there are many doubts about their disappearance, which is difficult to explain or even unbelievable."

"Mr. Splane, I would like to think as you do, but that is how I see it."

After the sailor finished speaking, he returned to the "chimney".The fire was burning brightly, and Hubbert had just added fuel, and the flames lit the passage.The sailors began to prepare supper.He planned to eat the string of "Gu Lu Gu" chicken tomorrow, and the main ingredient tonight was grouse.After all, everyone needs to replenish energy and restore physical strength.They fluffed the grouse, put them on sticks, and baked them in front of the fire.

It was seven o'clock in the evening, and Neb had not come back.Regarding this, the sailor was very anxious, worried that something unexpected would happen to Neboo in this desolate place, or he could not think of doing something desperate and extreme.However, Hubbert's idea was just the opposite. He felt that Neb must have made a new discovery, so he procrastinated and did not come back.This delay, of course, concerns Mr. Cyrus Harding. Perhaps Neb has discovered a footprint, or a wreck, or else why has he not returned? Something must have been discovered, which brought new hope.Perhaps Neb was now following some trail, or perhaps he was with his master.

Hubbert's companions did not refute his reasoning, especially the reporter, who nodded frequently in agreement.But the sailor didn't think so. He thought that Neb might have searched farther today than the day before, so he hadn't come back yet.

However, Hubbert still seemed to have an uneasy premonition, and several times he wanted to go out to find Neb.The sailor stopped him. It was useless after all. It was dark outside and the weather was bad. It was difficult to find Neb. The best way was to wait for him to come back.The reporter also thinks that the sailor is right, we really shouldn't be separated under the current situation.Hubbert finally gave up his plan to find Neb, but he was even more worried, and he shed tears unconsciously.

Harbert, the kind and generous boy, the reporter embraced him!
Severe weather is inevitable, the violent southeast wind blows across the coast, the sea water hits the rocks on the shore, and the waves roar.The heavy rain in the storm diffuses throughout the space like liquid fog.The sudden storm kicked up the sand on the coast, and the heavy rain suddenly became a sharp weapon.There are all kinds of dust floating in the air.The sound made by the pebbles is like dumping the whole truck of stones in an instant.Between the estuary and the rocky cliffs, the wind creates great eddies. In the "chimney", the smoke from the stove was pushed back by the strong wind, forming a backflow, and the entire aisle was full of smoke, and people could not stay there.After the grouse was cooked, the sailor quickly extinguished the flames, leaving only the coals in the ashes.

It was already eight o'clock in the evening, and Neb had not come back.It seemed that bad weather might have blocked his way back.Or maybe he's hiding somewhere right now and will come back after the storm.Under such conditions, going out to find him was already impossible.

The grouse was the only food in the dinner, and it was delicious.The three of them liked it very much, especially the sailor and Harbert, who were already hungry after walking so far and being busy hunting.They gobbled it up with voracious appetites.

After eating, they each found a corner to rest. Hubbert lay beside the sailor, and soon fell asleep, and the sailor also lay beside the stove.

It was still stormy outside, and as the night deepened, so did the intensity of the storm.The previous storm had blown these people from Richmond all the way here, and now this storm is not much different from the previous one.In this season, storms occur frequently, especially in such an open area without any obstacles at all.On such a coast facing the east, directly facing the storm, the coast is directly attacked by the storm, and its violence may exceed people's imagination.

Fortunately, the rock pile they were on was still stable, but the bottom of these huge granite rocks seemed to be unstable between several pieces, as if they had lost their balance and trembled in the storm.The sailor had definitely felt the rapid vibration of the stone wall beneath his hand.He comforted himself rationally, this place is very solid, there will be no problem.More than once, he heard the sound of the wind blowing stones, some fell to the sand, and some rolled to the "chimney" and were smashed by the impact.The sailor got up several times to check the situation at the opening of the aisle. The collapse was not serious and did not seem to be dangerous, so he returned to the stove and listened to the crackling of the coals in the ashes.

Hubbert was in a deep sleep, and the storm and thunder outside seemed to have no effect on him.Pencroft was also sleepy, and his sailor career had made him quite accustomed to this phenomenon.Only Jardine Splane remained awake, looking agitated, and reproached himself for not going in search with Neb.Like Harbert, he was not lost in hope, nor disturbed by a presentiment of the unknown.Now, all he thinks about is Naboo, why he hasn't returned yet.He lay tossing and turning on the sand, and the storm outside didn't seem to arouse his thoughts. For a moment, his eyes were closed, as if he had just fallen asleep, but a flash of thought would wake him up suddenly .

At this time, it was two o'clock in the morning, and Pencroft was awakened by a violent shaking in his deep sleep.

"What's going on?" He yelled and quickly woke up.

It was the reporter who woke him up and said to him, "Listen, listen!"

The sailor listened carefully, but heard no other sound except the gust of wind.

"It's the wind!" he said.

"No, I just heard..." the reporter said.

"What did you hear?"

"It's the barking of a dog!"

"Dog!" The sailor jumped up.

"Yes, it's a dog barking!"

"Impossible! There is such a strong storm outside, how can there be dogs barking?" Before the sailor finished speaking, the reporter said:
"Listen!"

The sailor stretched out his ears to listen carefully again. Sure enough, during the moment when the gust of wind stopped, there seemed to be a dog barking, and the sound seemed to be far away.

"Is that so?" asked the reporter, clasping the sailor's hands.

"Yes! It's Top!" replied the sailor excitedly.

"That's right, it's Top!" Hubbert also woke up, and the three of them ran towards the opening of the "chimney".

It was not easy to go out from the "chimney", and they were quickly blown back by the wind.In the end, however, they struggled out, leaning against the rocks to barely stand.It was pitch black outside, and they could see nothing, and it was almost impossible to talk in the storm.

The three of them stood outside for a few minutes, the rainstorm had already drenched them, and the strong wind seemed to blow them down. In the storm, they heard the barking of dogs again, and this time they could probably distinguish the distance of the sound.

It must be Top!Is it alone or with its owner?It couldn't be read in the dark, if Neb was with it, he must be coming here.

The sailor held down the reporter's hand, and they were unable to speak. This was to signal the reporter to wait a moment, and the sailor entered the "chimney".When he came out again, he held a lighted fire stick in his hand, made of fuel bundled together.Then he threw his stick of fire into the darkness, and whistled a few shrill whistles.This was the signal, and sure enough, the dog answered him, and quickly ran in through the passage.The sailor, reporter, and Hubbert returned to the "chimney" and rekindled the fire.

"It's Top!" cried Harbert.

Indeed it was, the engineer Cyrus Harding's dog.This is a mixed-breed dog with the advantages of two excellent Anglo and Norman dogs. It runs fast and has a keen sense of smell.But only Top himself, neither Neb nor his master appeared.

But how did Top himself come here?It doesn't know this place exists.It seemed hard to understand, especially on such a stormy night.Moreover, Top showed no sign of fatigue, and it was surprisingly free of silt and sand.

Harbert tugged at Top, holding his head tightly, and the dog rubbed its neck against Harbert's hand.

"Since Top is found, the engineer will find it too," said the reporter.

"Let's go, Top will show us the way." Hubbert said anxiously.

"Let's go!" This time the sailor overturned his previous assumptions.The appearance of Top made him feel that the engineer was still alive.

Before setting off, the sailors carefully set up the stove so that there was a fire when they returned.Then he took the rest of the supper, and Top, then Harbert and the reporter, and after the sailors were done, they set off.Dogs barked softly ahead, as if urging them to quicken their pace.

The storm seemed at this time to be so violent that not a single ray of light could penetrate the thick clouds.They followed Top through the wind and rain, and at this moment they could not talk at all.It was raining very hard and the storm was frightening.

(End of this chapter)