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

Chapter 122 The Mysterious Island (7)
However, in such a dire situation, there is also a bright side.That is, the wind came from the southeast and pushed them from behind, which was conducive to traveling, and the wind and sand blowing on their backs would not hinder their progress.Moreover, under the action of the wind, they must walk very fast so as not to be blown down. They must keep up with the speed of the wind. There is a huge hope waiting for them in front of them, and this time the search will no longer be blind.They knew that Neb must have found his master, and sent Top to report.However, the question is whether the engineers are still alive, and they must step up.

Soon they had crossed the face of the cliff and left the plateau, and it was time to stop and catch their breath.The unevenness of the rocks was blocking the wind for them, and the road was more like running than walking.This time, they could hear each other's voices.When Hubbert uttered the words "Cyrus Harding," Top gave a soft cry, as if to tell them that his master was saved.

"He's alive, isn't he?" repeated Halbert to Top. "He's saved, Top?"

Top cried again, as if in answer.

It was about 02:30, and they continued on their way.At this time, the sea water began to rise, and under the action of the wind, a menacing tide was formed.The huge waves hit the rocks with a deafening sound, and the sea directly hit the shore.The sailor and his companions left the transect, again obliged to expose themselves to the wind and rain.They stooped against the wind, and Top was very firm about where he was going, which was north.The waves of the sea on the right are surging, and the landforms on the left cannot be seen clearly, but it can be concluded that it is flat, because the storm did not beat them over.

It was four o'clock in the morning, and we had traveled nearly five nautical miles at this time.At this time, the clouds are gradually rising, the wind is no longer humid, and it becomes dry and cold.At this time, the clothes of the few of them could not keep out the cold at all, so one can imagine how much they suffered.However, these few people went forward bravely without complaint.They followed Top, making sure to reach their destination.

At five o'clock in the morning, the sky began to light up.The fog has weakened significantly, and the lines of the sea have become clear.It was dawn around six o'clock.Clouds are moving rapidly to higher ground.At this time, the sailors had traveled about six nautical miles.Now they walked on along the flat beach.You can see several sand dunes on the left, and the terrain is uneven.It can be seen that this is a sandy area, except for some hills, there are no other obstacles, and it looks desolate.Just one or two odd trees with branches growing towards the west.Far behind, to the southwest, the edge of a wood was rounded.

At this time, Top looked a little impatient.It came back to the sailor, as if urging.It continued to lead the way, left the beach, and ran between the dunes.Everyone followed Top without hesitation.There is no sign of life here, it is lifeless.The edge of the sand dunes is very open, and some small hills are scattered randomly. It is necessary to rely on instinct to not get lost.

After walking for nearly 5 minutes, they came to a cave. Top stopped and let out a crisp cry.They understood immediately and got into the hole.

Neb knelt there, and lying beside him was Cyrus Harding!
Companion returns
Sailor asked Neb: "Is he still alive?"

But Neb didn't answer, and knelt there motionless.Jardine Splane and Pencroft grew pale at seeing him thus.Hubbert clasped his hands and prayed.Neb was already immersed in deep pain, he had no sense of the outside world, and he didn't hear the sailor's question at all.At this time, Naboo was in despair.He was so exhausted and in so much pain that he thought his master was dead.

The reporter quickly knelt down, unbuttoned the engineer's clothes, and put his ears on the seemingly lifeless chest.One minute passed, but to them, it seemed like a century had passed.The reporter hoped to hear his heartbeat as best he could.

After a long time, the reporter stood up.

"He's alive!" said the reporter.

The sailor also quickly knelt down, yes, he also heard the heartbeat, and the sailor also felt the engineer's mouth exhale.

Spline told Hubbert to hurry to get some water, and Hubbert didn't go far when he came to a stream.The heavy rain last night made the water in the creek rise.Although the water was found, there was no container at hand for Hubbert to hold some water and let him take it away.Surrounded by sand dunes, there is not even a shadow of a shell!The young man had no choice but to think of a way, soaked the handkerchief on his body in the water, and hurried back.

Fortunately, there was enough water in the handkerchief, and the reporter just wanted to moisten the engineer's lips with this water.As the cool stream dripped on the Engineer's lips, he let out a sigh and seemed to try to speak.This precious water immediately worked.

"He'll be fine!" said the reporter.

Seeing this situation, Neb also rekindled hope. He took off his master's clothes and checked his body for any injuries.However, to their surprise, the engineer had no wounds on his body, no contusions on the head, limbs or other parts of the body, not even minor abrasions.Moreover, his hands looked normal, but how did he get here through the row of hidden reefs?It's unbelievable, nothing can explain what happened.

However, these questions will always be answered.When the engineer can speak, the truth will be revealed.The most important thing now is to wake him up.Companions massaged the Engineer's body, rubbing Pencroft's rough sailor coats in the hope that this would wake him up sooner.Sure enough, the massage worked, the engineer warmed up, his arms moved slightly, and his breathing gradually became even.If the sailors and reporters had not arrived in time, the engineer might have been buried by Naboo.

"Do you think he is dead?" asked the sailor to Neb.

"Yes, if Top had not found you, or if you had not come here, I would have buried my master, and killed myself!" said Neb.

It can be seen that the engineer survived thanks to his companions!
Then Neb began to relate his search for the Engineer.At dawn the day before yesterday, he left the "chimney" and began to search.He headed northwest, following the coastline and reaching the area he had been looking for.There Neb searched every nook and cranny, on the beach, among the rocks, and in the sand, not even the slightest trace he missed.But still nothing came of it, and Neb lost all hope.However, Neb hoped to find his master's body and bury him with his own hands.So he scoured the part of the beach that wasn't covered by high tide, hoping to find a trace.

Neb's efforts, however, brought no results.The coast is still wild.Those shellfish that were not washed up by the sea were intact and not crushed, which means that there were no traces of humans.Everything shows up, no one is logged in here.

So, Neb decided to search farther away, perhaps the water washed the body farther away.After all, a dead body cannot float on the sea forever, and sooner or later the waves will bring it to the beach.Neb wanted very much to see his master one last time.

"I walked another two nautical miles along the coast, looking over the reef at low tide and on the beach at high tide. But I found nothing. I didn't find it until about five o'clock yesterday afternoon. There are footprints!"

"Footprints?" asked Pencroft.

"Yes, it's footprints!" Neb was sure.

"Go on, Neb!" said Jardine Splane.

"Seeing these footprints, I was so happy that I was going crazy. Following the footprints, I walked towards the sand dunes. After walking about a quarter of a nautical mile, or running for about 5 minutes, I heard a dog barking. .It was getting dark now, and it was Top who brought me to my master."

As Neb spoke, he stared at the engineer's body with a pained expression on his face.He had just seen the engineer's body lying here, and he only wanted to find the body, but when he did arrive, he still hoped that he was still alive.So he hopes to find traces of survival on the engineer's body.But he made all his efforts, but it was of no avail, and he could only prepare to say goodbye to him.

Fortunately, Neb thought of his companions, who also wanted to see the engineer one last time.So I thought of Top, a faithful and intelligent animal.Neb told him the reporter's name several times, which Top knew very well.Then he pointed south of the shore, and Top ran in that direction.

Driven by instinct, Top found the engineer's companions.Top had never been to the "chimney", and the instinct of animals was beyond nature.

The companions listened attentively to Neb's narrative.As inexplicable as Topp's instinct was, still more incomprehensible was how Cyrus Harding had come to be here.If he had climbed over the rocks to avoid the waves, it must have been hard work, but he didn't have even the slightest scrape.Stranger still is how the engineer came to this cave, which is about a nautical mile from the shore.

"In other words, did you carry your master here, Neb?" asked the reporter.

"Not me!" returned Neb.

"Evidently, the engineer himself!" said Pencroft.

"It seems so!, but it's unbelievable!" Jardin Splane said.

However, all this will be answered after the engineer wakes up.Fortunately, the life of the engineer gradually recovered, and the massage has allowed the blood to circulate.Cyrus Harding moved his arms, and then his head began to move, and some words came out of his mouth.Of course, his companions couldn't hear at all.

The engineer still had his eyes closed. Neb leaned over and called him softly, but he didn't respond either.However, his life came back, but it was first manifested through body movements, and his consciousness had not yet awakened.

There was no fire here, and Pencroft had no char-cloth, for if two stones struck each other they would have ignited it.But there is no tool for making fire here.The engineer's body was empty except for a watch in his vest pocket.They agreed that they must transport the engineer to the "chimney" quickly.

At this time, the engineer recovered faster than his companions expected, and the careful care of his companions finally paid off.He slowly regained consciousness.At first, it was just to moisten his lips with some water, and then the sailors mixed the water with the juice of the grouse they had brought, and added some shellfish that Hubbert had specially picked up on the seashore.The engineer sucked greedily on this mixed drink concocted by the sailor.Finally, the intake of nutrients made him open his eyes.

Naboo and the reporter bent down at the same time.

"Master! My master!" cried Neb.

The engineer heard Neb's cry.He awoke, and recognized Neb and Splain, and then Pencroft and Harbert, and pressed their hands softly.

Then, he was talking again, just like he said when he was unconscious.This is enough to show that there seems to be a problem that has been bothering the engineer. Even when he was unconscious, he was still thinking.This time, the companions heard the engineer's words clearly.

"Is it an island or a continent?" The engineer's voice was very low and soft.

"My God! Whether it's an island or a land, we'll talk about that later! As long as you live!" said the sailor to him.

The engineer nodded and fell asleep again.

The companions made no further attempts to wake him.Because they know that engineers are still weak.Next, the companions decided to transport the Engineer to the chimney, so that he could get a better rest.The reporter, therefore, remained with the engineer, and the sailor, Neb, and Harbert left the cave, and walked towards the high hill, where there happened to be some trees.The sailor was still muttering as he walked towards the tree:
"The island or the mainland! He is still thinking about this question, but he is only breathless! This is really an amazing person!"

Having reached the top of the hill, the sailor and his companions used their arms and hands, which were their only tools, to break off the branches.This is a sea pine, whose thin trunk is blown by the sea breeze, making it look very delicate.They made a stretcher out of broken branches and spread leaves and grass on it.In this way, the tools for carrying the engineer are ready.

The preparations were carried out for about four to ten minutes, and then the three sailors came back, and it was already ten o'clock in the morning.The engineer had awoken from the stupor he had been sleeping in since the day he was found.But at this time, his complexion improved obviously, his cheeks were rosy, and his pale, dead-like complexion finally disappeared.The engineer got up a little and looked around, but he didn't know where he was.

The reporter, who had been at Cyrus Harding's side, asked the engineer:

"Can you hear me without effort, Cyrus?"

"Yes!" said the engineer.

"I think it would make more sense if you could have some more grouse, Mr. Cyrus!" said the sailor, bringing over some grouse jelly, only this time with Ordered some chicken nuggets.Cyrus Harding munched slowly, and the rest of his three companions ate for lunch, though there was too little chicken, and they were too hungry to have enough.

"Well!" said the sailor, "we havetened back to the 'chimney', where food awaits us! I must now tell you, Mr. Cyrus, that on the south side we have prepared a house with bedrooms, beds and The stove's dwelling. And some birds, which Harbert calls the Grucklings. We've got a stretcher ready, and as soon as you feel some strength, we'll set out and carry you there."

"Thanks, friends! I think I'll rest for another hour or two, and I'll be able to set off with you. Just, tell me what's going on, Spline."

The reporter began to tell everything that happened in the past few days.Cyrus Harding knew nothing of these.The reporter talked about the first fall of the balloon; then they landed in this deserted place, not sure whether it was an island or a continent; then they found the "chimney" and changed it into a shelter; Neb was so faithful, and Top cleverly and instinctively found the chimney.

"So you found me on the sand?" asked Cyrus Harding.Although he had the strength to speak, his voice was still extremely weak.

"No!" The reporter replied.

"Then why am I in this cave? Didn't you bring me here?" the engineer continued.

"No."

"How far is this cave from the reef off the coast?"

"About half a mile or so," replied the sailor. "Actually, we are the same as you. We are also very surprised to see you lying here!"

"Yeah, it's really strange!" The engineer's physical strength gradually recovered, and he began to explore these details.

"Do you remember what happened after you were swept away by the sea? Tell us about it," the sailor asked the engineer.

Cyrus Harding began to recall all that had happened to him, and he remembered only a little, save that the waves had wrenched him out of the balloon's net, and carried him into the sea, about a few inches wide. deep.After he returned to the surface of the sea, he seemed to feel that there was a living thing beside him.Yes, this is Top.It jumped down to save its master.The engineer looked up, but the balloon was gone.It turned out that leaving him and Top behind, the balloon lost its weight and shot out like an arrow, drifting to nowhere.At this time, the engineer realized that he was already in the sea, the sea was rough, and the distance from the coast was about half a nautical mile.So, the engineer tried his best to fight the rough waves and try to swim to the shore.Top held his coat with his mouth to keep him from sinking.Suddenly, a torrent, like lightning, hit him and pushed him south.He and Top worked hard for half an hour, and finally they were exhausted, and then they didn't know what happened.When he regained consciousness again, he had already returned to his friends.How he came to the cave, the engineer has no idea.

"You must have been thrown ashore by the waves, and came here by yourself. Neb has found your footprints, and can prove it," said the sailor.

"Yes, it should be like this." The engineer didn't have a better explanation, and then asked: "Have you found any traces of other humans on this beach?"

"No, even if someone saved someone, why did they save you from the waves and throw you here?" the reporter said.

"My dear Spline, you are right. But tell me, Neb, it must have been you. Perhaps you do not remember, or . . . no, it cannot be, are the footprints still there?" Cyrus Harding asked Neb.

"The footprints are still there, my master. They are at the entrance of the cave, and there are also behind the sand dunes. As long as they are sheltered from the wind and rain, there are other places that were washed away by last night's storm!"

"Take my shoes, Pencroft, and compare them, and see if they agree," said Smith to the sailor.

The sailor followed the engineer's order to compare the shoe prints, and he and Harbert went to all the places where there were footprints.Cyrus Harding said to Spline:
"Some of the things that happened are just unbelievable and difficult to explain."

"Indeed, it is difficult to explain!" The reporter replied.

"But that's not the most important thing now, let's talk about it later, my dear Spline!"

The sailor and Harbert returned in a short time, and had confirmed that the engineer's shoes matched the footprints, that is to say, Cyrus Harding himself had walked on the sand.

"It seems that I myself was delirious and unconscious, and thought it was Neb who brought me here! I may have been like a sleepwalker in a trance, and it was Top who brought me here by animal instinct. , of course it must have dragged me out of the sea. Come, Top!"

Top, whining under his breath, hopped up to his master, and Cyrus Harding stroked him.It seemed that they had no other explanation than that Top saved his master, and all the credit goes to this wonderful and loyal dog!

(End of this chapter)