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

Chapter 152 The Mysterious Island (37)
The reporter was right.It was evident that, if the victim had been a human being, his isolation had made him nothing short of a savage.What is even more distressing is that he is now no different from an orangutan.His hoarse roar was no different from that of an animal, and his sharp teeth were like those of carnivores, suitable only for chewing raw meat.His memory seems to have been lost long ago, and he has long since lost his ability to use tools, weapons, and make fire!His body is agile and flexible, and even his soul is long gone!

Jardine Splane said a few words to him.He didn't seem to understand, and he didn't seem to hear at all... However, when the reporter leaned over to stare at his eyes, a gleam of light suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he still had a gleam of humanity.

At this moment, the captive is no longer struggling, nor is he trying to break the rope.Are some memories of past lives still lingering somewhere in the back of the mind?Or was he frustrated by losing to these people?You know, he and they used to be the same kind.If you let him go, will he run away, or will he stay?None of them was sure, nor dared to make such an attempt.Looking the poor man up and down, Jardine Splane said: "Whoever he is, and whatever he has been, or what he may become, it is our duty now to bring him Back to 'Lincoln Island'!"

Hubbert replied: "Yes! Yes! It may be possible to revive his humanity under our careful care!"

The reporter said: "Humanity has not completely disappeared. It will be the happiest thing to let him completely escape from the brutality!"

Pencroft shook his head doubtfully.

The reporter replied: "Even for humanitarian reasons, we have to try."

Indeed, this is their responsibility and obligation as civilized people and Christians.All three were well aware of this, and they believed that Cyrus Harding would approve of them.

Sailor asked: "Is he bound all the time?"

"Maybe he could walk if he let go of his feet?" said Hubbert. "

"Then try it," said Pencroft.

Untied the ropes that bound the captive's feet, but bound his arms firmly.He stood up by himself, without any intention of running away, and his fierce and indifferent eyes ruthlessly shot at the three people walking beside him.There was no sign that he remembered that he was human, or had been human.There were animal hisses coming from his mouth, but he made no attempt to resist.

At the reporter's suggestion, lead the poor man to his house.Seeing those things he's used might arouse a certain feeling in him!Maybe, just a little spark can rekindle his extinguished soul and re-light his dim thoughts!

The house is very close.Within minutes, they were there.The captive, however, evidently did not recognize anything in the house, and seemed indifferent to all of it.Apparently, he doesn't have any memory anymore!

The poor man was so stupid that people wondered why?It was nothing more than the fact that he was imprisoned by the island for a long time.He must have been lively, intelligent, and rational when he first came here, but living in this deserted wilderness for a long time has degraded his humanity so much.

The reporter also thought that he might react when he saw the fire. In an instant, the red flame illuminated the hearth.However, the miracle that everyone hoped for did not happen.When he saw the fire for the first time, the unfortunate man seemed to pay attention first, but he quickly retreated, and his unconscious eyes dimmed.

It was evident that there was nothing to do but take him aboard the Good Luck.So they took him on board, and put him in Pencroft's custody.

Hubbert and Jardine Splane continued to return to the island to complete their unfinished plans.A few hours later they brought utensils and weapons, colza, some game, and two pairs of pigs, and loaded them all into the boat. The "Lucky" was also ready to weigh anchor, just waiting for the high tide the next morning.

They housed the captives in the forward cabin.He stayed there quietly, without making any sound, as if he was deaf and dumb.Pencroft handed him food.Probably cooked meat was no longer suitable for him, so he pushed away the cooked meat that was handed to him.As expected, when the sailor brought a duck that Hubbert had killed to him, he pounced on it ferociously like a wild beast, and ate it greedily.

Pencroft shook his head. "Do you think he can be changed?"

The reporter replied: "Probably, because the isolation has made him like this. Our care for him will eventually change him. From now on he will not be alone again, our Taking care will definitely work!"

"The poor fellow may have been like this for a long time," said Harbert.

Jardin Splane replied, "Possibly."

The young man asked, "How old is he?"

The reporter replied: "It's hard to tell, his beard is too dense, his face is covered, and his appearance cannot be seen clearly. But he should not be young anymore, I guess he must be at least 50 years old."

The young man said, "Mr. Splain, have you noticed? His brows are high and his eyes are sunken."

"Yes, Harbert, but I will repeat that he seems to me more and more human now than when I first saw him."

"Let's see," replied Pencroft, "and I should like to hear what Mr. Smith has to say of the wild man. We came to rescue the wreck, and we brought back a monster. But that's the end of the matter. Do whatever you want!"

The night passed, and it was unknown whether the prisoner had slept, but no matter what, although he had been untied, he did not move.Like some beasts, he was depressed when he was first imprisoned, and then returned to rage after this time.

On October 10th, it was dawn and the sun came out.Sure enough, as Pencroft expected, the weather changed, and the wind turned to the northwest, that is to say, tailwind.This is very beneficial to the return of the "Lucky".But at the same time, the weather became cooler, which made navigation more difficult.

At five o'clock in the morning, the ship lifted anchor.Pencroft furled the mainsail and sailed east-northeast.This allows direct sailing to "Lincoln Island".

On the first day of driving, everything went well.The prisoners stayed in the front cabin, very quiet.Perhaps because he had been a sailor, the undulating waves might have aroused something in him.Did he recall the past when he was a sailor?In short, he was calm, a little surprised, but not depressed.

The next day, October 10, the wind increased to a great extent, and the wind was very northerly, which was not so favorable for the voyage of the "Lucky".As the wind increased, the "Lucky" bumped up and down with the waves.Pencroft, soon feeling the difficulty of sailing against the wind, said nothing, but began to worry about the state of the sea.The waves beat the bow of the ship more violently.If the wind direction remains the same, the time it takes to return to "Lincoln Island" will definitely be much longer than when it came.

As expected, on the morning of the 17th, 48 hours after the "Lucky" set off, there was no sign of entering the waters where "Lincoln Island" is located.In addition, because the direction and speed are irregular, it is difficult to estimate the distance traveled by the ship.

24 hours later, the wind was completely against the wind, the sea conditions were very bad, and we still couldn't see any land.The sea water came in one after another and quickly covered the boat. This required frequent tightening of the sail's lower corner, rapid manipulation and retraction of the sail, and sailing against the wind.

During the daytime on the 18th, the "Lucky" suddenly faced a crisis, and a wave completely covered the boat.If no measures are taken to hold the boat firmly, they will be swept away by the big waves.At the critical moment, Pencroft and his companions, who were anxious about the predicament, unexpectedly got help from the captives.He rushed out of the hatch quickly, swung the log hard, smashed the bulwark, and the water that flooded the deck quickly flowed away.This may be an unconscious expression of his seaman's instinct.Then, when the boat was out of danger, he went back to his cabin in silence.

Pencroft, Jardine Splane, and Harbert let him do it, when they were utterly petrified.

But things still didn't get any better, and the sailor himself was convinced that he was lost, with no hope of ever finding his way back!

The night of the 18th and 19th was cold and dark.At about eleven o'clock, the wind and sea calmed down. The "Lucky" was no longer shaking so violently, and its speed began to pick up.The boat turned safely, a sign of excellent seamanship.

Pencroft, Jardine Splane, and Harbert could not sleep even an hour.They are all paying close attention to everything on the sea.Everyone estimates that "Lincoln Island" may not be far away, and we won't know until dawn.Otherwise, the "Lucky" was blown off course by the wind and carried far away by the current, unable to correct its direction.

Pencroft was strong, and, though distraught, had faith.He sat calmly at the helm, his steadfast eyes burning as if to penetrate the thick darkness that surrounded him.

About two o'clock in the morning Pencroft rose suddenly.He cried: "Fire! Fire!"

Indeed, there was a bright light twenty miles to the northeast. "Lincoln Island" was there, and the fire must have been kindled by Cyrus Harding, and used to guide them.

Pencroft was indeed heading north, so he turned the bow of the ship to the fire, and changed course.The navigation fire is like a shining star, shining on the not-too-distant horizon.

Savage Tears

The next day, at 10 o'clock in the morning on October 20, after four days of travel, the "Lucky" slowly stopped on the beach at the mouth of the "Grateful River".

The inclement weather, and the absence of news from their companions, both Cyrus Harding and Neb were greatly apprehensive.At dawn, they boarded "Prospect Heights", and finally at about seven o'clock, they saw the late boat.

Cyrus Harding exclaimed, "Thank God! They're back at last!"

Neb danced with joy, clapped his hands while circling, and shouted excitedly, "Oh, my master! My master!" His expressions and actions were more touching than any words.

The engineer counted all the people on the deck of the "Lucky" as far as he could see, but found no new people.His first thought was that either Pencroft had failed to find the castaway on Tabor Island, or that the castaway would not change his place of captivity, and refused to leave the island.

Indeed, only Pencroft, Jardine Splane, and Harbert were now on the deck of the _Lucky_.

The engineer and Neb were waiting for the boat to land on the shore, and before the three of them had jumped onto the sand, Cyrus Harding said eagerly: "My friends, we are very worried about your delay! Did something unfortunate happen?"

Jardine Splane said: "On the contrary, everything went very well. I'll tell you more about it later."

The engineer said again: "But, there are only three of you as when you left. Did you not find the person you were looking for?"

The sailor replied, "Mr. Cyrus, I'm sorry, but there are four of us now!"

"Have you found the poor wreck?"

"Yes."

"Have you brought him back?"

"Yes."

"Where? Who is he?"

The reporter replied hesitantly, "It's... exactly what he used to be! Look, Cyrus, that's all we can tell you."

The engineer quickly gained some insight into what was going on during the trip.They told him how to survey the island, the only abandoned house on the island, and finally how to capture the lost man who seemed to be no longer human.

"Besides," said Pencroft, "I don't know whether it was right or wrong to bring him here."

The engineer immediately replied: "Pencroft, you are right to do so!"

"But the poor man has lost his humanity."

Cyrus Harding replied: "It may be so now, but the poor fellow might have been a man like you and me a few months ago. No one knows that the last of us, alone, long What can become of this island? Friends, solitude is painful, and it must be admitted that isolation quickly kills reason. It is evident that this is the case with the unfortunate man you have found! "

"But, Mr. Cyrus, why do you think it was only a few months ago that this castaway became a Savage?" asked Harbert.

The engineer replied: "Because this letter was written recently, only the castaway could write this letter."

Jardine Splane reminded: "Isn't it written by one of the man's companions? Perhaps the man died later."

"My dear Spline, that's impossible."

"why?"

Said Cyrus Harding: "Because in that case the letter would say that there were two victims, but it only said one."

Hubbert also briefly described what happened at sea, emphasizing the strange event that the captive temporarily returned to reason: when the storm was at its strongest and we were in trouble, he suddenly became a sailor again. short.

The engineer said, "Very well, Harbert, you are right to be concerned about this matter. It is desperation that has made the poor man what he is, and he should be curable. Here he will be with us." His compatriots live together again, and there is still an immortal soul in him, and we will definitely be able to save this soul back!"

The castaways were brought out of the forward cabin of the Good Luck.The castaway, who sympathized with the engineer and surprised Neb, showed a willingness to escape as soon as he got ashore.

Cyrus Harding approached him, laid his hand on his shoulder with a gesture of power and amiability, and surveyed him amiably.The victim immediately seemed to be under control, and slowly calmed down.He lowered his head, lowered his eyes, and no longer made any resistance.

The engineer murmured, "Poor man!"

Cyrus Harding observed him carefully.Outwardly he seemed inhuman, but Cyrus Harding, as the reporter saw, caught a fleeting gleam of wisdom in his dodging eyes.

It was agreed that they housed the castaway, or the stranger, as they would henceforth call him, in a room in Granite House.It seemed impossible for him to escape from Granite Palace.He followed the room obediently.We hope that through careful care, he can one day become another partner of the residents of "Lincoln Island".

As the reporter, Harbert, and Pencroft were feeling starved to death, Neb had a quick lunch.At dinner they gave Cyrus Harding a detailed account of all the things that had happened during the survey.For the "Britannia" made Cyrus agree with them on the question of the nationality of the stranger.That is, the stranger may be British or American.In addition, through the unkempt hair and untrimmed beard, the engineer could vaguely discern Anglo-Saxon features in his appearance.

Jardine Splane said to Harbert: "But you haven't told us how you met this wild man. He was going to strangle you. Fortunately, we arrived in time. We don't know anything about the rest. what!"

Hubbert replied: "To be honest, I don't know what happened at that time. Let me think about it. I was busy collecting plants at the time, and suddenly I heard the sound of an avalanche. Something came from a very high The sound of falling from a tree. Before I had time to turn around... the stranger might have been hiding in a tree. He was falling on me in an instant, and if it hadn't been for Mr. Splain and Pencroft..."

"My child," said Cyrus Harding, "you have worked hard. But for this danger, the poor souls might never have met you, and we would have had no more companions."

The reporter asked: "So do you think he can become human again?"

The engineer replied, "Sure."

After lunch, Cyrus Harding and his companions left Granite House, and went to the beach again.Everyone worked together to move the obtained items from the "Lucky".The engineer inspected the weapons and tools carefully, but found no markings that would identify the stranger.

Everyone agreed that the act of catching pigs on the island would bring a lot of benefits to "Lincoln Island", and the wild boars were sent to the corral.They will quickly adapt to that environment.

The boxes of detonators, and the two kegs of powder and cartridges, were very well received by all, and it was agreed that a small ammunition depot should be erected either outside the Granite Palace, or in the cave above, which Both places are absolutely safe from any explosions.But the gun cotton has to be used, because this stuff is very good, and there is no need to replace it with ordinary gunpowder.

After removing the goods, Pencroft said: "Mr. Cyrus, I think, for the sake of caution, it is necessary to find a safe and secure place for the 'Lucky' to stop."

Cyrus Harding asked: "Wouldn't it be nice to just stop at the mouth of the Thanksgiving River?"

"Yes, that would be half the time on the sand, and she'd take a lot of damage. It's a fine boat, and she's made it through the storm we've had on the way home."

"But you can't park it in the river, can you?"

"Mr. Cyrus, it may be possible, but the mouth of the river is open, and if the east wind blows, the 'Lucky' will be hit hard by the waves."

"Well, where do you think it should be parked?"

The sailor replied: "Stop at the 'Balloon Harbor'! This small harbor is sheltered by rocks, which can reduce the invasion of wind and waves. I think it is a very suitable port."

"Is it a little far?"

"Not far! It's not more than three miles from Granite House, and we have an easy straight road to get there!"

The engineer replied: "Pencroft, let's do that, and take your 'Lucky' there, but I still feel that I can rest assured that I can be directly under our custody. When we have time, we will give it Build a small port."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Pencroft, "a port with piers, lighthouses, and docks! Ah! indeed, Mr. Cyrus, everything is so easy with you!"

(End of this chapter)