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

Chapter 158 The Mysterious Island (43)
"Could it be a localized volcanic eruption or some kind of meteor phenomenon? Are you sure you can see it clearly?"

The reporter replied: "Mr. Cyrus, there is no mistake. Someone must have lit the fire. If you don't believe me, you can ask Pencroft and Harbert. They can confirm my story. They have seen it."

A few days later, on the evening of the 4th of April, while all were around, Cyrus Harding said:

"Friends, I think it's time to remind you of some things that happened on the island, and I would like to hear your opinions. These things can be said to be unbelievable..."

The sailor exhaled smoke and asked, "Unbelievable? How can there be unbelievable things on our island?"

"It must be mysterious, Pencroft," said the Engineer, "unless you can explain to me and Spline, to us all, something which we have hitherto been unable to understand."

The sailor replied, "Mr. Cyrus, please speak."

The engineer said: "Well, after I fell into the sea, why was I found in a quarter of a nautical mile inside the island, and I didn't feel such a big movement, can you explain what is going on? ?”

"There is only one reason," said Pencroft, "that you fainted..."

The engineer replied: "I can't accept this explanation. Come on, let's not talk about it anymore. Then how did Top find you? Can you explain it? You are five miles from the cave where I lie." long."

Hubbert replied, "It's the nature of the dog..."

The reporter said: "What a strange nature! There was a strong wind and heavy rain that night, but when Top went to the 'chimney', he was dry and there was no mud or water at all!"

The engineer continued: "Also, when Top was fighting with the dugong, how could he be thrown out of the lake suddenly. It's so strange, can you explain?"

Pencroft replied: "No, I admit it cannot be explained, and the wound on the side of the dugong, like a cut with a sharp weapon, is equally inexplicable."

Cyrus Harding went on: "And, my friends, do you remember why there was a buckshot in little Xihong's body? Why there was a ball full of it, which was very good for us, when there was no sign of shipwreck. Chests of useful things luckily stranded? Why did we come across that bottle of letters on our first sea excursion? Why did our boat, after fraying its rope, go down the 'Grateful River' just when we needed it Come here? Why was the rope ladder brought down from the heights of Granite House in such good time after the monkey invasion? At last, why did Ayrton declare that he did not write the letter, and why did it fall into our hands again?"

Cyrus Harding enumerated every strange thing that happened on the island, and Herbert, Pencroft, and Neb were stupefied, not knowing what to answer.They were astonished when this mysterious series of events came together for the first time.

Pencroft said at last: "You are indeed right, Mr. Cyrus, that these things are difficult to explain!"

Again the engineer said: "My friends, this last incident is as inexplicable as the others!"

Hubbert asked eagerly: "Mr. Cyrus, which one is it?"

Said the engineer: "Pencroft, when you came back from Tabor Island, did you say you saw the fire on 'Lincoln Island'?"

The sailor replied, "Certainly."

"Are you sure you saw fire?"

"Yes, as true as I see you now."

"Harbert, did you see that too?"

exclaimed Hubbert, "Yes! Mr. Cyrus, that fire shone like the brightest star!"

The engineer continued to ask: "Is it just a star?"

"No," replied Pencroft, "the sky was overcast with clouds, and there could be no stars. Besides, they could not have been lower than the horizon. Mr. Splane saw it as well as we did, and he can attest to my saying that That's right!"

The reporter said: "Let me go further, the fire was extremely bright, as bright as a piece of lightning."

Hubbert said: "Yes! Yes! That's it. . . The fire must be high up at Granite House."

Cyrus Harding replied, "I can tell you, my friends, that neither Neb nor I lit a fire on the shore that night last October, the 10th and 19th."

"You didn't—" cried Pencroft, and he was almost speechless with astonishment.

Said Cyrus Harding: "We did not leave 'Granite House' that night, and if there is a fire on the shore, it must not have been lit by us, but by others!"

Pencroft, Harbert, and Neb were astonished.It was certainly not a phantom, and on the night of October 10th and 19th last year, I did see a piece of fire shining!

yes!They have to believe that there is an unexplainable secret on "Lincoln Island"!They can personally feel that there is a mysterious force protecting them in secret on "Lincoln Island", and they all appear in such a timely manner. What is this mysterious force?Is there any creature hidden on this island?These doubts strongly aroused their curiosity!They feel that they must figure out these problems no matter what!
Cyrus Harding also called attention to the reactions of Top and Jupp.At that time, they made strange calls while turning around the mouth of the well, which was connected to the sea.He also told them that he had surveyed the well and found nothing suspicious.At last, at the end of the conversation, it was agreed that a thorough search of the whole island should be carried out as soon as spring came.

But ever since Pencroft learned of these mysteries, he had been sullen.It seems that this small island that belonged to them no longer completely belongs to them.There was another master, and it seemed like the other could hold them whether they wanted to or not.Both he and Neb were naturally curious about the mysterious, and often talked of the unbelievable.So they almost admit that there is some kind of mysterious force controlling "Lincoln Island".

May on the island is equivalent to November in the northern hemisphere, so the arrival of May means the arrival of bad weather in winter.All signs have heralded the arrival of this early and colder winter than in the past.

So everyone is nervously preparing for this winter.There were already a lot of old sheep at that time, and they provided a lot of wool for making warm clothing, so felt clothing was also plentiful.

Of course, everyone also prepared these warm and comfortable clothes for Ayrton.Cyrus Harding had proposed to him to pass the cold season at Granite House, which would certainly be more comfortable than the Corral.Ayrton agreed, but said he would not come back until he had done the last bit of work in the corral.Around mid-April, he moved in.Since then, he has lived with everyone and has been doing things for the collective all the time.But he has always looked negative and dull, never talking and laughing with everyone.

This is the third winter we have spent on "Lincoln Island".This winter, everyone stayed in the "Granite Palace" most of the time, shutting the door.During this period, there were terrible winds and heavy rains, which seemed to lift up huge rocks.The raging tsunami is also terrifying, as if it is going to engulf the entire island, and every ship that is moored near the coast will suffer the consequences of sinking and dying.A storm twice swelled the Thanksgiving River dangerously, and flooded all the bridges, big and small, and almost washed them away.As a result, the bridges were reinforced.

Those stormy winds mixed with rain and snow, like tornadoes, have already caused a lot of damage to "Prospect Heights".The mills and poultry farms suffered terribly.Everyone has to make repairs from time to time, otherwise the survival of poultry will be seriously threatened.

In inclement weather, several pairs of jaguars and herds of other animals approached Prospect Heights to provoke them.So, everyone began to be wary of those bold and alert animals. Perhaps driven by hunger, they tried their best to cross the creek. Moreover, if the creek freezes, they can step on the solid ice to get over.By that time, crops and poultry will certainly be lost if left unprotected.So, in order to stop them, everyone will occasionally put down their guns to drive these dangerous elements away.Therefore, even though it is the winter break, everyone is very busy. In addition to taking care of the animals and repairing the buildings destroyed by the snowstorm, there are also many housework needs to be done in the "Granite Palace".

Hunting successes were also achieved during this period.It was a cold day, in the wide crested moor, and Jupp and Top were busily busy, while Jardine Splane and Harbert hit every one they wanted. Which, and countless numbers of pheasants, ducks, pintails, sand pheasants, and wheat hens suffered.At that time, hunters only moved within two or three nautical miles, never far from the "Granite Palace".This hunting ground is not far from "Granite Palace", and is easily accessible, either by the bridge over the "Grateful River", and then the road from "Balloon Harbor"; Rocks are also easy to get around.

The four winter months of June, July, August and September are indeed cold, but they pass quickly.On the whole it was warm in Granite House and not too cold in the corral.Because the "corral" is not a wind outlet like "Prospect Heights", "Franklin Peak" blocks a large part of it, so the wind weakens a lot here.Therefore, even if there was a small loss, it was quickly made up for by Ayrton's diligence and ability.In the second half of October, he went back to the "corral" for a few days.

Although Pencroft and Neb have been trying their best to catch those insignificant and mysterious things, this winter has been very quiet, and no unexplainable strange things have happened.Top and Jup did not turn round the well, nor appear frightened again, as if the unbelievable incidents had never ceased.But everyone still mentioned it frequently when chatting at night, and they were still determined to conduct a rigorous search of the entire island, even the most difficult areas to survey.

But a sudden event, whose consequences were not even conceived, caused Cyrus Harding and his companions to suspend their plans for the time being.

It was a day in October, and spring had come in full stride.On that day, the sun was shining brightly and Vientiane was renewed. The hackberry, mountain tree and Himalayan fir had all sprouted new shoots.

It must be remembered that Jardine Splane and Hubbert took the "Lincoln Island" scenery. At about three o'clock in the afternoon on October 10, Hubbert saw the clear sky, the same color of sea and sky, and the picturesque scenery, so he wanted to take a picture of the entire "United States Bay". Because of the pure and transparent air, the scenery of the entire bay was unobstructed.The sea breeze is soft and the sea water is slightly rippling. From a distance, the sea surface is shining like bright metal pieces.

Hubbert positioned the camera at a window in the Great Hall of Granite House, looking down on the beach and bay.After Hubbert finished taking pictures as usual, he took out the negatives and went to a darkroom in the "Granite Palace" to fix.

Harbert looked carefully at the negative in full light, and he saw a small, hard-to-see blemish at sea level.So he rinsed it over and over, trying to get rid of it, but it didn't work.

He thought to himself: "Is this a small dot on the glass?"

Curious, Hubert unscrewed a high-power convex mirror from the telescope and examined the defect carefully.

However, as soon as he glanced at it, he screamed and almost dropped the film on the floor.He went at once to the room where Cyrus Harding was, and showed him the dot, while handing the negative and the convex mirror to the engineer.

Cyrus Harding also examined this point carefully, and hastily seizing his glass, made a dash for the window.The telescope slowly swept across the sea level, and finally found the suspicious spot.Cyrus Harding took down his glass, and said one word calmly: "Boat!"

Indeed, a boat appeared in the field of vision of "Lincoln Island"!

strange brig
The victims on the balloon have not been able to make any contact with the outside world since they were thrown onto "Lincoln Island" two and a half years ago.Once, the reporter made an attempt. He wrote the situation on the island in a letter, and then let an albatross take the letter to an inhabited place.But it's a matter of little hope, and they can't get their hopes up too much.Ayrton alone has so far joined this little band of emigrants, and the manner of his joining has been described in detail above.What happened next was really unexpected, when on that day - October 1867, 10 - other people suddenly appeared in view of this remote island, in this always desolate land. maritime!

There is no doubt about this!There's a boat over there!But is it a passing visitor passing through the open sea, or a temporary resident who needs to rest in port?It would be a few more hours before residents knew what to do with the situation.

Immediate action was taken by Cyrus Harding and Herbert, who called Jardine Splane, Pencroft, and Neb into the great hall of Granite House, and told them what had happened.Pencroft picked up the telescope, and after scanning the horizon quickly round, his eyes rested on the point they pointed to, which was obscured on the photographic plate.

"My God! It's a boat indeed!" he cried, but there was not much glee in his voice.

"Is it coming this way?" Jardine Splane asked.

"It's hard to tell," replied Pencroft, "for the masts are nothing but the horizon, and nothing of the hull is visible."

"Then what should we do?" the boy asked.

"Wait," Cyrus replied succinctly.

For a long time after this, the immigrants remained silent, and this was the most significant event that had occurred since their arrival on "Lincoln Island".For this reason, they were absorbed in the thoughts, feelings, fears and hopes that the incident had evoked, and indeed it had to be considered that the situation of this small group of immigrants was not the same as that of some of the victims, who He was exiled to a desolate and harsh island.They have to do their best to fight against the cruel nature, so that they can barely survive.Not only that, but they are constantly tormented by the desperate need to see inhabited land again or by homesickness.But their situation is completely different.Pencroft and Neb, especially, felt that life on the island was both happy and rich, so they would be sad and regretful if they were to leave their island one day.Besides, they had adapted to the new life on the island, to living in a territory that had been developed by their ingenuity and hard work.But in any case, this ship came from a similar society after all, and it may bring news from the mainland to the group of victims, and perhaps it may also bring news from their hometown!It piggybacks on its kind.Therefore, one can imagine the excitement in their hearts when they saw the boat!
Pencroft had been leaning against the window, taking up his binoculars from time to time to look out.From that time on he had been absorbed in watching the ship, which was about twenty miles to the east.Immigrants have no way of signaling their presence.The opponent may not be able to detect the signal flag, and may not be able to hear it when firing a gun, and may not be able to see it even if the beacon tower is lit.

However, one thing is certain, this island with the towering "Franklin Peak" cannot escape the eyes of the lookout on the ship.But what is the purpose of that ship coming here to dock?Had it come to such a remote place in the Pacific just by chance?But the map does not show any land other than Tabor Island.Even this island was out of the usual course of the ocean-going liners of Polynesia, New Zealand, and the coasts of America.

Everyone was thinking about it, and suddenly Hubbert made a startling hypothesis.

"Couldn't this ship be the 'Duncan'?" he said aloud.

As I said before, the "Duncan" was Sir Glenarvan's yacht.It had abandoned Ayrton on the island, and it would return someday to fetch him back.And Tabor Island is not far from "Lincoln Island."The distance between them is only 150 nautical miles in longitude and 70 nautical miles in latitude.Thus, a ship traveling to that island should be able to see a ship heading for that island on "Lincoln Island".

"Ayrton must be informed of this," said Jardine Splane. "Call him quickly. He alone can tell us now whether it is the Duncan or not."

No one disagreed with this opinion, so the reporter hurried to the telegraph machine that could contact the "corral" and "Granite Palace", and sent a telegram:
Please come quickly.

A few minutes later, the telegraph bell rang.

Ayrton called back: That's it.

The migrants then continued to watch the boat in the distance.

"If that was really the 'Duncan,'" said Harbert, "Ayrton would have easily recognized her, since he had been aboard for some time."

"It is conceivable that Ayrton will be very excited if it is indeed that ship!"

"Yes," replied Cyrus Harding, "may God bless it is indeed Sir Glenarvan's yacht, and Ayrton is now entitled to return to the 'Duncan', but I have another worry. —any other ship looks suspicious to me! Pirates are common in this area, and to tell the truth I have always feared that our island would be invaded by Malay pirates."

"We'll defend it!" cried Hubbert.

"Of course, my boy," said the engineer, smiling, "but it would be better not to have to defend it, and I sincerely hope that is the case."

"Such worries may be unnecessary," said Jardin Splane, "'Lincoln Island' is a strange place for navigators, and its location is not even marked on the latest published map. .And now a ship has unexpectedly appeared near this island, so, Cyrus, I think it is not trying to avoid it, but to survey it, don't you think it should be so?"

(End of this chapter)