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

Chapter 159 The Mysterious Island (44)
"Certainly," replied Pencroft.

"So it is with my thoughts," added the engineer, "that it may even be said that it is the duty of any captain to visit a piece of land or an island not yet cataloged, and to make a full survey of it. 'Lincoln Island' That is exactly the case.”

"Well," said Pencroft then, "suppose the ship comes at last, and drops anchor a few chains from our island, what shall we do?"

This sudden and urgent question was not answered for a while.But Cyrus Harding, after serious consideration, said in his customary calm tone:
"Friends, what we need to do and what we should do is: get in touch with that ship as soon as possible, and after claiming our island in the name of the United States of America, take the ship back home. Then we will return to the island in the future, And bring all the compatriots who are willing to follow us, and finally occupy it substantially, and use this small island in the Pacific Ocean as a useful supply station and donate it to the United States of America!"

"Long live!" cried Pencroft, "what a gift we have to make to our country! By now the island is almost complete, its parts are named, and we have a natural harbour. , a fresh water supply field, some roads, a telegraph facility, a construction site and a factory, and only 'Lincoln Island' is clearly marked on the map!"

"But imagine, what if someone took it for themselves while we were away?" Jardin Splane pointed out the concern.

"To hell with it!" cried the sailor; "then I'd rather stay and watch it alone, and I, Pencroft, swear it can't be stolen from me like a watch from the pocket of a spectator." !"

It was not possible to tell for an hour or so whether the boat which had attracted the attention of the emigrants was heading for "Lincoln Island."It approached suddenly, however, and Pencroft could not judge at what speed the ship was traveling.However, since the wind was blowing from the northeast, it may be assumed that the ship was headed to the right and against the wind.And now it happened to be sailing towards Lincoln Island with a favorable wind; the sea was calm, and there were no ford marks on the map, so he could approach with confidence and boldness.

Ayrton arrived at Granite Palace about four o'clock—that is, an hour after the announcement had been sent.He entered the hall, and said: "I am at your command, my friends!"

Cyrus Harding held out his hand to him, as usual, and, drawing him to the window, said: "We have invited you, Ayrton, on account of a great event. There is a boat."

Ayrton turned pale at first, and his eyes dimmed for a moment.Then he stuck his head out of the window and looked out over the sea, but he saw nothing.

"Take a look through this glass," said Jardine Splane. "Look carefully, Ayrton, for this ship is most likely the Duncan, which came to this sea to fetch you home. of."

"The 'Duncan'?" murmured Ayrton. "I didn't expect it to come so soon!"

The last sentence seemed to blurt out involuntarily, and after he had finished speaking, Alton held his head in his hands.

Abandoned on a deserted island and lived alone for 12 years, did he feel that this was far from enough to atone for his crime?Whether in his own opinion or in the eyes of others.Does the remorseful sinner feel that he is forgiven?
"No," he said, "no! It's definitely not the Duncan."

"Look carefully, Ayrton," said the engineer to him, "for we must know beforehand in order to decide what to do next."

Ayrton picked up the binoculars and looked in the direction pointed by his partners.For several minutes he stared intently at the sea level without saying a word. "Yes, it is a boat," he said, "but I think it may not be the 'Duncan.'"

"Why not?" asked Jardin Splane.

"Because the 'Duncan' was a steam yacht, but I found no trace of smoke in or around the ship."

"Perhaps it is only sailing?" pointed out Pencroft. "Now it seems to be following the wind, and economizing on coal must be an advantage, since it is far from any land."

"Perhaps you are right, Mr. Pencroft," answered Ayrton; "but it is also possible that the ship has stalled. Let us wait until it is a little nearer, and we shall soon know what to do about it." gone."

After finishing speaking, Ayrton sat in a corner of the hall and stopped talking.The emigrants talked again about the strange ship, but Ayrton took no part in the conversation.

At this time, everyone was very excited and could no longer continue to work.Jardine Splane and Pencroft were particularly irritable, walking up and down all the time, evidently unable to sit still.Hubbert was probably curious.Only Neb was as calm as ever.Was not to him where his master was his homeland?As for the engineer, he was lost in his own thoughts.In the back of his mind, he feared more than hoped for that boat to come.At this time, the boat was getting closer to the island.With the help of binoculars, it can be clearly identified that this is an ocean liner, not the Malay speedboat usually used by pirates in the Pacific.From this point of view, it seems that the engineer is a bit unreasonable, and the appearance of the ship in the waters of "Lincoln Island" will not bring any danger to the residents of the island.Pencroft looked more closely, and was now certain that it was a brig.It hoisted its high and topsails, and was slanting towards the shore along the port side.Ayrton also confirmed this.

However, the wind was blowing from the southwest at this time, and if the ship continued at this speed, she would probably soon disappear behind the "Claw Point", and to continue to observe her movements, she must go to " Go to the heights of "Washington Bay" near Balloon Harbor.This situation is frustrating, because it is already 05:30 in the afternoon, and the sky will soon darken, and it will be difficult to observe anything by then.

"If it's dark, what shall we do?" asked Jardin Splane. "Shall we light a fire on the shore, and show that we are on the coast?"

The question was critical, yet, although the engineer still had a slight sense of foreboding, the course was finally agreed to.Because that ship may leave the island at night and never return, if this opportunity is missed, will another ship come to the waters of "Lincoln Island"?Who can predict the future fate of the immigrants on the island?
"Yes," the reporter finally said, "and no matter what kind of ship it is, we have to send a message that this island is inhabited. If such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is missed, we will definitely regret it in the future!"

It was therefore resolved that Neb and Pencroft should go to "Balloon Harbor," where, after dark, they would light a fire, whose blaze in the dark would surely attract the attention of the brig's crew.

However, when Neb and the sailors were about to leave Granite Palace, something unexpected happened again. The ship changed its speed and sailed slightly away from the direction of the wind, heading straight for the "United States Bay".It was a fast brig, for it was approaching quickly.

Neb and Pencroft's plan of action was temporarily suspended, and they handed the telescope into the hands of Ayrton, asking him to confirm whether the ship was the "Duncan".Because the "Duncan" yacht is also a brig.It was now to be ascertained whether or not the ship under observation had a funnel between its two masts, and that ship was only ten miles from "Lincoln Island."

It was still light at this time, and it was easy to verify the identity of the ship, and Ayrton quickly put down the glass and said: "This is by no means the 'Duncan'! It cannot be the 'Duncan'!"

Pencroft turned his glass again on the brig.He saw that the tonnage of this ship was three to four hundred tons.As for which country it came from, it's hard to say.

"However," added the sailor, "there is a flag flying over her ship, but I cannot distinguish its color."

"It will take less than half an hour for us to be sure," the reporter replied, "it is obvious that the captain of the boat deliberately docked, so if not today, then tomorrow at the latest we will be able to see it clearly. "

"Never mind!" said Pencroft, "but it's better to know what kind of people you're dealing with, and I'd like to know the color of the flag."

When the sailor said these words, he never put down the telescope in his hand.

Gradually, the sky gradually darkened, and the sea breeze also stopped.The flag no longer fluttered, but was rolled into a coil and embedded in the flagpole rope, making it more and more difficult to observe.

"It's not an American flag," said Pencroft from time to time, "and it can't be a British flag, because the red is very prominent on the British flag, let me see, oh, and it's not the polychrome of France or Germany." Flag, the white flag of Russia or the yellow flag of Spain... It seems to have only one color... Let me think... What kind of flag do we often meet in this sea? Chilean flag? But it is tricolor... The Brazilian flag? That's green...the Japanese flag? No, that's white and red...and this one..."

At this time, a strong sea breeze blew away the strange flag.Ayrton picked up the telescope that the sailor had put down, looked at the ship, and soon, he shouted: "It's a black flag!" His voice was a little hoarse.

Indeed, there was a dull muslin flag waving from the ship's mast.There is now good reason to assume that it is a ship of dubious origin!
Could it be that the engineer's hunch was correct?Is this really a pirate ship?Is it robbing the low-lying seas of the Pacific Ocean, competing with the Malay Clippers who are still harassing this area?What is he doing now along the coast of "Lincoln Island"?Does it see "Lincoln Island" as a strange, unknown island, a good fit for a warehouse of stolen goods?Has it come to this coast to find a haven from the harsh months of winter?Is this immigrant's own paradise destined to become a place of filth - the lair of pirates in the Pacific?
These thoughts swirled instinctively in the minds of the immigrants.Besides, the matter was so obvious that there could be no doubt about what the colors of the flag on that mast represented.This is the flag of the pirates!If the evil plans of those criminals had succeeded, this is exactly the flag that the "Duncan" should fly.

To this end, everyone quickly exchanged opinions.

"My friends," said Cyrus Harding, "maybe the ship wishes to go round the coast of the island? Or is it possible that her crew will not go to the island? It is not impossible. In any case, we must do our best to conceal Traces of our existence. The first thing to watch out for is the mill built on 'Prospect Heights', it's too conspicuous. Ayrton and Neb go to remove the wind wings. Also, look for some of the windows of 'Granite Palace' Thick branches block it. All fires must be extinguished. In short, what we have to do now is to prevent people from discovering that there are people on this island!"

"What about our boat?" said Hubbert worriedly.

"Oh!" replied Pencroft, "don't worry, it's hidden in Balloon Harbor, and I don't believe those scoundrels will ever find it!"

The engineer's order was carried out immediately.Neb and Ayrton quickly climbed Prospect Heights, taking the necessary steps to conceal all traces of habitation.While they were doing this work, others went to the fringes of the forests of Central and South America, and gathered from there the great quantities of branches and climbing vines they needed.The camouflage was so successful that, from a distance, they looked like clusters of natural leaves, covering the doors and windows on the cliffs of Granite Palace.At the same time, weapons and ammunition that can be used for self-defense are also prepared. In case of a sudden attack by pirates, the immigrants can fight back immediately.Having taken all these precautions, Cyrus Harding said:

"My friends, if the pirates want to take over our hard-earned 'Lincoln Island,' we must defend it, shall we not?"

"Yes, Mr. Cyrus," replied the reporter, "and we are willing to sacrifice our lives to defend it if necessary!"

The engineer held out his hand to his companions, who clasped it excitedly.

Ayrton was alone in the corner now.This former criminal has a deep inferiority complex hidden in his heart, and he may feel that he is not worthy of doing this!Cyrus Harding, understanding Ayrton's thoughts at this moment, went up to him and asked him:

"And you, Ayrton, what will you do?"

"Do my duty," answered Ayrton.

Then, he walked over and stood in front of the window, looking into the distance through the disguise of branches and leaves.

It was 07:30.The sun had disappeared behind Granite Palace 10 minutes earlier.As a result, the eastern horizon gradually became hazy.However, the brig could still be seen, still heading for the "United States Bay", and it was only eight miles away from the sound, and it was facing the plateau of "Prospect Heights", because in the "claw" Turning off the cape, it headed north with the aid of the rising tide.It may even be said that it has entered this wide bay, for if a straight line were drawn from Cape Claw to Cape Jaw, it would fall west of it, passing just after the starboard side. half.

Was the brig really going to go deep into the bay?This is the first question.And if it does go deep into the bay, will it anchor there?This is the second question.Is it possible for her to observe only the coastal zone and then go back to sea without letting her crew ashore?These worrisome questions will have their answers in less than an hour.All the immigrants can do is wait.

Cyrus Harding had been troubled since he saw the black flag hoisted by the suspicious ship.Will the presence of this ship threaten the pioneering work they have been doing so far?Had the pirates—there was no doubt about it, the sailors on that ship must have been pirates—had they been to this place before, and that was why they raised their flags when they landed?Had the island really been invaded before?If the answer is yes, then some of the strange happenings on the island could be explained.Could it be that some accomplice was preparing to communicate with the settlers in some places they had not yet explored?
These questions went on and on in Cyrus Harding's mind, and he did not know how to answer them.But he already had a premonition that the arrival of the brigantine would only be detrimental to them.

However, no matter what, he and his companions have decided to resist to the end.How many pirates are there, and are their weapons better than those of the immigrants?It's important to get this straight!But if you want to get this information, you have to try to get to them!
Night finally came.The new moon has disappeared, and thick darkness surrounds the island and the sea.Dark clouds piled up on the far horizon, and no light could penetrate.With the arrival of dusk, the sea breeze has completely subsided.The rustling of the leaves in the wind was gone, and there was no sound of waves on the beach.By this time the settlers could not see the boat at all, for its lights were out, and they had no way of knowing its exact position, even though it was still around the island.

"Well! who knows?" said Pencroft. "Perhaps the damned boat sailed off in the night, and we shall never find her again in the morning?"

As soon as the words fell, a ray of strong light pierced the darkness and hit the sea, followed by a cannon.The boat was always there, and it was armed with several cannons.

The settlers noticed that there was a six-second gap between the light and the sound of the cannon.

From this, it can be judged that the boat was about 1.25 nautical miles from the coast.

At the same time, the creaking sound of the iron chain sliding in the chain hole was heard again.That brig has just dropped anchor in view of Granite Palace!

convict from norfolk island

By this time, the settlers had little doubt about the pirates' intentions.They have now dropped anchor near the island, and apparently their next step is to land in a small boat the next day!
There was no more time to lose, and Cyrus Harding and his companions were ready to act at once, but, though they were determined to fight the pirates, they could not act hastily.Maybe their existence can still be concealed, in case the pirates only plan to land on the coast, and don't plan to go deep into the interior of the island.In fact, this possibility still exists. Maybe the reason why those people came here is to go to the "Grateful River" to replenish some fresh water.So, they probably couldn't find the bridge and "chimney" 1.5 nautical miles from the mouth of the river.

But still can't explain why the black flag is raised on the ship's mast?Why fire?If it is not for the purpose of occupation, then it is probably purely for showing off!Cyrus Harding now knew that the ship was extremely well armed.And what can the immigrants on "Lincoln Island" use to fight back against the pirates' cannons?Just a few guns.

"Anyway," said Cyrus Harding to his companions, "we are in a very hidden position here, covered by reeds and weeds, and it is impossible for the pirates to discover the entrance, so, They don't even think about breaking into Granite Palace."

"But our crops, our poultry-yards, our corrals, our everything!" cried Pencroft, stamping his foot, "what shall we do with our property? These people will be in a few hours Destroy them all!"

"Yes, all may be destroyed, Pencroft," answered Cyrus Harding, "but we can do nothing to prevent them."

(End of this chapter)