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

Chapter 44 Captain Grant's Children (44)
Everyone looked around and saw a mixed forest.At the end of the forest was the mighty Hortan Mountain, seven thousand and five hundred feet high.Stretching away in all directions are rows of evergreen trees.Here and there there were clumps of "grass trees," six feet high; sort of dwarf palms, whose bodies were well concealed by hair-slender leaves.In the "grass tree" surrounded by leaves, there are also clusters of small lily flowers blooming, and there is a mint-like fragrance everywhere.

In this luxuriant grove of flowers and trees, there are also some fruit trees transplanted from Europe, such as peach trees, pear trees, fig trees, orange trees, apple trees, and some oak trees, dotted like stars.Therefore, Jazz and his party strolled under the fruit trees in their European hometown, and couldn't help but exclaim with joy.However, what made them very excited was seeing some birds flying on the branches. These birds had "forged birds" with feathers like silk and satin, and "mercerized birds" with half of their feathers golden. Lyrebirds flying in the tail grass.

The travelers walked and chatted, and unknowingly reached the end of the passage, when a beautiful house appeared.

The house is made of bricks and tiles, much like a Swiss villa, with a very beautiful appearance. There is a corridor outside the house, and Chinese lanterns are hung under the eaves of the corridor.

There are also stables and factory sheds around the house, but these buildings are located in a valley half a mile away. There are more than 20 buildings, forming a dense small village.In this way, it seems that this villa does not have the appearance of a farm.But between the village and the villa, there is a telephone wire connection, and telephone contact can be made at any time.

Jazz and his party walked across a small bridge and came to the door of the master's villa.It was a butler with a red face who opened the door to welcome the guests, and the guests walked into this magnificent residence like this.

Jazz and his party stepped into the front hall first, and saw that the walls of the hall were covered with artworks of various postures about horseback riding and archery.Directly facing the vestibule was a great drawing room with five wide windows.In the living room, there is also a piano; on the piano, there are a pile of ancient or modern music scores; there is an easel erected in the hall, and some drawings are spread out; standing aside are several marble statues; There are works of several famous European painters hanging on the walls; dark green soft high-grade carpets are laid on the floor; the beautiful patterns embroidered on the tapestries on the walls are related to fairy tales.Hanging from the ceiling overhead is a bronze chandelier.In addition, there are many exquisite pottery, rare antiques and other exquisite works of art in the hall.

It is really admirable and enviable that such a rich collection of art can be collected in a mere house in Australia.These works of art are a strong proof of the art appreciation ability and colorful life taste of the owner of the villa.However, these things that can relieve people's worries and sorrows in their wandering life can remind people of the living customs in Europe.There are everything in Europe in this fairy palace, which makes people feel like stepping into a noble mansion in France or England.

The soft light of the sun penetrated through the five large windows in the hall, and Mrs. Helen approached the window sill and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.She saw, outside the window, a vast valley stretching all the way to the foot of Hortan Mountain; what appeared in front of her eyes was a landscape like a picture: patches of grassland, clumps of trees, sparse open spaces, and undulating terrain.These beautiful landscapes are like wonderful landscape paintings, which are refreshing.

Then, the waiter brought the breakfast that Sandy had ordered the chef to prepare in advance.The guests sit around the table.The host expressed at the table that it was a great honor to entertain these distant guests at home.

After a while, the host knew the purpose of the guests' journey.Sir Glenarvan's story about the trip made the host deeply moved; at the same time, the host also said many words of comfort to Captain Grant's son and daughter.

"Since Captain Harry Grant didn't show up in the colonies along the coast of Australia," Michelle said, "it must have fallen into the hands of the aborigines in the interior. And judging from the letters, he must have known In this way, it can be said with certainty that when he set foot on the Australian mainland, he was kidnapped by these aborigines."

"That's what happened to Ayrton's sailors," said Captain John Mungle.

"You two, have you never heard of the shipwreck of the 'Britannia'?" Mrs. Helen asked.

"Dear Madam, I've never heard of it," Michelle said.

"In your opinion, what would happen to Captain Grant if the natives robbed him?"

"Dear Madam, in fact, the aborigines in Australia are not cruel at all! They have a gentle personality. It is said that many Europeans have lived with them, but they have not been abused. So, Miss Grant can rest assured! "

"Yes! Ginger, the only survivor of Burke's expedition, is the best proof!" Paganel added.

"Not only the brave explorer can be an example; there is also a British soldier named Buckley who can also be a proof! He fled to Port Phillip in 1803, and the local aborigines took him in. He; he lived with Aboriginal people for 33 years afterward!" Sandy continued.

"By the way, there is also a recent report in the "Australia" magazine, saying that there was a man named Maurier who lived as a slave with the aborigines for 16 years, and returned to his hometown a few days ago. This man died in 1846 After the shipwreck of the "Peru" in [-], when they landed on the Australian mainland, they were plundered inland by the aborigines. Captain Grant's situation is the same as theirs, so I think you will find them!" Michelle Pat Xun said.

These insignificant words of the master have inspired the spirits of these distant guests.His words also prove that what Paganel and Ayrton said before is correct!

The ladies left the table, where the gentlemen chatted about exiles in Australia.The two masters said that they had also heard of the tragedy committed by gangsters at Camden Bridge.But they say they are not afraid of these exiles; because they have more than 100 people, they can resist these exiles who do evil.Moreover, the area around the Murray River is a desert area, and there is really nothing to grab; in addition, in the area of ​​the New South Wales colony, the roads are strictly checked and inspected, and there is no room for these gangsters to do bad things.Ayrton also supports the analysis of the two masters.

The host also warmly invites guests to stay in the villa for a day.Sir Glenarvan could not resist his kindness, so he had to agree; but this would delay the plan of the trip by twelve hours.But if you think about it carefully, you can rest your tired body and mind during this period of time; you can also let the accompanying cows and horses lie down in the comfortable stables and stables to recover their energy, which will be more beneficial to the future journey.

The host also drew up a plan to make the short stay of these distant guests pleasant, and Sir and his companions were very happy to agree.

At noon, the master prepared ten hunting horses for these guests, and also specially prepared a beautiful carriage for the two ladies; after a while, people began to hunt.Cavaliers on horses, with shotguns on their backs, ran on both sides of the light carriage; hounds also ran in the undergrowth, barking wildly.

During the four hours of hunting, the knights galloped on horseback through the forest roads and trails;Robert Jr. was small and ambitious, not to be outdone, he left behind his sister's advice, took the lead, and shot first; Miss Grant saw that Captain Mengel was taking care of him, so she didn't worry too much.

The riders gained a lot from hunting this time, and hunted some rare animals with local specialties.Paganel had heard of, but never seen, these animals, such as wombats and quolls.The guests saw that the wombat is a kind of herbivorous animal, which is very similar in size to a sheep. It is also good at digging burrows like the sand badger, and its meat is delicious; A fox is even more cunning, and all foxes worship it as a master for stealing chickens.But unlike the fox, the quoll is very ugly, about fifteen inches long.When Paganel raised his gun to shoot, he hit a quoll with one shot; and when he picked it up, he murmured, out of hunter's pride: "The little thing I picked up, How beautiful it is!"

Robert Jr. also gained a lot during the hunt, including a kangaroo and a pair of possums.

In this hunting activity, the most exciting thing is hunting the big kangaroo.At four o'clock in the afternoon, the barking of the hounds naturally frightened a large group of kangaroos to flee here and there.In an instant, the young kangaroo got into the pouch in the mother's abdomen and hid; the big kangaroo ran around jumping up and down.Their hind legs are twice as long as their front legs. When jumping, their feet bend and stretch, like springs, and they can jump very far.In the lead was a large male kangaroo about five feet tall, looking very handsome and handsome.

The kangaroos ran in front, and the team of hunters chased after them, covering four or five miles in one breath.These kangaroos have been bouncing for so long without any signs of fatigue.The hunting dogs dare not pounce on them, for fear of the sharp claws on their hind legs.Finally, the kangaroos were so exhausted that they couldn't move.The leading male kangaroo leaned against a big tree, panting heavily, preparing for the final life-and-death resistance.A hound was running too fast and its inertia made it unable to stop the car, so it rushed in front of the male kangaroo.At this moment, everyone saw that the terrier was kicked into the air by the kangaroo, then fell to the ground, and his stomach was torn in half.It can be seen that there is no way to rely on hunting dogs alone, but to hunt them with guns.

At this critical moment, Robert Jr.'s careless action almost killed him.Because he wanted to aim more accurately, he moved closer; but he never expected that the male kangaroo would go all out, jump up, and lunge at the child with his whole body.

Little Robert yelled and fell to the ground.Miss Mary Grant, who was watching in the carriage, saw it, and was so frightened that she could only helplessly stretch her arms.The other companions were afraid of hurting little Robert, so they didn't dare to shoot rashly.

Captain John Mengel reacted quickly at this time, and pulled out the hunting knife with a swish, risking his life being torn apart by the kangaroo, he rushed up immediately, raised the knife in his hand, and stabbed the kangaroo in the chest, and the kangaroo fell to the ground immediately .Little Robert got up immediately and was not injured.

The siblings hugged each other, and afterward, Miss Mary Grant stretched out her slender hand to the young captain, and said:

"Mr. John, thank you very much! Thank you so much!"

"It's a trivial matter, nothing to worry about! I said before that I would protect this child!" Captain John Mengel said politely while holding Miss Grant's trembling jade hand.

This time, the unexpected danger was successfully avoided.Everyone let out a long sigh of relief, and the hunting activities ended like this.Now that the "leader" is dead, the group of kangaroos are in a leaderless state, fleeing in all directions.Hunters brought the dead male kangaroo back to the owner's residence.At six o'clock in the afternoon, the host welcomes everyone with a table of delicacies. The most popular among the guests is the kangaroo tail soup cooked according to the local flavor.

After dinner, it's time to enjoy desserts like ice cream and juice.In the evening, the host and the guests pass the time by enjoying music in the living room.Mrs. Helen has always been very accomplished in music, and dedicated a song to the two hosts; Michel and Sandy also sang fragments of these famous songs by famous French composers Gounod, Marseille and Davide, and sang Famous piece by German genius composer Wagner.Their sweet voices fascinated everyone.

Around eleven o'clock is a good time for everyone to enjoy tea.These teas are so rich and rich that only the British seem to be able to brew such delicious tea.But Paganel came up with an ingenious trick, wanting to taste the taste of Australian-style local tea for himself.So, the host brought him a cup of drink; the drink was as black as ink; the host said it was made by boiling one liter of water and half a catty of tea leaves for a total of four hours.When Paganel drank it, the taste was really bitter!But he still held his breath and gritted his teeth, saying "good tea, good tea"!
At midnight, the guests are taken by the host to a comfortable and cool room; a happy hour in dreamland.

When dawn broke the next day, it was time for Sir Glenarvan and his party to bid farewell to their master.The two sides said some kind words, and they also agreed to meet in the Macomb House in Europe in the future.After that, those who ride horses ride horses, those who ride bullock carts ride in bullock carts, everyone takes their places, and the journey of searching begins again.Not long after bypassing Hortan Mountain, the owner's beautiful villa disappeared.When the team advanced another five miles, they were still within the area of ​​Hotan Station.At nine o'clock in the morning, the jazz and his party reached the last fence and stepped into the desert area of ​​Victoria Province.

Australian Alps
Jazz and his party walked long in the desert, and saw a long barrier in front of them, which is the famous Australian Alps.The mountain ranges from east to west for fifteen hundred miles and is four thousand feet above sea level. It is like a natural fortification, blocking the way of pedestrians.This natural barrier naturally blocks people's sight of the floating clouds in the sky.

At this time, the sky was covered with overcast clouds, and the water vapor on the ground was condensed by the clouds. Although the weather was muggy, it was still bearable.It's just that the road is rough, and it is difficult for horses and cattle to walk.On this plain, you can also see hills covered with rubber trees.These hills from sparse to dense, more and more, stretching to the distant sky.This terrain is the front slope of the Alps.The road along the way is constantly circling upwards, the cow is tired from walking and panting heavily, the legs of the cow are tense and straight, and the muscles are stretched as if they are about to burst.Although Ayrton is said to be a good handle who is good at driving, collisions still happen from time to time.

Captain John Mengel and two sailors rode a few hundred paces ahead of their companions, leading the way.They tried their best to choose a good road that was easy to walk on, but the ground was high and low, and it was really difficult to walk.In addition, there are many obstacles on the road surface, all over the place are towering granite rocks, deep valleys, and river beaches with unpredictable depths; in this case, they can only take a detour; Into a dense thorny jungle; Wilson had to use a big ax to cut through the thorns to open the way for the companions behind.In this way, Jazz and his party walked with difficulty until the evening, and in total, they only traveled half a longitude.Because it was night, these travelers could only camp and sleep on the banks of the Cobenberg River at the foot of the Alps.On this side of the river was a small plain, covered with dense bushes about four feet high, with very pretty reddish leaves.

"Tomorrow we have passed this hillside, and many tribulations await us." Sir Glenarvan said, looking at the mountains looming in the night. "Ah! Alps! What an imaginative name! Lian Pian!"

"Dear Sir Glenarvan, in fact, in Australia, the name is greatly reduced!" Paganel said, "Don't think that this is Switzerland in Europe. In Australia, there are the same mountain names as in Europe and America, such as The Granbian Mountains The Granbian Mountains are in Scotland. The Pyrenees are in the borders of France and Spain. The Blue Mountains are in North America. But their The scales are much smaller. This kind of mountain name that does not match the name is because the geographers who discovered it at the time lacked imagination, or there were too few proper nouns in their minds, so they could not think of any new names, so they could only copy the existing ones. Has a name!"

"According to what you said, in this Alps in Australia..." Mrs. Helen continued to ask.

"It's actually just a pocket mountain!" Paganel said hastily, "After you turned over, you didn't even realize that you had passed the top of the mountain."

"Paganel, now, you are talking about yourself! Only a careless person like you will turn over a mountain without noticing anything." The major confronted him tit for tat.

"Why do you keep saying I'm careless!" Paganel was very unconvinced, and retorted, "I got rid of my carelessness a long time ago. These two ladies, please comment. Since I came to Australia, I Did I keep my word and not do a careless thing. Can you find out what I'm doing wrong?"

"Mr. Paganel, you haven't done anything careless. Now you can be said to be a perfect person!" Miss Mary Grant said.

"Yes, you are really a perfect person now! But if you are still as careless as before, that is the real you!" Madam Helen said with a smile.

"Ma'am, is that really the case? If I didn't have that little problem, I would be the same as an ordinary person, without my own characteristics? In this way, I still hope that I will make some small mistakes to make everyone happy? It seems that if I don't make some small mistakes, it's like I didn't finish my work, sorry everyone!"

The next day, January 1th.Despite Paganel's optimistic assurances that the mountains were all right, everyone was still trudging through the defiles of the Alps.Ayrton felt a dilemma.Fortunately, an hour later, they saw a small inn beside a mountain road.

(End of this chapter)