Captain Grant's Children

Chapter 23 Flood
At this time, Fort Independence was still 150 miles from the Atlantic coast.

If there were no accidents along the way--and the probability of accidents was very small--they would be at the seaside in four days.

But what's the point of returning without success like this?On the second day, Glenarvan was still immersed in that unwilling thought, and did not issue an order to leave.The major made the next travel plan on his behalf, and prepared enough dry food for everyone to go down to Mount Tandil on time at 8 o'clock in the morning.At this moment, Glenarvan was silent in pain, his head was throbbing with such a blow of failure; and Robert followed him wordlessly.Paganel, on the other hand, repeatedly studied the letter sealed in the drifting bottle. Those spell-like words were enough to make him angry, and forced him to make up his mind that he must study and come up with a result.

Takaf rode Taojia in the front, and didn't say a word.The major, on the other hand, maintained his usual calmness, and marched in the team just like usual.Austen and the other two sailors suddenly saw a hare darting past them, and looked at each other as if possessed by some superstitious thought.

"Unlucky," Wilson said. "It's unlucky." Mu Ladi also replied.

By noon they had traversed the sloping hills and entered the rolling plain.As the streams and vegetation enriched together, the last peaks on the Pampas grassland disappeared behind them.On the green grassland, the horses seem to walk much more briskly.It used to be sunny and fine weather, but today something changed.

The dark clouds are gathering more and more, and it seems that the heavy rain may come at any time.And the humidity in the air is also very high, everything becomes wet.

When it was dark, the horses, who had run 40 miles, stopped by a small lake.

Dark clouds rolled in the sky, and rain could come at any moment; and there was nothing to shelter the place, so people lay down in the open.

Fortunately, it never rained.The next day, the terrain was getting lower and lower, and the accompanying humidity was getting heavier and heavier.Swamps, large and small, appeared in front of them one after another.The swamp with clearly visible edges is easy to deal with, but the muddy nest hidden deep under the grass is the most terrifying!Because there are too many tragedies that have happened in these mud nests.At this moment Robert, who was walking in the front, suddenly turned his head and shouted to Paganel:
"Sir! Sir! There is a forest of horns ahead!" "Ah, a forest of horns?" Paganel asked suspiciously.

"Yes, at least a grove, but full of horns." "Aren't you dreaming, my boy?" asked Paganel, shrugging his shoulders. "No, I'm not dreaming. You can see for yourself! It's so strange that you can grow horns in the field, and the horns grow like wheat! I'd like to get some seeds back!"

"Looks like he's found something," said the major.

"If that's the case, Mr. Major, you can go and see it!" Paganel said so and went with everyone to the place where Robert discovered the magical horn forest.Sure enough, a large piece of horns appeared in front of the eyes, and they were planted neatly, and the head could not be seen at a glance.what 's wrong? "right?"

Robert said. "It's so weird."

Paganel turned to Tarcaf. "The horns are outside, and the cow is underground," Tarcaf explained.

"Ah! Are all the cattle sunk in the mud?" exclaimed Paganel in amazement.

"Yes."

Tarcaf replied very positively.Hundreds of cattle fell into the quagmire and were suffocated to death.This kind of tragedy is not uncommon on the Argentine plains, and this is the best warning for pedestrians.

Everyone walked around the ox horn forest carefully and cautiously with complicated feelings.

Takaf kept looking around, and he seemed to have a premonition that something big was about to happen.

As he walked, he would stop suddenly, stand on the stirrup, and look into the distance.If you can't see anything, you have to wait and continue on your way.

After walking a mile, he would suddenly leave everyone and walk a mile south, then go straight again, then go north again, then go straight again.

His actions baffled Paganel, and made Glenarvan even more annoyed. He hurriedly asked Paganel to ask what was going on?
asked Paganel.Kotakaf said he was astonished to see water everywhere on the plain.

For even in the rainy season there was always a dry road on the plains of Argentina; he had never encountered such a situation of water everywhere. "Water everywhere, what does that mean?" Paganel asked again.

"I don't know." Takaf replied. "Won't the mountain torrent come down?" "Sometimes it will come down."

"Maybe it's the mountain torrents coming down now?" "Maybe."

Takaf replied.Paganel relayed their questions and answers to Glenarvan. "Then what does he think should be done?"

Glenarvan asked again. "Then what shall we do now?" Paganel asked Tarcaf. "Let's go."

Takaf replied.This plan is easy to say, but quite difficult to execute.

Every time the horse stepped on the grass, it would sink a lot, so it was very tiring to walk like this.They have actually entered a boundless swamp, and there is more and more water on the land, as if this place is about to become a big lake.

Everyone anxiously urged the horse to go fast.However, the water on the ground alone was not enough. Even the water from the sky came down.

Travelers under the torrential rain had nowhere to hide, so they gritted their teeth and trudged through a world full of water above and below.

Finally, frozen and drenched, they found a dilapidated horse fence.

They staggered in without any choice.The violent wind and rain opened up one channel after another on the roof of the thatched shed, and the people huddled in the shed were only slightly less rained than outside.

Murady and Wilson finally lit the fire with great effort, but there was only smoke but no flames, and it was extinguished immediately after lighting it up.

The supper was very good, too, and the situation made everyone very depressed.

Only Major McNabbs remained unmoved by any environment, let alone the situation, and still maintained his usual peaceful attitude.

Paganel didn't care even more, his jokes have never been cut off, but everyone can't laugh now no matter what.

"Oh, even my joke today will be damp, and it won't explode!" He said.

People quickly fell asleep in this environment.The violent wind and rain were desperately attacking the shelter of the travelers, as if the shed might collapse at any moment.And the horses outside were neighing and moaning non-stop under the wind and rain.

The night passed like that.

In the morning, Taojia's cry woke everyone up from their deep sleep: it was kicking the shed with its hooves, as if telling its owner that it was time to set off.

The rain is less, but the water on the ground is much more.There are puddles and swamps everywhere, and it is really unpredictable if you look around.

At present, it is necessary to move forward as fast as possible, to escape from this more and more water!
Looking around, there is no high ground around; once water invades, the consequences will be disastrous.

Taojia led the way, jumping across the puddle, leading the horse team to the distance.It seems that it has always lived in such a watery environment.

Tarcaf was riding on the horse, seeing the blood-colored foam around the mouth of his beloved horse, he really wanted to let go, and stop letting the iron leash hold the horse's mouth so tightly.

But it can't be done at all, because Taojia jumps very hard, as long as you let go, it will run away like flying.

"What's wrong with Taojia? Could it be bitten by leeches?" Paganel asked.

"No." Tarcaf replied.

"Then, it feels some danger." "Yes."

"What danger?"

"I don't know." The danger that Taojia can feel is just that people haven't seen it yet, and now they should be able to hear it vaguely!Is it the sound of the waves?Or the sound of high tide?The wet wind rushed over wrapped in water foam, and the birds shot out like arrows, and the horse's legs felt the tremor of the ground!

Bulls roaring, horses neighing, sheep bleating, a group of livestock howled and rushed northward like flying; the waves were scattered and vast, even if there were a hundred big whales in the water, they would not make such a big wave. !

"Quick! Quick!" shouted Tarcaf. "What?" Paganel asked in surprise. "Flood! Flood!"

Barking, Tarcaf urged his horse to gallop north. "Flood, the flood is coming!" Paganel hastily exclaimed.The horses followed Taojia and ran down like life.It's time to run for your life!

Five miles away, a huge wave like a mountain is pressing towards this side neatly!

At the same time, the plain turned into a sea!No matter how tall the vegetation is, it has lost its trace at this time, and the woody mimosa floating on the water is like an island that can walk.The flood is surging and unstoppable!The big river on the Pampas Grassland has burst!Perhaps all the great rivers have burst!The mountains formed by the white waves in the distance are galloping and roaring, chasing the travelers closely.

People ran and anxiously searched for high ground where they could live, but there was water all the way to the horizon, and there was nowhere to escape!
The horses galloped with the instinct they possess.Glenarvan turned his head frequently, and each time he looked back he saw the water much nearer to them. "The water will flood up soon!" was the only thought left in his mind. "Quick! Quick!" Takaf kept shouting.

Everyone subconsciously clamped the spurs that were too tight again, and the blood on the horse's belly dripped on the water, forming red lines.

In the process of these poor horses running wildly, they tripped over water and grass for a while, stepped on the ditch again, fell down and were pulled up by the riders;

The waves jumped and rushed towards the galloping horsemen, and they were less than two miles away!
The water is chasing the man, and the man is running away from the water. This situation can't last long. The water has already flooded the horse's belly, and it is quite difficult to run.

Glenarvan, Paganel, and Austin all felt at this moment that it was like a ship sank in the sea, and there was no hope of salvation.

The hooves of the horses could no longer touch the ground, and the horses were swimming desperately in the water... The end of being buried under the water was inevitably getting closer, and the struggle of the eight people in the flood seemed so small and powerless !
The fate of all of them is completely in the hands of the devil!The water was getting faster and faster, rushing forward at more than 20 miles an hour for people and horses.In the midst of utter despair, the major actually shouted to everyone: "Tree!"

"Where is it?" Glenarvan also called out. "There! There!"

Tarcaf saw it too!He pointed to the north with his hand, and it turned out to be an extremely tall walnut tree!
Without any words, everyone rushed towards the tree as if they were dying!In the torrent, the man and the horse stubbornly exerted all their strength in the direction they had chosen.Suddenly, Austin's horse roared and was washed away by the water.Austin immediately broke free from the stirrups and swam expertly."Grab my saddle," cried Glenarvan. "Thank you sir." Austin said gratefully. "Robert, how is your horse?" Glenarvan quickly turned his head and asked. "Very good, sir! It swims like a fish!" "Be careful!" The major shouted before a row of huge waves fell!The waves must be at least 40 feet high, and with a thunderous roar, they hit everyone hard.

All men and horses were out of sight, as the thousands of tons of water swirled and swirled, men and horses sank like leaves into the abyss or leaped to the top of the waves.

After the huge wave passed, everyone nodded to each other. There were not many people, but there was only one horse left, Toka.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Glenarvan yelled while holding Paganel tightly with one hand while paddling the water with the other.

"It's okay, it's okay, I don't really hate this..." Paganel had already swallowed a big mouthful of muddy soup before he finished speaking.The major still maintained his usual unhurried movements, swimming calmly.

Those sailors seemed like ducks in water, and finally had a place to use their skills.And little Robert only held Taojia's mane and let it drag him forward.Taojia bravely swam towards the big tree, accompanied by an undercurrent rushing towards the big tree, and finally rushed to the edge of the tree.At this moment, everyone grabbed the branch, so lucky!

Life-saving tree!The water had completely submerged the main trunk of the tree, from where the criss-crossing branches began, so that everyone climbed up the tree without much effort.

At this moment Thalcave let go of his horse, and led Robert up to the tree; then turning round again, he helped them all.

But at this moment, Taojia was washed away.I saw it turned its head towards its owner and hissed loudly! "Lost the horse!" Paganel shouted at Tarcave. "I won't lose it!"

Tarcaf said aloud. "thump!"

Tarcaf jumped into the rapids.A savage pierced down and popped up far, far away.Soon caught up with Taojia!
All I saw was that the man and the horse drifted with the water towards the boundless white sky.

(End of this chapter)