SECOND PART THE ABANDONED CHAPTER I The subject of the lead bullet - The construction of a canoe - Hunting - At the top of a kauri - Nothing to attest the presence of man - Neb and Herbert's catch - A tortoise turned over - The tortoise disappears - Cyrus Smith's explanation. It was seven months to the day that the balloon passengers had been thrown on Lincoln Island. During this time, in spite of the search they had made, no human had shown himself. Never had any smoke betrayed the presence of man on the surface of the island. Never had any manual work attested to his passage either in the past or recently. Not only did the island seem uninhabited, but they believed that it had never been inhabited. And now this entire structure of deductions fell before a simple grain of metal found in the body of an inoffensive rodent. In fact, this bullet was fired from a gun and who but a human could operate such a weapon? When Pencroff placed the lead bullet on the table, his companions looked at it with a profound astonishment. They suddenly became aware of the considerable consequences of this incident in spite of its apparent insignificance. The sudden appearance of a supernatural being would not have impressed them more vividly. Cyrus Smith did not hesitate to spell out the hypotheses resulting from this surprising and unexpected fact. He held the lead bullet between his index finger and thumb and turned it back and forth. Then: "You are able to say," he asked Pencroff, "that the peccary wounded by this lead bullet was hardly older than three months?" "Hardly, Mister Cyrus," replied Pencroff. "It was still being nursed by its mother when I found it in the trap." "Well then," said the engineer, "this proves that a gun was fired on Lincoln Island three months ago at most." "And that a lead bullet struck this young animal, but not mortally," added Gideon Spilett. "Without doubt," replied Cyrus Smith, "and these are the consequences that can be deduced from this incident: either the island was inhabited before our arrival or men came here in the last three months. Did these men come here voluntarily or involuntarily, by landing or by a shipwreck? This point can be cleared up later. As to who they are, European or Malayan, enemies or friends of our race, nothing permits us to say, and if they still inhabit the island or if they have left it, we know nothing about it. But these questions are too interesting for us to remain uncertain for long." 141 142 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "No, a hundred times no, a thousand times no," cried the sailor, rising from the table. "There are no men on Lincoln Island other than we. The devil. The island isn't large and if it had been inhabited, we would already have seen some of its inhabitants." "In fact, the contrary would be very astonishing," said Herbert. "But it would be even more astonishing, I suppose," observed the reporter, "if this peccary was born with a lead bullet in its body." "At least," said Neb seriously, "if Pencroff hasn't had..." "See for yourself, Neb," retorted Pencroff. "Would I have had a lead bullet in my jaw for five or six months without knowing it? But where would I conceal it?" added the sailor, opening his mouth to show the thirty two magnificent teeth which filled it. "Look carefully, Neb, and if you find a hollow tooth in this set, I will let you pull out a half dozen!" "Neb's hypothesis is not admissible," replied Cyrus Smith who, in spite of the gravity of his thoughts, could not restrain a smile. "It is certain that a gun has been fired on the island in the last three months at most. But I am led to believe that these beings, whoever they were, landed on this shore only for a very short time or that they were only passing through because if it had been inhabited at the time that we were examining the island from atop Mount Franklin, we would have seen them or we would have been seen. It is probable that for a few weeks only, some castaways were thrown by a storm on some point of the shore. Whatever is the case, it is important for us to be sure on this point." "I think that we should act prudently," said the reporter. "That is my advice," replied Cyrus Smith, "because unfortunately it is to be feared that these were Malayan pirates who landed on the island." "Mister Cyrus," asked the sailor, "would it not be expedient, before going on a reconnaissance, to make a canoe which would permit us either to ascend the river or if need be, to go around the coast? We should not be caught off guard." "Your idea is a good one, Pencroff," replied the engineer, "but we cannot wait. At least a month is needed to build a canoe..." "A real canoe, yes," replied the sailor, "but we do not need a vessel destined to take to the sea. In five days at most, I am confident that I can construct a canoe able to navigate on the Mercy." "Make a boat in five days!" cried Neb. "Yes, Neb, a boat in the Indian fashion." "Of wood?" asked Neb, unconvinced. "Of wood," replied Pencroff, "or rather of bark. I repeat to you, Mister Cyrus, in five days the matter can be settled." "In five days be it, replied the engineer. THE ABANDONED 143 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "But from now on, we will do well be cautious," said Herbert. "Very much so, my friends," replied Cyrus Smith, "and I beg you to limit your hunting excursions to the neighborhood of Granite House." The dinner finished less gaily than Pencroff had hoped. Thus then, the island was or had been inhabited by others than the colonists. After the incident of the lead bullet, this was an incontestable fact and such a revelation could only make the colonists uneasy. Before going to sleep, Cyrus Smith and Gideon Spilett talked a long time about these things. They asked if by chance this incident did not have some connection with the unexplained circumstances in which the engineer had been saved and other strange events which had already astounded them several times. However, after having discussed the pros and cons of the question, Cyrus Smith ended by saying: "In short, do you want to know my opinion, my dear Spilett?" "Yes, Cyrus." "Well, it is this: however minutely we will explore the island, we will find nothing!" The next day Pencroff went to work. He did not intend to make a canoe with ribs and planking but very simply a floating device, flat at the bottom, which would be excellent for navigating the Mercy especially when approaching its sources where the water was not deep. Some pieces of bark stitched together would suffice to form a light vessel and in the event it became necessary to carry it, due to natural obstacles, it would be neither heavy nor cumbersome. Pencroff counted on forming the seams of the bark strips by using riveted studs and to assure, with their adherence, the water tightness of the apparatus. He therefore chose trees whose flexible and tenacious bark was suitable for this purpose. Now the last storm had thrown down a certain quantity of douglas which is perfectly suitable for this type of construction. Several of these fir trees were stretched out on the ground and they had only to take off their bark but this was difficult in view of the imperfect tools possessed by the colonists. But they managed somehow. While Pencroff, seconded by the engineer, was occupied with this without losing an hour, Gideon Spilett and Herbert did not remain idle. They became the purveyors of the colony. The reporter could not help but admire the lad who had acquired a remarkable skill in the handling of the bow and the spear. Herbert also showed daring and coolness which one can justly call the "reasonableness of the brave." Besides, the two hunting companions took account of Cyrus Smith's recommendations by not going beyond a two mile radius around Granite House. The first slopes of the forest furnished a sufficient tribute of agoutis, capybaras, kangaroos, pecarries, etc. and if the yield from the traps was less important since the end of the frost, none the less the warren gave its accustomed share which would have been enough to feed the colony of Lincoln Island. 144 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Often, during these hunts, Herbert chatted with Gideon Spilett about the incident of the lead bullet whose consequences were of such concern to the engineer and one day - it was the 26th of October - he said to him: "But, Mister Spilett, do you not find it extraordinary that if some castaways have landed on the island that they still have not shown themselves in front of Granite House?" "Very astonishing if they are still here," replied the reporter, "but not at all astonishing if they are no longer here." "Hence, you believe that these people have already left the island?" answered Herbert. "That is more than likely, my son, because if their stay was prolonged and especially if they were still here some incident would have finally betrayed their presence." "But if they were able to leave," the lad noted, "then they were not castaways." "No, Herbert, or at least they were what I would call temporary castaways. In fact, it is very possible that a windstorm had thrown them on the island without damaging their vessel and that they returned to sea when the storm was over." "One thing must be acknowledged," said Herbert, "which is that Mister Smith always seems to fear rather than desire the presence of human beings on our island." "In fact," replied the reporter, "there is nothing desirable about these Malayans who frequent these seas and these gentlemen are wicked rogues who are best avoided." "It is not impossible, Mister Spilett," replied Herbert, "that one of these days we will find some traces of their landing and perhaps it will settle the matter." "I do not say no, my son. An abandoned camp, an extinct fire will put us on the track and it is this which we will look for in our coming exploration." On the day when the hunters were chatting in this manner, they found themselves in a part of the forest near the Mercy, noted for its trees of great beauty. Among others, rising to a height of almost two hundred feet above the ground, were several of those superb conifers which the natives of New Zealand call "kauris." "An idea, Mister Spilett," said Herbert. "If I climb to the top of one of these kauris, I will perhaps be able to observe the country over a large area." "The idea is good," replied the reporter, "but will you be able to climb to the top of these giants?" "I can always try," replied Herbert. The agile and skillful lad darted up to the first branches whose arrangement made it rather easy to climb and in several minutes he arrived at the top which emerged above this immense plain of verdure that formed the foliage of the forest. From this high point the view extended over the entire southern portion of the island from Cape Claw in the southeast to Reptile Promontory in the southwest. In the northwest rose Mount Franklin which hid a good quarter of the horizon. THE ABANDONED 145 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ But Herbert, from the height of his observatory, could clearly see all of this still unknown portion of the island which could give or had given refuge to the strangers whose presence they suspected. The lad looked carefully. First on the open sea there was nothing in sight. Not a sail either on the horizon nor on the approaches to the island. However, since the trees hid the shore, it was possible that a vessel, especially a vessel with damaged masts, was very near land and consequently was invisible. There was also nothing amid the forests of the Far West. The forest formed an impenetrable dome measuring several square miles, without a clearing and without any light. It was even impossible to follow the course of the Mercy or to recognize the point of the mountain from which it took its source. Perhaps other creeks flowed toward the west but that could not be determined. But if Herbert saw no indication of an encampment, could he at least detect some smoke in the air which would reveal the presence of man? The atmosphere was clear and the least vapor would show clearly against the background of the sky. For a moment, Herbert thought that he saw a faint smoke rising in the west but a more careful observation showed him that he was mistaken. He looked very carefully and his view was excellent... No, decidedly, there was nothing there. Herbert climbed down to the foot of the kauri and the two hunters returned to Granite House. There Cyrus Smith listened to the lad's recital, shook his head and said nothing. It was rather evident that they could answer this question only after a complete exploration of the island. Two days later - October 28th - another incident occurred whose explanation also left something to be desired. While roaming about the beach two miles from Granite House, Herbert and Neb were rather happy to capture a magnificent specimen of the order of chelonia. It was a tortoise of the genus mydase, whose shell had a green luster. Herbert saw this tortoise sliding among the rocks, trying to get to the sea. "Help Neb, over here!" he cried. Neb rushed up. "What a beautiful animal!" said Neb, "but how will we get hold of it?" "Nothing is easier, Neb," replied Herbert. "We will turn this tortoise over on its back and it will not be able to escape. Take your spear and imitate me." The reptile, sensing the danger, withdrew into its shell and into its breast-plate. One could no longer see its head nor its paws and it was as still as a rock. Herbert and Neb placed their sticks under the breast-bone of the animal and working together, they succeeded not without difficulty in turning it on its back. This tortoise, which measured three feet in length, would weigh at least four hundred pounds. "Good!" cried Neb, "this will make friend Pencroff happy." 146 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ In fact friend Pencroff could not but be happy because the flesh of these tortoises, which feed on seaweed, is extremely tasty. At the moment this tortoise was only allowing a glimpse of its small flat head which was widened subsequently by the large temporal fossa of the skull hidden under a bony arch. "And now what will we do with our game?" said Neb. "We cannot drag it to Granite House." "Let's leave it here, since it cannot turn over," replied Herbert, "and we will return to take it with the cart." "I understand." Nevertheless, as an added precaution, Herbert took the care, which Neb considered superfluous, to wedge in the animal with large stones. After that the two hunters returned to Granite House following the beach that the then low tide had uncovered. Herbert, wanting to surprise Pencroff, did not tell him anything about the "superb specimen of the chelonia order," which they had turned over on the sand; but two hours later, Neb and he came back with the cart to the spot where they had left it. The "superb specimen of the chelonia order" was no longer there. Neb and Herbert first looked at each other, then they looked around. Nevertheless it was the place where they had left the tortoise. The lad even found the stones which he had used and consequently he was sure that he was not mistaken. "So," said Neb, "these animals can turn themselves over." "So it seems," replied Herbert, who could not understand it and looked at the stones scattered on the sand. "Well, Pencroff will not be happy." "And it will perhaps be difficult for Mister Smith to explain this disappearance," Herbert reflected. "Good," said Neb, who wanted to hide his misadventure, "we won't speak about it." "On the contrary, Neb, we must speak about it," replied Herbert. And both, taking back the cart which they had hauled uselessly, returned to Granite House. Going to the lumber room where the engineer and the sailor were working together, Herbert told what had happened. "What dopes," cried the sailor. "To let at least fifty soups escape." "But Pencroff," replied Neb. "It is not our fault if the animal escaped since I told you that we turned it over." "Then you didn't turn it over enough," the intractable sailor retorted ludicrously. "Not enough!" cried Herbert. And he told how he had taken care to wedge the tortoise with the stones. "Then it was a miracle!" replied Pencroff. "I believe, Mister Cyrus," said Herbert, "that tortoises, once placed on their back, cannot turn over, especially when they are large." "That is true, my child," replied Cyrus Smith. THE ABANDONED 147 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "Then how was it able...?" "At what distance from the water did you leave the tortoise?" asked the engineer, who stopped working and reflected on this incident. "About fifteen feet at most," replied Herbert. "And it was low tide at the time?" "Yes, Mister Cyrus." "Well," replied the engineer, "what the tortoise could not do on the sand, it was able to do in the water. It turned itself over when the tide returned to it and tranquilly returned to the high seas." "Ah! What dopes we are!" cried Neb. "That is precisely what I had the honor of telling you!" replied Pencroff. Cyrus Smith had given this explanation which was doubtless admissible. But was he convinced of the correctness of the explanation? One would not dare to say so. CHAPTER II First trial of the canoe - A wreck on shore - Towing - Flotsam Point - Inventory of the case: tools, arms, instruments, clothes, books, utensils - What Pencroff wanted - The gospel - A verse from the sacred book. On October 29th the bark canoe was completely finished. Pencroff had kept his promise and in five days a sort of canoe, whose hull was ribbed with the flexible wood of the crejimba, had been constructed. A seat in the rear, a second seat in the middle to maintain the separation, a third seat in front, a flat board to support the tholes of two oars, a stern oar to steer, made up this twelve foot long boat which did not weigh two hundred pounds. As to the launching operation, it was extremely simple. The light canoe was carried to the sand on the shore in front of Granite House and the rising tide lifted it up. Pencroff immediately jumped in, worked in the scull and declared that it was very suitable for whatever use they wanted to make of it. "Hurrah!" cried the sailor, who did not disdain to celebrate his own triumph in this way. "With this we can make a tour..." "Of the world?" asked Gideon Spilett. "No, of the island. Some rocks for ballast, a mast up front and a bit of a sail which Mister Smith will make for us one day and we will go far. Well, Mister Cyrus and you Mister Spilett and you Herbert and you Neb, aren't you going to try out our new boat? The devil! Let's see if it can carry all five of us." In fact, this was a test to make. Pencroff, with a stroke of the scull, brought the boat to the shore through a narrow 148 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ passage among the rocks and it was agreed that they would try out the canoe on this very day by following the shoreline up to the first point where the rocks in the south came to an end. At the moment of embarking, Neb cried: "But your boat leaks badly, Pencroff!" "That's nothing, Neb," replied the sailor. "It is necessary for the wood to become watertight. In two days it will no longer be apparent and our canoe will have no more water inside it than there is in the stomach of drunkard. Embark!" They then got in and Pencroff drove out. The weather was magnificent, the sea as calm as if its waters were contained within the narrow banks of a lake and the canoe could confront the sea with as much security as if it were ascending the tranquil current of the Mercy. Neb took one of the oars, Herbert the other and Pencroff stayed in the rear of the boat in order to work the scull. The sailor first crossed the channel, grazing the southern point of the islet. A light wind blew from the south. There was no swell neither in the channel nor on the sea. Several long waves that the canoe hardly felt because it was heavily loaded, regularly swelled the surface of the sea. They went out about a half mile from shore in order to see all of Mount Franklin. Pencroff went along the shore to the mouth of the river. The canoe then followed the rounded shoreline up to its end point, which hid all of the marshy Tadorns plain. This point, whose distance was increased by the curvature of the coast, was about three miles from the Mercy. The colonists decided to go to its end and to pass it only a little in order to take a quick look at the coast up to Cape Claw. The canoe therefore followed the coast at a distance of two cables at most, thus avoiding the rocks strewn on the shoreline, which were beginning to be covered by the rising tide. The wall became lower from the river's mouth up to the point. It was a pile of granite blocks, randomly distributed, of an extremely savage aspect and very different from the facade that formed Grand View Plateau. One would have said that an enormous cartload of rocks had been emptied there. There was no vegetation on this very sharp salient which extended for two miles in front of the forest and this point looked very much like the arms of a giant who was about to emerge from a channel of foliage. The canoe, moved by the two oars, advanced without difficulty. Gideon Spilett, pencil in one hand, notebook in the other, sketched the coast in large strokes. Neb, Pencroff and Herbert chatted while examining this new part of their domain and as the canoe moved southward, the two Mandible Capes appeared to shift and enclose Union Bay. As to Cyrus Smith, he looked but said nothing and from the mistrust expressed by his look, it seemed as if he were observing some strange country. However, after a navigation of three quarters of an hour, the canoe arrived at the extremity of the point, and Pencroff THE ABANDONED 149 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ prepared to double it when Herbert, getting up, pointed to a black spot and said: "What do I see there on the beach?" Everyone looked toward the indicated point. "In fact," said the reporter, "something is there. One would say a piece of wreckage half buried in the sand." "Ah!" cried Pencroff, "I see what it is." "What?" asked Neb. "Barrels, barrels, which may be full," replied the sailor. "To shore, Pencroff," said Cyrus Smith. In a few strokes of the oar, the canoe landed in a small cove and the passengers leaped to shore. Pencroff was not mistaken. Two barrels were there, half buried in the sand but still securely attached to a large case which, held up by the water, had floated in this way until the moment when it had become stranded on the beach. "Has there been a wreck hereabout on the island?" asked Herbert. "Evidently," replied Gideon Spilett. "But what is in this case?" cried Pencroff, naturally impatient. "What is in this case? It is locked and there's nothing to break the lid. Well, a few blows with a rock then." And the sailor, picking up a heavy block, went to break open one of the sides of the case when the engineer stopped him. "Pencroff," he said to him, "can you restrain your impatience for only an hour?" "But just think, Mister Cyrus. Perhaps everything we need is inside." "We will know, Pencroff," replied the engineer, "but believe me, do not break this case which may be useful to us. Let us transport it to Granite House where we will open it more easily and without breaking it. It is fully prepared for the voyage and since it has floated this far it will also float to the river's mouth." "You are right, Mister Cyrus, and I am wrong," replied the sailor, "but I am not always in control of myself." The engineer's advice was sensible. In fact, the canoe would not be able to hold the objects which were probably enclosed in the case. They had to be heavy since it was necessary to relieve the load by means of two empty barrels. Thus, it would be better to tow it as is to the beach in front of Granite House. And now from whence came this wreckage? This was an important question. Cyrus Smith and his companions carefully looked around and scoured the shore for a space of several hundred feet. No other debris appeared. The sea was also observed. Herbert and Neb climbed to a high rock but the horizon was deserted. Nothing was in sight, neither a disabled ship nor a vessel under sail. However, there was no doubt that there had been a wreck. Perhaps even, this incident was associated with the incident of the lead bullet? Perhaps some strangers had landed on another 150 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ point of the island? Perhaps they were still there? But the colonists could see that these strangers could not be Malayan pirates because the wreck was evidently of American or European origin. Everyone returned to the case which measured five feet in length by three in width. It was made of oak wood, very carefully closed and covered by a thick skin held in place with copper nails. The two large barrels, hermetically sealed but sounding empty, were tied by means of strong cords and knotted by knots which Pencroff easily recognized as "sailor's knots". It appeared to be in a perfect state of preservation, which was explained by the fact that it had run aground on a sandy beach and not on the reefs. On examining it carefully, they could even say that its sojourn on the sea had not been long and also that its arrival on the shore was recent. The water did not seem to have penetrated inside and the objects which it contained would be intact. It was evident that this case had been thrown overboard from a disabled vessel heading toward the island and that, in the hope that it would reach the island where they would later recover it, the passengers had taken the precaution of lightening it by means of a floating apparatus. "We will tow this wreckage to Granite House" said the engineer, "and we will make an inventory of it; then if we find some survivors of this presumed wreck on the island, we will return the contents to them. If we find no one..." "We will keep it for ourselves," cried Pencroff. "But, by God, what is inside?" Already the tide began to reach the wreck, which evidently could float in the open sea. One of the cords attached to the barrels was partly unraveled and used to tie the floating apparatus to the canoe. Then Pencroff and Neb excavated into the sand with their oars in order to facilitate the movement of the case. Soon the boat, towing the case, began to double the point which was given the name Flotsam Point. The towing was sluggish and the barrels were barely sufficient to hold the case above the water. The sailor feared that at any moment it would detach and sink to the bottom. But happily his fears were not realized and an hour and a half after leaving - it took all this time to travel this distance of three miles - the canoe came alongside the beach in front of Granite House. Canoe and case were then hauled onto the sand and since the tide was already going down it was not long in leaving it high and dry. Neb brought tools to force the case in a way that would damage it as little as possible and they proceeded to its inventory. Pencroff could not hide his excitement. The sailor began by detaching the two barrels which, being in very good condition, would find uses, that goes without saying. Then the locks were forced with a crowbar and the lid was taken off at once. A double envelope of zinc lined the interior of the case which had evidently been designed so that the enclosed objects would be protected from the dampness under all circumstances. "Ah!" cried Neb, "what if there are preserves inside?" THE ABANDONED 151 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "I hope not," replied the reporter. "If only there was...," said the sailor in a low voice. "What?" asked Neb, who overhead him. "Nothing!" The zinc cover was broken along its entire length, then turned down on the sides of the case and little by little various objects of different kinds were extracted and placed on the sand. With each new object, Pencroff gave out new hurrahs, Herbert clapped and Neb danced. There were books which made Herbert mad with joy and kitchen utensils which Neb covered with kisses. As to the remainder, the colonists were extremely satisfied because the case contained tools, arms, instruments, clothes, books, and here is the exact nomenclature as written in Gideon Spilett's notebook. Tools: three knives with several blades, two woodsman's axes, two carpenter's axes, three planes, two adzes, one twibil, six cold chisels, two files, three hammers, three gimlets, two augers, ten sacks of nails and screws, three saws of various sizes, and two boxes of needles. Arms: two flintlock guns, two percussion cap guns, two carbines with central ignition, five cutlasses, four sabers, two barrels of powder each containing 25 pounds, and twelve boxes of fulminate primers. Instruments: one sextant, one pair of binoculars, one telescope, one box compass, one pocket compass, one Fahrenheit thermometer, one aneroid barometer, one box containing a complete photographic apparatus, objective, plates, chemicals, etc. Clothing: two dozen shirts of a particular fiber resembling wool, but evidently of a vegetable origin and three dozen hose of the same fiber. Utensils: one iron pot, six galvanized copper saucepans, three iron plates, ten aluminum table settings, two kettles, one small portable stove and six table knives. Books: one bible containing the old and new testaments, one atlas, one dictionary of various Polynesian dialects, one dictionary on natural science in six volumes, three reams of blank paper and two record books of blank paper. "It must be admitted," said the reporter, after the inventory was completed, "that the owner of this case was a practical man. Tools, arms, instruments, clothing, utensils, books, nothing is missing. One would say that he expected to be wrecked and that he prepared in advance." "In fact, nothing is missing," murmured Cyrus Smith thoughtfully. "And it's a sure bet," added Herbert, "that the ship which brought this case and the owner were not Malayan pirates." "Unless," said Pencroff, "the owner had been made a prisoner by the pirates..." "That is not admissible," replied the reporter. "It is 152 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ more likely that an American or European ship had been drawn into these waters and that the passengers, wanting to save some essential things at least, prepared this case and threw it into the sea." "Is that your opinion, Mister Cyrus?" asked Herbert. "Yes, my child," replied the engineer, "it may have happened in this way. It is possible that for a time they expected to be wrecked so they placed the most useful objects in this case in order to retrieve it at some point on the coast..." "Even the photography box!" noted the sailor rather incredulously. "As to that apparatus," replied Cyrus Smith, "I do not quite see its utility and a more complete assortment of clothing or more ammunition would be of better value to us as to other castaways." "But isn't there some mark or address on these instruments, tools or books which will let us know who made them?" asked Gideon Spilett. This was to be seen. Each item was carefully examined, especially the books, the instruments and the arms. Neither the arms nor the instruments, contrary to custom, carried the manufacturer's mark; they were besides, in perfect condition and they seemed to have never been used. Especially the tools and utensils; everything was new, which proved, in short, that these items had not been taken at random and thrown into the case but, on the contrary, that the choice of these items had been made thoughtfully and their arrangement was made carefully. This was further indicted by this second envelope of metal which had protected it from the dampness and which could not have been soldered in a moment of haste. As to the dictionaries of natural science and Polynesian dialects, both were in English but they did not carry the editor's name nor the date of publication. Even the bible, printed in English in quarto was remarkable from a typographical point of view and appeared to have been thumbed through often. As to the atlas, it was a magnificent work in French nomenclature, containing maps of the entire world and several planispheres based on Mercator projection - but it did not carry the date of publication nor the name of the editor. Among all these various items there was no indication as to the country of origin and nothing consequently to let them guess as to the nationality of the vessel which had so recently passed through these waters. But regardless of where it came from, it gave riches to the colonists of Lincoln Island. Until then, by transforming the products of nature, they had made everything by themselves, and thanks to their intelligence they had attended to their affairs. But did it not seem that Providence wished to reward them by bringing them these various products of human industry. Their thanks went unanimously to heaven. THE ABANDONED 153 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ However, one of them was not absolutely satisfied. It was Pencroff. It seemed that the case did not enclose the one thing he wanted enormously and as each of the items were taken out his hurrahs diminished in intensity and, with the inventory completed, one heard him murmur these words. "This is all good and well, but you can see that there is nothing for me in this box!" This brought Neb to say to him: "So, friend Pencroff, what did you expect?" "A half pound of tobacco," Pencroff replied seriously, "and nothing would be lacking for my happiness." They could not help laughing at the sailor's comment. But as a result of the discovery of this case it was now more than ever necessary to make a serious exploration of the island. It was therefore agreed that the next day, at daybreak, they would get underway, ascend the Mercy in order to reach the western shore. If some castaways had landed on this part of the coast, it was to be feared that they were without resources and that help should be brought to them without delay. During this day, the various items were carried to Granite House and methodically arranged in the large hall. This day - October 29th - was a Sunday and before going to bed Herbert asked the engineer if he would read to them some passage from the gospel. "Gladly," replied Cyrus Smith. He took the sacred book and was going to open it when Pencroff stopped him and said to him: "Mister Cyrus, I am superstitious. Open at random and read to us the first verse that catches your eye. We will see if it applies to our situation." Cyrus Smith smiled at the sailor's idea and obliging he opened the gospel exactly where a ribbon separated the pages. Suddenly his attention was fixed on a red cross which was made with a pencil and placed in front of Chapter VII, Verse 8 of the Gospel of Saint Matthew. And he read this verse as follows: "For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth." CHAPTER III Departure - The rising tide - Elms and nettle trees - Various plants - The jacamar - Aspect of the forest - Giant eucalypti - Why they are called "fever trees" - Troops of monkeys - The waterfall - Night encampment. The next day, October 30th, all was ready for the proposed exploration which these latest events had rendered so urgent. In fact, things had changed to such an extent that the colonists of Lincoln Island no longer needed help for themselves but were well able to bring it to others. 154 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ It was therefore agreed that they would ascend the Mercy, as far as the river's current would make it practical. A large part of the trip would thereby be completed without fatigue, and the explorers could transport their provisions and their arms to an advanced point on the west of the island. It was necessary, in fact, to think not only of the things which they should carry with them but also of those which chance would perhaps permit them to bring back to Granite House. If there had been a wreck on the coast, as was generally supposed, there would be no lack of wreckage, which would be their lawful prize. In that event the cart would, without doubt, be more useful than the fragile canoe. However, the cart was heavy and large. It was necessary to drag it so that it was not easy to use. This led Pencroff to express the regret that the chest had not contained, besides his "half- pound of tobacco", a pair of energetic New Jersey horses, which would have been very useful to the colony! The provisions, which were already loaded by Neb, consisted of preserved meat and several gallons of beer and fermented liquor, that is to say enough to sustain them for three days - the longest lapse of time which Cyrus Smith assigned to the exploration. Moreover, they could count on reprovisioning en route, if need be, and Neb took care not to forget the small portable stove. Of the tools, the colonists took the two woodsmen's axes, which could be used to cut a path through the thick forest and, of the instruments, the telescope and the pocket compass. For weapons, they chose the two flint-lock guns, which would be more useful on the island than the percussion fowling pieces, the first using only flint which would be easy to replace and the latter needing fulminating caps, the frequent use of which would soon exhaust their limited supply. However, they also took one of the carbines and several cartridges. As to the powder of which there was about fifty pounds, it was necessary to take some of it, but the engineer counted on manufacturing an explosive substance which would permit them to husband it. In addition to the firearms, they added five cutlasses, well sheathed in leather, and in this condition the colonists could venture forth into this vast forest with some chance of attending to their affairs. Needless to say, Pencroff, Herbert and Neb, thus armed, were at the highest pitch of happiness even though Cyrus Smith had made them promise not to fire a shot needlessly. At six o'clock in the morning the canoe was pushed into the water. All embarked, including Top, and they steered towards the mouth of the Mercy. The tide had begun to rise only in the last half-hour. There would therefore be several more hours of current which it would be expedient to profit from, because later the ebb would make it more difficult to ascend the river. The tide was already strong for there would be a full moon in three days. THE ABANDONED 155 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ It was sufficient to keep the canoe in the mainstream where it moved swiftly between the two high banks, without the need to increase its speed with the aid of the oars. In a few minutes the explorers arrived at the bend in the Mercy, at the same angle where Pencroff had made his first raft of wood seven months earlier. After this rather sharp angle the river, becoming more rounded, slanted toward the southwest and its course developed under a shade of conifers with a permanent verdure. The aspect of the banks of the Mercy was magnificent. Cyrus Smith and his companions could not but admire, without reservations, the beautiful effects so easily produced by nature with the water and the trees. As they advanced, the forest species changed. On the right bank of the river there rose magnificent specimens of ulmaceous plants, those precious French elms so sought after by builders, which have the property of bearing up well in water for a long time. Then there were numerous groups belonging to the same family, nettle trees among others, whose almond produces a very useful oil. Further on Herbert noted some lardizabalaceae whose flexible boughs, soaked in water, make an excellent cord, and two or three ebony trunks of a beautiful black color, divided into capricious veins. From time to time, in certain places where it was easy to land, the canoe stopped. Then Gideon Spilett, Herbert and Pencroff, with gun in hand and preceded by Top, jumped to shore. Without expecting any game, they hoped to find some useful plant that they would not disdain and the young naturalist had his heart's desire because he discovered a sort of wild spinach of the chenopodiaceae family and numerous specimens of crucifers of the cabbage family which it would certainly be possible to "civilize" by transplanting. There were cress, horse radish, turnips and finally small slightly rough branchy stems, a meter high, which produced an almost brown grain. "Do you know what this plant is?" Herbert asked the sailor. "Tobacco," cried Pencroff, who evidently had never seen his favorite plant except in the bowl of his pipe. "No, Pencroff!" replied Herbert, "it is not tobacco, it is mustard." "What's the good of mustard!" replied the sailor, "but if by chance a tobacco plant should present itself, my boy, don't disregard it." "We will find it one day!" said Gideon Spilett. "True," cried Pencroff, "and on that day I will know that there is nothing lacking on our island." These various plants, which were carefully uprooted, were carried to the canoe which Cyrus Smith, always absorbed in his thoughts, had not left. The reporter, Herbert and Pencroff went ashore several times, sometimes on the right bank of the Mercy, sometimes on 156 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ the left bank. The former was less abrupt but the latter was more wooded. By consulting his pocket compass the engineer knew that the direction of the river from the first bend was essentially southwest and northeast and nearly straight for a length of about three miles. But he supposed that this direction would change further on and that the Mercy ascended to the northwest toward the buttresses of Mount Franklin which fed these waters. During one of these excursions, Gideon Spilett succeeded in getting hold of two couples of living gallinaceae. They were birds with long slender beaks, long necks, short wings and without an apparent tail. Herbert correctly gave them the name of "tinamous" and it was resolved that they would be the first occupants of the future poultry yard. But until then the guns had not spoken and the first detonation that resounded in this forest of the Far West was provoked by the appearance of a beautiful bird which anatomically resembled a kingfisher. "I recognize it," cried Pencroff, whose gun went off in spite of himself. "What do you recognize?" asked the reporter. "That bird that escaped us on our first excursion and whose name we have given to this part of the forest." "A jacamar!" cried Herbert. In fact it was a jacamar, a beautiful bird whose rather stiff plumage has a metallic luster. A few lead pellets brought it to the ground and Top carried it to the canoe, as well as about a dozen "touraco lories", a sort of parrot the size of a pigeon, all daubed in green with part of its wing of a crimson color and a narrow festooned crest with a white border. The honor of this shot belonged to the lad and he showed pride in it. Lorries make better game than jacamars, whose flesh is a little tough, but it was difficult to persuade Pencroff that he not killed the king of edible birds. It was ten o'clock in the morning when the canoe reached a second bend in the Mercy, about five miles from its mouth. They halted here to eat and this halt, sheltered by large beautiful trees, was prolonged for half an hour. The river still measured sixty to seventy feet in width and five to ten feet in depth. The engineer observed that numerous tributaries enlarged its flow but they were only simple unnavigable streams. As to the forest, which could be a part of the forests of the Far West as well as Jacamar Woods, their extent was lost to view. In no part, neither under the tall tree clusters nor on the banks of the Mercy, was the presence of man revealed. The explorers could not find any suspicious traces and it was evident that the woodsman's axe had never slashed these trees, that never had the pioneer's knife cut these creepers stretching from one trunk to the other amidst the thick brushwood and tall grass. If several castaways had landed on the island they still had not left the shore and it was not under this thick cover that they should look for survivors of the presumed shipwreck. THE ABANDONED 157 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ The engineer therefore manifested a certain haste in reaching the western coast of Lincoln Island, at least five miles away according to his estimate. The navigation was resumed and although from its actual direction the Mercy seemed to flow not toward the shore but rather toward Mount Franklin, it was decided that they would make use of the canoe as long as they would find sufficient water under its keel to keep it afloat. This would save fatigue as well as gain time because it would have been necessary to blaze a trail with an axe across the thick woods. But soon the current failed completely either because it was low tide - which was the case at this hour - or because it was no longer felt at this distance from the mouth of the Mercy. It was then necessary to use the oars, Neb and Herbert being seated on their bench, Pencroff at the scull, and the ascent of the river was continued. It then seemed that the forest tended to be thinner toward the shore of the Far West. The trees here were less crowded and were often isolated. But, because they had more space, they profited from the pure and free air which circulated around them and they were magnificent. What splendid specimens of the flora of this latitude! Their presence would certainly suffice for a botonist to name without hesitation the parallel that crossed Lincoln Island. "Eucalyptus," cried Herbert. They were, in fact, those superb trees, the last giants of the extra-tropical zone, the congeners of the eucalyptus of Australia and of New Zealand, both situated on the same latitude as Lincoln Island. Several rose to a height of two hundred feet. Their trunk measured twenty feet around the base and their bark, furrowed with a network of perfumed resin, measured up to five inches in thickness. Nothing was more marvellous nor more singular than these enormous specimens of the myrtaceae family, whose foliage presented their profile to the light, allowing the sun's rays to strike the ground. At the foot of these eucalyptus, a fresh grass covered the ground and from the tufts, small birds flew away shining in luminous rays like flying precious stones. "Those are trees!" cried Neb, "but are they good for anything?" "Pooh!" replied Pencroff. "Vegetable giants are like human giants, only good for showing at fairs." "I believe you are in error, Pencroff," replied Gideon Spilett, "and that the wood from eucalyptus is used very advantageously in cabinet making." "And I will add," said the lad, "that these eucalyptus belong to a family that comprise many useful members: the guava-tree which gives guavas; the clove tree which produces cloves; the pomegranate tree which yields pomegranates; the "eugenia cauliflora" whose fruit makes a passable wine; the "ungi" myrtle which contains an excellent alcoholic liqueur; the caryophyllus myrtle whose bark makes an esteemed cinnamon; 158 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ the "eugenia pimenta" from which comes Jamaica pimento; the common myrtle whose berries can replace pepper; the "eucalyptus robusta" which produces a sort of excellent manna; the "eucalyptus gunei" whose sap transforms into beer by fermentation; and finally all those trees known under the name of "trees of life" or "ironbarks" which belong to this myrtaceae family that comprises forty six genuses and thirteen hundred species. They let the lad go on, who delivered this mini-lesson in botany with much heartiness. Cyrus Smith smiled and listened to him and Pencroff showed a pride impossible to express. "Good, Herbert," replied Pencroff, "but I will venture to say that all these useful specimens that you mentioned are not giants like these!" "Indeed, Pencroff." "That supports what I said," replied the sailor, "namely that these giants are good for nothing!" "You are mistaken, Pencroff," the engineer then said, "and these very giant eucalyptus which shelter us are good for something." "And what is that?" "To cleanse the lands that they inhabit. Do you know what they are called in Australia and New Zealand?" "No, Mister Cyrus." "They are called 'fever trees'." "Because they bring it on?" "No, because they prevent it!" "Good. I will note this," said the reporter. "Note then, my dear Spilett, that it appears that the presence of eucalyptus suffices to neutralize marshy miasmas. This natural preventive has been tried in certain countries of southern Europe and North Africa whose soil is absolutely unhealthy and the health of their inhabitants has been improved little by little. It is likewise for intermittent fevers in those regions covered by forests of these myrtaceae. This fact is now beyond doubt and it is a happy circumstance for us colonists of Lincoln Island." "Ah! What an island! What a blessed island!" cried Pencroff. "I tell you that it lacks nothing... except for..." "That will come, Pencroff, it will be found," replied the engineer, "but let us get back to our navigation and push as far as the river can carry our canoe!" The exploration was thus continued for at least two miles amidst a country covered with eucalyptus which dominated all of the woods in this portion of the island. The space that it covered extended beyond the limits of sight on each side of the Mercy, whose rather winding bed was cut there between high verdant banks. This bed was often obstructed by tall grass and even sharp rocks, which made the navigation rather laborious. The action of the oars was cramped and Pencroff had to push with a pole. They also felt the bottom coming up little by little and that the moment was not far off when, for lack of THE ABANDONED 159 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ water, they would be obliged to stop. Already the sun was low on the horizon and the long shadows of the trees fell on the ground. Cyrus Smith, seeing that they could not reach the west shore of the island on this day, resolved to camp at the very place where they would be forced to stop for lack of water. He estimated that there still were five or six miles to the coast and this distance was too much to try to cross during the night, in the midst of these unknown woods. The boat was therefore pushed, without slackening, through the forest which was becoming thicker and which also seemed inhabited. If the sailor's eyes did not deceive him, he thought he saw bands of monkeys running under the brushwood. Several times two or three of these animals even stopped at some distance from the canoe and looked at the colonists without manifesting any terror as if, seeing men for the first time, they had not yet learned to fear them. It would have been easy to kill these quadrumanes with gunshots but Cyrus Smith was opposed to this useless massacre which Pencroff found a little tempting. Besides it was prudent because these vigorous monkeys, endowed with an extreme agility, could be formidable and it would be better not to provoke them with an inopportune aggression. It is true that the sailor considered the monkey from the purely alimentary point of view and, in fact, these animals are solely herbivores, making an excellent game; but since provisions abounded, it was inappropriate to use munitions wastefully. About four o'clock the navigation of the Mercy became difficult because its course was obstructed by aquatic plants and rocks. The banks rose little by little and already the bed of the river was hollowed out between the first buttresses of Mount Franklin. Its source could not be far away since it was fed by all the waters from the southern slopes of the mountain. "In a quarter of an hour," said the sailor, "we will be forced to stop, Mister Cyrus." "Well, then we will stop, Pencroff, and we will organize a camp for the night." "At what distance can we be from Granite House?" asked Herbert. "Very nearly seven miles," replied the engineer, "taking into account however the detours of the river which have carried us to the northwest." "Shall we continue to go forward?" asked the reporter. "Yes, for as long as we can," replied Cyrus Smith. "Tomorrow, at the break of day, we will abandon the canoe. In two hours, I hope, we will traverse the distance which separates us from the coast and we will have almost the entire day to explore the shore." "Forward," replied Pencroff. But soon the canoe scraped the stony bottom of the river whose width at that point did not exceed twenty feet. A thick verdure grew over the river's bed and enveloped it in semi- obscurity. They also heard the rather distinct noise of a waterfall which indicated the presence of a natural barrier several hundred feet upstream. 160 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ And in fact, at a last detour of the river, a cascade appeared through the trees. The canoe hit against the bottom and a few moments later it was moored to a trunk near the right bank. It was about five o'clock. The last rays of the sun passed under the thick branches and obliquely struck the small falls, whose wet spray glistened with the colors of the prism. Further on the Mercy disappeared under the brushwood where it was fed by some hidden source. The various brooks which ran into it lower down made it a true river but here it was only a clear stream without any depth. They camped in this very place, which was charming. The colonists landed and a fire was lit under a group of large nettle trees among whose branches Cyrus Smith and his companions could find refuge for the night, if need be. Supper was soon devoured because they were famished and there was no other question but that of going to sleep. Inasmuch as several roars of a suspicious nature were heard before the end of the day, the fire was fed for the night so as to protect the slumberers with its crackling flames. Neb and Pencroff even took turns in watching it and did not spare the fuel. Perhaps they were not wrong since they thought they saw the shadows of animals wandering around the encampment, either under the brushwood or among the branches; but the night passed without accident and the next day, the 31st of October, at five o'clock in the morning, all were on foot ready to leave. CHAPTER IV Going toward the coast - Several bands of quadrumanes - A new watercourse - Why the tide was not felt - A forest on the shore - Reptile Promontory - Gideon Spilett makes Herbert envious - The noise of the bamboos. It was six o'clock in the morning when the colonists, after an early meal, took to the road with the intention of reaching the western coast of the island by the shortest way. How much time would be needed to get there? Cyrus Smith had said two hours but that evidently depended on the nature of the obstacles that would present themselves. This part of the Far West seemed crowded like an immense cospe composed of extremely varied species. It was therefore likely that they would have to blaze a trail through the grass, the brushwood, and the creepers and march with axe in hand - and gun also doubtless, judging from the cries of the animals heard in the night. The exact position of the encampment was determined by the location of Mount Franklin and since the volcano rose in the north at a distance of less than three miles, they must take a straight route to the southwest to reach the western shore. THE ABANDONED 161 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ They left after having carefully moored the canoe. Pencroff and Neb carried the provisions which would suffice to feed the small troop for a least two days. There was no thought of hunting and the engineer even recommended to his companions that they avoid any impulsive gunshots in order not to signal their presence to anyone on shore. The first blows of the axe were made against the brushwood, among the mastic tree bushes a little above the cascade. With compass in hand, Cyrus Smith indicated the direction to follow. The forest was composed, for the most part, of trees already recognized in the neighborhood of the lake and Grand View Plateau. They were deodars, douglas, casuarinas, gum trees, eucalyptus, dragon trees, hibiscus, cedars and other species, generally of a mediocre height because their number hindered their development. The colonists could only advance slowly on this path that they had blazed in a region which, in the engineer's opinion, had to be linked further on to Red Creek. After their departure, the colonists descended the lower slopes that made up the mountain system of the island, on a very dry terrain but whose luxurious vegetation left the feeling of the presence of an underground network of some nearby stream. However, Cyrus Smith did not remember having recognized, at the time of his excursion to the crater, any other watercourses than those of Red Creek and the Mercy. During the first hours of the excursion they again saw monkeys who seemed to show astonishment at the sight of men whose aspect was new to them. Gideon Spilett asked humorously if the agile and robust quadrumanes did not consider his companions and him as degenerate brothers! And frankly, these simple pedestrians, obstructed at each step by underbrush, entangled by creepers, barred by tree trunks, did not distinguish themselves compared to these supple animals who bounded from branch to branch and were stopped by nothing in their path. There were numerous monkeys but very fortunately they did not manifest any hostile disposition. They also saw several wild boar, agoutis, kangaroos and other rodents and two or three koalas whom Pencroff would have willingly greeted with gunshots. "But," he said, "hunting is not allowed. Skip about then, my friends, jump and fly in peace! We will have a few words to say to you on our return!" At nine thirty in the morning the road, which headed directly to the southwest, suddenly found itself barred by an unknown watercourse thirty to forty feet wide, whose vivid current, propelled by its slope and broken by numerous rocks, fell with a grating noise. The creek was deep and clear but it was absolutely unnavigable. "We are cut off!" cried Neb "No," replied Herbert, "it is only a stream and we will be able to swim across." 162 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "What for?" replied Cyrus Smith. "It is evident that this creek runs to the sea. Let us remain on its left, following the bank and I will not be surprised if we promptly reach the coast. Let's go." "One moment," said the reporter. "The name of this creek, my friends? Let us not leave our geography incomplete. "Right," said Pencroff. "Name it, my child," said the engineer, addressing the lad. "Would it not be better to wait until we reach the mouth?" noted Herbert. "So be it," replied Cyrus Smith. "Let us follow it then without stopping." "Wait another moment," said Pencroff. "What is it?" asked the reporter. "If hunting is prohibited, fishing is permitted, I suppose," said the sailor. "We have no time to lose," replied the engineer. "Oh!, five minutes!" replied Pencroff. "I only ask five minutes in the interest of our lunch." And Pencroff, lying down on the bank, plunged his arms into the vivid water and soon made several dozen beautiful crayfish skip about as they swarmed among the rocks. "This will be good!" cried Neb, coming to help the sailor. "I tell you that, except for tobacco, there is everything on the island!" murmured Pencroff with a sigh. It did not take five minutes for this wonderful fishing because the crayfish swarmed about the creek. These shellfish, whose shell has a cobalt blue color, have a snout armed with a small tooth. They filled up a sack and went on their way. Since following the bank of the new watercourse, the colonists marched more easily and rapidly. Moreover, the banks were free of any human traces. From time to time they picked up some traces left by large animals who came regularly to quench their thirst at this stream, but notwithstanding, it still was not in this part of the Far West that the peccary had received the lead bullet which had cost Pencroff a molar. However, on considering how rapidly the current flowed toward the sea, Cyrus Smith was lead to suppose that his companions and he were further from the western coast than he believed. And in fact, at this hour the tide was rising on shore and it should have turned back the creek's current if its mouth was only several miles away. Now this effect was not produced and the flow followed its natural slope. The engineer was very astonished at this and he frequently consulted his compass in order to assure himself that some detour in the river was not leading them into the interior of the Far West. However, the creek became wider and little by little its waters became less tumultuous. The trees on the right bank were as crowded as those on the left bank and it was impossible to see beyond. These woods were certainly deserted because Top did not bark and the intelligent animal would not have neglected to signal the presence of any strangers in the neighborhood of the watercourse. THE ABANDONED 163 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ At ten thirty, to the great surprise of Cyrus Smith, Herbert, who was a little ahead, suddenly stopped and cried: "The sea!" And several moments later, stopping at the edge of the forest, the colonists saw the western shore of the island develop before their eyes. But what a contrast between this coast and the eastern coast on which chance had first thrown them! No granite wall, no reef, not even a sandy beach. The forest formed the shore and its last trees, battered by the waves, leaned over the water. It was not a shore such as nature usually makes, covered with either sand or rocks, but an admirable border made up of the most beautiful trees in the world. The bank was elevated so that it was higher than level of the highest tides, and the luxuriant soil was supported by a granite base. The splendid forest species seemed to be as firmly planted as any in the interior of the island. The colonists found themselves at the opening of a small unimportant cove which could not even hold two or three fishing boats, and which served as the narrow entrance to the new creek; but this was the curious thing, that the water, instead of reaching the sea by a gentle slope, fell from a height of more than forty feet - this explained why, at the time of high tide, it was not felt upstream. In fact, the tides of the Pacific, even at their maximum elevation, could never reach the level of the river whose bed was elevated, and doubtless millions of years would pass before the waters would erode this wall of granite and form a practical opening. They agreed to give this watercourse the name of "Falls River." Beyond, toward the north, the shore, formed by the forest, extended for a distance of about two miles; then the trees became scarce and beyond that were very picturesque heights following a nearly straight line which ran from north to south. In contrast, over the entire portion of the shore between Falls River and Reptile Promontory, there were only woods with magnificent trees, some straight, others bending over with the long waves of the sea bathing their roots. Now it was on this coast, that is to say over the entire Serpentine Peninsula, that the exploration had to be continued because this part of the shore offered a refuge that the other, arid and savage, did not provide for any castaways whoever they were. The weather was beautiful and clear, and at the top of a cliff on which Neb and Pencroff set out lunch, the view extended quite far. The horizon was perfectly distinct and there were no sails there. Over all of this shore, as far as the view could extend, there was no vessel, not even a wreck. But the engineer would establish this only when he had explored the coast up to the very extremity of Serpentine Peninsula. They quickly finished lunch and at eleven thirty Cyrus Smith gave the signal to leave. Instead of traveling at the edge of a cliff or on a sandy shore, the colonists would have to follow the line of trees running along the coast. 164 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ The distance which separated the mouth of Falls River from Reptile Promontory was about twelve miles. In four hours on a practical shore, without rushing, the colonists would have been able to cross this distance; but it would require twice this time to reach their goal, what with trees to go around, brushwood to cut, creepers to break and the detours which would lengthen the distance. Moreover, there was nothing to indicate a recent wreck on this shore. It was true, as Gideon Spilett noted, that the sea was able to wash away anything, and that they should not conclude that, because they found no traces, that a vessel had not been thrown on the coast on this part of Lincoln Island. The reporter's reasoning was justified and besides, the incident of the lead bullet proved positively that in the last three months at most, a gun had been fired on the island. It was already five o'clock and the extremity of Serpentine Peninsula was still two miles away. It was evident that after having reached Reptile Promontory, Cyrus Smith and his companions would no longer have the time to return before sundown to the encampment that they had established near the sources of the Mercy. It would then be necessary to pass the night at the promontory itself. But provisions were not lacking which was fortunate because furry game no longer showed itself on this shore. To the contrary, birds abounded here, jacamars, couroucous, trogons, grouse, lorries, parakeets, cockatoos, pheasants, pigeons and a hundred others. There was not a tree without a nest and not a nest that was not full of flapping wings. Around seven o'clock in the evening, the colonists, weary with fatigue, arrived at Reptile Promontory, a sort of volute strangely cut out of the sea. Here ended the forest of the peninsula. The entire southern part of the coast again took on the usual look of a shore with its rocks, its reefs and its beaches. It was therefore possible that a disabled vessel could take refuge on this portion of the island, but with night coming on it would be necessary to put off the exploration to the next day. Pencroff and Herbert immediately began to look for a good place to establish a camp. The last trees of the forest of the Far West died out at this point and among them the lad recognized some thick bamboo clusters. "Good!" he said. "Here is a precious discovery." "Precious?" replied Pencroff. "Without doubt," answered Herbert. "I can tell you, Pencroff, that bamboo bark, cut into flexible lath, serves to make baskets; that this bark, reduced to a paste and macerated, serves to make rice paper; that the stems are used, according to their size, for canes, tobacco pipes and water pipes; that large bamboos form an excellent construction material, light and sturdy, which are never attacked by insects. I should even add that by sawing the bamboo internodes and keeping for the bottom a portion of the transverse partition which forms the node, sturdy and handy pots are obtained which are very much in use in China! No! That does not satisfy you. But..." THE ABANDONED 165 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "But?..." "But I will tell you, if you don't know it, that in India they eat these bamboos like asparagus." "Asparagus thirty feet high!" cried the sailor. "And are they good?" "Excellent," replied Herbert. "Only it is not the thirty foot high stalks that they eat but the young bamboo shoots." "Perfect, my boy, perfect!" replied Pencroff. "I will also add that the pith of the new stalks, pickled in vinegar, makes a very appreciated condiment." "Better and better, Herbert." "And finally, that these bamboos exude a sweet liqueur between their nodes from which a very agreeable beverage can be made." "Is that all?" asked the sailor. "That is all!" "And anything to smoke, perchance?" "Nothing to smoke, my poor Pencroff!" Herbert and the sailor did not look long for a favorable place to pass the night. The high rocks on the shore - very broken up because they were violently battered by the sea under the influence of the winds from the southwest - presented hollows which would permit them to sleep sheltered from the weather. But at the moment when they were about to enter one of these excavations, some formidable roaring stopped them. "Get back!" cried Pencroff. "We only have some small pellets in our guns, and beasts that roar so well would be as troubled with them as with a grain of salt! And the sailor, seizing Herbert by the arms, dragged him to the shelter of the rocks just as a magnificent animal showed itself at the entrance to the cavern. It was a jaguar of a size at least equal to that of its congeners of Asia, that is to say that it measured more than five feet from the extremity of its head to the beginning of its tail. Its fawn colored fur was enhanced by several rows of regularly marked black spots and with white fur on its belly. Herbert recognized this ferocious rival of the tiger, as terrible as the cougar. The jaguar advanced and looked around himself, fur bristling, eyes on fire, as if he had not sensed man for the first time. At this moment the reporter came around the high rocks and Herbert, thinking that he had not seen the jaguar, went toward him; but Gideon Spilett motioned to him and continued walking. This was not his first tiger and he advanced to within ten feet of the animal and remained immobile, the carbine to his shoulder without a muscle trembling. The jaguar gathered himself together and pounced on the hunter but at that moment a ball struck him between the eyes and he fell dead. 166 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Herbert and Pencroff ran toward the jaguar. Neb and Cyrus Smith rushed up from their side and they took a few moments to look at the animal stretched out on the ground. Its magnificent fur would make an ornament in the large hall of Granite House. "Ah, Mister Spilett. How I admire you and envy you," cried Herbert, in a fit of rather natural enthusiasm. "Well, my boy," replied the reporter, "you would have done as well." "Me! Such coolness..." "Imagine, Herbert, that the jaguar is a hare, and you will shoot more calmly than anyone." "There!" replied Pencroff. "It is not more difficult than that!" "And now," said Gideon Spilett, "since the jaguar has left his den, my friends, I do not see why we should not occupy it for the night." "But others may return!" said Pencroff. "It will suffice to light a fire at the entrance to the cavern," said the reporter, "and they will not venture to cross the threshold." "To the jaguar's house then!" replied the sailor, dragging the animal's body behind him. The colonists went toward the abandoned den and there, while Neb skinned the jaguar, his companions piled up on the threshold a large quantity of dry wood which the forest furnished abundantly. But Cyrus Smith, seeing the bamboo clusters, went to cut a certain quantity which he mixed with the fuel for the fire. That done, they installed themselves in the grotto whose sand was strewn with bones; the guns were armed for any emergency in case of a sudden attack; they supped and then, when it came time to go to sleep, they set fire to the wood piled up at the entrance to the cavern. A crackling noise soon burst out. It was the bamboo, reached by the flames, which detonated like firecrackers. Nothing but this noise would suffice to frighten the most audacious animals. And this means of producing vivid detonations was not the engineer's invention. According to Marco Polo, the Tartars, over the centuries, used it with success to drive the dreaded beasts of central Asia away from their encampments. THE ABANDONED 167 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ CHAPTER V Proposition to return by the southern shore - Configuration of the coast - Search for a presumed wreck - A wreck in the air - Discovery of a small natural port - Midnight on the banks of the Mercy - A drifting canoe. Cyrus Smith and his companions slept like innocent marmots in the cavern which the jaguar had so politely left at their disposal. At sunrise all were on the shore at the very extremity of the promontory, looking toward the horizon which was visible for two thirds of its circumference. For one last time the engineer could confirm that no sail, no remains of a vessel appeared on the sea, and the telescope did not show anything suspicious. Neither was there anything on the shore, at least on the straight part that formed the southern coastline of the promontory for a distance of three miles, because beyond, an indentation of land concealed the remainder of the shore and even at the extremity of Serpentine Peninsula they could not see Cape Claw, hidden by high rocks. The rest of the southern shore of the island remained to be explored. Now, should they try to undertake this exploration immediately and devote this day of November 1st to it? This was not in their original plan. In fact when the canoe was abandoned at the sources of the Mercy, it had been agreed that after having observed the western coast, they would return to it and go back to Granite House via the Mercy. At the time Cyrus Smith believed that the western shore could offer a refuge either to boat in distress or to a vessel on its regular course; but from the moment that the coast showed no landing place, it became necessary to search the south of the island to find there what they had not been able to find in the west. It was Gideon Spilett who proposed to continue the exploration so that the question of the presumed wreck could be completely resolved. He asked at what distance Cape Claw could be from the extremity of the peninsula. "About thirty miles," replied the engineer, "if we take into account the curvature of the coast." "Thirty miles!" replied Gideon Spilett. "That will be a good day's march. Nevertheless I think that we should return to Granite House by the southern shore." "But," noted Herbert, "it is at least another ten miles from Cape Claw to Granite House." "Make it forty miles in all," replied the reporter, "and let us not hesitate to do it. At least we will have observed this unknown coast and we will not have to undertake this exploration again." "Quite right," Pencroff then said. "But the canoe?" 168 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "The canoe has remained alone for one day at the sources of the Mercy," replied Gideon Spilett. "It can stay there just as well for two days. For the moment we can hardly say that the island is infested with thieves." "However," said the sailor, "when I recall the story of the tortoise, I no longer have that confidence." "The tortoise! The tortoise!" replied the reporter. "Don't you know that it was the sea that turned it over?" "Who knows?" murmured the engineer. "But..." said Neb. It was evident that Neb had something to say because he opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. "What did you want to say, Neb?" the engineer asked him. "If we return via the shore to Cape Claw," replied Neb, "after having doubled the cape, we will be stopped..." "By the Mercy!" replied Herbert, "and in fact, we will have neither a bridge nor a boat with which to cross it!" "Fine, Mister Cyrus," replied Pencroff, "with a few floating trunks we will not be inconvenienced in crossing the river." "That's not important," said Gideon Spilett, "it will be useful to construct a bridge if we want to have easy access to the Far West." "A bridge!" cried Pencroff. "Well, isn't Mister Smith the best engineer in his profession? But he will make us a bridge when we want to have a bridge. As to transporting you this evening to the other side of the Mercy without wetting a stitch of your clothing, I'll be responsible for that. We still have a day's provisions and that is all that we need and besides, we may have more game today than we had yesterday. Let's go!" The reporter's proposition, very vividly supported by the sailor, gained general approval because everyone wanted to settle his doubts and by returning via Cape Claw, the exploration would be complete. But there wasn't an hour to lose because forty miles was a long trip and they could not count on reaching Granite House before night. At six o'clock in the morning the small troop was on its way. As a precaution against any undesirable encounters with animals on two or four feet, the guns were loaded with ball and Top, who was in the lead, was ordered to scour the edge of the forest. On leaving the extremity of the promontory which formed the tail of the peninsula, the coast was rounded for a distance of five miles, which was rapidly crossed without the most minute investigations having shown the least trace of a landing either in the past or recently, neither a wreck nor the remainder of an encampment nor the cinders of an extinct fire nor a footprint. The colonists arrived at the corner where the curvature of the coast ended. They were then able to extend their view to the northeast over Washington Bay and over the entire extent of the southern shore of the island. Twenty five miles away the coast ended at Cape Claw which was slightly blurred by the THE ABANDONED 169 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ morning fog. A mirage made it seem suspended between land and sea. Between the spot occupied by the colonists and the beginning of the immense bay, the shore was composed of a very smooth and flat beach bordered by trees. Further along, the shore became very irregular with sharp points projecting into the sea, and finally several blackish rocks were piled up in picturesque disorder ending at Cape Claw. Such was the development of this part of the island that the explorers saw for the first time. They quickly surveyed it after having stopped for a moment. "A vessel that would put in here," Pencroff said, "would inevitably be lost. This beach of sand extends up to the sea and the reefs beyond! Dangerous waters!" "But a least something of this vessel would remain," the reporter noted. "Some pieces of wood would remain on the reefs but nothing on the sand," replied the sailor. "Why so?" "Because the sand is even more dangerous than the rocks, engulfing everything that is thrown upon it and only a few days would be needed for the hull of a vessel of several hundred tons to disappear there entirely!" "So, Pencroff," asked the engineer, "if a vessel ran aground on these banks, it is not astonishing that there is no longer any trace of it?" "No, Mister Smith, with the aid of time or tempest. Still, it would be surprising, even in this case, if some debris of the masts and spars were not thrown on the bank beyond the reach of the sea." "Let us then continue our search," replied Cyrus Smith. An hour after noon the colonists arrived at the beginning of Washington Bay and at this time they had covered a distance of twenty miles. They halted for lunch. There the coast became bizarrely irregular and was covered by a long line of reefs behind which were banks of sand. The tide was low at the moment but would not be long in covering it. They saw the supple waves of the sea breaking against the tops of rocks, and then turning into long foam fringes. From this point up to Cape Claw, there was little space for the beach which was confined between the edge of reefs and that of the forest. The trip thus became more difficult because of the innumerable rocks which encumbered the shore. The granite wall also tended to become higher as they went on and they could see only the green tops of trees that crowned it, not disturbed by any wind. After resting for a half hour, the colonists again took to the road and no point on the reefs or beach escaped their attention. Pencroff and Neb even ventured among the reefs anytime some object attracted their attention. But there was no wreck and they were misled by some bizarre shape of rocks. They did note however, that edible shellfish abounded in these 170 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ waters but they could not profitably exploit this until communication would be established between the two banks of the Mercy and also when the means of transport would be perfected. There was no indication of the presumed wreck on this shore notwithstanding that fact that the hull of a vessel was an object of some importance and should have been visible. Some of the debris should have carried to shore, as had the case found at least twenty miles further on, but there was nothing here. About three o'clock, Cyrus Smith and his companions arrived at a narrow, well enclosed inlet which was not associated with a watercourse. It formed a real small natural port, invisible from the sea, which could be reached by a narrow passage between the reefs. At the rear of this inlet some violent convulsion had torn up the rocky shore and an excavation on a gentle slope gave access to the upper plateau. This was situated at least ten miles from Cape Claw and consequently four miles in a straight line from Grand View Plateau. Gideon Spilett proposed to his companions that they halt here. They accepted because the trip had sharpened everyone's appetite and, though it was not dinner time, no one could refuse a piece of venison. This meal would permit them to wait for supper at Granite House. A few minutes later, the colonists were seated at the foot of a magnificent cluster of maritime pines, devouring the food that Neb had taken from his knapsack. This spot was fifty or sixty feet above the level of the sea. The radius of their view was rather extended, passing over the last rocks of the cape and into Union Bay. But neither the islet nor Grand View Plateau was visible, nor could it be from that position because the level of the ground and the screen of trees abruptly masked the northern horizon. Needless to say, in spite of the expanse of sea that could be seen by the explorers, and as much as the engineer's telescope swept from point to point across this entire circle on which the sky and water blended, no vessel was seen. Likewise on all this part of the shore that still remained for exploration, the telescope swept with the same care from the beach to the reefs, but no wreck appeared within the field of view of the instrument. "Come," said Gideon Spilett, "we must resign ourselves to the inevitable and take comfort in the thought that no one will come to dispute our possession of Lincoln Island." "But what about the lead bullet!" said Herbert. "It still wasn't imagined, I suppose." "A thousand devils, no!" cried Pencroff, thinking of his missing molar. "Then what can we conclude?" asked the reporter. "This," replied the engineer, "that in the last three months at most, a vessel, voluntarily or not, landed..." "What! You admit, Cyrus, that it was engulfed without leaving any trace?" cried the reporter. THE ABANDONED 171 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "No, my dear Spilett, but note that it is certain that a human being has set foot on this island and it appears none the less certain that he has now left it." "Then if I understand you, Mister Cyrus," said Herbert, "the vessel went away?..." "Evidently." "And we have lost a chance to leave?" said Neb. "Past all hope, I'm afraid." "Well! Since the chance is lost, let us be on our way," said Pencroff, who was already homesick for Granite House. But hardly had he gotten up when Top came out of the woods barking loudly and holding in his mouth a scrap of cloth soiled with mud. Neb tore this scrap from the dog's mouth. It was a piece of strong cloth. Top continued to bark and by his coming and going he seemed to invite his master to follow him into the forest. "Here is something which may explain my lead bullet!" cried Pencroff. "A castaway" replied Herbert. "Wounded perhaps!" said Neb. "Or dead!" replied the reporter. And everyone followed the dog among the large pines which formed the first screen of the forest. Cyrus Smith and his companions loaded their guns for any eventuality. They had to advance rather deeply into the woods but to their great disappointment, they still did not see any footprints. Brushwood and creepers were intact and it was even necessary to cut them with the axe as they had done in the thickest part of the forest. It was thus difficult to admit that a human creature had already passed there. Still Top came and went, not as a dog who searched at random, but as a being endowed with a will, who is following up an idea. After seven or eight minutes, Top stopped. The colonists arrived at a sort of clearing bordered by large trees. They looked around but saw nothing either under the brushwood or among the tree trunks. "But what is it, Top?" asked Cyrus Smith. Top barked louder jumping to the foot of a gigantic tree. Suddenly Pencroff cried: "Ah! Fine! Ah! Perfect!" "What is it?" asked Gideon Spilett. "We are looking for a wreck on sea or on land!" "Well?" "Well, it is to be found in the sky!" And the sailor pointed to a sort of huge white cloth hanging on to the top of a pine, of which Top had brought a piece that had fallen to the ground. "But this is not a wreck," cried Gideon Spilett. "I beg your pardon!" replied Pencroff. "Indeed. It is..." "It is all that remains of our aerial boat, of our balloon which is stranded up there at the top of this tree." 172 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Pencroff was not mistaken and he let out a magnificent hurrah and added: "There is good cloth! It will furnish us with linen for years. With this we can make handkerchiefs and shirts! Hey! Mister Spilett, what do you think of an island where shirts grow on trees?" It was truly a happy circumstance for the colonists of Lincoln Island that the balloon, after having made its last leap into the sky, fell back again on the island, and that they had this chance to find it. Either they could keep the envelope in its present form if they wanted to attempt another escape by air, or they could profitably use these several hundred yards of cotton cloth of good quality, after removing the varnish. Pencroff's joy in thinking about this was unanimously and vividly shared. But it was necessary to take this envelope from the tree on which it was hanging, to put it in a secure place, and this was no small job. Neb, Herbert and the sailor, having climbed to the top of the tree, had to use all their dexterity to disengage the enormous deflated balloon. The operation lasted nearly two hours and not only the envelope with its valves, its springs, its copper trimmings, but the rope, that is to say the considerable cordage, the retaining ring and the anchor of the balloon were brought down. The envelope, except for the fracture, was in good condition, and only its lower portion was torn. It was a fortune that had fallen from the sky. "All the same, Mister Cyrus," said the sailor, "if we ever decide to leave the island, it will not be in a balloon, will it? They do not go where one wants, these vessels of the sky, and we know something about that! Take my word, we will build a good boat of about twenty tons and you'll allow me to cut a foresail and a jib out of this cloth. As to the rest, it will serve to clothe us." "We will see, Pencroff," replied Cyrus Smith, "we will see." "While waiting, we must put it all in a safe place," said Neb. In fact, they could not think of transporting this load of cloth and cordage, whose weight was considerable, to Granite House. While waiting for a convenient vehicle to cart it, it was important not to leave these riches any longer to the mercy of the first storm. The colonists, uniting their efforts, succeeded in dragging everything to the shore where they discovered a rather large rocky cavern which would be visited neither by the wind nor the rain nor the sea thanks to its orientation. "It is proper to have a wardrobe. We have a wardrobe," said Pencroff, "but since it does not close with a key, it would be prudent to conceal the opening. I do not say this for two footed thieves but for thieves on four feet." THE ABANDONED 173 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ At six o'clock in the evening all was stored. After having given the justified name of "Port Balloon" to this small indentation which formed the cove, they were back on the road to Cape Claw. Pencroff and the engineer chatted about various projects which it would be convenient to put into execution with the briefest delay. Before anything else, it was necessary to throw a bridge over the Mercy in order to establish easy communication with the south of the island; then the cart would come back to look for the balloon since the canoe would not suffice to transport it; then they would construct a decked boat, then, Pencroff rigging it as a cutter, they could undertake some voyages around the island, then, etc. However, night came on and the sky was already dark when the colonists reached Cape Claw in the very same place where they had discovered the precious case. But there, as everywhere else, there was nothing to indicate any wreck whatsoever. They had to go back to the conclusion previously made by Cyrus Smith. From Cape Claw to Granite House there still remained four miles which were rapidly crossed. It was after midnight when, after having followed the shore up to the mouth of the Mercy, the colonists arrived at the first bend formed by the river. There the bed measured eighty feet in width and it was a difficult crossing but Pencroff, having made himself responsible for overcoming this difficulty, could not change his mind. They had to admit that they were exhausted. The day's march had been a long one and the incident of the balloon had not rested their arms and their legs. They were therefore in a hurry to get back to Granite House, to eat and to sleep and if a bridge had been constructed they would have found themselves in their dwelling in a quarter of an hour. It was very dark. Pencroff then prepared to keep his promise by making a sort of raft that could cross the Mercy. Neb and he, armed with axes, chose two trees near the bank with which they counted on making the raft. They began to chop away. Cyrus Smith and Gideon Spilett, seated on the bank, were waiting for the time when they could help their companions, while Herbert came and went without digressing far. Suddenly the lad, who had ascended the river, came running back and pointing upstream: "What is that floating there?" he cried. Pencroff interrupted his work and vaguely saw a moving object in the shadows. "A canoe!" he said. All approached and saw, to their extreme surprise, a boat moving in the stream. "Oh! A canoe!" cried the sailor in a lapse of caution, without thinking if it would perhaps be better to keep silent. No answer. The boat still drifted. It was not more than a dozen feet away when the sailor cried: "But it is our canoe! It broke its mooring and followed the current. It certainly arrived in the nick of time." 174 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "Our canoe?..." murmured the engineer. Pencroff was right. It really was the canoe, whose mooring had doubtless broken and which had returned all alone from the sources of the Mercy. It was thus important to seize it before it was dragged beyond the mouth by the rapid current of the river. That is what Neb and Pencroff skillfully did by means of a long pole. The canoe was brought to the shore. The engineer, being the first to embark, seized the mooring and assured himself, by fingering it, that the mooring had really worn away by rubbing against the rocks. "That is what can be called a circumstance...," the reporter said to him in a low voice. "Strange!" replied Cyrus Smith. Strange or not, it was fortunate. Herbert, the reporter, Neb and Pencroff embarked in their turn. There was no doubt that the mooring had worn away, but the most astonishing thing about the affair truly was that the canoe had arrived just at the moment when the colonists could seize it in passing, because a quarter of an hour later it would have been lost at sea. If they had lived in the time of genies, this incident would have given them the right to think that the island was haunted by a supernatural being who placed his power at the service of the castaways. A few strokes of the oar brought the colonists to the mouth of the Mercy. The canoe was towed to the beach at the Chimneys and everyone went toward the ladder of Granite House. But at this moment Top barked in anger and Neb, who was looking for the first rung, let out a cry... The ladder was no longer there. CHAPTER VI Pencroff's calls - A night at the Chimneys - Herbert's arrow - Cyrus Smith's plan - An unexpected solution - What happened in Granite House - How a new servant enters the service of the colonists. Cyrus Smith stopped without saying a word. His companions searched in the dark, against the wall in the event that the wind had displaced the ladder, and on the ground in case it had become detached... but the ladder had absolutely disappeared. As to seeing whether a gust of wind had raised it up to the first landing at the center point of the wall, it was impossible on this dark night. "If it is a joke," cried Pencroff, "it is wicked. To arrive at your home and not find the stairway to your room, that is nothing to laugh at for tired men." Neb was also absorbed in exclamations! THE ABANDONED 175 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ "This was not done by the wind!" said Herbert. "I begin to think that strange things happen on Lincoln Island," said Pencroff. "Strange?" replied Gideon Spilett, "but no, Pencroff, nothing is more natural. Someone has come during our absence, taken possession of our dwelling and drawn up the ladder." "Someone!" cried the sailor, "but who?..." "Perhaps the hunter with the lead bullet," replied the reporter. "What other explanation is there for our misadventure?" "Well, if there is someone up there," replied Pencroff swearing, because he became impatient, "I'll call to him and he'll have to answer." And with a thunderous voice the sailor let out a prolonged "Ahoy" whose echoes reverberated powerfully. The colonists listened and thought that they heard from the height of Granite House a sort of mocking laughter whose nature they did not recognize. But no voice replied to Pencroff's voice. Uselessly he began to call again. This truly was something to perplex the most indifferent of men in the world and the colonists were not among that kind. In the situation that the colonists found themselves, every incident was serious and certainly, during the seven months that they had lived on the island nothing had presented itself with such a surprising character. Forgetting their fatigue and overcome by this strange event, they remained at the foot of Granite House not knowing what to think, not knowing what to do, questioning without being able to reply, and multiplying hypotheses one more implausible than the other. Neb lamented and was very disappointed at not being able to get into his kitchen especially since the provisions were used up on the trip and they had no means of getting more at the moment. "My friends," Cyrus Smith then said, "there is nothing for us to do but wait for daybreak when we will act as circumstances dictate. But while waiting, let us go to the Chimneys. There we will have shelter and if we cannot eat then at least we can sleep." "But who is this cool customer who played this trick on us?" Pencroff asked still one more time, unable to leave. Whoever the "cool customer" was, the only thing to do, as the engineer said, was to go to the Chimneys and there await the return of day. Nevertheless an order was given to Top to remain under the windows of Granite House and when Top received an order, Top executed it without comment. The worthy dog remained at the foot of the wall while his master and his companions found refuge among the rocks. To say that the colonists, in spite of their weariness, slept well on the sand of the Chimneys would alter the truth. Not only were they very anxious about this new incident be it the result of chance whose natural causes would be apparent during the day or, on the contrary, be it the work of a human 176 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ being, but in addition they had very bad sleeping arrangements. Whatever it was, one or the other, their dwelling was occupied at the moment and they could not enter it. Now Granite House was more than their dwelling. It was their storehouse. It had all the material of the colony, arms, instruments, tools, munitions, food reserves, etc. If all this was plundered, the colonists would have to begin again to make arms and tools. This was a serious thing. Thus, yielding to anxiety, one or the other went out for a moment to see if Top was guarding well. Cyrus Smith alone waited with his usual patience, exasperated at this absolutely inexplicable event, and indignant at himself for thinking that around him, above him perhaps, there was a power to which he could not give a name. Gideon Spilett fully shared his opinion in this regard and both repeatedly spoke in whispers of these inexplicable circumstances which were beyond their insight and their experience. There surely was a mystery on this island, but how could they discover it? Herbert did not know what to imagine and wanted to question Cyrus Smith. As to Neb, he dismissed the matter by telling himself that all this was not his concern, that it was his master's business, and if it were not for his respect for his companions, the worthy negro would have slept that night just as well as if he were lying in his bed in Granite House. Lastly, more than the others, Pencroff was infuriated and he was, honestly, very angry. "It is a practical joke," he said, "it is a joke that someone is playing on us. Well, I do not like practical jokes and woe be unto the joker if I lay my hands on him." At the first light of day in the east, the well armed colonists went to the shore at the edge of the reef. Granite House, in direct line with the rising sun, would not be long in lighting up under the dawn's light and, in fact, before five o'clock, the windows, whose shutters were closed, appeared through the curtain of the foliage. From this shore all was in order, but a cry escaped from the colonists when they saw the wide open door which they had closed before their departure. Someone was in Granite House. There was no longer any doubt of that. The upper ladder, ordinarily attached to the landing at the door, was in its place, but the lower ladder had been drawn up to the landing. It was more than evident that the intruders had wanted to be protected from any surprise. As to discovering who and how many there were, this was still impossible because none of them had shown themselves. Pencroff shouted again. No reply. "The rascals!" cried the sailor. "There they sleep quietly as if they were in their own home. Ahoy! Pirates, bandits, privateers, sons of John Bull!" When Pencroff, in his capacity as an American, had called someone "son of John Bull," he had risen to the final limit of insult. THE ABANDONED 177 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ It was now full daylight and the facade of Granite House was illuminated by the sun's rays. But the inside was as quiet and calm as the outside. The colonists asked themselves if Granite House was or was not occupied but the position of the ladder showed that this was so, and it was also certain that the occupants, whoever they were, had not been able to flee. But how could they get to them? Herbert then had the idea of attaching a cord to an arrow and of shooting this arrow so that it would pass between the first rungs of the ladder which was hanging from the landing outside the door. By means of the cord they could then unravel the ladder to the ground and re-establish communication between the ground and Granite House. There was evidently nothing else to do and with a little skill it might succeed. Very fortunately, bows and arrows had been placed in a corridor of the Chimneys where they also found a few hundred feet of a light hibiscus cord. Pencroff unraveled this cord which he attached to a feathered arrow. Then Herbert, after having placed the arrow on his bow, took careful aim at the hanging end of the ladder. Cyrus Smith, Gideon Spilett, Pencroff and Neb remained in the background in order to observe what happened at the windows of Granite House. The reporter, his carbine at his shoulder, took aim at the door. The bow was released, the arrow hissed through the air reaching the cord and passing between the last two rungs. The operation had succeeded. Herbert immediately seized the end of the cord; but as soon as he was about to pull the ladder to the ground, a hand reached out between the wall and the door, seized it and pulled it back into Granite House. "Triple rascals!" cried the sailor, "if a gunshot will make you happy, you will not have long to wait." "But who was it?" asked Neb. "Who? You did not recognize?..." "No." "But it was an ape, a macaco, a sapajou, a guenon, an orang, a baboon, a gorilla, a saki!" Our dwelling has been invaded by apes who climbed up the ladder during our absence." And at this moment, as if to prove the sailor right, three or four quadrumanes showed themselves at the windows, whose shutters they had pushed aside, and greeted the true owners of the place with a thousand contortions and grimaces. "I know full well that this is only a joke!" cried the sailor, "but one of the jokers will pay for the others!" The sailor, gun to his shoulder, took a quick aim at one of the apes and fired. All disappeared, except one of them who, mortally wounded, fell to the ground. This ape, of a large size, appeared to be of the first order of quadrumanes, there was no mistake about that. Whether it was a chimpanzee, an orang, a gorilla or a gibbon, it ranked among those anthropomorphs, so named because of their resemblance to the human race. However, Herbert declared that 178 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ it was an orangutan and we know that the lad was well versed in zoology. "A magnificent beast!" cried Neb. "Magnificent, as you wish!" replied Pencroff, "but I still do not see how we will be able to enter our home." "Herbert was a good archer," said the reporter, "and his bow is here. He'll begin again..." "Fine! These apes are mischievous," cried Pencroff. "They will not show themselves again at the windows and we will not be able to kill them, and when I think of the damage they can do to the rooms and to the storeroom..." "Be patient," replied Cyrus Smith. "These animals cannot hold us in check for too long!" "I will be sure of that when they are buried," replied the sailor. "And do you know, Mister Smith, how many dozens of these jokers there are up there?" It would be difficult to reply to Pencroff. As for the lad trying again, it was not easy because the lower end of the ladder had been pulled inside the door and when they pulled again on the cord, the cord broke and the ladder did not come down. It was truly embarrassing. Pencroff raged. The situation had a certain comic side to it that he did not find funny. It was evident that the colonists would end by regaining their dwelling and chasing out the intruders but when and how? That they could not say. Two hours passed during which the apes avoided showing themselves; but they were still there, and three or four times a nose or a paw passed by the door or the windows which was greeted with a gunshot. "Let us hide," the engineer then said. "Perhaps the apes will think that we have left and they will expose themselves again. But Spilett and Herbert can lie in wait behind the rocks and fire on all that will appear." The engineer's orders were obeyed and while the reporter and the lad, the two best archers of the colony, posted themselves at easy range but out of sight of the apes, Neb, Pencroff and Cyrus Smith went to the plateau so as to reach the forest and kill some game because mealtime had come and no provisions remained. After a half-hour the hunters returned with a few rock pigeons which they roasted for better or for worse. Not an ape had reappeared. Gideon Spilett and Herbert went to take their part of the meal while Top watched under the windows. Then, after having eaten, they returned to their post. Two hours later the situation still had in no way changed. The quadrumanes no longer gave any sign of existence and it seemed that they had disappeared; but what appeared more probable was that frightened by the death of one of their fellows, terrified by the detonations from the guns, they remained quiet on the floor of the rooms of Granite House or even in the storeroom. And when they thought of the riches