Chapter 2 Chapter II The Source of the Danube

Elijah.Brush announced to his colleagues gathered at the Fishermen's Covenant that he would go fishing down the Danube River. Is this because he wants to gain fame?If that was all he wanted, he could boast that he had achieved it. The news was rushed by the press, and all the newspapers without exception published the same report on the Zigmaringen race, short or long, but they all boasted about the winner.The champion fishing name is becoming a household name. Especially on the second day of the contest, the Vienna newspaper Neue Freeze published the following passage in its August 6th issue:

The Danube Association recently held a fishing competition that came to an end in Zigmaringen yesterday, and the competition had a big upset.Little-known Hungarian Ilya.Brush took the crown and caused a stir. You may ask, what is it to Elijah?Where does Brush bring such dazzling glory? First of all, this capable man won both the number and weight championships in one fell swoop with an absolute advantage far beyond his opponents.This seems to be unheard of since the founding of the fishing contest.That's compelling enough, but there's more to come. Usually, when people have collected so many laurels and achieved such brilliant victories, they will take it for granted to enjoy the relaxation they deserve.However, the stunning Hungarian had no other plans, and was ready for an even more astounding feat.

If our news is accurate, everyone has always known that our news is very reliable. Ilya.Brush announced at the meeting that he was going to set off from the source of the Danube, the Principality of Baden, and go down the river to the mouth of the Black Sea, fishing for a living along the way, with a journey of 3,000 kilometers. We will keep reporting on the detailed progress of this pioneering move. August 10, next Thursday, Elijah.Brush is about to go.Wish him the best of luck!May this terrible fisherman not turn this famous international swim into a fishless one, too! This is the report of the Vienna newspaper "New Freedom".Budapest's "Pest︱Lloyd" newspaper is not to be outdone, with a large number of special articles, not to mention the headlines of the "Serbia" newspaper in Belgrade and the "Romanian" newspaper in Bucharest. length.

These reports are vivid enough to arouse the public's attention to Ilya.Brush's attention.And if news coverage reflects exactly where public opinion is focused, Brush can expect to generate growing interest along the way. What's more, wouldn't he meet some members of the Danube Society in every major city he must pass along the way?They will take it as their duty to assist this colleague to complete this feat, and if necessary, they will not hesitate to help him and rescue him. Apparently, the newspaper comments had a huge resonance among the fishermen.In the eyes of these professional fishermen, Brush's adventures are of immeasurable significance.Many of the members who had been drawn to Siegmaringen by the competition stayed in the city despite the conclusion of the competition to take part in the departure ceremony of the association's champion fisherman.

The person who is most willing for the fishermen to stay for a few more days is the boss of the Fisherman's Covenant.On the afternoon of August 8th, that is, two days before the scheduled trip by the champion, there were still more than thirty guests happily killing time in the tavern.Thanks to the prodigious drinking of these wealthy customers, the hotel owner had a pleasant windfall. However, even though the date of the trip was approaching, on the night of August 8th, the people who stayed in the capital of the Principality of Hornzolun waiting to be seen off gathered at the Fisherman's Covenant to talk about the fishing hero.For these inhabitants on both sides of the Danube, another matter of much more importance became the focus of general discussion and turmoil.

Their excitement was no exaggeration, and the nature of the matter could not be more serious, so the excitement was not unreasonable. Over the past few months, bandits on both sides of the Danube have frequently appeared, disturbing people's peace. Countless farms and cottages have been robbed, castles have been stolen, and villas have been looted.There were even casualties, with several dying trying to stand up to the gang of villains, who still escaped justice. Judging by their feat, it was an organized band of robbers, probably numerous, that one had to deal with. The strange thing about the case is that this group of strong men only committed crimes along the Danube.Two kilometers away from the river bank, no cases of similar circumstances have occurred.However, this does not mean that they limit the scope of their tragedies.The areas along the rivers of Austria, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania, where the Danube flows, are all areas where the claws of this group of gangsters extend.However, nowhere could they be caught on the spot.

After they committed a crime, they disappeared until the next crime suddenly reappeared.The locations of the two crimes are sometimes hundreds of kilometers apart.Between the two crimes, there was no trace of them at all. Sometimes, they robbed an astonishing amount of property, but it was like water vapor evaporated, neither people nor things could be found. The successive failures seem to be attributed to the lack of unity of the police forces of various countries. Finally, this case touched the government departments of the relevant countries.Therefore, diplomatic negotiations were held on this issue, and on the morning of August 8, various newspapers published news reports that the negotiations had finally reached an agreement, and an international police brigade was established, deployed in the Danube valley, under the unified command of a police chief.Appointing such a leader was very difficult, but everyone finally agreed to let Karl.Dragos, a Hungarian detective with considerable prestige in the Danube region, was appointed to serve.

Carl.Dragos is indeed an excellent detective, and he is the one to do this job.He was forty-five years old, with a moderate build, a little thin, with more wisdom than physical strength.However, he has strength enough to bear the weariness of his profession, just as he has courage enough to face dangers.His home is in Budapest, but he is away most of the time, busy with difficult case investigations.He is fluent in the languages ​​of Southeast European countries: German, Romanian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Turkish, and of course his native language Hungarian, so he can calmly deal with various difficulties.Moreover, he has been alone, unencumbered, and free to move.

It is said that his appointment was well received by public opinion.The public is satisfied with him.In the hall of the Fisherman's Covenant, the news was praised. Couldn't have found a better fit!At dusk, Mr. Iftozar confirmed that he was the runner-up in the weight event of the fishing competition.I know Dragos, he's a good guy! Still a great character.Chairman Miclesco added. Let us bless him, says a Croatian whose name is Svrbu, which is a mouthful to pronounce.He is the boss of a dyeing workshop on the outskirts of Vienna.I wish him an early elimination of disasters for the people on both sides of the river.In truth, people simply couldn't live.

Dragos' opponent is not easy, the German Wade shook his head and said, it depends on how he acts. How to act!Mr. Iftozar shouted, he has already started to move, can you believe it? Of course, Chairman Miclesco agrees with him. Dragos is not the kind of procrastinator. The newspaper reports that he took office four days ago, so he has been busy for at least three days. . Where did he start?asked Mr Pisea, who was Romanian and born with the last name of a fisherman.Frankly, I would be overwhelmed if I were in his shoes. That's why they didn't let you do this job, my friend, a Serbian replied jokingly, don't worry, Dragos will not be at a loss.But it is too difficult for him to tell you the action plan in detail.Perhaps, he has already left for Belgrade, perhaps he is staying in Budapest, perhaps, he thinks of coming here, Zigmaringen, perhaps at this moment, he is in the fisherman's covenant, among us!

His words caused everyone to burst into laughter. among us!Mr. Weber cried, are you making fun of us; Mikael.Mikalovic.What he came here for, everyone knew, not a single crime had been committed here. Well, retorted Mikalovich, perhaps he was going to the day after tomorrow for Bush's departure.He'd probably be interested in the matter unless, of course, Brush and Dragosh were the same person. What, the same person!Everyone exclaimed, what are you talking about? What's the matter, this trick is amazing!Under the cover of fame, no one would suspect that he was the sheriff, so he could visit the Danube valley at will. This whimsical talk made the eyes of the other drinkers widen.This Mikalovich!Only he has such weird ideas! However, Mikalovich did not insist on the opinion he just said hastily. Unless he spoke again, it was still the usual tone. And unless what? Unless Dragos came here for something else.He abruptly proposed another equally incredible hypothesis. for what purpose For example, he felt that this plan to go fishing down the river was a bit suspicious. suspicious?What's suspicious? Of course!It is better for a robber to pretend to be a fisherman, especially if he is famous, than to remain anonymous.As long as he fishes occasionally, he can fool everyone and do whatever he wants. There is some truth in the words, but he must know how to fish!Chairman Miclesco retorted seriously, and the ability to fish is a gift worthy of decent people! This high evaluation of the fishermen's morality may have been blurted out, but it won the warm approval of all fishing fans, and everyone applauded unanimously.At this time, the clever Mikalovich seized the opportunity to raise his glass and shouted: Cheers to the Chairman! Cheers to the Chairman!Everyone shouted and drank the fine wine in the cup. Cheers to the Chairman!A man sitting alone at the side raised his glass and repeated.He sat there for a while, seemingly interested in the arguments of the people around him. Miclesco felt the stranger's behavior very gracious, and thanked him with a toast.The solo drinker probably felt that the chairman's polite answer had broken the mutual indifference, and that he had been allowed to share his views with his friends here, so he said: Your words are really good!Yes, fishing is indeed an honest man's pastime. Are we honored to be speaking with a colleague?Mr. Miclesko approached the stranger and asked politely. oh!The man replied humbly, I can only be regarded as an amateur, very interested in fishing, but far from an expert. Sorry sir, what's your surname? Jaeger. I'm sorry, Mr. Jaeger, because I must say that we shall lose the honor of having you as a member of the Danube Society. Not necessarily, Mr. Jaeger replied, who knows, maybe I will carry a bamboo pole one day, I mean carry a fishing pole and try it out, then I will definitely become one of you, as long as I meet the membership requirements conditions of. This is not a problem.Driven by the hope of attracting a new member, Mr. Miclesco hastily affirmed that the conditions are very simple, and there are only four. The first is to pay a meager membership fee every year, which is the most important one. Needless to say, Mr. Jager nodded with a smile. The second is to love fishing; the third is to be able to get along with everyone, which I think you have already achieved. You won the prize!Thank you very much Mr. Jager. As for Article 4, all you need to do is put your name and address on the association register.Oh, I already know your name, you live in 43 Leipzigstrasse, Vienna. As long as you pay a membership fee of 20 crowns per year, you are an out-and-out member! The two interlocutors laughed heartily. Are there any other procedures?Mr. Jagger asked. there is none left. No membership card or something? Oh, Mr. Jaeger, Miclesko said disapprovingly, is it necessary?fisherman That's true, Mr. Jaeger admitted, membership cards aren't very useful.Members of the Danube Association must know each other. On the contrary, Mr. Miclesko corrected him, just imagine!Some of our colleagues live here, Siegmaringen, and some live near the Black Sea, so far apart, the relationship is not like that of neighbors. That's right! For example, the champion who caused a huge sensation in the last fishing contest Elijah.Brush? Exactly, no one knew him. This is impossible! That's the way it is.Mr. Miclesko affirmed that he had joined the club less than half a month ago. For everyone, Ilya.Brush was a big surprise, and to me, it was really unexpected. In the words of the horse racers, it is a dark horse killed halfway. Exactly. What country is this dark horse from? Hungarians. So, same as you.I suppose you are Hungarian, sir? An authentic Hungarian, Mr. Jaeger, his home is in Budapest. That Elijah.Where's the brush? Sarka people. Where is Sarka? It is a small town, or you can call it a small town, on the right bank of the Iberi River.The Ipoli River joins the Danube a few miles upstream from Budapest. In this case, Mr. Miclesco, can you come and go frequently in the future?Mr. Jager said with a smile. In any case, it is always two or three months later, the chairman of the Danube Association also replied with a smile, his trip will take at least this long Unless he's not going on a trip!The amusing Serb chimed in, and he didn't mind joining the conversation. Some other fishermen also joined together, and Mr. Jaeger and Chairman Miclesko were surrounded. What's your opinion?Mr. Miclesko asked. Your imagination is always amazing, Mikalovich. Maybe he was just joking, the interrupter replied, My dear Chairman, if Bush is neither a cop nor a villain, as you say, why didn't he find a way to taunt and taunt us?Why couldn't he just be kidding everyone? Mr. Miclesco took the problem seriously. He retorted: You have bad intentions!Mikael.Mikalovic.You will have retribution one day.Brush struck me as decent and serious.Besides, he is also a member of the Danube Society, and that says it all! well said!Everyone around shouted. Mikael.Mikalovich didn't feel embarrassed by being taught a lesson, his mind turned really fast, and he immediately took this opportunity to raise his glass again: Well, for Ilya.Cheers Brush! For Elijah.Cheers Brush!All the people present echoed in unison, including Mr. Jaeger. He drank the last drop of wine in his glass conscientiously. Mikalovic's joke was not as baseless as the previous two.Elijah.After Bush announced his plan with a bang, he was never seen again.Haven't heard anything from him either.Isn't it strange that he disappeared like this?It is not unreasonable to speculate that he was simply deceiving his overly credulous colleagues.However, in order to have a conclusion on this matter, in any case, there is no need to wait too long.After thirty-six hours, everything will be known. Those who care need only travel a few miles upriver to Siegmaringen.If Brush was a serious man, as Chairman Miclesco confidently believed, one would meet him there. However, there is one thing that can be tricky.Has the geographical location of the source of the Danube been accurately determined?Is the location marked on the map that accurate?Will there be some errors?People thought they could see Bush somewhere, and had he gone somewhere else? It is true that the Danube, or the East River as the ancients called it, originates in the Grand Duchy of Baden.Geographers have even determined that the source of the river is located at longitude 6°10 east and latitude 47°48' north.However, even if this positioning is accurate, it is only accurate to the minute, not to the second, which may be extremely biased.Now, Brush's fishing ambitions aim to start where the first drop of the Danube flows. According to a legend long believed to be of geographical value, the Danube rises in a garden of the Würburgten Palace.A marble pool in the garden is the cradle of the river.Many tourists come there to taste the clear water.On the morning of August 10, should one wait for the brush at this never-drying pool? No, the true source of this great river is by no means that pool.It is known today that the Danube is formed by the confluence of the two streams Breg and Brigach.They pass through the Black Forest, drop straight down from a height of 875 meters, and merge into a river called the Danube at Donauneschenen, a few miles upstream of Siegmaringen.Danube is a German term, and the French write it as danube. If only one of these two streams could be counted as the source of the Danube, it would be the Breg.The Breg is thirty-seven kilometers longer than the Brigach, and has its source at Brisgau. However, after some consideration, the curious people decided that if Brush really wanted to set off, the starting point should be Donauerschengen.So, most of the Danube Society members will be there waiting with Chairman Miclesko. Early on the morning of August 10th they were at the junction of the two tributaries and waited on the banks of the Bragg.But hour by hour passed without even a sign of the famous champion. He will not come.one said. He's just a liar!said another. We people are as gullible as children!Mikalovic added that his words caused mixed reactions in the crowd. Only Chairman Miclesko persisted in Bush's defense.He affirmed: No, I do not think at all that members of the Danube Association would have the idea of ​​deceiving their colleagues Ilya.Something must have delayed Brush.Be patient, he'll be here soon. Mr. Miclesko is completely right to believe so fully in Brush.At a few minutes to nine, the crowd waiting at the confluence of the Breg and Brigach uttered a cheer: Here he comes!he came! Two hundred paces away, behind the corner of a headland, a rowing boat appeared.It left the main channel and slowly rowed along the river bank. A young man stood alone at the stern and drove the boat. He is the Hungarian Elijah who won two championships in the Danube Association Fishing Contest a few days ago.Brush! The boat came to a halt at the confluence, and was anchored to the embankment by the cathedrals.Brush disembarked, surrounded by all the onlookers.Maybe he didn't expect so many people to come, and he seemed somewhat restrained. Chairman Miclesko came over and held out his hand to him. Brush took off his otter-skin peaked cap and shook hands with the chairman respectfully. Elijah.Brush, Miclesko said with the dignity of the chairman, I am very happy to see the champion of the fishing competition again. The great champion bows down in thanks.The Chairman went on to say: We'll meet you at the headwaters of this great international river, and you've already started your fishing plans, from here downriver to the mouth. Yes, Mr. Chairman.Brush replied. So, are you heading out today? Yes, Mr. Chairman. How are you going to sail? Downstream. Take this boat? Yes, by this boat. Don't plan to stop somewhere? No, just docked at night to rest. This river is three thousand kilometers long, you don't know it? I expect to sail more than ten miles [Note] every day, and I can reach the destination in about two months. 【Note】One mile is equal to four kilometers. Well, I wish you the best of luck, Elijah.Brush! Thank you, Mr. Chairman! Elijah.Bush saluted the people for the last time, and jumped back into the boat, and the crowd on the shore rushed to see him off. He took out the rod, baited it, and put it on a stool, then he took up the anchor, made a vigorous oar, and pushed the boat into the middle of the river.Brush sat down in the stern and cast his line. After a while, he pulled sharply, and saw a fish ︱ the fish was biting on the hook and jumping alive.What a good sign!When his figure gradually disappeared at the turn of the headland, all the people were still shouting hoarsely on the shore, hehe, hehe, cheering and seeing off the fishing champion of the Danube Association.