Chapter 6 [Chapter Two] The first section is on land

Although the land is scattered, the strange and unique scenery of Khost Island is very eye-catching. Along the north bank of the Beager River, half of the places are clearly in a straight line, while the rest of the island's seashore , or there are many sharp promontories, or narrow and long bays with deep depressions, some of which are unreachable, and have been traversing the north, south, east and west of the island. Khost Island is one of the largest land masses in the Magellan Islands, with a width of about fifty kilometers and a length of more than one hundred kilometers. This does not include the Alti Peninsula. Eight to ten miles of promontory protrudes in the southwest, and it is famous for its fake Orle promontory.

On the east side of this peninsula, which separates the Bay of Orange from the Bay of Scotchville, behind a great granite rock, the Jonathan ran aground. Dawn broke across the sky, and the desolate cliffs were revealed in the dawn mist, which was blown away by the last gust of wind and rain, and the Jonathan ran aground at the end of this headland.The ridge of the headland is formed by the steep hills of the Antilles, near the sea.Linked by peaks high up to the bone ridge of the peninsula.In the foothills of the Antilles, there is a layer of black rock covered with a dense layer of brown and fucus kelp.Among the hidden reefs, on a piece of flat, slippery and wet sand, there are many places shining brightly. These are some shellfish, attached to the beach inconceivably, scattered all over the place!Physalis mussels, limpets, French snails, scallops, horned clams, chitons, clams, etc., these things can be picked up on Magellan Beach. Not cozy!

When there is a certain amount of light and the people in distress can see the coast vaguely, most of them can't help but jump to any reef out of the water, and they scramble to run to the land. This is also understandable.After experiencing the pain and terror of the whole night, they were still in a daze of consciousness, so they all rushed towards this solid land impatiently.More than a hundred of them are ready to start climbing the mountains of the Antilles.I hope to climb up and see the vast land from the top of the mountain.Some had gone around the south shore of the headland, others were walking along the north shore of the headland.At the same time, some people stayed on the beach, staring blankly at the stranded and suffering Jonathan.

Yet others, who seemed wiser and calmer, remained on board, watching Le Corgi, as if waiting for his orders, whose intervention had saved them and benefited greatly.But Le Corgi remained calm and never stopped talking with the bosun.Finally, among a group of white people, a man with two women among them couldn't help but come out and walked directly towards them. With his appearance, demeanor and unfathomable temperament, he could be seen at a glance. A man in his fifties belongs to the upper class in that class. Sir, when approaching Le Corgi, he said, first of all, I do not know how to thank you, you rescued us from the death line, without you and your partner, we would all be buried in the bottom of the sea.

The passenger's expression, voice and actions showed sincerity and frankness. Le Corgi sincerely shook the hand extended to him, and then answered in English as well. My friend Calori and I were very happy, and he replied that we are familiar with the terrain in this area, so that everyone can avoid this disaster. Please allow me to introduce myself, I am an immigrant named Ali.Lords. He pointed to the three people who had left them to get closer to Le Corgis and said: My wife, son and daughter. My companions, replied Le Corgi, the navigator Caloli and his son.You could tell they were local natives.

What about you?Ali.Rhodes cross-examined. I am friends with Indians.They call me Le Corgi, I have no other name. Ali.Lodesz looked at him in surprise, but he remained calm and indifferently let him look at him, so that he could not ask questions again and again, so he said: Can you tell me what should we do? Altreble and I have just discussed the matter at length, and Le Corgis replied that everything depends on the situation of the Jonathan.To be honest, I don't have too many illusions about this, but before doing that, the boat must be inspected before making a decision. Where is the place where we ran aground on Magellan?Ali.Rhodes asked again.

On the southeastern coast of Khost Island. Is it near the Strait of Magellan? No, quite the opposite, very far. hell! , Ali.Lords said. That's why I want to emphasize that everything depends on the situation of the Jonathan, you have to figure it out first, and then make up your mind. Le Corgi went down to the reef, boatswain Altleble, Ali.Rhodes, Algie, and Calori followed, and together they circled the boat. The conclusion is immediately certain that the Jonathan should be regarded as a wrecked hulk, with a score of cracks in the hull and almost the entire starboard side shattered. Even an iron ship is useless. Salvageable.Therefore, it is impossible to rely on luck to restore it, put it in the water again, and then use it, so that it will only be in danger of sinking to the bottom of the sea again!

In my opinion, it is best to unload its cargo and put it in a safe place to ensure safety.Meanwhile, we repair our dinghy.Because it also suffered a lot of damage when it ran aground.Le Corgi said. In addition, once the ship is repaired, Calori will send an immigration representative to Penta︱Arras.He can tell the governor about the disaster, and he will undoubtedly make the necessary arrangements for picking you up. Well thought out and well spoken.Ali.Rodgers agrees with this point of view. I think, said Le Corgi again, that it is best to tell your companions this plan, and to do this it is necessary to gather them on the beach, if it does not trouble you, of course.

People had to wait, and it took a long time for people to return in groups of three or five. Before nine o'clock in the morning, these immigrants will return to the stranded ship because of their hunger.Ali.Lordes climbed onto a rock, used it temporarily as a podium, and conveyed Le Corgi's proposal to his companions. But he didn't succeed in one fell swoop and get people's response.Among them, several listeners were full of complaints about this proposal, and some people even sang against it. Unloading a 3,000-ton ship is now!It's just going to mess things up, one murmured.

Who do you think we are?Another man was also complaining under his breath. As if we haven't worked hard enough, haven't done enough!The third person was also chattering. Finally, there was a crisp voice from the crowd, and I asked for the floor.It's a broken English accent. stand up.Ali.Before he could even figure out his last name, Lordes applauded loudly and immediately got off the podium. Immediately, a middle-aged man was replaced on the podium. His face and outline were handsome and clear, and he also had a pair of dreamy blue eyes, shining light, and a pair of brown and bushy beard on his face. pride.He passionately and slowly stroked his long, soft beard with his hands, making his movements light and slow.

Partners!It is possible that some might have been surprised at the spectacle of his striding up to the rocky dais, as eloquent Cicero had stepped up to the pulpit. What advice did they give us? !The man said, if we want us to work endlessly on this deserted beach, using those tools and selling our labor stupidly and clumsily, why should we wait for the boat to return, and sit here waiting to die?Maybe it can send us to Penta︱Alras in batches? That's right, that's what happened!Many echoed voices spread among the crowd. But Le Corgi retorted in the crowd: Weil︱Jet can be dispatched at any time, there is nothing to say about it, but it may take ten years to send all the people to Penta︱Arras! Be that as it may!The man took a step back and admitted, then we'll just wait for it to return from Penta︱Arras.There is no need for us to work hard, sweat profusely, and carry our shoulders to unload the supplies on the ship!Just take down our private property on the ship!That's fine behavior, but something else!The rest belong to that company, do we owe them something?On the contrary, they should bear full responsibility for our disaster today.If they hadn't been so prudent and sent a good quality ship, and if the captain had been skilled, we wouldn't be where we are today!And even if this is not the case, should we therefore forget that we belong to the class of the working masses, and should it make us into mindless beasts of work? This argument won applause, a voice applauded, bursts of hearty laughter. The speaker is thus infected, encouraged, and more excited.He went on to say: The exploited and other laborers are obviously exploited classes. At this point, the speaker beat his chest vigorously. They paid for their desperate labor, but they could not exchange for bread soaked in blood and sweat. We It's really stupid to stand up and lift these scraps of steel and iron now!It was produced by the working class like us, but it has become the property of the exploiting class, whose utter selfishness has forced us to leave our homes and homes. Most of the immigrants were dumbfounded listening to the long speeches made by the broken English with a heavy foreign accent, some of them seemed to be excited, and a small group of people gathered around the temporary podium to cheer and cheer . It was Le Corgi who brought the conversation to the point. I don't know who owns the Jonathan, he said calmly, but based on my experience in this area, I can assure you that these things will be useful to you in the future. The future of all of us is uncertain, so I think it would be wise not to discard these things. The previous speaker did not have the slightest intention to refute, Ali.Lordes once again climbed onto the podium and loudly told everyone about Le Corgi's proposal, only then was it unanimously adopted. Ali.Lordes added another question, not sure of himself, and Le Corgi asked if there was any carpenter among us who would help him repair the boat? have!A very muscular man answered with his hands up. have!Almost at the same time, the other two immigrants also answered together. The person who answered first was named Smith.Altleble told Le Corgis that he was a decent worker employed by the company, and I didn't know the other two, but only one of them was named Hobard. So, do you know the speaker? An immigrant, French I think, someone said his name was Beauval, but I'm not sure. The sailor was not mistaken; that was the name of the speaker, and he was also French. It can be seen from the following narratives of his legends and anecdotes. Fernandine.Beauvalle, who began his career as a lawyer, would have risen in the profession, because he was bright and talented, had he not been infatuated with politics at the beginning of his practice; if he had not been impatient If he wished to realize his great ambitions; if he had not, in the ranks of the Radical Party, hastily proposed to abandon the royalist and adopt a republican policy; if he had waited patiently, there is no doubt that he would, like everyone else, will eventually be elected as a member of parliament.The result: all his tireless efforts were in vain!At this time, he was exhausted and destitute, so he had no choice but to earn money illegally.As a result, he was implicated and suspected.Since then, his family has been in decline, and it has been getting worse and worse. His life began to be difficult, and then he was in dire straits. Finally, he had to go to the free American continent to find another way of life, hoping to make a fortune from it. However, in America, he was still unlucky and bumpy. He traveled from city to city and did all kinds of jobs. In the end, he was like Ali’s scumbag. Started the second wandering life. He finally got the minimum funds and signed up to join the ranks of immigrants.He made his decision after seeing a lot of publicity and advertisements made by immigration companies: those tempting promises for the first batch of immigrants who developed Largs Bay.After the accident on the Jonathan, he and many suffering people were thrown on the seashore of the Alti Peninsula, which made him feel hopeless again! However, Fernandine.Unshaken by the barrage of defeats, Beauvale, his faith in himself and in his future, blamed it on inexplicable slander.Ingratitude and paranoia, he remains true to himself and sticks to his guns.Those who think that this flawless white jade will turn around one day, and those who are invaluable, their thoughts and beliefs will also stand out in the world. This is why he is self-righteous, and feels that the sky is about to entrust him with a great responsibility, so he should seize the opportunity without delay, to be unique, and not to be sluggish and stagnant. From the moment he set foot on the Jonathan, he tried every means to spread words around her in order to expand his influence. Occasionally, his words were so violent and unscrupulous that Captain Lecar had to intervene. Even so, he feels hindered by his activities of incitement and demagoguery.But Beauvale achieved a lot in the early stage of the trip, but unfortunately the trip ended in tragedy.Some of them, although their number is insignificant, have produced immeasurable power in their propaganda and agitation.In fact, these arguments are nothing but commonplace, easy-to-use, conventional, and boastful things. Now a small circle has basically formed around them. The only shortcoming is that these people are independent and do not unite with each other! If Beauvale's fortunes were true, if he had no formidable rivals on board the Jonathan, his disciples would be much more than that. His opponent is also from North America, named Lewis.Doric, a clean-shaven man with an air of indifference and pride, speaks crisply and firmly.The theory that Doric believes in and admires is basically the same as Beauvale's argument, but it goes further. Beauvale strives to promote socialism. Its theoretical basis is that the state is the mode of production. The only master, will be able to assign everyone a job.What Doric is touting is a purer communism. Its theory holds that all people in the world are the masters of all things at the same time. The similarities and differences of their theories can be seen at a glance, and a more obvious gap can be found from these two leading sociologists: Beauvalle belongs to the imaginative Latin school, reveling in eloquent theories and fantasies, His disposition is to promote the golden mean; Doric is a believer in his own way, a complete doctrinaire, and his heart is ruthless, and he does not know what pity and sympathy are. Beauvale, who was good at keeping his listeners mesmerized, mesmerized, and emotionally aroused, was harmless in itself; Doric himself, then, was a potential, dire danger. Doric also preached equality, but in such a way as to arouse resentment, he was concerned not with the lower but with the upper, and he was at peace when he thought of the sad fate to which the majority were tormented. , indifferent, but as soon as he thought that compared with him, some people had a higher status, he became furious and furious.It is really not easy to alleviate this pain.As an Opposition, though he is the most timid of all, he soon becomes the bitter enemy of society, who, if he were free to choose, would use only violence and murder, and forsake argument and quarrel. All the misfortunes that Doric experienced were due to his hateful soul. As a professor of literature and history, as soon as I stand on the podium, I can't help talking about heresy, another kind of knowledge that has nothing to do with my major. Aggressive, indisputable form, trying to get people to take it all in, he displayed an absolute laissez-faire in the classroom, and one was under no obligation to obey. This kind of behavior will naturally have results soon.So the principal came forward to dissuade him politely and asked him to find another job. The cause and effect complement each other. Within a few days in his new position, he was kicked out just like the first time.The third time was the same as the second time, and so on, again and again, and finally the last school closed the door to him without mercy, so he lived on the street and boarded the Jonathan, Professor reduced to immigrant! During the crossing of the ocean, Beauval and Doric each recruited and expanded their strength, the former by arousing his ideology with enthusiasm and increasing his persuasiveness; Inherently autocratic, to conquer the audience.They consider themselves leaders, but their followers are few, and they are incompatible with each other, but they are polite and pleasant on the surface.But they were full of hatred in their bones and stared at each other angrily. As soon as he landed on the coast of Khost Island, Beauvale lost no time to show that he was slightly better than his opponent. Seizing this opportunity, he stepped onto the podium and began to talk eloquently in the well-known way .He talked dryly, but to no avail, and that didn't matter, the important thing was to stand out and be noticed.People are used to it, and they are used to these rhetoric. If someone wants to become a leader naturally, he should unremittingly regard himself as a leader for a long time, so that everyone will follow his lead. Beauwale and Altleble talked for a while, when Ali.Lordes continued to address his countrymen. Since everyone agrees with the proposal, he said, standing high on the rock, one of us should be appointed to direct the work!This is not a little thing!It is necessary to unload the three 500-ton cargoes on board, and there must be a method for this kind of work. It is best to ask Mr. Altleble, the boatswain, to help us. He will arrange for us, assign the work, and use the best method Teach us to work better.Raise your hand if you agree with me. Except for a very few people, almost everyone raised their hands in unison. So listen up everyone, Ali.Lordes said affirmatively, and then, turning to the bosun, continued, What are you talking about? Going to eat, Altlebull simply said, work, you need to be strong, let's eat first! While the emigrants dispersed and returned to the ship, and the sailors distributed the canned food, Altreble caught up with Le Corgui. Excuse me, sir, he said with embarrassment, and excuse me!I venture to claim to be a good sailor, but the captain has always commanded me, sir! So what did you hear?Le Corgi asked. I heard Altlebull's face grow longer and longer, and replied, someone blew the horn on me, put a top hat on me, said that I am good at directing, but I can give advice, I am really unprofessional, some people can't steer, I Will execute without compromise.As for guiding the way, that has nothing to do with me. Le Corgi squinted at the bosun, thinking that there are men like that, strong, skilled and upright, but they must be led by others. You mean that Le Corgi said that you would like to be in charge of each job in detail, but would like to have someone to help you with ideas beforehand. Exactly!Altlebull replied. It's a piece of cake, Le Corgi went on, how many people do you have on your hands? When it set sail from San Francisco, the Jonathan had a crew of thirty-four, including officers, a cook, and two teenage sailors.There were 1,195 more passengers on board, for a total of 1,229.But now some people are dead. I will count the number of people later, but now I will calculate the whole number, 1,200 people.After removing the women and children, there were obviously only more than seven hundred men left, and then they were divided into two groups, leaving two hundred people on board to move the goods to the deck; I led some people to cut trees in the forest.Plane off their branches and leaves, then stack them up and tie them tightly together, so that there will be large floors, and then spread them out one by one, forming a spacious road through which the The ship's cargo was brought to the beach.When the tide is high, it is a floating bridge. When the tide is low, these wooden rafts can be landed on the corner of the reef, and they are supported to ensure stability. In this way, with so many people, it is estimated that it will not take three days. The cargo on board has been unloaded. Altlebull understood this method, and implemented it step by step.Sure enough, as Le Corgi expected, on the night of the 19th, all the cargo on the Jonathan ship was transported to the beach far away from the sea, and they were checked and counted one by one. Fortunately, the steam turbine elevator on the ship was operating normally, which gave everyone The lifting of heavy and heavy parcels helped a lot. At the same time, with the help of Smith, Hobard and Charley, the repair work of the boat progressed smoothly.On March 19th, the small boat can also be launched. What the immigrants have to do now is to elect a representative, Ferdinand.Beauvale's chance came again, so he went on stage and bought voters. Obviously, he was unlucky again this time, but he was satisfied with getting fifty votes.His opponent Lewis.Doric got nothing, because he hadn't fully revealed himself yet, and there was a man named Germain.Willy Lee, a french canadian farmer with a daughter and three wonderful sons, won an overwhelming majority of the vote because the voters were sure he wouldn't be gone forever returned. Algie and Le Corgi stayed on Khost Island. In the early morning of March 20th, under the leadership of Calori, Vill︱Jie set sail, and people immediately started to settle down simply. Now come It is unrealistic to build a solid, permanent residence, but it takes about three weeks to wait for the boat to return, so there is no need to build a prefabricated house. People found the sail in the bilge of the boat and put it set up; and in a special cabin crammed full, took out the spare sails, which would keep all from exposure, and even cover a part of the fragile stuff, which they did not forget Use barbed wire to make a temporary poultry farm, and make a fence with rope and wooden stakes to enclose the two-legged and four-legged animals brought in by the Jonathan ship. In short, it is different from the situation of being killed now. At that time, everyone felt hopeless, knew nothing about the land they were in, was unprepared psychologically, and had no spiritual support. The place where the accident happened was in the fire. The island of the earth happened to be just a small dot marked on the map.It is at most a hundred miles away from Penta︱Arras. Now they don't have to worry about their lives being in danger, but they are very optimistic about the prospects. Except for the slightly bad weather here, immigrants can live here, waiting to start again.This is not much different from their upcoming new life on African soil. Truth be told, Algie and Le Corgis would not have stood by while the ship was unloaded;Le Corgi, in particular, always helps others very effectively at critical moments. Although he does not stand out, he is careful and tries to be as unknown as possible, but his actions and deeds in all aspects are always superior to others, which is obvious to all .He became famous because of his ability to handle things and his superior ability.He was admired and obeyed, and he was asked to advise, not only Altlebull, but most of these poor souls, on how to carry overweight items; , very unfamiliar with similar jobs.This has also prompted these immigrants to feel that they have a strength and a pillar, so that they can all have the same goal and work together in solidarity. The resettlement matters had to be completed ahead of schedule, and according to the scheduled progress, the work had to be completed on March 24, otherwise, there would be strong winds and heavy rains blowing on the beach at that time.The rough waters of the sea, the continuous torrential rain within twenty-four hours a day, when the sky returns to calm again, people will search in vain for the Jonathan on the reef. Just a few days ago, the Jonathan The bow of the ship was still breaking through the water lightly, but now, only a few steel plates and a bent and deformed iron rudder remained of this magnificent ship! Insignificant though all that had been thrown from the ship, the emigrants were saddened to see it disappear forever, leaving them alone and cut off from the world.If the boat that carried their only hope were lost during the voyage, the world might never know their fate. After the storm, there was calm. People used this intermission to count the number of people who survived the catastrophe. Altable took the list of people on board and counted them one by one.The results show that the disaster killed 31 people, including 15 sailors and 16 passengers, so 1,119 passengers were alive, 34 sailors, and only 19 If two people from Fuego and their companions are counted, then the population of Khost Island should be 1,201.Men, women, young and old, of all ages. Le Corgi decided to take advantage of the sunny weather to check the area closest to Khost Island.They agreed that the following people would accompany him on this trip: Altlebull, Ali.Lordes and three immigrants, namely Gemelli, Galton and Ivanov, the first is an Italian, the second is an American, and the third is a Russian, but before departure, Two more self-recommended persons came, which was unexpected. When Le Corgi came to the meeting place, he was attracted by two children. A teenager was walking ahead, followed by another child, obviously walking towards them.One of them seemed very clever, even a little reckless and reckless.He walked carefreely, with a smug look, but he didn't look ridiculous. The other was about a stone's throw away from him, with a respectful look, which was in line with his shy and shy one. The faces complement each other. The kid in front walked up to Le Corgi. Your Mightiness!He said. This kind of address made Le Corgi feel unexpected, and he was very happy to see him as a little naughty, the child bravely met his gaze, and did not appear flustered at all. Your Mightiness!Le Corgi repeated with a hearty laugh, my child, why do you call me your lord? The kid seemed taken aback. Isn't that what people call kings, viziers, and bishops?He asked a little nervously, lest he fail to follow the rules, the irreverentness of red tape. Well!Startled, Le Corgui asked, where do you see people address kings, ministers, and bishops as His Excellencies? on newspaper.The kid was flat out sure. So, do you read the newspaper? Why not watch it?As long as people give me newspapers. oh!oh!Le Corgi was amazed!He asked again: May I have your name? dick. What's up Dick? The child looked puzzled. So what's your father's last name? I have no idea! Where is your mother? I don't have a mother.Your Mightiness. well!Mom doesn't either? !Le Corgi cried out again, growing more and more interested in the lonely boy.However, as far as I know, I am not a king, nor a minister, nor a bishop! You are the governor!The child's exaggerated cheers. Governor!Le Corgi was taken aback. Where did you know this?he asked. Of course it is!said Dick, a little embarrassed. Where is it?Le Corgi asked again and again. Dick was embarrassed, awkward, hesitant, and a little tongue-tied. I don't know, everyone calls you that. Can you give me an example?Le Corgi demurred. He said in a very serious tone: You are wrong!My little friend, I am neither superior nor inferior!There is no one here who can boss or give orders to others, and no one here is the master of others. Dick stared at Le Corgi with wide-eyed, bewildered eyes. No master?Is this possible?Can this kid believe it?So far, what he has seen and heard is that tyranny is rampant everywhere. How can he believe that there is a place in this world without a master? There is no master.Le Corgi asserted again. He was silent for a while and asked again: Where were you born? have no idea! How old are you? It seems to be almost eleven years old. You're not even sure how old you are? I can't be sure. And who is that companion of yours, standing there, the motionless child? It's Sander. Is it your brother? Pretty much my friend. Were you raised together? Raised?Dick asked back, sir, no one feeds us. Le Keji couldn't help but feel his heart tighten, these words that the child said are so miserable!But the voice was full of aggressiveness, like a little rooster with teeth and claws.Well, in this world, there are indeed some children who are abandoned by others and have no one to feed them. Where did you know him? In San Francisco, on a pier. How long have you known each other? A long, long time, when we were young, and Dick agonized over the past, at least six months. It is indeed not short, Le Corgi did not wink and make strange faces, but naturally agreed. He abandoned the homeless little guy and turned to his silent companion. You, listen to the password and start to go!He ordered, don't call me Your Excellency, you are not dumb, are you? no sir.The child stammered and twisted the beret back and forth with his hands. Then why don't you say anything? He's a little shy, sir, Dick explained. Dick had a look of disgust on his face as he made this judgment. oh!Le Corgi laughed and said, because he was shy? Well, you!Are you not ashamed? No, sir, Dick replied emphatically. Of course you won't!Great, but what are you two doing here? We are midshipmen, sir. Le Corgi remembered that, indeed, Altleble had mentioned the matter of the two teenage sailors when he was counting the number of people, and until now he had not been able to match the children of immigrants, since they came to him, naturally It's asking for something. Is there anything I can do for you?he asked. It was still Dick who rushed to answer. We imagine Mr. Altleble and Ali.Like Mr. Lordes, go out with you! What are you going to do? Dick's eyes sparkled, to open his eyes. Open your eyes!The words summed it all up, and contained a longing for things unseen in eternity, a vague and wonderful dream for these children.Dick had a look of begging hope, longing and anticipation. so you?Le Corgi asked Sander with a heavy tone, do you want to open your eyes too? no sir. So why did you go? For being with Dick!Sander replied gently. So, you love dick? Of course!Sir, Sander said unequivocally, there was an expression of affection in the expression of his voice, which was beyond the range of his age. Le Corgi caressed the two of them very much, and took a look at them. What a strange pair of children!Very cute, and touching, his conclusion to them both. You just go with us!He said. Long live the Governor!The two children cheered happily, threw the berets in their hands into the air, and started jumping around. Through Altlebourg, Le Corgis got to know the two boys. They were new acquaintances. In fact, the boatswain knew not much more than the person involved. It turned out that on a certain night, these two children were abandoned in a corner. What caused them to live is unknown, but they began to look for things to make ends meet at a very young age, doing part-time jobs, finding odd jobs, shoe polish, Running errands, sending messages, selling wild flowers, etc., all kinds of ideas that can be thought of by the little minds have been exhausted, but they are still like sparrows, picking things up and eating on the streets of San Francisco. Six months ago, they did not know each other's miserable lives, and it was fate that brought them together. Under the circumstances at that time, only those actors who were willing to condescend to use their superb acting skills to perform these plots vividly, people may not necessarily think that this is a tragedy!Dick was on the pier then, with his idly hands in his pockets and a beret on his head, whistling along to a merry tune.Suddenly, he saw a child being chased by a dog. While chasing, the dog barked sharply and bared its teeth, making people creepy.The child was crying and running, panicked, arms bent over his face.正在緊急關頭，迪克往前一跳，毫不猶豫地插在這個嚇得發蒙的孩子和那條惡狗之間，然後穩穩地定在那裡，擺出一副不屑一顧的神情，他狠狠地盯著那條狗，目不轉睛，毫不畏懼地站著。那條狗真的被這突如其來的。硬充好漢的人給嚇住了，這次輪到這條狗節節後退了，最後牠耷拉下腦袋，夾著尾巴逃之夭夭了。用不著再去防牠了，迪克於是朝這個孩子轉過身來。 May I have your name?他擺出一副居高臨下的神態問道。 桑德，另一個仍在哭泣著答道，你呢？ 迪克你如果不反對，我們做個朋友吧！ 作為響應，桑德撲向那位見義勇為的人的懷裡，就這樣，他們建立了牢不可破的友誼。 阿爾特勒布爾在不遠處看到這一切，他走向他們，了解了他們過去的不幸，他很想拉扯迪克，幫他一把，因為他非常欣賞他的英勇和無畏。他提議，要他去約蘇亞赫布爾內號船上做個少年見習水手。這是一艘三桅橫帆船，他當時在這上面做事。迪克一開口便向他提了個條件，桑德能不能和他一起，同時被雇用。不管願意與否，已別無選擇，只有這樣做，而且從此以後，阿爾特勒布爾再沒有將這兩個形影不離的孩子棄之不管，他們後來又跟著他，從約蘇亞赫布爾內號船來到了約納丹號船上，他是他們兩人的良師益友，他教他們學習文字，他傾其所有來教育他們，他德厚流光，把這兩個孩子培養得文雅懂禮、好善知義。他對他們十分滿意，他們對他感恩戴德、尊敬愛戴。 顯然這兩個孩子的性格各不相同：一個脾氣暴躁，天生好鬥，無論是人還是事情，他都想爭個高低，分個輸贏；另一個卻沉默寡言，溫和柔順，不愛拋頭露面，生性膽小怕事。一個是保護者，另一個是被保護者。他們工作很賣力，同樣地工作敬業。兩個人對阿爾特勒布爾水手長，這個大朋友愛戴無比。 此次旅行隊伍中，增加的就是他們這兩位新兵。 三月二十八日，他們一大清早上路，並不敢奢望探測整個霍斯特島，只想將營地周圍的情況摸一下，首先要通過阿爾蒂半島正中心的山脊，從這裡可到達西岸，隨後沿岸北上，可穿過北島的南部地區，最後從對面的島上返回營地。 出發伊始，人們就感到，不應該因船擱淺的險峻和惡劣的地貌來判斷整個地區，隨著往北深入，這種感覺更加強烈，阿爾蒂半島，這個假奧爾勒海岬，這個枯燥冷漠的天涯海角，卻是一副亂石嶙峋土地貧瘠的風貌，而在西北部卻大相徑庭，漫山遍野顯出那鬱鬱蔥蔥、清翠俊秀的輪廓。 從廣袤無垠的大草原，到枝繁葉茂、叢林疊翠的山腳下，下面便出現這片的被海藻覆蓋的岩石，歐石南密布叢生的溝壑，海生的藍色和紫色的紫苑，莖長達一米多的千里光屬的植物，還有許多矮棵植物：蒲包花、金雀花、傘菌、矮小地榆等等，這裡雜草叢生，花香草茂，可以給成千上萬的動物提供天然飼料。 這群徒步旅行者，各有各的打算，於是自動地又分成了幾小組。迪克和桑德在他們前面蹦蹦跳跳，盡情玩耍，也拖累了他們，其他的人不得不走許多冤枉路，來的那三位農民沉默寡言，偶爾說說話，不時地對周圍環境投以驚奇的目光。 Ali.洛德士、阿爾吉、阿爾特勒布爾和勒柯吉是結伴而行的。勒柯吉並沒有放縱自己，而是一如既往、老成穩重，不過他這種不卑不亢的態度，人們並不認為他是冷冷冰冰、薄情寡義。洛德士一家對此深有體會，而他也喜歡這一家的每個成員：其母親舉止端莊，心地善良，兩個孩子，十八歲的愛德華和十五歲的克娜麗都有一副坦蕩正直、忠厚老實的模樣，其父親則是性格直率、知書達禮、意志堅強的人。 他們兩人友好地談論著，就雙方感興趣的問題交換看法，阿里．洛德士抓住機會，向他請教有關麥哲倫地區的種種問題，而他自己也向同伴介紹了移民中的一些不同凡響的人物和事情，使勒柯吉從中了解不少情況。 從而他知道了洛德士的情況：他原先資產頗豐，卻不知怎麼因別人的失誤，在他年近五旬時，所有家產毀於一旦，經歷了這場突如其來的滅頂之災，他又是怎樣地毫不猶豫地踏上了這移民征途，其目的是想讓妻兒老小一家子生活無憂。Ali.洛德士還將他在船上獲悉的情況和資料，轉告了勒柯吉，那就是：在約納丹號船上的移民，按他們過去從事的職業分類，農民七百五十人，其中有五位日本人，已成家立業的男子有一百一十四名，還加上他們的妻子，還有很多孩子，其中已成年的就有二百三十二名，自由業者三人，以食利息為生的有五人，從各種行業的工人有四十一名，在名單中還有由公司雇用而不屬移民的工人，其中一個泥瓦工、一個家具木匠、一個木匠和一個修鎖匠。他們是來幫助這些移民，作最初的安頓工作的。如此一算，活著的人可增到一千一百七十九名，在清點人數時，已得到確認。 在介紹完他們的職業之後，他又詳細地介紹了他們各自的情況，他對這些為數眾多的農民觀察不多，知之甚少，在這些人當中，他認為值得注意的是摩爾兄弟，其中一個在卸船時的態度粗暴、行為野蠻聞名，屬個性粗暴類型的人。然而李威利、吉麥利、高爾敦和伊凡洛夫家族，看上去都是些正直的人，他們身強力壯、吃苦耐勞、體質優秀、工作賣力。至於其他的人們，只是一群芸芸眾生而已。無疑，這些人的素質參差不齊，優點大同小異。其缺點嘛！好吃懶做，尤其酗酒成性的大有人在，因為他們還沒有機會來各自表現自己的真面目。 Ali.洛德士對公司雇用的四個工人，倒是講了許多，他認為他們各自的行業都很出類拔萃，技術精良，是公司精選出來的。至於移民中他們的同行，言行舉動，都叫人感到，應屬於庸庸碌碌之流，而且還有些人長著一副與人難以共處的尊容。在工作中卻顯得笨手笨腳，不知所措；而在酒館裡卻揮灑自如，駕輕就熟。另外還有幾個人，一副凶神惡煞的樣子，完全與工人階級的身分不相稱。 食利息階層共五人，洛德士一家就占了四位，那第五位，叫約翰．拉姆，是個鬱鬱寡歡的倒楣蟲，他年齡大約二十五六歲左右，一向過著聲色犬馬、紙醉金迷的縱情生活，他揮霍無度，最後變得一文不名，他又是個不學無術、一無所長的傢伙，於是在這亂世紅塵中，生活難以為繼，但他又想在移民中嘩眾取寵，人們對他感到驚訝也是有道理的。 剩下的三個自由業者，也是碌碌無為，他們來自三個國家：德國、美國和法國。 德國人叫弗里茲．格羅斯，是個嗜酒成癖的醉漢，酒精把他浸泡得卑鄙齬齪，人格全無，以至於人見人嫌，他整天喘氣，拖著軟塌的身子，腆著圓滾的西瓜肚，流著口水，滿嘴爛牙髒兮兮的，那雙粗短肥胖的手，顫動不止，在這些衣著不整、不修邊幅的人中，以他為最。這位墮落者卻是位樂師，小提琴家。他原本天分極高，曾經曇花一現於一時，現在唯一的，只有小提琴，還能喚起他已湮滅的良知！在萬籟俱靜時分，他輕輕地、傾注全部的愛心去撫摸它，然而他卻無法拉出一個音調來，因為他雙手痙攣抽搐、搖晃不停，但當他喝得酩酊大醉時，動作又開始準確無誤，大腦也興奮起來了，靈感從而產生，於是他拉起小提琴，還真能拉出美妙動聽、不同凡響的樂曲。Ali.洛德士曾有幸聽過兩次，並目睹了這一奇觀。 至於法國人和美國人，那就是費爾丁南．博瓦勒和劉易斯．多里克，這兩位前文已向讀者作了粗略的交待。Ali.洛德士又不失時機地告訴勒柯吉，他們那具有顛覆性的理論。 他以一種斷言的口吻說：您不覺得應該謹慎從事，對這兩個好鬥分子採取必要的預防性措施？他們在旅行期間已開始蠢蠢欲動、頻頻地拋頭露面。 那麼，您認為應該採取何種措施？勒柯吉反問道。 首先需要果斷，警告他們言行不要過頭，然後密切注視他們的一舉一動，如果還不行，就將他們軟禁起來，不讓他們害人，再有必要就將他們關警閉。 Gosh!勒柯吉反唇相譏道，你想毫不留情地將他們置於死地，那麼誰敢擅自做主，冒天下之大不韙，去侵犯同類的自由哩！ 對於那些對別人構成威脅的人，就是將他們打死，也是合情合理。洛德士針鋒相對。 您是從哪裡看出來的？我可沒有覺得他們有危險，我只是覺得他們有一種潛在的危險。勒柯吉不同意他那種說法。 我是怎麼看出來的？他們蠱惑煽動貧民百姓，使一些愚昧無知的人，就像孩子一樣稍加刺激，就衝動興奮起來，於是他們因勢利導，用華麗動聽的詞句，大肆阿諛奉承，將人們弄得昏頭轉向，不知所措。 他們這樣做居心何在？ 為了爭奪屬於別人的東西！ 那麼別人有什麼東西？勒柯吉揶揄地說，無法知曉，不過這裡可是一無所有，國王和其他的人一樣，喪失了頤指氣使、指手畫腳的特權。 約納丹號船上有貨物。 約納丹號上的物資是集體的財產，情況危急時，用來拯救大家的，這是眾所周知、有目共睹的，絕不會有人敢打它的主意。 但願不會事與願違！Ali.洛德士無可奈何地說。 他們各執己見，這倒出乎意料，他無法冷靜下來，他認為像多里克和博瓦勒這種人，並不一定需要用物質和金錢來誘惑刺激他們，只要別人苦不堪言，他們便會感到樂趣和心滿意足，他們只對高高在上、一呼百應的生活如醉如癡。 誰要這樣想，他們只有自取滅亡！勒柯吉忽然一反常態，粗暴地說，所有覬覦權力、對別人發號施令的人，都應該從這個地球上，將他們鏟除。 Ali.洛德士迷惑不解地聽到他說這話，其憤懣情緒，在這個人身上，反應如此之強烈，一反他平常的溫文爾雅和穩重的作風。 那麼就應該鏟除博瓦勒。他不無奚落地回答說，因為披著極端平等的外衣、誇誇其談的理論家，宗旨只有一個，那就是要保證改革派的權力。 博瓦勒的理論，就像孩子胡鬧一樣，幼稚可笑。勒柯吉用一種不容置辯的口吻反駁，這是一種社會組織方式，它們往往對於人民大眾有失公允，其實是夠愚蠢的了。 那麼你同意劉易斯．多里克的觀點？Ali.洛德士進而詢問，您也像他那樣，希望我們回到原始狀態，把社會組合，簡單地說成是個人偶然的聚集，而且您不可能發現，其理論是建立在欲望的基礎上，它散發出的僅僅是那種仇恨。 要是多里克只知道仇恨的話，那他就是個瘋子。勒柯吉一本正經地回答，這是怎麼回事啊！一個人懵懵懂懂地降臨人世，睜開雙眼，發現與他類似的芸芸眾生，均處於水深火熱之中，跟他一樣經不住打擊，稍微一碰，即可化為烏有。他不是滿懷同情之心，而是滿腔的苦愁和滿腔的仇恨。這種人是瘋子，跟瘋子是沒有道理可講的。不過，像他這樣的理論家，精神錯亂、神態瘋癲，但也不能因此就一口咬定，其理論全是糟粕。 但是，法律是不可少的。Ali.洛德士一直固執己見。如果人們並不是孑然一身、孤立無援、漫無邊際地漂泊，而是苦樂同渡、休戚相關的話，那麼他們就會抱成一團，大家相互關照的。就說眼前吧！周圍這些人，由於種種原因，有的人不是還沒有露出猙獰面目嗎？不過，可以肯定，他們與某些平庸之輩還是大有區別的，但我還無法向您指出他們姓什名誰，他們的確因為種種原因，無法管束自己，任意胡作非為，而且肯定不止這幾個人，只不過不知道罷了，如果沒有法律對這些人嚴加管制，那麼這一小撮人，將會把地上鬧得天翻地覆。 他們以前也受過法律的管制。勒柯吉滿有把握地說，如果不存在法律，人們就會白璧無瑕，人類會在自由中完善自己，人們會和諧的休養生息，代代生長繁衍。 Um!Ali.洛德士滿腹疑慮地哼了一聲。 難道這裡有法律？難道事情會朝著相反的方面發展？ 您能不能具體地舉例說明？Ali.洛德士持反對的態度答道。 現在這裡的生活，只是悲劇的幕間休息，盡人皆知，目前的情況，只是過渡性的，不會長久地持續下去的。 如果這種情況，萬一有可能持續下去，那麼這種狀況，會仍然如故。勒柯吉一口咬定，毫不鬆口。 我懷疑！Ali.洛德士抱著完全不相信的態度，我寧可不嘗試這類似的經歷為好。 勒柯吉不再進行任何反駁。 人們繞過斯高奇維爾灣，從東岸返回，儘管已經夕陽西下，可是探險者對所處的地貌和環境，感到興味盎然。他們對沿途風光驚訝不已而大加讚賞。山崗上一條條涓涓的小溪，延綿不斷地流淌，匯入從東而來的、清澈見底的河流中，廣袤而茂盛的牧草，說明了這裡的土地肥沃，山岩上生長著繁茂的喬木植物，多不勝數的各種樹種，有的直接生長在泥灰質的堅硬土地中，是些根深葉茂的參天大樹，樹林下面卻是灌木叢生，間有若隱若現的、好幾處濃密的青苔，在那些遮天蔽日、蒼翠挺拔、鬱鬱蔥蔥的大樹下面，一群群水鳥在嬉戲，有大約六種鳥類，有些胖墩墩的像鵪鶉，有些像野鴨子，還有些像野雞、斑鶇、烏（未鳥）都是些被稱之為鄉村野味的小動物，還有不少在水上生活的鳥類，如鵝、鴨、鸕鶿、海鷗，山野裡不時地出現原始羊駝、小羊駝和美洲駝，跳躍地穿過樹林和草原。 赤道將地球一分為二，劃成南北兩個半球，在這南半球的海灣島嶼，陽光普照，它離約納丹號船出事處不足兩海里，這裡水流湍急，兩岸古木參天，蛛網似的小支流匯集，形成奔騰的河水，以一瀉千里之勢，在海灣深處歸入大海，在離海岸百米處，建個小鎮，安營紮寨，看來是件輕而易舉的事情，即使是八面來風也刮不進這小灣，因此必要時，可以用來作為港口之用。 人們來到營地時，天幾乎黑下來了，勒柯吉、阿里．洛德士、阿爾吉和阿爾特勒布爾，正在與其他夥伴握手告別。這時，在這萬籟俱寂的夜空，傳來了陣陣小提琴的聲音。 小提琴！勒柯吉小聲地向阿里．洛德士說。是你向我說過的那位弗里茲．格羅斯吧？ 也就是說他又醉了！洛德士不打哽地回答。 幾分鐘後，他們看到他時，他目光茫然、滿臉通紅，嘴角流著涎水，沒錯！弗里茲．格羅斯那副酩酊大醉的醉態，已說明了一切，他搖搖晃晃，靠在岸石旁以保持他身體的平衡，他的麻木不仁，被酒精一燒，卻可讓一絲智能煥發出一份光彩來，他此時顯得容光煥發，琴弓在樂器上翩翩起舞，卻綻出了恢宏壯麗、娓娓動聽的旋律，上百個移民，簇擁在他的周圍，此時此刻，窮困潦倒的人們，將往昔與未來，都似乎已拋到九霄雲外了，所謂命運的捉弄，無休無止的坎坷，低賤的處境都拋在了腦後，這音樂的翅膀，攜帶著他們，飛向那如夢如醉的王國，使他們暫時的飄飄欲仙！ 藝術與麵包，缺一不可，阿里．洛德士指了指弗里茲．格羅斯和那群如癡如醉的聽眾，在博瓦勒統治下，此君會占怎樣的一席之地呢？ ! 博瓦勒想怎樣就怎樣吧！我們順其自然好了。勒柯吉頗為不滿地回答。 還不是這些受苦受難的芸芸眾生，偏聽偏信，相信了他的彌天大謊。Ali.洛德士提出了異議。 他們邊走邊談。 Ali.洛德士沒走幾步，又竊竊私語：我有些迷惑不解的是，弗里茲．格羅斯是通過什麼途徑弄到了酒的？ 不管是用何種手段，總之弗里茲．格羅斯和其他的人都如願以償，這幾個長途旅行回來的人，走著走著就被橫臥在地上的人的身體給絆著，險些跌倒。 是甘迺迪，阿爾特勒布爾，一邊說著，一邊彎腰俯看著這個昏睡的人，這是個屢教不改的搗蛋鬼，這種水手用繩子吊死他都不值。 除了甘迺迪醉如爛泥外，離這裡百米遠處還有些醉鬼，癱軟著四肢，橫七豎八地躺在地面上。 我相信，阿里．洛德士說，領袖不在時，肯定有人鑽漏洞搶劫了倉庫。 誰是領袖？勒柯吉問道。 當然是您啦！ 我可不是高高在上的領袖。勒柯吉不耐煩地抗議。 這也是可能的，阿里．洛德士表示贊同，可是大家還是把您看成是他們心目中的領袖。 勒柯吉正準備回答時，在這夜深人靜中，忽然從附近帳篷裡傳來，似乎被人扼住了喉嚨，一陣陣女人嘶啞的喊叫聲。