Chapter 28 Section 12 The Island is Robbed

This is the case with the first act of the tragedy of gold, which is like a well-conceived play, a trilogy: from the curtain of winter, it opens to rest. The sad event which constitutes the first act of tragedy has an effect on the happy life of the Horst people which is unknown.But everything makes people believe that they may have died because of fighting or some kind of accident, so some families lost their fathers, sons, brothers or husbands. In addition, the benefits that were implemented on Khost Island in the past have been greatly reduced. To be honest, there is still no shortage of major daily necessities, but the price of everything is three or four times higher than before.

The poor came to suffer, and Le Corgi's efforts to get food from their labor had little effect.Everyone is very cautious, trade is almost at a standstill, and people dare not do any business.As for the public welfare projects implemented by the government, because the national treasury is empty and unsustainable, the discovery of gold mines has produced ironic results. On the land under the jurisdiction of the government, people find a large amount of gold, but the government has nothing.Where to find money, only a few Khost people follow the rules and buy land mining rights, but none of them found gold and handed over the amount stipulated by the law. Everyone is generally poor, and only canceling all taxes for citizens has also prevented them. So far the source of enriching the treasury.

As for Le Corgi's personal property, it will be spent in a few days, and he has encountered many major problems in the construction of Cape Orles in the summer. Despite the difficulties, he will use his personal property to ensure the continuation of the project. This situation is really bad.The workers he hired were not much better than the Horst people. Their covetousness for gold made the construction period greatly delayed.In April 1892, eight months after the gold was mined, only one floor of this majestic project was built, when it was originally expected to be completed. Among the more than 20 Khost people, among the people who have been engaged in gold mining and gained a lot of money, Kennedy, the sailor of the original Nathan, was lucky to become a rich man with a pickaxe, and his luck is well known to everyone. No one knows.

How much gold he has, no one knows, and he probably doesn't know it himself, obviously can't count it, but anyway, one can see from his extravagant spending that he has gold in his hands, certainly not in all civilized countries. , legal convertible minted gold coins, he owns natural gold or gold flakes. His demeanor was astonishing and uncharacteristic, he prattled and assumed the air of a millionaire, and he announced to those who would listen to him that there was nothing wrong with listening to him: if you can't get rich without luck in a city, Just follow his advice and leave immediately.

His fortune was good, but no one knew exactly where it came from, let alone where he got his gold, and when people asked Le Corgis about it, he always looked very mysterious. , the answer is irrelevant.However, people met him in the summer, and many Liberians saw him, not at all working, always walking leisurely with his hands in his pockets. They will not forget this meeting, which, for several, brought them great misfortune.After he met Kennedy, within a few days, they dug up a large amount of gold in the ground, and it was stolen immediately, and the thief could not be found. When the stolen people got together to chat, they discovered that they had been stolen. There is always a shadow of Kennedy in the place where it was stolen, and the way it was stolen is so similar.Everyone was suspicious of the sailor again, but they couldn't come up with evidence.

The fellow is untroubled and content to appreciate this motley crew of fools of all stripes.The people in Liberia let him talk and blaspheme and let it go, even though all the people knew what Kennedy was, but anyway, some people had a little respect for him, and he bought some people. Le Corgis couldn't bear it and decided to exercise power, Kennedy and their accomplices, with apathetic flouting of the law, when there was nothing to do with them (couldn't bring them to justice) then had to put up with their rampage, as long as people had enough power , they should be suppressed.And all the immigrants who were driven back in the winter got together again, most of them were not satisfied with their gold mining work, and felt honored to return to their old business.The army, in particular, has been reorganized. At least many of the soldiers in the army are thinking clearly.

One morning, with absolutely no prior warning, the danger struck.Police officers rushed into the houses of the Liberias who showed off their property. Under the command of Altlebull, the people confiscated the gold according to the law, and searched the houses according to the law. Confiscated mercilessly, and the remaining two hundred pesos or Argentinian piastres were siphoned off, which was the price Le Corgi proposed for mining. Kennedy couldn't boast, and indeed gained the most in his home. The gold found there was worth at least 175,000 French francs. It was also in his home that he encountered the strongest resistance. When people came to his home, So the sailor had to be calmed down, he was furious and cursed.

A gang of thieves, he cried, shaking his fist at Altleble. Children, call!Shout!Altlebull, speaking calmly, continued the search. You will pay for it!Kennedy, further exasperated by the calm demeanor of his past chief, issued threats. Hello!Hello!It seems to me that you are paying the price, Altreble sneered mercilessly. wait and see.Kennedy cried out in exasperation. Anytime is welcome, but I like crisp and clean! Thief! Make no mistake!Altlebull retorted in a good-natured tone, the evidence is your fifty-three kilograms of gold, I only took thirteen kilograms and two hundred and fifty grams, which is a quarter, plus what you know Two hundred piastres are also your money.

poor man!Scoundrel! You just tell us where your gold mine is! bandit!douchebag! Do as you please, boy!said Altleble finally, and ended the conversation. After counting, this confiscation brought 27 kilograms of gold to the treasury, converted into French francs, worth 122,000 francs, and was issued in exchange for mining certificates.Only Kennedy did not get this benefit, because he refused to say that he had harvested such a large gold reserve. All the collection is put into the national treasury. When spring comes, the connection with the outside world will start again, and will be exchanged for cash at the market price. During this period, Le Corgi will tell everyone the result of the confiscation and issue a Banknotes of equal value, people have great confidence in banknotes, so that they can tide over difficulties temporarily.

The winter is passing away bit by bit, and now it is spring, and soon the same reason will produce the same result, like last year, the people of Liberia go to the empty buildings, the lesson is not enough, people may be more eager to find gold, just like those Like a person who plays with fire and sets himself on fire, he is desperate. The army is so dedicated and loyal during the cold season, that as the ice melts it falls apart and only the best are left.Le Corgi had to look coldly, waiting for another tragedy to happen. However, the tragedy came faster than the last time. Within a few days after they left, some Liberians began to return, and then more and more people came back, the army was restored again, and people returned to the village without a sound. But Le Corgi didn't have to give them any instructions, and everything went on as usual.

All the circumstances lead one to think that the situation in the interior has undergone the same change, that farms, factories, and commercial houses have started to work again, as if there was a reason for them, and that returns have become a common phenomenon. Most of the people looking for gold this year are completely different people from last year.Last year, there were conflicts between the Khost people, but now there are foreigners involved, and we have to fight with them, and what an abominable foreigner!The scum of humanity, the savage, the half-civilized man, accustomed to suffering, fearing neither pain nor death, cruel to himself and to others, has to fight these interests to keep his gold.They have occupied the best position since the beginning of this season. According to the way of joint development, after a long or short period of time, most of the Khost people had to give up. Now is the time to strengthen the military, and the invasion that started late last summer is now coming with more force.Every week two or three ships brought foreign gold prospectors. Le Corgi tried to prevent them from landing, but it was in vain. There was no internal force support. , a large group of them yelling and wandering around Liberia. In Newtown almost only gold prospector ships are seen, indeed, what are the other ships doing?All commerce was paralyzed, and no one could find people to ship, building materials and furs. From the first time, there were no stocks. As for livestock, grain and canned food, Le Corgi firmly opposed to exporting them, because it could reduce the number of people caused by hunger. panic. Since Le Corgis had two hundred soldiers, the invaders on the island retreated without attacking them.Two hundred soldiers supported the governor's decree, so the decree was respected and obeyed at once. After the ship tried to break the decree and failed to go ashore, it had to leave with those annoying gold diggers. But people soon learned that their retreat was just a smoke screen, and they had to bow before force.The boat moored along the western and eastern coasts of the island, using the coves as cover, and with the help of small boats, people went ashore to find shelter in the fields from the sentinels of mobile troops. Islands can be successful, and the adventurous crowd is getting bigger and bigger. The hinterland is already in disarray, without order, indulging in drunkenness, seeking flowers and willows, wantonness, strife, even swords and guns, and blood everywhere, like a rotting corpse attracting hyenas and vultures everywhere, these thousands of adventurers, Attracted even more shameless people, this group of people didn't just want to find gold, they also robbed gold.Gold mining here is just a matter of effort. In the newly developed parts of the island, small bars and casinos can be seen everywhere, and you can even find karaoke halls that are built very low in the wild with only a few planks. , to seduce drunken gold diggers.In the casino, in the cabaret, in the small bar, alcohol is the driving force of these brazens, and it is everywhere.Although very sad, Le Corgi was not discouraged, and he was loyal to his duty.He knew that when the turmoil passed, the army could be re-established, with him as the core and around him.He did everything possible to restore confidence to the Khost people, and gradually those people finally regained their senses, as if they had lost nothing, suffered no blows, and nothing had happened.He turned a blind eye to this treachery and continued calmly with his duties as governor, not even forgetting to build the lighthouse, which he was so worried about. On his orders, Dick made an inspection tour in Olbo during the summer, and the progress of the work was significantly slowed down. , but in any case, there is no rest for a day, and at the end of the summer the main works will be completed and the machinery will be installed.It is enough to install the machine for one month. Around December 15th, half of the people in Khost returned to their jobs, and the smog in the hinterland was still intensifying. At this time, someone unexpectedly came to visit, which surprised Le Corgi. And the result is satisfactory.These two men, an Englishman and a Frenchman, had disembarked from the same boat, and they came to the Governor's Palace together, and as soon as they reached Le Corgis, they introduced themselves, the Frenchman's name was Maurice.Aino, the British name is Alexander.Smith, without a word of nonsense, told him straight to the point that they wanted the rights. Le Corgi smiled wryly: Gentlemen!Allow me to ask you guys!He said, do you know what is happening on Khost Island now. Yes.The Frenchman answered. But we still play by the book.After the Englishman finished speaking, Le Corgi carefully looked at the person he was talking to, people of different nationalities, but the two had something in common: both were men of action, possessed temperament, both were young, only thirty years old, broad-minded Shoulders, red face, with straight crew cut hair, brow that looks intelligent, chin that is raised so imposingly, that soft light shines in the blue eyes. It was the first time for Le Corgi to face such a gentle and gentle person, ah, you all know, he said, I thought you had just arrived. Which means we're back again.Morris.Aino explained that we were here for a few days last year, we just looked around and found where we were going to mine, and then we left! Together?Le Corgi asked. Together!Alexander.Smith replied. Le Corgi showed a regretful expression without concealing it and said: Since you have inquired clearly, you should also know that I cannot satisfy your wishes.I hope you abide by the law, which stipulates that mining rights are only granted to Khost citizens. For gold mining yes!Morris.Aino objected. So what else is there to say?Le Corgi asked. This is mining!Alexander.Smith explains the law about this being a blind spot. True, Le Corgi admits, but opening a gold mine is a big project and requires a lot of money We have, Alexander.Smith interrupts him, we're leaving for the money. And the money is in hand, Maurice.Aino said, our French-British Gold Mining Company, my friend Smith is the chief engineer, and I am the manager. The company was established in London on September 10 last year, with a registered capital of 40,000 pounds, half of which is ours, and 20,000 pounds are flowing Capital, if it is settled, there is no doubt that the ship we come will take my order, and within eight days the work will start, the first machines will arrive in a month, and the tools will be complete next year. Le Corgi was very interested in the conditions they proposed. He felt that a welcoming attitude should be adopted. There are advantages and disadvantages, but they like these two young people very much, and he has a good impression of their decisive and honest appearance.However, French and British companies were allowed to set up on the island and make a lot of profits.Doesn't this open the door to the international community? Will France and the UK interfere in the internal affairs of the island country under the pretext of protecting their citizens?In the end, Le Corgi gave an affirmative answer. Their proposal was too serious to refuse.Since the danger of gold is unavoidable, it is better to distribute the gold mines to several large divisions.Fix it to a few for easy monitoring, instead of letting people randomly collect it on the entire island. I agree, he said, since this is a grand project, our original mining conditions should be changed. Take it at your convenience, Maurice.Aino replied. It is necessary to price by hectare. certainly. One hundred Argentinian piastres, for example. It's a deal. What is the area you want to mine? One hundred hectares! Then ten thousand piastres. to you.Morris.Aino said the check was written immediately. on the contrary.Le Corgi also said that since the land development fees we collect are too high, the mining gold commission rate can be reduced, and I suggest 20/10000. We agree, Alexander.Smith announced. So we agree? every aspect. I am obliged to inform you, Le Corgi added, that at least for a while, the Khost government cannot guarantee the free and unhindered implementation of the approved mining rights, nor can it effectively protect your employees. The two young men smiled confidently, Morris.Aino replied calmly.As soon as the land mining right was signed, the certificate was handed over to them on the spot. After three hours of their farewell, they left Liberia and headed towards the mountains where they developed the certificate. Since the summer, the anarchy on the island has intensified rather than eased. Because people exaggerate the facts, the imagination of people in the old and new continents on this island is increasing day by day. People regard Khost Island as a golden island with gold mines. They kept coming, and although they were expelled in the port, they sneaked ashore from the various coves by the sea. In the last days of January, Le Corgis reported from all over that there were at least 20,000 foreigners on the island. They finally started killing each other, and it was all the more terrible when the bloody rapists were hungry for the gold. The turmoil was at its height, and among the temperate crowds, there were dozens of savage incidents, several Horsts fell victim, and when word reached Le Cogier, he bravely went to the goldfields. , in the midst of this troublesome crowd, all his efforts were in vain, his intervention almost injured him, almost killed him. On the contrary, an unexpected result appeared. These adventurous people come from all over the world, and their social status is different. In the upper class, now reduced to this place, once a prominent family and countless treasures, now there is nothing left, reduced to gold diggers. Several of these men could not be named, but recognized Le Corgi, as Captain Ribato had recognized him.On the basis of an outdated portrait, they were more certain; they had traveled all over the world, and traveled long distances, and they recognized Le Corgi at a glance, and although the time had passed, they could not be mistaken, because they were in the same place at that time. He held an important position, his appearance was unforgettable to them all their lives, and his name soon spread throughout the island. People gave him a famous name, and soon people said that the name fit him. He was born in a family of rulers of a great empire in the north, and he was pointed out as the heir to the palace as soon as he was born. Le Corgi grew up wearing a crown.People often joke with fate, but the heir of the monarch was born with an anarchist thought; when he grew up, his superior environment did not make him feel happy but painful, and he tried his best to comfort some unfortunate people, But he soon had to admit that his behavior was powerless, that despite his inexhaustible wealth, despite all his energy, it was far from enough to alleviate the suffering of thousands of people. In order to forget himself, In order to alleviate the pain caused by powerlessness, he devoted himself to the study of science and became an outstanding doctor, engineer, and sociologist. His knowledge still could not allow him to guarantee the fairness and happiness of all mankind. He became more and more disappointed and gradually lost his judgment. Consider the result a paradise.wrestling with this cruel problem, he could not find a better way to do everything he could, and blamed their misfortune on the limitations imposed by the collective, which he loathed deeply, and which, in his view, all Social institutions are the source of evil, and he cannot go on enduring obnoxious laws. In order to get out of his predicament, he had no choice but to live in seclusion, without telling anyone beforehand, and walking away, abandoning his position and property, he traveled all over the world until he came to the only region that might be absolutely independent. He stopped at Magellan Settling down, for six years he devoted himself to the service of those who suffered there without reservation, the Chile-Argentina peace treaty, and the subsequent wreck of the Nathan, disrupted his life. The disappearance of the prince is by no means uncommon. If it is not in line with Le Keji’s thoughts, it is at least similar. Everyone remembers the names of the few princes, but he abandoned his position and ran away. It seems unbelievable, let alone want to disappear.Some people master a skill, like those ordinary people who rely on craftsmanship to make a living, others live a leisurely life incognito, and some princes and grandchildren in order to get rid of their emptiness, put themselves in science, and create plots and masterpieces that attract worldwide attention.And Le Corgi used his altruism to live an extreme and ideal life, and obviously what he did was very effective. The only time he had to forget the glorious past, when he was governor of the colonies, and for whatever reason he ran away from home, he knew quite a lot about the finer points of the law.If these laws are indifferent to the general public, it is because they are only concerned with protecting the interests of the few. That is why even if people forget him, there is no doubt that his property can be used for emergencies. He has reluctantly told Ali who he really is. ．Lords, he, according to his will, went to get the funds back, and Khost Island now has so much money because of it. The exposure of Le Corgi's identity had very different effects on the Khost adventurers, both of whom were biased, and all of whom were equally ignorant of the noble side of his great character. Foreign gold diggers, those sophisticated people who have traveled all over the world, have seen too much of all kinds of things to be indifferent, and because of the disparity in social status, people hate this person they regard as their sworn enemy.It is not surprising that he made such strict regulations on the poor, and this nobleman seemed to them to explain everything. On the contrary, the Horst people are all proud of having such a well-born leader, and their vanity is greatly satisfied, and Le Corgi also benefits a lot when exercising power. When he returned to Liberia, he was so desperate for what he had seen and heard that his heart was twisted, so that the people around him were ready to abandon the island in the future, but before everyone took this extreme action, Ali.Lords turned to Chile for help, and perhaps this chance of seeking help was worth a try. The Chilean government will not abandon us, he reminded everyone that it is also in her interest to re-pacify the colony. As long as Ali.Rhodes added that when the ship of Penta Arras appeared on the island, these madmen would be brought to their senses. As long as Penta Arras, said Altleble, and fifteen days ago No, Le Corgi interrupted him with an inexcusable voice, we will never agree to such an action, and it's not all over, if we have the courage, as we have done, we can save ourselves. His wish, so clear, had to be obeyed. Eight days later, as if to prove that one could not fight it, there was an even stronger reaction among the Khosts, who also knew that the gold diggers could not go on fighting for territory with these ruthless adventurers, whom they thought most reasonable The only evidence is knives, Khost people can only bow and sword, so they gave up fighting and came to hide around their leader. After knowing his true identity, they immediately gave him unlimited power. In Liberia, as in other parts of the island, all the people went back to their old jobs. JFK is nowhere to be found among these returnees, he's still on the gold mines with the kindred spirits, this ex-sailor, getting worse, same as last year, no one sees him washing the sand panning for gold.He happened to be present several times when the gold was stolen, and he was even present in two murders involving gold theft, from suspicion to direct accusation. But so far, it has not been confirmed; on this troubled island, all these investigations are impossible, and it is difficult to find out whether the rumor has any basis. Le Corgis was too good-natured to know what hatred was, and when he saw the immigrant, his anger died away, and when they returned, they had nothing, poor and exhausted, these vagabonds, sick with weather, They all huddled together, exposed to the rain and the sun, and often in the violent summer storms, they breathed the stench of the turned earth, the disease was epidemic, and the Liberians returned to the city, and they were infected with malaria again. For more than a long month, Dr. Alvidson couldn't take care of him alone.Le Corgui was more of a doctor than a governor. Regardless, he felt hopeful, and this time he felt that his people had really convinced him.He could feel this excitement as he took them in his hands, the guilt and the hope that they would be forgiven, that with patience he would have the strength to fight the vile act of destroying his masterpiece. About the end of summer, Khost Island splits in two, forming two distinct regions, the largest of which contains five thousand Khost people, men, women and children, and normal life resumes, gradually reliving They lived in another area, but in a narrow area where gold was mined. There were more than 20,000 adventurers, desperate, and because there was no law to restrain them, they became more daring, and now they came to Liberia in broad daylight. , wandering around in this conquered city, they held their heads high and walked through the streets and alleys, and when they saw something pleasing to the eye, they would grab it and take it for themselves. If the robbed person resisted , They will fight together. Le Corgi felt that he had enough strength to fight, and decided to make an example. On that day, the gold diggers ran amok in the city again. They were arrested without trial and imprisoned on the only boat in New Town at that time. As a result, the arrests continued for several days, and on March 15th, when the ship left the dock, the more than 500 adventurers were forced to be locked up at the bottom of the ship and taken out of the country. This kind of quick-fix action quickly aroused repercussions and made the gold diggers furious. The crowd was excited. People rebelled. In a place 20 kilometers away from Liberia, three homicides occurred in a row. Afterwards, these outsiders were discovered, and a meeting was held to incite them to use violence against thousands of listeners. The orator asked everyone to take this small The town is in a state of upheaval, and some people have foreseen that there will be a shortage of food. When people face the impact of hunger, they will be even crazier and should prepare for the worse. Slowly everything calms down, and winter returns, and these sad things are to be frozen, the gray sky, the snow is falling, and it seems to be the second act of tragedy.