Chapter 34 Chapter Twelve

In the evening, the hunting people returned home happily.Indeed, the four of them took as much as they could.A string of teals hung like a collar around Top's neck, and Japp was strewn with strings of sandpipers. 'Master,' cried Neb, 'now we have something to pass the time!Make these things into meatloaf and store them, so we don't have to worry about having no food left!But someone has to be my helper.I want to see you, Pencroft. No, Neb, replied the sailor, I will go on with the ship's rigging, and I cannot help you. What about you, Mr. Herbert? I'm going to the corral tomorrow, Neb.the boy replied.

It is only you, Monsieur Spilett, will you help me? I will help you, Neb, replied the correspondent, but I warn you that if your cooking secret comes to my knowledge, I will publish it. Welcome, any time is welcome, Neb replied, any time is all right. The next day, Keating.Spilett became Neb's assistant, practicing in his kitchen.The engineer had already told Spilett what he had explored the previous day, and the correspondent agreed with Smith on this point. Although nothing was found, the secret should still be explored! There was another week of frost, and the inhabitants never left Granite Palace except to attend to the poultry farms.The lodgings were filled with the mouth-watering aromas that emanated from Neb and the correspondent when they were at their best; but they did not make preserved food from all the game they hunted; game preserves very well in severe cold Therefore, the wild ducks and other wild birds are eaten fresh without salting. They think that there is no more delicious waterfowl in the world.

During this week Pencroft was greatly assisted by Herbert the sailmaker.The sail was actually finished.There is no shortage of rigging either.By recovering the balloons and the nets from which they obtained good ropes, the sailors made use of them all.In addition to the strong cotton ropes attached to the sails, there were many ropes left over, which were used for halyards, shrouds, sheet rigging, and the like.As for the tackle for the ship, Cyrus.Smith made some on a lathe, following Pencroft's idea.Therefore, before the ship is built, the whole set of rigging has been completed.Pencroft also made an American flag, the blue, red, and white colors of which were obtained from certain dye plants, which were plentiful on the desert island.However, the sailor added a thirty-eighth star, representing the state of Lincoln, to the glorious thirty-seven stars on the flag of the United States, representing the thirty-seven states of the United States, because he considered his island to be included in the great United States. The territory is gone.He said, even if it has not been merged in fact, it has been merged in my heart!

During this time they hoisted the flag over the central window of Granite Palace, and the inhabitants saluted it three times in honor. By this time, the cold season was drawing to a close, and their second winter seemed to pass in peace, but on the night of August 11th the heights of Prospect Heights were almost completely destroyed. After a busy day, the residents were fast asleep, and at four o'clock the next morning, Top's cry woke them up suddenly. This time the dog barked not at the well but at the door, scratching the door with its front paws as if trying to open it.Japp screamed too.

Hello, Top!cried Neb, who was the first to wake up.But the dog barked even more fiercely. How is this going?Smith asked. Everyone hurriedly put on their clothes, rushed to the window, and opened it. Below is a piece of ice and snow, and only a piece of gray can be seen in the haze.They could see nothing, but all they heard was a strange cry in the distance in the darkness.Apparently a group of unseen animals had invaded the seashore. What are those?cried Pencroft. Maybe a wolf, maybe a jaguar, maybe a monkey.replied Neb. Oops!They're almost on the high ground!said the correspondent.

Our poultry farm, cried Herbert, and our vegetable garden! Where did they come from?asked Pencroft. Someone must have forgotten to pull up the bridge, replied the engineer, they come from the bridge. Yes, said Spilett, I forgot to pull up the bridge. Well done to you, Monsieur Spilett!shouted the sailor. What is past cannot be undone, Cyrus."We'd better talk about what to do now," Smith said. Cyrus.Smith and his companions spoke hurriedly to each other.The beast must have crossed the bridge and attacked the shore.Whatever they were, they could go up the left bank of the Mercy, to Prospect Heights.Therefore, we must hurry up to stop them, and fight them if necessary.

But what kind of beasts are these?The question arose again when they heard the beast growl louder.Herbert was taken aback when he heard this, for he remembered hearing such a sound on his second trip to the source of the Red River. It's a fox!he cried. go!shouted the sailor. Everyone picked up the axe, the carbine and the revolver respectively, jumped into the lift, and soon reached the shore. This large pack of hungry foxes was a very fearsome animal, but they rushed forward without hesitation and fired the first volley, and a few lights in the darkness frightened them off. The main problem is to stop these robbers from going up to the high ground, otherwise the vegetable garden and poultry farm will be ravaged by them mercilessly, and it will inevitably cause great damage, especially for the wheat field, which may be irreparable. but they can only invade the heights by the left bank of the Mercy; they can be resisted if the narrow bank between this river and the granite cliffs is held.

Everyone is well aware of this, in Cyrus.Under Smith's command, they all arrived at the designated place.At this time, the fox was scurrying fiercely in the twilight.Smith, Spilett, Herbert, Pencroft, and Neb formed an impregnable line of defense.Top stood in front of the crowd with his mouth open, and Japp followed Top, brandishing a large knotted stick, as if dancing with a club. It was still very dark, and only when they fired could they see each other by the flare of their revolvers, a hundred of them at least, with eyes as red as burning coals. Can't let them come over!cried Pencroft sharply.

They can't get through.The engineer replied. They didn't come, not because they didn't want to come, because the foxes behind were rushing forward, but because the residents kept fighting with revolvers and axes to prevent them from coming.A few foxes had been killed on the ground, but their number did not seem to decrease. Perhaps their backup was continuously pouring towards the bridge. The settlers soon had to fight the foxes hand to hand, and they suffered several wounds, which were fortunately minor.A fox fell on Neb's back like a lynx, and Herbert shot it dead, and Neb was saved.Top wrestled furiously, and he rushed to catch the foxes by the neck, and killed one in a moment.Japp brandished his weapon so boldly that they could not keep him behind.Apparently, because he was born with a particularly keen eye and could see in the dark, he always went where the fighting was fiercest; and from time to time he let out a kind of squeal, expressing great excitement.

Once it ran far away, and when the fire flashed when shooting, it was seen that it was fighting calmly surrounded by five or six big foxes. The struggle was finally over, and the residents won after a full two hours of fierce fighting!As soon as day broke they saw each other crossing the bridge, running northward, and Neb ran at once and tore the bridge up.When the morning light illuminated the battlefield, the residents found that there were more than 50 dead foxes along the coast. Where is Japp!cried Pencroft. Where is Japp?Japp is missing.Its friend Neb called it loudly, and it was the first time that it did not answer his friend's call.

Everyone went to Japp, fearful that he might be found among the corpses; they swept aside the red-stained body, and at last found Japp among a heap of dead foxes, all mutilated. Not all, probably the result of this brave and invincible beast's desperate beating with a stick. Poor Japp still held half a stick in his hand, and he was outnumbered without a weapon, and suffered several severe wounds on his chest. It's still alive.cried Neb, stooping beside it. We'll bring it back to life, said the sailor, and we'll take care of it as if it were our own. Japp seemed to understand, and leaned his head on Pencroft's shoulder, as if thanking him.The sailor himself was wounded, but like his companions, very slight; and with their excellent firearms they were almost always inaccessible.Therefore, only orangutans are more severely affected. Neb and Pencroft placed Japp in the lift, where he only groaned lowly now and then.They slowly raised him up to the Granite Palace, and then they took a cushion from the bed, laid him on it, and washed all the wounds on him with great care.It appeared that Japp was not mortally wounded, but was very weak from the profuse bleeding, and soon after the wound was bandaged he developed a high fever.Japp lay down, and his diet was strictly regulated, as Neb said, exactly like a real person.They gave it several cool drinks made from medicines taken from the herb chest at Granite Palace.Japp was very restless at first, but his breathing gradually became normal, and everyone let him fall asleep peacefully and soundly.Top also often tiptoed around to visit his friends, and he seemed quite satisfied with their care.Jup's hand was sticking out of the bunk, and Top licked it with great concern. They took the dead foxes to the Far West Forest during the day and buried them all. The attack was nearly disastrous; it was a lesson to the residents; henceforth they must ask that the drawbridges were indeed raised and that there was no way they could be violated before going to bed. After waiting anxiously for several days, Japp finally gradually improved.Because of its strong body, it was out of danger, and the heat gradually subsided, and Gideon.Spilett knew a little bit about medicine, and at this time he told everyone that his life was no longer in danger.On August 16, Japp's diet returned to normal.Neb cooked some delicious dishes for him, which the patient ate with great relish; and if there was anything wrong with Japp, it was that he was a little gluttonous, a defect which Neb never remedied. What do you say?Neb to Keating.As Spilett used to advise him not to spoil the orang-utan, poor Japp had no other pleasures but to eat, said Spilett, and I would very much like to be of his service in this! After ten days in bed, on the 21st of August, little Japp arose.Its injuries have healed, and it is safe to say that it will regain its original physical strength and flexibility in a short time.Like all recovering people, he had a particularly good appetite, and the correspondent told him to eat as much as he could, believing that chimpanzees have an instinct for self-restraint, which humans often lack.Neb was very happy to see his apprentice regain his appetite. Eat as much as you can, my Japp, said he, and save nothing; you bled for us, and I'll do whatever it takes to restore you to health! On August 25th, everyone suddenly heard Neb calling them. Mr. Smith, Mr. Spilett, Mr. Herbert, Pencroft, come!come! Neb was in Japp's room at the time, and the inhabitants, hearing his cry, ran from the dining-room. what happened?asked the correspondent. Look.Neb laughed.What did they see?It turned out that little Japp was sitting in the corridor of Granite Palace, like a naughty child, with his legs crossed, sitting there solemnly, smoking quietly! My pipe, cried Pencroft, it has taken my pipe!Hey, my good Japp, I'll give it to you!Smoke it, man, smoke it! Japp puffed respectfully, and seemed very satisfied.Smith was not surprised by this incident. He cited many facts to show that domesticated apes can develop the habit of smoking. From that day on little Japp kept a pipe of his own, the sailor's own, which hung in his room near the tobacco.Japp packed his own cigarettes and lit his own with coals. Among the apes, he probably couldn't find a more at ease.The faithful Japp and the good sailor had formed a deep friendship at first, and now they have a common hobby, and it is not difficult to understand that their friendship has been further deepened. Perhaps it is really a man, Pencroft used to say to Neb, would you be surprised if it should speak to us someday? No, never, answered Neb; on the contrary, it never spoke to us, and it amazes me that now it is only talking! If one day it says to me, Pencroft, let us change our pipe.I'll still find it amusing,' continued the sailor. Yes, said Neb, what a pity he was born dumb! At the beginning of September, the end of winter is over, and everyone is busy working again.The work of building the ship proceeded very quickly, the decks were fully laid, and the interiors of the hulls were all firmly connected with steam-bent ribs which were shaped to fit the contours of the ship. The wood was so rich that Pencroft proposed to the engineer to have a double wall, so that the hull would be stronger. Smith could not predict what would happen in the future, so he agreed with the sailors to make the ship as strong as possible.On September 15th the interior and decks of the ship were completely completed.In order to plug the leaks, they dried the seaweed as wadding, chiseled it into the cracks of the planks with a hammer, and found a large amount of turpentine from the pine forest, melted it, and painted it on it. This boat is very simple to drive.They first used lime to build heavy granite blocks into the bottom of the ballast. These things weighed 12,000 catties in total. A deck is laid on the stones of the ballast, and the interior of the ship is divided into two warehouses; there are two benches in the cabin, which can also be used as cabinets.The bottom of the mast supported the bulkhead between the two compartments, through which access from the deck to the compartment was possible. Pencroft had no difficulty in finding a suitable tree for the mast.It was a young fir without knots, and it was only necessary to cut the mast square and round the top.The ironware used for the mast, rudder and hull were all made in the grottoes, although they were rough, they were very strong.In the first week of October, the sails, masts, booms, round timbers, oars, etc. were finally completed, and everyone agreed to make a trial voyage around the island to get acquainted with the sailing performance of the ship and the available sails. degree. During this period, all necessary work is going on as usual.The mouflon sheep and goats had a large number of new lambs, and it was necessary to keep them fed and sheltered, so the corral was enlarged.The settlers have also been to other places, such as clam farms, rabbit farms, coal and iron mining areas, and the unexplored Far West forest area, where there are a lot of birds and animals.They found native plants which, though not so urgently needed, added to the variety in the Granite Palace vegetable storeroom. These are some plants of the Apricot family, some of which are similar to those produced in the Cape of Good Hope, with thick, edible leaves; some seeds contain starch. On October 10, the new boat was launched.The shipbuilding was a complete success, and Pencroft was beaming.After the rigging on the boat was assembled and the boat was pushed to the water's edge with rollers, when the tide rose, the boat floated to the cheers of the immigrants.Pencroft yelled with special vigor, and he was really ecstatic at the moment.Besides, after the ship is built, his work is not over, because he still needs to dispatch and command.With unanimous admiration, he accepted the title of captain with honor.In order to satisfy Captain Pencroft, it was now necessary to give the ship a name, and after much discussion, it was finally agreed to use the name Riding the Wind and the Waves.As soon as the tide raised the Windbreaker, everyone saw that it was very stable in the water and very easy to steer.The trial voyage was decided to be held on the same day, and they were going to leave the seashore for a voyage.The weather was fine and the sea was calm, especially along the southern coast, because the wind was from the northwest that day. All aboard.Captain Pencroft gave his orders.They had breakfast before setting off, and it was thought best to take some provisions on board, as they might not return from this voyage until evening. Cyrus.Smith, too, was anxious to try out the ship, for the design of the ship was his own, with some modifications made according to the opinions of the sailors.But he was not so confident as Pencroft, and Smith wished he had dismissed the idea of ​​the island afterward, when the sailor made no further mention of the island.Indeed, the engineer would not at all approve of the adventurousness of two or three companions in this little boat, which could carry no more than fifteen tons. At half-past ten, with all Top and Jup included, Herbert pulled up the anchor, which had sunk deep into the sands of the Mercy Estuary.They hoisted their sails, and hoisted the flag of Lincoln Island from the masthead, and the Rider, steered by Pencroft, set out for the sea. The ship sailed with the wind blowing from Union Bay, and, as Pencroft said, very fast; and her masters saw the situation with great satisfaction.Rounding Relic Point and Claw Point, the captain tackled and steered the ship along the southern shore of the deserted island; it was now seen that she sailed well, and did not exceed five bearings from the direction of the wind.The sailors were all very happy, their ship was in good shape, and would be of great help to them when necessary, and as long as the weather was warm and the weather was fine, the voyage would be smooth. Pencroft now steered the ship ashore, three or four miles from Balloon Harbor.Now they saw the island in its entirety, and it was a new sight, and along the shore, from Cape Claw to Cape Reptilian, the scenery was constantly changing, and the dark color of the fir-trees in the forest contrasted sharply with the fresh green of the other trees. , at a glance, green everywhere, only the peak of Mount Franklin, still covered with white snow. how beautiful!cried Herbert. Yes, our island is beautiful and fine, said Pencroft, and I love it as I love my poor mother.We were lonely when we first came here, but now what do we five people who have fallen from the sky lack? Nothing less, replied Neb, and nothing less, Captain. So the two warriors cheered three times and paid homage to the island! At this time, Ji Ding.Spilett has been leaning against the mast, painting the picture of the movement unfolding in front of him. Cyrus.Smith watched silently. Mr Smith, asked Pencroft, what do you think of our ship? Seems good.replied the engineer. good!Now do you think it can sail to farther places? Where are you going, Pencroft? For example, go to Bao Island. My friend, Smith replied, if there is any emergency, I might as well take the Windbreaker to go further afield, but you must know that I am really worried when I see you arrive at Bao Island, since it is not necessary , then why take the risk. Everyone wants to know about the neighbors, and the sailor said that he has not changed his mind. Tabor Island is our neighbor, and the only neighbor!It is polite to pay a visit, too. Ah, said Spilett, our friend Pencroft is suddenly becoming polite! I don't care about anything.Sailor retorted.The engineer's insistence on objecting displeased him, but he didn't want the engineer to worry about him. Think, Pencroft, continued Smith, that you cannot reach the Isle of Poor by yourself. It's enough to have someone to accompany me. Be that as it may, replied the engineer, in this way you risk losing two of the five inhabitants of Lincoln Island. Six inhabitants, said Pencroft, you have forgotten Japp. Seven, Neb added, and Top deserved one. Not at all dangerous, Mr. Smith.replied Pencroft. It may not be dangerous, Pencroft; but I repeat, it is really an unnecessary risk. The stubborn sailor stopped answering, and the conversation came to an end here, but he decided to continue the conversation in the future.He did not expect that an event would soon occur that would fulfill him and would turn what had at first been a wish that was not necessarily meaningful would suddenly become a good deed that must be done. After sailing off the shore for a while, the Windbreaker sailed towards the coast of Balloon Harbor.The channel between the sandbars and reefs must be surveyed, and if necessary buoyed, for the creek will be a harbor for ships. They were less than half a mile from the shore, and had to steer ahead against the sea wind, facing diagonally.Because the wind was blocked by a part of the high ground, the speed of the Windbreaker was very slow. At this time, even the sails on the ship could not be inflated, and the sea surface was as calm as a mirror, only occasionally when the wind blew, there were ripples. Herbert, who had been standing on the prow, indicating the direction of sailing in the strait, suddenly shouted: "Go to the wind, Pencroft, go to the wind!" What's the matter, asked the sailor, is there a reef? In a moment, said Herbert, I can't see clearly, and now turn to the right toward the wind. said Herbert, leaning sideways, and putting his hand into the water, and pulling out something, exclaimed: a bottle! In his hand he carried a corked bottle which he had fished from within a few anchor lines of shore. Cyrus.Smith took the bottle.He uncorked the bottle without a word, and took out a piece of paper that was already soaked, on which was written: The victim's Dabao Island: Longitude 153 degrees west, latitude 37 degrees 11 minutes south.