Chapter 45 third chapter

The night passed without incident.Facing life and death, the residents did not leave their posts in the Grotto.On the other hand, the pirates seemed to have no intention of going ashore.Not since the last shot had been fired upon Ayrton from the ship, not even a sound had been made to suggest that he was still near the isle.Could it be that it has pulled anchor and set sail?Maybe it is afraid of confronting its opponents and has left the coast? However, this is not the case. When the dawn broke, the residents could see a hazy black shadow through the early morning mist, and that was the Speedy.

My friends, the engineer said that the fog can make us invisible to the pirates, so that our actions will not attract the attention of the pirates.The most important thing is to make the criminals think that there are enough people on the island to resist them.Therefore, until the fog clears, I think we'd better prepare like this: divide our men into three groups, the first to guard here at the Grotto, and the second to guard at the mouth of the Mercy River.As for the third way, I think it is best to put it on the small island, because it can prevent them there or at least prevent them from landing.We have two rifles and four muskets.Everyone is armed, we have as much ammunition as we can spare.We need not fear the muskets on board, nor the cannon.There are these rocks for cover.What else could they do?As long as we don't shoot from the windows of Granite Palace, they won't blow it up with cannon.All that was to be feared was hand-to-hand combat, for the criminals were numerous.Therefore, we must find a way to prevent them from logging in without exposing ourselves.Therefore, don't be reluctant to use ammo.Shoot as much as you can, but aim before you fire.Each of us must strive to kill eight to ten enemies, and we must completely wipe them out!

Cyrus.Smith had explained their situation clearly.His voice was calm, as if he was dispatching a job rather than directing a battle.His companions silently agreed to this arrangement.All that needs to be done now is to take their positions before the fog clears, and there is nothing else to do.Neb and Pencroft immediately went up to Granite Palace, and returned with a large quantity of ammunition.Ji Ding.Both Spilett and Ayrton were good marksmen, and each carried a rifle capable of firing almost a mile.Four muskets were divided among Smith, Neb, Pencroft, and Herbert. The positions of each individual are arranged as follows:

Cyrus.Smith and Herbert were in ambush near the Grotto, and took charge of guarding the shore below Granite Palace. Ji Ding.Spilett and Neb lay in ambush among the rocks at the mouth of the Mercy, over which the drawbridge had been raised, to prevent anyone from crossing by boat or landing on the opposite bank. Ayrton and Pencroft were to row across the channel, and take a place on the island.In this way, fire can be launched from four different locations at the same time, and the criminals will think that the island is not only crowded, but also has strong defenses. If Ayrton and Pencroft were unable to prevent the landing of the pirates, and if they were to be cut off by their boats, they should return to shore by boat, and go to the threatened point.

Before setting off to the various positions, the settlers shook hands one last time. Pencroft embraced his boy Herbert, and with all his strength restrained his affection, they parted. After a while, Smith with Herbert, and the correspondent with Neb, disappeared behind the rocks.It took only five minutes for Ayrton and Pencroft to cross the strait smoothly, landed on the small island, and hid themselves among the rocks on the east coast. They could not see, nor could they see the boat in the mist. It was half past six in the morning. Soon the mist lifted, and the topmast of the ship was exposed in the mist.A few minutes later large sheets of thick fog rolled over the sea and were quickly blown away by the breeze.

The Speedy was now fully exposed, with a drag line attached to her hawse, her bow facing north, her port side facing the island.It was no more than a mile and a quarter from shore, as Smith reckoned. The gloomy black flag was still flying over the ship. The engineer saw through the telescope that the four guns on the ship were all facing the desert island.Apparently they were ready to fire at any moment. At this time, there was still no movement from the Speedo.There were about thirty pirates walking about the deck.Several were in the stern; two others stood between the shrouds with small glasses in their hands, watching the island carefully.

Obviously, Bob.It was difficult for Harvey and his men to comprehend what was happening on the ship at night.The half-naked man forcefully opened the door of the powder magazine and fought with them. He fired a total of six shots, killing one of them and wounding two. Was this man finally killed by them? ?Did he go ashore?Where did he come from?What is his purpose?Really like Bob.Want to blow up the brig, as Harvey thought?These questions must have completely baffled the criminals.But there was one thing they were sure of: the unnamed island in front of the Speedy was inhabited, and there were probably many settlers ready to defend it.However, no matter whether it was on the shore or on the high hills, there was no one in sight.There seemed to be no one on the beach at all, at least there was no sign of a house.Had the inhabitants fled inland?This is probably what the pirate captain guessed. He is very meticulous, and he will definitely conduct reconnaissance first, and then let his subordinates go ashore.

An hour and a half passed, and there was still no sign of an attack or landing on board.Obviously, Bob.Harvey was still hesitating.Despite using the most powerful telescopes, he couldn't see any of the inhabitants lurking in the rocks.As for the green branches and creeping vines which shaded the windows of Granite Palace, although they were quite striking on the smooth rock, they probably did not attract his attention at all.Indeed, how could he imagine that in such a high place, people could actually make a solid granite platform into a habitable house.From Cape Claw, along the whole of Union Bay to Cape Jawbone, there was nothing to make him think that there were or could be people on the island.

At eight o'clock the emigrants finally saw someone on the Speedy moving.A boat was lowered and seven men jumped into it.They all carried muskets.One of them held the helm, four at the oars, and the other two leaned over the bow to watch the island, ready to fire.Their purpose was obviously to do a reconnaissance, not to land.If you plan to log in, there will definitely be more people coming.From their watchtowers the pirates could see that the coast of the desert island was sheltered by a small island, and the channel between the island and the islet was half a mile wide.However, Cyrus.Smith immediately knew from the direction of the boat that they did not intend to enter the strait, but to land on a small island.

Pencroft and Ayrton each concealed themselves in a cleft of the rock, watched the boat come straight towards them, and waited for it to come within range. The boat moved cautiously, making only long strokes with the oars.One of the convicts can now be seen holding a plumb line in his hand, intending to measure the depth of the strait which the Mercy River has sunk into.This shows that Bob.Harvey intended to keep the boat as close to shore as possible.Between the rigging there were about thirty pirates on board, watching the boat's movements and looking for landmarks where it would be safe to land.The boat stopped within two anchor lines of the island.The man at the helm stood up and looked for the best place to go ashore.

Only two shots were heard at this time.Light smoke curled up from the rocks of the island.The man at the helm and the man who measured the waters were all down in the boat.The bullets of Ayrton and Pencroft hit them both at the same time. Almost at the same moment a louder shot was heard, a puff of smoke rose from the side of the brig, and a shell fell on the top of the rock which sheltered Ayrton and Pencroft, sending pieces of stone flying, but the two gunners None were injured. The occupants of the boat yelled, and immediately continued on.The man at the helm had changed, and the others rowed the prize quickly.Unexpectedly, instead of turning back, it sailed along the coast, intending to round the southern tip of the island.The pirates rowed desperately, trying to escape the range of their rifles. After making a half circle, they came within five anchor chains of the bank of Relic Point, and continued under cover of the brig's guns towards the mouth of the Mercy. Their intention was obviously to enter the strait and cut off the return of the settlers on the small island, no matter how many people there were on the island, to put them at a very disadvantageous position between the firepower of the two ships. The boat continued in this direction for a quarter of an hour.There was no sound at all around, and the sea was calm. Pencroft and Ayrton knew that they were in danger of being cut off, but they did not leave their post, unwilling to expose themselves to the attacking enemy and to the gunfire of the Speeding; Man.Spilett, and Cyrus who was lying in ambush among the rocks near the grotto.Smith and Herbert will assist them. Twenty minutes after the first shot the boat was within two anchor lines of the Mercy.The tide was just beginning to rise at this time, and the water was, as usual, very rough, owing to the narrowness of the strait.The pirates' boats were swept to the mouth of the river, and it was with great difficulty that they remained in the middle of the strait.But as soon as the pirates came within a reasonable distance of the mouth of the Mercy, Neb and Spilett fired two shots at them, neither of which missed, and two more men in the boat went down. Immediately the ship fired again at the place of smoke, but it was the same as before, only smashing the rocks to pieces. Now there were only three useful people left in the boat.It followed the current like an arrow through the channel, and passed in front of Smith and Herbert.They think that if they are not within range, they are not shooting.Then the boat, propelled by the only remaining oars, rounded the northern tip of the island and returned to the brig. So far, the people on the island have nothing to complain about.Their enemies were in for a bad luck, and four of the pirates were either dead or badly wounded.On the contrary, none of the residents were injured, and every shot hit the enemy.If the pirates continued to attack like this, if they still planned to use small boats to land, then they could be wiped out one by one. Now it can be seen that the engineer is well dispatched.The pirates will think that the opponent not only has a large number of people, but also has excellent weapons, so it is not easy to win. The boat rowed against the current, and it took half an hour before it approached the Speedy.When they and the wounded returned to the boat, there was only screaming and screaming, and then two or three shots were fired without any purpose. But now a dozen or more criminals, probably still under the influence of the night-time revelry, jumped into the boat in a rage.At the same time, the second boat was lowered, and there were eight people in it.The first boat rowed straight for the island, intending to drive off the settlers on the island, and the second prepared to storm the mouth of the Mercy. Under these circumstances, Pencroft and Ayrton were evidently in such a dangerous position that they felt that they must return to their island. Still, they waited for the first boat to come within range, and fired two accurate shots, instantly throwing the occupants into a state of confusion.Pencroft and Ayrton left their position under heavy fire, crossed the island quickly, and jumped into the boat.When the second boat reached the southern end, they had crossed the channel and hid in the grotto. They had just returned to Cyrus.Beside Smith and Herbert, the pirates occupied all parts of the island.At this time, gunshots also came from the mouth of the Mercy River.The pirate's second boat was steaming toward the mouth of the Mercy.Of the eight people on board, two were killed by Gideon.Spilett and Neb were beaten to death.The boat hit the rocks out of control, and when it reached the mouth of the Mercy River, the boat entered the water.But the six living men, holding their muskets aloft to protect them from the flooding, mounted to the right bank of the river.When they realized that they were exposed to the fire range of the ambush, they fled towards the place where the bullets could not reach the corner of the relic. The actual situation is this: there are twelve criminals on the island, some of them must be injured, but they still have a small boat.There were six convicts on the island, who could not reach Granite Palace because the drawbridges had been pulled up and they could not cross the river. Say, Pencroft, breaking into the grotto, "Now, Mr. Smith, what do you think we shall do?" I think, replied the engineer, that a new battle has now begun.The criminals would never be so stupid as to be willing to hold such an unfavorable position! They cannot cross the Channel, said the sailor, and the presence of Ayrton and M. Spilett will stop them.You know, their rifles can go a mile away! Of course, replied Herbert, but how could two muskets stand against the brig's cannon. The ship has not come into the strait yet!said Pencroft. But what if it comes into the channel?Smith asked. That is impossible, if it does that, it may be stranded and destroyed! It is still possible, said Ayrton, that at low tide, yes, there might be a risk of stranding; but the convicts might come into the channel at high tide.At that time, under its artillery fire, our position could not be defended. Damn it!exclaimed Pencroft, it seemed as though the wretched company were heaving anchor. We may have to hide in Granite Palace!Herbert said. Or wait a little longer!Cyrus.Smith said. But what about M. Spilett and Neb?said Pencroft. They'll come to us then.Ayrton, get ready.Now it's time to use your and Spilett's rifles. Sure enough, the Speedy weighed anchor.It was evidently intending to approach the island.The time for ebbing was past, and the tide was yet to rise for an hour and a half, in which case the brig was very convenient to move forward.As to entering the Channel, Pencroft disagreed with Ayrton, for he thought that the brig would not have ventured so far. At this time, the pirates on the small island had gradually come to the opposite shore, and there was only one strait away from the main island. The pirates had only muskets, so they couldn't hurt the inhabitants of the Grotto and the mouth of the Mercy.The pirates had no idea that the other side had long-range rifles, so they didn't know they were exposed to the enemy's fire.So they observed the island and patrolled the coast without cover. Their delusions were soon shattered.Ayrton and Keating.Spilett's rifle rang out.No doubt the bullets brought bad news to the convicts, two of whom fell. Then they all panicked.The other ten people fled quickly on the other side of the island, regardless of the casualties of their partners, and even climbed onto the boat they took, and rowed away desperately. Eight less!indeed, exclaimed Pencroft, M. Spilett and Ayrton fired simultaneously, as if at the command. Gentlemen, said Ayrton, reloading, the situation is getting worse.The brig is ready to sail! It's weighing anchor!cried Pencroft. Yes, it has moved. In fact, they could already hear the winch clearly.The Speedy was at first held by the anchor, and as soon as the anchor was weighed she began to drift towards the shore.The wind was blowing from the sea, and the jib and foremast sails were stretched on the ship, and it gradually approached the island. The people in the two positions of Mercy River and Grotto hid themselves well, but they couldn't hide their excitement.Once they exposed themselves to the gunfire of the enemy ship approaching, they were completely unable to fight back.Is there anything more terrifying than this?How can we stop the pirates from landing? Cyrus.Smith felt this fully, and he wondered what to do.It will not be long before he is called upon to make a decision.But how to decide?Relying on the abundance of food stored, hiding in the Granite Palace, staying there for weeks, or even months?This is of course also good!But what to do next?The pirates would also be the masters of the island, they would ravage it, and in due time they would revenge themselves by massacring those trapped in the Granite Grotto. However, there is one last chance: Bob.Perhaps Harvey would not have ventured into the channel, but had stayed just outside the island.If so, he was still half a mile from the sea, beyond which distance the shot would not have been very effective. Never will!Pencroft repeated that if Bob.Harvey is an old sailor, he will never come to the channel!He must have known that the brig was in danger when the water was not high!After losing the ship, what should he do? By this time the brig was approaching the island.It can be seen that it is trying to drive downward.The wind is light and the force of the tide is greatly diminished, Bob.Harvey has full control of his boat. It followed the route of the boat, scouted the strait, and boldly drove into the strait. Now the pirate's intention is very obvious: he intends to direct the side artillery fire to the grotto, and counterattack to the place where he killed his companion. The Speedy soon reached the top of the small island and went around smoothly. The mainsail was hoisted on the ship, and it sailed straight to the opposite side of the mouth of the Mercy River, grabbing the wind. damn thing!Here they come!said Pencroft. At this time, Neb and Gideon.Spilett returned to Cyrus.Here comes Smith, Ayrton, Sailor, and Herbert. The reporter and his companions saw before retreating that it would be better to abandon their position on the Mercy, where the brig could hardly be met, and they took this wise move.In times of crisis, immigrants are better off sticking together.Ji Ding.Spilett and Neb came back evasively from behind the rock, and though they drew a burst of fire, they missed them. Spilett!Naboo!The engineer said loudly, are you not hurt? No!The correspondent replied that the bullet had only bruised a little, and that damned ship was already in the channel! Yes, said Pencroft, it will be in front of Granite Palace in ten minutes! Do you have any plans, Cyrus?asked the correspondent. There is still time, we have to hide in Granite Palace, the criminals will not see us. I agree, Keating.Spilett said, however, in case of being besieged Until then we'll play it by ear.said the engineer. Well, let's go!said the correspondent. Mr Smith, would it be all right to keep Ayrton and me here?asked the sailor. What is the use of it, Pencroft?Smith replied, no, let's not scatter! There is no time to waste now.The settlers left the grotto.The crooked rocks hid them, so that the brig did not see their retreat.But two or three shots, and the sound of bullets smashing rocks, showed that the Speedy was not far away. It took only a minute for the immigrants to jump into the elevator, ascend to the gate of Granite Palace, and rush into the hall.Top and Japp were still inside where they had locked up the night before. They came back just in time.Residents could see the Scooter sailing into the channel through the smog through the branches.The gunshots continued, and the four cannons blindly bombarded the Mercy River position and the grottoes that were no longer occupied.Rocks were broken into pieces.Every time a cannon was fired, the pirates cheered for a while.Thanks to Smith covering up the windows, everyone hopes that Granite Palace may be spared.However, at this moment, a shell suddenly passed through the door and hit the corridor. We've been spotted!cried Pencroft. Maybe the immigrants haven't been discovered yet, but one thing's for sure: Bob.Harvey thought the foliage covering this part of the cliff suspicious, so he fired.Immediately he stepped up his attack, and a second shot opened the sheltered foliage, exposing the cleft in the granite wall. Immigrants are desperate.The shelter has been exposed.They could neither stop the fierce artillery fire nor protect the stone wall from the bombardment of the artillery fire, and the rubble was flying horizontally around them.The only way now is to hide in the upper corridor of Granite Palace.As for the housing, it had to be destroyed.At this moment, there was a sudden muffled sound, followed by miserable cries. Cyrus.Smith and his companions hurried to a window. A jet of water violently tossed the brig up and broke it in two. In less than ten seconds, even the boat and its people sank into the sea!