Chapter 51 Chapter nine

The teenager's condition improved normally.Now there is only one thing to wait for, which is to carry him back to the Granite Palace when his condition improves to a certain extent.No matter how well built the corrals are, and there is nothing lacking in them, they are never so comfortable and fit for health as Granite House.Also, the corral is not as safe as it is there, and although the residents are very careful, they are afraid that criminals will shoot them secretly.It was different in Granite Palace, in the middle of the solid and high cliffs, there was nothing to worry about inside, and any attempt to attack was doomed to failure.So they waited anxiously, and as soon as Herbert could no longer endanger the wound by moving, they were to set off.Despite great difficulty in getting through the woodpecker wood, they were determined to move back.

They had no news from Neb, but they were not worried about it.Brave Negroes stand in Granite Palace and cannot be attacked.They did not send Top to him again, for it would do no good for the inhabitants to deprive the inhabitants of one of their most valuable assistants, to send the faithful dog to the enemy's shooting. So they waited, though they were anxious to get to the party at Granite Palace.The engineer was distressed to see that his forces were spread out, and that the pirates could take advantage of them.Since Ayrton's disappearance, there were only four of them left against the five bandits, and Herbert, of course, could not now be counted; this concerned the brave boy very much, and he was well aware of the difficulty he was causing them all.

On November 26th, when Herbert was asleep and out of hearing, CyrusSmith, Keating.Spilett and Pencroft discussed at length how to deal with pirates in their circumstances. My friends, after they had spoken of Neb and the impossibility of communicating with him, said the correspondent, I thought as you did, that if you ventured back from the corral road, you would be beaten rather than fought back.In my opinion, we might as well go after these bandits with great fanfare. I quite agree, said Pencroft, and I dare say that we are not afraid of the bullet; and for my part, I will rush into the woods at any time, if Mr. Smith will allow me to do so!It's really unreasonable!As long as it is human, isn't one worth one?

But is it worth five?asked the engineer. I will go with Pencroft, said the correspondent, both of us armed, with Top My dear Spilett, and you, Pencroft, said Smith, let us think about it calmly.If the criminals were hiding somewhere on a desert island, and if we had scouted out that place and just waited to get them out, I would have attacked them straight away; but on the contrary, they would have shot us first, There is no doubt about it. But, Mr. Smith, cried Pencroft, the bullet does not necessarily hit. Herbert has been hit, Pencroft, said the engineer, and, on second thought, you two have left the corral, and I am alone in defense here.Do you think the criminals won't be able to see you when you go?They know that there is no one else here, but a wounded child and me. Wouldn't they let you go into the forest and attack here while you are away?

You are right, Mr. Smith, replied Pencroft, breathlessly; they know that there is everything in the corral, and they will do everything in their power to reoccupy the corral; of course you alone cannot stop it. them. Oh, if only we were in Granite Palace! If we were in Granite Palace, said the engineer, the situation would be quite different.Leave Herbert there in the care of one, and let the other three search the woods, and I need not worry at all.But now we're in the corral, and it's best not to leave until we can walk together. Cyrus.Smith's argument was irrefutable, and his partners knew it all too well.

If only Ayrton was still alive!Ji Ding.Poor man, said Spilett!His return to the collective was only for such a short period of time. Does that mean he is dead.Pencroft added in a strange voice. Do you think, then, Pencroft, that the bandits did not kill him?Ji Ding.asked Spilett. Yes, they wouldn't have killed him if it was in their favor. What?Do you think Ayrton will forget the benefit we have done him when he sees his former henchmen? So who knows?He also felt that this kind of shameful thought was a little hard to say, so he hesitated when he said it. Pencroft, said Smith, taking the sailor's arm, it is a very bad idea, and if you persist in saying it, you will pain me very much.I can vouch for Ayrton's faithfulness.

I can also guarantee it.The correspondent hastily added. Yes, yes, Mr. Smith, I am mistaken, said Pencroft, and I think so badly that I have no grounds for it.But what can I do?I'm already dizzy.Being in the corral all day bores me like hell, and I've never been more restless than I am now. Be patient, Pencroft, said the engineer. My dear Spilett, how long do you think it will take to carry Herbert to Granite Palace? That's hard to say, Cyrus, replied the correspondent, for a little carelessness can lead to serious consequences.But he is getting better day by day now. If he continues to increase his physical strength, then eight days from now, well, let's wait and see.

eight days!This means that the return to Granite Palace will be postponed until the beginning of December.It's been two months of spring now.The weather is fine and it's starting to heat up.The branches and leaves of the forest on the deserted island have grown very luxuriantly, and according to the season, the harvest time is coming soon.Therefore, after returning to the highlands of Prospect Heights, in addition to thoroughly exploring the deserted island as planned, the next step is to go to work. It can be seen from this that the losses suffered by the immigrants who were trapped in the corrals in this way were very serious.

They had to make concessions under such circumstances, but they were very anxious in their hearts. Once or twice the correspondent ventured out into the road outside the fence, and went round the fence.Top was with him, Keating.Spilett pulled the trigger, ready for any danger. He encountered no disaster, and found no suspicious traces.If there was any danger, Top would have warned him; and since it didn't bark, it could be said that at least there was nothing to worry about at the time, and the criminals must have been doing something else on the island. On November 27th, Keating.Spilett made a second reconnaissance, heading south of the mountain, venturing a quarter of a mile deeper into the forest.This time he felt that Top seemed to smell something.It's not as careless as it used to be.It ran to and fro, searching among the weeds and bushes, as if it smelled something suspicious.

Ji Ding.Spilett followed Top, encouraging it, calling its attention, keeping watch, hiding behind a tree, ready to shoot at any moment.Perhaps it was not man that Top smelt; for if it was man, according to his past habit, he always growled sullenly and lowly.Now it is not roaring, it can be seen that there is no danger nearby, and there is no sign of imminent danger. Nearly five minutes later, Top was still searching, and the correspondent followed him cautiously.Suddenly, Top rushed to a thick foliage bush, and in a few moments he brought out a rag. It was a dirty rag, and Spilett immediately took it back to the corral.The emigrants looked at it carefully and saw that it was a piece of felt torn from Ayrton's waistcoat, the product of the unique Granite Palace workshop.

You see, Pencroft, said Smith, that poor Ayrton once resisted.The criminals took him away by force!Do you still suspect him of being unfaithful? No more doubts, Mr. Smith, replied the sailor; I long ago regretted my doubts!But I think a conclusion can be drawn from this incident. What conclusion?asked the correspondent. Ayrton was not killed in the corral!Since he had struggled, he must not have died when he was taken away.So maybe he's still alive! Indeed, it is possible.The engineer replied, still thinking. Ayrton's companions could now cling to such a hope.They had thought so before, that Ayrton had been attacked in the corral, and, like Herbert, had been shot down.If the criminals hadn't killed him in the first place, and if they had taken him alive to other parts of the desert island, could it be considered that he was still their captive?Perhaps some of the criminals recognized Ayrton as the former leader of the fugitives, whose alias was Peng.Juss' Australian partner.Who knows if they will try to get Ayrton back into the company?It would be of great use to them if they could make Ayrton a traitor! After everyone's analysis, the people in the corral agreed that the matter was in their favor, and they no longer thought it impossible to find Ayrton again.As far as Ayrton is concerned, as long as he is still a prisoner, he will try his best to escape from the clutches of the gangsters. This will be a very powerful help to the residents! Anyway!Ji Ding.Spilett said that if Ayrton escaped by chance, he would go directly to the Granite Palace, because he did not know the assassination plot of the gangsters this time, and that Herbert was the victim of the plot, so he Never thought we'd be stuck in the corral! ah!If only he were there, in Granite Palace!cried Pencroft, if only we were there!Otherwise these hooligans, though they can't destroy our houses, might plunder our hills, farms, and poultry yards! Pencroft had become quite a peasant, and his heart was concerned about his crop.But it must be said that it was Herbert who was most anxious to return to Granite Palace, and he knew that the present inhabitants had better return there.But everyone is stuck in the corral because of him!Therefore, there was only one thought in his mind to get out of the corral, when would he be able to leave?He believed he could already withstand the strain of the move.He firmly believes that in his room facing the sea and with sea breeze conditioning the air, his physical strength will definitely recover faster! He urged Ji Ding several times.Spilett, but Spilett never gave the order to leave. His reason was very correct, the wound had not been completely healed, and he was afraid that it would burst open again on the way. However, something happened before long, so that Cyrus.Smith and his two partners had to agree to the teenager's request.God knows, the decision would bring them grief and remorse. At seven o'clock in the evening of November 29th, the three inhabitants were talking in Herbert's room, when Top's rapid barking was heard. Smith, Pencroft, and Spilett seized their guns and ran outside.Top yelled and jumped under the bars, but he seemed happy rather than angry. somebody is coming. Yes. Not the enemy! Could it be Neb? Ayrton perhaps? Before the engineer and his two companions had finished speaking, something jumped over the fence and jumped into the corral. It was Japp, it was Japp himself.Top immediately gave it a warm welcome. Japp!cried Pencroft. Neb must have sent it to us.said the correspondent. Then, said the engineer, it must have a letter on it. Pencroft hastened to the orangutan.It is certain that if Neb had any important message to convey to his master, he could never have had a more reliable and prompt correspondent than Japp; It can go where Top cannot go. Cyrus.Smith guessed right.Under Japp's neck hung a little pocket, in which was a note in Neb's own handwriting. Imagine the annoyance of Smith and his mates when they read the following words. Six o'clock on Friday morning. The Highlands are under attack by criminals. Naboo Everyone, you looked at me and I looked at you, without saying a word, and then went back to the house.What should they do?The criminals are on Prospect Heights!That means disaster, robbery and destruction. Herbert, seeing the engineer, the correspondent, and Pencroft entering, had already guessed that their situation was about to deteriorate again; and when he saw Japp, he had no doubt that misfortune threatened Granite House. Mr. Smith, said he, I must go; I can bear the weariness of the road.I must go. Ji Ding.Spilett went up to Herbert, looked at him for a moment, and then said: Well, let's go! Should Herbert be carried on a stretcher, or in the cart brought by Ayrton?The issue was quickly decided.It is more suitable for the injured teenager to be carried on a stretcher, but it requires two people to carry it. That is to say, if there is an attack on the road, two guns will be missing for self-defense.On the contrary, if you use a large cart, won't you be able to free up all the manpower?As for the fear of bumps along the road, wouldn't they be able to avoid it if they put the mats that Herbert had laid on the car and proceeded as carefully as possible?It can be done. The cart is coming.Pencroft harnessed the wild ass.Cyrus.Smith and the correspondent lifted Herbert, including the mattress, into the cart.The weather is great.The bright sun shone through the trees. Are the guns ready?Cyrus.Smith asked. Everything is ready.The engineer and Pencroft each took a double-barreled gun, and Gideon.Spilett, with his rifle, was now only waiting to go. Don't you feel bad, Herbert?asked the engineer. Mr. Smith, replied the boy, don't worry, I won't die on the road! As he spoke, it could be seen that the poor boy summoned up all his energy, and summoned up his feeble strengths under the force of will. The engineer felt a pang in his heart, and he still hesitated to give the order to go; but what would disappoint Herbert might make him die of discouragement. let's go!Smith said. The gate to the corral opened.Jup and Top knew when to be quiet, and they led the way.After the cart came out, the door was closed again.Pencroft walked slowly forward, leading the wild ass. It would be safer to choose another path instead of the Corral Road; however, it would have to pass under the trees, and it would be very inconvenient for a cart to walk on.Therefore, although criminals are very familiar with this road, they still have to go here. Cyrus.Smith and Keating.Spilett, one on each side, followed the cart, ready to meet the enemy at any time.In fact, most of the criminals hadn't left the heights of Prospect Heights at this time! Neb apparently wrote and sent the letter as soon as he had discovered the criminal.The time written in the letter was six o'clock in the morning.The clever orangutan was used to the corral, and it took almost three quarters of an hour to come here from Granite Palace, which is five miles away.Therefore, they will not encounter any danger on this road.If you want to fight with guns, you probably have to wait until you are not far from the Granite Palace.The immigrants, however, remained wary.Japp and Top, stick in hand, sometimes went forward, and sometimes explored the woods beside the road, without any sign of danger. Pencroft, as guide, led the cart forward slowly.It was seven thirty in the morning when I left the corral.An hour's walk, four miles out of five miles, and nothing happened.All along the road it was as quiet as the whole woodpecker forest between Mercy and Grant Lake.There is nothing to be alarmed about now.The forest was as deserted as when the residents landed on the first day. Almost to the high ground.Another mile and you can see the suspension bridge over the Glycerin River.Cyrus.Smith guessed that the drawbridge must still be in place over the river; he thought that if the convicts had already crossed the bridge and crossed the creek that circled the plateau, they would have taken the drawbridge down as a precaution to fall back on. Finally, through a gap between the trees, the sea level could be seen.The wagon kept going, and none of the escorts wanted to stop it. At this moment Pencroft suddenly reined in the wild ass, and cried out in a hoarse voice: ah!The robbers! He pointed ahead and saw a plume of smoke rising into the sky from the houses of the mill and sheds and poultry farms. In the thick smoke, there is a man moving.That's Naboo. The partners shouted.When Neb heard this, he ran towards them all at once. It turned out that the criminals had destroyed the high ground, and it had been almost half an hour since they left here! Where is Mr. Herbert?asked Neb. Ji Ding.Spilett came back to the cart. Herbert has passed out!