Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Sergeant Martial and His Nephew

The trio of geographers, of course, were far from being a harmonious whole. The time of departure was set on August 12, which was the rainy season with abundant precipitation. In the room of a hotel in Ciudad Bolivar, two travelers were talking to each other about eight o'clock the night before.The windows of the room were open towards Alameda Plaza, letting in a cool breeze. At this moment one of the young travelers stood up and said to the other in French: Listen, dear Martial, before I go to bed, I have to remind you one more time of all this we talked about before we set off. Since you want to do this, let

You see, when Jean screamed, you forgot your current role as soon as you opened your mouth! my role? yeah you don't call me what you call me Oh yes!Damn you!You call me no!What do you want me to do?I can't get used to it for a while Can't get used to it?Poor Sergeant!Why do you think so?It's been a month since we left France, and you've always called me you during the sea voyage from Saint-Nazaire to Caracas. It's true!Sergeant Marshall said. Now that we are in Bolivar City, we are about to start our trip. How much happiness it will bring us? Of course, it may be disappointment or even pain.

Jean said these words full of excitement, his chest puffed up and his eyes moistened.But he checked himself when he saw the worried look on Sergeant Martial's rugged face. He tried to make himself smile, and said in a gentle tone: Yes, now that I've just arrived in Ciudad Bolivar, you forgot that now you're my uncle and I'm your nephew How stupid am I!Sergeant Marshall said, slapping himself on the forehead hard. No, you're just a little confused.Now it's not you who remind me, but you say, dear Martial, shouldn't the uncle call you the nephew? Yes. Besides, have I not set you an example by calling you since we embarked from France?

Yeah but it's not enough when you start calling it that Not small enough!Jean interrupted him, emphasizing the last note. yes tiny!Sergeant Martial repeated, his eyes softening as soon as they met his nephew. Don't forget, said the young man, that children pronounce pequeno in Spanish. Pequeno, Sergeant Martial read it again, um, I know this word!In addition to this, I know about fifty characters and I won’t remember them no matter how hard I study! oh!stubborn!Let's say, didn't I teach you a little Spanish every day while I was sailing across the Atlantic on the Pereyre

What do you want me to do, Jean?A veteran of my age, who has spoken French all his life, is now going to learn the bird language spoken by Andalusian women!Seriously, I'm struggling to learn Spanish, like who said You will learn, my good Martial. I can now use about fifty words in conversation.I will eat: Deme usted algo de comer, drink: Deme usted de beber, want to sleep, I will say: Deme usted una cama, ask for directions, I will say: Enseneme usted el camino, ask for the price, I will say: Cuanto vale esto?I will also thank: Gracias!Will say hello: Bueros dias, good evening is Buenas noches, asks how the body is Como esta usted?I can also curse, as the Aragonese or the Castilians do: Carambi de carambo de caramba

OK, OK!Let his face turn red, stop him quickly, I didn't teach you these swear words, you'd better not speak them out What do you want me to do, Jean?Old habits of non-commissioned officers!All my life I have been swearing and swearing all my life, and I always feel that speaking without a few such words is boring!This foreign dialect, you speak softly like a senora (meaning lady, madam), what I like to hear is What is it, Martial? Well, of course, there are a lot of foul language in it, there are enough, there is a polite sentence and a curse word And the first thing you remember is the foul language

I admit it, Jean, but when I was under Colonel Kellmer he wouldn't have blamed me for anything I said. Upon hearing Colonel Kellmer's name, the boy's expressive face showed great shock, and Sergeant Martial also had a teardrop welling up in the corner of his eye. You know, Jean, he said, if God came and told me: Sergeant, in an hour you'll hold the Colonel's hand, but in two minutes I'll strike you dead.Then I will say to God: Okay, God, let the lightning strike me, it is best to hit the heart! Jean walked up to the veteran, wiped his tears for him, and looked at this good man with love. He was straightforward, honest and honest. The old man hugged the young man to his chest, and the young man pushed his arm, saying coquettishly: You can't Love me so much, Sergeant!

is it possible? can and must at least in front of people, when someone is looking at us when no one is watching Then you can be close to me, but be careful It's so hard to do! You won't find it difficult to do what you have to do, don't forget that I am a nephew who needs strict discipline from an uncle Strict discipline!Sergeant Marshall raised his big hands to the sky and said. Yes you have to take your nephew on the trip because you can't leave him alone at home and maybe he will do something stupid Stupid thing! You want your nephew to be a soldier like you a soldier!

Yes a soldier so you have to be strict with him and don't hesitate to teach him when he makes a mistake What if he didn't make a mistake? He'll do it, Jean smiles, 'cause he's a bad recruit Bad recruit! You'll reprimand him in public Then apologize to him in private!cried Sergeant Marshall. Do it if you like, my good fellow, as long as no one sees it! Martial watched, making sure no one could see them in the tightly locked hotel room, before giving his nephew a kiss. Now, my friend, let's say, it's time to go to bed, go to your room next door, and I'll close the door and go to sleep.

Do you want me to watch at your door?Sergeant Marshall asked. no need no danger probably, but If you had spoiled me like this from the beginning, you would not be able to play the role of Uncle Yan well. Uncle Yan!Can I be strict with you? It had to be done so well to avoid suspicion. So Jean, why did you come here in the first place? Because I should come. Why don't you stay with us at Chantenay or Nantes? Because my duty requires me to come. Can't I do this trip alone? cannot. Dealing with danger is what I do!This is what I've been doing all my life!The same danger is not the same for us.

That's why I'm going to be your nephew, my uncle. ah!Ask the colonel for his opinion on that!Sergeant Marshall said. how to ask?Jean's face darkened. No no way to ask!But when we got to San Fernando and got the definite news, what would he say if we could see him again? He'll be grateful to his old men for agreeing to my request and allowing me to take part in this trip!He will hug you tightly and praise you for fulfilling your responsibilities, just as I have fulfilled my responsibilities! But anyway, cried Sergeant Marshall, you're making me go round! This is normal, you are my uncle, and the uncle always listens to the nephew, of course, I mean in private! Yes, privately this is our rule! So now, my good Martial, go back and get some sleep.Tomorrow morning we have to take a boat up the Orinoco, and we can't be late. Good night, Jean. Good night, my friend, my only friend!See you tomorrow, may God bless us! Sergeant Marshall went to the door, pushed the door and walked out, closed it gently again, and told Jean to lock it with a key inside, and put the bolt on.Then, putting his ear to the door, he remained motionless for a moment, hearing Jean say a prayer before going to bed.Martial didn't return to his room until he was sure that the boy was lying down. He had his own unique way of praying, which was to beat his head with his fist and say: Yes!May God bless us!Because it's going to be so damn hard! Who are these two Frenchmen?Where do they come from?Why are they coming to Venezuela?Why do they have to pretend to be uncles and nephews?For what purpose did they sail for the Orinoco, and where did they intend to go up? All these questions have not yet been answered clearly.Maybe we will figure it out in the future, and only in the days to come can we slowly unravel these mysteries. However, the conversation between the two just now can also help us infer some information from it. These two Frenchmen are Bretons, or rather Nantes. It is not difficult to determine their native place, but it is difficult to say the real relationship between them. I do not know how they came together.First of all, who is the Colonel Kellmer they keep mentioning, and why are they so excited every time they talk about him? The boy must have looked between sixteen and seventeen years old, of medium height, and his physique was exceptionally strong for his age.His expression is quite serious, and he is often lost in thought, when his face reveals a trace of sadness.Yet his features were very handsome, his eyes soft, his fine white teeth showing when he smiled, and his ruddy cheeks darkened by the dust of his travels. The other of the two Frenchmen was in his sixties and looked like a typical sergeant, a standard veteran who had been in the army until he was old enough to be discharged.After he retired with the rank of non-commissioned officer, he served in the home of Colonel Kelmer, the old chief.The Colonel had saved Martial's life in the War of 1870-1871.The war ended with the fall of the Second Reich.Many of Colonel Kellmer's old subordinates stayed at his home. These brave veterans were loyal and rude, and they took care of everything at home. No matter how the master objected, they still spoiled the children very much.They let the children sit on their knees bouncing up and down to experience the feeling of riding a horse, and the first tune the children heard was the military music of the veterans. Sergeant Martial, though sixty years old, was still straight and strong.His military career had made him a steel frame, and neither the scorching heat of Senegal nor the severe cold of Russia could do anything to him.He not only has a strong body, but also a strong will.He is not afraid of anything, no one but himself, because he is often thoughtless and impulsive when things happen.He was tall and thin, his limbs were as strong as a young man's, and at such an age, he was still as orderly as when he was in the army.In short, he is what people usually call a veteran of many battles. In people's minds, their image is terrible. However, Martial is such a kind and loyal person, what will he do for his loved ones? You can do it all!As for the people he loves, there are only two in this world, one is Colonel Kellmer, and the other is his nephew Jean. Therefore, he cared for the boy meticulously.Although she has made up her mind to be strict with him, she still can't help but take good care of him.Why do you have to speak to your child in a blunt tone?He shouldn't have been asked to take on a role he didn't like.It is really embarrassing for the old man to blow his beard and stare at people, speak bad words to people, and if necessary, tell people to get out. Something similar happened on the voyage from the Old World to the New.The passengers on the Pereyre were very dissatisfied with the cruel and unreasonable uncle's way of abusing his nephew. Some people tried to get close to the child, talk to him, and give him some care, but when Martial saw that someone was angry with him If he was interested, he rushed forward to drive them away, and ordered them not to provoke his nephew again! Jean was wearing a baggy traveling suit, simple in style, with a baggy jacket and trousers, short-shaven hair, a white cloth helmet, and a pair of thick-soled boots.And Martial is wrapped in a tight uniform. Although it is not a military uniform, it always reminds people of military uniforms. It will be more similar if armbands and epaulettes are added.No matter how others explain it, the climate in Venezuela is hot and humid, and you should wear looser clothes, but Sergeant Martial just doesn't listen.He had also intended to wear a cap, but Jean insisted that he wear a white cloth cap like his own to better protect against the scorching sun. Sergeant Marshall complied, muttering what the sun can do to me!No wonder, his short hair was thick and thick, and his skull was as hard as iron. Needless to say, the suitcases of the uncle and nephew brought a lot of clothes, underwear, toiletries, shoes, etc., which are essential for travel. If you don’t bring enough, you won’t be able to get it anywhere. They also brought quilts, and ample ammunition for weapons: a pair of revolvers for Jean, another pair for Sergeant Martial, plus a carbine, which Martial, the sharpshooter, would use if necessary. power. when necessary?Could it be said that the Orinoco River Basin is really so dangerous that it needs to be on guard all the time like when it is operating in the Central African countries?Is it true that the Indian tribes who like to rob, slaughter, and eat human flesh search and plunder on both sides of the river and its surrounding areas all day long? The answer is both yes and no. As Miguel, Felipe, and Varinas had said, the lower Orinoco, from Ciudad Bolivar to the mouth of the Apure River, was perfectly safe.San Fernando, from the mouth of the Apure River to the mouth of the Atabab River, is the middle reaches of the river, and more care should be taken, especially against the Cueva Indians.It's hard to tell if you go further upstream, because the people who haunt there are all uncivilized savages. We already knew that Miguel and his two colleagues had no intention of going further than San Fernando.Will Sergeant Martial and his nephew go any further?Is their destination even further away?Could some accident extend their journey all the way to the headwaters of the Orinoco?No one knows, not even themselves. One fact is certain, and that is that Colonel Kellmer came to Venezuela from France fourteen years ago.Why did he want to leave his country without even telling his old comrades before leaving?What is he doing in Venezuela?What happened?Perhaps the development of the story will tell us the answer.Judging from Sergeant Marshall's conversation with the teenager, they know very little about this issue. The activities of the two before coming to Venezuela are as follows: Three weeks ago, they left their home in Chantenay, a small town near Nantes, and boarded the Pereyre, a passenger liner of the Atlantic Steamship Company bound for the Antilles in Saint-Nazaire, where they arrived at the terminal again. Take another boat to the seaport of La Guaira, then change to a train, and within a few hours arrive at Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. They stayed only a week in Caracas.This is a picturesque city, and the height difference of more than 1,000 meters between the upper and lower cities is even more a spectacle in the eyes of some tourists.But neither Martial nor Jean took a close tour of the city.An earthquake in 1812 killed 12,000 people. Since then, houses have been built with lightweight materials to reduce casualties in earthquakes.Climb up the Calvi hill in the city, and you can have a panoramic view of the whole city.But Martial and Jean didn't take the time to go up and have a look. But in this city, they still saw something.In the beautiful park, the trees are evergreen all year round, several beautiful public buildings, the Presidential Palace, a magnificent cathedral, a platform overlooking the blue Andean Sea, and all the charms of a metropolis with a population of more than 100,000. That vitality and energy. But the beauty before them did not distract the two travelers for a moment, and they never forgot what they had come for.For a week, they were busy collecting information every day to prepare for the upcoming trip.This way they may go all the way to that distant and unknown land in Venezuela.So far, the materials and information they have collected are not so accurate, and they hope to have more gains in San Fernando.Jean had made up his mind that he would go as far as he could go from San Fernando, even the most dangerous places above the Orinoco. Sergeant Marshall didn't want to take such a big risk. He wanted to use the authority of the elders to stop this operation, but the veteran also knew that this young man had a stubbornness that was not commensurate with his age, and no one could shake his will. Even if objections were raised, they would eventually have to be withdrawn, so he agreed to the plan. The two Frenchmen, therefore, set out again the day after their arrival in Ciudad Bolivar, boarding a steamer up and down the Orinoco. May God bless us, let say in prayer, yes!May he keep us safe when we come and go!