Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven Finding Balendre

Geodetic work continued.They established two observation points one after another, connecting with the last observation point on the river side to form a new triangle.The operation went well, but astronomers had to beware of the snakes that haunted the area, the deadly tree cobras, ten to twelve feet long and deadly. Four days after crossing the Nosubo Rapids, on June 20, the observers came to a patch of green forest, but the undergrowth would not interfere with the triangulation work.On the horizon there are always small hills a few miles apart, perfect for setting up pillars or signposts.This is a sunken country markedly below the general level, and is therefore fertile and damp.William.Here Amory recognized thousands of Holden Dodger fig trees, the fruit of which was so beloved by the Bushmans.The plain stretches broadly among the undergrowth, exuding a fragrance from the myriad scaly roots of a colchicum-like plant.A yellow fruit two or three inches long sits on the root and fills the air with its fragrance.This is Juju Mamalangti, which is especially loved by indigenous children in southern Africa.Nearby a stream ran along a slight slope, and here again patches of herbal watermelon were found fringed with mint, which was so successfully transplanted in England.

Although fertile and suitable for vigorous agriculture, this extremely hot region was rarely visited by nomadic tribes.One can see no trace of the natives here, no Klarer, not even a campfire.There is, however, plenty of water here, forming in many places streams, ponds, several larger lagoons, and two or three rivers that flow rapidly to various tributaries of the Orange River. On this day, the scientists organized a temporary break to wait for the arrival of the expedition.The time limit set by Mokum was about to expire, and if he had calculated correctly, he should arrive today after wading across the lower Nosupo River.

The day passed and still not a single Bushman was seen.Did they encounter difficulties that prevented them from arriving as expected?John.His Excellency Ma Rui believes that the Nuosubo River is still very rich in water during this season and cannot be waded through. Mocum may have to continue south to find a place where it can be waded through.This reason is indeed plausible.Last season's heavy rainfall is sure to cause rare swells in rivers. Astronomers wait.Yet by the end of the day on 22nd June no one from Morcombe was seen coming, and Colonel Everett looked very anxious.When supplies for the expedition began to run low, he would not be able to push further north.The continuation of this delay would have spoiled the success of the experiment.

At this time, Strux reminded everyone that he had proposed to connect the last observation point on this side of the river with the two observation points on the other side and go with the rest of the expedition team. If his suggestion was adopted at that time, It would not be in trouble now, if the fate of the triangulation were to be affected by this delay, and the responsibility would fall on whoever thought it should be, etc., the Russians, etc. in short. Colonel Everett, as one might expect, protested this insinuation from his colleagues, saying that the decision had been made collectively.John.His Excellency Marui intervened, asking for an immediate end to this useless debate, as it is, and all accusations will not change the status quo.So they decided that if the Bushmen's team still couldn't return to the Europeans the next day, Forobel would lead Amory and Zorn, who volunteered themselves, to search in the southwest direction.In the meantime, Colonel Everett and his colleagues remained at camp until the three of them returned.

So decided, the two opponents avoided seeing each other for the rest of the day.Lord John spent his time hunting in the adjacent coppice.However, he did not see wild animals on the ground, and as for the birds, their edibility was not satisfactory.On the contrary, the naturalist, who was often also a hunter, had reason to be content.Two striking birds landed on his gun.One was a partridge, thirteen inches long, with very short tarsus, dark gray back, red talons and beak, and a tinge of brown on the graceful flight-feathers.The other bird was shot down by His Excellency John with a beautiful shot. This bird belongs to the family of raptors and is a unique falcon in southern Africa. It has a red neck and a white tail. It is often praised by people because of its beautiful appearance.Forobel deftly removed the feathers of the two birds, leaving their skins intact.

On June 23rd, they waited for several hours and still could not see the shadow of the team. The two young people decided to go on the road. At this time, a dog barking in the distance interrupted their journey.Soon, at the corner of a clump of reeds on the left side of the camp, they saw Morcum the hunter galloping on a zebra. Morcum reached the head of the procession before the Europeans. The brave hunter has arrived!Your Excellency Marui exclaimed joyfully, really, we have given up all hope in you!I shall never be comforted without seeing you!When you are not there, it seems that even the prey have left me.Let me celebrate your return with a scotch!

In response to the warm and friendly words of the honorable Lord John, Morcombe said nothing. He stared at every European and counted them one by one, with a look of anxiety on his face. Colonel Everett noticed it immediately. He walked up to the hunter who had just landed from his horse and asked: Morcum, who are you looking for? Mr. Ballandre. He wasn't with the expedition, wasn't with you?Colonel Everett asked again. He was gone, and I had hoped to see him in the camp.He is lost. Having heard Morcum's last words, Strux stepped forward, exclaiming: Nicola.Ballandre is missing!A scientist entrusted to you, an astronomer under your charge, and you did not bring him back!do you know?Hunter, you have to be responsible to him, not just say Nicholas.It is enough that Mr. Ballendre is missing!

The words of the Russian astronomer warmed the hunter's ears.You know, Morcum has no reason to be patient at any time except hunting.He replied in an angry voice: ah? !Mr. Russian astrologer, don't you want to weigh your words?Am I supposed to take care of your friend who can't even take care of himself?You blame me, you're wrong, you hear me?If Mr. Ballendre lost it, it was his own fault.Every time I see him walking away from the line and burying himself in the numbers, I warn him and get him back.But when it got dark the day before yesterday, he was gone.I searched many times but couldn't find it.Be smarter if you can, and since you're so good at fiddling with a telescope and keeping your eyes on the horizon, try to find your friends!

Strux was so angry that he couldn't speak a word.If His Excellency John hadn't come to comfort him, the irritable hunter might have continued like this.Fortunately for the Russian scientist, his quarrel with the Bushmen had ceased, but with an unfounded insinuation he turned abruptly to the unprepared Colonel Everett: At any rate, said the Brokova astronomer bluntly, I do not want to leave my unfortunate friend in the desert, and all I have to do is to do my best to find him.If Lord Murray or Mr. Amory were to be found missing in this way, I think Colonel Everett would not hesitate to abort the geodetic experiments and go to the rescue of his fellow countrymen.However, I don't understand why people do less to a Russian scientist than to a British scientist.

Colonel Everett could no longer maintain his usual composure when so questioned: Mathieu.Mr. Strux, with his arms folded, and his eyes looking straight into the other's eyes, are you determined to insult me ​​without reason?What do you think of us Englishmen?Do we have the right to doubt our feelings on a humanitarian issue?What makes you think we're not going to rescue the clumsy calculator? Mr. Russian against Nikolai.Ballendre's adjective hit back. Yes, clumsy.Colonel Everett replied, pronouncing every syllable of the modifier clearly, and to your indiscretion just now, I would add that if our experiment fails because of this incident, the Russians will be responsible Negative, not by the British!

Colonel, cried Strux, his eyes shining brightly, your words My words are carefully chosen, sir.That's it, we'll suspend all work from now on until we find your calculator.Are you ready to go? I was ready before you even said a word to me.Strux replied sharply. Having said that, the two opponents each went to their own cars, because the expedition team had just arrived. His Excellency Murray, who was with Colonel Everett, couldn't help saying: Fortunately, that idiot didn't disappear with the double measurement records. That's what I thought of too.replied the colonel simply. Two Englishmen question Morcombe.Hunter said, Nicholas.For two days Ballendre had been gone, and the last time they had seen him was at the edge of the procession twelve miles from camp.As soon as he found that Ballendre had disappeared, he went to look for it, so he was late.Not being found, he wondered if the calculator was with his companions.However, Barlander is still nowhere to be found. Morcum suggested to look for it in the green forest area in the northeast, and added that if he wanted to find Nicholas.Mr. Ballendre, an hour must not be lost. Really need to find it quickly.The Russian scholar has been wandering for two days in a wild beast.He's been living in the digital world, ignorant of the real world, and he's not one to get out of trouble on his own.In a place where anyone else would find food, he would surely starve to death.The important thing is to rescue him as soon as possible. At one o'clock Colonel Everett, Strux, Lord Murray, and the two young astronomers left camp, led by Morcombe.All were on fast horses, and even Strux, clinging comically to his horse's back, complained between his teeth to this Barendre who had made him suffer so much.His companions, who were serious and thought they should be serious, did not want to see these cheerful gestures of Blokova's astronomer on horseback.His mount is a short-tempered, talking animal. Before leaving, Morcombe asked Forobel to provide him with his dog.The dog was keen, clever, well-behaved, and good at searching, and he was very fond of Morcumb.The dog sniffed one of Barlandre's hats, and, encouraged by a special whistle from its master, rushed northeast.They followed immediately, and soon disappeared on the edge of a dense coppice. All day Colonel Everett and his companions ran up and down with the dogs.The clever animal knows very well what people want it to do, but it still fails to detect the lost scientist, and there is no path that can be followed with confidence.It tried hard to sniff out the strange smell in the land, but ran forward for a while, and then came back immediately, without finding anything. The scientists went out of their way to show their presence in this desolate place: they shouted and fired their guns, hoping that Barendre would hear him, whether he was now absent-minded or engrossed.All five miles around the camp were thus searched, and the search had to be stopped when night came, and the search resumed early next morning. At night, the Europeans camped out under a clump of trees, and Morcombe took care to keep a log fire burning.There was a roar of wild beasts, and the presence of wild beasts made them even more worried about Balander.The unfortunate man, tired and hungry, frozen from the cold night, was fully exposed to the attack of the hyenas that swarmed the country.Can you still hope to save him?This is what everyone is concerned about.The poor man's colleagues spent hours discussing, making plans, and trying to find him.Strux was moved by the dedication shown by the British in this situation.It was decided that Russian scientists should be called, dead or alive, and the geodetic experiment was thus postponed indefinitely. After a night as long as centuries, day came.The horses were quickly ready, and they continued to search further afield.The dog leads the way, and the man follows. When heading northeast, Colonel Everett and others passed a very wet area, where the current increased and they could easily wade through, but they had to avoid the crocodiles in the water.It was the first time Sir John saw this crocodile.These were gigantic reptiles, some twenty-five to thirty feet long.It is very difficult to escape the attack of these ravenous scary animals on the river or lake.Morcum didn't want to waste time wrestling with the lizards, so he dodged them and stopped Lord Moray who was about to shoot.Seeing this giant appear in the tall grass, the horse broke into a gallop, and soon lost its pursuit.In the large ponds formed by the overflow of those rivers, dozens of crocodiles can be seen, with their heads sticking out and resting on the water, devouring their prey like dogs, or catching their prey with their well-developed jaws. The search party did not hold much hope, and went on, sometimes into dense and difficult-to-search undergrowth, sometimes on flat ground, and among the criss-crossing river networks. They surveyed the ground to find out the least valuable Here is a section of a broken tree branch as tall as a person, there is a clump of freshly stepped grass, and in the distance there is an unrecognizable mark that has been half-erased.Nothing could point the seekers to poor Balendre's whereabouts. At this point, they had traveled more than ten miles north of the camp, and the hunter suggested returning to the southwest to search again.At this time, the dog suddenly became restless.It yelled and wagged its tail frantically. After running a few steps away, it put its nose on the soil, and the dry grass on the roadside was blown away by its breath.It returned to its original place, as if attracted by a strange smell. Colonel, Morcombe called, our dogs smell something.ha!Smart guy, it found wildlife sorry, found the trail of the scientist we were after.let it go!let it go! Yes, His Excellency John took his hunter friend and said, it is on its way, listen, it grunts, as if talking to itself, and as if trying to judge.If the dog can lead us to Nicholas.Where Ballendre spends the night, I give him fifty pounds. Strux did not fight back the way people were talking about his compatriot, the most important thing now was to find him.Everyone is ready to run to where the dog is going once it finds its way. That's not much time.The dog gave a loud bark, jumped under a bush and disappeared into the depths of the wood. Horses could not pass through the intricate woods, so Everett and others had to look for the distant barking of dogs to go around the woods.Some kind of hope motivates people.There is no doubt that the dog has followed the trail of the lost scientist, and if he has not mistaken his path, he should be able to reach his goal directly. The only problem facing is: Nicola.Is Ballandre dead or alive? It is eleven o'clock in the morning.Haven't heard the dog bark for about twenty minutes, either because the dog has walked too far or because it has lost its way!Morcombe and Lord John, who were in the lead, were very anxious, not knowing where to lead the others, when the barking of dogs came again from about half a mile to the south-west, but from beyond the woods.The horse was immediately driven to gallop there. The search team soon reached a swampy area where they could clearly hear the dog barking but could not see it.Sheets of reeds twelve to fifteen feet high covered the ground densely. They got down from their horses to the ground, tied them to a tree, and burrowed into the reeds following the barking of the dogs. Soon they passed through this tight, extremely difficult to walk net.A vast space covered with water and aquatic plants unfolds before the eyes.At the lowest point on the ground, a lagoon half a mile long and wide spreads a pale blue water. The dog stopped on the muddy shore, barking frantically. There he is, there!cried Morcum. Indeed, three hundred paces away, on a protruding area similar to a peninsula, sat a wooden pier, motionless.Nicola.Ballandre sat there, unable to see or hear anything, with a pencil in his hand and a notebook on his lap, perhaps calculating! His friends almost screamed.Twenty paces behind him, a group of crocodiles poked their heads out of the water and watched him.Yet he knew nothing about it.These voracious animals come closer and can drag him away in the blink of an eye. quick!Morcomb whispered, I wonder what these crocodiles wait for before they pounce on him. Maybe waiting for him to rot.Lord Marui couldn't help answering, making people think that these crocodiles never like to eat fresh meat. Lord Morcum and Murray ordered the others to wait where they were, and the two of them circled the lagoon in an attempt to reach Balendre from a narrow area. Before the two of them walked two hundred steps, the crocodiles behind Barendre had already left the deep water and began to climb onto the land, heading straight for their prey. Scientists still don't know anything. They keep their eyes on the small book and write numbers with their hands. Keep your eyes peeled and keep calm, or he's doomed!Morcombe whispered beside Lord John. Both of them knelt on the ground and shot at the crocodile crawling in the front respectively.With two shots, the spines of two giants were shattered, and they fell into the water, while the others quickly disappeared under the surface of the lake. The sound of the gun finally caused Ballandre to raise his head. He recognized his companions and ran towards them, still shaking his little book: I found it!I found it! What did you find?Mr. Ballandre.Lord John asked him. James.There is a decimal error in the one hundred and third of Wollaston's logarithm table! Yes, the venerable man, he found the error!He found a log error!He is entitled to James.Wollaston's promised hundred pounds!This is what the famous astronomer from the Helsinki Observatory spent four lonely days alone!