Chapter 9 Palace of the Nine Indians

If it hadn't been for the major, anyone else would have walked by the hut a hundred times without even stepping on the little roof without finding a hut there.Because it was just a protruding point on the snow, mixed with the surrounding rocks, it was almost invisible.The hut was buried in the snow and had to be ripped open.Wilson and Mulla struggled desperately for half an hour to open the entrance of the hut.The whole team quickly squeezed in and shrank into a ball. This hut was built by the Indians with adobe. It is square, three in length and three in width.Three meters tall, it stands on the top of a snowflake rock. There is only one small door, and there is a stone ladder in front of the door. Although the door is narrow, once the hurricane blows, snowflakes and hailstones can still get in.

The hut can accommodate ten people. Although the four walls can't keep out the rain in the rainy season, they can at least avoid the cold of minus ten degrees at this time.In addition, there is a stove and an adobe chimney inside the house, and the brick joints are tightly plastered with lime. It is still possible to light a fire to keep warm and resist the cold outside. There is a shelter at last, though not very comfortable, Greenarvan said, and we can thank God for bringing us here. Still feel uncomfortable?It is a palace!It's a pity that there are no Janissaries and courtiers.We are very comfortable here.Paganel said.

Especially when there is a high fire in the stove.Austin said, I think everyone is hungry because they are hungry, but it is even more unbearable to be frozen. Personally, I am happier to find a handful of firewood than to hunt some game. OK, let's try to find something to burn.Paganel said. Looking for something to burn on top of these high and low rocks?Mu Ladi shook his head with a skeptical look and said. Since there is a stove in the house, there must be something to burn outside.replied the major. McNabbs is right, you set it up and get supper ready, and I'll get wood.Sir said.

Wilson and I will accompany you.Paganel said. Do you want me to accompany you?Robert got up and asked. No, rest and rest, my child, though you are as young as everyone else, you are already a grown-up.Sir said. Greenarvan, Paganel, and Wilson came out of the cabin.It is six o'clock in the evening here, and although there is no wind, the cold air is piercing.It was already dark, and the sun was touching the peaks of the plateau with its last rays.Paganel looked at the barometer. They were on a mountain at a height of 3,600 meters.It is only 910 meters lower than Mont Blanc.If these mountains had as many difficulties as the Swiss peaks, no traveler would be able to climb the roof of the New World as long as a hurricane or a cyclone came to disturb them.

Glenarvan and Paganel stepped up a high hill of cloud and stone, and looked toward the four horizons.At this time, they were on the highest peak of the mountains and mountains, and they could see sixty-five square kilometers at a glance.On the east side, the hillside is layer upon layer, not too steep, and people can walk away.In the distance, there are rows of chaotic rocks, all of which were alluvial when the icebergs advanced, and the Colorado River basin has sunk in the dark.The wrinkles on the ground one after another, and all the peaks and peaks, gradually disappeared in the sunset, and the entire Andes Mountains were quietly darkened.To the west, the craggy walls that supported the pinnacles were still bathed in sunlight.It was dizzying to look at the rocks and icebergs immersed in the sea of ​​light.In the north, there are faintly undulating peaks, which seem to be a hazy and elastic curve drawn by trembling hands holding a pencil.But the opposite is true in the south, the scene is very magnificent, and the closer the dusk is, the more brilliant it becomes.Yes, if you look out into the wild Albido valley, you can see the Andu Valley Volcano, with its wide-mouthed caldera, just three kilometers away.The volcano roared, like a huge monster, like the long whale mentioned in the Bible, it spouted hot smoke and torrents of brown flames.The surrounding peaks seemed to be on fire; white-hot stone hail, dark red smoke, and fiery red lava interweaved into a gigantic kaleidoscope.A burst of dazzling flashing flames continued to intensify, casting a strong halo around the endless basin, and at that time, the afterglow of the setting sun gradually receded, like a meteorite slowly hiding in the shadow of the sky.

Paganel and Glenarvan watched this magnificent scene, just lost in thought.The two makeshift woodcutters are now art connoisseurs.Wilson wasn't too interested in that, though, and he reminded them of what they had to do.There were no trees in that place for firewood. Fortunately, there were some dry mosses on the rocks, and they collected a lot. There was also a plant called Lalemoss, whose roots could be burned, and they also pulled some.As soon as this precious fuel was brought back to the hut, it was put into the stove and piled up.It is not easy to start a fire, and it is even more difficult to keep it going.Because the air was too thin to supply enough oxygen, at least that was the Major's opinion.On the contrary, the major added that water does not need to boil at 100°C, and those who like to drink Baidu boiling water to make coffee have to make do with it, because at this altitude, the water boils before 90°C.

Sure enough, the major was right. When the water was boiling, he took a thermometer and tested it. It was only 87 degrees.Everyone drank a few sips of hot coffee and felt very comfortable. As for the dried meat, it seemed that there was not enough distribution.This gave Paganel an unrealistic idea. Come to think of it, vicuña isn't bad when grilled!People say that vicuña can replace cattle and sheep, but I want to try whether vicuña meat can replace beef and mutton! how!Said the major, wouldn't you be satisfied with such a supper, scholar? Very satisfied, my good major, though I confess that a plate of game would be more welcome.

What a treat you are! I accept the hat you put on me, Major, but what about yourself?Even though you say it nicely, you still don’t want to roast him a piece of meat to eat! Maybe there is such a thing.replied the major. If someone invites you to go hunting, why would you be afraid of the cold and dark night, and do it obediently? Of course, if you really think so Before everyone had time to thank him and dissuade him, they heard a roar coming from a distance.The roar dragged on for a long time, not one or two wild beasts, but a group of wild beasts running towards them.Does God give a hut, but also a dinner?This is what the geographer thought.But Glenarvan put his mind off, telling him that there would never be another beast on a place as high as the High and Low Rocks.

Where did the sound come from without the beast?Austin said, don't you hear the sound getting closer? Could it be an avalanche?Moura asked. impossible!It was clearly the roar of a wild beast.Paganel retorted. Let's go and see.Greenervan said. We watch as hunters.said the major, taking up his carbine at the same time. Everyone got out of the hut, the night has come, it is gloomy, the sky is full of stars, and the moon has not yet come out.The north and east and west peaks were lost in the night, save for the ghostly silhouettes of the tallest crags.The roar of the frightened beast grew louder and louder, and it came from the darkness of the high and low rocks. What happened?Suddenly, an avalanche of east and west fell down, but it was not an avalanche, but a group of frightened wild beasts.The whole mountain seemed to be trembling.There were tens of thousands of wild beasts coming. Although the air was thin, the sound of galloping and shouting was still deafening.Is it a beast of the prairie?Or the llamas and kualas of this mountain?The animal whirlwind was blowing several feet above their heads, and Glenarvan, McNabbs, Robert, Austin, and the two sailors fell to the ground.Paganel, who has night vision, stood up to see what it was, and in the blink of an eye he was thrown on all fours.

At this moment, there was a sudden bang, and the major fired in the dark.He felt that a beast had fallen a few paces from him, and the whole herd continued on with inexorable momentum, louder, and disappeared on the slopes of the volcano.ah!I found it!A voice spoke, and it was Paganel's voice. What did you find?Sir asked. Find the glasses!Not losing a pair of glasses in this chaos, good luck! You are not injured, are you? No, just stepped on a few feet.I don't know what stepped on it. This is what stepped on.said the major, dragging the beast he had killed. Everyone hurried back to the hut, carefully studying the harvest of the major's shot by the red light of the fire. It was a beautiful beast, like a humless little camel: thin head, flat body, long legs, soft fur, milky brown, There are white spots under the belly.Paganel cried out at the sight.

A guanaco! What is guanaco?Glenarvan asked. A beast that can eat.Paganel replied. Is it tasty? Delicious, one-dish meal.I have known for a long time that there is good meat to eat at night!What a piece of meat!Who peels it? I will peel.Wilson said. Well, you peel me and bake.Paganel continued. Are you still a cook, Monsieur Paganel?asked Robert. I'm French, can I be a cook, my boy?The French are born to be a pair of cooks! Five minutes later, Paganel placed the large chunks of meat over the charcoal fire of Lalette root.Ten minutes later, he grilled his guanaco ribs into a tasty appetizer and served them to his traveling companions.Everyone took it bluntly and chewed it. However, what astonished the geographers was that everyone made grimaces after taking a bite. It's unpalatable!This said. I can't eat it!That said. Although the poor scholar was full of displeasure, he had to admit that his roast meat would not be enough for a hungry ghost.Everyone began to mock him, and made fun of his delicacies.Of course he understood that everyone was mocking him.He had to find a reason to explain why guanaco meat, which was really delicious and appreciated by everyone, turned into such a strange taste as soon as it was in his hands.He suddenly had an idea and came up with a reason: I remembered, he shouted and said, yes, I remembered, I found the reason! It's overcooked!asked the major calmly. Not overcooked, you fussy major!It's running too far!How did I forget this? What do you mean by running too far, Monsieur Paganel?Austin asked. What do you mean by running too far?The guanaco is delicious when it is killed when it is resting.If you drive it to run so fast, the meat will be too much to eat.From the taste of its meat, I can tell that it came far away, so the group of guanacos came far away. is this real?Glenarvan asked. Absolutely true. So what is it, what is it that scares the animals into such a state that they escape when they should be peacefully sleeping in their nests? On that, my dear sir, I cannot answer.If you believe me, go to sleep and stop asking.I'm going to doze off.Shall we sleep, Major? At this point, all wrapped up and lit, there came the various snores, the geographer's bass singing to the accompaniment of the whole ensemble. Only Glenarvan could not sleep.The restlessness in his heart made it difficult for him to sleep.He couldn't help thinking of the group of beasts fleeing in one direction, and of their incomprehensible horror.Those guanacos could not have been driven by ferocious beasts.At such a height, there are not many beasts at all, let alone hunters, even fewer.What terror drove them to the pits of Andu Vale?What is the cause of the terror?Glenarvan had a premonition that disaster was coming soon. Gradually, however, under the influence of his half-sleeping state, his thoughts changed again, and hope took the place of anxiety.He imagined tomorrow in the great plains beneath the Andes.Imagine starting an investigation there, maybe not far from success.He pictured Captain Grant and his two sailors freed from the misery of slavery.These images quickly flitted through his mind.The explosion of charcoal fire, the flying sparks, the red-hot flame, the sleeping faces of his comrades illuminated by the fire, and the flickering shadows on the wall, all these interrupted his thoughts from time to time.Then his premonition of disaster came again, stronger than ever.He vaguely listened to the sound outside, how could that sound be produced on these silent mountain peaks? It's hard to understand! Sometimes he seemed to hear a distant, rumbling, menacing noise.This kind of sound can only be heard when there is a storm on the mountainside less than a thousand meters from the top of the mountain.Glenarvan wanted to confirm this, and walked out of the cabin. At this time the moon was rising.The air is clean and calm.There are no clouds above and below.Scattered and scattered, there are a few echoes of the activity of Andu Valley Volcano.No wind and rain, no lightning.Thousands of stars twinkle in the sky.But what did the rumbling have to do with the escape of those guanacos?Is it cause and effect?He looked at his watch, it was two o'clock in the morning.Because he can't be sure that there is immediate danger.So he put his weary companions to sleep, without waking them, and plunged himself into a heavy trance, which lasted for hours. Suddenly, a crackling sound woke him up.It was a deafening crashing sound, like countless artillery vehicles rolling over on the hard ground, boom!Boom!Glenarvan suddenly felt the ground give way under his feet, and saw the cabin swaying and cracking. Run for your life!he cried. The traveling companions all woke up, rolled in a heap and fell onto a steep slope.It was daylight, and the sight before us was appalling.The appearance of the mountains suddenly changed: many conical peaks were cut off at the waist, and the peaks sank precariously and disappeared, as if the ground under their feet suddenly opened the door.As a result of such a peculiar phenomenon in the High and Low Rock Mountains, a whole mountain, several miles across, moved, moved, and surged towards the plain side. Earthquake!Paganel gave a cry. He was right, it was an earthquake.That is a common disaster in the mountains of the Chilean border.It was in this area that Cobiapo was destroyed twice, and Santiago four times in fourteen years.This part of the earth's crust is often burned by subterranean fires, and all the volcanoes in this late-appearing mountain range are not enough to discharge the subterranean heat, so there are often such vibrations. At this time, the seven passengers were all holding moss with their hands, desperately holding on to the edge of the mesa, dizzy and panicked, and the big mountain was traveling at the speed of a special express train, that is, ninety kilometers per hour. gallop down.You can't scream, you can't move, you can't escape, you can't stop.Just call, no one can hear anyone.The rumbling of the ground, the thunder of the avalanche, the pounding of granite and alabaster, the whirling whirling of shattered snow blocks, made it impossible for them to say hello.Sometimes, the mountain glides down without hindrance or collision;It passed by the side of those bottomless pits, into which great stones fell.It uprooted the thousand-year-old trees along the way.Everything that protruded from the ground was leveled, and like a huge shovel, the eastern foot of the Andes was shoveled into a smooth slope. Let's think about it: an object weighing tens of millions of tons runs down at a slope of fifty degrees.The speed is constantly increasing, what a power it is! How long will this indescribable fall last?No one can estimate.Into which abyss should we fall?No one dares to predict.Are the seven people still in their original places?Are they all still alive?Has anyone been thrown into the pit next to it?No one knows.They were all suffocated by the speed of the Mercedes, frozen by the bone-chilling cold, dazzled by the snowflakes swirling in the sky, all of them were panting as if their entire bodies had been destroyed, and they were almost lifeless. Still clinging to rocks, it's just the last struggle of survival instinct. Suddenly, there was a thud, so violent that it shook them out of the huge tackle.They were thrown forward, rolling straight down the last few slopes at the foot of the hill.The sliding flat-topped mountain stopped abruptly. After several minutes, no one could move.At last a man got up, but still dazed, but still able to stand. It was the major.He brushed away the dust from his blinding eyes, and looked around.His traveling companions were all lying in a small mountain nest, piled up like pellets falling on the bottom of a pan. The major counted the number of people: everyone was there except one, lying straight on the ground.The one missing is Robert.grant.