Chapter 28 Twenty-eight trains into the Murray River field

The major saw that Ayrton left the camp, and did not return for a long time, and was a little disturbed.However, this inner fear did not show at all, he just paid attention to the environment around the river.This peaceful land has always remained quiet, and the dark night of several hours has passed, and the sun has smiled. Jazz is afraid of Ayrton coming back alone.If there is no blacksmith to repair it, the car will still not be able to go on the road.In this way, the itinerary might be delayed for several days, but Jazz was eager for success, wishing to reach his destination immediately, and would never allow time to delay any further.

At any rate, Ayrton came back in time, and the blacksmith was found.This iron district is a tall, strong and powerful fellow, but his face is thick and mean, which is annoying.But the problem is not here, as long as he is an expert.And he doesn't talk much, he is a person who doesn't waste his tongue casually. Can this blacksmith do it?asked the captain. I'm not sure, said Ayrton, let him try. The blacksmith did it, very skillfully and with extraordinary strength.McNabbs saw that the flesh on both of his wrists was cut off, and the blood turned purple and black, as if he was wearing a pair of bracelets. This was obviously a recent scar, and the old sweater did not cover it up. this scar.The major asked the blacksmith, did it hurt?But the blacksmith ignored it and just buried himself in his work.

Two hours later, the car was repaired. As for Sir's horse, it was quickly shoed.The horseshoe on the nail is very special, it has a three-lobed shape, and the upper end is gouged out to form the outline of a leaf.The major showed Ayrton the horseshoe. It was the sign of Blackpoint Station, answered the boatswain, so that it would be easier to find the lost horse and not be confused with the hoofprints on other stations. After the nailing was finished, the blacksmith asked for his wages and left without saying a total of four sentences. After a short rest, the caravan set off again.Walking through a woody mimosa bush, it is also a veritable open-air plain.A lot of silica and iron ore are scattered on the plain.A few more miles into the lake beach, the ruts of the ox carts are deep.Many irregular creeks are hidden among the tall reeds, with the sound of gurgling water.Farther away, there are large stretches of salt water beaches, and the caravans will advance along the beaches. It is not difficult to walk this distance, and it is not lonely.

Lady Helene invited the knights to the carriage in turn, and each had a chance to rest without riding.It was an honor to chat with the kind lady, and to be accompanied by the beautiful Miss Mary.Moreover, he will receive the hospitality of his wife.Of course, Captain Mengel also had a part in it. His slightly solemn talk was not annoying, on the contrary, it made people happy to listen to. In this way, unknowingly, we slanted across the postal road from Crowland to Hallshang. This road is very dusty and there are few people on foot.The caravan, passing through the tip of the Tarpor district, passed over several low hills, and lodged at night three miles from Maryborough.At this time, it was drizzling, and in other countries, the ground might become wet.However, the air here has a wonderful ability to absorb moisture, so camping in the wild has no effect at all.

On the second day, due to too many mountain roads, everyone walked a little slower.This series of small hills is a microcosm of the whole of Switzerland.The road is uneven and up and down, and it is not easy to walk at all.The knights dismounted and walked, but felt comfortable. At eleven o'clock they reached Karlsberg, a rather important city.Ayrton advocated bypassing the city and saving time by not entering it.Difficult to do with good fresh Paganel.People had no choice but to let him visit the city, and the ox cart continued to move forward slowly. The geographer was the same as usual.I always love to play with little Robert.They took a look around the city, and the short visit was enough to give him a general idea of ​​the cities of Australia.A bank, a court, a market, a school, a church, and hundreds of houses in the city are all built of bricks and look uniform.All the buildings form a quadrilateral, and the streets inside are all parallel, completely British.It's too simple and tasteless. If the city expands, the streets will be extended, just like a child who grows taller and lengthens the trouser legs. The original symmetry will not change at all.

Karlsbergh is full of life, it is a new city.Many people are busy running, a thriving scene.Carriers of gold rushed to the shipping station, the precious currency being brought in from the rocky districts of Bendigo and Alexandria under the escort of the local police.These businessmen only want to make a profit, they focus on business, and pay little attention to the behavior of outsiders. Paganel and Robert spent an hour walking around the city, and then returned to the traveling party across a plowed field.After the cultivated land, there is another vast grassland with countless sheep and shepherd's sheds.Going forward, you will immediately be in a desert area. This sudden change is a phenomenon unique to Australian nature.Simpusun Hills and Tarango Foshan mark the southern tip of Ledo County, which is located on the 144th degree east longitude.

However, up to this time, no native living a primitive life has been encountered.Jazz is already wondering whether there are no Indians like Banpas in Argentina, and are there no Australian natives on the Australian mainland?But geographers say that on this latitude, the natives are mainly distributed on the plain along the Murray River, which is still 320 kilometers to the east. We're getting close to the gold, Paganel said, and the people who mined it here since 1852 have covered the sky like locusts.In the past, this was the settlement of the natives, but now they have fled to the barren mountains and forests, and it has become a civilized area.Before dark today we will be able to cross the railway linking the Murray River to the coast.To tell you the truth, my friends, it seems strange to me that there should be railways in Australia!

Why is it a strange thing?Sir asked. Because it's so incongruous.Ah, I see, you British are laying wires in overseas colonies, holding the World's Fair, and building railways in Australia, in your eyes, this is nothing more than natural!But for a Frenchman like me, the construction of the railway completely messed up my original concept of Australia, and a Frenchman like me can't understand it. That's because you only look at the past, not the present and the future!gentlemen.Mengel said. This is true, replied the geographer, but the locomotive was galloping in this deserted area, and a cloud of steam circled the sky. Watching the monster from the sidelines.All this would surprise anyone but an Englishman or an American.Once your railroads were built, all the poetry of the wasteland was destroyed.

What does it matter if the poetry disappears, as long as civilization is brought into the wilderness!The major retorted. At this time, a loud siren interrupted the debate between them.The caravan is very close to the railway.A train traveling from south to north at a low speed just stopped at the intersection of the railway and the highway.This railway is exactly the one that Paganel just mentioned, and it connects the capital of Victoria Province with the Murray River, the largest river in Australia.It passes through rich and fertile areas, and there are more and more animal husbandry stations along the route.With this railway, the transportation to Melbourne is much more convenient.The railway has been built for 180 kilometers. Between Melbourne and Sandust, there are two major stations, Kenton and Castlegate.A further 150 kilometers is under construction to Otyuka, the capital of the new colony Liverwood, which was established this year on the Murray River.

At latitude 37 south, a few miles from Castlegate station, there is a railway bridge, called Camden Bridge, over the Lytton, a tributary of the Murray. Ayrton drove the ox cart towards the Camden Bridge, and the knights ran ahead of the ox cart, wanting to reach the Camden Bridge as soon as possible to satisfy their curiosity. It turned out that a large group of people were running towards the bridge.The nearby residents and those who were shepherding sheep all gathered around the railway.One can hear such a cry repeated. to the railroad!to the railroad! There must have been a traffic accident to cause such a commotion, and it might be a catastrophe.

Sir urged the horse, and the others followed, and in a few minutes they arrived at Camden Bridge.It wasn't until we got to the bridge that we found out the cause of the commotion. It turned out that a tragic car accident really happened here. It was not a crash, but a train derailed and fell into the river.The situation is reminiscent of the worst train accident in the United States.The creek that the railroad crossed was filled with locomotives and carriages.Maybe it was because the car was too heavy and broke the bridge, maybe because the wheels derailed, five of the six carriages went to the bottom of the river, and only the last one, whose hinges were broken somehow, miraculously survived, only 100 meters away from the abyss. It's more than one meter away, so dangerous!The tragic scene in the river was unbearable. The wheels were twisted, the carriages were smashed apart, the rails were bent, and the sleepers were scorched.The steam boiler was knocked and exploded, and large pieces were scattered all over the floor.In this messy pile of waste, there are still wisps of smoke.It was miserable when the car fell into the river, but another fire made it worse!Large areas of blood, broken limbs here and there, charred bodies can be seen everywhere.No one could bear to count how many bloody victims there were. Sirs, geographers, majors, and captains mingled among the crowd, listening to what everyone was talking about.Except for the rescuers who were busy, the rest of the people were thinking about the cause of the accident. It was caused by a broken bridge.one said. Where is the broken bridge!Another person went on to say that the bridge would have been fine.The accident happened when the car arrived and the bridge was not connected. It turned out to be a swing bridge.Normally, it can be opened to allow ships to pass.Did the bridge guard neglect his duty and forget to turn the bridge around and put it on the rails?As a result, the car rushed over, fell into the air, and rolled into the Luton River with a bang.This speculation seems reasonable, because although half of the bridge is crushed under the front of the car and the carriage, while the other half is still hanging on the other side of the cable, the cable is not damaged.There can be no doubt, therefore, that the negligence of the bridge-keepers was the cause of the catastrophe. The accident happened at night on the 37th Express, which left Melbourne at 11.45pm.The time of the accident was 3:15 in the morning. Once the accident happened, the conductor on the last carriage immediately called for help.But the telegraph poles fell to the ground, and telegrams and telephones stopped working.It was therefore three hours before the Castlegate authorities arrived at the scene of the accident.It was six o'clock in the morning when Mr. Mitchell, the local colonial superintendent, and a police officer led a team of police officers to organize the rescue work.Many sitters also came to help.At that time, it was the moment when the fire was burning the hottest, so they put out the fire first. Several corpses, whose faces were too blurred to make out, lay on the slope of the roadbed.It was too late to drag a living person out of that sea of ​​flames.The whole pile of carriages burned up in a flash.The total number of passengers in the car is still unknown.Only ten people escaped from danger in the last carriage.The railway authorities have sent an ambulance to take them to the hospital. At this time, the jazz explained his identity to the superintendent, and began to chat with the police officer.The officer was tall and thin, calm, and quick-witted.He was before this catastrophe, just as a mathematician is faced with an arithmetic problem, and he cannot solve the unknown of this difficult problem.So, when Sir exclaimed: What a disaster! But he replied grimly: More than a misfortune, ser! More than a disaster!Sir exclaimed, what else is there! And it's a crime!The police officer answered calmly. Sir dismissed the inappropriate wording, and looked back at Mr. Mitchell to see his reaction. Yes sir, I also think there must be articles in it.The luggage in the last carriage was robbed, and the five or six survivors were also attacked by mobs.The swing bridge had been turned away, not by negligence; and besides, the bridgekeeper was missing, and perhaps he was with the criminals. The officer just shook his head at the superintendent's arbitrariness. Do you agree with me?Mr. Mitchell asked him. I don't agree with the point about bridgemen colluding with criminals. However, the director argued that if it weren't for collusion, I don't think the natives wandering on the grassland would understand the mechanism of the turning bridge. You may be right.said the officer. Then, Mr. Mitchell added, there is another proof that a boat passed Camden Bridge at ten-forty last night, and that, according to the boatman, the bridge was closed again as prescribed. This is also reliable. Therefore, without the bridge guards, the bridge cannot be turned. I think it is an irrefutable fact that the bridge guards and the natives are in collusion. The officer was thoughtful, shaking his head all the time. Do you think, then, sir, that the crime was not at the hands of the natives? Absolutely not. Who is it if it is not a native? At this moment, a considerable noise came from half a kilometer upstream.People formed a group, surrounded tightly.A dead body was lifted out of the crowd.This corpse was the bridge guard, it was already cold, and he had been stabbed in the heart.The murderer dragged the body far away, and he must have wanted to cut off the clues to the investigation.Now that the body has been found, it fully proves that the police officer's suspicions are correct.There is absolutely nothing native about this case. People who've done it, the sergeant said, must be familiar with this stuff.Soon, he added another sentence, pointing to the shining handcuffs and said: I must give them this pair of bracelets as a New Year's gift. So, who do you suspect? Those who don't pay for His Majesty's ship. What, it will be a criminal.Paganel exclaimed. He knew the Australian colonial saying. I thought convicts were not allowed to stay in Victoria!Jazz said tentatively. Pooh!The police officer said, no, no, stay or stay!The convicts will be smuggled in, and if I'm not mistaken, they must be from Perth.If so, I will send them back to Perth again, on my behalf. Mr. Mitchell nodded in agreement.At this time, the bullock cart has reached the intersection of the railway and the road.Jazz didn't want the female guest to see the unbearable horror.So, I greeted the director and said goodbye.He waved to his traveling companions and told them to follow. This matter must not delay our journey.He said. When he got to the bullock cart, Sir only told the two female passengers that there was an accident on a train, but he didn't tell them the cause of the accident or the tragedy.He was going to tell Ayrton sometime later.The caravan crossed the railway a few kilometers upstream from the bridge and continued eastward as usual. The car soon got into a narrow and winding mountain valley, and at the end of the mountain valley, there was a wonderful scenery. Many beautiful trees were not connected together, but isolated one by one, and they were as lush as tropical trees.Loveliest of these was the casserina, with a trunk like the oak, bearing pods like the bean-flower, and turquoise leaves as rough as those of the pine.Among the staggered branches of the casuarina are interspersed the strange and conical tops of spruces, which are thin but very handsome.There were many shrubs in the grove, and the twigs hung down like green water flowing from the water pan.This piece of natural scenery is so wonderful that people really don't know what to appreciate. The small caravan stopped here according to Madam Helen's order.The wooden wheels of the cart stopped creaking.There is a layer of green carpet under the bushes, which neatly divides the carpet into quite obvious square grids, like a big chessboard. How poetic is this quiet place for those who sleep underground!However, most of the cemeteries are now buried in weeds, and it is difficult for passers-by to see them. It is a wood that shades a cemetery.Paganel told everyone.Sure enough, this is a native cemetery.But what lies before your eyes is such a dense shade, and such a happy flock of birds, all so fascinating, and there is no sense of melancholy.People simply call this geomantic treasure land the Garden of Eden, and the god of death has long been expelled from the world.This quietness seems to be arranged for the living.Had it not been for the white invasion, the natives would not have been driven from the land where their ancestors rested.Then, the sacred land of the natives was trampled by the cattle and sheep brought by the colonists, and the woods on the cemetery became sparse.Over time, the cemetery was also trampled down by indifferent pedestrians. Meanwhile the Geographer and Robert Jr. walked along the shady path between the tombs, talking and exchanging knowledge as they walked, for they got along very well.But they couldn't walk a few hundred meters. Sir saw them stop, dismounted too, and looked down at the ground.Looking at their expressions and postures, it seems that they are observing a strange thing. Ayrton urged the ox-cart, and in a moment came to them.Everyone immediately knew the reason for their pause and surprise.It turned out that there was a little native there, an eight-year-old boy, dressed in European clothes, sleeping soundly under a dense tree.As soon as you see his appearance, you can tell which race he is: curly hair, almost brown-black skin, flat nose, thick lips, and long arms, which is a typical brown race.However, with a smart face, he looks different from the local natives. Undoubtedly, he has received a little bit of cultural education. As soon as Mrs. Helen saw the child, she was very concerned and got out of the car immediately.All the team members immediately gathered around, but the child was still sleeping soundly. Poor boy, said Miss Mary, has he lost his way in the wilderness? I think, Mrs. Helen said, he may have come from afar to visit the grave, perhaps his relatives are buried here! We can't leave him!Robert said he was alone, and Before Robert had finished speaking, the little native turned over, but did not wake up, and everyone saw a small sign on his back, which read: taurine to Otyuka Attended by attendant Smith fare paid Everyone was very surprised after seeing it. It's a trick of the British, Paganel exclaimed, who send their children home as if they were parcels, and forget about the postage.I've heard it said a long time ago, but I didn't believe it before! Poor kid!Mrs. Helen was nagging, did he take the train that derailed? Perhaps his parents had accidents and he was the only one left. I think, no!Madame, replied the captain, doesn't the sign mean he came alone? he woke up.Miss Mary said. Sure enough, the child woke up.The eyes opened slowly, and closed again immediately because the sun was too strong.Mrs. Helen took his hand, he stood up, looked at these people in surprise, his face turned pale with fright.Later, slowly quiet down. Do you know English, kid?the lady asked. understand!The child answered in English, but with a strong foreign accent. May I have your name.Madam asked again. My name is Taurine.said the little native. ah!Taurine, Paganel interrupted, if I remember correctly, your name means bark in Australian, doesn't it? Tao Linnei nodded, then turned his gaze to the female guest. Where are you from, kid?Madame continued. From Melbourne, take the train to Sandust. Are you on the train that crashed at Camden Bridge?Sir asked. Yes, sir! Do you travel alone? Not traveling, I'm going home.The Rev. Buxton put me into the care of Mr. Smith, and the poor waiter fell to his death. On the train, do you still know anyone? no sir! However, in this desolate area, and there are no people, why did he come here?Why did he leave Camden Bridge?About this, Madame asked again. It turned out that he was going back to his hometown of Lachlan to see his family. Do you have mom and dad at home?asked Robert Jr. have!elder brother.Taurine finished speaking and shook hands with Robert Jr.Little Robert was very happy when he was called elder brother, and hugged the little native and kissed him.The two of them became good friends. At this time, all the passengers became interested in Tao Linnei's conversation.The sun had already set in the west, and it seemed that this place was not a bad place to rest, and it was not very interesting to drive a few miles in the dark, so they set up camp here.Ayrton settled the cattle and pitched the tent.Obir prepared the dinner, and everyone invited Taurine to have dinner together. Although Taulin was hungry, he was polite.Everyone sat down together, and the two little boys sat together.Robert always put good food in Tao Linne's bowl, and Tao Linne thanked him while accepting it. The kind of timid but very elegant appearance was very pleasing. Although everyone was eating, the conversation did not stop.Everyone was very concerned about Tao Linnei, asking questions about this and that.In fact, his history is very simple.Like many little natives, he was sent to charity in the colony as a child.Australian aborigines are mild-tempered and never hostile to outsiders.People often see them in big cities.They wear quite primitive costumes, run around on the street, sell handicrafts, such as fishing gear, hunting gear, weapons, etc. Some tribal chiefs, in order to save a few dollars, are willing to let their children receive a British-style education . That's what Tao Linnei's parents did.The child has been in Melbourne for five years and has not seen a single relative.However, the feeling of nostalgia will not die out, it has always been active in the child's heart.Regardless of the hardships along the way, he was determined to go home and have a look, even if it was to see the scattered tribes and separated families. Do you go back after seeing your parents?the lady asked. go back ma'am.Tao Linnei looked at Helen with a sincere look. What are you going to do in the future? I will deliver my people from poverty and ignorance!Give them the freedom to live! An eight-year-old can say such stirring things that only a frivolous, sneering, bashing person would laugh.However, the Scots in front of him were all moved by the courage of little Tao Linnei, and respected him even more.The geographer was moved from the heart and began to have sympathy for this little hero. Let's be honest, until now he didn't like little natives in European clothes.Because he came to Australia not to see this kind of European costumes everywhere, but to see naked natives with patterns carved on their bodies.Such polite attire was not his wish.But after Tao Linnei's conversation, his attitude changed completely.He was overwhelmed with admiration for the little native.Since then, he has also become a good friend of Tao Linnei. When Mrs. Taurine asked where he was studying, Taurine said that at Melbourne Normal School, Reverend Baston was the headmaster. What classes do you have in your school?Lady Helene asked. Bible, mathematics, geography ah!geography!The geographer cried out, speaking to his heart. Yes, sir, Taurine replied, I won the first prize in my geography exam before the winter vacation. It's not easy to win an award in geography class! This is my prize. The little native took out a thirty-two-molio Bible from his pocket. On the first page, he wrote: Melbourne Normal School, first place in geography class, awarded to Tao Linnei, a native of Lachlan. The geographer couldn't hold back any longer. It was hard for him to believe that an Australian native was good at geography.He hugged Tao Linnei, and kissed again and again.Tao Linnei couldn't understand the reason for his caressing at all.Mrs. Helen explained that Paganel was a famous geographer, and if he stood on the podium, he must be a famous professor. A geography professor!The little native said, sir, can you test me? Exam you, I'm just wishing for it!I would like to see how the geography class is taught in the Melbourne Teachers College! Taurine will open your eyes, take care, Monsieur Paganel!There was a sting in the major's words. How unreasonable!We call secretary of dignified Geographical Society eye-opener! As he spoke, he touched the glasses on the bridge of his nose with his fingers, and started to ask questions in a solemn tone like the professor. Student Tao Linnei, stand up!He said. Taurine was already standing, waiting respectfully for Paganel's question. Which five continents are there in the world?At that time, Paganel asked, even geographers didn't know there was an Antarctica. There are Asia, Africa, America, Europe and Oceania.The little native said it smoothly. exactly.Let me ask you again, how many parts is Oceania divided into? Mainly divided into Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia.The main islands are: Australia, belonging to the United Kingdom; New Zealand, belonging to the United Kingdom; Tasmania, belonging to the United Kingdom; Tea Tam, Auckland, Magali, Makin, Malaki, etc., all belong to the British. OK OK!How come almost the whole of Oceania is under the protection of Great Britain? !cried Paganel, I think, on the contrary, that France What France?asked the little native in surprise. Did your Melbourne teachers teach you this? Yes, sir, are you not teaching well? OK, great!The whole of Oceania has been taught to them.I will ask you next. The look of the geographer was half annoyed, half surprised.The major was delighted to see it. Question and answer continues. Let's talk about Asia.said the geographer feebly. Asia is a continent, Taurinai replied, and the capital is Calcutta.The main cities are Mumbai, Madras, Aden, Malacca, Singapore, Bangkok, Colombo; the islands include the Cadive Islands, Maldives Islands, Chagos Islands, etc., all of which belong to the British. Well, well, my good student, let's talk about Africa! Africa includes two main colonies: the Cape of Good Hope Colony in the south, the capital Cape Town; the British settlements in the west, the main city is Serra.Le Wonneau. Good answer!The geographer was a little relieved this time, and began to believe that this kind of British crazy geography taught well!As for Algeria, Morocco and Egypt have been removed from the British territory. Now, I would like you to talk about America! As for America!Divided into South America and North America.North America belongs to the United Kingdom, including Canada, New Brunswick, New Scotland, and the United States of America, with Johnson serving as the local governor. Governor Johnson!Paganel exclaimed, he is the heir of President Lincoln!You know a lot!As for South America, of course places like Guyana, the Falkland Islands, Georgia, Jamaica, and Trinidad belong to the British!I already know, needless to say.I wonder what your teacher said about Europe? Europe?Tao Linnei did not understand why the geographer was so excited. Yes, Europe, to whom does it belong? Naturally belongs to England.The child answered confidently. I have expected it a long time ago, tell me. Because Europe has England, Scotland, Malta, Jersey, Guernsey, Shetland, and they are all British. Well, are there any other countries, kid? Other countries?I'm afraid not anymore. What about Austria, Spain, Russia, France? These are provinces, not countries. How unreasonable!The geographer took off his glasses. Isn't it right?The provincial capital of Spain is Gibraltar. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!And what about France?France is also a province of England? Yes, sir, its provincial capital is Calais. Calais is also part of the UK? Of course. Isn't Calais the capital of France? yes sir , the governor sir napoleon lives there The geographer laughed out loud when he heard this, leaving Tao Linnei confused.When people asked Tao Linnei questions, he tried his best to answer them, but the answers were so weird.But he never dreamed that his answer would be so absurd.Although everyone was laughing, he didn't seem to panic, and solemnly waited for the inexplicable laughter to end. Well, geographer, have you opened your eyes?McNabbs said. You are right, Major.Paganel replied, look how well the teachers in Melbourne teach!Put the whole world under their domain.The local natives had no choice but to tame such ingenious education.Ah, boy, and the moon, does the moon belong to England too? The moon will belong to Britain in the future.The little native replied solemnly. The geographer stood up.He couldn't stay in his original position any longer, he had to find a place to laugh enough.So he ran away from the campsite and had a good laugh. At this time, Jazz found a book from his books.It was Richardson's Brief Introduction to Geography.This book is highly valued by the British, and it is more scientific than what the little native teacher said. Ah, boy!He said to Taurine, take this book as a souvenir, and it can also correct the mistakes you made in geography. Tao Linei took the book but didn't answer. He looked at the illustrations in the book and refused to put it in his pocket with a look of disbelief. It was getting late at this time, and I had to rest in order to rush ahead tomorrow.Robert asked the little savage to share his bed with him, and the little savage accepted. After a while, Mrs. Helen and Miss Mary also went back to the car, and the gentlemen all lay down in the tents.At this moment Paganel was still laughing, and his laughter mingled with the singing of the magpies. However, at six o'clock the next morning, when the sound of birdsong awakened the sleeping pedestrians, the little Australian native disappeared.Does he want to return to his hometown early?Or did the geographer's wild laughter offend him?No one knows. But when Lady Helene awoke, she found a bunch of fresh mimosa beside her, and Paganel felt in her pocket for Richardson's Brief Introduction to Geography.