Chapter 49 Chapter Seventeen: Altamon's Revenge

The next day the doctor and his two companions awoke after the most peaceful night.A slight chill hit them as morning approached, but they were wrapped up and fell asleep under the protection of the kind animals. The weather was fine, and they decided to spend the day surveying the area, looking for musk oxen.It was time for Altamon to catch something and decide that even if the cattle were the most innocent animals in the world, he had a right to kill them.For their flesh, though musky, is a delicious food, and the hunters are glad to bring a few pieces of fresh, nutritious meat to God's fortress.

In the first few hours of the morning, there is nothing special about traveling.The face of the Northeast began to change; some undulations and uneven hills indicated the arrival of a new region.Although the land of New America does not form a continent, it is at least a large island; in addition, it is not related to the investigation of this area. Duck ran far away, and immediately stopped in front of the footprints belonging to the herd of musk oxen; he ran ahead quickly, and soon disappeared before the hunters' eyes. The latter were guided by his unmistakable bark, the eager bark of the faithful dog telling them that he had spotted their long-coveted object.

They strode forward, and after walking for an hour and a half, they came to two huge and truly terrifying animals; A fuzzy layer of pink moss on the snow-free ground.They are easily recognized by the doctor by their medium stature, their large, attached horns, their curious lack of snouts, their sheep-like hooked foreheads, and their very short tails; their general structure makes them Natural scientists have given them the name musk ox, which means two characteristics that are reminiscent of this animal.A thick long coat, a brown fine silk makes up their fur. Seeing the hunters, the two beasts ran away in a hurry, and the hunters chased them desperately.

But it was too difficult for these men who were out of breath after running for half an hour to overtake them, and Hatteras and his companions stopped. hell!Altamon said. Damn it, replied the doctor, who had just caught his breath, these scum are from your America, and they don't seem to have a good impression of your fellow countrymen. That proves we are good hunters, answered Altamon. But when the musk oxen saw no one was chasing them, they stopped and looked startled.Evidently they could no longer be allowed to run away, but they should be fenced in. The plateau on which they were located was just favorable for this, and the hunters let Duck harass the animals, and they descended into the nearby valleys in order to circumvent the plateau.Altamon and the doctor hid behind the ledge of the rock, while Hatteras unexpectedly climbed the opposite ledge and drove the prey towards them.

After half an hour, everyone took their places. You have no objection to meeting these quadrupeds with bullets this time?Altamon said. No, it was a good show, replied the Doctor, who, despite his gentle nature, was a hunter at heart. Thus were they talking, when they saw the musk oxen shaking, with Duck at their feet; and farther off, Hatteras roaring.Drive them over to the doctor and the Americans, and they're quick on this wonderful prey. Immediately the musk oxen stopped, less frightened at the sight of an enemy, and approached Hatteras, who waited fearlessly for them, lying on the ground closest to the two quadrupeds and firing, The bullet landed squarely on the animal's forehead and did not stop it.Hatteras' second shot did nothing but drive the animals mad, and they sprang at the unarmed hunter, throwing him instantly to the ground.

He is dead!The doctor cried out. As Crowburne uttered these desperate words, Altamon stepped forward to save Hatteras; then he paused, wrestling with himself and his prejudices. No!What cowardice, he cried! He and Crowburne rushed to the battlefield. He only hesitated for half a second. The Doctor knew what was going on in the American mind, and if Hatteras had known it, he would rather die than let his opponents interfere.But he barely had time to realize it, for Altamon was already at his side. Hatteras fell to the ground, trying to parry the tentacles and feet of the two animals; but he could not sustain this struggle for long.

He was about to be crushed to pieces by the inevitable when there were two shots and Hatteras felt the bullets graze his scalp. brave!shouted Altamon, throwing the unloaded gun far away, and charged at the two frenzied animals. One of the cows, struck in the heart, fell down as though struck by lightning; the other, raged to the utmost, was about to burst through the belly of the unfortunate captain, when Altamon appeared before it, and thrust a snow-knife in his hand into it. Under the open chin, he split its head with an ax in his hand. It was all done with dizzying speed, and a bolt of lightning seemed to light up the whole scene.

The second ox fell to its knees and died. Ulla!Ulla!cried Crawford. Hatteras was saved. The person he hates the most in the world has saved his life!What is he thinking in his heart at this moment?What will he do if he can't control it? This is a psychic secret of which no analysis will help. At any rate, Hatteras walked up to his adversary without hesitation, and said in a solemn voice: You saved my life, Altamon. You saved my life once, the American replied. They were silent for a moment, and then Altamon added: We're done, Hatteras. No, Altamon, replied the captain, I did not know who you were when the doctor pulled you out of your icy grave, but you saved me in the hour of death, and you know who I am.

Oh, you are my kind, answered Altamon, and an American is not a coward anyhow! No, but, cried the doctor, it is a man, a man like you, Hatteras! Like me, he shares the honor that belongs to us! Kudos to the North Pole!Altamon said. Yes!said the captain proudly. I already guessed it!The Americans shouted, you actually have such a plan!How dare you go to this inaccessible place!ah!Awesome, that idea!I tell you, it's pretty good! But you, asked Hatteras quickly, will you not sail with us to the North Pole? Altamon looked a little hesitant, not knowing how to answer. how?The doctor said.

Why, no!The Americans shouted that authenticity is more important than self-esteem!No, I don't have the great idea that brought you here, I want to lead my ship to find the Northwest Passage, that's all I have in mind. Altamon, Hatteras, reach out to the Americans, be our honored partners, and join us in discovering the North Pole! The two held honest and honest hands tightly and warmly. When they turned to the doctor, the latter was in tears. O my friends, he murmured, wiping his eyes, my heart is full of the joy you give!ah!My dear fellows, you unite for common success at the expense of this damned national problem!You consider England and America insignificant amidst all this, and that close sympathy unites you against the perils of our voyage!If it reaches the North Pole, it doesn't matter who discovers it!Why belittle each other and be proud of being an American or a British, when one could be proud of being a human being!

The good doctor embraced the reconciled enemy, and he could not restrain his joy; and the two new friends felt closer by the friendship bestowed upon them by this venerable man.Croubney, unable to restrain himself, spoke of the vanity of rivalry, the madness of rivalry, and the necessity of the rapprochement of men far from their native land.His words, his tears, his touch, all came from the depths of his heart. But after he embraced Hatteras and Altamon for the twentieth time, he calmed down at last. Now, he said, work, work!Since I'm nothing good as a hunter, use my other talents! He started skinning the cow, which he called the reconciled cow, but he did it with such skill that he looked like a surgeon carefully dissecting a dead body. His two companions looked at him with a smile.In a few minutes the skilled doctor removed more than a hundred pounds of delicious meat from the animal, which he divided into three parts, each with a part, and started on his way back to God's fortress. At ten o'clock in the evening, the hunters walked in the oblique sunlight and arrived at the doctor's house. Johnson and Bell had prepared a sumptuous dinner for them. But before taking his seat, the Doctor exclaimed in a triumphant tone, pointing to the two companions who were hunting together: My old Johnson, I brought an Englishman and an American once, didn't I? Yes, Mr. Crawburn, answered the bosun. OK, I've brought two brothers now. The sailors happily stretched out their hands to Altamon, and the doctor told them what the American captain had done for the English captain, and that the five happiest men lived in the igloo that night.