Abandoned

  CHAPTER XII

  The Rigging of the Vessel -- An Attack from Foxes -- Jup wounded -- Jup cured -- Completion of the Boat -- Pencroft's Triumph -- The _Bonadventure's_ trial Trip to the South of the Island -- An unexpected Document.

  In the evening the hunters returned, having enjoyed good sport, andbeing literally loaded with game; indeed, they had as much as four mencould possibly carry. Top wore a necklace of teal and Jup wreaths ofsnipe round his body.

  "Here, master," cried Neb; "here's something to employ our time!Preserved and made into pies we shall have a welcome store! But I musthave some one to help me. I count on you, Pencroft."

  "No, Neb," replied the sailor; "I have the rigging of the vessel tofinish and to look after, and you will have to do without me."

  "And you, Mr. Herbert?"

  "I must go to the corral to-morrow, Neb," replied the lad.

  "It will be you then, Mr. Spilett, who will help me?"

  "To oblige you, Neb, I will," replied the reporter; "but I warn youthat if you disclose your receipts to me, I shall publish them."

  "Whenever you like, Mr. Spilett," replied Neb; "whenever you like."

  And so the next day Gideon Spilett became Neb's assistant and wasinstalled in his culinary laboratory. The engineer had previously madeknown to him the result of the exploration which he had made the daybefore, and on this point the reporter shared Harding's opinion, thatalthough he had found nothing, a secret still remained to bediscovered!

  The frost continued for another week, and the settlers did not leaveGranite House unless to look after the poultry-yard. The dwelling wasfilled with appetising odours, which were emitted from the learnedmanipulation of Neb and the reporter. But all the results of the chasewere not made into preserved provisions; and as the game keptperfectly in the intense cold, wild duck and other fowl were eatenfresh, and declared superior to all other aquatic birds in the knownworld.

  During this week Pencroft, aided by Herbert, who handled thesail-maker's needle with much skill, worked with such energy that thesails of that vessel were finished. There was no want of cordage.Thanks to the rigging which had been recovered with the case of theballoon, the ropes and cables from the net were all of good quality,and the sailor turned them all to account. To the sails were attachedstrong bolt ropes, and there still remained enough from which to makethe halliards, shrouds, and sheets, etc. The blocks were manufacturedby Cyrus Harding under Pencroft's directions by means of theturning-lathe. It therefore happened that the rigging was entirelyprepared before the vessel was finished. Pencroft also manufactured aflag, that flag so dear to every true American, containing the starsand stripes of their glorious Union. The colours for it were suppliedfrom certain plants used in dyeing, and which were very abundant inthe island; only to the thirty-seven stars, representing thethirty-seven States of the Union, which shine on the American flag,the sailor added a thirty-eighth, the star of "the State of Lincoln,"for he considered his island as already united to the great republic."And," said he, "it is so already in heart, if not in deed!"

  In the meantime, the flag was hoisted at the central window of GraniteHouse, and the settlers saluted it with three cheers.

  The cold season was now almost at an end, and it appeared as if thissecond winter was to pass without any unusual occurrence, when, on thenight of the 11th August, the plateau of Prospect Heights was menacedwith complete destruction.

  After a busy day the colonists were sleeping soundly, when towardsfour o'clock in the morning they were suddenly awakened by Top'sbarking.

  The dog was not this time barking near the mouth of the well, but atthe threshold of the door, at which he was scratching as if he wishedto burst it open. Jup was also uttering piercing cries.

  "Hallo, Top!" cried Neb, who was the first awake. But the dogcontinued to bark more furiously than ever.

  "What's the matter now?" asked Harding.

  And all dressing in haste rushed to the windows, which they opened.

  Beneath their eyes was spread a sheet of snow which looked grey in thedim light. The settlers could see nothing, but they heard a singularyelping noise away in the darkness. It was evident that the beach hadbeen invaded by a number of animals which could not be seen.

  "What are they?" cried Pencroft.

  "Wolves, jaguars, or apes?" replied Neb.

  "They have nearly reached the plateau," said the reporter.

  "And our poultry-yard," exclaimed Herbert, "and our garden!"

  "Where can they have crossed?" asked Pencroft.

  "They must have crossed the bridge on the shore," replied theengineer, "which one of us must have forgotten to close."

  "True," said Spilett, "I remember to have left it open."

  "A fine job you have made of it, Mr. Spilett," cried the sailor.

  "What is done cannot be undone," replied Cyrus Harding. "We mustconsult what it will now be best to do."

  Such were the questions and answers which were rapidly exchangedbetween Harding and his companions. It was certain that the bridge hadbeen crossed, that the shore had been invaded by animals, and thatwhatever they might be they could by ascending the left bank of theMercy reach Prospect Heights. They must therefore be advanced againstquickly and fought with if necessary.

  "But what are these beasts?" was asked a second time, as the yelpingswere again heard more loudly than before. These yelps made Herbertstart, and he remembered to have already heard them during his firstvisit to the sources of the Red Creek.

  "They are culpeux foxes!" he exclaimed.

  "Forward!" shouted the sailor.

  And all arming themselves with hatchets, carbines, and revolvers,threw themselves into the lift and soon set foot on the shore.

  Culpeux are dangerous animals when in great numbers and irritated byhunger, nevertheless the colonists did not hesitate to throwthemselves into the midst of the troop, and their first shots vividlylighting up the darkness made their assailants draw back.

  The chief thing was to hinder these plunderers from reaching theplateau, for the garden and the poultry-yard would then have been attheir mercy, and immense, perhaps irreparable mischief, wouldinevitably be the result, especially with regard to the cornfield. Butas the invasion of the plateau could only be made by the left bank ofthe Mercy, it was sufficient to oppose the culpeux on the narrow bankbetween the river and the cliff of granite.

  This was plain to all, and, by Cyrus Harding's orders, they reachedthe spot indicated by him, while the culpeux rushed fiercely throughthe gloom. Harding, Gideon, Spilett, Herbert, Pencroft, and Neb postedthemselves in impregnable line. Top, his formidable jaws open,preceded the colonists, and he was followed by Jup, armed with knottycudgel, which he brandished like a club.

  The night was extremely dark, it was only by the flashes from therevolvers as each person fired that they could see their assailants,who were at least a hundred in number, and whose eyes were glowinglike hot coals.

  "They must not pass!" shouted Pencroft.

  "They shall not pass!" returned the engineer.

  But if they did not pass it was not for want of having attempted it.Those in the rear pushed on the foremost assailants, and it was anincessant struggle with revolvers and hatchets. Several culpeuxalready lay dead on the ground, but their number did not appear todiminish, and it might have been supposed that reinforcements werecontinually arriving over the bridge.

  The colonists were soon obliged to fight at close quarters, notwithout receiving some wounds, though happily very slight ones.Herbert had, with a shot from his revolver, rescued Neb, on whoseback a culpeux had sprung like a tiger cat. Top fought with actualfury, flying at the throats of the foxes and strangling theminstantaneously. Jup wielded his weapon valiantly, and it was in vainthat they endeavoured to keep him in the rear. Endowed doubtless withsight which enabled him to pierce the obscurity, he was always in thethick of the fight, uttering from time to time a sharp hissing sound,which was with him the sign of great rejoicing.

  At
one moment he advanced so far, that by the light from a revolver hewas seen surrounded by five or six large culpeux, with whom he wascoping with great coolness.

  However the struggle was ended at last, and victory was on the side ofthe settlers, but not until they had fought for two long hours! Thefirst signs of the approach of day doubtless determined the retreat oftheir assailants, who scampered away towards the North, passing overthe bridge, which Neb ran immediately to raise. When day hadsufficiently lighted up the field of battle, the settlers counted asmany as fifty dead bodies scattered about on the shore.

  "And Jup!" cried Pencroft, "where is Jup?" Jup had disappeared. Hisfriend Neb called him, and for the first time Jup did not reply to hisfriend's call.

  Every one set out in search of Jup, trembling lest he should be foundamongst the slain; they cleared the place of the bodies which stainedthe snow with their blood, Jup was found in the midst of a heap ofculpeux, whose broken jaws and crushed bodies showed that they had todo with the terrible club of the intrepid animal.

  Poor Jup still held in his hand the stump of his broken cudgel, butdeprived of his weapon he had been overpowered by numbers, and hischest was covered with severe wounds.

  "He is living," cried Neb, who was bending over him.

  "And we will save him," replied the sailor. "We will nurse him as ifhe was one of ourselves."

  It appeared as if Jup understood, for he leant his head on Pencroft'sshoulder as if to thank him. The sailor was wounded himself, but hiswound was insignificant, as were those of his companions; for thanksto their firearms they had been almost always able to keep theirassailants at a distance. It was therefore only the orang whosecondition was serious.

  Jup, carried by Neb and Pencroft, was placed in the lift, and only aslight moan now and then escaped his lips. He was gently drawn up toGranite House. There he was laid on a mattress taken from one of thebeds, and his wounds were bathed with the greatest care. It did notappear that any vital part had been reached, but Jup was very weakfrom loss of blood, and a high fever soon set in after his wounds hadbeen dressed. He was laid down, strict diet was imposed, "just like areal person," as Neb said, and they made him swallow several cups of acooling drink, for which the ingredients were supplied from thevegetable medicine chest of Granite House. Jup was at first restless,but his breathing gradually became more regular, and he was leftsleeping quietly. From time to time Top, walking on tip-toe, as onemight say, came to visit his friend, and seemed to approve of all thecare that had been taken of him. One of Jup's hands hung over the sideof his bed, and Top licked it with a sympathising air.

  They employed the day in interring the dead, who were dragged to theforest of the Far West, and there buried deep.

  This attack, which might have had such serious consequences, was alesson to the settlers, who from this time never went to bed until oneof their number had made sure that all the bridges were raised, andthat no invasion was possible.

  However Jup, after having given them serious anxiety for several days,began to recover. His constitution brought him through, the fevergradually subsided, and Gideon Spilett, who was a bit of a doctor,pronounced him quite out of danger. On the 16th of August, Jup beganto eat. Neb made him nice little sweet dishes, which the invaliddiscussed with great relish, for if he had a pet failing it was thatof being somewhat of a gourmand, and Neb had never done anything tocure him of this fault.

  "What would you have?" said he to Gideon Spilett, who sometimesexpostulated with him for spoiling the ape. "Poor Jup has no otherpleasure than that of the palate, and I am only too glad to be able toreward his services in this way!"

  TOP VISITING THE INVALID]

  Ten days after having taken to his bed, on the 21st of August, MasterJup arose. His wounds were healed, and it was evident that he wouldnot be long in regaining his usual strength and agility. Like allconvalescents, he was tremendously hungry, and the reporter allowedhim to eat as much as he liked, for he trusted to that instinct, whichis too often wanting in reasoning beings, to keep the orang from anyexcess. Neb was delighted to see his pupil's appetite returning.

  "Eat away, my Jup," said he, "and don't spare anything; you have shedyour blood for us, and it is the least I can do to make you strongagain!"

  On the 25th of August Neb's voice was heard calling to his companions.

  "Captain, Mr. Spilett, Mr. Herbert, Pencroft, come! come!"

  The colonists, who were together in the dining-room, rose at Neb'scall, who was then in Jup's room.

  "What's the matter?" asked the reporter.

  "Look," replied Neb, with a shout of laughter. And what did they see?Master Jup smoking calmly and seriously, sitting cross-legged like aTurk at the entrance to Granite House!

  "My pipe," cried Pencroft. "He has taken my pipe! Hallo, my honestJup, I make you a present of it! Smoke away, old boy, smoke away!"

  And Jup gravely puffed out clouds of smoke which seemed to give himgreat satisfaction. Harding did not appear to be much astonished atthis incident, and he cited several examples of tame apes, to whom theuse of tobacco had become quite familiar.

  But from this day Master Jup had a pipe of his own, the sailor'sex-pipe, which was hung in his room near his store of tobacco. Hefilled it himself, lighted it with a glowing coal, and appeared to bethe happiest of quadrumana. It may readily be understood that thissimilarity of tastes of Jup and Pencroft served to tighten the bondsof friendship which already existed between the honest ape and theworthy sailor.

  "Perhaps he is really a man," said Pencroft sometimes to Neb. "Shouldyou be surprised to hear him beginning to speak to us some day?"

  "My word, no," replied Neb. "What astonishes me is that he hasn'tspoken to us before, for now he wants nothing but speech!"

  "It would amuse me all the same," resumed the sailor, "if some fineday he said to me, 'Suppose we change pipes, Pencroft.'"

  "Yes," replied Neb, "what a pity he was born dumb!"

  With the month of September the winter ended, and the works were againeagerly commenced. The building of the vessel advanced rapidly, shewas already completely decked over, and all the inside parts of thehull were firmly united with ribs bent by means of steam, whichanswered all the purposes of a mould.

  As there was no want of wood, Pencroft proposed to the engineer togive a double lining to the hull, so as to completely insure thestrength of the vessel.

  Harding, not knowing what the future might have in store for them,approved the sailor's idea of making the craft as strong as possible.The interior and deck of the vessel was entirely finished towards the15th of September. For calking the seams they made oakum of dryseaweed, which was hammered in between the planks; then these seamswere covered with boiling tar, which was obtained in great abundancefrom the pines in the forest.

  The management of the vessel was very simple. She had from the firstbeen ballasted with heavy blocks of granite walled up, in a bed oflime, twelve thousand pounds of which they stowed away.

  A deck was placed over this ballast, and the interior was divided intotwo cabins; two benches extended along them and served also aslockers. The foot of the mast supported the partition which separatedthe two cabins, which were reached by two hatchways let into the deck.

  Pencroft had no trouble in finding a tree suitable for the mast. Hechose a straight young fir, with no knots, and which he had only tosquare at the step, and round off at the top. The ironwork of themast, the rudder and the hull, had been roughly but strongly forged atthe Chimneys. Lastly, yards, masts, boom, spars, oars, etc., were allfinished by the first week in October, and it was agreed that a trialtrip should be taken round the island, so as to ascertain how thevessel would behave at sea, and how far they might depend upon her.

  During all this time the necessary works had not been neglected. Thecorral was enlarged, for the flock of musmons and goats had beenincreased by a number of young ones, who had to be housed and fed. Thecolonists had paid visits also to the oyster bed, the warren, the coaland iron mines, and to the till
then unexplored districts of the FarWest forest, which abounded in game. Certain indigenous plants werediscovered, and those fit for immediate use, contributed to vary thevegetable stores of Granite House.

  They were a species of ficoide, some similar to those of the Cape,with eatable fleshy leaves, others bearing seeds containing a sort offlour.

  On the 10th of October the vessel was launched. Pencroft was radiantwith joy, the operation was perfectly successful; the boat completelyrigged, having been pushed on rollers to the water's edge, was floatedby the rising tide, amidst the cheers of the colonists, particularlyof Pencroft, who showed no modesty on this occasion. Besides hisimportance was to last beyond the finishing of the vessel, since,after having built her, he was to command her. The grade of captainwas bestowed upon him with the approbation of all. To satisfy CaptainPencroft, it was now necessary to give a name to the vessel, and,after many propositions had been discussed, the votes were all infavour of the _Bonadventure_. As soon as the _Bonadventure_ had beenlifted by the rising tide, it was seen that she lay evenly in thewater, and would be easily navigated. However the trial trip was to bemade that very day, by an excursion off the coast. The weather wasfine, the breeze fresh, and the sea smooth, especially towards thesouth coast, for the wind was blowing from the north-west.

  "All hands on board," shouted Pencroft, but breakfast was firstnecessary, and it was thought best to take provisions on board, in theevent of their excursion being prolonged until the evening.

  THE TRIAL TRIP]

  Cyrus Harding was equally anxious to try the vessel, the model ofwhich had originated with him, although on the sailor's advice he hadaltered some parts of it, but he did not share Pencroft's confidencein her, and as the latter had not again spoken of the voyage to TaborIsland, Harding hoped he had given it up. He would have indeed greatreluctance in letting two or three of his companions venture so far inso small a boat, which was not of more than fifteen tons' burden.

  At half-past ten everybody was on board, even Top and Jup, and Herbertweighed the anchor, which was fast in the sand near the mouth of theMercy. The sail was hoisted, the Lincolnian flag floated from themast-head, and the _Bonadventure_, steered by Pencroft, stood out tosea.

  The wind blowing out of Union Bay she ran before it, and thus showedher owners, much to their satisfaction, that she possessed aremarkably fast pair of heels, according to Pencroft's mode ofspeaking. After having doubled Flotsam Point and Claw Cape, thecaptain kept her close hauled, so as to sail along the southern coastof the island, when it was found she sailed admirably within fivepoints of the wind. All hands were enchanted, they had a good vessel,which, in case of need, would be of great service to them, and withfine weather and a fresh breeze the voyage promised to be charming.

  Pencroft now stood off the shore, three or four miles across from PortBalloon. The island then appeared in all its extent and under a newaspect, with the varied panorama of its shore from Claw Cape toReptile End, the forests in which dark firs contrasted with the youngfoliage of other trees and overlooked the whole, and Mount Franklinwhose lofty head was still whitened with snow.

  "How beautiful it is!" cried Herbert.

  "Yes, our island is beautiful and good," replied Pencroft. "I love itas I loved my poor mother. It received us poor and destitute, and nowwhat is wanting to us five fellows who fell on it from the sky."

  "Nothing," replied Neb; "nothing, captain."

  And the two brave men gave three tremendous cheers in honour of theirisland!

  During all this time Gideon Spilett, leaning against the mast,sketched the panorama which was developed before his eyes.

  Cyrus Harding gazed on it in silence.

  "Well, Captain Harding," asked Pencroft, "what do you think of ourvessel?"

  "She appears to behave well," replied the engineer.

  "Good! And do you think now that she could undertake a voyage of someextent?"

  "What voyage, Pencroft?"

  "One to Tabor Island, for instance."

  "My friend," replied Harding, "I think that in any pressing emergencywe need not hesitate to trust ourselves to the _Bonadventure_ even fora longer voyage; but you know I should see you set off to Tabor Islandwith great uneasiness, since nothing obliges you to go there."

  "One likes to know one's neighbours," returned the sailor, who wasobstinate in his idea. "Tabor Island is our neighbour, and the onlyone! Politeness requires us to go at least to pay a visit."

  "By Jove," said Spilett; "our friend Pencroft has become veryparticular about the proprieties all at once!"

  "I am not particular about anything at all," retorted the sailor; whowas rather vexed by the engineer's opposition, but who did not wish tocause him anxiety.

  "Consider, Pencroft," resumed Harding, "you cannot go alone to TaborIsland."

  "One companion will be enough for me."

  "Even so," replied the engineer, "you will risk depriving the colonyof Lincoln Island of two settlers out of five."

  "Out of six," answered Pencroft; "you forget Jup."

  "Out of seven," added Neb; "Top is quite worth another."

  "There is no risk at all in it, captain," replied Pencroft.

  "That is possible, Pencroft; but I repeat it is to expose ourselvesuselessly."

  The obstinate sailor did not reply, and let the conversation drop,quite determined to resume it again. But he did not suspect that anincident would come to his aid and change into an act of humanity thatwhich was at first only a doubtful whim.

  After standing off the shore the _Bonadventure_ again approached it inthe direction of Port Balloon. It was important to ascertain thechannels between the sandbanks and reefs, that buoys might be laiddown, since this little creek was to be the harbour.

  They were not more than half a mile from the coast, and it wasnecessary to tack to beat against the wind. The _Bonadventure_ wasthen going at a very moderate rate, as the breeze, partly interceptedby the high land, scarcely swelled her sails, and the sea, smooth asglass, was only rippled now and then by passing gusts.

  Herbert had stationed himself in the bows that he might indicate thecourse to be followed among the channels, when all at once heshouted,--

  "Luff, Pencroft, luff!"

  "What's the matter," replied the sailor, "a rock?"

  "No--wait," said Herbert, "I don't quite see. Luff again--right--now."

  So saying, Herbert leaning over the side, plunged his arm into thewater and pulled it out, exclaiming,--

  "A bottle!"

  He held in his hand a corked bottle which he had just seized a fewcables' length from the shore.

  Cyrus Harding took the bottle Without uttering a single word he drewthe cork, and took from it a damp paper, on which were written thesewords:--

  "Castaway ... Tabor Island: 153 deg. W long, 37 deg. 11' S lat."

  "LUFF, PENCROFT, LUFF!"]