CHAPTER XV
The Return -- Discussion -- Cyrus Harding and the Stranger -- Port Balloon -- The Engineer's Devotion -- A touching Incident -- Tears flow.
The next day, the 20th of October, at seven o'clock in the morning,after a voyage of four days, the _Bonadventure_ gently glided up tothe beach at the mouth of the Mercy.
Cyrus Harding and Neb, who had become very uneasy at the bad weatherand the prolonged absence of their companions, had climbed at daybreakto the plateau of Prospect Heights, and they had at last caught sightof the vessel which had been so long in returning.
"God be praised! there they are!" exclaimed Cyrus Harding.
As to Neb in his joy, he began to dance, to twirl round, clapping hishands and shouting, "Oh! my master!" A more touching pantomime thanthe finest discourse.
The engineer's first idea, on counting the people on the deck of the_Bonadventure_, was that Pencroft had not found the castaway of TaborIsland, or at any rate that the unfortunate man had refused to leavehis island and change one prison for another.
Indeed Pencroft, Gideon Spilett, and Herbert were alone on the deck ofthe _Bonadventure_.
The moment the vessel touched, the engineer and Neb were waiting onthe beach, and before the passengers had time to leap on to the sand,Harding said: "We have been very uneasy at your delay, my friends! Didyou meet with any accident?"
"No," replied Gideon Spilett; "on the contrary, everything wentwonderfully well. We will tell you all about it."
"However," returned the engineer, "your search has been unsuccessful,since you are only three just as you went!"
"Excuse me, captain," replied the sailor, "we are four."
"You have found the castaway?"
"Yes."
"And you have brought him?"
"Yes."
"Living?"
"Yes."
"Where is he? Who is he?"
"He is," replied the reporter, "or rather he was, a man! There, Cyrus,that is all we can tell you!"
The engineer was then informed of all that had passed during thevoyage, and under what conditions the search had been conducted; howthe only dwelling in the island had long been abandoned; how at last acastaway had been captured, who appeared no longer to belong to thehuman species.
"And that's just the point," added Pencroft, "I don't know if we havedone right to bring him here."
"Certainly you have, Pencroft," replied the engineer quickly.
"But the wretched creature has no sense!"
"That is possible at present," replied Cyrus Harding; "but only a fewmonths ago the wretched creature was a man like you and me. And whoknows what will become of the survivor of us after a long solitude onthis island? It is a great misfortune to be alone, my friends; and itmust be believed that solitude can quickly destroy reason, since youhave found this poor creature in such a state!"
"But, captain," asked Herbert, "what leads you to think that thebrutishness of the unfortunate man began only a few months back?"
"Because the document we found had been recently written," answeredthe engineer, "and the castaway alone can have written it."
"Always supposing," observed Gideon Spilett, "that it had not beenwritten by a companion of this man, since dead."
"That is impossible, my dear Spilett."
"Why so?" asked the reporter.
"Because the document would then have spoken of two castaways,"replied Harding, "and it mentioned only one."
Herbert then in a few words related the incidents of the voyage, anddwelt on the curious fact of the sort of passing gleam in theprisoner's mind, when for an instant in the height of the storm he hadbecome a sailor.
"Well, Herbert," replied the engineer, "you are right to attach greatimportance to this fact. The unfortunate man cannot be incurable, anddespair has made him what he is; but here he will find his fellow-men,and since there is still a soul in him, this soul we shall save!"
The castaway of Tabor Island, to the great pity of the engineer andthe great astonishment of Neb, was then brought from the cabin whichhe occupied in the fore part of the _Bonadventure_; when once on landhe manifested a wish to run away.
But Cyrus Harding approaching, placed his hand on his shoulder with agesture full of authority, and looked at him with infinite tenderness.Immediately the unhappy man, submitting to a superior will, graduallybecame calm, his eyes fell, his head bent, and he made no moreresistance.
"Poor fellow!" murmured the engineer.
Cyrus Harding had attentively observed him. To judge by his appearancethis miserable being had no longer anything human about him, and yetHarding, as had the reporter already, observed in his look anindefinable trace of intelligence.
It was decided that the castaway, or rather the stranger, as he wasthenceforth termed by his companions, should live in one of the roomsof Granite House, from which, however, he could not escape. He was ledthere without difficulty; and with careful attention, it might,perhaps, be hoped that some day he would be a companion to thesettlers in Lincoln Island.
Cyrus Harding, during breakfast, which Neb had hastened to prepare, asthe reporter, Herbert, and Pencroft were dying of hunger, heard indetail all the incidents which had marked the voyage of exploration tothe islet. He agreed with his friends on this point, that the strangermust be either English or American, the name Britannia leading them tosuppose this, and, besides, through the bushy beard, and under theshaggy, matted hair, the engineer thought he could recognise thecharacteristic features of the Anglo-Saxon.
"POOR FELLOW," MURMURED THE ENGINEER]
"But, by the bye," said Gideon Spilett, addressing Herbert, "you nevertold us how you met this savage, and we know nothing, except that youwould have been strangled, if we had not happened to come up in timeto help you!"
"Upon my word," answered Herbert, "it is rather difficult to say howit happened. I was, I think, occupied in collecting my plants, when Iheard a noise like an avalanche falling from a very tall tree. Iscarcely had time to look round. This unfortunate man, who was withoutdoubt concealed in a tree, rushed upon me in less time than I take totell you about it, and unless Mr. Spilett and Pencroft--"
"My boy!" said Cyrus Harding, "you ran a great danger, but, perhaps,without that, the poor creature would have still hidden himself fromyour search, and we should not have had a new companion."
"You hope, then, Cyrus, to succeed in reforming the man?" asked thereporter.
"Yes," replied the engineer.
Breakfast over, Harding and his companions left Granite House andreturned to the beach. They there occupied themselves in unloading the_Bonadventure_, and the engineer, having examined the arms and tools,saw nothing which could help them to establish the identity of thestranger.
The capture of pigs, made on the islet, was looked upon as being veryprofitable to Lincoln Island, and the animals were led to the sty,where they soon became at home.
The two barrels, containing the powder and shot, as well as the box ofcaps, were very welcome. It was agreed to establish a smallpowder-magazine, either outside Granite House or in the Upper Cavern,where there would be no fear of explosion. However, the use ofpyroxyle was to be continued, for this substance giving excellentresults, there was no reason for substituting ordinary powder.
When the unloading of the vessel was finished,--
"Captain," said Pencroft, "I think it would be prudent to put our_Bonadventure_ in a safe place."
"Is she not safe at the mouth of the Mercy?" asked Cyrus Harding.
"No, captain," replied the sailor. "Half of the time she is strandedon the sand, and that works her. She is a famous craft, you see, andshe behaved admirably during the squall which struck us on ourreturn."
"Could she not float in the river?"
"No doubt, captain, she could; but there is no shelter there, and inthe east winds, I think that the _Bonadventure_ would suffer much fromthe surf."
"Well, where would you put her, Pencroft?"
"In Port Balloon," repl
ied the sailor. "That little creek, shut in byrocks, seems to me to be just the harbour we want."
"Is it not rather far?"
"Pooh! it is not more than three miles from Granite House, and we havea fine straight road to take us there!"
"Do it then, Pencroft, and take your _Bonadventure_ there," repliedthe engineer, "and yet I would rather have her under our moreimmediate protection. When we have time, we must make a little harbourfor her."
"Famous!" exclaimed Pencroft. "A harbour with a lighthouse, a pier,and a dock! Ah! really with you, captain, everything becomes easy."
"Yes, my brave Pencroft," answered the engineer, "but on condition,however, that you help me, for you do as much as three men in all ourwork."
Herbert and the sailor then re-embarked on board the _Bonadventure_,the anchor was weighed, the sail hoisted, and the wind drove herrapidly towards Claw Cape. Two hours after, she was reposing on thetranquil waters of Port Balloon.
During the first days passed by the stranger in Granite House, had healready given them reason to think that his savage nature was becomingtamed? Did a brighter light burn in the depths of that obscured mind?In short, was the soul returning to the body?
Yes, to a certainty, and to such a degree, that Cyrus Harding and thereporter wondered if the reason of the unfortunate man had ever beentotally extinguished. At first, accustomed to the open air, to theunrestrained liberty which he had enjoyed on Tabor Island, thestranger manifested a sullen fury, and it was feared that he mightthrow himself on to the beach, out of one of the windows of GraniteHouse. But gradually he became calmer, and more freedom was allowed tohis movements.
They had reason to hope, and to hope much. Already, forgetting hiscarnivorous instincts, the stranger accepted a less bestialnourishment than that on which he fed on the islet, and cooked meatdid not produce in him the same sentiment of repulsion which he hadshowed on board the _Bonadventure_. Cyrus Harding had profited by amoment when he was sleeping, to cut his hair and matted beard, whichformed a sort of mane, and gave him such a savage aspect. He had alsobeen clothed more suitably, after having got rid of the rag whichcovered him. The result was that, thanks to these attentions, thestranger resumed a more human appearance, and it even seemed as if hiseyes had become milder. Certainly, when formerly lighted up byintelligence, this man's face must have had a sort of beauty.
Every day, Harding imposed on himself the task of passing some hoursin his company. He came and worked near him, and occupied himself indifferent things, so as to fix his attention. A spark, indeed, wouldbe sufficient to reillumine that soul, a recollection crossing thatbrain to recall reason. That had been seen, during the storm, on boardthe _Bonadventure!_ The engineer did not neglect either to speakaloud, so as to penetrate at the same time by the organs of hearingand sight the depths of that torpid intelligence. Sometimes one of hiscompanions, sometimes another, sometimes all joined him. They spokemost often of things belonging to the navy, which must interest asailor.
At times the stranger gave some slight attention to what was said, andthe settlers were soon convinced that he partly understood them.Sometimes the expression of his countenance was deeply sorrowful, aproof that he suffered mentally, for his face could not be mistaken;but he did not speak, although at different times, however, theyalmost thought that words were about to issue from his lips. At allevents, the poor creature was quite quiet and sad!
But was not his calm only apparent? Was not his sadness only theresult of his seclusion? Nothing could yet be ascertained. Seeing onlycertain objects and in a limited space, always in contact with thecolonists, to whom he would soon become accustomed, having no desiresto satisfy, better fed, better clothed, it was natural that hisphysical nature should gradually improve; but was he penetrated withthe sense of a new life? or rather, to employ a word, which would beexactly applicable to him, was he not becoming tamed, like an animalin company with his master? This was an important question, whichCyrus Harding was anxious to answer, and yet he did not wish to treathis invalid roughly! would he ever be a convalescent?
How the engineer observed him every moment! How he was on the watchfor his soul, if one may use the expression! How he was ready to graspit! The settlers followed with real sympathy all the phases of thecure undertaken by Harding. They aided him also in this work ofhumanity, and all, except perhaps the incredulous Pencroft, soonshared both his hope and his faith.
The calm of the stranger was deep, as has been said, and he evenshowed a sort of attachment for the engineer, whose influence heevidently felt. Cyrus Harding resolved then to try him, bytransporting him to another scene, from that ocean which formerly hiseyes had been accustomed to contemplate, to the border of the forest,which might perhaps recall those where so many years of his life hadbeen passed!
"But," said Gideon Spilett, "can we hope that he will not escape, ifonce set at liberty?"
"The experiment must be tried," replied the engineer.
"Well!" said Pencroft. "When that fellow is outside, and feels thefresh air, he will be off as fast as his legs can carry him!"
"I do not think so," returned Harding.
"Let us try," said Spilett.
"We will try," replied the engineer.
This was on the 30th of October, and consequently the castaway ofTabor Island had been a prisoner in Granite House for nine days. Itwas warm, and a bright sun darted his rays on the island. CyrusHarding and Pencroft went to the room occupied by the stranger, whowas found lying near the window and gazing at the sky.
"Come, my friend," said the engineer to him.
The stranger rose immediately. His eyes were fixed on Cyrus Harding,and he followed him, whilst the sailor marched behind them, littleconfident as to the result of the experiment.
Arrived at the door, Harding and Pencroft made him take his place inthe lift, whilst Neb, Herbert, and Gideon Spilett waited for thembefore Granite House. The lift descended, and in a few moments allwere united on the beach.
The settlers went a short distance from the stranger, so as to leavehim at liberty.
He then made a few steps towards the sea, and his look brightened withextreme animation, but he did not make the slightest attempt toescape. He was gazing at the little waves, which broken by the isletrippled on the sand.
"This is only the sea," observed Gideon Spilett, "and possibly it doesnot inspire him with any wish to escape!"
"Yes," replied Harding, "we must take him to the plateau, on theborder of the forest. There the experiment will be more conclusive."
"Besides, he could not run away," said Neb, "since the bridge israised."
"Oh!" said Pencroft, "that isn't a man to be troubled by a stream likeCreek Glycerine! He could cross it directly, at a single bound!"
"We shall soon see," Harding contented himself with replying, his eyesnot quitting those of his patient.
The latter was then led towards the mouth of the Mercy, and allclimbing the left bank of the river, reached Prospect Heights.
Arrived at the spot on which grew the first beautiful trees of theforest, their foliage slightly agitated by the breeze, the strangerappeared greedily to drink in the penetrating odour which filled theatmosphere, and a long sigh escaped from his chest.
The settlers kept behind him, ready to seize him if he made anymovement to escape!
And, indeed, the poor creature was on the point of springing into thecreek which separated him from the forest, and his legs were bent foran instant as if for a spring, but almost immediately he stepped back,half sank down, and a large tear fell from his eyes.
"Ah!" exclaimed Cyrus Harding, "you have become a man again, for youcan weep!"
THE EXPERIMENT]