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Chapter 12 The next day, the 18th of February, was devoted
to the exploration of all that wooded region forming the shore from Reptile End to Falls
River. The colonists were able to search this forest thoroughly, for, as it was comprised
between the two shores of the Serpentine Peninsula, it was only from three to four miles in breadth.
The trees, both by their height and their thick foliage, bore witness to the vegetative
power of the soil, more astonishing here than in any other part of the island. One might
have said that a corner from the *** forests of America or Africa had been transported
into this temperate zone. This led them to conclude that the superb vegetation found
a heat in this soil, damp in its upper layer, but warmed in the interior by volcanic fires,
which could not belong to a temperate climate. The most frequently occurring trees were knaries
and eucalypti of gigantic dimensions. But the colonists' object was not simply to
admire the magnificent vegetation. They knew already that in this respect Lincoln Island
would have been worthy to take the first rank in the Canary group, to which the first name
given was that of the Happy Isles. Now, alas! their island no longer belonged to them entirely;
others had taken possession of it, miscreants polluted its shores, and they must be destroyed
to the last man. No traces were found on the western coast,
although they were carefully sought for. No more footprints, no more broken branches,
no more deserted camps. "This does not surprise me," said Cyrus Harding
to his companions. "The convicts first landed on the island in the neighborhood of Flotsam
Point, and they immediately plunged into the Far West forests, after crossing Tadorn Marsh.
They then followed almost the same route that we took on leaving Granite House. This explains
the traces we found in the wood. But, arriving on the shore, the convicts saw at once that
they would discover no suitable retreat there, and it was then that, going northwards again,
they came upon the corral." "Where they have perhaps returned," said Pencroft.
"I do not think so," answered the engineer, "for they would naturally suppose that our
researches would be in that direction. The corral is only a storehouse to them, and not
a definitive encampment." "I am of Cyrus' opinion," said the reporter,
"and I think that it is among the spurs of Mount Franklin that the convicts will have
made their lair." "Then, captain, straight to the corral!" cried
Pencroft. "We must finish them off, and till now we have only lost time!"
"No, my friend," replied the engineer; "you forget that we have a reason for wishing to
know if the forests of the Far West do not contain some habitation. Our exploration has
a double object, Pencroft. If, on the one hand, we have to chastise crime, we have,
on the other, an act of gratitude to perform." "That was well said, captain," replied the
sailor, "but, all the same, it is my opinion that we shall not find the gentleman until
he pleases." And truly Pencroft only expressed the opinion
of all. It was probable that the stranger's retreat was not less mysterious than was he
himself. That evening the cart halted at the mouth
of Falls River. The camp was organized as usual, and the customary precautions were
taken for the night. Herbert, become again the healthy and vigorous lad he was before
his illness, derived great benefit from this life in the open air, between the sea breezes
and the vivifying air from the forests. His place was no longer in the cart, but at the
head of the troop. The next day, the 19th of February, the colonists,
leaving the shore, where, beyond the mouth, basalts of every shape were so picturesquely
piled up, ascended the river by its left bank. The road had been already partly cleared in
their former excursions made from the corral to the west coast. The settlers were now about
six miles from Mount Franklin. The engineer's plan was this:—To minutely
survey the valley forming the bed of the river, and to cautiously approach the neighborhood
of the corral; if the corral was occupied, to seize it by force; if it was not, to entrench
themselves there and make it the center of the operations which had for their object
the exploration of Mount Franklin. This plan was unanimously approved by the
colonists, for they were impatient to regain entire possession of their island.
They made their way then along the narrow valley separating two of the largest spurs
of Mount Franklin. The trees, crowded on the river's bank, became rare on the upper slopes
of the mountain. The ground was hilly and rough, very suitable for ambushes, and over
which they did not venture without extreme precaution. Top and Jup skirmished on the
flanks, springing right and left through the thick brushwood, and emulating each other
in intelligence and activity. But nothing showed that the banks of the stream had been
recently frequented—nothing announced either the presence or the proximity of the convicts.
Towards five in the evening the cart stopped nearly 600 feet from the palisade. A semicircular
screen of trees still hid it. It was necessary to reconnoiter the corral,
in order to ascertain if it was occupied. To go there openly, in broad daylight, when
the convicts were probably in ambush, would be to expose themselves, as poor Herbert had
done, to the firearms of the ruffians. It was better, then, to wait until night came
on. However, Gideon Spilett wished without further
delay to reconnoiter the approaches to the corral, and Pencroft, who was quite out of
patience, volunteered to accompany him. "No, my friends," said the engineer, "wait
till night. I will not allow one of you to expose himself in open day."
"But, captain—" answered the sailor, little disposed to obey.
"I beg of you, Pencroft," said the engineer. "Very well!" replied the sailor, who vented
his anger in another way, by bestowing on the convicts the worst names in his maritime
vocabulary. The colonists remained, therefore, near the
cart, and carefully watched the neighboring parts of the forest.
Three hours passed thus. The wind had fallen, and absolute silence reigned under the great
trees. The snapping of the smallest twig, a footstep on the dry leaves, the gliding
of a body among the grass, would have been heard without difficulty. All was quiet. Besides,
Top, lying on the grass, his head stretched out on his paws, gave no sign of uneasiness.
At eight o'clock the day appeared far enough advanced for the reconnaissance to be made
under favorable conditions. Gideon Spilett declared himself ready to set out accompanied
by Pencroft. Cyrus Harding consented. Top and Jup were to remain with the engineer,
Herbert, and Neb, for a bark or a cry at a wrong moment would give the alarm.
"Do not be imprudent," said Harding to the reporter and Pencroft, "you have not to gain
possession of the corral, but only to find out whether it is occupied or not."
"All right," answered Pencroft. And the two departed.
Under the trees, thanks to the thickness of their foliage, the obscurity rendered any
object invisible beyond a radius of from thirty to forty feet. The reporter and Pencroft,
halting at any suspicious sound, advanced with great caution.
They walked a little distance apart from each other so as to offer a less mark for a shot.
And, to tell the truth, they expected every moment to hear a report. Five minutes after
leaving the cart, Gideon Spilett and Pencroft arrived at the edge of the wood before the
clearing beyond which rose the palisade. They stopped. A few straggling beams still
fell on the field clear of trees. Thirty feet distant was the gate of the corral, which
appeared to be closed. This thirty feet, which it was necessary to cross from the wood to
the palisade, constituted the dangerous zone, to borrow a ballistic term: in fact, one or
more bullets fired from behind the palisade might knock over any one who ventured on to
this zone. Gideon Spilett and the sailor were not men to draw back, but they knew that any
imprudence on their part, of which they would be the first victims, would fall afterwards
on their companions. If they themselves were killed, what would become of Harding, Neb,
and Herbert? But Pencroft, excited at feeling himself so
near the corral where he supposed the convicts had taken refuge, was about to press forward,
when the reporter held him back with a grasp of iron.
"In a few minutes it will be quite dark," whispered Spilett in the sailor's ear, "then
will be the time to act." Pencroft, convulsively clasping the butt-end
of his gun, restrained his energies, and waited, swearing to himself.
Soon the last of the twilight faded away. Darkness, which seemed as if it issued from
the dense forest, covered the clearing. Mount Franklin rose like an enormous screen before
the western horizon, and night spread rapidly over all, as it does in regions of low latitudes.
Now was the time. The reporter and Pencroft, since posting themselves
on the edge of the wood, had not once lost sight of the palisade. The corral appeared
to be absolutely deserted. The top of the palisade formed a line, a little darker than
the surrounding shadow, and nothing disturbed its distinctness. Nevertheless, if the convicts
were there, they must have posted one of their number to guard against any surprise.
Spilett grasped his companion's hand, and both crept towards the corral, their guns
ready to fire. They reached the gate without the darkness
being illuminated by a single ray of light. Pencroft tried to push open the gate, which,
as the reporter and he had supposed, was closed. However, the sailor was able to ascertain
that the outer bars had not been put up. It might, then, be concluded that the convicts
were there in the corral, and that very probably they had fastened the gate in such a way that
it could not be forced open. Gideon Spilett and Pencroft listened.
Not a sound could be heard inside the palisade. The musmons and the goats, sleeping no doubt
in their huts, in no way disturbed the calm of night.
The reporter and the sailor hearing nothing, asked themselves whether they had not better
scale the palisades and penetrate into the corral. This would have been contrary to Cyrus
Harding's instructions. It is true that the enterprise might succeed,
but it might also fail. Now, if the convicts were suspecting nothing, if they knew nothing
of the expedition against them, if, lastly, there now existed a chance of surprising them,
ought this chance to be lost by inconsiderately attempting to cross the palisades?
This was not the reporter's opinion. He thought it better to wait until all the settlers were
collected together before attempting to penetrate into the corral. One thing was certain, that
it was possible to reach the palisade without being seen, and also that it did not appear
to be guarded. This point settled, there was nothing to be done but to return to the cart,
where they would consult. Pencroft probably agreed with this decision,
for he followed the reporter without making any objection when the latter turned back
to the wood. In a few minutes the engineer was made acquainted
with the state of affairs. "Well," said he, after a little thought, "I
now have reason to believe that the convicts are not in the corral."
"We shall soon know," said Pencroft, "when we have scaled the palisade."
"To the corral, my friends!" said Cyrus Harding. "Shall we leave the cart in the wood?" asked
Neb. "No," replied the engineer, "it is our wagon
of ammunition and provisions, and, if necessary, it would serve as an entrenchment."
"Forward, then!" said Gideon Spilett. The cart emerged from the wood and began to
roll noiselessly towards the palisade. The darkness was now profound, the silence as
complete as when Pencroft and the reporter crept over the ground. The thick grass completely
muffled their footsteps. The colonists held themselves ready to fire. Jup, at Pencroft's
orders, kept behind. Neb led Top in a leash, to prevent him from bounding forward.
The clearing soon came in sight. It was deserted. Without hesitating, the little band moved
towards the palisade. In a short space of time the dangerous zone was passed. Neb remained
at the onagers' heads to hold them. The engineer, the reporter, Herbert, and Pencroft, proceeded
to the door, in order to ascertain if it was barricaded inside. It was open!
"What do you say now?" asked the engineer, turning to the sailor and Spilett.
Both were stupefied. "I can swear," said Pencroft, "that this gate
was shut just now!" The colonists now hesitated. Were the convicts
in the corral when Pencroft and the reporter made their reconnaissance? It could not be
doubted, as the gate then closed could only have been opened by them. Were they still
there, or had one of their number just gone out?
All these questions presented themselves simultaneously to the minds of the colonists, but how could
they be answered? At that moment, Herbert, who had advanced
a few steps into the enclosure, drew back hurriedly, and seized Harding's hand.
"What's the matter?" asked the engineer. "A light!"
"In the house?" "Yes!"
All five advanced and indeed, through the window fronting them, they saw glimmering
a feeble light. Cyrus Harding made up his mind rapidly. "It is our only chance," said
he to his companions, "of finding the convicts collected in this house, suspecting nothing!
They are in our power! Forward!" The colonists crossed through the enclosure, holding their
guns ready in their hands. The cart had been left outside under the charge of Jup and Top,
who had been prudently tied to it. Cyrus Harding, Pencroft, and Gideon Spilett
on one side, Herbert and Neb on the other, going along by the palisade, surveyed the
absolutely dark and deserted corral. In a few moments they were near the closed
door of the house. Harding signed to his companions not to stir,
and approached the window, then feebly lighted by the inner light.
He gazed into the apartment. On the table burned a lantern. Near the table
was the bed formerly used by Ayrton. On the bed lay the body of a man.
Suddenly Cyrus Harding drew back, and in a hoarse voice,—"Ayrton!" he exclaimed.
Immediately the door was forced rather than opened, and the colonists rushed into the
room. Ayrton appeared to be asleep. His countenance
showed that he had long and cruelly suffered. On his wrists and ankles could be seen great
bruises. Harding bent over him.
"Ayrton!" cried the engineer, seizing the arm of the man whom he had just found again
under such unexpected circumstances. At this exclamation Ayrton opened his eyes,
and, gazing at Harding, then at the others,— "You!" he cried, "you?"
"Ayrton! Ayrton!" repeated Harding. "Where am I?"
"In the house in the corral!" "Alone?"
"Yes!" "But they will come back!" cried Ayrton. "Defend
yourselves! defend yourselves!" And he fell back exhausted.
"Spilett," exclaimed the engineer, "we may be attacked at any moment. Bring the cart
into the corral. Then, barricade the door, and all come back here."
Pencroft, Neb, and the reporter hastened to execute the engineer's orders. There was not
a moment to be lost. Perhaps even now the cart was in the hands of the convicts!
In a moment the reporter and his two companions had crossed the corral and reached the gate
of the palisade behind which Top was heard growling sullenly.
The engineer, leaving Ayrton for an instant, came out ready to fire. Herbert was at his
side. Both surveyed the crest of the spur overlooking the corral. If the convicts were
lying in ambush there, they might knock the settlers over one after the other.
At that moment the moon appeared in the east, above the black curtain of the forest, and
a white sheet of light spread over the interior of the enclosure. The corral, with its clumps
of trees, the little stream which watered it, its wide carpet of grass, was suddenly
illuminated. From the side of the mountain, the house and a part of the palisade stood
out white in the moonlight. On the opposite side towards the door, the enclosure remained
dark. A black mass soon appeared. This was the cart entering the circle of light, and
Cyrus Harding could hear the noise made by the door, as his companions shut it and fastened
the interior bars. But, at that moment, Top, breaking loose,
began to bark furiously and rush to the back of the corral, to the right of the house.
"Be ready to fire, my friends!" cried Harding. The colonists raised their pieces and waited
the moment to fire. Top still barked, and Jup, running towards
the dog, uttered shrill cries. The colonists followed him, and reached the
borders of the little stream, shaded by large trees. And there, in the bright moonlight,
what did they see? Five corpses, stretched on the bank!
They were those of the convicts who, four months previously, had landed on Lincoln Island!