Robur-le-conquerant. English

by Jules Verne

  Chapter XIX

  ANCHORED AT LAST

  When the "Albatross" was high in the air the island could be seen tobe of moderate size. But on what parallel was it situated? Whatmeridian ran through it? Was it an island in the Pacific, inAustralasia, or in the Indian Ocean? When the sun appeared, and Roburhad taken his observations, they would know; but although they couldnot trust to the indications of the compass there was reason to thinkthey were in the Pacific.

  At this height--one hundred and fifty feet--the island whichmeasured about fifteen miles round, was like a three-pointed star inthe sea.

  Off the southwest point was an islet and a range of rocks. On theshore there were no tide-marks, and this tended to confirm Robur inhis opinion as to his position for the ebb and flow are almostimperceptible in the Pacific.

  At the northwest point there was a conical mountain about two hundredfeet high.

  No natives were to be seen, but they might be on the opposite coast.In any case, if they had perceived the aeronef, terror had made themeither hide themselves or run away. The "Albatross" had anchored onthe southwest point of the island. Not far off, down a little creek,a small river flowed in among the rocks. Beyond were several windingvalleys; trees of different kinds; and birds--partridges andbustards--in great numbers. If the island was not inhabited it washabitable. Robur might surely have landed on it; if he had not doneso it was probably because the ground was uneven and did not offer aconvenient spot to beach the aeronef.

  While he was waiting for the sun the engineer began the repairs hereckoned on completing before the day was over. The suspensory screwswere undamaged and had worked admirably amid all the violence of thestorm, which, as we have said, had considerably lightened their work.At this moment half of them were in action, enough to keep the"Albatross" fixed to the shore by the taut cable. But the twopropellers had suffered, and more than Robur had thought. Theirblades would have to be adjusted and the gearing seen to by whichthey received their rotatory movement.

  It was the screw at the bow which was first attacked under Robur'ssuperintendence. It was the best to commence with, in case the"Albatross" had to leave before the work was finished. With only thispropeller he could easily keep a proper course.

  Meanwhile Uncle Prudent and his colleague, after walking about thedeck, had sat down aft. Frycollin was strangely reassured. What adifference! To be suspended only one hundred and fifty feet from theground!

  The work was only interrupted for a moment while the elevation of thesun above the horizon allowed Robur to take an horary angle, so thatat the time of its culmination he could calculate his position.

  The result of the observation, taken with the greatest exactitude,was as follows:

  Longitude, 176 deg. 10' west. Latitude, 44 deg. 25' south.

  This point on the map answered to the position of the ChathamIslands, and particularly of Pitt Island, one of the group.

  "That is nearer than I supposed," said Robur to Tom Turner.

  "How far off are we?"

  "Forty-six degrees south of X Island, or two thousand eight hundredmiles."

  "All the more reason to get our propellers into order," said themate. "We may have the wind against us this passage, and with thelittle stores we have left we ought to get to X as soon as possible."

  "Yes, Tom, and I hope to get under way tonight, even if I go with onescrew, and put the other to-rights on the voyage."

  "Mr. Robur," said Tom "What is to be done with those two gentlemenand their servant?"

  "Do you think they would complain if they became colonists of XIsland?"

  But where was this X? It was an island lost in the immensity of thePacific Ocean between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer--anisland most appropriately named by Robur in this algebraic fashion.It was in the north of the South Pacific, a long way out of the routeof inter-oceanic communication. There it was that Robur had foundedhis little colony, and there the "Albatross" rested when tired withher flight. There she was provisioned for all her voyages. In XIsland, Robur, a man of immense wealth, had established a shipyard inwhich he built his aeronef. There he could repair it, and evenrebuild it. In his warehouses were materials and provisions of allsorts stored for the fifty inhabitants who lived on the island.

  When Robur had doubled Cape Horn a few days before his intention hadbeen to regain X Island by crossing the Pacific obliquely. But thecyclone had seized the "Albatross," and the hurricane had carried heraway to the south. In fact, he had been brought back to much the samelatitude as before, and if his propellers had not been damaged thedelay would have been of no importance.

  His object was therefore to get back to X Island, but as the mate hadsaid, the voyage would be a long one, and the winds would probably beagainst them. The mechanical power of the "Albatross" was, however,quite equal to taking her to her destination, and under ordinarycircumstances she would be there in three or four days.

  Hence Robur's resolve to anchor on the Chatham Islands. There wasevery opportunity for repairing at least the fore-screw. He had nofear that if the wind were to rise he would be driven to the southinstead of to the north. When night came the repairs would befinished, and he would have to maneuver so as to weigh anchor. If itwere too firmly fixed in the rocks he could cut the cable and resumehis flight towards the equator.

  The crew of the "Albatross," knowing there was no time to lose, setto work vigorously.

  While they were busy in the bow of the aeronef, Uncle Prudent andPhil Evans held a little conversation together which hadexceptionally important consequences.

  "Phil Evans," said Uncle Prudent, "you have resolved, as I have, tosacrifice your life?"

  "Yes, like you."

  "It is evident that we can expect nothing from Robur."

  "Nothing."

  "Well, Phil Evans, I have made up my mind. If the "Albatross" leavesthis place tonight, the night will not pass without our havingaccomplished our task. We will smash the wings of this bird ofRobur's! This night I will blow it into the air!"

  "The sooner the better," said Phil Evans.

  It will be seen that the two colleagues were agreed on all pointseven in accepting with indifference the frightful death in store forthem. "Have you all you want?" asked Evans.

  "Yes. Last night, while Robur and his people had enough to do to lookafter the safety of the ship, I slipped into the magazine and gothold of a dynamite cartridge."

  "Let us set to work, Uncle Prudent."

  "No. Wait till tonight. When the night comes we will go into ourcabin, and you shall see something that will surprise you."

  At six o'clock the colleagues dined together as usual. Two hoursafterwards they retired to their cabin like men who wished to make upfor a sleepless night.

  Neither Robur nor any of his companions had a suspicion of thecatastrophe that threatened the "Albatross."

  This was Uncle Prudent's plan. As he had said, he had stolen into themagazine, and there had possessed himself of some powder andcartridge like those used by Robur in Dahomey. Returning to hiscabin, he had carefully concealed the cartridge with which he hadresolved to blow up the "Albatross" in mid-air.

  Phil Evans, screened by his companion, was now examining the infernalmachine, which was a metallic canister containing about two pounds ofdynamite, enough to shatter the aeronef to atoms. If the explosiondid not destroy her at once, it would do so in her fall. Nothing waseasier than to place this cartridge in a corner of the cabin, so thatit would blow in the deck and tear away the framework of the hull.

  But to obtain the explosion it was necessary to adjust thefulminating cap with which the cartridge was fitted. This was themost delicate part of the operation, for the explosion would have tobe carefully timed, so as not to occur too soon or too late.

  Uncle Prudent had carefully thought over the matter. His conclusionswere as follows. As soon as the fore propeller was repaired theaeronef would resume her course to the north, and that done Robur andhis crew would probably come aft to put th
e other screw into order.The presence of these people about the cabin might interfere with hisplans, and so he had resolved to make a slow match do duty as atime-fuse.

  "When I got the cartridge," said he to Phil Evans, "I took somegunpowder as well. With the powder I will make a fuse that will takesome time to burn, and which will lead into the fulminate. My idea isto light it about midnight, so that the explosion will take placeabout three or four o'clock in the morning."

  "Well planned!" said Phil Evans.

  The colleagues, as we see, had arrived at such a stage as to look withthe greatest nonchalance on the awful destruction in which they wereabout to perish. Their hatred against Robur and his people had soincreased that they would sacrifice their own lives to destroy the"Albatross" and all she bore. The act was that of madmen, it washorrible; but at such a pitch had they arrived after five weeks ofanger that could not vent itself, of rage that could not be gratified.

  "And Frycollin?" asked Phil Evans, "have we the right to dispose ofhis life?"

  "We shall sacrifice ours as well!" said Uncle Prudent. But it isdoubtful if Frycollin would have thought the reason sufficient.

  Immediately Uncle Prudent set to work, while Evans kept watch in theneighborhood of the cabin. The crew were all at work forward. Therewas no fear of being surprised. Uncle Prudent began by rubbing asmall quantity of the powder very fine; and then, having slightlymoistened it, he wrapped it up in a piece of rag in the shape of amatch. When it was lighted he calculated it would burn about an inchin five minutes, or a yard in three hours. The match was tried andfound to answer, and was then wound round with string and attached tothe cap of the cartridge. Uncle Prudent had all finished about teno'clock in the evening without having excited the least suspicion.

  During the day the work on the fore screw had been actively carriedon, but it had had to be taken on board to adjust the twisted blades.Of the piles and accumulators and the machinery that drove the shipnothing was damaged.

  When night fell Robur and his men knocked off work. The forepropeller not been got into place, and to finish it would takeanother three hours. After some conversation with Tom Turner it wasdecided to give the crew a rest, and postpone what required to bedone to the next morning.

  The final adjustment was a matter of extreme nicety, and the electriclamps did not give so suitable a light for such work as the daylight.

  Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans were not aware of this. They hadunderstood that the screw would be in place during the night, andthat the "Albatross" would be on her way to the north.

  The night was dark and moonless. Heavy clouds made the darknessdeeper. A light breeze began to rise. A few puffs came from thesouthwest, but they had no effect on the "Albatross." She remainedmotionless at her anchor, and the cable stretched vertically downwardto the ground.

  Uncle Prudent and his colleague, imagining they were under way again,sat shut up in their cabin, exchanging but a few words, and listeningto the f-r-r-r-r of the suspensory screws, which drowned every othersound on board. They were waiting till the time of action arrived.

  A little before midnight Uncle Prudent said, "It is time!" Under theberths in the cabin was a sliding box, forming a small locker, and inthis locker Uncle Prudent put the dynamite and the slow-match. Inthis way the match would burn without betraying itself by its smokeor spluttering. Uncle Prudent lighted the end and pushed back the boxunder the berth with "Now let us go aft, and wait."

  They then went out, and were astonished not to find the steersman athis post.

  Phil Evans leant out over the rail.

  "The "Albatross" is where she was," said he in a low voice. "The workis not finished. They have not started!"

  Uncle Prudent made a gesture of disappointment. "We shall have to putout the match," said he.

  "No," said Phil Evans, "we must escape!"

  "Escape?"

  "Yes! down the cable! Fifty yards is nothing!"

  "Nothing, of course, Phil Evans, and we should be fools not to takethe chance now it has come."

  But first they went back to the cabin and took away all they couldcarry, with a view to a more or less prolonged stay on the ChathamIslands. Then they shut the door and noiselessly crept forward,intending to wake Frycollin and take him with them.

  The darkness was intense. The clouds were racing up from thesouthwest, and the aeronef was tugging at her anchor and thusthrowing the cable more and more out of the vertical. There would beno difficulty in slipping down it.

  The colleagues made their way along the deck, stopping in the shadowof the deckhouses to listen if there was any sound. The silence wasunbroken. No light shone from the portholes. The aeronef was not onlysilent; she was asleep.

  Uncle Prudent was close to Frycollin's cabin when Phil Evans stoppedhim. "The look-out!" he said.

  A man was crouching near the deck-house. He was only half asleep. Allflight would be impossible if he were to give the alarm. Close bywere a few ropes, and pieces of rag and waste used in the work at thescrew.

  An instant afterwards the man was gagged and blindfolded and lashedto the rail unable to utter a sound or move an inch. This was donealmost without a whisper.

  Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans listened. All was silent within thecabins. Every one on board was asleep. They reached Frycollin'scabin. Tapage was snoring away in a style worthy of his name, andthat promised well.

  To his great surprise, Uncle Prudent had not even to push Frycollin'sdoor. It was open. He stepped into the doorway and looked around."Nobody here!" he said.

  "Nobody! Where can he be?" asked Phil Evans.

  They went into the bow, thinking Frycollin might perhaps be asleep inthe corner. Still they found nobody.

  "Has the fellow got the start of us?" asked Uncle Prudent.

  "Whether he has or not," said Phil Evans, "we can't wait any longer.Down you go."

  Without hesitation the fugitives one after the other clambered overthe side and, seizing the cable with hands and feet slipped down itsafe and sound to the ground.

  Think of their joy at again treading the earth they had lost for solong--at walking on solid ground and being no longer the playthingsof the atmosphere!

  They were staring up the creek to the interior of the island whensuddenly a form rose in front of them. It was Frycollin. The Negrohad had the same idea as his master and the audacity to start withouttelling him. But there was no time for recriminations, and UnclePrudent was in search of a refuge in some distant part of the islandwhen Phil Evans stopped him.

  "Uncle Prudent," said he. "Here we are safe from Robur. He is doomedlike his companions to a terrible death. He deserves it, we know. Butif he would swear on his honor not to take us prisoners again--"

  "The honor of such a man--"

  Uncle Prudent did not finish his sentence.

  There was a noise on the "Albatross." Evidently, the alarm had beengiven. The escape was discovered.

  "Help! Help!" shouted somebody. It was the look-out man, who had gotrid of his gag. Hurried footsteps were heard on deck. Almostimmediately the electric lamps shot beams over a large circle.

  "There they are! There they are!" shouted Tom Turner. The fugitiveswere seen.

  At the same instant an order was given by Robur, and the suspensoryscrews being slowed, the cable was hauled in on board, and the"Albatross" sank towards the ground.

  At this moment the voice of Phil Evans was heard shouting, "EngineerRobur, will you give us your word of honor to leave us free on thisisland?"

  "Never!" said Robur. And the reply was followed by the report of agun, and the bullet grazed Phil's shoulder.

  "Ah! The brutes!" said Uncle Prudent. Knife in hand, he rushedtowards the rocks where the anchor had fixed itself. The aeronef wasnot more than fifty feet from the ground.

  In a few seconds the cable was cut, and the breeze, which hadincreased considerably, striking the "Albatross" on the quarter,carried her out over the sea.