ANCHORED AT LAST
When the “Albatross” was high in the air the island could be seen to be
of moderate size. But on what parallel was it situated? What meridian
ran through it? Was it an island in the Pacific, in Australasia, or in
the Indian Ocean? When the sun appeared, and Robur had taken his
observations, they would know; but although they could not trust to the
indications of the compass there was reason to think they were in the
Pacific.
At this height—one hundred and fifty feet—the island which measured
about fifteen miles round, was like a three-pointed star in the sea.
Off the southwest point was an islet and a range of rocks. On the shore
there were no tide-marks, and this tended to confirm Robur in his
opinion as to his position for the ebb and flow are almost
imperceptible in the Pacific.
At the northwest point there was a conical mountain about two hundred
feet 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 them
either hide themselves or run away. The “Albatross” had anchored on the
southwest point of the island. Not far off, down a little creek, a
small river flowed in among the rocks. Beyond were several winding
valleys; trees of different kinds; and birds—partridges and bustards—in
great numbers. If the island was not inhabited it was habitable. Robur
might surely have landed on it; if he had not done so it was probably
because the ground was uneven and did not offer a convenient spot to
beach the aeronef.
While he was waiting for the sun the engineer began the repairs he
reckoned on completing before the day was over. The suspensory screws
were undamaged and had worked admirably amid all the violence of the
storm, 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 two
propellers had suffered, and more than Robur had thought. Their blades
would have to be adjusted and the gearing seen to by which they
received their rotatory movement.
It was the screw at the bow which was first attacked under Robur’s
superintendence. It was the best to commence with, in case the
“Albatross” had to leave before the work was finished. With only this
propeller he could easily keep a proper course.
Meanwhile Uncle Prudent and his colleague, after walking about the
deck, had sat down aft. Frycollin was strangely reassured. What a
difference! To be suspended only one hundred and fifty feet from the
ground!
The work was only interrupted for a moment while the elevation of the
sun above the horizon allowed Robur to take an horary angle, so that at
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° 10′ west.
Latitude, 44° 25′ south.
This point on the map answered to the position of the Chatham Islands,
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 hundred
miles.”
“All the more reason to get our propellers into order.” said the mate.
“We may have the wind against us this passage, and with the little
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 one
screw, and put the other to-rights on the voyage.”
“Mr. Robur.” said Tom “What is to be done with those two gentlemen and
their servant?”
“Do you think they would complain if they became colonists of X
Island?”
But where was this X? It was an island lost in the immensity of the
Pacific Ocean between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer—an island
most appropriately named by Robur in this algebraic fashion. It was in
the north of the South Pacific, a long way out of the route of
inter-oceanic communication. There it was that Robur had founded his
little colony, and there the “Albatross” rested when tired with her
flight. There she was provisioned for all her voyages. In X Island,
Robur, a man of immense wealth, had established a shipyard in which he
built his aeronef. There he could repair it, and even rebuild it. In
his warehouses were materials and provisions of all sorts stored for
the fifty inhabitants who lived on the island.
When Robur had doubled Cape Horn a few days before his intention had
been to regain X Island by crossing the Pacific obliquely. But the
cyclone had seized the “Albatross.” and the hurricane had carried her
away to the south. In fact, he had been brought back to much the same
latitude as before, and if his propellers had not been damaged the
delay would have been of no importance.
His object was therefore to get back to X Island, but as the mate had
said, the voyage would be a long one, and the winds would probably be
against them. The mechanical power of the “Albatross” was, however,
quite equal to taking her to her destination, and under ordinary
circumstances she would be there in three or four days.
Hence Robur’s resolve to anchor on the Chatham Islands. There was every
opportunity for repairing at least the fore-screw. He had no fear that
if the wind were to rise he would be driven to the south instead of to
the north. When night came the repairs would be finished, and he would
have to maneuver so as to weigh anchor. If it were too firmly fixed in
the rocks he could cut the cable and resume his flight towards the
equator.
The crew of the “Albatross.” knowing there was no time to lose, set to
work vigorously.
While they were busy in the bow of the aeronef, Uncle Prudent and Phil
Evans held a little conversation together which had exceptionally
important consequences.
“Phil Evans.” said Uncle Prudent, “you have resolved, as I have, to
sacrifice 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” leaves
this place tonight, the night will not pass without our having
accomplished our task. We will smash the wings of this bird of Robur’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 points even
in accepting with indifference the frightful death in store for them.
“Have you all you want?” asked Evans.
“Yes. Last night, while Robur and his people had enough to do to look
after the safety of the ship, I slipped into the magazine and got hold
of a dynamite cartridge.”
“Let us set to work, Uncle Prudent.”
“No. Wait till tonight. When the night comes we will go into our cabin,
and you shall see something that will surprise you.”
At six o’clock the colleagues dined together as usual. Two hours
afterwards they retired to their cabin like men who wished to make up
for a sleepless night.
Neither Robur nor any of his companions had a suspicion of the
catastrophe that threatened the “Albatross.”
This was Uncle Prudent’s plan. As he had said, he had stolen into the
magazine, and there had possessed himself of some powder and cartridge
like those used by Robur in Dahomey. Returning to his cabin, he had
carefully concealed the cartridge with which he had resolved to blow up
the “Albatross” in mid-air.
Phil Evans, screened by his companion, was now examining the infernal
machine, which was a metallic canister containing about two pounds of
dynamite, enough to shatter the aeronef to atoms. If the explosion did
not destroy her at once, it would do so in her fall. Nothing was easier
than to place this cartridge in a corner of the cabin, so that it would
blow in the deck and tear away the framework of the hull.
But to obtain the explosion it was necessary to adjust the fulminating
cap with which the cartridge was fitted. This was the most delicate
part of the operation, for the explosion would have to be carefully
timed, so as not to occur too soon or too late.
Uncle Prudent had carefully thought over the matter. His conclusions
were as follows. As soon as the fore propeller was repaired the aeronef
would resume her course to the north, and that done Robur and his crew
would probably come aft to put the other screw into order. The presence
of these people about the cabin might interfere with his plans, and so
he had resolved to make a slow match do duty as a time-fuse.
“When I got the cartridge.” said he to Phil Evans, “I took some
gunpowder as well. With the powder I will make a fuse that will take
some time to burn, and which will lead into the fulminate. My idea is
to light it about midnight, so that the explosion will take place about
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 with
the greatest nonchalance on the awful destruction in which they were
about to perish. Their hatred against Robur and his people had so
increased that they would sacrifice their own lives to destroy the
“Albatross” and all she bore. The act was that of madmen, it was
horrible; but at such a pitch had they arrived after five weeks of
anger that could not vent itself, of rage that could not be gratified.
“And Frycollin?” asked Phil Evans, “have we the right to dispose of his
life?”
“We shall sacrifice ours as well!” said Uncle Prudent. But it is
doubtful if Frycollin would have thought the reason sufficient.
Immediately Uncle Prudent set to work, while Evans kept watch in the
neighborhood of the cabin. The crew were all at work forward. There was
no fear of being surprised. Uncle Prudent began by rubbing a small
quantity of the powder very fine; and then, having slightly moistened
it, he wrapped it up in a piece of rag in the shape of a match. When it
was lighted he calculated it would burn about an inch in five minutes,
or a yard in three hours. The match was tried and found to answer, and
was then wound round with string and attached to the cap of the
cartridge. Uncle Prudent had all finished about ten o’clock in the
evening without having excited the least suspicion.
During the day the work on the fore screw had been actively carried on,
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 ship
nothing was damaged.
When night fell Robur and his men knocked off work. The fore propeller
not been got into place, and to finish it would take another three
hours. After some conversation with Tom Turner it was decided to give
the crew a rest, and postpone what required to be done to the next
morning.
The final adjustment was a matter of extreme nicety, and the electric
lamps did not give so suitable a light for such work as the daylight.
Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans were not aware of this. They had
understood that the screw would be in place during the night, and that
the “Albatross” would be on her way to the north.
The night was dark and moonless. Heavy clouds made the darkness deeper.
A light breeze began to rise. A few puffs came from the southwest, but
they had no effect on the “Albatross.” She remained motionless at her
anchor, and the cable stretched vertically downward to 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 listening
to the f-r-r-r-r of the suspensory screws, which drowned every other
sound on board. They were waiting till the time of action arrived.
A little before midnight Uncle Prudent said, “It is time!” Under the
berths in the cabin was a sliding box, forming a small locker, and in
this locker Uncle Prudent put the dynamite and the slow-match. In this
way the match would burn without betraying itself by its smoke or
spluttering. Uncle Prudent lighted the end and pushed back the box
under the berth with “Now let us go aft, and wait.”
They then went out, and were astonished not to find the steersman at
his post.
Phil Evans leant out over the rail.
“The “Albatross” is where she was.” said he in a low voice. “The work
is not finished. They have not started!”
Uncle Prudent made a gesture of disappointment. “We shall have to put
out 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 take the
chance now it has come.”
But first they went back to the cabin and took away all they could
carry, with a view to a more or less prolonged stay on the Chatham
Islands. 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 the southwest,
and the aeronef was tugging at her anchor and thus throwing the cable
more and more out of the vertical. There would be no difficulty in
slipping down it.
The colleagues made their way along the deck, stopping in the shadow of
the deckhouses to listen if there was any sound. The silence was
unbroken. No light shone from the portholes. The aeronef was not only
silent; she was asleep.
Uncle Prudent was close to Frycollin’s cabin when Phil Evans stopped
him. “The look-out!” he said.
A man was crouching near the deck-house. He was only half asleep. All
flight would be impossible if he were to give the alarm. Close by were
a few ropes, and pieces of rag and waste used in the work at the screw.
An instant afterwards the man was gagged and blindfolded and lashed to
the rail unable to utter a sound or move an inch. This was done almost
without a whisper.
Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans listened. All was silent within the
cabins. Every one on board was asleep. They reached Frycollin’s cabin.
Tapage was snoring away in a style worthy of his name, and that
promised well.
To his great surprise, Uncle Prudent had not even to push Frycollin’s
door. 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 in
the 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 over the
side and, seizing the cable with hands and feet slipped down it safe
and sound to the ground.
Think of their joy at again treading the earth they had lost for so
long—at walking on solid ground and being no longer the playthings of
the atmosphere!
They were staring up the creek to the interior of the island when
suddenly a form rose in front of them. It was Frycollin. The Negro had
had the same idea as his master and the audacity to start without
telling him. But there was no time for recriminations, and Uncle
Prudent was in search of a refuge in some distant part of the island
when Phil Evans stopped him.
“Uncle Prudent.” said he. “Here we are safe from Robur. He is doomed
like his companions to a terrible death. He deserves it, we know. But
if 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 been
given. The escape was discovered.
“Help! Help!” shouted somebody. It was the look-out man, who had got
rid of his gag. Hurried footsteps were heard on deck. Almost
immediately the electric lamps shot beams over a large circle.
“There they are! There they are!” shouted Tom Turner. The fugitives
were seen.
At the same instant an order was given by Robur, and the suspensory
screws 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, “Engineer
Robur, will you give us your word of honor to leave us free on this
island?”
“Never!” said Robur. And the reply was followed by the report of a gun,
and the bullet grazed Phil’s shoulder.
“Ah! The brutes!” said Uncle Prudent. Knife in hand, he rushed towards
the rocks where the anchor had fixed itself. The aeronef was not more
than fifty feet from the ground.
In a few seconds the cable was cut, and the breeze, which had increased
considerably, striking the “Albatross” on the quarter, carried her out
over the sea.