"Well, captain," exclaimed Pencroft, whose cheers might have rivalled the reports themselves, "what do you say of our battery? All the pirates in the Pacific have only to present themselves before Granite House! Not one can land there now without our permission!"
"Believe me, Pencroft," replied the engineer, "it would be better not to have to make the experiment."
"Well," said the sailor, "what ought to be done with regard to those six villains who are roaming about the island? Are we to leave them to overrun our forests, our fields, our plantations. These pirates are regular jaguars, and it seems to me we ought not to hesitate to treat them as such! What do you think, Ayrton?" added Pencroft, turning to his companion.
Ayrton hesitated at first to reply, and Cyrus Harding regretted that Pencroft had so thoughtlessly put this question. And he was much moved when Ayrton replied in a humble tone--
"I have been one of those jaguars, Mr Pencroft. I have no right to speak."
And with a slow step he walked away.
Pencroft understood.
"What a brute I am!" he exclaimed. "Poor Ayrton! He has as much right to speak here as any one!"
"Yes," said Gideon Spilett, "but his reserve does him honour, and it is right to respect the feeling which he has about his sad past."
"Certainly, Mr Spilett," answered the sailor, "and there is no fear of my doing so again. I would rather bite my tongue off than cause Ayrton any pain! But to return to the question. It seems to me that these ruffians have no right to any pity, and that we ought to rid the island of them as soon as possible."
"Is that your opinion, Pencroft?" asked the engineer.
"Quite my opinion."
"And before hunting them mercilessly, you would not wait until they had committed some fresh act of hostility against us?"
"Isn"t what they have done already enough?" asked Pencroft, who did not understand these scruples.
"They may adopt other sentiments!" said Harding, "and perhaps repent."
"They repent!" exclaimed the sailor, shrugging his shoulders.
"Pencroft, think of Ayrton!" said Herbert, taking the sailor"s hand.
"He became an honest man again!"
Pencroft looked at his companions one after the other. He had never thought of his proposal being met with any objection. His rough nature could not allow that they ought to come to terms with the rascals who had landed on the island with Bob Harvey"s accomplices, the murderers of the crew of the _Speedy_; and he looked upon them as wild beasts which ought to be destroyed without delay and without remorse.
"Come!" said he. "Everybody is against me! You wish to be generous to those villains! Very well; I hope we mayn"t repent it!"
"What danger shall we run," said Herbert, "if we take care to be always on our guard!"
"Hum!" observed the reporter, who had not given any decided opinion.
"They are six and well-armed. If they each lay hid in a corner, and each fired at one of us, they would soon be masters of the colony!"
"Why have they not done so?" said Herbert. "No doubt because it was not their interest to do it. Besides, we are six also."
"Well, well!" replied Pencroft, whom no reasoning could have convinced.
"Let us leave these good people to do what they like, and don"t think anything more about them!"
"Come, Pencroft," said Neb, "don"t make yourself out so bad as all that!
Suppose one of these unfortunate men were here before you, within good range of your gun, you would not fire."
"I would fire on him as I would on a mad dog, Neb," replied Pencroft coldly.
"Pencroft," said the engineer, "you have always shown much deference to my advice; will you, in this matter, yield to me?"
"I will do as you please, Captain Harding," answered the sailor, who was not at all convinced.
"Very well, wait, and we will not attack them unless we are attacked first."
Thus their behaviour towards the pirates was agreed upon, although Pencroft augured nothing good from it. They were not to attack them, but were to be on their guard. After all, the island was large and fertile. If any sentiment of honesty yet remained in the bottom of their hearts, these wretches might perhaps be reclaimed. Was it not their interest in the situation in which they found themselves to begin a new life? At any rate, for humanity"s sake alone, it would be right to wait. The colonists would no longer, as before, be able to go and come without fear. Hitherto they had only wild beasts to guard against, and now six convicts of the worst description, perhaps, were roaming over their island. It was serious, certainly, and to less brave men, it would have been security lost! No matter! At present, the colonists had reason on their side against Pencroft. Would they be right in the future? That remained to be seen.
CHAPTER SIX.
EXPEDITIONS PLANNED--AYRTON AT THE CORRAL--VISIT TO PORT BALLOON-- PENCROFT"S OBSERVATIONS ON BOARD THE BONADVENTURE--DESPATCH SENT TO THE CORRAL--NO REPLY FROM AYRTON--DEPARTURE THE NEXT DAY--THE REASON WHY THE WIRE DID NOT WORK--A REPORT.
However, the chief business of the colonists was to make that complete exploration of the island which had been decided upon, and which would have two objects: to discover the mysterious being whose existence was now indisputable, and at the same time to find out what had become of the pirates, what retreat they had chosen, what sort of life they were leading, and what was to be feared from them. Cyrus Harding wished to set out without delay; but as the expedition would be of some days"
duration, it appeared best to load the cart with different materials and tools in order to facilitate the organisation of the encampments. One of the onagers, however, having hurt its leg, could not be harnessed at present, and a few days" rest was necessary. The departure was, therefore, put off for a week, until the 20th of November. The month of November in this lat.i.tude corresponds to the month of May in the northern zones. It was, therefore, the fine season. The sun was entering the tropic of Capricorn, and gave the longest days in the year.
The time was, therefore, very favourable for the projected expedition, which, if it did not accomplish its princ.i.p.al object, would at any rate be fruitful in discoveries, especially of natural productions, since Harding proposed to explore those dense forests of the Far West, which stretched to the extremity of the Serpentine Peninsula.
During the nine days which preceded their departure, it was agreed that the work on Prospect Heights should be finished off.
Moreover, it was necessary for Ayrton to return to the corral, where the domesticated animals required his care. It was decided that he should spend two days there, and return to Granite House after having liberally supplied the stables.
As he was about to start, Harding asked him if he would not like one of them to accompany him, observing that the island was less safe than formerly. Ayrton replied that this was unnecessary, as he was enough for the work, and that besides he apprehended no danger. If anything occurred at the corral, or in the neighbourhood, he could instantly warn the colonists by sending a telegram to Granite House.
Ayrton departed at dawn on the 9th, taking the cart drawn by one onager, and two hours after, the electric wire announced that he had found all in order at the corral.
During these two days Harding busied himself in executing a project which would completely guard Granite House against any surprise. It was necessary to completely conceal the opening of the old outlet, which was already walled up and partly hidden under gra.s.s and plants, at the southern angle of Lake Grant. Nothing was easier, since if the level of the lake was raised two or three feet, the opening would be quite beneath it. Now, to raise this level they had only to establish a dam at the two openings made by the lake, and by which were fed Creek Glycerine and Falls River.
The colonists worked with a will, and the two dams, which besides did not exceed eight feet in width by three in height, were rapidly erected by means of well-cemented blocks of stone.
This work finished, it would have been impossible to guess that at that part of the lake, there existed a subterranean pa.s.sage through which the overflow of the lake formerly escaped.
Of course the little stream which fed the reservoir of Granite House and worked the lift had been carefully preserved, and the water could not fail. The lift once raised, this sure and comfortable retreat would be safe from any surprise.
This work had been so quickly done, that Pencroft, Gideon Spilett, and Herbert found time to make an expedition to Port Balloon. The sailor was very anxious to know if the little creek in which the _Bonadventure_ was moored, had been visited by the convicts.
"These gentlemen," he observed, "landed on the south coast, and if they followed the sh.o.r.e, it is to be feared that they may have discovered the little harbour, and in that case, I wouldn"t give half-a-dollar for our _Bonadventure_."
Pencroft"s apprehensions were not without foundation, and a visit to Port Balloon appeared to be very desirable. The sailor and his companions set off on the 10th of November, after dinner, well-armed.
Pencroft, ostentatiously slipping two bullets into each barrel of his rifle, shook his head in a way which betokened nothing good to any one who approached too near to him, whether "man or beast," as he said.
Gideon Spilett and Herbert also took their guns, and about three o"clock all three left Granite House.
Neb accompanied them to the turn of the Mercy, and after they had crossed, he raised the bridge. It was agreed that a gun-shot should announce the colonists" return, and that at the signal Neb should return and re-establish the communication between the two banks of the river.
The little band advanced directly along the road which led to the southern coast of the island. This was only a distance of three miles and a half, but Gideon Spilett and his companions took two hours to traverse it. They examined all the border of the road, the thick forest, as well as Tabor Marsh. They found no trace of the fugitives who, no doubt, not having yet discovered the number of the colonists, or the means of defence which they had at their disposal, had gained the less accessible parts of the island.