Face au drapeau. English

by Jules Verne

  CHAPTER XI.

  FIVE WEEKS IN BACK CUP.

  The situation is plain. Ker Karraje knows who I am. He knew who I waswhen he kidnapped Thomas Roch and his attendant.

  How did this man manage to find out what I was able to keep from thestaff of Healthful House? How comes it that he knew that a Frenchengineer was performing the duties of attendant to Thomas Roch? I donot know how he discovered it, but the fact remains that he did.

  Evidently he had means of information which must have been costly, butfrom which he has derived considerable profit. Besides, men of hiskidney do not count the cost when they wish to attain an end they havein view.

  Henceforward Ker Karraje, or rather Engineer Serko, will replace meas attendant upon Thomas Roch. Will he succeed better than I did? Godgrant that he may not, that the civilized world may be spared such amisfortune!

  I did not reply to Ker Karraje's Parthian shot, for I was strickendumb. I did not, however, collapse, as the alleged Count d'Artigasperhaps expected I would.

  No! I looked him straight in the eyes, which glittered angrily, andcrossed my arms defiantly, as he had done. And yet he held my life inhis hands! At a sign a bullet would have laid me dead at his feet.Then my body, cast into the lagoon, would have been borne out to seathrough the tunnel and there would have been an end of me.

  After this scene I am left at liberty, just as before. No measure istaken against me, I can walk among the pillars to the very end of thecavern, which--it is only too clear--possesses no other issue exceptthe tunnel.

  When I return to my cell, at the extremity of the Beehive, a prey to athousand thoughts suggested by my situation, I say to myself:

  "If Ker Karraje knows I am Simon Hart, the engineer, he must at anyrate never know that I am aware of the position of Back Cup Island."

  As to the plan of confiding Thomas Roch to my care, I do not thinkhe ever seriously entertained it, seeing that my identity had beenrevealed to him. I regret this, inasmuch as the inventor willindubitably be the object of pressing solicitations, and as EngineerSerko will employ every means in his power to obtain the compositionof the explosive and deflagrator, of which he will make suchdetestable use during future piratical exploits. Yes, it would havebeen far better if I could have remained Thomas Roch's keeper here, asin Healthful House.

  For fifteen days I see nothing of my late charge. No one, I repeat,has placed any obstacles in the way of my daily peregrinations. I haveno need to occupy myself about the material part of my existence. Mymeals are brought to me regularly, direct from the kitchen of theCount d'Artigas--I cannot accustom myself to calling him by any othername. The food leaves nothing to be desired, thanks to the provisionsthat the _Ebba_ brings on her return from each voyage.

  It is very fortunate, too, that I have been supplied with all thewriting materials I require, for during my long hours of idleness Ihave been able to jot down in my notebook the slightest incidents thathave occurred since I was abducted from Healthful House, and to keepa diary day by day. As long as I am permitted to use a pen I shallcontinue my notes. Mayhap some day, they will help to clear up themysteries of Back Cup.

  _From July 5 to July 25._--A fortnight has passed, and all my attemptsto get near Thomas Roch have been frustrated. Orders have evidentlybeen given to keep him away from my influence, inefficacious thoughthe latter has hitherto been. My only hope is that the Countd'Artigas, Engineer Serko, and Captain Spade will waste their timetrying to get at the inventor's secrets.

  Three or four times to my knowledge, at least, Thomas Roch andEngineer Serko have walked together around the lagoon. As far as Ihave been able to judge, the former listened with some attention towhat the other was saying to him. Serko has conducted him over thewhole cavern, shown him the electric power house and the mechanism ofthe tug. Thomas Roch's mental condition has visibly improved since hisdeparture from Healthful House.

  Thomas Roch lives in a private room in Ker Karraje's "mansion." Ihave no doubt that he is daily sounded in regard to his discoveries,especially by Engineer Serko. Will he be able to resist the temptationif they offer him the exorbitant price that he demands? Has he anyidea of the value of money? These wretches may dazzle him with thegold that they have accumulated by years of rapine. In the presentstate of his mind may he not be induced to disclose the compositionof his fulgurator? They would then only have to fetch the necessarysubstances and Thomas Roch would have plenty of time in Back Cup todevote to his chemical combinations. As to the war-engines themselvesnothing would be easier than to have them made in sections indifferent parts of the American continent. My hair stands on end whenI think what they could and would do with them if once they gainedpossession of them.

  These intolerable apprehensions no longer leave me a minute's peace;they are wearing me out and my health is suffering in consequence.Although the air in the interior of Back Cup is pure, I become subjectto attacks of suffocation, and I feel as though my prison walls werefalling upon me and crushing me under their weight. I am, besides,oppressed by the feeling that I am cut off from the world, aseffectually as though I were no longer upon our planet,--for I knownothing of what is going on outside.

  Ah! if it were only possible to escape through that submarine tunnel,or through the hole in the dome and slide to the base of the mountain!

  On the morning of the 25th I at last encounter Thomas Roch. He isalone on the other side of the lagoon, and I wonder, inasmuch asI have not seen them since the previous day, whether Ker Karraje,Engineer Serko, and Captain Spade have not gone off on someexpedition.

  I walk round towards Thomas Roch, and before he can see me I examinehim attentively.

  His serious, thoughtful physiognomy is no longer that of a madman. Hewalks slowly, with his eyes bent on the ground, and under his arm adrawing-board upon which is stretched a sheet of paper covered withdesigns.

  Suddenly he raises his head, advances a step and recognizes me.

  "Ah! Gaydon, it is you, is it?" he cries, "I have then escaped fromyou! I am free!"

  He can, indeed, regard himself as being free--a good deal more atliberty in Back Cup than he was in Healthful House. But maybe mypresence evokes unpleasant memories, and will bring on another fit,for he continues with extraordinary animation:

  "Yes, I know you, Gaydon.--Do not approach me! Stand off! stand off!You would like to get me back in your clutches, incarcerate me againin your dungeon! Never! I have friends here who will protect me. Theyare powerful, they are rich. The Count d'Artigas is my backer andEngineer Serko is my partner. We are going to exploit my invention! Weare going to make my fulgurator! Hence! Get you gone!"

  Thomas Roch is in a perfect fury. He raises his voice, agitates hisarms, and finally pulls from his pockets many rolls of dollar billsand banknotes, and handfuls of English, French, American and Germangold coins, which slip through his fingers and roll about the cavern.

  How could he get all this money except from Ker Karraje, and as theprice of his secret? The noise he makes attracts a number of men tothe scene. They watch us for a moment, then seize Thomas Roch and draghim away. As soon as I am out of his sight he ceases-to struggle andbecomes calm again.

  _July 27._--Two hours after meeting with Thomas Roch, I went down tothe lagoon and walked out to the edge of the stone jetty.

  The tug is not moored in its accustomed place, nor can I see itanywhere about the lake. Ker Karraje and Engineer Serko had not goneyesterday, as I supposed, for I saw them in the evening.

  To-day, however, I have reason to believe that they really have goneaway in the tug with Captain Spade and the crew of the _Ebba_, andthat the latter must be sailing away.

  Have they set out on a piracy expedition? Very likely. It is equallylikely that Ker Karraje, become once more the Count d'Artigas,travelling for pleasure on board his yacht, intends to put into someport on the American coast to procure the substances necessary to thepreparation of Roch's fulgurator.

  Ah! if it had only been possible for me to hide in the tug, to slipinto the _Ebba's_
hold, and stow myself away there until the schoonerarrived in port! Then perchance I might have escaped and delivered theworld from this band of pirates.

  It will be seen how tenaciously I cling to the thought of escape--offleeing--fleeing at any cost from this lair. But flight is impossible,except through the tunnel, by means of a submarine boat. Is it notfolly to think of such a thing? Sheer folly, and yet what other way isthere of getting out of Back Cup?

  While I give myself up to these reflections the water of the lagoonopens a few yards from me and the tug appears. The lid is raised andGibson, the engineer, and the men issue on to the platform. Other mencome up and catch the line that is thrown to them. They haul upon it,and the tug is soon moored in its accustomed place.

  This time, therefore, at any rate, the schooner is not being towed,and the tug merely went out to put Ker Karraje and his companionsaboard the _Ebba_.

  This only confirms my impression that the sole object of their trip isto reach an American port where the Count d'Artigas can procure thematerials for making the explosive, and order the machines in somefoundry. On the day fixed for their return the tug will go out throughthe tunnel again to meet the schooner and Ker Karraje will return toBack Cup.

  Decidedly, this evildoer is carrying out his designs and has succeededsooner than I thought would be possible.

  _August 3._--An incident occurred to-day of which the lagoon was thetheatre--a very curious incident that must be exceedingly rare.

  Towards three o'clock in the afternoon there was a prodigious bubblingin the water, which ceased for a minute or two and then recommenced inthe centre of the lagoon.

  About fifteen pirates, whose attention had been attracted by thisunaccountable phenomenon, hurried down to the bank manifesting signsof astonishment not unmingled with fear--at least I thought so.

  The agitation of the water was not caused by the tug, as the latterwas lying alongside the jetty, and the idea that some other submarineboat had found its way through the tunnel was highly improbable.

  Almost at the same instant cries were heard on the opposite bank. Thenewcomers shouted something in a hoarse voice to the men on the sidewhere I was standing, and these immediately rushed off towards theBeehive.

  I conjectured that they had caught sight of some sea-monster that hadfound its way in, and was floundering in the lagoon, and that they hadrushed off to fetch arms and harpoons to try and capture it.

  I was right, for they speedily returned with the latter weapons andrifles loaded with explosive bullets.

  The monster in question was a whale, of the species that is commonenough in Bermudan waters, which after swimming through the tunnel wasplunging about in the narrow limits of the lake. As it was constrainedto take refuge in Back Cup I concluded that it must have been hardpressed by whalers.

  Some minutes elapsed before the monster rose to the surface. Then thegreen shiny mass appeared spouting furiously and darting to and fro asthough fighting with some formidable enemy.

  "If it was driven in here by whalers," I said to myself, "there mustbe a vessel in proximity to Back Cup--peradventure within a stone'sthrow of it. Her boats must have entered the western passes to thevery foot of the mountain. And to think I am unable to communicatewith them! But even if I could, I fail to see how I could go to themthrough these massive walls."

  I soon found, however, that it was not fishers, but sharks that haddriven the whale through the tunnel, and which infest these waters ingreat numbers. I could see them plainly as they darted about, turningupon their backs and displaying their enormous mouths which werebristling with their cruel teeth. There were five or six of themonsters, and they attacked the whale with great viciousness. Thelatter's only means of defence was its tail, with which it lashed atthem with terrific force and rapidity. But the whale had receivedseveral wounds and the water was tinged with its life-blood; forplunge and lash as it would, it could not escape the bites of itsenemies.

  However, the voracious sharks were not permitted to vanquish theirprey, for man, far more powerful with his instruments of death, wasabout to take a hand and snatch it from them. Gathered around thelagoon were the companions of Ker Karraje, every whit as ferocious asthe sharks themselves, and well deserving the same name, for what elseare they?

  Standing amid a group, at the extremity of the jetty, and armed witha harpoon, was the big Malay who had prevented me from entering KerKarraje's house. When the whale got within shot, he hurled the harpoonwith great force and skill, and it sank into the leviathan's fleshjust under the left fin. The whale plunged immediately, followed bythe relentless sharks. The rope attached to the weapon ran out forabout sixty yards, and then slackened. The men at once began to haulon it, and the monster rose to the surface again near the end of thetunnel, struggling desperately in its death agony, and spurting greatcolumns of water tinged with blood. One blow of its tail struck ashark, and hurled it clean out of water against the rocky side, whereit dropped in again, badly, if not fatally injured.

  The harpoon was torn from the flesh by the jerk, and the whale wentunder. It came up again for the last time, and lashed the water sothat it washed up from the tunnel end, disclosing the top of theorifice.

  Then the sharks again rushed on their prey, but were scared off by ahail of the explosive bullets. Two men then jumped into a boat andattached a line to the dead monster. The latter was hauled into thejetty, and the Malays started to cut it up with a dexterity thatshowed they were no novices at the work.

  No more sharks were to be seen, but I concluded that it would be aswell to refrain from taking a bath in the lagoon for some days tocome.

  I now know exactly where the entrance to the tunnel is situated. Theorifice on this side is only ten feet below the edge of the westernbank. But of what use is this knowledge to me?

  _August 7_.--Twelve days have elapsed since the Count d'Artigas,Engineer Serko, and Captain Spade put to sea. There is nothing toindicate that their return is expected, though the tug is always keptin readiness for immediate departure by Gibson, the engine-driver. Ifthe _Ebba_ is not afraid to enter the ports of the United States byday, I rather fancy she prefers to enter the rocky channel of BackCup at nightfall. I also fancy, somehow, that Ker Karraje and hiscompanions will return to-night.

  _August 10_.--At ten o'clock last night, as I anticipated, the tugwent under and out, just in time to meet the _Ebba_ and tow herthrough the channel to her creek, after which she returned with KerKarraje and the others.

  When I look out this morning, I see Thomas Roch and Engineer Serkowalking down to the lagoon, and talking. What they are talking about Ican easily guess. I go forward and take a good look at my ex-patient.He is asking questions of Engineer Serko With great animation. Hiseyes gleam, his face is flushed, and he is all eagerness to reach thejetty. Engineer Serko can hardly keep up with him.

  The crew of the tug are unloading her, and they have just broughtashore ten medium-sized boxes. These boxes bear a peculiar red mark,which Thomas Roch examines closely.

  Engineer Serko orders the men to transport them to the storehouses onthe left bank, and the boxes are forthwith loaded on a boat and rowedover.

  In my opinion, these boxes contain the substances by the combinationor mixture of which, the fulgurator and deflagrator are to be made.The engines, doubtless, are being made in an American foundry, andwhen they are ready, the schooner will fetch them and bring them toBack Cup.

  For once in a while, anyhow, the _Ebba_ has not returned with anystolen merchandise. She went out and has returned with a clear bill.But with what terrible power Ker Karraje will be armed for bothoffensive and defensive operations at sea! If Thomas Roch is to becredited, this fulgurator could shatter the terrestrial spheroid atone blow. And who knows but what one day, he will try the experiment?