Chapter 20

Things happened as Pencroft had predicted, he being seldom mistaken in

his prognostications. The wind rose, and from a fresh breeze it soon

increased to a regular gale; that is to say, it acquired a speed of from

forty to forty-five miles an hour, before which a ship in the open sea

would have run under close-reefed topsails. Now, as it was nearly six

o’clock when the “Bonadventure” reached the gulf, and as at that

moment the tide turned, it was impossible to enter. They were therefore

compelled to stand off, for even if he had wished to do so, Pencroft

could not have gained the mouth of the Mercy. Hoisting the jib to the

mainmast by way of a storm-sail, he hove to, putting the head of the

vessel towards the land.

Fortunately, although the wind was strong the sea, being sheltered by

the land, did not run very high. They had then little to fear from

the waves, which always endanger small craft. The “Bonadventure” would

doubtlessly not have capsized, for she was well ballasted, but enormous

masses of water falling on the deck might injure her if her timbers

could not sustain them. Pencroft, as a good sailor, was prepared

for anything. Certainly, he had great confidence in his vessel, but

nevertheless he awaited the return of day with some anxiety.

During the night, Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett had no opportunity

for talking together, and yet the words pronounced in the reporter’s

ear by the engineer were well worth being discussed, together with the

mysterious influence which appeared to reign over Lincoln Island. Gideon

Spilett did not cease from pondering over this new and inexplicable

incident, the appearance of a fire on the coast of the island. The fire

had actually been seen! His companions, Herbert and Pencroft, had seen

it with him! The fire had served to signalize the position of the island

during that dark night, and they had not doubted that it was lighted by

the engineer’s hand; and here was Cyrus Harding expressly declaring that

he had never done anything of the sort! Spilett resolved to recur to

this incident as soon as the “Bonadventure” returned, and to urge Cyrus

Harding to acquaint their companions with these strange facts. Perhaps

it would be decided to make in common a complete investigation of every

part of Lincoln Island.

However that might be, on this evening no fire was lighted on these yet

unknown shores, which formed the entrance to the gulf, and the little

vessel stood off during the night.

When the first streaks of dawn appeared in the western horizon, the

wind, which had slightly fallen, shifted two points, and enabled

Pencroft to enter the narrow gulf with greater ease. Towards seven

o’clock in the morning, the “Bonadventure,” weathering the North

Mandible Cape, entered the strait and glided on to the waters, so

strangely enclosed in the frame of lava.

“Well,” said Pencroft, “this bay would make admirable roads, in which a

whole fleet could lie at their ease!”

“What is especially curious,” observed Harding, “is that the gulf

has been formed by two rivers of lava, thrown out by the volcano, and

accumulated by successive eruptions. The result is that the gulf is

completely sheltered on all sides, and I believe that even in the

stormiest weather, the sea here must be as calm as a lake.”

“No doubt,” returned the sailor, “since the wind has only that narrow

entrance between the two capes to get in by, and, besides, the north

cape protects that of the south in a way which would make the entrance

of gusts very difficult. I declare our ‘Bonadventure’ could stay here

from one end of the year to the other, without even dragging at her

anchor!”

“It is rather large for her!” observed the reporter.

“Well! Mr. Spilett,” replied the sailor, “I agree that it is too large

for the ‘Bonadventure,’ but if the fleets of the Union were in want of a

harbor in the Pacific, I don’t think they would ever find a better place

than this!”

“We are in the shark’s mouth,” remarked Neb, alluding to the form of the

gulf.

“Right into its mouth, my honest Neb!” replied Herbert, “but you are not

afraid that it will shut upon us, are you?”

“No, Mr. Herbert,” answered Neb, “and yet this gulf here doesn’t please

me much! It has a wicked look!”

“Hallo!” cried Pencroft, “here is Neb turning up his nose at my gulf,

just as I was thinking of presenting it to America!”

“But, at any rate, is the water deep enough?” asked the engineer, “for a

depth sufficient for the keel of the ‘Bonadventure’ would not be enough

for those of our iron-clads.”

“That is easily found out,” replied Pencroft.

And the sailor sounded with a long cord, which served him as a

lead-line, and to which was fastened a lump of iron. This cord measured

nearly fifty fathoms, and its entire length was unrolled without finding

any bottom.

“There,” exclaimed Pencroft, “our iron-clads can come here after all!

They would not run aground!”

“Indeed,” said Gideon Spilett, “this gulf is a regular abyss, but,

taking into consideration the volcanic origin of the island, it is not

astonishing that the sea should offer similar depressions.”

“One would say too,” observed Herbert, “that these cliffs were perfectly

perpendicular; and I believe that at their foot, even with a line five

or six times longer, Pencroft would not find bottom.”

“That is all very well,” then said the reporter, “but I must point out

to Pencroft that his harbor is wanting in one very important respect!”

“And what is that, Mr. Spilett?”

“An opening, a cutting of some sort, to give access to the interior of

the island. I do not see a spot on which we could land.” And, in

fact, the steep lava cliffs did not afford a single place suitable for

landing. They formed an insuperable barrier, recalling, but with more

wildness, the fiords of Norway. The “Bonadventure,” coasting as close

as possible along the cliffs, did not discover even a projection which

would allow the passengers to leave the deck.

Pencroft consoled himself by saying that with the help of a mine they

could soon open out the cliff when that was necessary, and then, as

there was evidently nothing to be done in the gulf, he steered his

vessel towards the strait and passed out at about two o’clock in the

afternoon.

“Ah!” said Neb, uttering a sigh of satisfaction.

One might really say that the honest Negro did not feel at his ease in

those enormous jaws.

The distance from Mandible Cape to the mouth of the Mercy was not more

than eight miles. The head of the “Bonadventure” was put towards Granite

House, and a fair wind filling her sails, she ran rapidly along the

coast.

To the enormous lava rocks succeeded soon those capricious sand dunes,

among which the engineer had been so singularly recovered, and which

seabirds frequented in thousands.

About four o’clock, Pencroft leaving the point of the islet on his

left, entered the channel which separated it from the coast, and at five

o’clock the anchor of the “Bonadventure” was buried in the sand at the

mouth of the Mercy.

The colonists had been absent three days from their dwelling. Ayrton

was waiting for them on the beach, and Jup came joyously to meet them,

giving vent to deep grunts of satisfaction.

A complete exploration of the coast of the island had now been made,

and no suspicious appearances had been observed. If any mysterious being

resided on it, it could only be under cover of the impenetrable forest

of the Serpentine Peninsula, to which the colonists had not yet directed

their investigations.

Gideon Spilett discussed these things with the engineer, and it was

agreed that they should direct the attention of their companions to the

strange character of certain incidents which had occurred on the island,

and of which the last was the most unaccountable.

However, Harding, returning to the fact of a fire having been kindled on

the shore by an unknown hand, could not refrain from repeating for the

twentieth time to the reporter,--

“But are you quite sure of having seen it? Was it not a partial eruption

of the volcano, or perhaps some meteor?”

“No, Cyrus,” answered the reporter, “it was certainly a fire lighted by

the hand of man. Besides; question Pencroft and Herbert. They saw it as

I saw it myself, and they will confirm my words.”

In consequence, therefore, a few days after, on the 25th of April, in

the evening, when the settlers were all collected on Prospect Heights,

Cyrus Harding began by saying,--

“My friends, I think it my duty to call your attention to certain

incidents which have occurred in the island, on the subject of which I

shall be happy to have your advice. These incidents are, so to speak,

supernatural--”

“Supernatural!” exclaimed the sailor, emitting a volume of smoke from

his mouth. “Can it be possible that our island is supernatural?”

“No, Pencroft, but mysterious, most certainly,” replied the engineer;

“unless you can explain that which Spilett and I have until now failed

to understand.”

“Speak away, captain,” answered the sailor.

“Well, have you understood,” then said the engineer, “how was it that

after falling into the sea, I was found a quarter of a mile into the

interior of the island, and that, without my having any consciousness of

my removal there?”

“Unless, being unconscious--” said Pencroft.

“That is not admissible,” replied the engineer. “But to continue. Have

you understood how Top was able to discover your retreat five miles from

the cave in which I was lying?”

“The dog’s instinct--” observed Herbert.

“Singular instinct!” returned the reporter, “since notwithstanding the

storm of rain and wind which was raging during that night, Top arrived

at the Chimneys, dry and without a speck of mud!”

“Let us continue,” resumed the engineer. “Have you understood how our

dog was so strangely thrown up out of the water of the lake, after his

struggle with the dugong?”

“No! I confess, not at all,” replied Pencroft, “and the wound which the

dugong had in its side, a wound which seemed to have been made with a

sharp instrument; that can’t be understood, either.”

“Let us continue again,” said Harding. “Have you understood, my friends,

how that bullet got into the body of the young peccary; how that case

happened to be so fortunately stranded, without there being any trace

of a wreck; how that bottle containing the document presented itself

so opportunely, during our first sea-excursion; how our canoe, having

broken its moorings, floated down the current of the Mercy and rejoined

us at the very moment we needed it; how after the ape invasion the

ladder was so obligingly thrown down from Granite House; and lastly, how

the document, which Ayrton asserts was never written by him, fell into

our hands?”

As Cyrus Harding thus enumerated, without forgetting one, the singular

incidents which had occurred in the island, Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft

stared at each other, not knowing what to reply, for this succession of

incidents, grouped thus for the first time, could not but excite their

surprise to the highest degree.

“‘Pon my word,” said Pencroft at last, “you are right, captain, and it

is difficult to explain all these things!”

“Well, my friends,” resumed the engineer, “a last fact has just been

added to these, and it is no less incomprehensible than the others!”

“What is it, captain?” asked Herbert quickly.

“When you were returning from Tabor Island, Pencroft,” continued the

engineer, “you said that a fire appeared on Lincoln Island?”

“Certainly,” answered the sailor.

“And you are quite certain of having seen this fire?”

“As sure as I see you now.”

“You also, Herbert?”

“Why, captain,” cried Herbert, “that fire was blazing like a star of the

first magnitude!”

“But was it not a star?” urged the engineer.

“No,” replied Pencroft, “for the sky was covered with thick clouds, and

at any rate a star would not have been so low on the horizon. But Mr.

Spilett saw it as well as we, and he will confirm our words.”

“I will add,” said the reporter, “that the fire was very bright, and

that it shot up like a sheet of lightning.”

“Yes, yes! exactly,” added Herbert, “and it was certainly placed on the

heights of Granite House.”

“Well, my friends,” replied Cyrus Harding, “during the night of the 19th

of October, neither Neb nor I lighted any fire on the coast.”

“You did not!” exclaimed Pencroft, in the height of his astonishment,

not being able to finish his sentence.

“We did not leave Granite House,” answered Cyrus Harding, “and if a fire

appeared on the coast, it was lighted by another hand than ours!”

Pencroft, Herbert, and Neb were stupefied. No illusion could be

possible, and a fire had actually met their eyes during the night of the

19th of October. Yes! they had to acknowledge it, a mystery existed! An

inexplicable influence, evidently favorable to the colonists, but very

irritating to their curiosity, was executed always in the nick of time

on Lincoln Island. Could there be some being hidden in its profoundest

recesses? It was necessary at any cost to ascertain this.

Harding also reminded his companions of the singular behavior of Top and

Jup when they prowled round the mouth of the well, which placed Granite

House in communication with the sea, and he told them that he had

explored the well, without discovering anything suspicious. The final

resolve taken, in consequence of this conversation, by all the members

of the colony, was that as soon as the fine season returned they would

thoroughly search the whole of the island.

But from that day Pencroft appeared to be anxious. He felt as if the

island which he had made his own personal property belonged to him

entirely no longer, and that he shared it with another master, to

whom, willing or not, he felt subject. Neb and he often talked of those

unaccountable things, and both, their natures inclining them to the

marvelous, were not far from believing that Lincoln Island was under the

dominion of some supernatural power.

In the meanwhile, the bad weather came with the month of May, the

November of the northern zones. It appeared that the winter would

be severe and forward. The preparations for the winter season were

therefore commenced without delay.

Nevertheless, the colonists were well prepared to meet the winter,

however hard it might be. They had plenty of felt clothing, and the

musmons, very numerous by this time, had furnished an abundance of wool

necessary for the manufacture of this warm material.

It is unnecessary to say that Ayrton had been provided with this

comfortable clothing. Cyrus Harding proposed that he should come to

spend the bad season with them in Granite House, where he would be

better lodged than at the corral, and Ayrton promised to do so, as soon

as the last work at the corral was finished. He did this towards the

middle of April. From that time Ayrton shared the common life, and made

himself useful on all occasions; but still humble and sad, he never took