Chapter 13 "Alice" wreck

When eating the next morning, Taishan's usual seat was empty.Miss Strong was a little harsh.Because Mr. Caldwell always had breakfast with her and her mother.Later, while she was sitting on the deck, Mr. Thrane came up and had a few words with her.He seemed to be in great spirits, and had an amiable demeanor.He walks away.Looking after him, Miss Strong thought, Mr. Thrane is really a lovely man. It was a dreary day.She longed for Mr. Caldwell's quiet company by her side.Somehow, this girl liked him very much from the first time she saw Taishan.He relished telling her about the places he had been to and the customs there.He always likes to make a sharp contrast between man and beast in a funny way.This kind of conversation shows that he has a very good understanding of beasts, and he also has a very keen observation of people, which contains irony.

In the afternoon, when Mr. Selan came to chat with her again, she was glad to interrupt the dullness and monotony of the day.But Mr. Caldwell never showed up.Miss Strong began to feel that the matter was not so simple.And from time to time, he thought of the scene of a dark thing falling from the porthole and into the sea the night before.She asked Mr. Thrane if he had seen Mr. Caldwell today?He said he hadn't seen it, and asked her why she asked about it. "He didn't have breakfast with us as usual, and I haven't seen him since last night," explained the girl. Mr. Thrane looked very anxious.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Caldwell and I do not know each other very well. He does seem to be a respectable gentleman, though. Perhaps he is ill today and is still in the cabin? That is quite possible." "Of course," replied the girl, "it's not surprising that there is such a possibility. But for some inexplicable reason, I have a kind of effeminate and stupid imagination. I always feel that something must be wrong with Mr. Caldwell." .It was a very strange premonition, like I already knew he wasn't on this boat." Mr. Thrane laughed heartily. "Good heavens, dear Miss Strong," said he, "where can he go if he's not in the ship? We haven't seen land for days."

"Of course, the idea is ridiculous," she admits to her naiveté.Then he said, "I don't want to be in such a hurry, though. I'm going to find out where Mr. Caldwell is." A waiter happened to come by, and she went up to her. "It's more complicated than you think, my dear girl." Mr. Thrane thought proudly, but said loudly, "Of course." "Please go to Mr. Caldwell," she said to the waiter. "Tell him that he has been absent and that his friends are thinking of him." "Do you like Mr. Caldwell very much?" asked Mr. Thrane.

"I think he's wonderful," answered the girl, "mother likes him very much. He's the kind of guy who makes you feel absolutely at ease staying with him.For Mr. Caldwell, everyone will have a sense of trust. "" Presently the attendant returned and said Mr. Caldwell was not in the cabin. "I can't find him, Miss Strong. And..." he hesitated, "I hear his bed was untouched last night. I think the matter should be reported to the captain at once." "Exactly," cried Miss Strong. "I'll go with you to the captain. Too bad! I know something terrible must have happened. My feeling is right after all."

Presently the terrified girl and the excited waiter appeared before the captain, who listened to their report in silence, especially when the waiter said that he had searched every place the passenger might go. , but when Mr. Caldwell was not found, the captain showed an anxious and concerned look on his face. "Miss Strong, are you sure that something fell overboard last night?" "Without a doubt," she replied, "I dare not say that it was a human being who fell, because I heard no shouting. Then I thought it might be a bag of rubbish. But if Caldwell is not found in this boat I assure you, sir, that it was he that I saw falling into the sea through the porthole."

The captain immediately ordered a search of the entire ship.From bow to stern, no corner can be missed.Miss Strong remained in the captain's cabin, awaiting the results of the search.The captain asked her many questions.But she knew nothing about the missing man except for the brief communication on the boat and some things she saw with her own eyes.She realized for the first time that Mr. Caldwell had hardly talked to her about himself or his past life.All she seemed to know was that he was born in Africa and educated in Paris.But this pitiful understanding made her suddenly surprised to think how an Englishman could speak English with an obvious French accent.

"Did he say he had any enemies?" asked the captain. "there has never been." "Has he had any intercourse with the other passengers on board?" "No. He was only with me talking, and met by chance as a passenger on the same ship." "Oh . . . In your opinion, Miss Strong, does he like to drink to excess?" "I don't see him drinking much at all," replied Miss Strong. "In fact, I was on deck with him half an hour before I saw something fall from the boat into the sea. , how can he drink?" "That is curious," said the captain. "It does not appear to me that he is a man with a convulsion, or anything of the sort. And, even with the , could only fall inwards on the deck, and could not have thrown his whole body over the railing. If he was not in the boat, Miss Strong, he would have been thrown into the sea. And you did not hear the shout. The facts can be explained as follows: he was dead—murdered—before he was thrown over the deck.”

The girl trembled with fright. An hour later the mate came to report the results of the search. "Mr. Caldwell is not on board, sir," he said. "I'm afraid this incident was not an accident. There is a more complicated and serious background. Mr. Brundley, I hope you will do a careful search of Mr. Caldwell's things and see if you can find them." A clue as to the motive of suicide or homicide. Make sure to get to the bottom of this matter." "Yes, yes, sir!'" Mr. Brundley agreed, and turned to Tarzan's sleeping quarters to begin his search.

Hazel Strong was so exhausted by the incident that she did not leave her room for two days, and when she was at last on deck again she was pale, described as dead, with rings around her eyes. The child is green and dizzy.Whether asleep or awake, she always saw the dark figure fall swiftly and silently into the cold, pitiless sea. A short time after she stepped onto the deck, Mr. Selan came to her side, looking amiable and caring. "Oh, it's dreadful, Miss Strong," said he. "I can't help thinking about it." "Me too," said the girl irritably. "I think he might have been saved if I had called for someone."

"Don't reproach yourself, dear Miss Strong," said Mr. Thrane gallantly. "It's not your fault, and someone else would be like you. Who would have guessed that what was thrown overboard from the ship must be What about people? And, even if you call someone, the consequences are the same. At first, people will not believe your words, they will think that this is just a nervous hallucination of a woman. If you stick to your opinion but it was too late to save him when the boat stopped, for the boat would have to be lowered and rowed back miles and miles to find the place where this tragedy happened. No, you must not overdo it. Yourselves. You've done a better job than any of us for poor Mr. Caldwell. You're the only--one who thinks about him. And it was you who prompted the Captain to begin this investigation in good time. " His kind attitude and words of encouragement made the girl feel grateful.From that time till the end of the voyage he was with her, and by degrees she really liked him too.Mr. Thrane learned that this pretty Miss Strong from Baltimore was the heir to a great American family--a very rich and promising girl.Thinking of this, Selance was so excited that he couldn't breathe. Mr. Thrane had intended to disembark at the first port at which the steamer called, after getting rid of Tarzan.Because the purpose of this trip has been achieved - isn't that important information in his pocket?There's nothing else to do here.He wanted to get back to the mainland as soon as possible, and take the first express train to Petersburg. But now a new idea came to mind, and quickly pushed aside the original intention.The wealth of this American girl is not to be underestimated, and the girl herself is quite attractive. Wonderful!She would cause a stir in Petersburg.And, with her legacy behind him, he too will be in the news. After squandering millions of dollars in campaign expenses, Mr. Thrane found the career to his liking and wanted to go on to Cape Town.At Cape Town, he suddenly announced that he had to stay for a few days because of an urgent business. Miss Strong had told him that she and her mother had gone to Cape Town to see her mother's brother.They haven't decided how long they will stay there, but it may be several months. She was very glad to learn that Mr. Thrane was going there too. "I hope we can keep in touch," she said. "You should definitely come and see us when my mom and I settle down." Naturally, this was something Mr. Thrane wished for, and he took no time to express his thanks and promised to visit.But Mrs. Strong was not so fond of his daughter's impression of him. "I don't know why, but I always think he's unreliable," my mother said to Hazel one day, referring to Mr. Thrane. "He seems like a decent gentleman, but There was always an inexplicable, fleeting look in those eyes that made me shudder." The girl laughed. "You're such a dear silly mother," she said. "That's how I see it. I'm sorry that poor Mr. Caldwell wasn't able to accompany us in his place." "I'm sad too," the daughter said. In this way, Mr. Thrane, aka Rukov, became a frequent visitor to Uncle Hazel Strong's house during his stay in Cape Town.His courtship was indeed too obvious, but he arranged it very skillfully, always catering to every request of the girl, and gradually she became more and more dependent on him.If Hazel, her mother, or any of the cousins ​​needed someone to play with, if there was a little quiet, friendly thing to do, Mr. Thrane was always on hand and made sure you were satisfied .Miss Strong's uncle and family grew fond of him for his good manners and willingness to obey orders.Mr. Thrane seemed to be an essential member of the family.Later, he felt that the time had come.So he proposed to Miss Strong.Miss Strong was startled, not knowing what to do. "I never thought you'd ask me for love," she said to him. "I've always considered you my best friend. So, now I can't answer your question. Forget that you ever asked me to be your girlfriend." Wife. Let us be as friendly as before. Later on I may consider the matter from a quite different angle. Perhaps I shall find a feeling for you that goes beyond friendship. Anyway, up to now, it never occurred to me to love you. " Mr. Thrane was naturally dissatisfied with Miss Strong's remarks.He regretted that he had been too hasty.However, he believed that everyone would know that he loved her so sincerely and for so long. "Hazel, from the first time I saw you, I fell in love with you deeply." He said, "I am willing to wait. Because I believe that a passionate and pure love like mine will be rewarded. I just want to know, is there another man in your heart? Can you tell me?" "I've never been in a relationship in all my life," she replied.He is satisfied with this answer.That night, on his way back to the hotel, he bought a yacht and spent $1 million on a villa on the Black Sea coast. The next day, Hazel experienced one of the happiest surprises and delights of her life: coming out of a jewelry store, she almost bumped into Jenny Potter! "My God! Jenny Potter!" she cried joyfully. "What wind has brought you here? Oh, I can't believe my eyes." "Isn't it!" Jenny exclaimed with equal surprise and joy, "I've been wasting my imagination here, trying to picture you in Baltimore!" She hugged him tightly again. Stayed good friends, kissed and kissed. It wasn't until they explained the situation to each other that Hazel figured out that Lord Tennington's yacht had arrived in Cape Town Harbor and was staying there for at least a week.Then sail on to the coast of West Africa, and from there back to England. "When we get back, we're going to get married," said Jenny at last. "So you're not married yet?" Hazel asked. "No!" replied Jenny, and then, as if speaking confidently to herself: "I wish England were ten thousand miles from here." As a result, the people on the yacht and Hazel's relatives continued to communicate with each other. Hazel's uncle arranged several family dinners and took guests on excursions into the surrounding countryside.Mr. Thrane was a welcome guest on every occasion. He also hosted his own banquets for the gentlemen, trying to please Lord Tennington, and appearing to be courteous and hospitable. Mr. Thrane vaguely heard that this unexpected visit by Lord Tennington's yacht would be a success and bring benefits to everyone, so he also wanted to make up the number and go sailing with them.Once, when he and Lord Tennington were alone, he took the opportunity to show off: as soon as he returned to America, he announced his engagement to Miss Strong. "But you will keep your mouth shut now, my dear Tennington. Keep your mouth shut!" "Of course I understand you, my dear friend!" said Tennington, "but I ought to congratulate you now. Miss Strong is indeed a very fine girl." The next day, Mrs. Strong, Hazel and Mr. Selance are invited to be guests on Tennington's yacht.Mrs. Strong said she had had a great time in Cape Town, but had just received a letter from the lawyer from Baltimore, unfortunately, and it appeared that they had to go home early. "When do you intend to start?" asked Lord Tennington. "Next Monday, I suppose," she replied. "Really?" exclaimed Mr. Thrane happily, "I'm very lucky. I have to go back quickly too.Now it is my great honor to accompany you all the way. " "It's very kind of you, Mr. Thrane," said Mrs. Strong, "and I assure you we'd be very happy to have your care." But deep down, she longed to be free of it at once.The reason for this was not clear to herself. "Ah!" exclaimed Lord Tennington suddenly after a while, "what a brilliant idea I have!" "Yes, Tennington, of course." Clayton snorted. "If you came up with the idea, it must be a wonderful idea. Ah! What the hell!" Aren't you going to China to circumnavigate Antarctica? " "Listen to me, Clayton!" said Tennington, "don't be so mean because you didn't think of the good idea yourself. Ever since we went to sea, you've been making sensational opinions. "No, sir," he went on, "that's a very good idea indeed. You will all agree with that. Mrs and Miss Strong can go all the way to England in our yacht. And Thrane-- If he is willing to walk with us all the way. Tell me, am I joking with you?" "Forgive me, old chap!" cried Clayton. "Of course it's an excellent business. I shouldn't have the slightest doubt about you. You're sure of your own ideas, aren't you?" "We set sail next Monday, or whenever you think fit, Mrs. Strong," said the always magnanimous English nobleman, as if everything was in place except to fix the sailing date. "Alas! Lord Tennington! This does not even give us an opportunity to thank you. We have not yet decided whether to accept your generous invitation!" said Mrs. Strong. "Do you need to ask? Of course you'll take my ship," said Tennington. "You'll have as good a time on board as you do on any other passenger ship, and I'll keep you comfortable. In any case, we all wish you to sail with us. Please do not refuse my offer." So it was decided to set sail next Monday. Two days after sailing, the two girls sat in Hazel's cabin looking at the photographs she had printed in Cape Town.These photos were taken after Hazel and her mother left the United States.The two girls watched with gusto, Jenny asked long and short questions, and Hazel was eloquent, introducing the background and characters of each photo to her. "Oh, look at this," she said suddenly. "There's a man in this picture you know. Poor thing, I've been meaning to ask you about him, but I always want to I'm sorry about it." She held the picture in her hand, and Jenny didn't see the face of the man she was talking about. "His name was John Caldwell," continued Hazel. "Do you remember? He said he met you in America. He was an Englishman." "I can't remember the name," Jenny replied. "Let me see the picture." "The poor fellow fell into the sea as we sailed along the coast," she said, handing the photo to Jenny. "Falling into... what? Hazel, Hazel! You said he was dead, drowned in the sea? Hazel! Are you kidding me?" Jenny paled and whispered in a trembling voice .Hazel was taken aback, and just about to say something, her good friend had fallen to the floor and passed out. Hazel waited for Jenny to regain consciousness, and sat there watching her for a long while, neither of them spoke. "I don't know, Jenny." Hazel said in an unnatural voice, "You know this Mr. Caldwell so well that his death has hit you so hard." "John Caldwell?" asked Miss Potter. "Don't you really know the man's name, Hazel?" "Of course I do, Jenny. I know exactly who he is. His name is John Caldwell, and he's from London." "Ah, Hazel!" Jenny moaned, "if only there was such a Caldwell. But this man's face is etched in my mind, in my heart. In this world, no matter Wherever I go, I can recognize him from a thousand people at once. Others may mistake him, but I will never." "What do you mean, Jenny?" Hazel became more and more confused, "Who is he?" "Hazel, this is a picture of Tarzan of the Apes!" "Jenny!" "I can never be mistaken! Ah, Hazel, are you sure he's dead? Are you not mistaken? " "I'm afraid not, my dear," said Hazel sadly. "I hope you're mistaken, but the evidence is so strong that even I can no longer believe that he is Mr. John Caldwell from London." .He said he was born in Africa and educated in France." "Yes, that's true," said Jenny Potter bitterly. "The mate inspected his luggage and found nothing to identify Mr. Caldwell, who was from London. In fact, all the clothes were made or bought in Paris. All signed initials. Either just a single 'T' or 'JCT'. We all thought he was deliberately incognito when he made this trip.Think JC is John Caldwell, short for John Caldwell. " "Tarzan's full name is John C. Tarzan. JC, isn't that the abbreviation of John (John) C?" Jenny said weakly, "but he's dead! Hazel! It's terrible! He's all alone Died in the terrible sea! It is unbelievable that his brave heart will stop beating, and his powerful muscles will be forever cold as frost and silent as dust. He is a symbol of life, strength, and health. Will fall prey to slimy water snakes, crawling crabs..." She couldn't go on, buried her head in her arms, moaned, and sat on the floor sobbing. Miss Potter was ill for several days, seeing no one but Hazel and her faithful maid, Esmeralda.When she finally reappeared on deck, everyone was startled by the change in her.She was no longer the clever, lively beauty who loved and fascinated everyone who saw her, but a taciturn and sad girl.She was thoughtful, lost in a look that only Hazel could understand. Everyone tried to cheer her up, but it was no use.The merry Lord Tennington occasionally made her smile sadly, but most of the time, her eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the endless sea. After Jenny Potter fell ill, mishaps followed one after another on the yacht.At first, one engine failed, and they spent two days adrift at sea while it was being repaired.Later, a storm hit the yacht without them being prepared, and nearly everything that was movable on the deck was thrown out to sea. After this, two crew members fought, one was seriously injured with a knife, and the other had to be shackled and locked up.The worst thing was that the first mate accidentally fell into the sea one night and drowned before he could save him.The yacht wandered around the accident site for ten hours, but since the first mate fell off the deck and disappeared into the rolling sea, he has not been seen again. After this string of misfortunes, the crew and guests were gloomy and depressed.Everyone realized that a greater disaster was coming.The crew felt this even more deeply.The remembrance of all the dire omens which had preceded the voyage made the tragedy all the more inevitable. Disaster did happen very quickly.On the second night after the first mate's drowning, the yacht suddenly broke down from bow to stern.At one o'clock in the morning, a terrible impact shook the sleeping crew and passengers from their berths.The not-so-sturdy yacht vibrated violently, as if it was about to roll over to the right.The engine stopped working.For a moment, the yacht towers over the sea at a 45-degree angle.Then, with a dull bang, it fell to the surface of the sea. Immediately the men flocked to the deck, and the women followed, though the night sky It was covered with dark clouds, but there was no wind on the sea, and the night was not very dark, and a dark thing floating on the sea surface could be seen dimly on the port bow. "It's a broken ship." The second officer on duty explained concisely. After a while, the mechanic hurried up to the deck to look for the captain. "The tin patch at the bottom of the cylinder has exploded, sir," he reported. "There's been a lot of water on the port bow." After a while, a crew member rushed up from the cabin. "My God!" he yelled, "the whole bottom of the boat is cracked! It won't take even 20 minutes for the yacht to sink." "Shut up!" snapped Tennington. "Ladies and ladies, get your things up in the cabins. It may not be so bad. But we must get on board quickly. Do it in advance." It's always safer to be prepared. Act now! Captain Gerald, send some smart and capable men down to see and find out the damage to the ship. At the same time, you must quickly move food and fresh water to the small town. on board." Lord Tannington's fearless and calm command in the face of danger stabilized everyone at once.Soon, everyone took responsibility according to his arrangement and took action.By the time the women were back on deck, the boats were almost ready.After a while, the second officer who went down to see the ship came back to report the situation.However, he didn't need to say much, the men and women who were already huddled together on the deck knew in their hearts that the end of the "Alice" was at hand. "How's the situation, sir?" asked the captain, seeing the second mate hesitate. "I don't want to frighten the ladies, sir!" he said. "It's really bad. The yacht can float for about ten minutes, and the hole in the bottom of the boat can fit a cow." In less than five minutes, the bow of the "Alice" sank into the water, and the stern was raised high, making it difficult to stand firmly on the deck.The four lifesaving boats equipped with the yacht were already full of people at this time, and they were safely put into the sea.As they rowed rapidly away from the sinking yacht, Jenny Potter turned her head and cast a last glance at it.Then there was a loud explosion and an ominous rumble from inside the ship—its mechanical parts had all burst.The huge force hit the bow, the bulkheads and partitions were broken into pieces, and the stern pierced the chest of the sea like a spear, piercing the sky.For an instant it seemed to stand still, but only for an instant then it plunged and was swallowed by the rolling waves.