Chapter 22 Chapter 6 The Farewell of Marcia Van Kitt

Nothing happened that night either inside or outside the fence.This time the gate was firmly shut.But when the herd surrounds the fence, how can it be opened?The problem remains inexplicable, since Caragani himself went to fix the bolts, and the beams were too strong to be broken. Captain Ord, though only a flesh wound, suffered so much that he could barely move his right arm. I could no longer feel the power of the tiger whip that knocked me to the ground. We then decided to rush back to the "steam room" as soon as it was light. Marcia Van Geet was no more despondent about the situation than he was genuinely sorry for the loss of three of his fellows, although the loss of the buffalo would have made his departure more difficult.

“That’s what it’s like to be in this business,” he told us. “I’ve always had a hunch something like this was going to happen.” Then he had three Indian natives buried, and placed their remains in a corner of the corral, dug deep enough to prevent wild animals from digging them out. The light of dawn quickly faded the gray night of Taliani, so everyone shook hands and said goodbye, and we said goodbye to Marcia Van Kitt. The veterinarian insisted that Karagani and two Indian hirelings escort us, at least through the forest.We accepted his offer, and we left Weizha Village at six o'clock.

There was no encounter on the way home.Tigers and leopards were all gone.Apparently they've had enough to eat and are back in their burrows, now is not the time to mess with them. As for the buffaloes that escaped from Weizha Village, they might have been bitten to death, left dead in the tall grass, or lost their way in the depths of Taliani. Don’t expect them to find Weizha Village by instinct.Therefore, the animal power for animal traders should be completely lost. When we came out of the woods, Karagani and the two Indians parted from us.An hour later, Vann and Blake barked us back to the Steam Room.

I described the adventure to Bonkers.Needless to say how glad he was that we got away so easily.In most cases of such attacks, none of the victims will survive to tell the "great feats" of the attackers. Captain Ord had been forced to suspend his arm in a triangle, and that was beyond his control; but the engineer--the real doctor on this expedition--said the wound was not serious, and he promised it would heal in a few days. After being beaten but unable to fight back, Captain Ord was very angry.But no matter what, he added another tiger to his forty-eight tigers. On the afternoon of the next day, August 26th, the dog barked loudly, but cheerfully.

It's Colonel Moreau, Mark Real and Gummi back.We finally breathed a sigh of relief.How is the trip of His Excellency Edward Morrow going well?Don't know yet, but he came back safe and sound.This is the most important. Bonkers was the first to run up to the Colonel, took his hand, and questioned him with his eyes. "Nothing!" replied the colonel with a slight shake of his head. The implication is that not only has the search on the Nepalese border been fruitless, but he seems to be telling us that we don't need to talk about it any more. In the evening, Bonkers grilled Mark Real and Gumi and learned something.They told him that Colonel Moreau really wanted to check out the Hindustan area where Nana Saib had been hiding before he reappeared in the British Raj of Bombay.Find out the whereabouts of the commander's subordinates, search whether they left traces here when they crossed the India-China border, and try to find out if there is any leader of Nana Saib, his brother Balau Lo Whether to hide in this area still under British rule... is the purpose of Edward Morrow's trip.However, the investigation concluded that there was no doubt that the rebels had left the area.Their stronghold, where the fake funeral was held to spread the word of Nana Saib's death, is gone.Barlow Low has not been heard from.His minions also had no way of tracking them down.Now that the leader of the rebellion had been killed on the footpaths of the Sotebra range, and his followers were likely to be scattered all over the Indian peninsula, there was no way or need for justice to be done.Therefore, leaving the Himalayan frontier, turning back south, and finally completing the original route from Calcutta to Bombay, this is the only thing we should consider.

The departure date was confirmed on September 3rd a week later.It was appropriate to allow the necessary time for Captain Ord's wound to fully heal.Moreover, Colonel Moreau, who was obviously exhausted by the arduous march in the harsh environment, also needed a few days of rest. Meanwhile, Bonkers began preparations.Repairing our train to re-enter the plains and complete the journey from the Himalayas to Bombay has kept him busy for a week. At the beginning, it was agreed to make another revision of the route to avoid these large cities in the northwest: Meerat, Delhi, Agra, Guillio, Jhansi and other cities, because the Indian national uprising of 1857 was in these cities. The place has left too many disasters.And with the last riots of this insurrection, everything that reminded Colonel Moreau of that should disappear.Our itinerants will therefore travel through provincial areas without stopping at the major large cities, however, these areas are worth visiting for their natural beauty alone.In this regard, the vast kingdom of Syndia is as good as anywhere else.Before our "steel behemoth" will unfold the most scenic trails on the peninsula.

The monsoon has come to an end with the rainy season that does not end in August.The weather in early September promises pleasant temperatures, which should make the second phase of the trip less difficult. For the second week of our stay at the sanatorium, Fox and Gummi were in charge of the daily food supply.With two dogs, they ran all over the central region where partridges, pheasants, and bustards flock. The birds they catch are stored in the refrigerator of the "steam house", which must be delicious food during the journey. We also visited Weizha Village two or three times.There, Marcia van Geet was also busy preparing for his departure for Mumbai, and he looked at his troubles with the detachment of a philosopher above all the disasters in life.

We know that after the high-priced tenth tiger was caught, the animal reserve was finally complete.Marcia Van Kitt had only to go about restoring his shaft oxen.But none of the animals that ran away during the attack that night did not come back.Scattered in the forest, nine out of ten of them died in accidents.This required finding alternatives, which, given the circumstances, were tricky.To this end, the animal supplier has sent Karagani to visit neighboring farms and villages, and he is anxiously waiting for a reply. The last week at the sanatorium was uneventful.Captain Ord's wounds are gradually healing.Perhaps he still wanted to make one last expedition to complete his combat mission; but Colonel Moreau must have firmly opposed it and forced him to give up.Why take the risk when your arms aren't as flexible as they used to be?Besides, if he encountered the beast during the rest of the journey, wouldn't he have a natural chance for revenge?

"And," Bonkers reminded him, "you're still alive, Captain, and forty-nine tigers have died at your hands, not counting the wounded, and the balance is still tipping in your favor." .” "Yeah, forty-nine!" sighed Captain Ord, "but I'd like to make fifty!" It's clear that he's always had a hard time with it. September 2nd is here.We are leaving soon. This morning, Gumi came in to announce that the animal trader was visiting. Sure enough, Marcia van Giet rushed to the "steam room" with Caragani.He wanted to say good-bye to us on departure, as is customary.

Colonel Moreau received him with great cordiality.Marcia van Kitt spouted a series of complex sentences, full of his usual unexpected diction.But I feel that behind his beautiful words, there is some kind of calculation that he hesitates to speak. Bonkers hits the nail on the head when he asks whether Marcia van Geet has been lucky enough to update the harness herd. "Not yet. Mr. Bonkers," replied the dealer, "Caragani has made a wasted trip to those villages, and despite my carte blanche he has not been able to secure a pair of such useful animals. I am sorry. I freely admit that there was too little motivation to transport my zoo to the nearest railway station. The raid on the night of August 25th and 26th resulted in the separation of the buffaloes and put me in an embarrassing position... Those big cages, with their four-legged guests inside, are just too heavy...and..."

"How do you get them to the railway station?" asked the engineer. "I don't know too well," Marcia van Kitt replied. "I've been thinking hard... I've made arrangements... and I'm hesitant... But, the time to leave is imminent. On September 20th, that is to say, eighteen days later, I will go to Mumbai to deliver the goods..." "Eighteen days!" exclaimed Bonkers, "then you can't lose a moment!" "I know, Mr. Engineer. So I have no choice but one! . . . " "any solution?" "That is, on the premise of not wanting to embarrass the Colonel at all, to make a rather presumptuous request to him...maybe..." "Go ahead, Mr. Van Gyet," put in Colonel Moreau, "and please believe me, if I can do it, I'll be at your service." Marcia van Geet bowed deeply, touched his lips with his right hand, and his upper body trembled slightly, completely like a person who is grateful for an unexpected gift. In short, the dealer was asking if it would be possible to hang his wheeled animal cages on the back of the train and pull them to the nearest station on the Delhi-Alahaba railway line, given the powerful pulling power of the Iron Behemoth— — Etavo. This section of the road does not exceed 350 kilometers, and it is easy to walk. "Is it possible to satisfy Mr. Van Giet?" the colonel asked the engineer. "I don't see any difficulty," Bonkers replied. "Iron Behemoth probably doesn't feel the extra load." "Well then, Mr. Van Giet," said Colonel Moreau, "we'll take your stuff all the way to Etavo. Neighbors should help each other, even in the Himalayas." "Colonel," said Marcia van Kitt, "I knew you had a good heart, and to tell you the truth, I had more or less hoped for your kindness from the very beginning, because I had to get out of it!" "You're right to think so!" Colonel Moreau replied. The matter was settled in this way, and Marcia Van Giet hurriedly returned to Weizha Village to dismiss some of the hired workers who were no longer needed.All he wanted was to keep the four hunters to tend the cages. "See you tomorrow, then," said the colonel. "I'll see you tomorrow, gentlemen," Marcia Van Giet replied, "I'm waiting for the 'Iron Behemoth' in Weishi Village!" The animal supplier was overjoyed with the success of his trip to the "steam house", and he did not forget to imitate the actor's curtain call in the tradition of modern drama when he resigned. Karagani stared at Colonel Moreau for a long time—the trek to the Nepal border seemed to make him worried, and then followed the animal trader away. The final preparations are complete.The equipment is all installed in place. The "summer resort station" style of the "steam house" has disappeared.Two large trucks with wheels are waiting for our "steel behemoth". The "robotic elephants" first had to transport them to the plains, and then went to Weizha Village to pick up the animal cages and assemble them into trains.After that it went straight on, across the plains of Rosi Cohand. The next day, September 3rd, at seven o'clock in the morning, the "Iron Behemoth" was ready to restart, to perform the duties he had been so dedicated to.However, at this moment, an unexpected thing happened, which surprised us very much. At that time, the furnaces of the boilers on both sides of the "Iron Beast" were already filled with fuel.After Karut ignited the fuel, he wanted to open the smoke exhaust box to see if the ventilation was blocked-the inner wall of the box was welded to transport the combustion waste out of the boiler. But as soon as he opened the door of the box, he stepped back suddenly, and twenty or so long and narrow strips sprayed out, accompanied by a strange "hissing" sound. Bonkers, Stoll, and I were all watching, unable to figure out what was going on. "Hey! Karut, what's the matter?" Bonkers asked. "A lot of snakes, sir!" cried the fireman. Those "belts" were really snakes, probably for better dormancy, they chose the ducts of the boiler as their hiding place.The flames from the combustion chamber had just reached them.A few were charred and fell to the ground, and if Karut didn't open the door of the smoke box, he would have burned them all to death in a while. "What!" Captain Ord shouted and ran over, "There is a nest of snakes in the stomach of our 'big steel beast'?" True!And the most dangerous ones: rattlesnakes, whip snakes, gulab snakes, and cobras are some of the most venomous snake species. At the same time, a giant tiger python poked its triangular head out of the top opening of the chimney, that is, the elephant trunk head that was washed away by the steam wave. The snakes that came alive from the pipes slid into the bushes with such speed and agility that we had no time to kill them. But the boa constrictor couldn't get out of the iron tube so easily.So Captain Ord hastened to his gun, and a single bullet shattered its head. Then, Gumi climbed onto the big iron beast, climbed to the opening of the trunk, and finally pulled out the big snake with the help of Karut and Stoll. Nothing could be more beautiful than this great python, dressed in a multicolored garment of blue and green with silver chains, which seemed to have been cut from a tiger skin.It is five meters long and as thick as an arm. What a wonderful specimen of Indian snakes, and a good one to include in Marcia van Kitt's zoo, given the name given to it: the tiger python.But I have to admit, Captain Ord doesn't think it's his prize. After dealing with the big snake, Karut closed the smoke box again. The ventilation equipment was operating normally. Indicates that the vapor pressure is sufficient.Now, just go. The two trucks had already been hung together, and the "steel behemoth" was driven over to be the front of the truck. Take one last look at the stunning scenery in the south, and the majestic mountains in the north that roll and lace a lace at the end of the sky, and say a final farewell to Dwaraj, whose peak overlooks the whole of North India. Lishan, we are on the road with the sound of the siren. Although the road down the mountain was rough, it went smoothly.Whenever there is a steep hill, the steam brake can always firmly control the wheels.In this way, an hour later, the train reached the foot of the Taliani mountain, ready to enter the plain. The "Iron Behemoth" got out of the car body, and was driven by Bonkers, the mechanic and the fireman, and slowly drove towards a road in the forest. Two hours later, I heard its long cry again, and saw the front of the car coming out of the dense jungle, dragging six animal cages from the zoo behind. Marcia van Gemot got out of the car and thanked Colonel Moreau again.The cage, and the carriage in front of it, for him and his servants, were attached to our train, forming a veritable convoy of eight carriages. Bonkers sent out the signal again, the siren blew again as usual, and the "steel behemoth" swayed majestically onto the magnificent southward avenue. The Steam House and Marcia Van Kitt's fully loaded cage looked like it weighed no more than a furniture-moving truck. "I said, Mr. Beast Trader, how do you feel?" Captain Ord asked. "Captain, I think it would be even more admirable if this elephant had flesh and blood!" said Marcia van Kitt, with reason. This road is not the one that originally brought us back to the foothills of the Himalayas.Instead, it leads to Philibite in the southwest direction, a small town 150 kilometers away from our starting station. The journey was uneventful, with no hassles or rough roads, always at a moderate pace. Marcia Van Kitt ate at the Steam Room every day, and his good appetite always graced Palazzard's meals. Soon manning required the contributions of former suppliers, and Captain Ord, moreover, fully recovered—as evidenced by the astute shooting of the serpent—was back to his shotgun. And, in addition to the entire crew, keep the zoo guests in mind.This task fell to "Shikari".These dexterous Indians, led by Karagani, himself a superb gunslinger, kept the stocks of bison and antelope never exhausted.This Caragani was indeed a remarkable figure.Although he did not speak much, Colonel Moreau, being no ungrateful man, was always very friendly to him. On September 10, the train arrived in Philibite. Although it did not stop, a large group of Indians came to watch. Clearly, Marcia van Kitt's beasts, as compelling as they are, are no match for "The Iron Behemoth."No one even looked through the bars of the cage to look at the animals, all the admiration went to the mechanical elephant. The train continued on this narrow plain of the South Indian peninsula, and a few miles to the west passed Balai, one of the principal cities of Roshikohand.Sometimes passing through the dense forests of the archipelago, Marcia Van Giet let us watch the "colorful and colorful feathers"; People call it "wait for the bush".Groups of wild boars gather here because they like to eat the yellow berries on the trees.A few were killed, but it was a risk, as they were quite ferocious and dangerous animals.In every hunt, Captain Ord and Calagani have to show the unique calmness and wit of a superb hunter. Between Philibit and Ettawar the train crosses the upper reaches of the Ganges and, shortly thereafter, swims one of its main tributaries, the Karinati. All the vehicles in the zoo were dismantled, and the "steam house" became a floating train, which easily crossed the river. Not so with Marcia van Geet's team.To hire a ferry, the cages had to be transported across two rivers one by one.Although it took some time, it was not too difficult to come by after all.It is not the first time that the animal supplier has tried this. His men have already crossed several rivers when they marched to the Himalayan border. In short, there was nothing to say along the way. On September 16, the group arrived at the railway line from Delhi to Allahabad, only a hundred steps away from Etawar Railway Station. There our convoy will split in two and never meet again. The first part continued south, through the vast territory of the Kingdom of Scindia, and finally reached Van Dias and the British jurisdiction of Bombay. The second part will be loaded on train carriages to Allahabad, and from there to the coast of the Indian Ocean via the Bombay Railway. We stopped and pitched our camp for the night.In the early morning of the next day, the animal supplier was going southeast, and we were at right angles to his route, going south roughly along the east longitude. At the same time as parting from us, Marcia Van Geet will also dismiss some servants who are no longer needed.Apart from leaving two Indians to look after the cages for the remainder of the journey, which was only two or three days, he needed no hands.There are two ships bound for Europe waiting for him at the Port of Mumbai, where the loading of the cargo will be done by dock workers. So some of his hunters were set free, especially Calagani. The reader knows how we really liked the Indian since he served Colonel Moreau and Captain Ord so well. After Marcia van Kit dismissed his men, Bonkers thought he saw that Caragani was not sure what to do next, and asked him if he would accompany us to Bombay. After thinking about it for a while, Carragani accepted the engineer's suggestion.Colonel Moreau expressed satisfaction that he had come out to help at this time.In this way the Indian will be one of the "steam houses", and his familiarity with the ground of the Indian peninsula will be useful to us. The next day, the camp was set up.It's useless to stay any longer. The Iron Behemoth is under pressurization.Bonkers orders Stoll to get ready to go. All that remains is to bid farewell to our veterinarian friends.For us, this matter could not be simpler, but for him, it is naturally much more dramatic. For the help that Colonel Moreau just gave, Marcia Van Giet must be full of praise.He delivers this last act brilliantly, and is impeccable in the parting scenes. With a movement of the muscles in the forearm, his right hand rotates forward and inward, turning the palm toward the ground.This gesture means that as long as he lives in this world, he will never forget Colonel Moreau's kindness to him. Even if gratitude is driven out of this world, he will find the last refuge in his heart. . Then, doing the opposite, he turned his hands back, that is to say turned his palms towards the sky.It means that even in the kingdom of heaven, gratitude will not disappear from his heart, and the gratitude of his life cannot repay the kindness he has received. Colonel Moreau tactfully brushed off Marcia van Geet, and within a few minutes the Hamburg and London Animal Trade supplier had disappeared from view.