Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Insights Why and How Fricoland Was Dragged Behind the Aircraft

Engineer Robier had no intention of wandering over the wonderful country of Hindustan.He probably had no other purpose in flying the Himalayas than to convince even the most unconvinced of him by showing what an amazing vehicle he possessed.Does this mean that the "Albatross" is so perfect?There is nothing perfect in the world.It will be discussed later. Although Uncle Prudang and his colleagues couldn't help admiring such flying tools from the bottom of their hearts, they still couldn't show it on their faces no matter what.They were focused on looking for opportunities to escape, even when the "Albatross" flew over the beautiful Punjab border, they had no intention of admiring the beauty right under their noses.

At the foot of the Himalayas, there is indeed a swampy area exuding miasma - the Tray Swamp.Fever often rages here.But this neither hinders the flight of the "Albatross" nor affects the health of the people on board.It flew unhurriedly towards the corner where Hindustan meets Turkestan and China. In the early morning of June 29, the incomparable Kashmir Valley unfolded before our eyes. This canyon formed by the big and small Himalayas is indeed unique in the world!Hundreds of ridge branches rushing down from the huge mountain range, never reaching the Indus River, lined the canyon; the winding Indus watered it.It used to be the evidence of the confrontation between the two armies of Polus and Alexander, that is, the rivalry between India and Greece in Central Asia.

Today, the two cities that the Macedonian built to commemorate his victory have long since disappeared, and even the ruins of the cities have disappeared. Only the water of the Indus River is still flowing. That morning, the "Albatross" flew over Srinagar (also known as Kashmir).Uncle Pruden and his companions saw a very beautiful city stretching along the banks of the river.The wooden bridges are like tight strings, and the wooden houses with balconies seem to be cut out of paper; the tall poplar trees on the steep bank are full of shade; the turf roofs are like big moles. It is like a rat's nest; the ditches in the city are vertical and horizontal, and the small boats are the size of walnuts, and the boatmen are like ants.Palaces, temples, mosques, and bungalows with balconies around the city gates are all reflected in the green water; the ancient Ali Pavada Castle on the top of the hill is very similar to the important fortifications built on the hill of Valery in the Paris area .

"If we were in Europe, we really thought this was Venice." Phil Evans said. "If we were really in Europe, we would know how to get back to America!" replied Uncle Pruden. The "Albatross" did not stop long over the lakes where the Indus River flows before continuing to fly along the river valley. At 10 meters above the water it only stayed for half an hour.Tom Turner and his men connected a rubber hose to the surface of the lake to pump water to the tank.The water pump is powered by batteries. While they were busy pumping water, Uncle Prudden and Phil Evans looked at each other, and the same thought flashed through their minds: only a few meters above the water surface, not far from the shore, and both of them They are good swimmers and can regain their freedom by diving headfirst into the water.When they disappeared in the water, how could Robbiel catch them back?For the propeller propulsion to work, would the aircraft have to be less than two meters above the water?

For a moment, they thought of all the possibilities of success and failure; for a moment, they weighed all possibilities.Just as they were about to jump down from the deck, several hands fell on their shoulders. People were watching them all the time.They can't escape. This time they didn't just let it go.They tried to push their captors away, but the men on the Albatross were big, strong men. "Gentlemen," said the engineer triumphantly, "when a man has the honor of traveling in his admirable 'Albatross' in the company of Robier the Conqueror--how well you have that name--it cannot be so Let's go... Just leave without saying goodbye! According to me, don't leave here again."

Uncle Prudang was about to lose his temper, but was dragged away by Phil Evans.The two returned to the cabin, determined that no matter where they went, even if it cost their lives, they must escape. The "Albatross" began to fly west again.On this day, the flying speed was neither fast nor slow.They flew over Kabristan first, and for a while they saw its capital.Later, he flew to the border of the kingdom of Herat, which is 1,100 kilometers away from Kashmir. This has always been a very contentious area.On this necessary road from Russia to British India, crowds of people and horses appeared: there were teams, there were vehicles, in short, there were all the personnel and supplies that a marching army should have.And the rumbling of cannon and the crackling of musketry can be heard.However, as long as honor or humanity is not involved, the engineer never meddles in other people's business.He flew over.Even if Herat was the key to Central Asia, as others said, it did not matter to him whether the key fell into the hands of the British or the pockets of the Russians.Conflicts of interest on earth do not matter to a fearless man whose only territory is the sky.

Besides, it didn't take long for this area to disappear in a solid yellow sand storm.In this area, there are many such storms. This kind of storm is called "Tybald", which brings violent air currents, and can roll up countless sand and dust wherever it passes.How many caravans of camels have perished in this vortex of air! In order to avoid this kind of dust that may affect the precision of its transmission equipment, the "Albatross" rose to a place with clear air at an altitude of 2,000 meters. The Persian frontier, with its narrow plains, vanished from view.Although there are no reefs to be wary of, the flying speed is still quite slow.There are indeed a few peaks marked on the map, but they are of moderate height.However, it is best to avoid the Damavand Mountain near the capital. Its snow-covered peak is almost as high as 6,600 meters; in addition, there is also the Erpur Mountain, which is built at the foot of Tehran. .

On July 2, just after dawn, Mount Damavand emerged from the flying sand and rocks and appeared in front of us. The "Albatross" flew towards the sky over Tehran, which was shrouded in fine sand clouds and mist rolled up by the strong wind. However, at around 10:00 in the morning, they still saw the wide moat surrounding the city, the royal palace in the center of the city, the palace walls covered with tiles, and what seemed to be huge pools carved out of blue and bright turquoise. . All this was lost in an instant, and from here the Albatross changed course, heading almost due north.A few hours later, it came over a small city.The small town sits on the corner of the northern border of Persia, on the edge of a vast expanse of water that stretches as far as the eye can see to the east and north.

The small town is the port of Astara, the southernmost station of Russia.The body of water is the sea, the Caspian Sea. There is no more dust rolled up, and what is presented in front of you are European-style houses lined up along the headland, with a towering bell tower in the middle. The surface of the Caspian Sea is 300 feet below sea level. The "Albatross" lowered its altitude toward the sea.At night, the aircraft continued to fly along the coast that originally belonged to Turkey and now belongs to Russia leading to the Balkan Gulf.No.On July 3rd, its flight altitude was 100 meters above the surface of the Caspian Sea.

Neither looking towards Asia nor towards Europe could there be any land in sight.On the surface of the sea, there are several white sails billowed by the breeze; these are local ships, which can be recognized from their appearance: there are two-masted "Kaisibai" ships, there are old-fashioned one-masted "Kayuk" pirate ships, and There are those crude "Tamil" boats for carrying people or fishing.In the sky, from time to time, wisps of blue smoke drifted to the side of the "Albatross".The smoke was coming from the funnels of steamships in the port of Astara, Russian rationed ships for the Turkmen police.

That morning, foreman Tom Turner and chef François Tapaday were chatting.In response to one of the latter's questions, he had this to say: "Yes, we are going to spend 48 hours over the Caspian Sea." "Wow!" said the cook, "so we can fish?" "Exactly!" Since the "Albatross" takes 40 hours to fly 625 miles long.The Caspian Sea is 200 miles wide, which means that its speed will be quite slow, and it may be zero speed when fishing. This passage from Tom Turner happened to be heard by Phil Evans, who was staying at the front of the aircraft at the time. At this moment, Fricoland was obstinately and endlessly pestering him to intercede with his master and put himself "on the ground." Phil Evans did not answer his ridiculous request.He went back to the back cabin and found Uncle Prudang.He repeated the conversation between Tom Turner and the cook only after taking every precaution to ensure that it was impossible to overhear. "Phil Evans," said Uncle Prudden, "I think we should have no illusions about what this villain can do to us?" "No more illusions," replied Phil Evans. "He'll set us free only when it pleases him. What if he never sets us free again?!" "Really, we should find a way to leave the 'Albatross' at any cost!" "It's a fine machine, it must be admitted." "Perhaps it is," said Uncle Prudden loudly, "but it is a bastard machine that has detained us in disregard of any human rights. This machine will always be a threat to us and our colleagues. If we can't destroy it ..." "Let's run away first..." Phil Evans said, "and then think about what to do!" "Okay then!" said Uncle Prudden, "we will take advantage of this coming opportunity. Obviously, the Albatross is going to cross the Caspian Sea first, and then either reach Northern Europe via Russia, or go through the southern regions. Fly to Western Europe. Great! We'll be saved no matter where we land before we reach the Atlantic Ocean. So we've got to be ready." "But," asked Phil Evans, "how do you escape?" "Listen," replied Uncle Pruden, "at night, the Albatross is sometimes only a few hundred feet above the ground, and there are several cables on the aircraft that are as long as this. As long as you are a little bit more courageous, you may be able to fly." You can slide down..." "Okay," said Phil Evans, "I won't hesitate when the time comes..." "Neither will I," said Uncle Pruden, "and I will add that at night there is no one on guard except the helmsman at the rear. There is just such a cable in the front, and no one notices it. It is not impossible to let the cable down..." "Well," said Phil Evans, "Uncle Prudden, I'm glad to see you're calmer. That'll make it all the more necessary for us to act. But we're over the Caspian right now, There are quite a few boats on the water. When fishing, the 'Albatross' will lower its altitude and stop flying...Can't we take this opportunity..." "Alas! we were watched even when we thought we were not being watched," replied Uncle Prudden, "didn't you see it when we tried to jump into the Indus last time?" ?” "Who's to say we're not being watched at night?" Phil Evans replied. "It can't go on like this any longer," said Uncle Pruden. "Yes, it's time to finish with this 'Albatross' and its owner!" It is conceivable that if things go wrong, the two colleagues—especially Uncle Prudang—may do the most risky things in a fit of anger, and even the most detrimental to their own safety. Feelings of powerlessness, Robier's sneering attitude, and harsh answers given to them all add to the tension in an already not easy relationship. On this very day, a new quarrel broke out between Robier and his two colleagues, which almost made their relationship even more out of control.It never occurred to Fricolin that the cause of the quarrel would be himself. This coward, seeing that he was flying over the sea that could not be seen as far as the eye can see, was frightened again.Like a black man of his kind, he groaned, protested, and made noises like a child, twisting his body desperately and making all kinds of grimaces. "I'm going...I'm going..." he cried, "I'm not a bird, I can't fly...put me on the ground...let me go..." Needless to say, Uncle Prudang would never try to calm him down—quite the contrary!These howls of his finally made Robbier extremely impatient. Tom Turner and his companions were about to start fishing, and in order to get rid of Fricoland, the engineer ordered him to be shut up in his cabin.But the nigger kept struggling, pounding the wall, and howling even more fiercely. It is noon.At this time, the "Albatross" was only five or six meters above the sea.Several boats on the sea ran away in fright when they saw the aircraft; after a while, the entire sea was empty. Needless to say, everyone can imagine that in this situation where they can escape by just diving headfirst into the water, the two colleagues will definitely and indeed be under special surveillance.Even if they really jumped, wouldn't it be possible to catch them back with the rubber boat on the "Albatross"?Therefore, when others are fishing, it is best not to take this risk.Phil Evans thought he should go and watch them fish.Uncle Prudang was still angry, and hid in his cabin again. It is well known that the Caspian Sea was formed due to the collapse of the ground caused by volcanoes.The waters of all these rivers like Volga, Ural, Kur, Kuma, Emba, etc. flow into this depression.Had it not been for evaporation to evaporate the excess lake water in this depression, which covers an area of ​​1,000 square miles and has an average depth of 60 to 400 feet, the low-lying swamps on the east and north shores would have been completely submerged.Although this large basin is not connected to the Black Sea and the Aral Sea, which are much higher in water level, there are still many fish in the lake.Of course, these are fishes that don't dislike its bitter lake water. The reason why the lake water has a bitter taste is mainly because the southern water source contains petroleum spirit. The crew of the "Albatross" were all happy to think that fishing would enrich their daily meals. "Look out!" cried Tom Turner.He had just hit a fish with his gaff dart and it was almost the size of a shark. This is a beautiful sturgeon about 7 feet long, belonging to the Russian Bronka species. Their eggs are mixed with salt, vinegar, and white wine to make caviar.Sturgeons caught in the river are probably better than those caught in the sea.However, on the "Albatross", the sturgeon in the sea is still very popular. However, the biggest harvest of this fishing is trawling.The trawls brought up carp, bream, salmon, northern pike in saltwater, and especially large numbers of sterlets.This small sturgeon is eaten by rich eaters who have to pay for live fish to be transported from Astrakhan to Moscow and Petersburg.And now, at no shipping cost, they go straight from their natural origins to the crew's soup pots. The "Albatross" dragged the trawl net forward for several nautical miles, and Robier's men began to gather the net happily.François Tapage, a Gasconian, howled with joy; the name was so fitting for him.After an hour of fishing, the fish was enough to fill the fish tank on the aircraft, so the "Albatross" continued to fly north. During the time of fishing, Fricoland never stopped shouting. He kept beating the walls of the cabin, making the noise unbearable. "The damned nigger, can't keep his mouth shut anymore?" said Robier, who really couldn't bear it. "Sir, I think he has every right to complain," Phil Evans said. "Yes, just as I have a right to spare my ears from this torture," retorted Robier. "Engineer Robier! . . . " said Uncle Pruden, who had just arrived on deck. "Mr. President of the Welton Society!" The two approached each other, staring at each other angrily. Then Robier shrugged his shoulders and said, "Take the rope! Hang me up!" Tom Turner knew what he meant.Fricoland was dragged from the cabin. What a tearing cry he made when the foreman and a boy seized him and tied him to what looked like a barrel at the end of the cable! It was the cable that Uncle Prudang had taken a fancy to. At first, the black man thought he was going to be hanged... No, he was just hanging in the air. The cable was lowered 100 feet, and Fricoland swung in mid-air. Now he should be able to yell as much as he wants, but he was so frightened that he seemed to be stuck in the neck, and he couldn't utter a sound. Uncle Prudden and Phil Evans tried to stop them, but they were pushed away. "Shame! . . . Despicable! . . . " cried Uncle Prudang, who could no longer control himself. "Indeed!" "This is an abuse of violence. I can't say that and let it go. I will take another method!" "Just think about it!" "Engineer Robill, I want revenge!" "Mr. President of the Weldon Society, then please do as you please!" "I want revenge on you and your men!" The people of the "Albatross" came up with hostility, and Robier signaled them to disperse. "Yes!...to seek revenge on you and your subordinates!..." Uncle Prudang said again.His colleagues tried to calm him down, but to no avail. "As you please!" replied the engineer. "And take all possible means!" "Enough!" Robier said in a threatening tone, "Enough! How many cables are there on the aircraft! Shut up! Otherwise, you will end up like master and servant!" Uncle Pruden said no more, not because he was afraid, but because he was suffocated.Phil Evans had to pull him back to the cabin. Since one o'clock, the sky has changed drastically.A series of unreassuring signs appeared in the sky.A storm is coming.The charge content in the atmosphere was very high, and around 2:30, a phenomenon that Robier had never seen before appeared in the sky. The storm comes from the north.There, bright spirals of water vapor were rising, which must have been caused by changes in the charge of the different clouds. These bright strips of water vapor reflect on the water surface, making countless bright spots flash on the sea surface.As the sky gets darker, the bright spot becomes brighter. The Albatross was about to hit those spirals of vapor, which were approaching each other. What about Fricoland?Well, Fricoland, he's still being dragged.The word "drag" is really appropriate, because the aircraft is advancing at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, the cable and the aircraft form a large obtuse angle, and the large wooden barrel has been dragged behind. When the thunder was rolling and the lightning flashed around him, just imagine how scared he must be! All the people on the aircraft are busy preparing for the storm.Either fly above the storm, or pass through the lower clouds, the only way to get out of trouble. At that time, the "Albatross" was at the same height as the storm, that is, about 1,000 meters.Suddenly there was a thunderbolt, and the wind rose suddenly; in an instant, the burning clouds rushed to the aircraft. Phil Evans hurried out to intercede for Fricoland and demanded to bring him up. Before he could mention it, Robier had already given the order to do so.People were busy pulling up the cable when suddenly, the speed of the horizontal propeller slowed down inexplicably. Robier immediately rushed towards the middle cabin. "Strengthen! . . . Power! . . . " he shouted to the mechanic, "must rise faster and higher than the storm!" "No, master!" "what happened?" "The current is disturbed! . . . intermittently! . . . " The Albatross was visibly descending. Like the waves of a wireless telegraph in a storm, the aircraft's batteries were malfunctioning.What had been merely an inconvenience to the telegraph became a dire danger here and now: the flying machine was falling overboard, and there was nothing man could do. "Let it go down, out of the charge zone!" Robier yelled, "Come on, boys, calm down!" The engineer climbed onto his duty stool.The rest of the people are sticking to their posts, ready to carry out the leader's order at any time. The "Albatross" has descended several hundred feet, but it still hasn't been able to get out of the cloud and mist. The surrounding lightning is intertwined like fireworks, making one feel that it may be struck by lightning at any time.The speed of the propeller was getting slower and slower. Before that, the aircraft was only descending at a slightly faster speed, but at this moment, it was in danger of falling vertically. Obviously, in less than a minute, it will fall to the surface of the sea.Once it was thrown into the sea, no force could pull it out of this abyss. All of a sudden, the charged clouds suddenly came over them. The "Albatross" was only 60 feet from the crest of the wave, and in just two or three seconds, the waves would overwhelm the deck. Robier saw the opportunity, rushed to the middle cabin, grabbed the starter lever, and switched on the current. Now the electric charge in the surrounding atmosphere no longer affects the current...In a blink of an eye, the propeller returned to normal, and the fall was stopped . The "Albatross" remained at a very low altitude and was pushed away from the storm by the propeller, and it was not long before the storm was left behind. Needless to say, Fricoland reluctantly took a shower, but only for a few seconds.When he was pulled back to the aircraft, he was soaked, as if he had been to the bottom of the sea.It was not difficult to imagine that he would never bark again. The next day, July 4th, the Albatross crossed the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

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