Chapter 15 Chapter Fifteen does have something worth mentioning
When the "Albatross" was still flying at high altitude, the crew had already discovered that the area of the island was not large.What is its latitude?What is the longitude?Is it in the Pacific Ocean, or in Oceania, or in the Indian Ocean?This will not be known until Robier has measured its exact location.Although the indications of the current compass cannot explain the problem, Robier still has reason to think that this is a Pacific island.Of course, after sunrise, the observation conditions will be better, and further observations will be more accurate.
From its present height—150 feet—the island is about 15 miles in circumference and has the shape of a triangular starfish.
The southeast corner is an isolated large reef, and further forward, there are some scattered small reefs.There is no sign of tidal impact on the side of the island.Based on this, the engineer's speculation on the location of the island can be basically confirmed, because in the Pacific Ocean, there are almost no high tides and low tides.
At the northwest corner stands a conical peak, estimated to be 1,200 feet high.
Not a single native on the island could be seen, perhaps because they lived on the other side of the island.In any case, if they had seen the flying machine, they must have been scared into hiding, or fled.
The "Albatross" chose to dock at the southeast corner of the island.Not far away, there is a small bay from which a small river flows through the reef into the sea.Farther on, there are several winding valleys, with trees of all kinds, game birds, flocks of partridges and geese.Even if the island is really uninhabited, at least it looks habitable, and Robier can land here.But he didn't do this, maybe he felt that it was difficult to find a suitable place to park the aircraft on this uneven ground.
The engineer asked everyone to start repairing.He hoped to finish work before dark so he could take off again.The lifting propellers are in perfect condition.They have been working well during the storm, and it is said that this part of the work has been lightened by the force of the storm.At this moment, half of the 74 propellers are still turning, because only half turning is enough to tighten the vertical cable hooked on the beach.
But the damage to the two propulsion propellers was far worse than Robier had imagined.The propeller needs to be straightened, and the gear set that transmits the rotational motion needs to be trimmed.
Under the command of Robier and Tom, all the flight attendants first started to work from the front propeller.The advantage of starting here is that if, for some reason, the Albatross has to take off without being fully repaired, it will make it easier for the craft to keep on course.
During this period, Uncle Prudang and his colleagues took a walk on the platform for a while, and then came to the stern and sat down.
As for Fricoland, he felt particularly relieved now.The difference is huge!Although it is still suspended in the air, it is only 150 feet above the ground!
There are only two intervals in the repair work, one is when the sun rises from the horizon, and the hour angle can be measured; the other is when the sun rises to the mid-heaven, and the local noon time can be calculated.
The exact observations are as follows:
Longitude: 176 degrees 17 minutes east longitude
Latitude: 43 degrees 37 minutes south latitude
On the map, this azimuth marked Chatham Island and Weaver Island, collectively known as the Broughton Islands.The archipelago is located 15 degrees east of the South Pacific Ocean.
"It's about as far as I've guessed," said Robier to Tom Turner.
"We are..."
"Forty-six degrees south of X Island, or 2,800 miles."
"Now, it's even more necessary to repair the propeller," the foreman replied. "We may still go against the wind on the way, and the supplies on the aircraft are running out. We must return to X Island as soon as possible."
"Yes, Tom, so even if only one propeller works, I'd like to be able to start tonight. We can fix the other one on the way."
"Captain Robill," asked Tom Turner, "what about those two gentlemen and their footman?"
"Tom Turner, won't they be satisfied if they become immigrants from X Island?" the engineer asked.
Where is this × island?This is a remote island in the vast Pacific Ocean, located between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer, its shape is like the algebraic symbol that Robier named it.It is located in the wide Marquesas Sea, far from all sea routes.There Robier established his small colony; at Mile B, where the Albatross rested when she was tired;On this X island, due to the huge resources, Robier was able to open a workshop and build his aircraft.Here, he can repair the B-plane, and even rebuild one without any problem.The warehouses on the island store all kinds of raw materials and food for the only fifty residents on the island.
A few days ago, when Robier flew over Cape Horn, he wanted to cross the Pacific Ocean diagonally and return to X Island.As a result, the "Albatross" was swept in by the storm, and Mimi was later brought over the Antarctic by the storm.Anyway, it's now mostly back on its original course.The delay would have been insignificant had it not been for the damage to the propulsion plant.
Go back to X Island.Still, as Foreman Tom Turner said, there was still a long way to go.Maybe there will be a time to contend with a storm that is not conducive to flying.If the "Albatross" is to reach its destination as expected, it is absolutely necessary to bring out its full mechanical capabilities.Even if the weather is normal and flying at normal speed, this voyage will take three or four.
It was in view of this that Robier decided to stop at Chatham Island.The conditions here are better, at least the forward propeller can be repaired.In this way, when he wants to go north, if he encounters the north wind again, he doesn't have to worry about being blown south.The repair work was finished when it was dark, and the anchor was started.In case the anchor is stuck too tightly by the reef and cannot be pulled out, simply cut off the cable and continue flying towards the equator.
It can be seen that this way of handling things is the simplest and best.Everything is going on as planned.
The crew of the "Albatross" knew that the time was tight and they were all working hard.
Everyone is busy at the bow.At this time, Uncle Prudden and Phil Evans were talking.The ramifications of this conversation could be dire.
"Phil Evans," said Uncle Prudden, "are you as determined as I am to sacrifice your life?"
"Yes, just like you!"
"Think about it for the last time, can't you really have any hope for this Robbill?"
"yes."
"Well, Phil Evans, I am determined. Since the Albatross is leaving tonight, our operation must be completed tonight. We will break the wing of Engineer Robill's bird! Let it explode in the air tonight!"
"Let it blow up!" replied Phil Evans.
The two colleagues, therefore, were now in complete agreement on all matters, including the calmness with which they met the dreadful death that awaited them.
"Have you got everything you need?" asked Phil Evans.
"Yes! Last night, when Robbier and his men were busy working on the aircraft, I sneaked into the ammunition warehouse and took a dynamite cartridge!"
"Uncle Prudang, let's do it..."
"No, you can only do it at night! After dark, we will go back to the cabin, and you will be in charge of the wind, lest I be caught by others!"
As usual, at 6 o'clock, the two colleagues had dinner.After another two hours, they returned to their staterooms, much as if they were trying to sleep and recover after a sleepless night.
Robbier and his partners never imagined that the "Albatross" would be in great trouble.
Uncle Prudang's plan of action is as follows:
As he himself said, he had slipped into the compartment on the hull of the aircraft which served as an ammunition store, and had taken some powder and a cartridge like the one the engineer had used at Dahomey.After returning to his cabin, he carefully hid the explosives.He was determined to blow up the aircraft after it took off at night.
Phil Evans was there at the moment examining explosives stolen by his companions.
The outside of this thing is a metal shell, which contains about 1 kilogram of explosives.These explosives are enough to blow up the aircraft and blow up the propellers to pieces.Even if the aircraft cannot be completely destroyed at once, it will be finished if it falls.As long as the explosive cartridge is placed in a corner of the cabin, the platform and the keel of the hull can be blown up.It's so easy to do.
However, to detonate the explosive cartridge, the fulminate detonator on the explosive cartridge must first be detonated.This is the most delicate link in the whole operation, because the detonator must be fired at a precisely calculated moment.
In fact, Uncle Prudang has already considered this point: once the forward propeller is repaired, the aircraft will definitely take off immediately and continue to fly north.However, as soon as this work was completed, Robier and his men would probably have to come aft to fix and push the propeller.With so many people coming to the side of the cabin, it might cause inconvenience to Uncle Prudang's actions. Therefore, he decided to use a fuse so that the explosion could be detonated at the scheduled time.
He said to Phil Evans:
"While I took the powder cartridge, I also took some gunpowder. According to the needs of the burning time, I plan to use gunpowder to make a fuse and connect it to the fulminate detonator. I plan to light the fuse at 12 o'clock in the night chapter. Let the dynamite go off at three or four o'clock in the morning!"
"Well arranged!" replied Phil Evans.
It can be seen that the two colleagues were so calm when they planned this terrible destruction in which they themselves would be buried.They hated Robier and his crew as if they were destined to die with the "Albatross" and the gang aboard the "Albatross."This action, whether it is absurd or not, abhorrent or not, don't care about it!After five weeks of pent-up anger and unfulfilled thoughts, they were about to explode!
"And what about Fricoland," said Phil Evans, "do we have a right to his fate?"
"We have sacrificed our own lives too!" replied Uncle Pruden.
It is doubtful that Fricoland also thinks this reason is sufficient.
Uncle Prudden started to work immediately, and Phil Evans was in charge of monitoring the movement around the cabin.
The flight attendants have been busy at the bow, so there is no need to be afraid of someone breaking in.
Uncle Prudang first crushed part of the gunpowder and ground it into powder.After wetting it a little, he packed it into a fuse-like canvas bag.After ignition, it was confirmed that the fuse burned five centimeters every 10 minutes, that is to say, the burning length after three and a half hours should be one meter.He extinguished the fuse, twisted the rope tightly, and attached it to the bomb.
Around 10pm, everything was ready and without arousing any suspicion.
At this moment, Phil Evans walked back to the cabin and came to his colleague.
Repairs to the forward propeller had also been frantic throughout the day, only having to be retrieved to the vehicle to remove the twisted blade.
As for the things that power the mechanical parts of the "Albatross", such as dry batteries and accumulators, they were not damaged in any way during the storm, and they were enough to last for another four or five days.
It was already dark, and Robier and his companions stopped working.The forward propeller hadn't been installed yet and needed three hours of repairs to get it running.After consulting with Tom Turner, the engineer decided to let the exhausted crew rest first, and save the unfinished work for the next day.What's more, correction work like this requires very meticulous work, and the daytime light alone is not enough. How can it be done only by the light of the lamp?
Neither Uncle Prudden nor Phil Evans knew about these situations.All they knew was what Robier had said earlier, and they thought the forward propellers had been repaired before the Great Black, and the Albatross had set sail for the north.They thought the aircraft had left the island, but in fact it was still held there by the anchor.This misunderstanding will cause things to develop in a completely different direction from what they originally imagined.
The night was dark, without moonlight, and thick clouds made the night even heavier.I can feel the wind starting to pick up.A few gusts of wind from the southwest failed to blow the Albatross away, and the Albatross stood there securely, with her cables fastened and her anchor firmly gripped.
Uncle Prudden and Phil Evans shut themselves in the cabin, seldom talking, listening to the hoisting propeller whine that drowned out all sounds on the aircraft.They are waiting for their moment of action.
Near midnight, Uncle Prudden said:
"it's time!"
In the cabin, under the bed, there is a small chest that serves as a drawer.Uncle Pruden's dynamite cartridge, already ignited, was placed in this box.In this way, the fuse can still burn, and the smell and hissing sound of burning will not be noticed.He lit the fuse, and pushed the case back under the bed.
"Now, let's go aft and wait!" he said.
Two men came out, and to their surprise they did not see the helmsman at his usual post.
So Phil Evans leaned over the side of the boat and looked.
"The Albatross is standing still!" he whispered. "The repairs aren't done yet!...it didn't take off!"
Uncle Pruden made a disappointed gesture and said:
"Got to blow the fuse."
"Don't go out! We should run away!" said Phil Evans.
"escape?"
"Yeah! . . . run down the cable, and it's already dark! . . 150 feet down, nothing!"
"It's nothing, Phil Evans, and we'd be insane if we didn't take advantage of this unexpected opportunity!"
They returned to their cabins first, and took all they could carry, in case they needed to stay on Chatham Island for a long time.Then they closed the door and walked softly towards the bow.
It occurred to them to wake Fricoland and let him escape with them.
The night was silent, and the clouds were drifting from the southwest.The Albatross, tied to anchor, had begun to shake slightly, and the cables holding it were becoming less vertical.In this way, the difficulty of the decline may be greater, but this cannot stop people who are not hesitant to prepare at the cost of their own lives from the beginning.
The two crawled on the platform, stopping from time to time to listen for any movement under the cover of the cabin.There was silence all around, not a single window for light to shine through. The 6-line device is not only immersed in silence, but also immersed in sleep.
However, when Uncle Prudden and his companions approached Fricoland's room, Phil Evans stopped suddenly.
"Lookout!" he said.
Sure enough, there was a person lying next to the cabin.If he was already sound asleep, he must have just fallen asleep.Had he sounded the alarm, there would have been no possibility of escape.
Where he lay there were some ropes, pieces of canvas, and hemp from the propeller repair.
In the blink of an eye, the watchman's mouth was gagged, his body was bound, and he was tied to the post of the guardrail. He could no longer shout or move.
During the whole process, there was basically no sound.
Uncle Prudden and Phil Evans listened attentively...every cabin was still so silent.All are asleep.
The two fugitives—can't they be called that? ——Come to Fricoland's room. .This is more reassuring.
The astonishing thing was that the door of Fricoland's room did not need to be pushed at all: it was always open.Uncle Pruden leaned half his body into the room, then drew back and said:
"no one!"
"Nobody! . . . Where is he going?" whispered Phil Evans.
The two wondered if Fricoland had fallen asleep in some corner, so they both climbed to the bow again.
Still no one.
"Did this bad guy think of going ahead of us?..." Uncle Prudang said.
"Whatever it is, we can't wait. Let's go!" said Phil Evans.
The fugitives didn't hesitate at all, one after the other, they grabbed the cable with both hands, hooked it with their feet, and slid safely to the ground.
They were overjoyed to set their feet on the long-lost ground, walk on solid ground, and no longer have to be at the mercy of the atmosphere!
Just as they were about to go up a small river and lake to the middle of the island, a black shadow suddenly appeared in front of them.
It was Fricoland!
The black man also thought of the idea that the master thought of, and he dared to slip away without saying a word!
But now is not the time to criticize him.Phil Evans stopped Uncle Prudden, who was going to find a hiding place a little further out on the island.
"Listen, Uncle Prudden," said he, "we have now escaped from Robier's grasp. He and his fellows are doomed, and deserved! But if he pledges his honor Don't come to catch us anymore, then..."
"In the honor of such a fellow..."
Before Uncle Prudang could finish his sentence, he saw a commotion on board the "Albatross".Apparently the alarm had been sounded, and the escape had been detected.
"Help!...Come help!..." Someone shouted.
It was the lookout, who had spat out what was in his mouth.There was a rush of footsteps on the platform.The beam of the searchlight immediately projected towards the open land.
"There they are! . . . there! . . . " cried Tom Turner.
The fugitives were found.
At the same time, Robier gave a loud order, the lifting propeller was slowing down, the cable was retracting, and the "Albatross" began to approach the ground.
At this time, Phil Evans' clear voice came:
"Engineer Robill, will you honor us by leaving us free on this island?"
"Absolutely impossible!" cried Robier.
As soon as the words fell, a gunshot rang out, and the bullet passed Phil Evans' shoulder.
"Oh! These rascals!" Uncle Prudang shouted.
Knife in hand, he sprinted towards the rock where the anchor was stuck.The aircraft is only 50 feet above the ground...
In an instant, the cable was cut.The wind that had obviously grown stronger blew the "Albatross" to the northeast from the oblique side and onto the sea.
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