Chapter 24 CHAPTER VII THE ENGLISH HOUSE
Next day, around one o'clock in the afternoon, the doctor and Pierre were ready to set off in a boat.
Before boarding the boat, the doctor told Captain Kostri to keep a close watch on the sea at all times. The "Electric Power Two" may arrive at any time; once he arrives, let it immediately sail into Farigori near the small island of Polyphemus. Oni sea surface.If the plan goes well, if Sarkani is captured (at least Zirona and Carpena are captured), the speedboat must be on standby at any time, ready to escort the captives back to Antekyte, and listen to Doctor Hou.After giving these instructions, the doctor and Pierre boarded the boat.
The boat left the ship, and in a few minutes was at the steps of Catania's quay.The doctor and Pierre, who were wearing mountaineering suits, were immediately tested by the temperature: there was a huge difference in temperature here, the temperature at the seaside was more than 30 degrees, and on the mountain, it was about to drop to minus seven or eight degrees.A guide they had brought from the Alpine Club at 17 Lincoln Road was waiting there with the horses.When they reached the town of Nicolosi, they planned to change to a mule: a good steed, sure-footed and indefatigable.
They passed through the long city of Catania in no time, and there was no sign of anyone watching or following them.After passing the highland road, the mountain gradually rose, and the doctor and Pierre walked up the mountain path of Mount Etna.This volcano, which the Sicilians call "beautiful mountain", has a diameter of not less than forty kilometers.
The mountain roads are tortuous and uneven, and are often diverted due to lava from volcanic eruptions.As early as millions of years ago, those lava flows formed countless lava and basalt rocks.There are many dry gullies beside the road, and when spring comes, there will be rushing water.The road is lush with olive, orange, carob, hazelnut trees, and long stalks of vines climbing on the neighboring branches.
This is the earliest of the three volcanic step landforms.The Phoenicians translated Mount Etna as "Furnace Mountain"; and as early as the era before the birth of geographical science, geographers called it "Optimus".
After two hours, they were exhausted, and they took a short rest for a few minutes.By this time the doctor and Pierre could already see the city of Catania appearing at their feet.There are more than 85,000 inhabitants in this city, and its scenery is as pleasant as that of Palermo.Its countless picturesque monasteries, its houses no less architecturally styled in the seventeenth century, are completely surrounded by green forests of the most beautiful beauty, making any other city pale in comparison.A little further away is the port.When Mount Etna erupted in 1669, lava flooded parts of the port, forming some natural dikes.That volcanic eruption was terrible. It poured more than one billion cubic meters of lava around the volcano, destroyed 14 cities, and killed more than 18,000 people.
It was only in the nineteenth century that Mount Etna was less active than in the past, and it finally calmed down for a while.Since the Era, it has erupted more than thirty times in total.But Sicily did not collapse, proving that its geological structure is very solid. In addition, Mount Etna does not have a permanent crater, and it always changes new craters as it pleases.When a volcano erupts, the hot burning magma breaks through the earth's crust like a squeezed abscess, and a large amount of lava material flows around and accumulates on the hillside, forming many small volcanoes.
Within three months of the volcanic eruption in 1669, the sand and slag deposits spewed out were as high as 137 meters, and a large mountain was formed, forming Mount Rossi.The Frumento, Simoni, Stonero, and Cresenco craters that appeared during this eruption are like small bell towers on a cathedral, surrounding the dome.In addition, there were volcanic eruptions in 1809, 1811, 1819, 1838, 1852, 1865, and 1879. Craters, like hives, are scattered on the slopes of Mount Etna.
After passing through the small villages on the mesas, the guide chose a shorter path to the main road of Tramajieli near the town of Nicolosi.Here is also the first area of Mount Etna - the cultivated area, which extends to the town of Nisirosi at an altitude of 646.3 meters above sea level, fifteen kilometers from Catacsini.It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they reached the town.The journey was smooth, neither wild boars nor wolves were encountered.They had to walk another twenty kilometers to reach the Englishman's house.
"How long do you want to rest here?" the guide asked.
"The less the better." The doctor replied, "Try to get there before nine o'clock in the evening."
"How about a forty minute break, then?"
"Okay, just forty minutes!"
There are two hotels in this town, and forty minutes is more than enough to find a light meal at any one.In terms of cooking, these two hotels are unique, and they have restored a little reputation to the characteristic gastronomy of Sicily.This is a great honor for a village with a population of 3,000 residents and a large number of beggars.It was a good meal, a piece of lamb, and fruit—grapes from the outskirts of Catania, oranges, pomegranates, and sampracido.Even in many of the larger cities in Italy, the innkeepers would be very embarrassed to be required to supply so much.
Before five o'clock in the afternoon, the doctor, Pierre and the guide switched to riding mules and began to climb the second level of Mount Etna - the forest area.There are not many trees in this area, because the woodcutters here are the same as elsewhere, they cut down trees and destroyed the dense virgin forest.In the near future, the trees in this area may be cut down, leaving only a mythical memory.But along the sides of the lava, on the edge of the ravine, grew clumps and patches of beech, oak, and fig-trees with almost black leaves.In the distance there are firs, pines, birches.On the volcanic ash mixed with humus, there are large patches of ferns, white sage, and mallow, covered by a layer of moss.
At eight o'clock in the evening, the doctor and Pierre had reached an altitude of three thousand meters, almost reaching the line of permanent snow.The snow on the slopes of Mount Etna is abundant enough for irrigation in Italy and Sicily.
This zone was made of black lava, volcanic ash, and slag, and it stretched across the valley of Del Bover—a huge oval-shaped crack.The cliffs of the round valley are as high as 30.5 to 9.5 meters, and the rock formations of trachyte and basalt are exposed and have not been affected by the erosion of weathering.
The real volcanic cone stands in front, and the cone is full of flowers and plants, forming a green hemisphere.This high raised central part forms a mountain of its own, like Mount Belion on Mount Osa, with a round top and an altitude of 3,316 meters.
Here, the ground under your feet trembles slightly, and magma boils and rolls under the snow-capped volcano.A few strands of sulfur-containing steam rise slowly, and are pressed by the wind on the crater, whistling, and sometimes blown all the way to the foot of the mountain, like hot coke-like slag, falling on the white snow blanket like hail, leaves The leaves made a noise and then went out.
The temperature was very low at this time - several degrees below zero.The air is so thin that it is obviously difficult to breathe, and climbers have to wrap up their travel coats tightly.The cold wind was blowing along the hillside, and the rolled up snow flakes swirled in the air.Standing here, I can already see the rising and falling flames under the caldera; other smaller craters, or like narrow sulfur fumaroles, or like dark wells, with underground flames whistling at their bases. sound.Then there was a continuous rumbling sound, coming like a hurricane, growing louder, as if the steam in a huge boiler had burst the steam valve.No volcanic eruption can be predicted, but this kind of anger inside the crust can only be erupted through the hissing and roaring of the crater; and piercing the cone to form a volcanic eruption surface.
It was nine o'clock in the evening.The air above the volcano is thin, the stars in the night sky are extraordinarily dazzling, and a waning moon is sinking in the Tyrrhenian Sea.If there were no volcanic activity here, how charming the tranquility would be tonight!
"Should we be there soon?" asked the doctor.
"That's the Englishman's house," answered the guide.
He pointed to a wall fifty meters to the left with a door and two windows on it.This wall is 428 meters from the top of the central cone, and its orientation protects it from wind and snow. .
The house, also known today as Etna, has just been refurbished at the expense of the Alpine Club after a long-term restoration funded by the brother of the geologist Jamlaro.Not far away, in the dark, there are still several ancient Roman architectural sites named after philosophers.Legend has it that Ampetocles committed suicide by throwing himself into this crater.A man who could endure a week of solitude in such a place must have a peculiar philosophy, so that one could naturally understand the queer behavior of this queer man.
Doctor Antequite, Pierre Bathory, guides towards the Englishman's house.They knocked on the door and went in, and saw their own people who were waiting there in advance.
There were only three rooms in the Englishman's house, furnished with tables, chairs and cooking utensils.But for those who climbed Mount Etna, after reaching a height of 2,885 meters, they can fully rest.
Until then, Luigi had been worried that the arrival of his small team would arouse suspicion, and would not light a fire to keep warm even in the cold.Now that Zirona had learned that the doctor was going to spend the night at the Englishman's house, there was no need for such worries.Someone took some wood from the pile and stuffed it into the stove.After a while, the flames crackled and burned, and the long-awaited light and warmth immediately filled the whole room.
At this moment the doctor took Luigi aside alone and asked him if anything had happened since he arrived here.
"No." Luigi said, "I'm only worried that our actions can't be kept as secret as we hoped!"
"why?"
"Because after the town of Nicolosi, if I'm not mistaken, there was a person following us. But when we were almost at the foot of this mountain, he suddenly disappeared."
"Ah! Bad news, Luigi! Probably dissuaded Zirona from attacking us! Nobody's around the Englishman's house after dark, is there?"
"No, sir doctor," Luigi replied. "Out of caution, I also sent people to search the ruins of the Philosopher's Monument, which was empty."
"Let's wait, Luigi! Someone must be on guard at the gate! The night is bright and you can see far away. The important thing is to guard against their sneak attack!"
The doctor's order was passed on.When the doctor sat down on the small stool in front of the stove, his subordinates had already fallen asleep on the hay bales around him.
But Matiff came to him, looked at him, and dared not speak. The doctor immediately saw the anxiety in his heart.
"You want to know how Boscade is doing, don't you?" asked the doctor. "Be patient!"
"Even though he's in danger right now, he'll be back."
"I put my head on it!" Pierre added, trying to reassure Matiff of his little companion's safety.
An hour passed and there was still silence around Mount Etna, not a soul on the white slope in front of Huaiano del Lagan.This greatly worried the doctor and Pierre, for Zirona would never have ventured to attack the English house if he had known that a small detachment was coming.Thus the plan fell through, but if Saccani was not caught, his accomplice Zirona must be caught and the secret wrung from his lips!
Just before ten o'clock there was a shot from about half a kilometer below the Englishman's house.
Everyone ran out when they heard the sound, and looked around, but found no clues.
"It was indeed a gunshot!" said Pierre.
"Maybe it's the eagle and wild boar hunters hunting deep in the mountains!" Lu Ji replied.
"Go back to the house," said the doctor, "here it is possible to be found!"
They went back into the house again.
But, ten minutes later, a sailor who was on guard outside hastened in and reported:
"There is a situation! I think I saw..."
"A few people, isn't it?" asked Pierre.
"No, only one person!"
The doctor, Pierre, Luigi, and Matiff rushed out of the door together, carefully hiding in the shadows.
Sure enough, like an antelope, a man ran towards the platform along the ancient lava flow. He jumped and rushed into Matiff's open arms to him in a few strides.
It's Boscade.
"Quick! . . . Quick! . . . Hide, Mr. Doctor!" cried Boscade.
In an instant, everyone entered the house and closed the door.
"Zirona, what about him?" asked the doctor, "how is he now? . . . How did you escape?"
"Yes!...to remind you that there is danger here!"
"Is he not coming?"
"In twenty minutes, he'll be here!"
"Great!"
"No! Terrible! . . . I don't know how he got it, that twelve people came before you!"
"It must have been leaked by the mountain man who was spying on us!" Luigi said.
"Anyway, he already knows," replied Boscard, "and he already knows that you have set him a trap!"
"Let him come!" cried Pierre.
"He will come, Monsieur Pierre! But he has brought not only the twelve helpers, but also the robbers who have just returned to Sanda Gloda this afternoon!"
"How many robbers are there in all?" asked the doctor.
"More than fifty!" replied Provente Boscard.
The situation is not good for the doctor and his team.The doctor's team only consisted of eleven sailors, together with Luigi, Pierre, Matiff, and Boscard, there was a disparity between sixteen and fifty. Zirona's attack was imminent. Make up your mind without hesitation.
But before that, the doctor wanted to know what happened at Boscade's, and here's what he learned:
That morning Zirona returned from a night in Catania.The doctor just saw him wandering in Bayer's garden.When Zirona returned to the Sanda Gloda Hotel, a mountain man reported to him that twelve people from different directions had occupied the English house.
Zirona immediately understood the circumstances he faced.Now it is not he who is trying to lure the doctor into a trap, but other people are persuading him, asking him to beware of the doctor who is trying to lure him into the bait.However, Boscade insisted repeatedly on sending him to the English house, and assured him that the newcomers would defeat the Doctor's gang.Zirona is still hesitating what should he do?Zirona felt strange about Boscade's attitude, and wanted someone to monitor him.Boscard soon realized that if Zirona's robbers did not come by three-thirty in the afternoon, Zirona would probably give up the doctor--because he was not sure.With fifty men under his command, he left the Sanda Gloda Inn with his troops without hesitation, and headed for the English house.
Boscade realized that if he did not inform the Doctor and his men in time for their escape, rarely prepared them, the Doctor and his men would fail.He waited until Zirona and the robbers came out of sight of him from the Englishman's house, for he did not know where the Englishman's house was.Nearly nine o'clock at night, less than two kilometers from the slope of the volcanic cone, the light illuminating the windows gave him a clear view of the house.Boscade immediately ran in this direction.Zirona shot at him—that was the shot one heard in the Englishman’s house—but missed him.With the quickness of his clown's movements, Boscade quickly escaped the bullet's range.In this way, he arrived here 20 minutes earlier than Zirona's group.
After Boscade finished speaking, the doctor held the brave and resourceful young man's hand tightly, and thanked him for everything he had done; then, everyone discussed what to do next.
Abandoning the British house in the middle of the night and risking total annihilation by retreating from the mountain passes and hiding places that Zirona and his gang knew so well.It would be a hundred times better to defend yourself, resist until dawn in this bunker-like house.After daybreak, even if you want to evacuate, at least you don't have to venture on dark paths, across hillsides, through deep ditches, and even the threat of sulfurous steam.Therefore, staying and resisting is the last word.Preparations for the defense began immediately.
First, close the window, then securely nail the shutters in from the inside.We used the spaces between the rafters on top of the front wall as firing holes.A quick-action pistol, twenty rounds each.The doctor, Pierre, Luigi can also come to help.Matiff fights with only his arms, Boscade fights with only two hands, bare hands.
Nearly forty minutes passed without any offensive move.Zirona understands that Boscard has notified Dr. Antekit that it is impossible to make a surprise attack on him, so will Zirona give up the attack plan?He has more than fifty people under his command, and he is familiar with the environment. His hope of victory is great, and he will not give up.
Suddenly, nearly eleven o'clock, the sailors on sentry rushed into the house.A group of people dispersed and approached the distance, trying to besiege on three sides - the fourth side was on the hillside, and there was no retreat.
Knowing their intentions, everyone sealed the gate, took their positions and leaned against the gap between the rafters, and followed the doctor's instructions, only shooting when they were sure.
Hiding behind rocks, Zirona and his men approached the Terrace of Piano del Lacon, advancing cautiously and slowly.This mesas, made up of many rough stones and basalts, was used to protect English houses from winter storms.Attacking this platform, storming the house, destroying doors and windows, coupled with the large number of people, it will be easy to defeat the doctor and his squad.
Suddenly, there was a gunshot, and a plume of smoke rose from between the rafters.One was fatally shot and fell.The squad took a few steps back and hid behind a rock.Zirona took advantage of the ups and downs of the terrain and gradually pulled his team to the foot of the Piano del Lagan terrace.
Twelve more shots were fired from the English roof, and two more attackers fell in the snow.
Zirona gave the order to charge.With the exception of a few people who were wounded, everyone rushed into the British house.The door was riddled with bullet holes, and inside the door two sailors were wounded, but not seriously, and had to step aside.
The battle raged on.The attackers hacked open the gates and windows with pickaxes and axes.Had to rush out in the hail of bullets to repel the attackers.Luigi's hat was pierced by a bullet.And Pierre, if it weren't for Matiff's help, he might have become the victim of these robbers.Matiff snatched the man's pickaxe and finished him off in one go.
In this breakout, Matif was really brave.Few twenty times were aimed, but none were shot.If Zirona wins, Boscard will be executed early.When he thought of this, he became furious and fought bravely to kill.
With such stubborn resistance, the attacker had to fall back again.The doctor and his sailors then returned to the Englishman's house to discuss what to do.
"How many bullets are left?" asked the doctor.
"Ten or twelve shots each," Luigi replied.
"what time is it?"
"Almost zero!"
There were still four hours before dawn, and ammunition must now be conserved in case they retreated at dawn.
If Zirona's gang of robbers attacked them again, how could they resist their attack and prevent them from entering the English house.
This is their immediate problem.Panting for a quarter of an hour, the bandits dragged the wounded to the rear and hid in the ditch formed by the lava flow.
The bandits were driven mad by such tenacious resistance, and five or six of their companions fell again, climbing up the lava, rushing across the open space under the basalt parapet, and onto the terrace.
They charged onto the terrace without being fired upon by any gun, and Chirona concluded beyond doubt that the besieged were running out of ammunition.
Zirona incited the robbers to capture this man who was a hundred times richer than a millionaire.
This time, they frantically broke through the doors and windows.They would have taken the English house if it hadn't been for another shot at short range, which hit five or six of their accomplices.Once more they retreated to the foot of the terrace.At this time, the two sailors in the house were also seriously injured and had to give up the fight.
The defenders of the English house had only four or five rounds left.Under such circumstances, even daytime retreat became impossible.They feel that if there is no rescue, they are lost, but where is the rescue?
Unfortunately, it was impossible for Jorona's gang to give up their attack.They also have forty strong and well-armed elite soldiers.They knew that the doctor and his sailors would soon be overwhelmed.So they will attack again.
Suddenly, a huge boulder rolled down the slope of the terrace like an avalanche, and the three robbers were killed before they could dodge.
Matiff knocked down the basalt walls, and huge stones rolled down from the terrace of Piazza del Lacon.
Of course, this method of resistance alone is not enough.Besides, the stones will soon run out.So either wait to die on the spot, or try to rush outside to seek reinforcements.
At this moment, an idea occurred to Boscade.But he didn't tell the doctor.Doctors probably won't agree.Boscard told Matiff his thoughts.
From the Sanda Gloda Inn, Boscade learned that there was a gendarme detachment at Casona.But to go to Casona, it takes an hour to go back and forth.Is it still possible to inform the gendarmerie?Have.As long as you can dash through the enemies before heading west towards the volcano.
"Therefore, I must rush out, I must rush out!" said Boscard to himself. "Hey! Damn it! It doesn't matter if it's a clown or not, it's up to you."
So he told Matiff that he managed to rush out for reinforcements.
"But..." said Matiff, "it will be dangerous..."
"I'm not afraid!"
Boscade was so resolute that Matiff did not dare to stop him.
After speaking, the two walked to the right of the Englishman's house, where there was a lot of snow.
Ten minutes later, both sides were engaged in fierce fighting.Matif appeared, pushing a large snowball.While the sailors were constantly pushing stones down the hill and hitting the besiegers, Matif pushed the snowball hard, and the snowball rolled down the slope, passed among Zirona's gang, and stopped fifty feet behind them. Meters away in a depression.
As a result of the collision, the snowball split in half, and out of the snowball came a witty man.The man was a little "cunning," as he said himself.
This is Boscade.He wrapped himself in a snowball, risked falling into the abyss, and was rolled down the slope.Now, he escaped and ran towards Casona along the volcanic trail.
Twelve thirty at night.
At this moment the doctor did not see Boscade, fearing that he had been wounded.He started calling Burscade's name.
"He's gone!" said Matiff.
"gone?"
"Yes!... to find reinforcements!"
"How did you get there?"
"Hiding in the snowball and rolling down!"
Matiff told Dr. Burscard what he had done.
"Ah! Brave boy! . . . " said the doctor. "Courage, my friends, and faith! . . . These bandits will not catch us."
The boulder continued to roll towards the besiegers.But the new weapon, like the bullet, was about to run out.
At three o'clock in the morning, the doctor, Pierre, Luigi, Matiff and the sailors carried their wounded and evacuated the British house that would soon fall into the hands of Zirona. Twenty people died, but the number still prevailed.The doctor's unit could only retreat while fighting back, running up the central cone.This central cone is made of molten banks, slag, and volcanic ash, and at the top of the cone is the caldera, the abyss of fire.
Everyone carried the wounded and ran towards the hillside. The cone was 300 meters high, and they climbed 250 meters in the sulfur vapor blown by the strong wind.
It was slightly brighter.White belly has appeared on the top of Calabria on the east coast of the Strait of Messina.
But as far as the current situation is concerned, they have no hope of being saved even after dawn.They could only fight back while retreating and climbed to the top of the mountain.They had exhausted all their bullets until Matif pushed the last boulder down with extraordinary force, and just when they thought it was all over, gunshots rang out at the base of the cone.
Immediately there was a commotion among the bandits.After a while, they started fleeing in all directions.
They recognized Casona's gendarmes, with Boscade in the lead.
The brave young man met the gendarme without reaching Cassonne.It turned out that the gendarmes had already heard the gunshots and were on the road.So Boscade took them straight to the Englishman's house.
At this time, the power of the doctor gained the upper hand.Matiff rushed towards the group of bandits closest to him with lightning speed, killed two guys who were too late to escape, and then rushed towards Zirona.
"Well done, Matiff," Boscade called when he arrived. "He fell down! . . . put him on his shoulders! . . . "
Zirona recognized Boscard's voice.With one hand free, he drew his pistol and fired at Boscade.
Boscade fell to the ground in response.
Then a terrible thing happened, Matif strangled Zirona by the neck, and killed him half dead with one blow.Zirona was dragged away before he could resist in the future.
The doctor wanted to capture Zirona alive, and yelled at Matif to let Zirona go, but to no avail.Pierre and Luigi also rushed up, but it was in vain!Matiff had only one thought: Zirona had killed Boscard.He lost control, he couldn't hear anything, he couldn't see anything, he couldn't even look at the person he was pulling.
Finally, he jumped to the mouth of the big hole that was emitting sulfuric steam, and threw Zirona into the fire well.
Burscade's injuries were serious.He leaned on the doctor's lap, and the doctor examined the wound and bandaged it.Matiff came to Boscade's side, tears streaming down his face.
"Don't worry, my Matiff, don't worry! It's nothing!" murmured Boscade.
Matiff hugged him like a child and went down the hill.The others followed Matiff.At this time, the gendarmes were chasing Zirona's remnants.
Six hours later the doctor and his companions returned to Catania and boarded the motorboat Ferjato.
Boscade recuperated in the cabin.With Antekit as the doctor and Matif as the nurse, how could Boscade's injury not heal quickly!Besides, the bullet only hit his shoulder socket, and it was not fatal. It was only a matter of time before the injury recovered.When he fell asleep, Mattif repeated the well-worn story, and Boscade soon fell soundly to sleep.
In fact, the doctor was at a disadvantage from the beginning.He almost fell into the hands of Zirona, and he failed to capture Saccani's accomplice Zirona alive, let alone force him to tell the secret-that was Matiff's fault.But can he be blamed?
Besides, despite the doctor's insistence on staying in Catania for eight more days, they still hadn't heard from Saccani.If he wanted to come to Sicily to meet Zirona, his plan would definitely change when he learned that Zirona had died for plotting against Dr. Antekit.So, on September 8th, the "Ferhato" set out to sea at full power.After continuous high-speed driving, they returned to Antaiket smoothly.
The doctor, Pierre, and Luigi began again to discuss their new plan, and to carry it out with all their might.As long as Carpena can be found, the whereabouts of Sakani and Silas Doronta will be known.
Karpena was spared from finishing with Zirona by staying at the Sanda Gloda Hotel.However, the Spaniard's life was not long.
As expected, one of the Doc's intelligence agents reported.Carpena was captured at Syracuse.And he was charged with the murder he had committed fifteen years earlier in Améate, in the province of Malaga, not because of Zirona's accomplices.He fled to Rovigno in fear of crime.
Three weeks later, Carpena was brought back, sentenced to lifelong hard labor, to one of Spain's main prisons, the fortress of Ceuta on the coast of Morocco.
"Finally a villain was sent to prison, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment! Hard labor for life!" Pierre said bitterly.
"Forever! . . . No! . . . " replied the doctor. "Andrea Ferjato died in prison, but Carpena shouldn't!"
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