Chapter 29 Chapter Six Ten Days in a Storm

During the four days from August 17th to 20th, the weather was sunny and the temperature was quite high.The fog on the horizon showed no sign of gathering into dark clouds.In such high latitudes, it is rare for the sky to be so pure all the time.It is conceivable that Lieutenant Hobson would not be satisfied with such climatic conditions. However, on August 21, the barometer indicated that the weather was about to change.The mercury column dropped a few millimeters at once, but it rose again on the second day, and then fell again, but it continued to fall after the 23rd. On August 24, water vapor was gradually condensing and rising into the sky.The midday sun was completely covered, making it impossible for Lieutenant Hobson to get his bearings.On the second day, the northwest wind blew, and the wind was loud, and when the wind stopped, it began to rain cats and dogs.However, the temperature did not change significantly, and the pointer of the thermometer was still pointing at 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius).

Fortunately, by this time the originally planned project had been completed.Mike Knapp has built the skeleton of the boat and fitted the hull and frame.Don't even have to go hunting anymore.Because enough food has been stockpiled.However, the weather suddenly became very bad, the wind was extremely strong, the rain was also extremely heavy, and there was often thick fog, so everyone had to stay in the bunker and not go out. "What do you think of the change in weather, Mr. Hobson?" asked Mrs. Polina Barnett on the morning of 27 August, as she saw the storm still intensifying. "Wouldn't it be good for us?"

"I'm not sure, ma'am," replied Lieutenant Hobson. "However, I must let you know that any weather is better than a sunny day. Because the sun will continue to heat the sea. Besides, I see that the wind is blowing from the northwest all the time, and the wind is very strong. Not unaffected. I wouldn't be surprised if the island got blown closer to the American continent." "Unfortunately," Sergeant Long said, "we can't measure the bearing every day. In foggy days, we can't see the sun, the moon, or even the stars! How can we measure the altitude of the sun!"

"Well, Sergeant Long," replied Mrs. Barnett, "if land appears before my eyes, we shall recognize it, I assure you. It is always good to see land, no matter what. It must be Russian Part of America, probably West Georgia." "Of course it may be conjectured," said Jasper Hobson, "but, unfortunately, there is not a single island in this part of the Arctic Ocean, not even a rock upon which we can anchor!" "Then," said Mrs. Barnett, "why doesn't our 'ship' take us all the way to the shores of Asia? Couldn't we, guided by the currents, cross the Bering Strait and reach the Chukotka region? ?"

"No, you can't, ma'am!" replied Lieutenant Hobson. "Our big ice block may soon encounter the Kamchatka Current, which will be carried northeast quickly, which will be very bad. No, more It is probable that, driven by the northwest wind, we will come towards the coast of Russian America!" "Observe, Mr. Hobson," said the traveller, "and learn as much as we can of our course." "We will, ma'am," replied Jasper Hobson, "although the fog obscured our view, and if we hit the shore the impact would be so hard that we would certainly feel it. But I hope the island won't be smashed to pieces then! That would be dangerous! But if it does, we'll know. Well, it hasn't happened until now."

Needless to say their conversation did not take place in the public hall, where most of the soldiers and women were during working hours.Mrs Barnet was talking in her room.The window of her room looked out onto the front half of the courtyard.Only a few rays of light filtered in through the opalescent window panes.It can be heard that the strong wind outside keeps blowing like an avalanche.Fortunately, Bathurst Cape shielded the house from the violent northwest wind.However, the wind lifted the sand over the cape and pelted it like hailstones onto the roofs.Mike Knapp was very worried about his chimney, especially the kitchen chimney which was always smoking.The wind-raised waves lapped the shore with a terrible roar.The wind turned into a storm.

In spite of the storm, Hobson resolved on the 28th of August to ascend Bathurst Promontory to observe the sea and sky.He wrapped his clothes tightly so that the wind would not blow through them, and went out. After crossing the courtyard, Lieutenant Hobson reached the bottom of the cape without much difficulty.The flying sand and stag made him unable to open his eyes, but because he was blocked by the cliff, the strong wind could not directly blow him. It was difficult for Hobson to get to the top, and the side of the hill was almost straight and steep.He climbed to the top of the cape by grabbing the weeds.Here, the wind was so strong that he could neither stand nor sit.He had to lie on the ground, holding the bush with both hands, and only raised his head to face the strong wind.

Jasper Hobson stared ahead through the waves crashing overhead.The sea and the sky revealed a terrifying countenance.Half a mile away, sea and sky were a blur in the mist.Above his head, Hobson saw dark clouds whizzing by low in the sky, while a long line of vapor overhead remained motionless.Sometimes, there are sudden moments of silence, broken only by the crashing and hissing of the surf.Then came a more violent storm, and Lieutenant Hobson felt the ground tremble under his feet.All of a sudden, the wind and rain were mixed, and the heavy rain was pouring in parallel, like a hail of bullets.

This is the storm, and it comes from the darkest place in the sky.This northeast wind will last for a long time, and it will always disturb the atmosphere.Jasper Hobson, however, had no complaints about it.Under any other circumstances he would have been sorry for the devastation of such a storm, but now he was happy!As long as the island holds up--hope it does--the island will be blown to the southwest by a gale stronger than the current, which is the land, and it will be saved!Yes, whatever the storm may be, it shall blow on till he and his companions and all are driven to the shore.This high wind can spell disaster for ships, but it is a lifesaver for the drifting island.

For a quarter of an hour, Jasper Hobson bent over like a drowning man, bent over under the whip of the storm, drenched in rain and sea water, waiting for the last breath. Same chance of being saved.Then he slid down the cliff side of the promontory, through a whirlwind of sand, back to the house. The first thing Hobson wanted to tell his companions was that the storm didn't seem to be reaching its apogee.It will go on for days.But the lieutenant's tone of voice when he announced the matter was strange, as if he was announcing good news, everyone couldn't help looking at him with surprise.Their leader seemed delighted with the storm.

During the day of the 30th Hobson went out again to fight the storm, not to the top of the cliffs at Bathurst Promontory, but to the coast.On the steep bank, on the crest of the rolling swell, he saw some long grass stalks that did not exist on the island. The grass is still fresh!It was the long neck of some seaweed, no doubt about it.Freshly cut from the American continent!The mainland is not far away!The northeast wind has pushed the island out of the current!what!Christopher Columbus must have been delighted when he encountered these grass stalks that heralded the approaching edge of the land! Jasper Hobson was back in the castle.He told Mrs Barnet and Sergeant Long about his discovery.At this moment, when men believe they will be saved, they want to tell everyone about it.But on second thought, it was better for him to keep silent. However, during this period of prohibition on going out, the people in the bunker did not do nothing.They use their time to do indoor chores.Sometimes, they dug trenches in the yard to drain standing water between the house and the warehouse.With a nail in one hand and a hammer in the other, Mark Knapp was always doing some reinforcement work in the corners.During the day, everyone works and doesn't care much about the storm.But at night, the storm seemed to grow a hundred times more violent!People simply cannot sleep.The storm beat the house like a stick, and sometimes formed a cyclone between the cliff and the castle, spinning non-stop, like a tornado, surrounding the house.The door panels were creaking, and the beams seemed to be breaking, making people worry that the house would fall apart.People are all in fear that the house will collapse at some point. And Hobson wasn't worried about the soundness of the house, he was worried about the ground beneath it.The storm was so violent and the sea so rough that one had to wonder whether the ice sheet would disintegrate.It seems that the huge ice sheet, which is constantly melting and thinning at the base, will not last much under the impact of the sea waves.The ice sheet is so large that people on it cannot feel the impact of it, but it is not less affected by it.So the question is: can the island last until the day it washes up on the shore?Will it be washed to pieces before it hits solid land? As for saying that Kojima has persisted until now, there is no doubt about it.And that was what Jasper Hobson decisively explained to Lady Paulina Barnett.In fact, if the ice sheet has disintegrated, the ice sheet has become smaller blocks of ice, if the island has been divided into many small islands, then the people at Fort Hope will find out immediately, because the island carrying them will Immediately under the influence of the waves of the sea, it immediately rocks back and forth, side to side, just like the passengers on board under the action of waves feel.However, this did not happen.In his daily observations, Lieutenant Hobson had never felt any vibrations or some kind of shaking on the island. It was as firm as it was when it was connected to the American continent before, and it was still motionless. But the rupture that has not yet occurred is happening every moment! Jasper Hobson's chief concern was whether Victoria Island, pushed out of the current by the northeasterly wind, was drawing closer to the shore, on which all their hopes depended.However, there is no sun, no moon, no stars, and the instrument does not work, so the position of the island cannot be determined.Even if it was close to land, it was only known when it could be seen, and Lieutenant Hobson could only see it during the day, or if there was an impact in the south direction, he would not know it had hit land.In fact, there was no noticeable change in the direction Victoria Island was moving.Bathurst Point still points north as it once did when it was the tip of the American continent.It is therefore evident that, if the island were to land, it would also be nearer to land in the south, and would land between Cape Michel and the point by Moss Bay.In short, it is still docked at the isthmus of the past.It is important to grasp the situation here. However fierce the storm, Lieutenant Hobson was going to Cape Mitchell.Determined to find out what was going on there, he kept his true motives for this expedition secret from his companions.As the storm raged, only Sergeant Long accompanied him. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon, the 31st of August, and Lieutenant Hobson had the sergeant called to his room as a precaution against any eventuality. "Sergeant Long," he said to the sergeant, "we must go now to take the bearing of Victoria Island, at least to know whether the wind is carrying the island toward the American continent as I hope." "I think it's necessary," replied the sergeant. "The sooner this is done the better." "Then," continued Hobson, "we must get to the south of the island." "No problem, Lieutenant." "I know, Sergeant Long, that you're always ready to go on any mission. But you're not going alone. It's best if we both go together. Once land is sighted, we can let everyone know as soon as possible. I'll have to see it myself ……Let's go together." "Listen, Lieutenant, if you think it necessary, we will go now." "We're leaving at 9 o'clock tonight, when everyone is asleep..." "Actually, most people want to go with us," Sergeant Long replied, "but they can't let them know our motives for going out." "Yes, they should not know," said Jasper Hobson, "and I would, if possible, keep it a secret from them, lest they worry about the dreadful situation." "It's a deal, Lieutenant." "Bring scythes and velvet. If necessary, we can signal that we see land in the south." "right." "Our expedition was difficult, Sergeant." "It's difficult, but nothing—what about our lady traveler, Lieutenant?" "I don't want to tell her," replied Hobson, "because if she knew, she'd come with us." "That won't work!" said the sergeant. "Women can't stand the storm! Look at the storm!" Indeed, the house was trembling in the hurricane, raising fears that it might be pulled from its foundations. "No!" said Hobson, "this brave woman cannot and will go with us. But it is prudent to tell her our plans. She should know, for in case we should what a misfortune..." "Yes! Lieutenant, yes!" Sergeant Long replied. "Don't hide anything from her—because in case we don't come back..." "That's it. See you at nine, Sarge." "See you at 9 o'clock!" Sergeant Long gave a military salute and exited the room. Shortly thereafter, Jasper Hobson informed Mrs Pauline Barnet of her plans to go out and investigate.As he had predicted, the brave lady defied the storm and insisted on following them.The lieutenant did not use the danger of going out to dissuade her from going, but told her that she needed to stay in the castle, and that as long as she was there, it would be a little safer there.If something happened, only this courageous woman could take care of it for him and reassure him. Mrs Pauline Barnet understood, and did not insist on going any further.However, she asked Hobson not to take too many risks, and reminded him that he was the leader of the business station, his life no longer belonged to him, and he was related to everyone's safety.The lieutenant promised to be cautious and act according to the situation, but there was no delay in observing the southern part of the island, and he had to go.The next day Mrs Polina Barnett would just say to everyone that the Lieutenant and Sergeant were out on their last rounds before winter.