Chapter 22 Chapter Twenty Two

Before Godfrey had time to answer, at this moment, the sound of rifle gunfire rang out not far from Will Tree. Meanwhile, just as the flames, which had reached the tops of the trees, were soon to spread to those that supported the trees of Will, a storm, a veritable downpour, poured it down just in time. The torrential downpour. How Godfrey thought of this inexplicable sequence of events: Karefinotou calling him by his first name, announcing that Uncle Will was arriving soon, speaking English like an Englishman from London, and then, just now, suddenly Those firearm explosions that sounded?

He asked himself if he was crazy, but he only had time to ask himself these intractable questions. Just then—about five minutes after the first musket shots—appeared a party of sailors slipped into the shade. Godfrey and Carefinodu immediately let themselves slide down the still-burning tree trunk on the inner wall. However, the moment Godfrey touched the ground, he heard two voices greeting him, which, even in his panic, he could not have failed to recognize. "Nephew Godfrey, I have the honor to greet you!" "Godfrey! My dear Godfrey!" "Uncle Will! . . . Fina! . . . It's you! . . . "

Godfrey cried out in surprise. Three seconds later, he was held by one arm, and he took the other's arm. Meanwhile the two sailors, by order of Captain Decourt, who commanded the little force, climbed the sequoia to rescue Tutley, and "picked" him with all the respect due to him. At that time, questions, answers, and explanations changed one after the other. "Uncle Will, is that you?" "Yes! It's us!" "How did you find Fina Island?" "Fina Island!" replied William W. Codrup. "You mean Spencer Island! Hi! It's not easy, I bought it six months ago!"

"Spencer Island! . . . " "You named this island after me, my dear Godfrey?" said the young girl. "I think the new name is all right, and we'll keep it," replied the uncle, "but up to now, and to those geographers, it's still Spencer's Island, three days from San Francisco. Journey, I think it would be good to send you to this island to start learning to be Robinson Crusoe!" "Ah! my uncle! Uncle Will! What are you talking about?" cried Godfrey. "Ah! If what you say is true, I cannot answer you that I am not worthy of him at all! But , Uncle Will, that wreck of the 'Dream'? . . . "

"False!" retorted William W. Codrup, who had never been in such good spirits, "the 'Dream' was filling its ballast tanks with water, as I had instructed De Coulter. It sank smoothly and smoothly. You are right that it sank; but when the captain saw Tatley and you, and you got to the shore safely, he reversed the car! After 3 days, they returned to San Francisco. Today, He is the one who brought us here on the appointed day!" "So when the ship wrecked, not a single member of the crew died?" Godfrey asked. "No... if it's not about that poor Chinese man who hid on the boat and couldn't find him again!"

"But what about the canoe?" "Fake, that canoe was made by me!" "But what about the savages? . . . " "Fake, those savages, it's a good thing your rifle bullets missed them!" "But Carrefinodo? . . . " "Fake, Carrefinotou, or rather, this is my faithful Jepp Blass, who, in my opinion, played the role of 'Friday' brilliantly!" "Yes," replied Godfrey, "and he saved my life twice, once by a bear and a tiger..." "False, the bear! False, the tiger!" cried William W. Coedrup, laughing heartily. "Those two shells are stuffed with straw, and when you don't see them, By Jerry Blass and his mates!"

"But their heads and paws move!  …" "It was with a clockwork that Jepper Blass went to reassemble in the night, ready for you hours before you met them!" "What! All this? . . . " repeated Godfrey, a little ashamed of himself for being fooled. "Yes, these things are going on so well on your island, nephew, that it must have disturbed you!" "Then," replied Godfrey, determined to make a joke, "if you wish to test us in this way, Uncle Will, why did you send a box containing all the things we desperately need?" "A box?" replied William W. Codrup. "What box? We didn't send you a box! Was it, by accident? . . . "

As the uncle spoke, he turned towards Fina, who turned her head and lowered her eyes. "Ah! Really! . . . a box, but Fina must have an accomplice . . . " Uncle Will turned to Captain Decourt, who laughed. "What can I do, Mr. Codrup," he replied, "I'm perfectly capable of resisting you now and then...but with Miss Fina...it's so hard!...So, four months ago, after your When I was sent to watch the island, I put the boat with the said box into the sea..." "Dear Fina, my dear Fina!" said Godfrey, holding out his hand to the girl. "Decourt, but you promised me to keep it a secret!" The girl replied with a blushing face.

Uncle William W. Coedrup shook his huge head in a vain attempt to conceal his profound emotion. But although Godfrey couldn't help smiling a little after hearing Uncle Will's explanation, Professor Tutley, he couldn't laugh!He was greatly insulted by what he had heard, he!Such a fool, he, Professor of Dance and Appearance!So, stepping forward with pride: "Mr. William Coedrup," said he, "don't hold back, I suppose. Is that gigantic crocodile whose unfortunate victim I nearly fell victim to, too, made of cardboard and clockwork?" "A crocodile?" replied the uncle.

"Yes, Mr. Codrup," replied Karefinotou at this point, for whom it would be best to revert to his real name, Jap Blass, "yes, a real crocodile, chasing Mr. Tutley, however, I wasn't in my batch at all!" Godfrey then told what happened for a period of time. Many beasts suddenly appeared, real lions, real tigers, real leopards, and then real snakes invaded. I have never seen the general appearance of these beasts! This time it was William W. Codrup who was confused. He knew nothing about it.Spencer Isle - long known - had never been visited by any beast of prey, and by the terms of the contract of sale itself, should not harbor a single vermin.

Still less did he understand what Godfrey had told him about all the attempts he had made against the puff of smoke that appeared several times in different places on the island.He was therefore bewildered by the unexpected, and could not help thinking that all this had not happened according to his instructions, according to a plan which only he had the power to make. As for Tatley, this was not a man to deceive him, and he would accept nothing but him, no fake shipwreck, no fake savage, no fake animal, and, above all, no Give him the glory of winning Yun, and with the first bullet of his musket down a Polynesian tribal chieftain—a servant of the Coedrup mansion, besides, who is as healthy as he is! Everything was said and everything was explained, except the serious question of the real beast and the unknown smoke, which almost made Uncle Will brood.But, being a practical man, he put off answering these questions with all his will, and turned to his nephew: "Godfrey," said he, "you have always loved the island so much that I am sure it will please you and fulfill your wish to announce to you that this island is yours and yours alone! I Give it to you as a gift! You can have as much fun and play with your island as you like! I don't want to force you to leave it, never want you to neglect it! Be a Robinson Crusoe all your life, if you My heart says this to you..." "I!" replied Godfrey, "I! All my life!" At this moment Fina stepped forward: "Godfrey," she asked, "do you really want to stay on your island?" "Better die!" he cried, rising with excitement and sincerity beyond doubt. But immediately changed my mind: "Well, yes," he went on, taking the girl's hand, "yes, I would like to stay here, but on three conditions: first, you stay here with me, dear Fina; Second, Uncle Will promises to stay with us, and third, the priest on the Dream is coming to marry us today!" "There are no priests on the Dream, Godfrey!" replied Uncle Will, "you know that, but I think there are in San Francisco, where we can find more than one honest priest who will provide us with such A little service! So I think the answer to your thoughts is, to you, we'll set sail again tomorrow!" At this time, Fina and Uncle Will hoped that Godfrey would treat them as masters on his island, so he took them for a walk under the giant sequoias, along the small river, until they came to the small bridge. well!There's nothing left of that dwelling in Will Tree!Fire engulfed this home that was laid out under this tree!Were it not for the arrival of Will W. Codrup, their few supplies would be destroyed as winter approached, and wild beasts would indeed run wild on the island, how pitiful our Robinsons would be! "Uncle Will," said Godfrey now, "if I have named this island Fina, let me add that the tree we once dwelt in will be called the Will Tree!" "Well," replied the uncle, "we'll take its seeds and plant them in my Frisco garden!" During their walks they had seen a few beasts at a distance, but they dared not attack the large and heavily armed party of the Phantasm's crew.Still, their existence remains an absolutely incomprehensible fact. Then, back on board, it was not without Tatley's request that "his crocodile" be taken away as proof of documentation—and the request was granted. In the evening the whole party gathered in the Mirage's steward's messroom to celebrate the end of Godfrey Morgan's ordeal and his engagement to Fina Holary with a jubilant dinner. The next day, January 20, the "Dream" set sail under the command of Captain Decourt.At 8 o'clock in the morning, Godfrey looked at the island with some excitement, disappearing on the western horizon like a shadow. no. With the help of the sea, the favorable wind allowed the "Dream" to raise its vertical sail and cross quickly.what!This time it went straight to its destination!It doesn't want to fool anyone anymore!It is not like the countless detours of the first trip!It does not rewind the course of the day by night! Therefore, at noon on January 23, the ship entered the Golden Gate, sailed the broad bay of San Francisco, and docked smoothly and steadily at the pier in Merchant Street. At this time, what did they see? They saw a man coming out from the depths of the bilge. When the "Dream" broke down at Fina Island at night, he swam to the ship and successfully hid on the ship for the second time! Who is this man? He is not Chinese yet, and he has just returned from a trip, as he once traveled to. No walk to William W. Kodrup yet. "I hope Mr. Codrup will forgive me," he said very politely, "when I sailed on board the 'Dream' I thought it was going directly to Shanghai, where I wanted to return to my country; however, since it Back in San Francisco, I'm on board!" Everyone was startled by his presence, not knowing how to respond to the trespasser who was smiling at them. "But," said William W. Codrup at last, "I suppose you've been in the depths of the hold for six months?" "No," said no reply. "Then where are you hiding?" "on the island!" "You?" Godfrey called. "it's me!" "The smoke?..." "Had to light a fire!" "You didn't manage to get close to us, to live with us?" "A Chinese person likes to live alone," Shang Wu replied calmly, "he can be self-sufficient and doesn't need anyone!" Having said this, the eccentric saluted William W. Coedrup, stepped off the boat, and disappeared. "See what woods the real Robinsons are made of!" cried Uncle Will. "Look at that man, and see if you are like him! Anyway, it's a shame that the Anglo-Saxon race wants to absorb such a man." difficult!" "Well!" said Godfrey at this moment, "there is nothing to explain the smoke, but what about the beasts? . . . " "And my crocodile!" added Tatley. "I'm listening to my crocodile!" Uncle William W. Codrup was very embarrassed in his turn, and fooled in that respect, as he put his hand to his forehead, as if to remove a cloud of suspicion from it. "We'll find out about these things in time," he said, "and it'll all come out to the thinking mind!" A few days later, William W. Coedrup's nephew and adopted daughter were married with great pomp.Whether the two young fiancés were loved and congratulated by all their business tycoon friends, we leave to your imagination. In this ceremony, Tatley was impeccable in appearance, grace, and "property," and the students equally honored the renowned professor of dance and appearance. However, Tatley had an idea.Having failed to highlight his crocodile,--which he regretted--he decided to simply stuff its shell with straw.The animal, arranged in such a way, with its upper jaw half open and its paws outstretched, suspended from the ceiling, would be the most beautiful decoration of his bedroom. The crocodile was therefore sent to a well-known taxidermist, who returned it to the mansion a few days later. At this time, everyone came to appreciate the "behemoth" that Tattlee almost became its food! "Do you know, Mr. Codrup, where this animal came from?" said the famous taxidermist, handing over his bill. "I don't know," replied Uncle Will. "However, there is a sticker stuck to the underside of its carapace." "A label!" exclaimed Godfrey. "There," replied the famous taxidermist. So he pointed out a belt with these words written in indelible ink: William W. Codrup read these lines with a terrible fit of maniacal laughter. He understood everything. This is J． -R． After Tuskeena, his rival, his outcast competitor, bought a shipload of beasts, reptiles, and other vermin from the reputed suppliers of the zoos of the Old and New World, through Several shipments to land them on Spencer Island in the dark.No doubt it cost him a fortune, but he succeeded in harassing his rival's industry, as the British did to Martinique before returning it to France, if one has to believe The words of that legend! Henceforth, among those memorable incidents at Fina Island, there was not one incident that remained unexplained. "Well done!" cried William W. Codrup, "I'm not as good as that old bastard in Tuskeena!" "But with those dreadful guests," said Fina, "now, Spencer Island . . . " "Fina Island..." Godfrey replied. "Fina Island," the girl continued with a smile, "it's absolutely uninhabitable!" "Well!" replied Uncle Will, "you'll have to live there until the last lion eats the last tiger!" "Then, dear Fina," asked Godfrey, "you won't be afraid to spend a season with me there?" "With you, my dear husband, I shall be afraid of nothing, wherever I go!" replied Fina. "Anyway, since you haven't made your round-the-world journey..." "Let's go together!" cried Godfrey, "if bad luck keeps me from ever being a real Robinson Crusoe..." "You will at least have the most loyal female Robinson by your side!"