Chapter 16 Chapter 1 Hunting Seals

In Gordon's absence, things were going well in the French Cave.What worries Bryant most is his brother Jack's inexplicable behavior.In any case, it was difficult for him to find the answer from Jack.Whenever my elder brother asks, my younger brother always says: "I'm fine." "Jack, you don't want to tell me, do you?" I have a right to know what happened to you, what exactly did you do?" "What did I do?" When he said this, Jack seemed a little bit unbearable. "Maybe you can forgive me, but others won't." "What happened to the others? What are you talking about, Jack?"

Jack started to cry, but, no matter what his brother asked, he just said, "You'll find out later." Hearing such an answer, Bryant's anxiety can be imagined.What the heck did Jack do?He was willing to do whatever it took to find out if possible.As soon as Gordon came back, Bryant told him the unspoken words of repentance he had forced out of his brother, and asked Gordon to intervene in the matter. "What's the use?" Gordon replied. "Let Jack think for himself. I think he just did some trivial things, and he exaggerated. Let him tell you himself!" The next morning the young colonists set to work.First of all, Moko reminded everyone that although many traps have been set up to catch animals, there is not much food left in the storage room.They didn't catch big game.So they set their traps intently, hoping to catch a vicuna, desiree, or other animal without wasting any gunpowder or bullets.Throughout November, which is May in the northern latitudes, everyone is busy with this work.

The wild alpaca, the vicuna and the two young alpacas are tied to the nearest underlay by long ropes, where they can stay until the winter, when the children must find another place for them.Gordon thought that they should build a barn with a high wooden fence at the foot of the Oakland Hills by the lake, not far from the entrance of the cave, and the boys immediately threw themselves into the work. Under Baxter's command, a construction site took shape.The boys found tools from the carpentry box, some held saws, some held axes, and were busy skillfully or clumsily.It was a joy to see this lively scene.Although occasionally they find their work dull, they never complain.Small and large trees were cut down at the base, and the branches were cut off.With these stakes they fenced off a clearing large enough for a dozen animals to live freely in.The stakes were buried deep in the ground and supported by cross-pieces, strong enough to stop any attempt by the animals to escape.The barn was made of sail planks, which spared the young carpenters the trouble of sawing the trees into planks, which was an extremely difficult task under the circumstances.The roof was covered with a thick canvas.As long as thick bedding is spread and replaced frequently, and fresh grass, moss or leaves are prepared as feed, the livestock can grow fat and strong.Garnett and Sauvis had previous experience in looking after cattle. Under their care, the alpaca and vicuna became more docile day by day. For this, the two little friends were rewarded.

Soon, other animals were added to the enclosure.At first, a llama fell into the trap, and later two vicunas, a male and a female, were delivered.They were caught by Baxter with the help of Wilcox.Now, Wilcox has been able to use the meteor hammer quite proficiently.Not long after, another ostrich was added, which was caught by the little fan.However, this ostrich was obviously as difficult to deal with as the one Sovis had tried to tame. Before the pens are built, the llamas and vicunas are taken to the storage room at night.The howling of the jackal, the howling of the fox, and the howling of other beasts were heard all around the Frenchman's den, and it would have been imprudent to let the herd outside.

While Garnett and Sauvis tended the animals, Wilcox and several other mates were busy setting traps and netting.They have to run to observe every day.Evanson and Jenkins also found plenty of work.The number of ostriches, pheasants, guinea fowls, and birds was increasing, so that it was necessary to build poultry cages for them, which were set up in a corner of the pen and entrusted to the care of these two young men.The two devoted great enthusiasm to the discharge of their duties. Moko now has not only vicuña milk but also bird eggs.If Gordon hadn't reminded him to save sugar, I'm afraid he would have started eating sweets.It is only on Saturdays and holidays that such foods appear on the table, and these delicacies are especially satisfying for Thone and Costa.

It is impossible to produce sugar, so can't some kind of substitute be found?Sauvis held the book about Robinson in her hand and insisted that if they looked for it, they would find it.Gordon looked around, and in the trap woods he found trees that would be covered with beautiful purple leaves in three months' time, early autumn. "They're mechanical trees," he said affirmatively, "a sugar-producing tree." "Sugar tree!" Costa exclaimed happily. "No, you glutton," Gordon said, "I'm talking about sugar trees, not sugar trees. Don't stick your tongue out so long."

This is one of the most important finds since their migration to the Frenchman's Cave.Gordon cut a hole in the tree, and the sap immediately seeped out of the hole, and the solidified sap produced a sweet substance.It is not as sweet as cane and beet juice, but it is of equal value when used in cooking, and it is certainly much stronger than the sugary substance produced by the birch trees in spring. Moko is now experimenting with texas and mesquite pods.He mashed the fruit to obtain a juice that sweetened hot drinks.The aroma of tea tree leaves is almost comparable to famous Chinese tea.So, whenever they go to the woods, they make sure to take some home with them.

While Charman Island does not provide its inhabitants with luxuries, it does provide them with all their necessities.However, there was one thing they just couldn't find, and that was fresh vegetables.For a long time, they can only be satisfied with eating some canned vegetables.There were more than a hundred tins of such canned vegetables, despite Gordon's orders to dispose of them sparingly.At the foot of the cliff, there was a field of yams sown by the French victims that had gone barren. Bryant even tried to revive it, but ultimately failed.Thankfully, wild celery grows luxuriantly by the family lake, so they don't have to save anymore.

Meanwhile, Donagan has been thinking about exploring the southern outskirts across the Zeeland River.But the danger is great, because during the flood season, the swamp is covered with lake water and sea water. Wilcox and Webb caught many agouti the size of hares.The white meat, although a bit dry, tasted a bit like rabbit and pork.Even with the help of the mime, they have trouble chasing the animals, but once they are found in the den, just whistle a few times at the hole and the agouti will come out to see what's going on.In addition to agouti, the lads also mentioned a couple of wolverines and a couple of skunks.A skunk looks a bit like a mink, with beautiful black and white fur, but it smells bad.

"How can they stand the stench?" Evanson asked. "It's just a matter of habit," Sovis said. There are Milky Way fish in the river, and the Milky Way fish in the lake are bigger.There are also some strange-looking dart fish in the lake, no matter how they are cooked and eaten, they always have a salty taste.Sea cod live in abundance in the seaweed around the bay.When salmon backwater season comes around, Moko always catches plenty of fish.He salted the fish and they became a winter delicacy.At Gordon's request, Baxter was busy making a bow from the flexible branches of the tree, making an arrow from a reed, and installing an iron nail on the arrow.Wilcox and Cross are second only to Donagan as sharpshooters.With these bows and arrows, they were able to shoot some birds.Gordon has been doing his best to keep everyone from wasting ammo.On one occasion, however, he agreed to make an exception for the use of ammunition.

It was December 7th, and Donagan took him aside and said, "We are surrounded by jackals and foxes. At night, they come out in packs and destroy our netting, eating Lost the prey we caught with traps. We did have to find a way to stop them." "Can't we set some traps for jackals and foxes?" asked Gordon.He immediately understood what his companion meant. "Trap!" Donagan yelled.He still looks down on these vulgar tricks so much. "Trap! A jackal might be foolish enough to get in there, but a fox is different, they're very cunning. Willcox didn't catch one, though he tried everything. Maybe some night we'll The pens will be destroyed, and the birds in the poultry cages will be robbed." "Well, if necessary, I agree to use dozens of bullets, but pay attention, you have to ensure that you hit the target." "Okay, don't worry. Tonight, we will ambush these beasts on the trails and kill them. In this way, they will not come to harass us for a while." Things are urgent.The foxes on this island seem to be more cunning than those in other places.In fact, they are almost as cunning as South American foxes.In South America, plantations are constantly infested by them. Around 11 o'clock that night, Donagan, Bryant, Wilcox, Baxter, Webb, Cross, and Sauvis took up positions in ambush in the trap woods near the lake. They didn't take Mimi with them.I'm afraid it will arouse the vigilance of the fox, which will make things worse. The night was dark. There was dead silence all around, not even a breath of wind.In the distance there was the sound of a fox's footsteps across the dry grass.Shortly after midnight, Donagan informed everyone that a pack of foxes was approaching and they were going through the hide to drink at the lake.Everyone waited impatiently, and the twenty or so foxes cautiously gathered by the lake, as if they suspected an ambush.Suddenly, at a signal from Donagan, they all opened fire.Five or six foxes rolled on the ground, and the others ran around in a panic, most of them seriously injured. At dawn, they found 12 dead foxes in the hideout.This massacre lasted three nights, and the small colony was soon freed from the beasts that endangered the poultry.In addition, fifty or so beautiful silver-gray fox furs were used for rugs or clothes, which added comfort to the French den. On December 15, the boys embarked on a great expedition to the bay.That day, the weather was fine, and Gordon decided to let everyone go.This greatly pleased the younger children, who cheered happily. The main purpose of the expedition was to capture the seals that frequent Wreck Beach.In the long dark nights of winter, they tried almost all lighting methods.There are only two or three dozen candles made by the French victim Baoding, and there is not much oil left in the beer barrels.This situation made Gordon very uneasy. In fact, Moko had additional stockpiles of bird oil and animal fat, but they would run out quickly.Can't it be replaced by a natural or similar substance?In the absence of vegetable oil, can the small colony find a way to get a large amount of animal oil? When the weather is mild, there are always some seals that come out to play around the reef in Sailing Bay.If the boys can manage to kill a few seals, the oil problem will be solved once and for all.But they must act quickly, because the amphibian will soon leave here for the Antarctic Sea's more southern waters. The expedition was therefore of great significance, and the lads were well prepared, expecting the greatest harvest. It took Sovis and Garnett a long time to successfully tame the two wild llamas into load-carrying animals.Baxter wove a rein out of canvas wrapped in grass. Although the wild camels could not be ridden, at least they could be tied to the cart, which was much better than the children pulling the cart by themselves. On the day of the expedition, the cart was loaded with goods, including food and other miscellaneous items.Among them was a large basin and six empty beer kegs.They are used to hold seal oil.Instead of transporting the seals back to the Frenchman's lair and filling the air with a fishy smell, it would be better to disembowel the seals on the spot. When the sun came up, they set off.For the first 2 hours, there were no obstacles on the road.The cart did not go very fast, because the road along the banks of the Zealand River was too uneven for wild camel-drawn carts.But the real difficulty was when the team bypassed the swamp forest and entered the forest.Toney and Costa complained that they were too tired at the time. At Bryant's request, Gordon let them get on the scooter to rest. At eight o'clock Webb and Cross yelled as they trudged along the edge of the swamp.Donagan rushed up first, followed by the others. About 100 yards away, a huge beast was wallowing in the mud.Donagan immediately recognized it as a hippopotamus.It is fat and strong.Fortunately for it, it disappeared into the dense jungle near the swamp before he could shoot.But even if the gun was fired, what was the use? "What's that monster?" Tori asked. "It's a hippopotamus," Gordon told him. "Hippo! What a strange name!" "Horses in the river," Bryant explained. "But it doesn't look like a horse," Costa chimed in. "No," Sauvis said, "I think it's supposed to be called a river pig." This kind of thinking is not unreasonable, and the little guys burst into laughter. At 10 o'clock Gordon and his party arrived at Galleon Bay.They stopped on the bank of the river.They had camped here after the sailing ship wrecked. There are about a hundred seals playing among the reefs and basking in the sun.Some even ran to the beach outside the reef to play. It was obvious that these amphibians were not used to seeing people, maybe they had never seen a human being, because the Frenchman had been dead for 20 years.In the Arctic and Antarctic waters, the oldest seals will stand guard, which is the most basic precautionary measure.And here, they have no defense.But don't startle them yet, otherwise they will run away without a trace in a few minutes. When they first reached the bay, the young colonists looked out over the vast skyline between Cape America and Point Misunderstood. The sea was empty.It is evident that no shipping lanes pass by the island.However, it may happen that a ship passes within sight of the island.Building an observation station on the top of the Oakland Hill or at the wrong sea point would be better than erecting a signal mast to attract attention. However, people have to be sent to watch there day and night every day, and the high residence is so far away. was abandoned.Bryant, who had always dreamed of returning to New Zealand, had no choice but to agree.It is indeed a pity that Frenchman's Cave is not located on the seaside of Oakland Hills. After a hasty lunch, the big boys began to prepare for the seal hunt.The little ones will stay at the camp with Moko looking after them.Little Mi stayed to keep them company, for it was not advisable to let him scurry about among the seals.Two wild llamas are grazing under the trees and the children can entertain themselves while tending them. All the arms of the colony, rifles and pistols, were brought, and ammunition was in good supply.Gordon is no longer stingy this time, because this action is for everyone's benefit. The first thing to do is to cut off the seal's retreat.After everyone negotiated and agreed, Donagan led everyone down the river to the mouth of the river and hid on the river bank.From this position it is easy to weave along the reef to the back of the seals. The plan was carried out with great care.The lads stood thirty to fifty yards apart from each other, forming a semicircle between the beach and the sea.At Donagan's word, they opened fire.All the guns fired at the same time, and each shot hit a seal. The ones that hadn't been shot jumped up, wagging their tails and flippers.After being frightened by the gunshots, they ran towards the reef together, but were shot by pistols behind them.Donagan, a good marksman, did so well that his companions tried to emulate him, hoping to get the best out of their abilities. The carnage lasted only a few minutes, and the seals were driven to the edge of the reef and disappeared in a flash.About two dozen seals were left dead or injured on the beach. The expedition was accomplished, and the hunters returned to camp.All afternoon, everyone was working on a very annoying job.Gordon himself was involved in the work, and since the work had to be done, everyone stuck with it from start to finish.The dead seals in the reef had to be dragged to the beach. Although these seals were not light or heavy, it took a lot of trouble. While this work was in progress, Moko had set the large basin over a fire supported by two large stones, and filled it with water.Each seal was cut into five or six pieces and thrown into a basin.After a few minutes, the water in the basin boiled.The clear oil starts to seep out, rises to the surface, and is scooped into wooden barrels.The place is hard to stay in because of the fishy smell.The children pinched their noses tightly, but they didn't cover their ears, because this unpleasant job brought a lot of jokes to everyone. In the face of this kind of dirty work, Master Donagan, who was always more particular, didn't shrink back.The next morning, everyone continued to work. By the evening of the second day, Moko had boiled hundreds of gallons of oil.At this point, the work of boiling the oil can come to an end, because the lighting oil for the whole winter in the French Cave has been guaranteed. The seals never returned to the bay.I am afraid they will not return until long years have calmed their terror. At dawn the next day, everyone dismantled the tents.As you can imagine, everyone was very satisfied.The cart had been filled with beer kegs, tools and sundries the night before.Because the load was much heavier than when it came, the camel horse could only pull the cart slowly, especially on the uphill road leading to the family lake. As we set off, the air was filled with the deafening cries of hundreds of birds.Some cuckoos and peregrine falcons flying from the island were pecking at the remains of the seals.And eat clean. The small group made one last salute to the flag on Oakland Hills and took one last look at the Pacific Ocean.Then start to move forward along the right bank of the Zeilan River. Nothing happened on the way back.Although the road was very rough, the camels performed very well, and the boys assisted them vigorously, so before 6 o'clock, they returned to the Frenchman's Den. In the next few days, everyone was still busy with their usual work.They conducted an experiment by putting seal oil in a lamp.Although the lights were not too bright, everyone agreed that their purpose had been achieved.So now there is no need to be afraid of spending winter nights in the dark. Christmas was approaching, and Gordon hoped it would be a grand one.The festival will remind them of the country they are far away from, and it can also be said to be an opportunity to express their hearts to friends far away.If friends and relatives far away could hear the children's voices, they would cry together: "Here we are! We are all here! We are all alive, we will meet, and God will bring us back." yes!They still hope that one day they will be reunited with their friends in Oakland. Therefore, Gordon announced that on December 25th and 26th, the Frenchmen will have a two-day holiday.For two days, all work was temporarily suspended.The children will celebrate their first Christmas on the Isle of Charman.Celebrate in the same way as your own country. This decision was enthusiastically supported by everyone. A grand banquet will be held on the 25th.Moko promises to make hearty meals.He and Sovis were discussing mysteriously.Tori and Costa try to eavesdrop on their secret, but fail to hear it. The big festival is coming.From an artistic point of view, Baxter and Wilcox placed the flags on the sailboats beside the hole, adding a festive atmosphere to the French Cave. In the morning, the sound of cannon blasts echoed through the Oakland Valley.A cannon was placed at the door, and Donagan fired it in celebration of the holiday. The little ones walked up to the big guys one after another, hoping to get the holiday greetings.They even addressed the Governor of Charman Island.The congratulations were recited by Costa, and the effect was not bad. The weather was surprisingly nice and the children were dressed up in their festive costumes.In the afternoon everyone took part in a sporting event on the playing field.There used to be sporting goods on board the sailboat—cricket balls, cricket bats, footballs, pétanque balls, and five other kinds of balls.The little ones had a great time.They didn't fight, they didn't argue.Bryant did his best to amuse them.Donagan and his usual mates, Webb, Cross, and Wilcox, had a separate party.This is what they had longed for.Supper was ready, and the salute was fired again.Everyone happily sat down. A beautiful white cloth was spread over the large table.On it was a Christmas tree planted in a pot.The trees are decorated with green leaves and flowers everywhere.Moko prepares a wide variety of dishes that greatly exceeds the usual variety.Hearing everyone's compliments on him and his assistant Sovis, Moko felt a little elated in his self-esteem.A stewed agouti, a wax (common) bird, a roasted hare stuffed with herbs, an ostrich with its wings outstretched and its beak pointing upwards, three tins of vegetables and a plate of traditional Corinthian grapes and grazing Bean pods matched the cloth too.There is also tea and coffee with snacks.In fact, every Christmas food you can find on Charman Island is here. Bryant sincerely suggested a toast to Gordon's health, and Gordon suggested a toast to the small colonists and their distant friends.Costa stood up and thanked Bryant for taking care of them on behalf of the little ones, and the crowd burst into cheers again.