Chapter 25 Chapter nine

"We are in trouble after all!" said the former captain of the "Lovely Amelie" on the second day. The night before, the ship sank into the sea at a depth of 3 to 40 meters. The "Portalegre" was originally heading towards the small island in Mayumba Bay, but now this island has become the shelter of the victims.No lives were lost in this dreadful disaster, and all passengers and sailors were present when the count was made.Antifel supported Zambugo, Savuk supported Bo Omar, everyone, you help me, I help you, after a few swims, they reached the rocks on the island.It's just that the elephants all fell into the abyss, and they were drowned alive.However, this is their own fault, the ship is not a swing after all.

When they came to the island, Maester Antiphere shouted as soon as he opened his mouth: "Where's our instrument... where's the map?" Unfortunately, the clock, the sextant, the atlas, and the meteorological book were all lost in an instant—an irreparable loss.Fortunately, the banker, the notary, and the captain of the barge all tied their purses to their belts.In this way, the victims will not be troubled by money problems. It must be pointed out in particular that Tregoman floated on the water without any difficulty, because the buoyancy of the water displaced by his body was greater than his weight, and he drifted with the current, like a whale, and swam safely to a piece of yellow sand.

The clothes dry quickly, and they are completely dry in half an hour in the sun. It was a very special night. Everyone lay under the tree, thinking about their own problems.I have probably reached the waters where the No. 2 island is located. The letter clearly stated that there is nothing to doubt.Latitude 3° 17' South is given in that letter from the small island in the Gulf of Oman.Longitude 7° 23' East is kept in the banker's safe.However, how to determine the point where the two intersect at this moment?Geulele lost his sextant and clock, making observations impossible. Everyone has their own personality, and their ideas are naturally different.

Brother Zambu: "All previous efforts are wasted!" Maester Antiphere: "I will never leave here until I search all the islands in Mayumba Bay, even if it takes 10 years!" Savuk: "With the wreck of the ship, this has come to naught! The well-prepared plan of action is over." Barroso: "Oh! So my elephant is too unreliable!" Bob Omar: "Even if I got that reward, I paid too much! May Allah bless you." Jewell: "Hey, now there's nothing stopping me from returning to Europe, to Enokat!" Gilda Tregoman: "Never ride on a ship with an elephant making a fool of yourself and making a fuss!"

No one could sleep well that night.Although the victims did not suffer from the cold, but when it was time for lunch on the second day, what did they use to fill their stomachs growling with hunger?Unless the surrounding trees turn into fruit-laden coconut trees, if there is no other way, you can barely satisfy your hunger. Maybe you will persist until the time to return to Mayumba? ...but how to get back to this town deep in the bay?There are still 5 to 6 nautical miles!signal? ……Can you see it? ... 6 nautical miles ... swim it? ... Can any of the sailors on the Portalegre swim through? ...Okay, let's think about it at dawn.

There are no people on the island.As for those difficult and dangerous animals, they must be indispensable.Gilda thought that all the apes had come to meet here!Isn't that coming to the Huaguoshan Kingdom of Monkey King? Although the weather was calm and the waves were beating gently on the beach, the mood of the victims on the small island could not calm down for a moment.The silence was constantly disturbed, and it was impossible to sleep. There were strange roars from all around the woods, which sounded like the drums of the Congolese army.Sentinels ran up and down under the jungle branches, making hoarse, low-pitched voices.It was dark everywhere, and I couldn't see my fingers.

People didn't wake up until dawn.It turned out that the island was inhabited by four-legged animals, and they formed a tribe.Here are the gigantic chimpanzees, whose prowess and ferocity have been spoken of by the French hunting in Guinea. God!Although unable to sleep, Gilda admired the beautiful taxidermy.Exactly what these Senegalese apes can do.They are tall, strong and powerful, with less protruding jaws and slightly protruding eyebrows, and their shape is basically normal.When they puffed up their chests and rubbed them hard, they made a drumming sound. Seriously, how could this group of apes—more than 50 of them—choose the island as their home?Who will answer all these for me?At least, as Jeulele soon discovered, the island, two nautical miles long and one nautical mile wide, was covered with trees of every kind common to this tropical region.There is no doubt that the fruit that bears on these trees is edible, which makes the life of these four-legged animals secure.Monkeys can live on wild fruits, tree roots, and wild vegetables, so people can also eat them.This is what Juelle, the barge master and the sailors of the Portalegre wanted to know first.After being killed, I didn't eat anything all night. Of course, I was so hungry that I had to find something to satisfy my hunger.

Wild fruits and roots do grow in this uncultivated land.It is unbearable to swallow these foods raw, unless you have a stomach like a monkey.If you can find fire, why not cook it and eat it?Isn't it easy and doable with French-made matches at hand?As luck would have it, Najim happened to have some food ready in Luango, in small steel boxes that hadn't soaked a bit of water.So, just after dawn, a bonfire was lit under the tree in the campsite. The victims gathered around the campfire.At last Antifil and Zambugo calmed down.They refused to share this primitive lunch with others.The aliens who invaded the island and devoured their food reserves were obviously not welcome.Some of these animals jumped around, some remained motionless, making various grimaces, and soon formed a circle around them.

"Be careful!" Jewell reminded his uncle. "These monkeys are all strong young men. There are 10 times more monkeys than us, and we are unarmed..." People in Saint Malo are really afraid of monkeys. "My boy, you are right!" said the captain of the barge. "I think these gentlemen don't know what hospitality is, and they are threatening people..." "Are we in danger?" Boo Omar asked. "It's very simple, it's more dangerous to run away." Jewele replied seriously. Hearing this answer, the notary really wanted to run away...but it was impossible.

Barroso ordered everyone to prepare for a counterattack.Then, Savuk and he talked together while they hid, and Jewel kept watching them. The subject of their conversation, one would naturally guess.Savuk could not hide his anger at the thought that this unexpected shipwreck had ruined his premeditated plan.A new plan had to be hatched.Now that we are in the waters where islet 2 is located, there is no doubt that Camilque's treasure is buried on one of the islands in Mayumba Bay - either this or that.Well, Savuk originally wanted to kill the Frenchman and his companions, and it would be up to Barroso and his men to realize it later... But it is not favorable to start at the moment... Although the young captain has lost his instrument, but Based on what has been obtained, they can observe side by side.This is exactly what Savuk cannot do.

This is the plan planned by the two villains who cooperated with each other tacitly.What Barroso had just suffered—ships, cargo, elephants—his accomplices would have made up for. The main thing is to get to Mayomba as quickly as possible.There happened to be a fishing boat just off the coast, and the nearest one was only 3 nautical miles away from the island.The wind was very weak, and the boat could not reach the campsite within 3 to 4 hours, but it could send a signal from the island... Before dark, the victims of the "Portalegre" were able to settle down in a commercial office in the city. There will be a warm welcome and sincere hospitality. "Jeule...Where's Jewel?" The conversation between Savuk and the Portuguese was suddenly interrupted by this cry. It was Maester Antifel calling him, and then a second call was heard: "Gilda... Where is Gilda?" The young captain and the captain of the barge were observing the fishing boats on the beach, and when they heard the call, they immediately walked towards Antipher. The bankers are with the Saint-Malo folks.Savuk motioned for Bo Omar to come over. Barroso walked towards the sailors, while Najim approached Antipher's group gradually, hoping to hear what they had to say.Since he pretended not to understand French, no one doubted his presence. "Juel," said Maester Antiphere, "listen, now is the time to make up your mind." He stammered, his anger reaching its peak. "The letter said that the No. 2 island is located in Mayumba Bay... Now, we have arrived at this place... Are you mistaken?" "That's right, uncle." "But the sextant and the clock are gone. . . . I did a foolish thing, and left it in the care of the clumsy Tregman.  …" "My friend..." said the barge captain. "I'd rather drown than throw them away!" said Pierre Servan Marlowe stiffly. "Me too!" added the banker. "Really?... Mr. Zambugo?" Tregoman retorted with an angry expression. "Anyway... it's lost," continued Maester Antiphere. "Alas... you can't take the position of the second island without an instrument, Joelle..." "Uncle, it's impossible to determine. In my opinion, the most sensible decision is to go to Mayomba by boat, walk back to Luango, and finally board the first cruise ship that comes..." "It... can't be done!" Maester Antiphere replied. "It can't be done," the banker echoed, repeating. Bob Omar looked at this and that, shaking his head dumbly.Savuk was yelling, but pretended not to understand. "Okay...Juel...we're going to Mayomba...but we're going to live there instead of Luango...stay as long as you want—listen —to stay here in order to examine all the small islands in the bay..." "What, uncle?" "The number is not much, 5 to 6... Even if there are hundreds or thousands, I will scout every single one!" "Uncle... this is irrational!" "Very sensible, Jewell! There is always a buried treasure among them... The letter even pointed out the place where Camille was buried..." "Go to hell!..." Tregoman muttered in a low voice. "As long as we have determination and patience, we will eventually find the place where the double K is engraved..." "Can't find it?" Jewell asked. "Don't say such things, Jewell!" exclaimed Maester Antiphere. "For God's sake, don't say that!" His angry look is beyond description, wishing to crush the pebbles rolling in his mouth with his teeth.He has never been like this, he is almost congested. Uncle was so stubborn, Jeweler felt that there was no need to stand up to him.In his opinion, the reconnaissance would not yield any results, and 15 days would be enough.When Maester Antiphere was convinced that there was no hope, whether his uncle wanted to or not, he decided to return to Europe.Therefore, he replied: "Let's get ready, as soon as this fishing boat docks, we'll go up..." "You can't leave without inspecting this small island. Besides, why can't it be this small island?" This is logical, who knows that the treasure hunters did not reach their destination?In the absence of sextants and clocks, what if chance encounters enable things that they themselves cannot?Isn't it a godsend?I hope so!After all the misadventures and hardships of the journey, wouldn't the God of Wealth show mercy to the most diligent devotee? Jewell dared not express any objection.In short, it is best not to delay the time.It is necessary to conduct some reconnaissance on the island before the small fishing boat docks.I am afraid that as soon as the boat arrives, the sailors are eager to get on board, and they are all eager to go to a commercial house in Mayumba to take a rest.Can you tell them to stay longer without explaining the reason?As for the treasure, it must not be revealed, this is the secret of Governor Kamilk! Wouldn't the others be surprised when Antifel and Zambugo, accompanied by Joule, Gilda, the notary and Najem, were about to leave the camp?These people might follow them... Besides, it was quite possible. This is indeed a difficult problem.What would the sailors do when they saw the three oak barrels dug up and found to be full of gold, diamonds, and jewels?Wouldn't this group of desperadoes have evil intentions and hang them to death?What's more, the number of people is more than twice that of the St. Malo people and their partners, and they will be subdued and killed in a short time!The captain will certainly not stop it!It is very likely that they will be provoked, and the result will be that the snipe and the clam will fight and the fisherman will benefit. However, I persuaded Antifel to be cautious, and made him understand that he would rather delay for a few days, first go to Mayomba with the sailors of the "Portalegre", settle down, and after getting rid of these suspicious guys the next day, pack A boat back to the island, it seems, this is not easy to do.That guy doesn't listen to other people's advice, he insists on going his own way. ... It is absolutely impossible to force him to leave before inspecting the island. When the captain of the barge was ordered to reconnaissance, he politely put forward his reasonable opinion, but the difficult friend was furious, and only said two words: "On the road!" "Please……" "Okay, don't go... I don't need you..." "Be careful..." "Come here...Jeule." It seemed that he had to obey. Antifiel and Zambugo had already left the camp.Gilda Tregoman and Jewell hurried to follow.But the sailors on board had no intention of following them.Barroso himself didn't even bother why the passengers left. What does this attitude indicate? It shows that Savuk understood the whole conversation.He neither wanted to delay nor prevent the reconnaissance.He had only one word for the Portuguese captain. Barroso walked to the sailors and ordered them to wait for the fishing boat and not to leave the camp. Then Savuk motioned for Bo Omar to go with them.Nor would Maester Antiffel be surprised to see the notary accompanied by his apprentice, Najem.