Chapter 32 Chapter Sixteen

If the former offshore sailing captain hadn't lost his mind, what did that attitude mean when he heard the truth about the 4th islet? From that day on, Pierre Servain Marlowe, completely changed, returned to his old habits of walking on the ramparts and the quays, smoking his pipe, and playing with pebbles.With a sneer on his lips, he said nothing about treasures, or expeditions, let alone the last trip to the North Pole, and to get back the treasure of billions of francs that had been sought for so long.It's incredible. His family and friends are all bored in the gourd, puzzled.They were expecting at every moment that he would shout to them, "Let's go!" But he didn't.

"What happened to him?" Nanon asked. "He's a completely different person!" replied Jewell. "Probably because he is afraid of marrying Miss Zambugo!" the captain of the barge reminded. "Marry, just marry, you can't let hundreds of millions of francs be thrown away!" Anyway, our St. Malo man has changed his tune, and now it's Gilda Tregoman's turn to play his part.Instead, he became anxious about getting gold and silver treasures.Besides, it's also logical.When they didn't know if they could find the island, everyone tried their best to find it. Now that the location of the island is known, why don't they go to get it?Isn't it weird?

The barge captain and Jewel went on and on about it. "Why bother!" replied the young captain. He spoke to Nanon about it again. "Forget it! Just leave the treasure there!" He told little Enocat about it. "Really, little Enochat, 33 million francs will be poured into your pocket!" "Look at you, Monsieur Shuregman, thirty-three kisses! . . . That's worth it." After two weeks, he finally decided to put the question to Maester Antiphere: "Ah, the... island?" he said to him. "What island, Captain Barge?" "An island in the Mediterranean! . . . as long as it exists."

"Captain Barge, does it exist? . . . I'm sure it exists, even more than you and I!" "Then why don't we go?" "Go,...then we have to grow fins, old river sailor?" What does this answer mean?Gilda Tregoman struggled to understand.However, he was not discouraged!In any case, 33 million francs are not for himself, but for the children! ... For loving newlyweds, they don't think much about the future! ...should think for them! In short, because of his repeated urging, one day, Antiphere said to him: "It seems that you asked to go this time?"

"Yes, my friend." "Your opinion is that we must go?" "Must go, sooner rather than later!" "Okay!... Let's go!" In what tone did the people of Saint-Malo say that last word! However, Zambugo the banker and Bob Omar, the notary, must be contacted before departure.They, in their capacity as joint heirs and notaries, demand: First, inform them of the location of the fourth island; second, arrange for them to arrive at the said island on a certain day, one is to get back the treasure assigned to him, and the other is to get the due reward. Master Antipher may be more active than the captain of the barge, and he has completed all matters according to the regulations.Two telegrams were sent, one to Tunis and the other to Alexandria, and agreed with the two relevant personnel to meet at Girjandi, Sicily on October 23, so that they could dig out treasures together.Gilrandi is the nearest city to this last island.

As for Father Tilkemeler's share, it will be sent to him in due time and place.If he is afraid of burning his hands, he can throw those millions of francs into the Firth of Forth and let him do what he wants. As for Suwook, don't worry about him. He is not the heir to the governor's estate, and he deserves what he deserves for a few years of prison life in the Edinburgh cell. The trip was booked, and it was no surprise that Gilda had to go this time.But if Anokat doesn't want to go with him, what's the blame?It's only been two months since they got married, can Jewele be willing to leave his wife?Whether to follow her husband, Ainokat may also be hesitant.

How long is this new expedition?Certainly not for long.It's just the round trip time.I will never go to Island No. 5 again!No, the instructions clearly stated that the treasure was deposited under a rock on the small island of number 4, which was located exactly between the coast of Sicily and the island of Banterella. "The island is probably very small, because it doesn't exist on the map!" Juel reminded. "Very likely!" Maester Antiphere replied with a sneer. This sneer is really puzzling! Everyone decided to use the fastest means of transportation, and the railway is the fastest, so take the train if you can.At that time, there was already a direct line across France and Italy from St. Malo to Naples.Since more than 30 million francs can be unearthed, there is no need to begrudge travel expenses.

On the morning of October 6, Nanon bid farewell to those who traveled far away, and the travelers boarded the first train.They didn't even stay in Paris for a moment, they took the Paris-Lyon Express, crossed the French-Italian border, and arrived in Naples on the evening of October 20 without even seeing Milan, Florence, and Rome.Gilda Tregoman was full of confidence in this new expedition and took a full 100 hours of bumpy train rides. On the second day, Antifel and Gilda, Joule and Enochat left the Victoria Hotel and boarded the ship going.After a day of sailing at sea, we arrived in the provincial capital of Sicily.

This time, I still can't enjoy the scenery and play in the mountains and rivers.Gilda didn't even intend to bring back any memories, nor did he want to attend the Sicilian vespers, which he had already heard about.No, in his opinion, Palermo is not a famous city. The Germans, French, Spaniards, and British have successively occupied this ancient city.The city is the starting point for buses, mail coaches or stagecoaches, which run twice a week and reach Corleone in 9 hours.It takes 12 hours to go from Corleone to Gilrandi, and there are also two trains a week. However, our travelers were going to Girrand on business, and they agreed with Zambugo and Omar to meet at the ancient city of Agrigento, which is located on the south coast of the island.

Traffic or accidents may happen in this kind of car, right?For example, there are bandits in Sicily.Robbers can never be destroyed, like olives or aloes, they will grow. At any rate, the stagecoach set off on the second day without incident. On the evening of October 24th, they arrived at Girrangdi. Although they had not reached their destination, at least they were close... The banker and the notary came to the appointment as scheduled, one from the city of Tunis and one from Alexandria. The desire for money is really insatiable! When the two heirs of the common inheritance meet, the first sentence is:

"This time, Kojima must have it, right?" "affim!" But what sarcasm was in the answer of Maester Antiphere, what mocking eyes shot from his pupils! It was not difficult or time-consuming to find a boat at the bottom of Gilran.In this port, fishermen, coasters abound, sloops, dinghies, galleons, clippers or other types of vessels of the Mediterranean fleet, the list goes on and on. Besides, it was only a short excursion at sea—like a walk on the 40 nautical miles west of the coast.Set sail with the wind that night, you can arrive before noon the next day, and you will have time to measure your position. The boat was rented, called "Providanza", a 30-ton long sailing ship, commanded by an experienced old sailor, about 50 years old, named Lupu Maridimus, Have been sailing in these waters.He knows the waters like the back of his hand!With his eyes closed he sailed from Sicily to Malta, and from Malta to the coastal provinces of Tunisia. "There's no need to tell them what to do, Jewelle!" Jewele thought that the barge captain's instructions were quite cautious. The owner of the ship was Jacopo Grappa, the heir to the estate of the governor of Kamilk. Although the owner of the ship did not speak French, he could speak a few pidgins and he could manage to understand other people's speech. One more auspicious omen--an unearthly blessing, and it's October, almost the season of bad weather... There are many reasons why the weather is not favorable... The sea is rising... The sky is cloudy... Hey!Not so that day!The autumn wind blows from the land, the air is dry, and it is already chilly.However, when the "Provitanza" sailed to the sea, the bright moonlight shone on the towering mountains of Sicily. The owner only has a crew of 5, which is just right for sailing.The light boat sailed quickly on the vast water, and the sea was calm.Bo Omar didn't feel seasick at all, and he had never experienced such an exceptional voyage. The night was uneventful, and the dawn of the second day heralded another wonderful fine weather. Pierre Servan Marlowe was walking on the deck with his hands in his pockets and a pipe in his mouth.This old man's leisurely and indifferent look is really amazing!Gilda was so excited that she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw his friend like this.He came to the front of the boat and sat down, Enoch and Jewel leaned together, and the young wife was intoxicated by the infinite fun of the sea.what!Why didn't she stay with her husband forever and travel all over the world with him! From time to time, Jewell went up to the sailor at the helm to check the course of the ship, to see if she was heading west.At this pace, he thought the sailboat could reach the waters so desired.Then, he went back to Enokat again—this caused the old man Gilda to advise more than once: "Jeule, worry more about our affairs! Don't just guard your wife." Now, he said, "It's our business!" The barge captain has changed a lot!But isn't it for the kids? At 10 o'clock, there was no sign of land in sight.Indeed, in this part of the Mediterranean, between Sicily and Cape Bon, there is no other large island except Banterella.However, what he was looking for now was not a big island, but an ordinary small island, and it wasn't an island so small that he couldn't even see it. When the banker and the notary gazed at Maester Antifel, all that could be seen were his eyes flashing with lightning and his mouth stretched to the ears, because of the blue curls of smoke rising from his smoking pipe. The owner of the ship has no idea where the passengers want the ship to go.Did they want to go to the coast of Tunisia?Anyway, it didn't matter much to him.He was given a good price, and he would never go east if he was asked to go west. "Hey! Keep going west like this?" he said to Jewell. "yes." "Ok!" So, the boat has been heading west. At 10:15, Geulele took the sextant and made the first observation.The sailboat was at 37°30' north latitude and 10°33' east longitude. While he was observing, Antiphere squinted at him with blinking eyes. "How is it, Jewell?" "Uncle, we are already at the longitude, we just need to go south a few nautical miles!" "Then, nephew, let's go south, south! . . . I think we'll have to go south forever!" Hear it all, here comes the strangest St-Malo man of all time. The sailboat steered to port to get closer to Bantereria Island. The captain bit his lip, squinted his eyes, and wondered.Gilda was beside him, and the captain could not restrain himself, and asked him in a low voice what he was looking for here. "Find a handkerchief we've lost here!" replied the barge captain.The good-natured old man lost his temper. "All right, sir!" At a quarter to noon, there were still no stone piles in sight.However, the sailboat is already on the fourth island... Looking around, there is nothing... Jewell climbed up the masthead from the starboard rail so that he could have an unobstructed view for twelve to fifteen miles. ... nothing! ...and still nothing! When he jumped onto the deck, Zambugo, accompanied by the notary, came up and asked anxiously: "What about the fourth island?" "did not see it!" "Are you sure about the direction of observation?" Antiphere added in a mocking tone. "Sure, Uncle!" "Then, it should be said, my nephew, you can't even observe..." The young captain was really taken aback by the sarcasm, his face was flushed, and he was in a panic. Enocat made pleading gestures to him, telling him to calm down. Gilda Tregman thought it was time to say something, and he asked the old captain: "Grabah?" "Follow your instructions." "We're looking for an island..." "Yes, sir." "Is there not a small island in these waters?" "A small island?" "right." "You mean a small island?" "A small island, we are asking you for a small island!" repeated Maestro Antiphere, shrugging his shoulders, "do you hear... a beautiful small island! Small... small... small island!... you have you understood?" "Excuse me, my lord, are you looking for a small island?" "Yes," said Gilda, "is there one?" "No, sir." "No?" "No! . . . But there's one, I've even seen it, stayed on it?" "On it?" repeated the barge captain. "But, it disappeared..." "Disappeared?" Jewele called out. "Yes, my lord, it has been 31 years since it disappeared... Another island of Saint Lucia is revealed!" "What was that island like?" asked Gilda Tregoman, rubbing her hands. "Alas! You know nothing but the barge, captain," exclaimed Maester Antiffel; "it is a small island, so say it, it is!" Yulia Island,...Juel suddenly realized it! Yes, indeed, the Isle of Iulia, or Ferdinando, or Hedan, or Gram, or Nerida, call it whatever you want—the little island was founded on June 28, 1831. Suddenly rise in this position.Who would doubt that it exists?Captain Grappa had witnessed the scene when the submarine volcano erupted.The Roman prince Pinatelli once observed the pillar of light rising from the center of the newborn island, and the flame lasted for a long time, like rising fireworks.Both Captain Eldon and the Doctor were witnesses to this spectacle.Over a two-month period, the island is covered with hot volcanic rock, allowing people to walk on it.The power of this volcano causes the sea floor to rise above the surface of the water. Then, in December 1831, the great rock sank and the island disappeared, leaving no trace of the waters. It was during such a short period of time that bad luck led Governor Kamilk and Captain Zou to this part of the Mediterranean.They were looking for an unnamed island, and it was fate that they found it!This is the small island that just appeared in June and disappeared in December!And now, the treasure is hidden in the abyss 100 meters deep! Father Tilkemeler had tried unsuccessfully to throw the wealth of tens of millions into the sea, but now that nature had done this good deed, he no longer had to worry about spreading those riches into the world. It must be stated that Master Antifel knew about the sinking of the island! Three weeks ago, when Giuel told him that the fourth island was located between Sicily and Banterella, he knew immediately that it was Iulia.When he was studying business, he often passed through these waters.He was not unaware of the appearance and disappearance of that short-lived island in 1831, now sinking at a depth of 100 meters. ...Obviously, Antifel has gone through the most difficult and dangerous journey in his life, but after a rage, he is determined to give up the treasure of Governor Camilque forever! ...that's why he didn't intend to make this final expedition to find the treasure.He had agreed, at Gilda's urging, to pay for this last expedition, out of self-effacement, and to prove that he was not the most fooled when it came to treasure-hunting. . . . the reason why he met Zambugo the banker and Bo Omar the notary at Gilrandi was to teach them a lesson, because they had cheated him . . . So he turned to the Maltese banker and the Egyptian notary: "Yes!" he cried, "thousands of francs are here--under our feet. If you want it, it's just a plunk down!  … Come on, Zambugo, Jump down! . . . Bo Omar, jump down!" While the obstinate Saint-Malo man sneered at the two gentlemen, they regretted the deceitful invitation of Maester Antifil.And the Saint-Malo man forgot that in this gladiatorial struggle for riches, he was as greedy as they were! "Now turn the boat around and go home!" cried Pierre Servan Marlowe. "At home, we'll be happy..." said Jeweler. "My God! . . . since it's out of it!" said Gilda Tregoman in a voice of comic resignation. However, out of curiosity, the young captain wanted to detect the water depth at this location... Jacopo Grappa nodded in agreement.When the rope was placed at 300-350 feet, the detection hammer hit a hard object... This is Yulia Island... the fourth small island, which has sunk in the sea. Following Jewell's order, the sailboat turned around.On the way back to port, the boat had to sail against the wind all night, which left the unfortunate Bob Omar in a coma for eighteen hours. After a fruitless exploration, it was already daylight when the sailboat moored at the jetty of Gilrandi. However, when the passengers were about to say goodbye to the old captain, he approached Maester Antiphere and said to him: "Your Mightiness?……" "busy?" "I have something to tell you..." "My friend, tell me!...Say it..." "Alas, sir, there is still hope!" Pierre Servan Marlot straightened up, and a greedy look shot out of his eyes like lightning. "Hope?" he asked. "Yes, my lord! Yulia Island has disappeared since the end of 1831, but..." "but……" "It started going up again from 1850..." "Like my barometer, when the weather is good, it will rise!" Maester Antiphere laughed, and shouted, "Unfortunately, when my Yulia Island and that Tens of millions of treasures...our money, when it floated...we are long gone,——the barge captain, you are the same, probably dead for hundreds of years!" "I can't live that long!" retorted the captain of the "Lovely Amelie". However, what the old captain said just now seems to be the truth.Yulia Island gradually rises towards the water surface of the Mediterranean Sea... Maybe, after several centuries, this Adventures of Master Antifel will have a different ending!