His long and peculiar2 residence on the island rendered him a valuable adviser3 to Captain Seaworth, and it was decided4 that during such time as he would be obliged to remain, owing to the limited means of transportation, he was to act as a member of the board of directors.
The first labor5 the colonists6 engaged in was the repairing of the houses which had been injured during the last siege. Then every dwelling7 was fortified8, as far as possible, for it was not to be supposed that such a large body of apes, having once had possession of the settlement, would remain very long at a respectful distance.
Philip’s advice to Captain Seaworth was that before anything was done toward restoring the plantations9 to their former condition some means be devised for ridding the island of the mischievous10 and vindictive11 animals. To plant anew would be only to[253] provide something for the apes to destroy, and it was by no means safe for the male colonists to go into the fields, leaving the cottages unprotected, since Goliah might lead his forces to an attack at any moment; therefore if the scheme of transforming the island into a garden was to be carried out, the first and all-important task was the destruction or subjugation12 of the apes.
No one knew better than Philip how difficult would be such a task. At the very lowest computation there were two thousand of these long-tailed brutes13 against whom war must be waged, and, as has already been shown, they were no mean antagonists14. One such as Goliah would be more than a match for three unarmed men, and the strictest orders were issued that the colonists should only go from one point to another when in large numbers, and with sufficient weapons to repel15 any onslaught which might be made.
This order was promulgated16 on the afternoon of the same day the Reynard entered the little cove17, and before twelve hours had elapsed those of the colonists who thought such a precaution foolish were fully18 convinced of its wisdom.
The boatswain of the ship, whose constant boast it was that he could overcome, single-handed, any three men who might be opposed to him, laughed at the idea of banding together to resist an attack by monkeys, and openly declared that he was not afraid of all the apes in the Malay Archipelago. He even went so far as to intimate that Philip was[254] little less than a chicken-hearted fellow to allow himself to be made a prisoner by such animals, and to do their bidding like a slave. In fact, he did not hesitate to say he doubted Mr. Garland’s story very seriously, and otherwise made so much sport of the “Munchausen Tales,” as he called them, that many of the colonists were disposed to share in his incredulity.
At about four o’clock in the afternoon Captain Seaworth decided to have one of the small cannon19 brought from the Reynard for the better defense20 of the village, and instructed the boatswain to proceed to the ship with a sufficient number of men for mutual21 protection.
“I am going alone,” the old sailor said when he emerged from the captain’s temporary dwelling, speaking to a number of his comrades with whom he had previously22 been discussing the alleged23 facts of Philip’s story. “I’ll make it my business to walk half-around the island just to show how much truth there is in the yarn24 of this monkey-trainer, who has been scared out of his senses by two or three tame baboons25.”
Of course this would be a total disregard of the captain’s express commands; but the boatswain flattered himself that his disobedience would not be known save to those in whose eyes he wished to appear as a hero, and away he started, armed only with a stout26 cudgel, which he declared was enough to frighten all the apes on the island into convulsions.
[255]
Three hours later, the piece of ordnance27 not having arrived, Captain Seaworth sent half a dozen colonists to the ship, and in due time they returned with the information that the boatswain had not arrived at the coast. The foolhardy man had been absent from the settlement sufficiently28 long to have made four or five trips to the tiny harbor, and, believing his desire to show contempt for the apes had resulted in a catastrophe29, those who heard his boasts laid the matter before the captain and Philip.
It was then too late to make any search for the unfortunate man, since night, which comes on so suddenly in the tropics, was already close at hand, and it would be worse than reckless to venture into the thicket30 where the animals could so readily conceal31 themselves.
That Goliah and his forces had taken the boatswain prisoner, even if they had not murdered him, Philip felt certain; but nothing could be done until morning, and immediately after sunrise fifty well-armed men set out, following as nearly as possible the supposed direction in which he had gone.
The search was not of long duration. When the party arrived within a hundred yards of the terminus of the road leading to the south they saw that which caused the stoutest-hearted to draw back with a shudder32.
Hanging to the lower limb of a mangrove-tree, exactly as Philip had seen the skeleton of the mandrill suspended, was the unfortunate boatswain. The rope for the execution of the deed had been formed[256] from strips of his clothing, and a party of Western lynchers could not have done the deed more thoroughly33.
From such slight evidence as could be seen among the underbrush or foliage34, it was not probable the sailor had had an opportunity to defend himself more than a few seconds. Most likely Goliah’s forces leaped upon him so quickly, and in such numbers, that before he could strike many blows he was over-powered; but that he was alive when suspended from the tree could be readily seen.
After the unfortunate man was given a Christian35 burial there was not one among the colonists who questioned any detail of Philip’s story, however improbable it may have seemed. Now that there could be no question as to the dangers which menaced, Captain Seaworth resolved to rid the island of the brutes, if possible; and to this end, acting36 under Philip’s advice, he went to work systematically37.
The buildings were left in charge of forty well-armed men, and the strictest orders issued against the women venturing out of doors under any pretense38. Then all save a force necessary to guard the ship were set at work cutting paths through the thicket at different angles from the settlement, in order that there should be no opportunity of concealment39 for the apes within reach of the house.
This task required no small amount of labor, and three days elapsed before the colonists were in condition to open the battle.
During this time they had every evidence that[257] Goliah’s forces were watching them intently, for more than once could be heard shrill40 cries in the thicket as if spies were reporting to their commander the progress made, and on several occasions the workmen saw dark forms flitting by, but at such a pace as to render it impossible to shoot with any accuracy of aim.
It was on the night previous to the day set for the general attack that the vessel41 from Batavia arrived with reinforcements, and then Captain Seaworth had quite an army under his command.
Had the colonists been going forth42 to meet a regularly organized force of men they could not have proceeded more carefully. The new-comers, who were well aware of the fighting qualities of apes, were by no means disposed to make light of the intended engagement, but at the same time no one seemed disposed to shirk his duty.
Divided into squads43 of twenty, each man carrying fifty rounds of ammunition44, the detachments started from the village, marching through the paths and down the roads, and diverging45 as do the spokes46 of a wheel from its hub.
Philip, who commanded the party which proceeded toward the south, had tried to induce the chimpanzees to accompany him, believing they could give timely warning of the approach of the enemy; but these intelligent animals were far too wise to put their precious bodies in such jeopardy47. They probably understood what the result would be in case of capture, and all the inducements held out by[258] their master were insufficient48 to persuade them even to step over the ship’s rail.
During the first half hour after the forces began to advance, those in the village heard no sound. Then came a few scattering49 shots, followed by another time of silence, until finally the rattle50 of regular and rapid firing from the road down which Philip had passed told the anxious listeners that the battle was in progress.
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1
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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2
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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3
adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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5
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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6
colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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7
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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8
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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10
mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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11
vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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12
subjugation
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| n.镇压，平息，征服 | |
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13
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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14
antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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15
repel
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| v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥 | |
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16
promulgated
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| v.宣扬（某事物）( promulgate的过去式和过去分词 )；传播；公布；颁布（法令、新法律等） | |
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17
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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18
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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19
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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20
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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21
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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24
yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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25
baboons
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| n.狒狒( baboon的名词复数 ) | |
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ordnance
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| n.大炮，军械 | |
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28
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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29
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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30
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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31
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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32
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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33
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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34
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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35
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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36
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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37
systematically
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| adv.有系统地 | |
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38
pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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39
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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40
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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41
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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42
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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43
squads
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| n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍 | |
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44
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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45
diverging
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| 分开( diverge的现在分词 )； 偏离； 分歧； 分道扬镳 | |
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46
spokes
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| n.（车轮的）辐条( spoke的名词复数 )；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 | |
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47
jeopardy
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| n.危险；危难 | |
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48
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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49
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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50
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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