“For my part,” said the count, “I am quite ready to accompany you; it is not unlikely that he is not alone in his distress5.”
Lieutenant6 Procope expressed much surprise. “We must have passed close to Formentera,” he said, “when we explored the site of the Balearic Isles7; this fragment must be very small; it must be smaller than the remaining splinter of Gibraltar or Ceuta; otherwise, surely it would never have escaped our observation.”
“However small it may be,” replied Servadac, “we must find it. How far off do you suppose it is?”
“It must be a hundred and twenty leagues away,” said the lieutenant, thoughtfully; “and I do not quite understand how you would propose to get there.”
“Why, on skates of course; no difficulty in that, I should imagine,” answered Servadac, and he appealed to the count for confirmation8 of his opinion.
The count assented9, but Procope looked doubtful.
“Your enterprise is generous,” he said, “and I should be most unwilling10 to throw any unnecessary obstacle in the way of its execution; but, pardon me, if I submit to you a few considerations which to my mind are very important. First of all, the thermometer is already down to 22 degrees below zero, and the keen wind from the south is making the temperature absolutely unendurable; in the second place, supposing you travel at the rate of twenty leagues a day, you would be exposed for at least six consecutive11 days; and thirdly, your expedition will be of small avail unless you convey provisions not only for yourselves, but for those whom you hope to relieve.”
“We can carry our own provisions on our backs in knapsacks,” interposed Servadac, quickly, unwilling to recognize any difficulty in the way.
“Granted that you can,” answered the lieutenant, quietly; “but where, on this level ice-field, will you find shelter in your periods of rest? You must perish with cold; you will not have the chance of digging out ice-huts like the Esquimaux.”
“As to rest,” said Servadac, “we shall take none; we shall keep on our way continuously; by traveling day and night without intermission, we shall not be more than three days in reaching Formentera.”
“Believe me,” persisted the lieutenant, calmly, “your enthusiasm is carrying you too far; the feat12 you propose is impossible; but even conceding the possibility of your success in reaching your destination, what service do you imagine that you, half-starved and half-frozen yourself, could render to those who are already perishing by want and exposure? you would only bring them away to die.”
The obvious and dispassionate reasoning of the lieutenant could not fail to impress the minds of those who listened to him; the impracticability of the journey became more and more apparent; unprotected on that drear expanse, any trav-eler must assuredly succumb13 to the snow-drifts that were continually being whirled across it. But Hector Servadac, animated14 by the generous desire of rescuing a suffering fellow-creature, could scarcely be brought within the bounds of common sense. Against his better judgment15 he was still bent16 upon the expedition, and Ben Zoof declared himself ready to accompany his master in the event of Count Timascheff hesitating to encounter the peril17 which the undertaking18 involved. But the count entirely repudiated19 all idea of shrinking from what, quite as much as the captain, he regarded as a sacred duty, and turning to Lieutenant Procope, told him that unless some better plan could be devised, he was prepared to start off at once and make the attempt to skate across to Formentera. The lieutenant, who was lost in thought, made no immediate20 reply.
“I wish we had a sledge21,” said Ben Zoof.
“I dare say that a sledge of some sort could be contrived,” said the count; “but then we should have no dogs or reindeers to draw it.”
“Why not rough-shoe the two horses?”
“They would never be able to endure the cold,” objected the count.
“Never mind,” said Servadac, “let us get our sledge and put them to the test. Something must be done!”
“I think,” said Lieutenant Procope, breaking his thoughtful silence, “that I can tell you of a sledge already provided for your hand, and I can suggest a motive22 power surer and swifter than horses.”
“What do you mean?” was the eager inquiry23.
“I mean the Dobryna‘s yawl,” answered the lieutenant; “and I have no doubt that the wind would carry her rapidly along the ice.”
The idea seemed admirable. Lieutenant Procope was well aware to what marvelous perfection the Americans had brought their sail-sledges, and had heard how in the vast prairies of the United States they had been known to outvie the speed of an express train, occasionally attaining24 a rate of more than a hundred miles an hour. The wind was still blowing hard from the south, and assuming that the yawl could be propelled with a velocity25 of about fifteen or at least twelve leagues an hour, he reckoned that it was quite possible to reach Formentera within twelve hours, that is to say, in a single day between the intervals26 of sunrise and sunrise.
The yawl was about twelve feet long, and capable of holding five or six people. The addition of a couple of iron runners would be all that was requisite27 to convert it into an excellent sledge, which, if a sail were hoisted28, might be deemed certain to make a rapid progress over the smooth surface of the ice. For the protection of the passengers it was proposed to erect29 a kind of wooden roof lined with strong cloth; beneath this could be packed a supply of provisions, some warm furs, some cordials, and a portable stove to be heated by spirits of wine.
For the outward journey the wind was as favorable as could be desired; but it was to be apprehended30 that, unless the direction of the wind should change, the return would be a matter of some difficulty; a system of tacking31 might be carried out to a certain degree, but it was not likely that the yawl would answer her helm in any way corresponding to what would occur in the open sea. Captain Servadac, however, would not listen to any representation of probable difficulties; the future, he said, must provide for itself.
The engineer and several of the sailors set vigorously to work, and before the close of the day the yawl was furnished with a pair of stout32 iron runners, curved upwards33 in front, and fitted with a metal scull designed to assist in maintaining the directness of her course; the roof was put on, and beneath it were stored the provisions, the wraps, and the cooking utensils34.
A strong desire was expressed by Lieutenant Procope that he should be allowed to accompany Captain Servadac instead of Count Timascheff. It was unadvisable for all three of them to go, as, in case of there being several persons to be rescued, the space at their command would be quite inadequate35. The lieutenant urged that he was the most experienced seaman36, and as such was best qualified37 to take command of the sledge and the management of the sails; and as it was not to be expected that Servadac would resign his intention of going in person to relieve his fellow-countryman, Procope submitted his own wishes to the count. The count was himself very anxious to have his share in the philanthropic enterprise, and demurred38 considerably39 to the proposal; he yielded, however, after a time, to Servadac’s representations that in the event of the expedition proving disastrous40, the little colony would need his services alike as governor and protector, and overcoming his reluctance41 to be left out of the perilous42 adventure, was prevailed upon to remain behind for the general good of the community at Nina’s Hive.
At sunrise on the following morning, the l6th of April, Captain Servadac and the lieutenant took their places in the yawl. The thermometer was more than 20 degrees below zero, and it was with deep emotion that their companions beheld43 them thus embarking44 upon the vast white plain. Ben Zoof’s heart was too full for words; Count Timascheff could not forbear pressing his two brave friends to his bosom45; the Spaniards and the Russian sailors crowded round for a farewell shake of the hand, and little Nina, her great eyes flooded with tears, held up her face for a parting kiss. The sad scene was not permitted to be long. The sail was quickly hoisted, and the sledge, just as if it had expanded a huge white wing, was in a little while carried far away beyond the horizon.
Light and unimpeded, the yawl scudded46 on with incredible speed. Two sails, a brigantine and a jib, were arranged to catch the wind to the greatest advantage, and the travelers estimated that their progress would be little under the rate of twelve leagues an hour. The motion of their novel vehicle was singularly gentle, the oscillation being less than that of an ordinary railway-carriage, while the diminished force of gravity contributed to the swiftness. Except that the clouds of ice-dust raised by the metal runners were an evidence that they had not actually left the level surface of the ice, the captain and lieutenant might again and again have imagined that they were being conveyed through the air in a balloon.
Lieutenant Procope, with his head all muffled47 up for fear of frost-bite, took an occasional peep through an aperture48 that had been intentionally49 left in the roof, and by the help of a compass, maintained a proper and straight course for Formentera. Nothing could be more dejected than the aspect of that frozen sea; not a single living creature relieved the solitude50; both the travelers, Procope from a scientific point of view, Servadac from an aesthetic51, were alike impressed by the solemnity of the scene, and where the lengthened52 shadow of the sail cast upon the ice by the oblique53 rays of the setting sun had disappeared, and day had given place to night, the two men, drawn54 together as by an involuntary impulse, mutually held each other’s hands in silence.
There had been a new moon on the previous evening; but, in the absence of moonlight, the constellations55 shone with remarkable brilliancy. The new pole-star close upon the horizon was resplendent, and even had Lieutenant Procope been destitute56 of a compass, he would have had no difficulty in holding his course by the guidance of that alone. However great was the distance that separated Gallia from the sun, it was after all manifestly insignificant57 in comparison with the remoteness of the nearest of the fixed58 stars.
Observing that Servadac was completely absorbed in his own thoughts, Lieutenant Procope had leisure to contemplate59 some of the present perplexing problems, and to ponder over the true astronomical60 position. The last of the three mysterious documents had represented that Gallia, in conformity61 with Kepler’s second law, had traveled along her orbit during the month of March twenty millions of leagues less than she had done in the previous month; yet, in the same time, her distance from the sun had nevertheless been increased by thirty-two millions of leagues. She was now, therefore, in the center of the zone of telescopic planets that revolve62 between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and had captured for herself a satellite which, according to the document, was Nerina, one of the asteroids63 most recently identified. If thus, then, it was within the power of the unknown writer to estimate with such apparent certainty Gallia’s exact position, was it not likely that his mathematical calculations would enable him to arrive at some definite conclusion as to the date at which she would begin again to approach the sun? Nay64, was it not to be expected that he had already estimated, with sufficient approximation to truth, what was to be the true length of the Gallian year?
So intently had they each separately been following their own train of thought, that daylight reappeared almost before the travelers were aware of it. On consulting their instruments, they found that they must have traveled close upon a hundred leagues since they started, and they resolved to slacken their speed. The sails were accordingly taken in a little, and in spite of the intensity65 of the cold, the explorers ventured out of their shelter, in order that they might reconnoiter the plain, which was apparently66 as boundless67 as ever. It was completely desert; not so much as a single point of rock relieved the bare uniformity of its surface.
“Are we not considerably to the west of Formentera?” asked Servadac, after examining the chart.
“Most likely,” replied Procope. “I have taken the same course as I should have done at sea, and I have kept some distance to windward of the island; we can bear straight down upon it whenever we like.”
“Bear down then, now; and as quickly as you can.”
The yawl was at once put with her head to the northeast and Captain Servadac, in defiance68 of the icy blast, remained standing69 at the bow, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
All at once his eye brightened.
“Look! look!” he exclaimed, pointing to a faint outline that broke the monotony of the circle that divided the plain from the sky.
In an instant the lieutenant had seized his telescope.
“I see what you mean,” said he; “it is a pylone that has been used for some geodesic survey.”
The next moment the sail was filled, and the yawl was bearing down upon the object with inconceivable swiftness, both Captain Servadac and the lieutenant too excited to utter a word. Mile after mile the distance rapidly grew less, and as they drew nearer the pylone they could see that it was erected70 on a low mass of rocks that was the sole interruption to the dull level of the field of ice. No wreath of smoke rose above the little island; it was manifestly impossible, they conceived, that any human being could there have survived the cold; the sad presentiment71 forced itself upon their minds that it was a mere72 cairn to which they had been hurrying.
Ten minutes later, and they were so near the rock that the lieutenant took in his sail, convinced that the impetus73 already attained74 would be sufficient to carry him to the land. Servadac’s heart bounded as he caught sight of a fragment of blue canvas fluttering in the wind from the top of the pylone: it was all that now remained of the French national standard. At the foot of the pylone stood a miserable75 shed, its shutters76 tightly closed. No other habitation was to be seen; the entire island was less than a quarter of a mile in circumference78; and the conclusion was irresistible79 that it was the sole surviving remnant of Formentera, once a member of the Balearic Archipelago.
To leap on shore, to clamber over the slippery stones, and to reach the cabin was but the work of a few moments. The worm-eaten door was bolted on the inside. Servadac began to knock with all his might. No answer. Neither shouting nor knocking could draw forth80 a reply.
“Let us force it open, Procope!” he said.
The two men put their shoulders to the door, which soon yielded to their vigorous efforts, and they found themselves inside the shed, and in almost total darkness. By opening a shutter77 they admitted what daylight they could. At first sight the wretched place seemed to be deserted81; the little grate contained the ashes of a fire long since extinguished; all looked black and desolate82. Another instant’s investigation83, however, revealed a bed in the extreme corner, and extended on the bed a human form.
“Dead!” sighed Servadac; “dead of cold and hunger!”
Lieutenant Procope bent down and anxiously contemplated84 the body.
“No; he is alive!” he said, and drawing a small flask85 from his pocket he poured a few drops of brandy between the lips of the senseless man.
There was a faint sigh, followed by a feeble voice, which uttered the one word, “Gallia?”
“Yes, yes! Gallia!” echoed Servadac, eagerly.
“My comet, my comet!” said the voice, so low as to be almost inaudible, and the unfortunate man relapsed again into unconsciousness.
“Where have I seen this man?” thought Servadac to himself; “his face is strangely familiar to me.”
But it was no time for deliberation. Not a moment was to be lost in getting the unconscious astronomer86 away from his desolate quarters. He was soon conveyed to the yawl; his books, his scanty87 wardrobe, his papers, his instruments, and the blackboard which had served for his calculations, were quickly collected; the wind, by a fortuitous Providence88, had shifted into a favorable quarter; they set their sail with all speed, and ere long were on their journey back from Formentera.
Thirty-six hours later, the brave travelers were greeted by the acclamations of their fellow-colonists, who had been most anxiously awaiting their reappearance, and the still senseless savant, who had neither opened his eyes nor spoken a word throughout the journey, was safely deposited in the warmth and security of the great hall of Nina’s Hive.
End of First Book
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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isles
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confirmation
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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consecutive
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| adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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judgment
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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repudiated
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| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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sledge
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| n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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attaining
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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tacking
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| （帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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inadequate
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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demurred
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| v.表示异议，反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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embarking
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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scudded
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| v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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aperture
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intentionally
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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aesthetic
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| adj.美学的，审美的，有美感 | |
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lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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oblique
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| adj.斜的，倾斜的，无诚意的，不坦率的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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constellations
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| n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人） | |
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destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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astronomical
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| adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的 | |
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conformity
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| n.一致，遵从，顺从 | |
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revolve
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| vi.(使)旋转；循环出现 | |
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asteroids
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| n.小行星( asteroid的名词复数 )；海盘车，海星 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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69
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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70
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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71
presentiment
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| n.预感，预觉 | |
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72
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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73
impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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74
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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75
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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76
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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77
shutter
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| n.百叶窗；(照相机)快门；关闭装置 | |
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78
circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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79
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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80
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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81
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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82
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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83
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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84
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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85
flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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86
astronomer
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| n.天文学家 | |
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87
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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88
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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