As the "Albatross" drifted off from Pitt Island she rose obliquely2 to nearly three thousand feet. It was necessary to increase the ascensional power to prevent her falling into the sea.
When the look-out man had got clear of his gag and shouted, Robur and Tom Turner had rushed up to him and torn off his bandage. The mate had then run back to the stern cabin. It was empty! Tapage had searched Frycollin's cabin, and that also was empty.
When he saw that the prisoners had escaped, Robur was seized with a paroxysm of anger. The escape meant the revelation of his secret to the world. He had not been much concerned at the document thrown overboard while they were crossing Europe, for there were so many chances that it would be lost in its fall; but now!
As he grew calm, "They have escaped," said he. "Be it so! But they cannot get away from Pitt Island, and in a day or so I will go back! I will recapture them! And then—"
In fact, the safety of the three fugitives3 was by no means assured. The "Albatross" would be repaired, and return well in hand. Before the day was out they might again be in the power of the engineer.
Before the day was out! But in two hours the "Albatross" would be annihilated5! The dynamite6 cartridge7 was like a torpedo8 fastened to her hull9, and would accomplish her destruction in mid-air. The breeze freshened, and the aeronef was carried to the northeast. Although her speed was but moderate, she would be out of sight of the Chatham Islands before sunrise. To return against the wind she must have her propellers10 going, particularly the one in the bow.
"Tom," said the engineer, "turn the lights full on."
"Yes, Sir."
"And all hands to work."
"Yes, Sir."
There was no longer any idea of putting off the work till tomorrow. There was now no thought of fatigue12. Not one of the men of the "Albatross" failed to share in the feelings of his chief. Not one but was ready to do anything to recapture the fugitives!
As soon as the screw was in place they would return to the island and drop another anchor, and give chase to the fugitives. Then only would they begin repairing the stern-screw; and then the aeronef could resume her voyage across the Pacific to X Island.
It was important, above all things, that the "Albatross" should not be carried too far to the northeast, but unfortunately the breeze grew stronger, and she could not head against it, or even remain stationary13. Deprived of her propellers she was an unguidable balloon. The fugitives on the shore knew that she would have disappeared before the explosion blew her to pieces.
Robur felt much disappointment at seeing his plans so interfered15 with. Would it not take him much longer than he thought to get back to his old anchorage?
While the work at the screw was actively16 pushed on, he resolved to descend17 to the surface of the sea, in the hope that the wind would there be lighter18. Perhaps the "Albatross" would be able to remain in the neighborhood until she was again fit to work to windward.
The maneuver19 was instantly executed. If a passing ship had sighted the aerial machine as she sunk through the air, with her electric lights in full blaze, with what terror would she have been seized!
When the "Albatross" was a few hundred feet from the waves she stopped. Unfortunately Robur found that the breeze was stronger here than above, and the aeronef drifted off more rapidly. He risked being blown a long, way off to the northeast, and that would delay his return to Pitt Island. In short, after several experiments, he found it better to keep his ship well up in the air, and the "Albatross" went aloft to about ten thousand feet. There, if she did not remain stationary, the drifting was very slight. The engineer could thus hope that by sunrise at such an altitude he would still be in sight of the island.
Robur did not trouble himself about the reception the fugitives might have received from the natives—if there were any natives. That they might help them mattered little to him. With the powers of offense20 possessed21 by the "Albatross" they would be promptly22 terrified and dispersed23. The capture of the prisoners was certain, and once he had them again, "They will not escape from X Island!"
About one o'clock in the morning the fore4-screw was finished, and all that had to be done was to get it back to its place. This would take about an hour. That done, the "Albatross" would be headed southwest and the stern-screw could be taken in hand.
And how about the match that was burning in the deserted24 cabin? The match of which more than a third was now consumed? And the spark that was creeping along to the dynamite?
Assuredly if the men of the aeronef had not been so busy one of them would have heard the feeble sputtering25 that was going on in the deck-house. Perhaps he would have smelt26 the burning powder! He would doubtless have become uneasy! And told Tom Turner! And then they would have looked about, and found the box and the infernal machine; and then there would have been time to save this wonderful "Albatross" and all she bore!
But the men were at work in the bow, twenty yards away from the cabin. Nothing brought them to that part of the deck; nothing called off their attention from their work. Robur was there working with his hands, excellent mechanic as he was. He hurried on the work, but nothing was neglected, everything was carefully done. Was it not necessary that he should again become absolute master of his invention? If he did not recapture the fugitives they would get away home. They would begin inquiring into matters. They might even discover X Island, and there would be an end to this life, which the men of the "Albatross" had created for themselves, a life that seemed superhuman and sublime27.
Tom Turner came up to the engineer. It was a quarter past one. "It seems to me, sir, that the breeze is falling, and going round to the west."
"So they are, and it may be raining down at the sea; but if we keep above the rain it makes no difference to us. It will not interfere14 with the work."
"If it is raining it is not a heavy rain," said Tom. "The clouds do not look like it, and probably the wind has dropped altogether."
"Perhaps so, but I think we had better not go down yet. Let us get into going order as soon as we can, and then we can do as we like."
At a few minutes after two the first part of the work was finished. The fore-screw was in its place, and the power was turned on. The speed was gradually increased, and the "Albatross," heading to the southwest, returned at moderate speed towards the Chatham Islands.
"Tom," said Robur, "it is about two hours and a half since we got adrift. The wind has not changed all the time. I think we ought to be over the island in an hour."
"Yes, sir. We are going about forty feet a second. We ought to be there about half-past three."
"All the better. It would suit us best to get back while it is dark, and even beach the "Albatross" if we can. Those fellows will fancy we are a long way off to the northward30, and never think of keeping a look-out. If we have to stop a day or two on the island—"
"We'll stop, and if we have to fight an army of natives?"
"We'll fight," said Robur. "We'll fight then for our "Albatross.""
The engineer went forward to the men, who were waiting for orders. "My lads," he said to them, "we cannot knock off yet. We must work till day comes."
They were all ready to do so. The stern-screw had now to be treated as the other had been. The damage was the same, a twisting from the violence of the hurricane during the passage across the southern pole.
But to get the screw on board it seemed best to stop the progress of the aeronef for a few minutes, and even to drive her backwards31. The engines were reversed. The aeronef began to fall astern, when Tom Turner was surprised by a peculiar32 odor.
This was from the gas given off by the match, which had accumulated in the box, and was now escaping from the cabin. "Hallo!" said the mate, with a sniff33.
"What is the matter?" asked Robur.
"Don't you smell something? Isn't it burning powder?"
"So it is, Tom."
"And it comes from that cabin."
"Yes, the very cabin—"
"Have those scoundrels set it on fire?"
"Suppose it is something else!" exclaimed Robur. "Force the door, Tom; drive in the door!"
But the mate had not made one step towards it when a fearful explosion shook the "Albatross." The cabins flew into splinters. The lamps went out. The electric current suddenly failed. The darkness was complete. Most of the suspensory screws were twisted or broken, but a few in the bow still revolved34.
At the same instant the hull of the aeronef opened just behind the first deck-house, where the engines for the fore-screw were placed; and the after-part of the deck collapsed35 in space.
Immediately the last suspensory screw stopped spinning, and the "Albatross" dropped into the abyss.
It was a fall of ten thousand feet for the eight men who were clinging to the wreck36; and the fall was even faster than it might have been, for the fore propeller11 was vertical37 in the air and still working!
It was then that Robur, with extraordinary coolness, climbed up to the broken deck-house, and seizing the lever reversed the rotation38, so that the propeller became a suspender. The fall continued, but it was checked, and the wreck did not fall with the accelerating swiftness of bodies influenced solely39 by gravitation; and if it was death to the survivors40 of the "Albatross" from their being hurled41 into the sea, it was not death by asphyxia amid air which the rapidity of descent rendered unbreathable.
Eighty seconds after the explosion, all that remained of the "Albatross" plunged42 into the waves!
该作者的其它作品
《Around the World In 80 Days八十天环游地球》
《气球上的五星期 Five Weeks in a Balloon》
该作者的其它作品
《Around the World In 80 Days八十天环游地球》
《气球上的五星期 Five Weeks in a Balloon》
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1
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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2
obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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3
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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4
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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6
dynamite
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| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
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7
cartridge
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| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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8
torpedo
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| n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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10
propellers
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器( propeller的名词复数 ) | |
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11
propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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12
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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13
stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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14
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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15
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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16
actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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18
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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19
maneuver
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| n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略 | |
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20
offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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21
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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22
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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23
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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24
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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25
sputtering
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| n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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26
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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27
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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28
barometer
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| n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标 | |
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29
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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30
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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31
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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32
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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33
sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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34
revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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35
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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36
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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38
rotation
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| n.旋转；循环，轮流 | |
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39
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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40
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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41
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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42
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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