CHAPTER IX. INQUIRIES UNSATISFIED
Fast as his legs could carry him, Servadac had made his way to the topof the cliff. It was quite true that a vessel was in sight, hardly morethan six miles from the shore; but owing to the increase in the earth'sconvexity, and the consequent limitation of the range of vision, therigging of the topmasts alone was visible above the water. This wasenough, however, to indicate that the ship was a schooner--an impressionthat was confirmed when, two hours later, she came entirely in sight.
"The _Dobryna_!" exclaimed Servadac, keeping his eye unmoved at histelescope.
"Impossible, sir!" rejoined Ben Zoof; "there are no signs of smoke."
"The _Dobryna_!" repeated the captain, positively. "She is under sail;but she is Count Timascheff's yacht."
He was right. If the count were on board, a strange fatality wasbringing him to the presence of his rival. But no longer now couldServadac regard him in the light of an adversary; circumstances hadchanged, and all animosity was absorbed in the eagerness with whichhe hailed the prospect of obtaining some information about the recentstartling and inexplicable events. During the twenty-seven days that shehad been absent, the _Dobryna_, he conjectured, would have explored theMediterranean, would very probably have visited Spain, France, or Italy,and accordingly would convey to Gourbi Island some intelligence fromone or other of those countries. He reckoned, therefore, not only uponascertaining the extent of the late catastrophe, but upon learningits cause. Count Timascheff was, no doubt, magnanimously coming to therescue of himself and his orderly.
The wind being adverse, the _Dobryna_ did not make very rapid progress;but as the weather, in spite of a few clouds, remained calm, and thesea was quite smooth, she was enabled to hold a steady course. It seemedunaccountable that she should not use her engine, as whoever was onboard, would be naturally impatient to reconnoiter the new island, whichmust just have come within their view. The probability that suggesteditself was that the schooner's fuel was exhausted.
Servadac took it for granted that the _Dobryna_ was endeavoring toput in. It occurred to him, however, that the count, on discovering anisland where he had expected to find the mainland of Africa, would notunlikely be at a loss for a place of anchorage. The yacht was evidentlymaking her way in the direction of the former mouth of the Shelif,and the captain was struck with the idea that he would do well toinvestigate whether there was any suitable mooring towards which hemight signal her. Zephyr and Galette were soon saddled, and in twentyminutes had carried their riders to the western extremity of the island,where they both dismounted and began to explore the coast.
They were not long in ascertaining that on the farther side of thepoint there was a small well-sheltered creek of sufficient depth toaccommodate a vessel of moderate tonnage. A narrow channel formed apassage through the ridge of rocks that protected it from the open sea,and which, even in the roughest weather, would ensure the calmness ofits waters.
Whilst examining the rocky shore, the captain observed, to his greatsurprise, long and well-defined rows of seaweed, which undoubtedlybetokened that there had been a very considerable ebb and flow of thewaters--a thing unknown in the Mediterranean, where there is scarcelyany perceptible tide. What, however, seemed most remarkable, was themanifest evidence that ever since the highest flood (which was caused,in all probability, by the proximity of the body of which the hugedisc had been so conspicuous on the night of the 31st of December) thephenomenon had been gradually lessening, and in fact was now reduced tothe normal limits which had characterized it before the convulsion.
Without doing more than note the circumstance, Servadac turned hisentire attention to the _Dobryna_, which, now little more than a milefrom shore, could not fail to see and understand his signals. Slightlychanging her course, she first struck her mainsail, and, in order tofacilitate the movements of her helmsman, soon carried nothing but hertwo topsails, brigantine and jib. After rounding the peak, she steereddirect for the channel to which Servadac by his gestures was pointingher, and was not long in entering the creek. As soon as the anchor,imbedded in the sandy bottom, had made good its hold, a boat waslowered. In a few minutes more Count Timascheff had landed on theisland. Captain Servadac hastened towards him.
"First of all, count," he exclaimed impetuously, "before we speak oneother word, tell me what has happened."
The count, whose imperturbable composure presented a singular contrastto the French officer's enthusiastic vivacity, made a stiff bow, andin his Russian accent replied: "First of all, permit me to express mysurprise at seeing you here. I left you on a continent, and here I havethe honor of finding you on an island."
"I assure you, count, I have never left the place."
"I am quite aware of it. Captain Servadac, and I now beg to offer you mysincere apologies for failing to keep my appointment with you."
"Never mind, now," interposed the captain; "we will talk of thatby-and-by. First, tell me what has happened."
"The very question I was about to put to you, Captain Servadac."
"Do you mean to say you know nothing of the cause, and can tell menothing of the extent, of the catastrophe which has transformed thispart of Africa into an island?"
"Nothing more than you know yourself."
"But surely, Count Timascheff, you can inform me whether upon thenorthern shore of the Mediterranean--"
"Are you certain that this is the Mediterranean?" asked the countsignificantly, and added, "I have discovered no sign of land."
The captain stared in silent bewilderment. For some moments he seemedperfectly stupefied; then, recovering himself, he began to overwhelm thecount with a torrent of questions. Had he noticed, ever since the 1stof January, that the sun had risen in the west? Had he noticed that thedays had been only six hours long, and that the weight of the atmospherewas so much diminished? Had he observed that the moon had quitedisappeared, and that the earth had been in imminent hazard of runningfoul of the planet Venus? Was he aware, in short, that the entiremotions of the terrestrial sphere had undergone a complete modification?To all these inquiries, the count responded in the affirmative. Hewas acquainted with everything that had transpired; but, to Servadac'sincreasing astonishment, he could throw no light upon the cause of anyof the phenomena.
"On the night of the 31st of December," he said, "I was proceeding bysea to our appointed place of meeting, when my yacht was suddenly caughton the crest of an enormous wave, and carried to a height which itis beyond my power to estimate. Some mysterious force seemed to havebrought about a convulsion of the elements. Our engine was damaged, naydisabled, and we drifted entirely at the mercy of the terrible hurricanethat raged during the succeeding days. That the _Dobryna_ escaped at allis little less than a miracle, and I can only attribute her safetyto the fact that she occupied the center of the vast cyclone, andconsequently did not experience much change of position."
He paused, and added: "Your island is the first land we have seen."
"Then let us put out to sea at once and ascertain the extent of thedisaster," cried the captain, eagerly. "You will take me on board,count, will you not?"
"My yacht is at your service, sir, even should you require to make atour round the world."
"A tour round the Mediterranean will suffice for the present, I think,"said the captain, smiling.
The count shook his head.
"I am not sure," said he, "but what the tour of the Mediterranean willprove to be the tour of the world."
Servadac made no reply, but for a time remained silent and absorbed inthought.
After the silence was broken, they consulted as to what course wasbest to pursue; and the plan they proposed was, in the first place, todiscover how much of the African coast still remained, and to carry onthe tidings of their own experiences to Algiers; or, in the event of thesouthern shore having actually disappeared, they would make their waynorthwards and put themselves in communication with the population onthe river banks of Europe.
Before starting, it was indisp
ensable that the engine of the _Dobryna_should be repaired: to sail under canvas only would in contrary windsand rough seas be both tedious and difficult. The stock of coal onboard was adequate for two months' consumption; but as it would atthe expiration of that time be exhausted, it was obviously the partof prudence to employ it in reaching a port where fuel could bereplenished.
The damage sustained by the engine proved to be not very serious; andin three days after her arrival the _Dobryna_ was again ready to put tosea.
Servadac employed the interval in making the count acquainted withall he knew about his small domain. They made an entire circuit ofthe island, and both agreed that it must be beyond the limits of thatcircumscribed territory that they must seek an explanation of what hadso strangely transpired.
It was on the last day of January that the repairs of the schooner werecompleted. A slight diminution in the excessively high temperature whichhad prevailed for the last few weeks, was the only apparent change inthe general order of things; but whether this was to be attributed toany alteration in the earth's orbit was a question which would stillrequire several days to decide. The weather remained fine, and althougha few clouds had accumulated, and might have caused a trifling fallof the barometer, they were not sufficiently threatening to delay thedeparture of the _Dobryna_.
Doubts now arose, and some discussion followed, whether or not it wasdesirable for Ben Zoof to accompany his master. There were variousreasons why he should be left behind, not the least important being thatthe schooner had no accommodation for horses, and the orderly would havefound it hard to part with Zephyr, and much more with his own favoriteGalette; besides, it was advisable that there should be some one left toreceive any strangers that might possibly arrive, as well as to keep aneye upon the herds of cattle which, in the dubious prospect before them,might prove to be the sole resource of the survivors of the catastrophe.Altogether, taking into consideration that the brave fellow would incurno personal risk by remaining upon the island, the captain was inducedwith much reluctance to forego the attendance of his servant, hopingvery shortly to return and to restore him to his country, when he hadascertained the reason of the mysteries in which they were enveloped.
On the 31st, then, Ben Zoof was "invested with governor's powers," andtook an affecting leave of his master, begging him, if chance shouldcarry him near Montmartre, to ascertain whether the beloved "mountain"had been left unmoved.
Farewells over, the _Dobryna_ was carefully steered through the creek,and was soon upon the open sea.