Читать книгу Таинственный остров / The Mysterious Island. Уровень 3 - Жюль Верн, Жуль Верн - Страница 3

They were neither professional aeronauts nor amateurs. They were prisoners of war who succeeded to escape. Their aerial voyage lasted five days. How did it happen?

This same year, in the month of February, 1865, many officers were captured by the enemy. One of the most famous of them was Cyrus Smith[6] . Cyrus Smith was an engineer by profession, and a scientist, to whom the Government gave the direction of the railways.

He was thin, bony, lean, about forty-five years old, with heavy moustache[7] . His muscles showed remarkable firmness. He was highly educated, practical, and clear-headed, his temperament was superb. Cyrus Smith was also the personification of courage.

At the same time with Cyrus Smith another man fell into the hands of the Southerners[8] . This was Gideon Spilett[9] , reporter to the New York Herald[10] . Gideon Spilett obtained exact information and transmitted it to the journal. He was a well-known reporter.

A man of great merit; energetic, prompt, and ready; full of ideas; soldier and artist; resolute in action.

He also was in all the battles, revolver in one hand and notebook in the other. Gideon Spilett was tall. He was forty years old or more. Sandy-colored whiskers encircled his face. His eye was clear and lively.

Cyrus Smith had a devoted servant. This man was black, he was born of slave parents. Smith freed them, but the servant had no desire to leave his master. He was a man of thirty years, vigorous, agile, adroit, intelligent, quick, always smiling and honest. His name was Nebuchadnezzar[11] , but everybody called him Neb.

All these people were in Richmond[12] , and it was very difficult to get out. They were prisoners. The reporter wanted to get out of Richmond at any risk.

Meanwhile, the siege continued. Among the people in the town there was Jonathan Forster[13] , who was a violent Southerner. This Jonathan Forster conceived the idea of passing over the lines of the besiegers in a balloon.

So a balloon was made and placed at the disposal of Forster and five of his companions. They found arms and food. The departure of the balloon was on the 18th of March. On the morning of the 18th there were symptoms of a storm, and soon the tempest began.

The balloon was ready, but the weather was terrible. The night of the 19th and 20th passed, but in the morning the storm was hard, and departure was impossible.

On this day Cyrus Smith in one of the streets of Richmond met a man whom he did not know. It was a sailor named Pencroff[14] , aged from thirty-five to forty years, strongly built, his eyes were bright and glittering. Pencroff came to Richmond on business, he had with him Herbert Brown[15] , of New Jersey[16] , a lad fifteen years old, the son of Pencroff’s captain, and an orphan. Pencroff loved the boy as his own child. He also wanted to get out. He did not hesitate to address Mr. Smith without ceremony.

– Mr. Smith?

The engineer looked at the man who added in a low voice:

– Mr. Smith, do you want to escape?

– How? – answered the engineer, quickly. – Who are you? – he demanded, in a cold voice.

Pencroff told him about himself.

– Well, – replied Smith. – And how do you propose to escape?

– By this idle balloon which is doing nothing, and is ready to take us!

The engineer seized Pencroff by the arm and hurried him to his house. There the sailor explained his project, which was simple enough. The storm was terrible, it is true; but a skilful engineer like Smith knew well how to manage a balloon. He saw many storms in his life.

Cyrus Smith listened to the sailor and he was silent. This was the opportunity! The project was very dangerous, but it was real. During the night, in spite of the guards, they might reach the balloon, creep into the basket, and then cut the lines!

– I am not alone, – said Smith.

– How many people more? – demanded the sailor.

– Two; my friend Spilett, and my man Neb.

– Three, – replied Pencroff; – and, with Herbert and myself, five. Can the balloon carry six?

– Very well. We will go! – said the engineer.

– Tonight, then, – said Pencroff.

– Tonight, at ten o’clock, – replied Smith.

Pencroff returned to his lodging, where he found young Herbert Brown. This brave boy knew the plans of the sailor, and he was ready to go with him.

The storm did not abate. The engineer feared but one thing; that the balloon could be torn into a thousand pieces.

Evening arrived. Thick masses of fog passed over the earth. Rain mingled with snow fell. The weather was cold. The streets of the city were deserted. In such weather, no one guarded the square in which swung the balloon.

– Bad weather, – said Pencroff, holding his hat, which the wind was trying to take off, firmly to his head.

At half past 9, Cyrus Smith and his companions came together at the basket. Without saying a word, four of them took their places in the basket, while Pencroff, under the direction of the engineer, unfastened the bundles of ballast. Then the sailor joined his companions. At that moment, a dog leaped into the basket. It was Top, the dog of the engineer, who had followed his master.

Then the storm burst upon them. The engineer did not dare to descend during the night. It was not until five days later that they saw the sea below them.

So of these five men, who started on the 20th of March, four were thrown, four days later, on a desert coast, more than 6,000 miles from this country. And the one who was missing[17] was their leader, Cyrus Smith.