in search of the castaways-第15章

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　distant。　Glenarvan　found　no　difficulty　in　procuring　two　fleet　horses；　and　he　and　Paganel　were　soon　within　the　walls　of　the　great　city；　due　to　the　enterprising　genius　of　Valdivia；　the　valiant　comrade　of　the　Pizarros。　How　it　was　shorn　of　its　ancient　splendor！　　Often　pillaged　by　the　natives；　burned　in　1819；　it　lay　in　desolation　and　ruins；　its　walls　still　blackened　by　the　flames；　scarcely　numbering　8；000　inhabitants；　and　already　eclipsed　by　Talcahuano。　　The　grass　was　growing　in　the　streets；　beneath　the　lazy　feet　of　the　citizens；　and　all　trade　and　business；　indeed　any　description　of　activity；　was　impossible。　The　notes　of　the　mandolin　resounded　from　every　balcony；　and　languishing　songs　floated　on　the　breeze。　　Concepcion；　the　ancient　city　of　brave　men；　had　become　a　village　of　women　and　children。　Lord　Glenarvan　felt　no　great　desire　to　inquire　into　the　causes　of　this　decay；　though　Paganel　tried　to　draw　him　into　a　discussion　on　the　subject。　　He　would　not　delay　an　instant；　but　went　straight　on　to　the　house　of　Mr。　Bentic；　her　Majesty's　Consul；　who　received　them　very　courteously；　and；　on　learning　their　errand；　undertook　to　make　inquiries　all　along　the　coast。　But　to　the　question　whether　a　three…mast　vessel；　called　the　BRITANNIA；　had　gone　ashore　either　on　the　Chilian　or　Araucanian　coast；　he　gave　a　decided　negative。　　No　report　of　such　an　event　had　been　made　to　him；　or　any　of　the　other　consuls。　　Glenarvan；　however；　would　not　allow　himself　to　be　disheartened；　he　went　back　to　Talcahuano；　and　spared　neither　pains　nor　expense　to　make　a　thorough　investigation　of　the　whole　seaboard。　But　it　was　all　in　vain。　　The　most　minute　inquiries　were　fruitless；　and　Lord　Glenarvan　returned　to　the　yacht　to　report　his　ill　success。　Mary　Grant　and　her　brother　could　not　restrain　their　grief。　Lady　Helena　did　her　best　to　comfort　them　by　loving　caresses；　while　Jacques　Paganel　took　up　the　document　and　began　studying　it　again。　He　had　been　poring　over　it　for　more　than　an　hour　when　Glenarvan　interrupted　him　and　said：　〃Paganel！　　I　appeal　to　your　sagacity。　　Have　we　made　an　erroneous　interpretation　of　the　document？　　Is　there　anything　illogical　about　the　meaning？〃　Paganel　was　silent；　absorbed　in　reflection。　〃Have　we　mistaken　the　place　where　the　catastrophe　occurred？〃　continued　Glenarvan。　　〃Does　not　the　name　Patagonia　seem　apparent　even　to　the　least　clear…sighted　individual？〃　Paganel　was　still　silent。　〃Besides；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃does　not　the　word　INDIEN　prove　we　are　right？〃　〃Perfectly　so；〃　replied　McNabbs。　〃And　is　it　not　evident；　then；　that　at　the　moment　of　writing　the　words；　the　shipwrecked　men　were　expecting　to　be　made　prisoners　by　the　Indians？〃　〃I　take　exception　to　that；　my　Lord；〃　said　Paganel；　〃and　even　if　your　other　conclusions　are　right；　this；　at　least；　seemed　to　me　irrational。〃　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Lady　Helena；　while　all　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　geographer。　〃I　mean　this；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃that　Captain　Grant　is　_now　a　prisoner　among　the　Indians_；　and　I　further　add　that　the　document　states　it　unmistakably。〃　〃Explain　yourself；　sir；〃　said　Mary　Grant。　〃Nothing　is　plainer；　dear　Mary。　　Instead　of　reading　the　document　_seront　prisonniers_；　read　_sont　prisonniers_；　and　the　whole　thing　is　clear。〃　〃But　that　is　impossible；〃　replied　Lord　Glenarvan。　〃Impossible！　and　why；　my　noble　friend？〃　asked　Paganel；　smiling。　〃Because　the　bottle　could　only　have　been　thrown　into　the　sea　just　when　the　vessel　went　to　pieces　on　the　rocks；　and　consequently　the　latitude　and　longitude　given　refer　to　the　actual　place　of　the　shipwreck。〃　〃There　is　no　proof　of　that；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃and　I　see　nothing　to　preclude　the　supposition　that　the　poor　fellows　were　dragged　into　the　interior　by　the　Indians；　and　sought　to　make　known　the　place　of　their　captivity　by　means　of　this　bottle。〃　〃Except　this　fact；　my　dear　Paganel；　that　there　was　no　sea；　and　therefore　they　could　not　have　flung　the　bottle　into　it。〃　〃Unless　they　flung　it　into　rivers　which　ran　into　the　sea；〃　returned　Paganel。　This　reply　was　so　unexpected；　and　yet　so　admissible；　that　it　made　them　all　completely　silent　for　a　minute；　though　their　beaming　eyes　betrayed　the　rekindling　of　hope　in　their　hearts。　Lady　Helena　was　the　first　to　speak。　〃What　an　idea！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃And　what　a　good　idea；〃　was　Paganel's　naive　rejoinder　to　her　exclamation。　〃What　would　you　advise；　then？〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃My　advice　is　to　follow　the　37th　parallel　from　the　point　where　it　touches　the　American　continent　to　where　it　dips　into　the　Atlantic；　without　deviating　from　it　half　a　degree；　and　possibly　in　some　part　of　its　course　we　shall　fall　in　with　the　shipwrecked　party。〃　〃There　is　a　poor　chance　of　that；〃　said　the　Major。　〃Poor　as　it　is；〃　returned　Paganel；　〃we　ought　not　to　lose　it。　If　I　am　right　in　my　conjecture；　that　the　bottle　has　been　carried　into　the　sea　on　the　bosom　of　some　river；　we　cannot　fail　to　find　the　track　of　the　prisoners。　　You　can　easily　convince　yourselves　of　this　by　looking　at　this　map　of　the　country。〃　He　unrolled　a　map　of　Chili　and　the　Argentine　provinces　as　he　spoke；　and　spread　it　out　on　the　table。　〃Just　follow　me　for　a　moment；〃　he　said；　〃across　the　American　continent。　Let　us　make　a　stride　across　the　narrow　strip　of　Chili；　and　over　the　Cordilleras　of　the　Andes；　and　get　into　the　heart　of　the　Pampas。　　Shall　we　find　any　lack　of　rivers　and　streams　and　currents？　No；　for　here　are　the　Rio　Negro　and　Rio　Colorado；　and　their　tributaries　intersected　by　the　37th　parallel；　and　any　of　them　might　have　carried　the　bottle　on　its　waters。　　Then；　perhaps；　in　the　midst　of　a　tribe　in　some　Indian　settlement　on　the　shores　of　these　almost　unknown　rivers；　those　whom　I　may　call　my　friends　await　some　providential　intervention。　Ought　we　to　disappoint　their　hopes？　　Do　you　not　all　agree　with　me　that　it　is　our　duty　to　go　along　the　line　my　finger　is　pointing　out　at　this　moment　on　the　map；　and　if　after　all　we　find　I　have　been　mistaken；　still　to　keep　straight　on　and　follow　the　37th　parallel　till　we　find　those　we　seek；　if　even　we　go　right　round　the　world？〃　His　generous　enthusiasm　so　touched　his　auditors　that；　involuntarily；　they　rose　to　their　feet　and　grasped　his　hands；　while　Robert　exclaimed　as　he　devoured　the　map　with　his　eyes：　〃Yes；　my　father　is　there！〃　〃And　where　he　is；〃　replied　Glenarvan；　〃we'll　manage　to　go；　my　boy；　and　find　him。　　Nothing　can　be　more　logical　than　Paganel's　theory；　and　we　must　follow　the　course　he　points　out　without　the　least　hesitation。　Captain　Grant　may　have　fallen　into　the　hands　of　a　numerous　tribe；　or　his　captors　may　be　but　a　handful。　　In　the　latter　case　we　shall　carry　him　off　at　once；　but　in　the　event　of　the　former；　after　we　have　reconnoitered　the　situation；　we　must　go　back　to　the　DUNCAN　on　the　eastern　coast　and　get　to　Buenos　Ayres；　where　we　can　soon　organize　a　detachment　of　men；　with　Major　McNabbs　at　their　head；　strong　enough　to　tackle　all　the　Indians　in　the　Argentine　provinces。〃　〃That's　capital；　my　Lord；〃　said　John　Mangles；　〃and　I　may　add；　that　there　is　no　danger　whatever　crossing　the　continent。〃　〃Monsieur　Paganel；〃　asked　Lady　Helena；　〃you　have　no　fear　then　that　if　the　poor　fellows　have　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　Indians　their　lives　at　least　have　been　spared。〃　〃What　a　question？　　Why；　madam；　the　Indians　are　not　anthropophagi！　Far　from　it。　　One　of　my　own　countrymen；　M。　Guinnard；　associ