in search of the castaways-第2章

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ty　was　not；　they　knew　the　brute　had　no　very　delicate　appetite；　and　the　contents　of　his　stomach　might　be　worth　investigation。　This　is　the　common　practice　on　all　ships　when　a　shark　is　captured；　but　Lady　Glenarvan　declined　to　be　present　at　such　a　disgusting　exploration；　and　withdrew　to　the　cabin　again。　　The　fish　was　still　breathing；　it　measured　ten　feet　in　length；　and　weighed　more　than　six　hundred　pounds。　This　was　nothing　extraordinary；　for　though　the　hammer…headed　shark　is　not　classed　among　the　most　gigantic　of　the　species；　it　is　always　reckoned　among　the　most　formidable。　The　huge　brute　was　soon　ripped　up　in　a　very　unceremonious　fashion。　The　hook　had　fixed　right　in　the　stomach；　which　was　found　to　be　absolutely　empty；　and　the　disappointed　sailors　were　just　going　to　throw　the　remains　overboard；　when　the　boatswain's　attention　was　attracted　by　some　large　object　sticking　fast　in　one　of　the　viscera。　〃I　say！　what's　this？〃　he　exclaimed。　〃That！〃　replied　one　of　the　sailors；　〃why；　it's　a　piece　of　rock　the　beast　swallowed　by　way　of　ballast。〃　〃It's　just　a　bottle；　neither　more　nor　less；　that　the　fellow　has　got　in　his　inside；　and　couldn't　digest；〃　said　another　of　the　crew。　〃Hold　your　tongues；　all　of　you！〃　said　Tom　Austin；　the　mate　of　the　DUNCAN。　　〃Don't　you　see　the　animal　has　been　such　an　inveterate　tippler　that　he　has　not　only　drunk　the　wine；　but　swallowed　the　bottle？〃　〃What！〃　said　Lord　Glenarvan。　　〃Do　you　mean　to　say　it　is　a　bottle　that　the　shark　has　got　in　his　stomach。〃　〃Ay；　it　is　a　bottle；　most　certainly；〃　replied　the　boatswain；　〃but　not　just　from　the　cellar。〃　〃Well；　Tom；　be　careful　how　you　take　it　out；〃　said　Lord　Glenarvan；　〃for　bottles　found　in　the　sea　often　contain　precious　documents。〃　〃Do　you　think　this　does？〃　said　Major　McNabbs；　incredulously。　〃It　possibly　may；　at　any　rate。〃　〃Oh！　　I'm　not　saying　it　doesn't。　There　may　perhaps　be　some　secret　in　it；〃　returned　the　Major。　〃That's　just　what　we're　to　see；〃　said　his　cousin。　　〃Well；　Tom。〃　〃Here　it　is；〃　said　the　mate；　holding　up　a　shapeless　lump　he　had　managed　to　pull　out；　though　with　some　difficulty。　〃Get　the　filthy　thing　washed　then；　and　bring　it　to　the　cabin。〃　Tom　obeyed；　and　in　a　few　minutes　brought　in　the　bottle　and　laid　it　on　the　table；　at　which　Lord　Glenarvan　and　the　Major　were　sitting　ready　with　the　captain；　and；　of　course　Lady　Helena；　for　women；　they　say；　are　always　a　little　curious。　　Everything　is　an　event　at　sea。　For　a　moment　they　all　sat　silent；　gazing　at　this　frail　relic；　wondering　if　it　told　the　tale　of　sad　disaster；　or　brought　some　trifling　message　from　a　frolic…loving　sailor；　who　had　flung　it　into　the　sea　to　amuse　himself　when　he　had　nothing　better　to　do。　However；　the　only　way　to　know　was　to　examine　the　bottle；　and　Glenarvan　set　to　work　without　further　delay；　so　carefully　and　minutely；　that　he　might　have　been　taken　for　a　coroner　making　an　inquest。　He　commenced　by　a　close　inspection　of　the　outside。　The　neck　was　long　and　slender；　and　round　the　thick　rim　there　was　still　an　end　of　wire　hanging；　though　eaten　away　with　rust。　The　sides　were　very　thick；　and　strong　enough　to　bear　great　pressure。　It　was　evidently　of　Champagne　origin；　and　the　Major　said　immediately；　〃That's　one　of　our　Clicquot's　bottles。〃　Nobody　contradicted　him；　as　he　was　supposed　to　know；　but　Lady　Helena　exclaimed；　〃What　does　it　matter　about　the　bottle；　if　we　don't　know　where　it　comes　from？〃　〃We　shall　know　that；　too；　presently；　and　we　may　affirm　this　much　already　it　comes　from　a　long　way　off。　　Look　at　those　petrifactions　all　over　it；　these　different　substances　almost　turned　to　mineral；　we　might　say；　through　the　action　of　the　salt　water！　　This　waif　had　been　tossing　about　in　the　ocean　a　long　time　before　the　shark　swallowed　it。〃　〃I　quite　agree　with　you；〃　said　McNabbs。　　〃I　dare　say　this　frail　concern　has　made　a　long　voyage；　protected　by　this　strong　covering。〃　〃But　I　want　to　know　where　from？〃　said　Lady　Glenarvan。　〃Wait　a　little；　dear　Helena；　wait；　we　must　have　patience　with　bottles；　but　if　I　am　not　much　mistaken；　this　one　will　answer　all　our　questions；〃　replied　her　husband；　beginning　to　scrape　away　the　hard　substances　round　the　neck。　　Soon　the　cork　made　its　appearance；　but　much　damaged　by　the　water。　〃That's　vexing；〃　said　Lord　Edward；　〃for　if　papers　are　inside；　they'll　be　in　a　pretty　state！〃　〃It's　to　be　feared　they　will；〃　said　the　Major。　〃But　it　is　a　lucky　thing　the　shark　swallowed　them；　I　must　say；〃　added　Glenarvan；　〃for　the　bottle　would　have　sunk　to　the　bottom　before　long　with　such　a　cork　as　this。〃　〃That's　true　enough；〃　replied　John　Mangles；　〃and　yet　it　would　have　been　better　to　have　fished　them　up　in　the　open　sea。　Then　we　might　have　found　out　the　road　they　had　come　by　taking　the　exact　latitude　and　longitude；　and　studying　the　atmospheric　and　submarine　currents；　but　with　such　a　postman　as　a　shark；　that　goes　against　wind　and　tide；　there's　no　clew　whatever　to　the　starting…point。〃　〃We　shall　see；〃　said　Glenarvan；　gently　taking　out　the　cork。　A　strong　odor　of　salt　water　pervaded　the　whole　saloon；　and　Lady　Helena　asked　impatiently：　　〃Well；　what　is　there？〃　〃I　was　right！〃　exclaimed　Glenarvan。　　〃I　see　papers　inside。　But　I　fear　it　will　be　impossible　to　remove　them；〃　he　added；　〃for　they　appear　to　have　rotted　with　the　damp；　and　are　sticking　to　the　sides　of　the　bottle。〃　〃Break　it；〃　said　the　Major。　〃I　would　rather　preserve　the　whole　if　I　could。〃　〃No　doubt　you　would；〃　said　Lady　Helena；　〃but　the　contents　are　more　valuable　than　the　bottle；　and　we　had　better　sacrifice　the　one　than　the　other。〃　〃If　your　Lordship　would　simply　break　off　the　neck；　I　think　we　might　easily　withdraw　the　papers；〃　suggested　John　Mangles。　〃Try　it；　Edward；　try　it；〃　said　Lady　Helena。　Lord　Glenarvan　was　very　unwilling；　but　he　found　there　was　no　alternative；　the　precious　bottle　must　be　broken。　They　had　to　get　a　hammer　before　this　could　be　done；　though；　for　the　stony　material　had　acquired　the　hardness　of　granite。　A　few　sharp　strokes；　however；　soon　shivered　it　to　fragments；　many　of　which　had　pieces　of　paper　sticking　to　them。　These　were　carefully　removed　by　Lord　Glenarvan；　and　separated　and　spread　out　on　the　table　before　the　eager　gaze　of　his　wife　and　friends。　CHAPTER　II　THE　THREE　DOCUMENTS

ALL　that　could　be　discovered；　however；　on　these　pieces　of　paper　was　a　few　words　here　and　there；　the　remainder　of　the　lines　being　almost　completely　obliterated　by　the　action　of　the　water。　Lord　Glenarvan　examined　them　attentively　for　a　few　minutes；　turning　them　over　on　all　sides；　holding　them　up　to　the　light；　and　trying　to　decipher　the　least　scrap　of　writing；　while　the　others　looked　on　with　anxious　eyes。　　At　last　he　said：　〃There　are　three　distinct　documents　here；　apparently　copies　of　the　same　document　in　three　different　languages。　Here　is　one　in　English；　one　in　French；　and　one　in　German。〃　〃But　can　you　make　any　sense　out　of　them？〃　asked　Lady　Helena。　〃That's　hard　to　say；　my　dear　Helena；　the　words　are　quite　incomplete。〃　〃Perhaps　the　one　may　supplement　the　other；〃　suggested　Major　McNabbs。　〃Very　likely　they　will；〃　said　the　captain。　　〃It　is　impossible　that　the　very　same　words　should　have　been　effaced　in　each　document；　and　by　putting　the　scraps　together　we　might　gather　some　intelligible　meaning　out　of　them。〃　〃That's　what　we　will　do；〃　rejoined　Lord　Glenarvan；　〃but　let　us　proceed　methodically。　　Here　is　t