in search of the castaways-第4章

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ed　orders　accordingly；　and　went　out　to　deliver　them　to　the　mate。　〃Now；　friends；〃　said　Lord　Glenarvan；　〃let　us　go　on　with　our　investigations；　for　we　are　on　the　track　of　a　great　catastrophe；　and　the　lives　of　several　human　beings　depend　on　our　sagacity。　We　must　give　our　whole　minds　to　the　solution　of　this　enigma。〃　〃First　of　all；　there　are　three　very　distinct　things　to　be　considered　in　this　documentthe　things　we　know；　the　things　we　may　conjecture；　the　things　we　do　not　know。〃　〃What　are　those　we　know？　　We　know　that　on　the　7th　of　June　a　three…mast　vessel；　the　BRITANNIA　of　Glasgow；　foundered；　that　two　sailors　and　the　captain　threw　this　document　into　the　sea　in　37　degrees　11〃　latitude；　and　they　entreat　help。〃　〃Exactly　so；〃　said　the　Major。　〃What　are　those　now　we　may　conjecture？〃　continued　Glenarvan。　　〃That　the　shipwreck　occurred　in　the　southern　seas；　and　here　I　would　draw　your　attention　at　once　to　the　incomplete　word　GONIE。　　Doesn't　the　name　of　the　country　strike　you　even　in　the　mere　mention　of　it？〃　〃Patagonia！〃　exclaimed　Lady　Helena。　〃Undoubtedly。〃　〃But　is　Patagonia　crossed　by　the　37th　parallel？〃　asked　the　Major。　〃That　is　easily　ascertained；〃　said　the　captain；　opening　a　map　of　South　America。　　〃Yes；　it　is；　Patagonia　just　touches　the　37th　parallel。　It　cuts　through　Araucania；　goes　along　over　the　Pampas　to　the　north；　and　loses　itself　in　the　Atlantic。〃　〃Well；　let　us　proceed　then　with　our　conjectures。　　The　two　sailors　and　the　captain　LANDland　where？　　CONTINon　a　continent；　on　a　continent；　mark　you；　not　an　island。　　What　becomes　of　them？　There　are　two　letters　here　providentially　which　give　a　clew　to　their　fatePR；　that　must　mean　prisoners；　and　CRUEL　INDIAN　is　evidently　the　meaning　of　the　next　two　words。　　These　unfortunate　men　are　captives　in　the　hands　of　cruel　Indians。　　Don't　you　see　it？　Don't　the　words　seem　to　come　of　themselves；　and　fill　up　the　blanks？　Isn't　the　document　quite　clear　now？　　Isn't　the　sense　self…evident？〃　Glenarvan　spoke　in　a　tone　of　absolute　conviction；　and　his　enthusiastic　confidence　appeared　contagious；　for　the　others　all　exclaimed；　too；　〃Yes；　it　is　evident；　quite　evident！〃　After　an　instant；　Lord　Edward　said　again；　〃To　my　own　mind　the　hypothesis　is　so　plausible；　that　I　have　no　doubt　whatever　the　event　occurred　on　the　coast　of　Patagonia；　but　still　I　will　have　inquiries　made　in　Glasgow；　as　to　the　destination　of　the　BRITANNIA；　and　we　shall　know　if　it　is　possible　she　could　have　been　wrecked　on　those　shores。〃　〃Oh；　there's　no　need　to　send　so　far　to　find　out　that；〃　said　John　Mangles。　　〃I　have　the　_Mercantile　and　Shipping　Gazette_　here；　and　we'll　see　the　name　on　the　list；　and　all　about　it。〃　〃Do　look　at　once；　then；〃　said　Lord　Glenarvan。　The　file　of　papers　for　the　year　1862　was　soon　brought；　and　John　began　to　turn　over　the　leaves　rapidly；　running　down　each　page　with　his　eye　in　search　of　the　name　required。　But　his　quest　was　not　long；　for　in　a　few　minutes　he　called　out：　〃I've　got　it！　　'May　30；　1862；　Peru…Callao；　with　cargo　for　Glasgow；　the　BRITANNIA；　Captain　Grant。'〃　〃Grant！〃　exclaimed　Lord　Glenarvan。　　〃That　is　the　adventurous　Scotchman　that　attempted　to　found　a　new　Scotland　on　the　shores　of　the　Pacific。〃　〃Yes；〃　rejoined　John　Mangles；　〃it　is　the　very　man。　He　sailed　from　Glasgow　in　the　BRITANNIA　in　1861；　and　has　not　been　heard　of　since。〃　〃There　isn't　a　doubt　of　it；　not　a　shadow　of　doubt；〃　repeated　Lord　Glenarvan。　　〃It　is　just　that　same　Captain　Grant。　　The　BRITANNIA　left　Callao　on　the　30th　of　May；　and　on　the　7th　of　June；　a　week　afterward；　she　is　lost　on　the　coast　of　Patagonia。　　The　few　broken　disjointed　words　we　find　in　these　documents　tell　us　the　whole　story。　You　see；　friends；　our　conjectures　hit　the　mark　very　well；　we　know　all　now　except　one　thing；　and　that　is　the　longitude。〃　〃That　is　not　needed　now；　we　know　the　country。　　With　the　latitude　alone；　I　would　engage　to　go　right　to　the　place　where　the　wreck　happened。〃　〃Then　have　we　really　all　the　particulars　now？〃　asked　Lady　Helena。　〃All；　dear　Helena；　I　can　fill　up　every　one　of　these　blanks　the　sea　has　made　in　the　document　as　easily　as　if　Captain　Grant　were　dictating　to　me。〃　And　he　took　up　the　pen；　and　dashed　off　the　following　lines　immediately：　〃On　the　7th　of　June；　1862；　the　three…mast　vessel；　BRITANNIA；　of　Glasgow；　has　sunk　on　the　coast　of　Patagonia；　in　the　southern　hemisphere。　Making　for　the　shore；　two　sailors　and　Captain　Grant　are　about　to　land　on　the　continent；　where　they　will　be　taken　prisoners　by　cruel　Indians。　　They　have　thrown　this　document　into　the　sea；　in　longitude　and　latitude　37　degrees　11〃。　Bring　them　assistance；　or　they　are　lost。〃　〃Capital！　capital！　dear　Edward；〃　said　Lady　Helena。　　〃If　those　poor　creatures　ever　see　their　native　land　again；　it　is　you　they　will　have　to　thank　for　it。〃　〃And　they　will　see　it　again；〃　returned　Lord　Glenarvan；　〃the　statement　is　too　explicit；　and　clear；　and　certain　for　England　to　hesitate　about　going　to　the　aid　of　her　three　sons　cast　away　on　a　desert　coast。　What　she　has　done　for　Franklin　and　so　many　others；　she　will　do　to…day　for　these　poor　shipwrecked　fellows　of　the　BRITANNIA。〃　〃Most　likely　the　unfortunate　men　have　families　who　mourn　their　loss。　Perhaps　this　ill…fated　Captain　Grant　had　a　wife　and　children；〃　suggested　Lady　Helena。　〃Very　true；　my　dear；　and　I'll　not　forget　to　let　them　know　that　there　is　still　hope。　　But　now；　friends；　we　had　better　go　up　on　deck；　as　the　boat　must　be　getting　near　the　harbor。〃　A　carriage　and　post…horses　waited　there；　in　readiness　to　convey　Lady　Helena　and　Major　McNabbs　to　Malcolm　Castle；　and　Lord　Glenarvan　bade　adieu　to　his　young　wife；　and　jumped　into　the　express　train　for　Glasgow。　But　before　starting　he　confided　an　important　missive　to　a　swifter　agent　than　himself；　and　a　few　minutes　afterward　it　flashed　along　the　electric　wire　to　London；　to　appear　next　day　in　the　_Times　and　Morning　Chronicle_　in　the　following　words：　〃For　information　respecting　the　fate　of　the　three…mast　vessel　BRITANNIA；　of　Glasgow；　Captain　Grant；　apply　to　Lord　Glenarvan；　Malcolm　Castle；　Luss；　Dumbartonshire；　Scotland。〃

CHAPTER　III　THE　CAPTAIN'S　CHILDREN

LORD　GLENARVAN'S　fortune　was　enormous；　and　he　spent　it　entirely　in　doing　good。　　His　kindheartedness　was　even　greater　than　his　generosity；　for　the　one　knew　no　bounds；　while　the　other；　of　necessity；　had　its　limits。　　As　Lord　of　Luss　and　〃laird〃　of　Malcolm；　he　represented　his　county　in　the　House　of　Lords；　but；　with　his　Jacobite　ideas；　he　did　not　care　much　for　the　favor　of　the　House　of　Hanover；　and　he　was　looked　upon　coldly　by　the　State　party　in　England；　because　of　the　tenacity　with　which　he　clung　to　the　traditions　of　his　forefathers；　and　his　energetic　resistance　to　the　political　encroachments　of　Southerners。　　And　yet　he　was　not　a　man　behind　the　times；　and　there　was　nothing　little　or　narrow…minded　about　him；　but　while　always　keeping　open　his　ancestral　county　to　progress；　he　was　a　true　Scotchman　at　heart；　and　it　was　for　the　honor　of　Scotland　that　he　competed　in　the　yacht　races　of　the　Royal　Thames　Yacht　Club。　Edward　Glenarvan　was　thirty…two　years　of　age。　　He　was　tall　in　person；　and　had　rather　stern　features；　but　there　was　an　exceeding　sweetness　in　his　look；　and　a　stamp　of　Highland　poetry　about　his　whole　bearing。　He　was　known　to　be　brave　to　excess；　and　full　of　daring　and　chivalry　a　Fer…gus　of　the　nineteenth　century