# Works of Jules Verne/The Mysterious Island/The Secret of the Island/Chapter 12

CHAPTER XII AYRTON'S RESCUE
The next day, the 18th of February, was devoted to the exploration of all that wooded region forming the shore ​from Reptile End to Falls River. The colonists were able to search this forest thoroughly, for, as it was comprised between the two shores of the Serpentine Peninsula, it was only from three to four miles in breadth. The trees, both by their height and their thick foliage, bore witness to the vegetative power of the soil, more astonishing here than in any other part of the island. One might have said that a corner from the virgin forests of America or Africa had been transported into this temperate zone. This led them to conclude that the superb vegetation found a heat in this soil, damp in its upper layer, but warmed in the interior by volcanic fires.
But the colonists' object was not simply to admire the magnificent vegetation. They knew already that in this respect Lincoln Island would have been worthy to take rank in the Canary group, to which the first name given was that of the Happy Isles. Now, alas! their island no longer belonged to them entirely; others had taken possession of it, miscreants polluted its shores, and they must be destroyed to the last man.
No traces were found on the western coast, although they were carefully sought for. No more footprints, no more broken branches, no more deserted camps.
"This does not surprise me," said Cyrus Harding to his companions. "The convicts first landed on the island in the neighborhood of Flotsam Point, and they immediately plunged into the Far West forests, after crossing Tadorn Marsh. They then followed almost the same route that we took on leaving Granite House. This explains the traces we found in the wood. But, arriving on the shore, the convicts saw at once that they would discover no suitable retreat there, and it was then that, going northwards again, they came upon the corral."
"Where they have perhaps returned," said Pencroft.
"I do not think so," answered the engineer, "for they would naturally suppose that our researches would be in that direction. The corral is only a store-house to them, and not a definitive encampment."
"I am of Cyrus' opinion," said the reporter," and I think that it is among the spurs of Mount Franklin that the convicts will have made their lair."
"Then, captain, straight to the corral!" cried Pencroft. ​"We must finish them! Till now we have only lost time!"
"No, my friend," replied the engineer; "you forget that we have a reason for wishing to know if the forests of the Far West do not contain some habitation. Our exploration has a double object, Pencroft. If, on the one hand, we have to chastise crime, we have, on the other, an act of gratitude to perform."
"That was well said, captain," replied the sailor; "but, all the same, it is my opinion that we shall not find that gentleman until he pleases." And truly Pencroft expressed the opinion of all. The stranger's retreat was not less mysterious than was he himself.
That evening the cart halted at the mouth of Falls River. The camp was organized as usual, and the customary precautions were taken for the night. Herbert, become again the vigorous lad he was before his illness, derived great benefit from this life in the open air. His place was no longer in the cart, but at the head of the troop.
The next day, the 19th of February, the colonists, leaving the shore, where, beyond the mouth, basalts of every shape were so picturesquely piled up, ascended the river by its left bank. The road had been already partially cleared in their former excursion made to the west coast. They were now about six miles from Mount Franklin.
The engineer's plan was to survey minutely the valley forming the bed of the river, and cautiously approach the neighborhood of the corral; if the corral was occupied, to seize it by force; if it was not, to intrench themselves there and make it the center of the operations which had for their object the exploration of Mount Franklin.
This plan was unanimously approved by the colonists, for they were impatient to regain entire possession of their island. They made their way then along the narrow valley separating two of the largest spurs of Mount Franklin. The trees, crowded on the river's bank, became rare on the upper slopes of the mountain. The ground was hilly and rough, very suitable for ambushes; and they did not venture without extreme precaution. Top and Jup skirmished on the flanks, springing right and left through the thick brushwood, and emulating each other in intelligence and activity. But nothing showed that the banks of the stream had been recently frequented—nothing announced either ​the presence or the proximity of the convicts. Towards five in the evening the cart was within 600 feet of the palisade. Only a screen of trees still hid it.
It was necessary to reconnoiter the corral, in order to ascertain if it was occupied. To go there openly, in broad daylight, when the convicts were probably in ambush, would be to expose themselves, as poor Herbert had done, to the fire-arms of the ruffians. It was better, then, to wait until night came on.
Gideon Spilett wished to reconnoiter the approaches at once, and Pencroft, who was quite out of patience, volunteered to accompany him.
"No, my friends," said the engineer, "wait till night. I will not allow one of you to expose himself in open day."
"But captain———" protested the sailor.
"I beg you, Pencroft," said the engineer.
"Very well!" replied the sailor, and vented his anger by bestowing on the convicts the worst names in his vocabulary.
The colonists remained, therefore, near the cart, and carefully watched the neighboring parts of the forest. Three hours passed thus. The wind had fallen, and absolute silence reigned under the great trees. The snapping of the smallest twig, a footstep on the dry leaves, the gliding of a body amongst the grass, would have been heard without difficulty. All was quiet. Besides, Top, lying on the grass, his head stretched out on his paws, gave no sign of uneasiness. At eight o'clock the dark appeared far enough advanced for the reconnoissance to be made under favorable conditions. Gideon Spilett declared himself ready to set out accompanied by Pencroft. Cyrus Harding consented. Top and Jup were to remain with the others, for a bark or a cry at a wrong moment would give the alarm.
"Do not be imprudent," said Harding to the reporter and Pencroft; "you have not to capture the corral, but only to find out whether it is occupied or not."
"All right," answered Pencroft, and the two departed.
Under the trees, the obscurity rendered any object invisible beyond a radius of forty feet. The reporter and Pencroft, halting at every sound, advanced with great caution.
They walked a little distance apart from each other so as ​to offer a less mark for a shot. They expected every moment to hear a report. Five minutes after leaving the cart, they arrived at the edge of the wood before the clearing beyond which rose the palisade. They stopped.
A few straggling beams still fell on the field clear of trees. Thirty feet distant was the gate of the corral, which appeared to be closed. This thirty feet, which it was necessary to cross from the border of the wood to the palisade, constituted the dangerous zone. One or more bullets fired from behind the palisade might knock over anyone who ventured into this zone. Gideon Spilett and the sailor were not men to draw back, but they knew that any imprudence on their part, of which they would be the first victims, would fall afterwards on their companions. If they themselves were killed, what would become of the others.
Pencroft, excited at feeling himself so near the corral where he supposed the convicts lay, was about to press forward, when the reporter held him back with a grasp of iron.
"In a few minutes it will be quite dark," whispered Spilett in the sailor's ear; "then it will the time to act."
Pencroft, convulsively clasping the butt-end of his gun, restrained his eagerness, and waited, swearing to himself.
Soon the last of the twilight faded away. Darkness, which seemed as if it issued from the dense forest, covered the clearing. Mount Franklin rose like an enormous screen before the western horizon, and might spread rapidly over all. Now was the time.
The reporter and Pencroft, since posting themselves on the edge of the wood, had not once lost sight of the palisade. The corral appeared to be absolutely deserted. The top of the palisade formed a line, a little darker than the surrounding shadow, and nothing disturbed its distinctness. Nevertheless, if the convicts were there, they must have posted one of their number to guard against any surprise.
Spilett grasped his companion's hand, and both crept towards the corral, their guns ready to fire. They reached the gate without the darkness and silence being broken.
Pencroft tried to push open the gate, which, as the reporter and he had supposed, was closed. The outer bars had not been put up. It might, then, be concluded that the convicts were there in the corral, and that very probably ​they had fastened the gate within in such a way that it could not be forced open.
Not a sound could be heard inside the palisade. The musmons and the goats, sleeping no doubt in their huts, in no way disturbed the calm of night.
The reporter and the sailor hearing nothing, asked themselves whether they had not better scale the palisades and penetrate into the corral. This would have been contrary to Cyrus Harding's instructions. It is true that the enterprise might succeed, but it might also fail. Now, if the convicts were suspecting nothing, if they knew nothing of the expedition against them, if, lastly, there now existed a chance of surprising them, ought this chance to be lost by inconsiderately attempting to cross the palisade?
One thing was certain, it was possible to reach the palisade without being seen; the gate did not appear to be guarded. This point settled, it seemed better to return to the cart, where they would consult.
In a few minutes the engineer was made acquainted with the state of affairs. "Well," said he, we now have reason to believe that the convicts are now in the corral."
"We shall soon know," said Pencroft, "when we have scaled the palisade."
"To the corral, my friends!" said Cyrus Harding.
"Shall we leave the cart in the wood?" asked Neb.
"No," replied the engineer, "it is our wagon of ammunition and provisions, and, if necessary, it would serve as an intrenchment."
"Forward, then!" said Gideon Spilett.
The cart emerged from the wood and began to roll noiselessly towards the palisade. The darkness was now profound, the silence as complete as when Pencroft and the reporter crept over the ground. The thick grass completely muffled their footsteps. The colonists held themselves ready to fire. Jup, at Pencroft's orders, kept behind. Neb led Top in a leash, to prevent his bounding forward.
The clearing soon came in sight. It was deserted. Without hesitating, the little band moved towards the palisade. In a short space of time the dangerous zone was passed. Not a shot had been fired. When the cart reached the palisade, it stopped. Neb remained at the onagers' ​heads to hold them. The engineer, the reporter, Herbert, and Pencroft, proceeded to the door, in order to ascertain if it was barricaded inside. It was open!
"What do you say now?" asked the engineer, turning to the sailor and Spilett. Both were stupefied.
"I can swear," said Pencroft, "this gate was shut before!"
The colonists hesitated. Had the convicts been in the corral when Pencroft and the reporter made their reconnaissance? They must have been, as the gate then closed could only have been opened by them. Were they still there, or had one of their number just gone out. All these questions rushed into the minds of the colonists, but how could they be answered?
At that moment, Herbert, who had advanced a few steps into the enclosure, drew back hurriedly, and seized Harding's hand.
"What's the matter?" asked the engineer.
"A light!"
"In the house?"
"Yes!" All five advanced and indeed, through the window fronting them, they saw glimmering a feeble light. Cyrus Harding made up his mind rapidly. "It is our only chance," said he to his companions, "of finding the convicts collected in this house, suspecting nothing! They are in our power! Forward!" The colonists crossed through the enclosure, holding their guns ready in their hands. The cart had been left outside under the charge of Jup and Top, who had been prudently tied to it.
Harding, Pencroft, and Spilett on one side, Herbert and Neb on the other, going along by the palisade, surveyed the absolutely dark and deserted corral. In a few moments they were near the closed door of the house.
Harding signed to his companions not to stir, and approaching the window, then feebly lighted by the inner light, he gazed into the apartment. On the table burned a lantern. Near the table was the bed formerly used by Ayrton. On the bed lay the body of a man.
Suddenly Cyrus Harding drew back, and in a hoarse voice, "Ayrton!" he exclaimed.
Immediately the door was forced rather than opened, and the colonists rushed into the room.
Aryton appeared to be asleep. His countenance showed ​that he had long and cruelly suffered. On his wrists and ankles could be seen great bruises.
Harding bent over him. "Ayrton!" cried the engineer, seizing the arm of the man whom he had just found again under such unexpected circumstances.
At this exclamation Ayrton opened his eyes, and, gazing at Harding, then at the others, "You!" he cried, "you?"
"Ayrton! Ayrton!" repeated Harding.
"Where am I?"
"In the house in the corral!"
"Alone?"
"Yes!"
"Defend yourselves! defend yourselves!" and he fell back exhausted.
"But they will return!" cried Ayrton.
"Spilett," exclaimed the engineer, "we may be attacked at any moment. Bring the cart into the corral. Then barricade the door, and all come back here."
Pencroft, Neb, and the reporter hastened to execute the engineer's orders. There was not a moment to be lost. Perhaps even now the cart was in the hands of the convicts! In a moment the reporter and his two companions had crossed the corral and reached the gate of the palisade behind which Top was heard growling sullenly.
The engineer, leaving Ayrton for an instant, came out ready to fire. Herbert was at his side. Both surveyed the crest of the spur overlooking the corral. If the convicts were lying in ambush there, they might knock the settlers over one after the other.
At that moment the moon appeared in the east, above the black curtain of the forest, and a white sheet of light spread over the interior of the enclosure. The corral with its clumps of trees, the little stream which watered it, and its wide carpet of grass, was suddenly illuminated. From the side of the mountain, the house and a part of the palisade stood out white in the moonlight. On the opposite side the enclosure remained dark.
A black mass soon appeared. This was the cart entering the circle of light, and Cyrus Harding could hear the noise made by the door, as his companions shut it and fastened the interior bars. At that moment, Top, breaking loose, began to bark furiously and rushed to the back of the corral, to the right of the house.
​"Be ready to fire, my friends!" cried Harding.
The colonists raised their guns. Top still barked, and Jup, running towards the dog, uttered shrill cries.
The colonists followed him cautiously. They reached the borders of the little stream, where it flowed across the enclosure. There, in the bright moonlight, what did they see? Five corpses, stretched on the bank!
They were those of the convicts who, four months previously, had landed on Lincoln Island!
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