In Search of the Castaways [199]
this letter?" "It contained orders to leave Melbourne without delay, and go and cruise on the eastern coast of--" "Australia!" said Glenarvan with such vehemence that the old sailor was somewhat disconcerted. "Of Australia?" repeated Tom, opening his eyes. "No, but New Zealand." "Australia, Tom! Australia!" they all cried with one voice. Austin's head began to feel in a whirl. Glenarvan spoke with such assurance that he thought after all he must have made a mistake in reading the letter. Could a faithful, exact old servant like himself have been guilty of such a thing! He turned red and looked quite disturbed. "Never mind, Tom," said Lady Helena. "God so willed it." "But, no, madam, pardon me," replied old Tom. "No, it is impossible, I was not mistaken. Ayrton read the letter as I did, and it was he, on the contrary, who wished to bring me to the Australian coast." "Ayrton!" cried Glenarvan. "Yes, Ayrton himself. He insisted it was a mistake: that you meant to order me to Twofold Bay." "Have you the letter still, Tom?" asked the Major, extremely interested in this mystery. "Yes, Mr. McNabbs," replied Austin. "I'll go and fetch it." V. IV Verne He ran at once to his cabin in the forecastle. During his momentary absence they gazed at each other in silence, all but the Major, who crossed his arms and said: "Well, now, Paganel, you must own this would be going a little too far." "What?" growled Paganel, looking like a gigantic note of interrogation, with his spectacles on his forehead and his stooping back. Austin returned directly with the letter written by Paganel and signed by Glenarvan. "Will your Honor read it?" he said, handing it to him. Glenarvan took the letter and read as follows: "Order to Tom Austin to put out to sea without delay, and to take the Duncan, by latitude 37 degrees to the eastern coast of New Zealand!" "New Zealand!" cried Paganel, leaping up. And he seized the letter from Glenarvan, rubbed his eyes, pushed down his spectacles on his nose, and read it for himself. "New Zealand!" he repeated in an indescribable tone, letting the order slip between his fingers. That same moment he felt a hand laid on his shoulder, and turning round found himself face to face with the Major, who said in a grave tone: "Well, my good Paganel, after all, it is a lucky thing you did not send the DUNCAN to Cochin China!" This pleasantry finished the poor geographer. The crew burst out into loud Homeric laughter. Paganel ran about like a madman, seized his head with both hands and tore his hair. He neither knew what he was doing nor what he wanted to do. He rushed down the poop stairs mechanically and paced the deck, nodding to himself and going straight before without aim or object till he reached the forecastle. There his feet got entangled in a coil of rope. He stumbled and fell, accidentally catching hold of a rope with both hands in his fall. Suddenly a tremendous explosion was heard. The forecastle gun had gone off, riddling the quiet calm of the waves with a volley of small shot. The unfortunate Paganel had caught hold of the cord of the loaded gun. The geographer was thrown down the forecastle ladder and disappeared below. A cry of terror succeeded the surprise produced by the explosion. Everybody thought something terrible must have happened. The sailors rushed between decks and lifted up Paganel, almost bent double. The geographer uttered no sound. They carried his long body onto the poop. His companions were in despair. The Major, who was always the surgeon on great occasions, began to strip the unfortunate that he might dress his wounds; but he had scarcely put his hands on the dying man when he started up as if touched by an electrical machine. "Never! never!" he exclaimed, and pulling his ragged coat tightly round him, he began buttoning it up in a strangely excited manner. "But, Paganel," began the Major. "No, I tell you!" "I must examine--" "You shall not examine." "You may perhaps have broken--" continued McNabbs. "Yes," continued Paganel, getting up on his long legs, "but what I have broken