World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 51 Sailor Samba (1)
At the beginning of 1838, two young men from Parisian high society, Viscount Albert Mecerf and Baron Franz d'Epinay, came to Florence.They had agreed in advance to spend the carnival together in Rome this year, and Franz had been living in Italy for the past four years, and he could act as a guide for Albert.Carnival in Rome is not a small matter, not to mention that they do not want to spend the night in the National Square or the Via Compo-Vassino, so they wrote to Pastrini, the owner of the London Hotel in the Spagna Square, to book a comfortable suite.Pastrini wrote back that the hotel only had two bedrooms and a small study on the third floor for them, and the rent was relatively low, one louis a day, and they both agreed.In order to make better use of the spare time, Albert set off again to visit Naples, but Franz remained in Florence.

It didn't take much time for Franz to appreciate the customs and customs of Florence. He visited the Cassina Casino and visited several wealthy families that Florence is proud of. So he had a whim and went to Napoleon's hometown, Cologne. Xijia, now you can go to Elba Island, the land of revival of Napoleon.One evening, he untied a small boat tied to the iron ring in the port of Livorno, lay down in the cabin wrapped in a cloak, and then simply said "to Elba Island" to the crew.The boat sailed out of the harbor like seagulls flying out of their nests, and arrived at Portoferraio on the island of Elba the next day. Island” and embarked again at Maciana.Within two hours of being out of land, he landed again on the island of Pianosa, which he had heard solemnly said to be full of red partridges.But Franz's hunting was not good, he had a hard time getting a few small partridges, and like all exhausted and fruitless hunters, he got into the boat in a bad mood.

"Well, if your excellency pleases," said the captain, "there is room for hunting."

"Where?"

"Did you see the island?" continued the captain, pointing southwards at a looming cone rising from the blue sea.

"Well, what island is this?" asked Franz.

"Island of Monte Cristo," said the Livorno captain.

"But I don't have a permit to go hunting on that island."

"You don't need any permits. This is a desert island."

"Ah, really," said the young man, "a desert island in the Mediterranean is a rare thing."

"It's also natural, Your Excellency. This island is actually just a reef, and there may not be much land on it that can be planted."

"Which country does this island belong to?"

"Belongs to Tuscany (the central region of Italy, which belonged to the Archduke of Austria from 1814 to 1859.)."

"What animal?"

"Thousands of wild goats."

"Grow up by licking rocks," said Franz with a skeptical smile.

"That's not true, but there are briar, myrtle and pistachio in the cracks of the stone, and you can eat the young leaves."

"But where do I sleep?"

"Sleeping on the rocky floor of an island, or in a boat wrapped in a cloak. And, if your lordship wishes, we can go right after the hunt. Your lordship knows that we can sail day and night, and row when the sails are out of use. .”

Franz would have to meet up with Albert later, and he didn't have to worry about his accommodation after arriving in Rome, so he agreed without hesitation, which just saved the tragedy of the hunting just now.When he agreed, the sailors began to murmur.

"What's the matter?" asked Franz, "is there any problem or inconvenience?"

"Nothing," said the captain, "only we must first make it clear to Your Excellency that this island is a free-for-all."

"What do you mean?"

"That is to say, Monte Cristo is uninhabited, so sometimes smugglers and pirates go there to stop and rest. They all come from Corsica, Sardinia or Africa. If someone tells us that we have been on the island, then When we got back to Livorno, we had to spend six days in quarantine."

"Damn it! That's another story! Six days! Just as long as it took God to create the world. Isn't that a little longer, folks?"

"But who will say that your Excellency went to Monte Cristo?"

"Hey, I won't tell."

"Neither of us will tell," said the sailors in unison.

"In that case, let's go to Monte Cristo."

Following the command of the captain, the bow of the ship turned to the island of Monte Cristo, and in this direction, it sailed forward through the waves.Franz just watched the sailors busy. At this time, the ship had embarked on a new route, the sails had been bulging by the sea wind, and the four crew members returned to their respective posts, three at the bow and one at the bow. The stern turned the rudder, and Franz resumed the conversation.

"Gatano," said he, "I think you told me just now that the island of Monte Cristo was a refuge for pirates, and I think it is as much a game of the island as the goat."

"Yes, sir, that is the case."

"I know there are smugglers, but I think, from the capture of Algiers, Algiers was occupied by France in 1830. And the regency refers to the regency of the Duke of Orleans in France from 1715 to 1723. After being overthrown, the pirates are just Cooper19 American writer of the 19th century. and Capt. Mariette, British writer of the early [-]th century. Characters in novels written.”

"Ah, your Excellency is wrong! There are pirates all the time. They are the same as robbers. Everyone thinks that the robbers were exterminated by Pope Leo XII, but there are robbers robbing tourists at the gate of Rome every day. Haven't you heard of it? The French chargé d'affaires at the Vatican were robbed five hundred paces from Velletri, almost six months ago?"

"heard."

"So, if your excellency lived in Leghorn as long as we did, you would hear from time to time that some laden boat, or some splendid English yacht, should have come to Bastia ( Corsican northern port.), or Portoferraio, or Civia Tavecchia, but it never arrived, no one knows what happened to the ship, it must have hit some rocks and sank. Hi, The rock the boat hit was actually a short and narrow boat with six to eight people on board. They hid at the corner of a deserted island and attacked passing boats in the windy, moonlit night, but robbed them all. , This is the same as robbers hiding in the corner of the woods, blocking the road and robbing passing carriages."

"But," asked Franz, who had been lying on the ship, "why didn't those who were robbed complain? Why didn't they ask the French, Sardinian, or Tuscan governments to punish these pirates?"

"Why?" Gaetano asked with a smile.

"Yes, why?"

"Because, first of all, they moved all the moving things on the sailboat or yacht to their small boats, and then they tied up the hands and feet of the crew, and hung a 24-jin iron ball around everyone's neck. There was a hole the size of a wine barrel in the keel of the boat they had intercepted, and they went back on deck, snapped the deck hatch shut, and went back to their own boat. Ten minutes later, the boat started humming, It creaked and sank slowly. The boat first tilted to this side, then to that side, then floated up, then sank again, sinking deeper and deeper, suddenly there was a loud noise, like a cannon fired, It was the air in the cabin that exploded the deck. At this time, the boat began to shake like a drowning person struggling in the water, but with each shaking, the weight of the boat became heavier, and the pressure of the water in the cabin It was extremely large, and water sprayed out from the place where there was a hole, just like a big whale spraying water from its nostrils. Finally, the boat made a hoarse panting sound, made a circle, and sank without a trace. A huge funnel like an abyss was left behind, and the sea water swirled around. After a while, the funnel gradually filled up, and everything disappeared. After 10 minutes, only the eyes of God can see through the calm sea. See where the disappearing ship is hidden on the bottom of the sea. Now you will understand," the captain smiled slightly, and continued, "Why the ship can't reach the port, and why the people on board didn't report to the government?"

If Gaetano had said this before suggesting a hunting trip to Monte Cristo, Franz would most likely have thought twice.But now that they were on the road, he felt it would be cowardly to back off any further.People like him usually don't take the initiative to take risks, but when the danger is really imminent, they can remain calm and calm.A person like him, calm and decisive, regards the dangers in life only as an opponent in a duel, and can see the strength of the opponent from every move and style of the opponent. If the fight is stopped, it is only to take a breath. Not because of cowardice, but also because you can see your own advantages at a glance, and you can kill your opponent with a single blow.

"Alright!" he said, "I have traveled all over Sicily and Calabourg (the name of the region at the southern tip of Italy.), and sailed for two months in the multi-island sea, that is, the waters of the Tuscan Islands in Italy. What pirates and robbers, I even Never seen a shadow."

"I said these words, Your Excellency," Gaetano said, "I didn't mean to make you retreat. If you ask, I have to say. There are questions and answers."

"Yes, Gaetano, what you have said is very interesting, and I really want to take it in. Come on, let's go to Monte Cristo."

It was almost here now, the wind was smooth and cool, and the boat was going forward at six or seven knots an hour.The boat gradually approached the island of Monte Cristo, and the island seemed to break free from the embrace of the sea, and gradually grew larger. Through the clear and clear evening mist, you can see the island with many mountains, as if you saw layers of shells in the armory Usually, you can see red heather and green trees standing upright among the rocks.As for the sailors on the small boat, although they were very calm on the surface, it was not difficult to see that they all looked at the huge mirror with suspicious eyes as if they were seeing a ghost.The boat is gliding on the mirror, and there are a few fishing boats with white sails dotted in the distance, like seagulls, bumping and swaying at the end of the waves.

The sun began to set behind Corsica and they were only 15 nautical miles from Monte Cristo.On the right side of the boat, the mountains of Corsica are clearly visible, and the skyline clearly outlines the jagged and scattered peaks. This huge stone piled up is like the giant Adamastor (the legendary ghost that haunts the Cape of Good Hope. ), towering tall and aggressive in front of this lone leaf, the sun is blocked, and only the upper half that remains is still shining with gold.The shadow gradually rises from the sea, as if chasing away the afterglow of the setting sun.The afterglow was finally driven to the top of the sharp mountain, but it could only linger for a moment like a ray of fire from a volcanic eruption. At last, the shadow rose and gradually covered the mountain from bottom to top, and Corsica has become Into gray, more and more hazy mountains.Half an hour later it was pitch black.

Fortunately, this part of the sea was frequented by the crew, and they knew every reef in the waters of the Tuscan Islands. At this time, the night was so dark, and there was only darkness around the boat, Franz could not but feel anxious.Corsica is gone, but Monte Cristo is also gone.But the sailors were like big lynxes, they seemed to be able to see things in the dark, and the helmsman was steering the rudder without any hesitation.More than an hour after the sun had set, Franz felt a dark mass a quarter of a nautical mile away on the left, but he couldn't identify what it was, and he was afraid that he might mistake the clouds for land and make the sailors laugh. , I didn’t ask any more questions, and suddenly, a large group of light flashed on the shore, and the land looked like a cloud, but the fire did not disappear like a meteor. "What is this light?" he asked.

"Hush, don't make a sound!" said the captain. "It's a fire."

"But you told me that the island is uninhabited!"

"I said that no one lives on the island, but I also said that this island is a resting place for smugglers."

"Are the pirates coming too?"

"The pirates are coming too," Gaetano deliberately repeated Franz's words, "so I have ordered to sail across the island without stopping. You see, the fire is already behind us."

"But the fire," went on Franz, "I think it ought to be reassuring rather than worrying. If someone doesn't want to be seen, there won't be a fire."

"Well, that's nothing to say," said Gaetano, "but that you can see where the island is in the dark, and that a little fire like this cannot be seen either from the shore or from Pianozha, It can only be seen at sea."

"So you're worried that the firelight means we're going to meet bad guys?"

"That's something to figure out," Gaetano said, keeping his eyes fixed on the spark on land.

"How to find out?"

"You'll find out after a while."

Having said that, Gaetano discussed with his companions.They talked for 5 minutes, and then quietly and quietly operated, the boat turned around and turned back towards the coming sea road. After a few seconds, the fire disappeared, blocked by a raised ridge on the land.At this time, the helmsman turned the rudder, and the boat changed direction again. I watched the boat rush towards the island, and in a flash, the boat was only more than 50 steps away from the island.Gaetano lowered the sail and the boat stopped moving.All movements were silent, and not a single word was spoken on board the ship since it changed course.It was Gaetano's idea to come here, so he took all the responsibility on himself.The eyes of the four sailors never left him for a moment, and at the same time they all got their oars ready. Obviously, they were all ready to paddle immediately if something happened, and it was so dark that it was not difficult to escape.As for Franz, still as calm as we have just said, he checked his weapons. He carried a total of two pistols and a carbine, while he loaded them all, and checked them at last. Trigger, so quietly waited.

At the same time the captain took off his pea coat and shirt, and tightened the girdle of his trousers, for being barefoot he had no shoes or stockings to do off.Having dressed, or rather undressed, he put his finger to his lips in a gesture of absolute silence, then slipped slowly into the water, and swam towards the shore with the utmost care that not a sound could be heard from the side. There is no sound, and you can only see him by following the sparkling water waves caused by his paddling.In an instant, the waves disappeared, and it was obvious that he had landed.The people on the boat waited quietly, and half an hour later, they saw the same waves aroused on the shore as before.The water waves gradually approached the boat, and after a while, Gaetano returned to the boat after two vigorous strokes.

"How is it?" asked Franz and the sailors in unison.

"My fellow," said he, "are some Spanish smugglers, and two Corsican bandits with them."

"How did these two Corsican bandits get mixed up with Spanish smugglers?"

"Hey, God," continued Gaetano, in a voice full of profound Christian kindness, "my lord, men must help one another. Robbers are often pursued by gendarmes or carbine-armed soldiers on land." Well, hey, they found a boat ahead, and it was full of good people like us, so they came and begged us to let them come to our wandering cabin as guests. They are cornered. It's very pitiful to see them. Don't save them? So we picked them up on the boat, and for absolute safety, we sailed to the sea. We didn't make any effort, but our own lives were saved, at least our freedom was preserved. When the time comes, they will miss us If you have been helpful, you will tell us which place is good, and we can go there to unload the goods without causing troublesome people to come to us."

"Oh, that's why," said Franz, "you do some smuggling too, my dear Gaetano?"

"Well, what can you do, sir?" said he, with an indescribable smile on his lips. "If you want to live, you must do a little of everything."

"Then, are you acquainted with those who are now on Monte Cristo?"

"Almost. We sailors are like Masons. We can know each other by some kind of code."

"Do you think there is anything to worry about if we go ashore too?"

"Don't worry at all, smugglers are not thieves."

"But those two Corsican robbers..." said Franz, thinking of the danger.

"Oh, my God," said Gaetano, "it's not their fault for being robbers, it's the authorities' fault."

"how could be?"

"Isn't it obvious! They did nothing but flay a piece of skin, and they hunted endlessly, as if it were not in the nature of a Corsican to take revenge."

"What do you mean by peeling a piece of skin? Did you kill someone?" Franz asked inquisitively.

"It's killing an enemy, as I say," said the captain. "That's not the same thing."

"Well," said the young man, "let's go and ask the smugglers and robbers for a place to live. Do you think they will?"

"Definitely."

"How many are they?"

"Four, Your Excellency, plus two robbers, a total of six people."

"Well, just as many as we are. If these gentlemen are unkind to us, we'll be evenly matched, so we'll be able to hold them. Well, for the last time, go up to Monte Cristo."

"Yes, sir, but can you let us prepare a few hands first?"

"Need to say, brother? Be like Nestor ② Homer's military chief, the former is famous for his foresight, the latter for his cunning and war. You are allowed and encouraged to do so."

"That's good! Don't make a sound from now on!" Gaetano said.

(End of this chapter)