Chapter 18 20.parting

Paganel's story is brilliantly told.Everyone appreciates it, but everyone reserves their own opinions.Our scholars have achieved what general discussions usually achieve, that is, without convincing anyone.However, everyone agrees on one thing, that is, never lose heart in a difficult environment. Now that there is no palace or hut to live in, I have to endure and live in this tree for the time being. Everyone talked and talked, but they didn't realize that it was getting late, so they had to sleep to end this thrilling day.The guests on the tree were not only exhausted because of being displaced by the flood, but also it was a very hot day. They had been roasting under the scorching sun for a whole day, and they felt unable to support themselves.The birds have gone to rest first.The "Siglo" birds known as the "Panpa Warbler" have stopped their sweet singing, and all the birds on the tree have disappeared into the depths of the shade.The most practical way is to keep up with them and sleep is the best.

However, before everyone went to bed, Glenarvan, Robert, and Paganel climbed up to the "observation platform" to make a final observation of the vast ocean.It was about nine o'clock.The sun was setting slowly westward on the shimmering foggy horizon (nine o'clock in the afternoon in America is equivalent to about six o'clock in ours) and that half of the sky, bounded by the zenith, was bathed in steam.The constellations in the southern hemisphere used to be crystal clear and brilliant, but now they seem to be covered with a layer of tulle, which makes them hazy.It was still discernible, however, and so Paganel took the opportunity to show Robert the splendid constellations of the Antarctic Circle, and Glenarvan was there to teach him.In particular, he pointed out that the "South Pole Cross, the four number one and number two stars are arranged in a rhomboid, which is almost level with the South Pole; there is also the "Sagittarius constellation", which shines on the star closest to the earth; The "Magellan's Nebula", two large clouds, the largest of which appears to be 200 times larger than the moon we see.

One thing is too bad: the "Orion" constellation visible from both poles has not yet come out.But Paganel related to two of his students an interesting feature of Patagonian astrology.These poetic Indians believed that the four stars of the "Orion Constellation", a big "Lasu" and three "Paola", were thrown from the hands of the hunter who was galloping in the sky.All these constellations are reflected on the mirror-like water surface, making people feel as if they are in a double sky, with clear up and down, which is a spectacle. While the learned Paganel was talking in this way, the whole eastern horizon was covered with a scene of torrential rain.A thick, black cloud, unusually well-defined, gradually rose, obscuring the individual stars visibly.This cloud looked terrible, and soon occupied half of the sky, as if covering the half of the sky.Its driving force should be hidden within itself, because there is no wind blowing it outside.The atmosphere of the sky remained absolutely calm.Not a leaf on the tree quivered, not a ripple on the water's surface.Even the air seemed to be gone, as if a huge air extractor had sucked all the air out of the sky.High-voltage electricity filled the entire space, and all living things felt as if they were electrified.

Glenarvan, Paganel, and Robert all felt these currents equally distinctly. "A storm is coming," said Paganel. "Are you afraid of thunder?" Golinarvan asked Robert. "Why are you afraid of thunder, ser?" "That's all right, there's going to be a storm soon." "From the state of the sky, I don't think it's a small storm," Paganel added. "It's not that I'm afraid of the storm, I'm only afraid that the downpour will follow the storm and we'll be drenched to the marrow. Say what you will, Paganel, it's never good for a man to live in a bird's nest, you wait." You'll learn your lesson in a while."

"Ah! Come on with some philosophy!" replied the scholar. "Philosophical cultivation! Philosophical cultivation can never make people drenched!" "Of course it's impossible, but with the cultivation of philosophy, my heart will be warm." "Well, let us go back to our friends, and we will make them wrap themselves up as tightly as possible in their philosophizing and their ponchos, and especially advise them to prepare for the greatest patience, as we will have the need." Glenarvan took one last look at the bluffing sky.At this time, the dense clouds almost completely covered the entire sky.There is barely a gap on both sides, shining in the dim light of dusk.The surface of the water was covered with a dark color, as if a dark cloud was about to meet the heavy mist in the sky.Even the shadows of the night were gone.The sensing power of sound and light cannot reach people's ears.The silence became as deep as the darkness.

"Go down, there will be a thunderstorm!" said Golinavan. He and his two friends slid down the smooth branch.They were amazed to see a startling twilight below.This faint light is emitted by countless water light spots, and those countless small light spots are buzzing and floating on the water surface, intertwining chaotically. "Is it phosphorescence?" asked Glenarvan. "No, they're phosphorous worms, like fireflies, and they're living, cheap diamonds that the ladies of Buenos Aires make into wonderful ornaments!" "What? Those are insects, flying like sparks?" exclaimed Robert.

"Yes, my child." Robert caught a glowing insect.Paganel was right, indeed, that it was a giant bumble-bee, an inch long, which the Indians called "dook-dook."This strange beetle has two spots on the front of its wings, and the light is emitted from these spots. The luminosity is quite strong, and it can illuminate people to read in the dark.Paganel brought the bug closer to his watch.He actually saw the hands pointing to ten o'clock at night. Golinarvan returned to the major and the three sailors, and told them all that they should do during the night.There is a violent storm coming, and one should be prepared.As soon as the thunder sounds, there must be a strong wind, and this "Ombee" tree must shake severely.So he told everyone to tie their bodies to a bed made of branches, and to tie them firmly.If the rain from the sky cannot be avoided, at least prevent the flood on the ground, and don't roll into the rapids rushing towards the foot of the tree.

Everyone said "good night" to each other, but there was no hope of "good night" in their hearts, and then each of them got into their air bedroom, wrapped tightly in the "canopy", and waited for the doze to come. But people are not grass and trees, and when drastic changes in the natural world are about to come, I always feel a vague uneasiness in my heart, which is inevitable even for the strongest people.So the distinguished guests on the tree were irritable and depressed, unable to close their eyelids, and they were all awake when the first thunder rang, which happened just before 11 o'clock, and the thunder still rumbled in the distance. There was a bang.Glenarvan climbed to the end of the branch, risking his head out of the leaves.

The night sky as black as the bottom of a pot was randomly divided into many bright cracks, which were clearly reflected on the lake.The dark clouds all over the sky seemed to be torn in some places, but like a soft cloth, there was no cracking sound.Glenarvan looked at the zenith and then at the horizon.It was all black, and then he was back on top of the trunk. "How is it, Glenarvan?" asked Paganel. "It's coming very fiercely. If it continues like this, the storm will be really terrible." "Very well, since I can't escape, it's also good to see a magnificent sight." He replied excitedly.

"You're going to rattle off that weird theory again!" said the major. "Major. I agree with Glenarvan that the storm was a formidable one. Just now, as I was trying to fall asleep, I remembered some facts that made me look forward to such an astonishing storm. Because we are now in the region of heavy thunderstorms. I don't remember which book I read. In 1793, in this province of Buenos Aires, there were 37 thunderstorms in one storm. I Mr Murthy, a colleague of mine, counted it, and there was one that rang continuously for fifty-five minutes." "Watch in hand?" said the major.

"The watch is counted in the hand... But," continued Paganel, "if it is to avoid danger, I have a thought. The highest point on this plain is exactly where we are." A "Wombi" tree. It would be useful to have a lightning rod here, because of all the trees in Pampa, this tree is the one that Thunder Fire is particularly fond of. And, friends, you are not unaware, scientists. They advise people not to hide under trees during a storm." "Well!" said the major, "the time has come for this persuasion!" "I have to admit, Paganel, that you have to wait and see when you make sarcastic remarks!" Glenarvan also spoke in response to his words. "What's the matter! In order to learn some knowledge, any time is good. Ah! The thunder is coming!" More violent thunder interrupted this untimely conversation.The sound of thunder became louder and louder, and its power became more and more ferocious, one after another, getting tighter and tighter.If you use music as a metaphor, it is changing from bass to midrange.After a while the thunder became sharper, and there seemed to be countless orchestral instruments playing rapidly in the atmosphere.The sky was full of flames, and it was impossible to tell which lightning was the source of the thunder in this sea of ​​flames. These continuous rumbles responded to each other and rushed up to the dark sky. The non-stop lightning changes different patterns.Several lightning bolts shot vertically to the ground, and repeated 5-6 times in the same place.There are also some lightnings that can cause people who study this field to get them. The most interesting statistics include only two examples of forked lightning, but there are more than a hundred kinds of forked lightning that occur here.In addition, several lightning bolts divided into countless various branches. At first, they were curved, like coral trees, and shot old tree-shaped light bars on the dark sky, which was extremely complicated and extremely interesting. After a while, the sky from east to north was covered with a large piece of phosphorescence, which was very dazzling.The sky fire gradually meanders and burns.It burned the cloud pile as if burning a large pile of charcoal, reflected on the glass-like water surface, forming a huge fireball.This Ombi tree is right in the center of the ball. Glenarvan and his traveling companions watched the horrific sight in silence.Even if they talk, they cannot hear each other.A large piece of white light leaked directly to their sides, flashing and flashing, flickering, sometimes showing the major's calm face, sometimes showing Robert's frightened look, or showing those few people who are swaying like ghosts. The indifferent faces of the sailors. At this time, the rain has not yet fallen, and the wind is always holding its breath.But after a while, the waterfall in the sky burst, and thousands of rain pillars hung down from the dark sky, like vertical threads of weaving.These heavy raindrops hit the lake, splashed a foam, and were brightly illuminated by the lightning. Does this rain herald the end of the storm?Is it over for Golinarvan and his party after being subjected to continuous violent showers?no!At the most intense moment of the fire fighting that day, suddenly a fist-sized fire ball wrapped in black smoke fell on the end of the horizontally extending main branch.The fireball fell and spun around for a few seconds before it exploded with a thunderclap, just like a bomb, and the general sulfur smell permeated the air.Then there was a moment's silence, and Austin's voice was heard calling: "The tree is on fire!" Austin was right.In a blink of an eye, the flames spread across the western part of the tree, fueled by dead branches, bird nests made of dry grass, and all the loose white wood of the "ombi" tree. The wind picked up and blew on the flames, and the wind fueled the fire, and the flames spread.Everyone must escape.Glenarvan and his party quickly avoided to the east part where the trees were not yet on fire.Everyone was speechless, flustered and flustered, climbing and climbing, falling and falling, taking risks, until they climbed onto the crumbling twigs.At this time, the branches on the west side were scorched and creaking and coiling in the fire, like many live snakes burning in the fire, and the red ashes fell on the flood. , going with the waves, brown flames flickering as they went.The flames on the tree suddenly rose very high, piercing into the sea of ​​flames in the air, forming a single piece, and then being pressed down by a side of the wind, they circled around the "Ombi" tree.Glenarvan, Robert, the major, Paganel, the three sailors, all of them were horrified: the smoke choked them, the heat made them sick, the fire was coming this way, The main branch below here has been burned.It can neither be stopped nor extinguished, and it looks like it will be burned to death.No longer allowed to stay in the tree.Burning or drowning, death anyway, choose a less brutal way of death. "Diving!" Jazz shouted. At this time, Wilson was burned by the flames and had jumped into the lake.Suddenly they heard him cry desperately in a terrified voice: "Help! Help!" Austin ran over and pulled him up to the tree trunk: "What's going on?" "Alligator! Alligator!" he replied. Suddenly everyone found that the foot of the tree was surrounded by the most terrible scorpion-like animals.Their scales gleamed in the vast expanse of light illuminated by the flames.The flat tail, the long, pointed head, the protruding eyes, and the two jaws that stretched behind the ears all made Paganel unmistakable.He recognized these ferocious "allegrets," which are native to America, and are known in Spanish-speaking regions as "meat eels."There were a dozen of them, slapping the water with their hideous tails and gnawing trees with the tusks of their mandibles. The unfortunate travelers felt dead when they saw it.In any case, they will die tragically. If they don't die under the tongue of fire, they will die in the mouth of the crocodile.Even the calm major said: "It's possible that everything is over." It is quite so that when man is powerless against one element of nature, another element of nature can overpower it.Glenarvan watched fiercely between the water and the fire, not knowing what to do. By this time the storm was already in its waning phase, but it stirred up an infinite amount of moisture in the air, and the thunder and lightning gave this moisture an extreme force.Thus a great hurricane gradually formed in the south, like a cone of dense fog, with the top of the cone pointing down and the bottom of the cone pointing up, connecting the boiling water with the flying clouds.This group of hurricanes spins forward, blindingly fast. It rolls up the lake water, sucks it into the center of the cone, forms a water column, and attracts the surrounding airflow to it with the powerful attraction generated by its rotation. gallop. Not long after, the violent hurricane rushed to the "Ombie" tree, wrapping the big tree in layers.The whole tree, from the roots, was shaken.Glenarvan thought that the crocodile was biting the tree with its powerful jaws and trying to pull it up.He and his companions hugged each other, and felt that the tree was already falling down, and the roots turned upside down.The burning branches spread into the raging waves, making a terrible hissing sound.It's just a matter of a second.The hurricane swept away and went elsewhere to wreak havoc.It absorbs the lake water along the way, and it seems to leave only a hollow groove wherever it goes. At this time, the "Wombi" tree was lying down on the water, and it was drifting forward with the dual forces of wind and water.Those crocodiles have all escaped, only one is still crawling on the upturned tree roots, with its small mouth stretched forward.Mu Lade grabbed a half-burnt branch and hit it hard, breaking its waist.The crocodile was overturned and sank into the eddy of the rapids, beating the water violently with its formidable tail as it descended. Glenarvan and his traveling companions, freed from the danger of the crocodile, climbed to the windward branches of the fire, while the 'ombi' drifted through the night with a flame which was blown further and further by the hurricane. The burning is getting hotter and hotter, like a boat charging with a sail of fire. The "Ombi" tree drifted on the boundless lake for two hours without touching land.The flames that engulfed it had gradually died down.The chief danger of this dreadful voyage was gone.All the major said lightly was: "Now it won't be a surprise if we are saved." The water flow still maintained the original direction, running from the southwest to the northeast.There were only a few remaining lightning bolts flickering here and there in the sky, and the night became dark again.Paganel looked at the horizon, but could not find a target.The storm is drawing to a close.The heavy raindrops have turned into mist-like rain flowers, which are scattered by the wind. The large clouds seem to be deflated, and the cloud pieces that split into groups are flying high in the sky. The tree ran very fast on the raging waves, and it slid forward with amazing speed, as if there was a powerful engine in the bark.There's nothing to suggest that it won't continue drifting like this for days.Towards three o'clock in the morning, however, the major called attention to the roots which sometimes swept to the bottom of the lake.Austin broke off a long branch and probed carefully, confirming that the land under the water was gradually increasing.Sure enough, after 20 minutes, the "Wombi" tree suddenly stopped when it hit the tree. "Land! Land!" cried Paganel in a sonorous voice. The ends of the charred branches touched a plateau.Navigators have never been so happy when they encountered land.Here, hitting the rocks is landing.Robert and Wilson had jumped onto the plateau, shouting "Ulla!"At this time, there was a familiar whistling sound suddenly, and then the sound of horses galloping on the plain. After a while, Takaf's tall figure appeared standing upright in the night. "Tarcave!" cried Robert. "Tarcaf!" all the traveling companions responded in unison. "Friends!" Tarcaf yelled too.There he was waiting for the passengers, facing the head of the water, and he figured that they must flow here, because he himself was carried here by the head of the water. At this moment, he took Robert Grant into his arms with both hands, and he did not expect that Paganel also ran behind him and embraced him.Immediately, Glenarvan, the major, and the sailors were overjoyed to see their faithful guide again, and all came to shake hands with him cordially and vigorously.Tarcaf then led them under a shed in an abandoned ranch.There was a great fire burning there to keep them warm, and large pieces of game were roasted on it, and they were so delicious that not even a crumb was left.Looking back after they calmed down, none of them were surprised, and they themselves didn't believe that they were able to escape with their lives from the dangerous situation of being attacked by water and fire, and the big crocodile came to take advantage of the fire! Thalcaf related to Paganel, in a few words, the story of his escape, which he owed to his gallant horse.Paganel also managed to tell him about the new interpretation of the document and the new hope that this new interpretation would give everyone.Did Tarcaf understand Paganel's many ingenious conjectures?We may doubt it, but he is satisfied when he sees his friends happy and confident. We can easily imagine these intrepid travelers, after a day's rest in the Ombi tree, setting off without prompting.At eight o'clock in the morning they were ready to go.Their position at that time was too far south of many ranches and slaughterhouses to find transportation, so they had to walk.Fortunately, there are only more than 60 kilometers left, and if anyone is tired from walking, Taojia can carry him or carry two people at the same time if necessary.After walking for 38 hours, we will reach the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As soon as the time for departure came, the guide and his companions turned their backs on the still open depression and set off towards the higher plain.The territory of Argentina took on its monotonous face again.Only a few trees planted by Europeans seem to venture out here and there in the pastures, as rare as in the vicinity of the Tandil and Tabalcon mountains.Native trees tend to grow only near the end of these long prairies near Cape Corinth. And so the day passed.The next day, when there are still 24 kilometers away from the coast, people feel close to the ocean.The strange wind called "Villazon", which often blows in the second half of the day and night, began to blow the tall grass down one side.From the barren ground rose some sparse trees, some dwarf woody mimosa, clusters of "Yak River" trees and clusters of "Gulamapol".Some salt flats blocked the road, shining like broken glass, making walking very difficult, and pedestrians had to bypass the beaches.Everyone hastened their pace so that they could reach Lake Salado on the Atlantic coast that day.By 8 o'clock in the evening, the travelers were quite tired, when they saw a number of sand dunes, about forty meters high, blocking a white line of foam.After a while, the trombone of the rising tide reached my ears. "Ocean!" cried Paganel. "Yes, Ocean!" echoed Tarcaf. The walkers, already feeling exhausted, climbed the dunes with considerable vigor. But the night was already dark.Everyone's eyes searched for the gloomy sea, but they couldn't see anything.They wanted to find the Duncan, but they couldn't find it. "At any rate, he's here, swinging close to the shore, and waiting for us!" cried Golinarvan impatiently. "We shall see it tomorrow," replied the major. Austin called the Duncan in the estimated direction, but got no answer.At this time, the wind was very strong and the waves were high.Cloud flakes come from the west.The foam from the waves, like dust, flew straight to the top of the dunes.Therefore, even if the Duncan was at the appointed place, the watchman could not hear the call from the shore, nor could the shore hear his answer.There is no anchorage on this coast.There is neither a bay, nor a puddle, nor a port, nor even a small tributary.The coast is lined with long sandy beaches, which jut out into the sea, and it is more dangerous to touch these sands than to touch the reefs that are level with the water.These sandy beaches whip up the waves, so the sea waves in this area are particularly rough. If the boat is hit by the wind and lands on these carpet-like beaches, there is absolutely no hope of rescue. It was only natural that the Duncan, seeing the treacherous coast of this region and the lack of shelter from the wind and waves, sailed far away from the shore.Captain Mengele has been cautious all his life, and he must be even more cautious here.Austin estimated in this way, and he was sure that the Duncan must not be less than 8 kilometers offshore. Therefore, the major begged sir to endure it for the time being.What's the use of wasting your eyesight to look around that dark horizon? After the major said this, he built a camp under the cover of the sand dunes.The last bit of dry food was taken for the last supper of the journey.Then, following the example of the major, everyone dug a rather comfortable hole as a berth, covered the endless piece of fine sand as a bedding up to their chins, fell down and fell into a deep sleep.Only Jazz was still awake and watching.The wind was still strong and strong, and the waves were always turbulent, hitting the beach like thunder.Glenarvan could never believe how close the Duncan was.But it is impossible for Yu Li to assume that it has not arrived at the agreed place.Gorina left Talcahuano Bay on October 14 and reached the Atlantic coast on November 12.In the thirty days he had passed through Chile, the Rocks of the Rocks, the Pampas, and the plains of Argentina, the Duncan had had time enough to round Cape Horn and reach the east coast opposite Talcahuano Bay.A clipper like it is impossible to miss.Although the storm in the past was violent, and even though it was galloping fiercely on the Atlantic Ocean, the cruise ship was a good ship, and the captain was a good sailor.Therefore, since it should be here, it must be here. However, even though he thought so, he couldn't calm down.When emotion and reason contradict, reason does not necessarily prevail over emotion.Our lord of Malcolm Hall seemed to have seen his loved ones in this darkness, his dear Helen, Mary, and the crew of his Duncan.On this desolate shore the ocean adorns it with its innumerable phosphorescent particles.He looks, he listens.Sometimes he thought he saw a faint light on the sea. "That's right," he said to himself, "I saw the light on the ship, the Duncan light on the sky, ah!Why can't my eyes see through this night! " Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered: Paganel himself said that he has night vision, he can see things in the dark.So he went to Paganel.The scholar was sleeping like a gnat hibernating in his sandy nest, when suddenly a strong arm dragged him out of the sandy nest. "Who is it?" he called. "It's me, Paganel." "Who are you?" "I am Glenarvan. You come, I want your eyes to work." "My eyes?" said Paganel, rubbing them vigorously. "Yes, your eyes, to see our Duncan in this darkness. Quick, come!" "It's bad luck to have night-sight!" he said to himself, but he thought he would be glad to be doing a favor for Corinarvan. He got up quickly, stretched his waist, and followed his friend to the shore with his nose still snorting like a person who had just woken up. "Glenarvan asks you to look carefully at the dark horizon over the sea." Paganel watched carefully for a few minutes. "How? Don't you see anything?" "Nothing! Even a cat can't see two steps away." "Look around, is there a red light or a green light, that is, the port light or the starboard light on the ship?" "I can't see any traffic lights or green lights! It's just pitch black!" replied Paganel, closing his eyes again involuntarily. For half an hour he was dragged along by his impatient friend, following him mechanically, dropping his head on his breast and raising it suddenly again.He neither answered nor spoke.His steps were unsteady and he staggered like a drunk.Glenarvan looked at him, and it turned out that he was walking and sleeping. So Corinarvan took him by the arm, and without waking him, carried him back to his nest, and buried him well in the sand. Just after dawn, everyone was awakened by the cry of "The Duncan! The Duncan!" "Uh-huh! Uh-huh!" All the traveling companions rushed to the shore in response to Glenarvan. Sure enough, on the sea, about 4 kilometers away from the shore, the cruise ship's low sails were well wrapped in the sail cover, and it sailed slowly with the minimum horsepower.The smoke from the ship mixed indistinctly into the morning mist.The waves are so big that a boat of this size must not sail to the foot of the beach, otherwise it will be very dangerous. Glenarvan took Paganel's telescope and watched the ship's movements carefully.Mengele must have not seen them yet, for the ship did not turn around, but kept going, with the port-side rigged and the foresail half-opened. But then Tarcaf loaded his gun tightly with powder, and fired a shot in the direction of the pleasure-boat. Everyone listened carefully, especially attentively.Tarcaf's gun fired three times, causing echoes in the dunes. Finally, a puff of white smoke rose from the waist of the cruise ship. "They've seen us!" cried Glenarvan. "It's the Duncan firing!" Then, a few seconds later, the faint sound of gunfire came ashore.Immediately, the Duncan turned her sails, increased her horsepower, and swayed, trying to get as close to the shore as possible. After a while, a small boat was lowered from the ship with a telescope. "Mrs. Helen can't come, the waves are too big!" said Austin. "Mengele can't come either, he can't leave the ship," the major went on. "My sister! My sister!" cried Robert, stretching out his arms towards the violently tossing boat. "Ah! I'll be aboard at once!" said the sergeant. "Be patient, Edward, you'll be on board in two hours," said the major. 2 hours!That's right, the 6 oars on the small boat are paddling, going back and forth, it must take 2 hours! So, Jazz turned his head to look for Tarcaf. He was crossing his arms, with Toka by his side, quietly watching the rough sea. Glenarvan took his hand, pointed to the boat, and said to him, "Come with me." He shook his head slightly. "Come, my friend!" Golinarvan went on. "No." Takaf said again mildly, "This is Taojia, and there is Panpa!" He added, pointing to the endless grassland with a loving gesture. Glenarvan knew that he would never leave the grassland where the bones of his ancestors were buried.He knew how much the children in this remote area loved their hometown.Therefore, he shook his hand again, no longer forcing him.Nor did Tarcaf force him to accept payment when he declined the payment with his characteristic smile, "totally doing a favor to a friend." Glenarvan could not answer this sentence.He really wanted to leave a little memory for this honest friend.To remind him forever of his European friends.But what did he have left?His weapons and his horses were lost in the disaster of the flood.His companions were as empty-handed as he was. He therefore wanted to know how to thank his ardent guide for his kindness, when a solution suddenly occurred to him: he took out from his wallet a precious statuette frame with a small portrait embedded in the centre.It was Lawrence's masterpiece, and he gave it to Tarcafe. "My lady," he said. Looking at the portrait, Takaf was very moved, and said simply: "Wise and beautiful!" Then came Robert, Paganel, the major, Austin, and the two sailors, and bid Tarcave farewell with touching words.The honest travelers were saddened to be parting from such a heroic and ardent friend, and Thalcave held them together in his long arms before his broad breast, Paganel. I remembered that Tarcaf often looked at his map of South America and the two oceans, and was interested in it, so I gave it to him. This map was the only precious thing Paganel kept at that time.As for Robert, he had nothing to give but passionate kisses. He kissed his savior passionately, and at the same time he did not forget to kiss Taojia passionately. At this time, the small boat of the Duncan gradually approached the shore. It got into a river branch between the beaches, and stopped on the shore after a while. "Where is my lady?" Sir asked. "Where is my sister?" cried Robert. "Lady Helen and Miss Mary are waiting for you in the big boat," said the rower. "Come on, sir, without a minute's delay, for the tide is going out." The last time everyone shook hands with Tarcaf, hugged and kissed passionately.Tarcaf sent his friends straight to the boat.The skiff was pushed out onto the water again.When Robert was about to board the ship, Thalcave took him in his arms and looked at him kindly. "Now, go," he said, "you're grown up!" "Goodbye! Friends! Goodbye!" cried Sir again. "Can't we see each other again?" Paganel called. "Who knows?" Tarcaf answered, raising his arms to the sky. Tarcaf's last words were lost in the Morrowind.The boat entered the sea, dragged by the ebb tide, farther and farther away. For a long time, people could still see Tarcaf standing there motionless through the foam splashed by the waves.His tall figure gradually shrunk.Finally, he disappeared from the sight of his friends who met by chance.An hour later, Robert was the first to jump on board the Duncan, and rushed to hug Mary's neck, while the whole ship's sailors uttered a "Woo!" Thus ended the journey across South America in a straight line.Neither mountains nor rivers diverted the travelers from their steadfast line.They encountered no perilous difficulties of human nature, but the forces of nature often thwarted them, so that their will and courage were repeatedly tested severely.