第95章

"Oh!" shouted the sailor, "and I never thought of that."This was in reality the only way by which to penetrate into Granite House so as to fight with and drive out the intruders.The opening was, it is true, closed up with a wall of cemented stones, which it would be necessary to sacrifice, but that could easily be rebuilt.Fortunately, Cyrus Harding had not as yet effected his project of hiding this opening by raising the waters of the lake, for the operation would then have taken some time.

It was already past twelve o'clock, when the colonists, well armed and provided with picks and spades, left the Chimneys, passed beneath the windows of Granite House, after telling Top to remain at his post, and began to ascend the left bank of the Mercy, so as to reach Prospect Heights.

But they had not made fifty steps in this direction, when they heard the dog barking furiously.

And all rushed down the bank again.

Arrived at the turning, they saw that the situation had changed.

In fact, the apes, seized with a sudden panic, from some unknown cause, were trying to escape.Two or three ran and clambered from one window to another with the agility of acrobats.They were not even trying to replace the ladder, by which it would have been easy to descend; perhaps in their terror they had forgotten this way of escape.The colonists, now being able to take aim without difficulty, fired.Some, wounded or killed, fell back into the rooms, uttering piercing cries.The rest, throwing themselves out, were dashed to pieces in their fall, and in a few minutes, so far as they knew, there was not a living quadrumana in Granite House.

At this moment the ladder was seen to slip over the threshold, then unroll and fall to the ground.

"Hullo!" cried the sailor, "this is queer!""Very strange!" murmured the engineer, leaping first up the ladder.

"Take care, captain!" cried Pencroft, "perhaps there are still some of these rascals.

"We shall soon see," replied the engineer, without stopping however.

All his companions followed him, and in a minute they had arrived at the threshold.They searched everywhere.There was no one in the rooms nor in the storehouse, which had been respected by the band of quadrumana.

"Well now, and the ladder," cried the sailor; "who can the gentleman have been who sent us that down?"But at that moment a cry was heard, and a great orang, who had hidden himself in the passage, rushed into the room, pursued by Neb.

"Ah, the robber!" cried Pencroft.

And hatchet in hand, he was about to cleave the head of the animal, when Cyrus Harding seized his arm, saying,--"Spare him, Pencroft."

"Pardon this rascal?"

"Yes! it was he who threw us the ladder!"And the engineer said this in such a peculiar voice that it was difficult to know whether he spoke seriously or not.

Nevertheless, they threw themselves on the orang, who defended himself gallantly, but was soon overpowered and bound.

"There!" said Pencroft."And what shall we make of him, now we've got him?""A servant!" replied Herbert.

The lad was not joking in saying this, for he knew how this intelligent race could be turned to account.

The settlers then approached the ape and gazed at it attentively.He belonged to the family of anthropoid apes, of which the facial angle is not much inferior to that of the Australians and Hottentots.It was an orangoutang, and as such, had neither the ferocity of the gorilla, nor the stupidity of the baboon.It is to this family of the anthropoid apes that so many characteristics belong which prove them to be possessed of an almost human intelligence.Employed in houses, they can wait at table, sweep rooms, brush clothes, clean boots, handle a knife, fork, and spoon properly, and even drink wine,...doing everything as well as the best servant that ever walked upon two legs.Buffon possessed one of these apes, who served him for a long time as a faithful and zealous servant.

The one which had been seized in the hall of Granite House was a great fellow, six feet high, with an admirably poportioned frame, a broad chest, head of a moderate size, the facial angle reaching sixty-five degrees, round skull, projecting nose, skin covered with soft glossy hair, in short, a fine specimen of the anthropoids.His eyes, rather smaller than human eyes, sparkled with intelligence; his white teeth glittered under his mustache, and he wore a little curly brown beard.

"A handsome fellow!" said Pencroft; "if we only knew his language, we could talk to him.""But, master," said Neb, "are you serious? Are we going to take him as a servant?""Yes, Neb," replied the engineer, smiling."But you must not be jealous.""And I hope he will make an excellent servant," added Herbert."He appears young, and will be easy to educate, and we shall not be obliged to use force to subdue him, nor draw his teeth, as is sometimes done.He will soon grow fond of his masters if they are kind to him.""And they will be," replied Pencroft, who had forgotten all his rancor against "the jokers."Then, approaching the orang,--

"Well, old boy!" he asked, "how are you?"The orang replied by a little grunt which did not show any anger.

"You wish to join the colony?" again asked the sailor."You are going to enter the service of Captain Cyrus Harding?"Another respondent grunt was uttered by the ape.

"And you will be satisfied with no other wages than your food?"Third affirmative grunt.

"This conversation is slightly monotonous," observed Gideon Spilett.

"So much the better," replied Pencroft; "the best servants are those who talk the least.And then, no wages, do you hear, my boy? We will give you no wages at first, but we will double them afterwards if we are pleased with you."Thus the colony was increased by a new member.As to his name the sailor begged that in memory of another ape which he had known, he might be called Jupiter, and Jup for short.

And so, without more ceremony, Master Jup was installed in Granite House.