The settlers asked if Granite House was inhabited or not, and yet the position of the ladder was sufficient to show that it was; it was also certain that the inhabitants, whoever they might be, had not been able to escape.But how were they to be got at?
Herbert then thought of fastening a cord to an arrow, and shooting the arrow so that it should pass between the first rounds of the ladder which hung from the threshold.By means of the cord they would then be able to draw down the ladder to the ground, and so re-establish the communication between the beach and Granite House.There was evidently nothing else to be done, and, with a little skill, this method might succeed.Very fortunately bows and arrows had been left at the Chimneys, where they also found a quantity of light hibiscus cord.Pencroft fastened this to a well-feathered arrow.Then Herbert fixing it to his bow, took a careful aim for the lower part of the ladder.
Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett, Pencroft, and Neb drew back, so as to see if anything appeared at the windows.The reporter lifted his gun to his shoulder and covered the door.
The bow was bent, the arrow flew, taking the cord with it, and passed between the two last rounds.
The operation had succeeded.
Herbert immediately seized the end of the cord, but, at that moment when he gave it a pull to bring down the ladder, an arm, thrust suddenly out between the wall and the door, grasped it and dragged it inside Granite House.
"The rascals!" shouted the sailor."If a ball can do anything for you, you shall not have long to wait for it.
"But who was it?" asked Neb.
"Who was it? Didn't you see?"
"No."
"It was a monkey, a sapajou, an orangoutang, a baboon, a gorilla, a sagoin.Our dwelling has been invaded by monkeys, who climbed up the ladder during our absence."And, at this moment, as if to bear witness to the truth of the sailor's words, two or three quadrumana showed themselves at the windows, from which they had pushed back the shutters, and saluted the real proprietors of the place with a thousand hideous grimaces.
"I knew that it was only a joke," cried Pencroft; "but one of the jokers shall pay the penalty for the rest."So saying, the sailor, raising his piece, took a rapid aim at one of the monkeys and fired.All disappeared, except one who fell mortally wounded on the beach.This monkey, which was of a large size, evidently belonged to the first order of the quadrumana.Whether this was a chimpanzee, an orangoutang, or a gorilla, he took rank among the anthropoid apes, who are so called from their resemblance to the human race.However, Herbert declared it to be an orangoutang.
"What a magnificent beast!" cried Neb.
"Magnificent, if you like," replied Pencroft; "but still I do not see how we are to get into our house.""Herbert is a good marksman," said the reporter, "and his bow is here.He can try again.""Why, these apes are so cunning," returned Pencroft; "they won't show themselves again at the windows and so we can't kill them; and when I think of the mischief they may do in the rooms and storehouse--""Have patience," replied Harding; "these creatures cannot keep us long at bay.""I shall not be sure of that till I see them down here," replied the sailor."And now, captain, do you know how many dozens of these fellows are up there?"It was difficult to reply to Pencroft, and as for the young boy ****** another attempt, that was not easy; for the lower part of the ladder had been drawn again into the door, and when another pull was given, the line broke and the ladder remained firm.The case was really perplexing.
Pencroft stormed.There was a comic side to the situation, but he did not think it funny at all.It was certain that the settlers would end by reinstating themselves in their domicile and driving out the intruders, but when and how? this is what they were not able to say.
Two hours passed, during which the apes took care not to show themselves, but they were still there, and three or four times a nose or a paw was poked out at the door or windows, and was immediately saluted by a gun-shot.
"Let us hide ourselves," at last said the engineer."Perhaps the apes will think we have gone quite away and will show themselves again.Let Spilett and Herbert conceal themselves behind those rocks and fire on all that may appear."The engineer's orders were obeyed, and while the reporter and the lad, the best marksmen in the colony, posted themselves in a good position, but out of the monkeys' sight, Neb, Pencroft, and Cyrus climbed the plateau and entered the forest in order to kill some game, for it was now time for breakfast and they had no provisions remaining.
In half an hour the hunters returned with a few rock pigeons, which they roasted as well as they could.Not an ape had appeared.Gideon Spilett and Herbert went to take their share of the breakfast, leaving Top to watch under the windows.They then, having eaten, returned to their post.
Two hours later, their situation was in no degree improved.The quadrumana gave no sign of existence, and it might have been supposed that they had disappeared; but what seemed more probable was that, terrified by the death of one of their companions, and frightened by the noise of the firearms, they had retreated to the back part of the house or probably even into the store-room.And when they thought of the valuables which this storeroom contained, the patience so much recommended by the engineer, fast changed into great irritation, and there certainly was room for it.
"Decidedly it is too bad," said the reporter; "and the worst of it is, there is no way of putting an end to it.""But we must drive these vagabonds out somehow," cried the sailor."We could soon get the better of them, even if there are twenty of the rascals;but for that, we must meet them hand to hand.Come now, is there no way of getting at them?""Let us try to enter Granite House by the old opening at the lake,"replied the engineer.