The-Mysterious-Island-84

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“My	boy,”	replied	the	sailor,	handing	over	the	trap	and	drawing	out	one	of
these	representatives	of	the	swine	family	by	the	little	appendage	which	served
for	a	tail,	“do	let	me	believe	them	to	be	hogs.”
“Why?”
“Because	it	pleases	me.”
“You	are	fond	of	hogs,	then,	Pencroff?”
“I	am	very	fond	of	them,”	replied	the	sailor,	“especially	of	their	feet,	and	if
any	had	eight	instead	of	four	I	would	like	them	twice	as	much.”
These	animals	were	peccaries,	belonging	to	one	of	the	four	genera,	which
make	up	that	family.	This	particular	species	were	the	“tajassans,”	known	by
there	dark	color	and	the	absence	of	those	long	fangs	which	belong	to	the	others
of	their	race.	Peccaries	generally	live	in	herds,	and	it	was	likely	that	these
animals	abounded	in	the	woody	parts	of	the	island.	At	all	events	they	were
edible	from	head	to	foot,	and	Pencroff	asked	nothing	more.
About	the	15th	of	August	the	weather	moderated	suddenly	by	a	change	of
wind	to	the	northwest.	The	temperature	rose	several	degrees	higher,	and	the
vapors	accumulated	in	the	air	were	soon	resolved	into	snow.	The	whole	island
was	covered	with	a	white	mantle,	and	presented	a	new	aspect	to	its	inhabitants.	It
snowed	hard	for	several	days	and	the	ground	was	covered	two	feet	deep.	The
wind	soon	rose	with	great	violence	and	from	the	top	of	Granite	House	they	could
hear	the	sea	roaring	against	the	reefs.
At	certain	angles	the	wind	made	eddies	in	the	air,	and	the	snow,	forming	itself
into	high	whirling	columns,	looked	like	those	twisting	waterspouts	which	vessels
attack	with	cannon.	The	hurricane,	coming	steadily	from	the	northwest,	spent	its
force	on	the	other	side	of	the	island,	and	the	eastern	lookout	of	Granite	House
preserved	it	from	a	direct	attack.
During	this	snow-storm,	as	terrible	as	those	of	the	polar	regions,	neither	Smith
nor	his	companions	could	venture	outside.	They	were	completely	housed	for	five
days,	from	the	20th	to	the	25th	of	August.	They	heard	the	tempest	roar	though
Jacamar	Woods,	which	must	have	suffered	sadly.	Doubtless	numbers	of	trees
were	uprooted,	but	Pencroff	comforted	himself	with	the	reflection	that	there
would	be	fewer	to	cut	down.
“The	wind	will	be	wood-cutter;	let	it	alone,”	said	he.
How	fervently	now	the	inhabitants	of	Granite	House	must	have	thanked
Heaven	for	having	given	to	them	this	solid	and	impenetrable	shelter!	Smith	had
his	share	of	their	gratitude,	but	after	all,	it	was	nature	which	had	hollowed	out
this	enormous	cave,	and	he	had	only	discovered	it.	Here	all	were	in	safety,	the
violence	of	the	tempest	could	not	reach	them.	If	they	had	built	a	house	of	brick
and	wood	on	Prospect	Plateau,	it	could	not	have	resisted	the	fury	of	this
hurricane.	As	for	the	Chimneys,	they	heard	the	billows	strike	them	with	such
violence	that	they	knew	they	must	be	uninhabitable,	for	the	sea,	having	entirely
covered	their	islet,	beat	upon	them	with	all	its	force.
But	here	at	Granite	House,	between	these	solid	walls	which	neither	wind	nor
water	could	effect,	they	had	nothing	to	fear.	During	this	confinement	the
colonists	were	not	idle.	There	was	plenty	of	wood	in	the	storehouse	cut	into
planks,	and	little	by	little	they	completed	their	stock	of	furniture.	As	far	as	tables
and	chairs	went	they	were	certainly	solid	enough,	for	the	material	was	not
spared.	This	furniture	was	a	little	too	heavy	to	fulfil	its	essential	purpose	of
being	easily	moved,	but	it	was	the	pride	of	Neb	and	Pencroff,	who	would	not
have	exchanged	it	for	the	handsomest	Buhl.
Then	the	carpenters	turned	basket-makers,	and	succeeded	remarkably	well	at
this	new	occupation.
They	had	discovered	at	the	northern	part	of	the	lake	a	thick	growth	of	purple
osiers.	Before	the	rainy	season,	Pencroff	and	Herbert	had	gathered	a	good	many
of	these	useful	shrubs;	and	their	branches,	being	now	well	seasoned,	could	be
used	to	advantage.	Their	first	specimens	were	rough;	but,	thanks	to	the	skill	and
intelligence	of	the	workmen	consulting	together,	recalling	the	models	they	had
seen,	and	rivalling	each	other	in	their	efforts,	hampers	and	baskets	of	different
sizes	here	soon	added	to	the	stock	of	the	colony.	The	storehouse	was	filled	with
them,	and	Neb	set	away	in	special	baskets	his	stock	of	pistachio	nuts	and	roots	of
the	dragon	tree.
During	the	last	week	in	August	the	weather	changed	again,	the	temperature
fell	a	little,	and	the	storm	was	over.	The	colonists	at	once	started	out.	There	must
have	been	at	least	two	feet	of	snow	on	the	shore,	but	it	was	frozen	over	the	top,