Night stood dark. The sky was laid densely over by clouds. Drizzled a rain, Bokko quarreled, muffling up in a latany raincoat.
About one o’clock in the morning in darkness, not far from the Island, Bokko the first noticed a shadow of the person. It was so dark that it was difficult to distinguish figure outlines. But something similar really went on the person on water and disappeared in a gloom.
Bokko felt how at him hands grow cold.
– You see? – the Chinese whispered, grabbing the shivering hand Bokko’s shoulder.
– Sh-sh!
And they sat till the morning, without having been able for fear to move.
Only when there ascended the sun, Bokko breathed a sigh of relief. Soon a message about the captain’s ghost Sleytona flew about all population of the Island and reached Flores. He did not trust in ghosts, but this message about the vagrant ghost of Sleyton excited him as not clear danger.
“Why they saw Sleyton? What they, regret for it? Accuse me for the fact that I threw Sleyton into the sea instead of trying to give him help? But it was half-dead. Or… nonsenses! People just with boredom go crazy. It is necessary to entertain rather them” – Flores thought.
And in the evening he secretly summoned Bokko and asked it to see off to that place where they saw the ghost. But neither in this, nor in the next night the ghost did not appear. Flores became cheerful.
– Well, here you see! I said to you that it is one imagination. There are enough nonsenses to be engaged! Desire to be to me on a meeting tomorrow. We should consider the plan of an expedition. Yes do not forget to put on the official suit – you something did not put on it long ago.
– I protect – Bokko ingenuously answered. – Such value!
– For our century will last, Bokko!
Chapter 19
THE DISAPPEARED ISLAND
Since evening “Defiant” entered a strip, free from саргасс. And early in the morning, when spouses Gatlingi came to the deck, saw that around the blue smooth surface of the ocean over which small spots саргасс flash only here and there is spread.
– Strange, really we so evaded to the South? – asked Gatling of professor Thomson who considered some small fish snared.
– We go the region of the warm current where it fights against cold. These cold currents also carried a part of seaweed aside. Tomorrow we will turn on the North, in the thick саргасс.
– What strange fish! – Viviana exclaimed. – Look, Reggie.
The head of fish was supplied wide, an oval form with the guard made of cherepitsevidny plates; the lower body at it was painted in more dark color, than top.
Thomson carefully lowered fish in a big basin with water. Fish immediately turned on a back and densely applied a guard to a basin bottom.
– And well, take fish – Thomson offered.
The Gatling took fish for a tail and tried to lift, but it is vain: fish as if grew to a basin bottom. Thomson laughed:
– You see what exotic fish! It is an ekheneida, or “ры – oh – the bore”. About this fish the whole legends as if she, sticking to an underwater part of the ship, can detain its course in the ancient time went. Here you watch – and Thomson though not without effort, tore off “bore” from a basin.
– Professor, in the sea swims the whole herd of turtles – Thomson’s assistant Müller reported. – Whether you allow me to hunt on them here with this little small fish? I saw how it is done by natives in Africa.
Having got permission, Müller put on a tail of fish a ring with a strong cord and threw her into water. In transparent water all movements of fish were visible. Having made several unsuccessful attempts to escape, it began to swim up to a big turtle who, probably, peacefully slept on the surface of the ocean; the ekheneida stuck to a belly board of a turtle. Müller pulled a cord. The turtle was swept up, but could not get off the bore and in a minute was pulled out together with fish on the deck of the vessel.
– Bravo! – Viviana clapped the hands.
On the deck Simpkins appeared. He just got up and squinted from a bright sun. Popykhivy indifferently looked with a tubule, Simpkins at a turtle and filtered a mouth corner:
– Turtle soup – it will be not bad. And it that for a bloodsucker?
– This is not a bloodsucker, but a clingfish. The turtle, Simpkins, is intended not for soup, and for a scientific collection.
– Watch what charm! – Viviana exclaimed again, pointing to the sea.
Over the surface of the ocean fishes flew. Their whole packs rose over water and flew by considerable space in several tens of meters supported by forward fins which at them are turned as if into wings.
All admired this show.
– Dactylopteres – “short meeting” – professor Thomson explained.
– Really and all birds left the sea? – asked Vivian.
– The ocean – a cradle of all organic life on the earth. You see the flying fishes, but there are also such fishes who walk by land and even vzlezat on roots of trees. All this ancestors of Amphibia and birds.
– Very interestingly – told indifferently to Simpkins – but as though we gathered for searches not only turtles of both bores, and and Ostrov of the Lost Ships. We get all to the south and already left a belt саргасс. There will come rainy time soon – and so often it is raining – when we are engaged in the Island?
– Patience, Simpkins; today we turn on the North, and every hour you will be closer to the purpose.
Симпкинс shrugged shoulders with such look, as if wanted to tell: “Oh these scientists!” – and, having stuffed up hands in pockets, began to look at the sea, spitting out through a board.
– Here shark! – he shouted, having quickened. Obviously, and in the sea he was interested only in a criminal element. – Oho, what big! Only why it is white?
– Yes, it is an interesting copy – Thomson told – the typical representative of the Sargasso Sea. Sargassa detain a sunlight, and local sharks, obviously, do not “sunbathe” as their brothers living in open places; leather of local sharks remains deprived of a pigment (coloring).
The shark floated near the ship. Its movements were bystra, are strong and beautiful.
Sailors already prepared a rope and smeared with fat an iron hook.
– And why the shark does not eat these little small fishes what spin about her? – asked Vivian.
– This is fish pilot, the inseparable fellow traveler of a shark.
At this time the hook with a bait was thrown. The first fish pilot noticed a bait. She sniffed at a bait and quickly swam up to a shark, trying to pay her attention to production.
– See you, podvodchitsa! – translated Simpkins of an event into language of criminal practice.
The shark turned, noticed production and greedy grabbed in a mouth a hook.
– Devil take it, it was provocation from fish pilot! – Simpkins exclaimed.
The shark was thrown and so pulled a rope that two sailors fell to the deck and the ship took an easy list. Fight began. Sailors released a rope, selected, tightening more and more growing weak animal. Passed not less than an hour, pre-chspr than it was succeeded to pull out a shark on the deck. Tired, it lay as dead.
– Aha,