Facing the Flag · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Facing the Flag by Jules Verne.
Chapter 1
Healthful House
The chapter introduces Thomas Roch, a brilliant but mentally unstable French inventor who has created a powerful explosive device called the 'fulgurator.' Due to his mental alienation and exorbitant demands, he has been sequestered in Healthful House, a private sanitarium in the United States. His guardian, Gaydon, is actually Simon Hart, a French engineer who has taken the job in secret to ensure that Roch's invention benefits France alone. Hart has watched Roch for fifteen months, hoping to learn the secret of the fulgurator during the inventor's lucid or delirious moments, but so far without success.
Chapter 2
Count d'Artigas
Count d'Artigas, accompanied by Captain Spade, visits Healthful House under the pretense of curiosity about the institution, but his true motive is to observe Thomas Roch, the mad French inventor. During the tour, the director explains Roch's deteriorating mental state and the constant watch kept over him by his attendant Gaydon. When Roch is brought out, he demonstrates his obsession with his 'fulgurator' and refuses to sell it for less than billions. The Count and Spade carefully note the layout of the grounds, hinting at a prearranged scheme.
Chapter 3
III: Kidnapped
Count d'Artigas and Captain Spade finalize their plan to kidnap Thomas Roch and his warder Gaydon from Healthful House. Spade has stolen the key to a rear door and unbolted it earlier. That night, he leads five sailors to the pavilion, where they find Roch incapacitated and Gaydon present. They successfully abduct both men, bringing them to the schooner Ebba.
Chapter 4
The Schooner Ebba
The Ebba prepares to depart from New-Berne as alarm guns signal the discovery of Thomas Roch and Gaydon's disappearance from Healthful House. A boarding party from the cruiser Falcon searches the schooner thoroughly, but finds no trace of the missing men. After the search, the Count d'Artigas is allowed to proceed, and the Ebba sails out, later picking up a submerged buoy that tows the vessel at high speed out to sea.
Chapter 5
V: Where Am I?
Simon Hart, still disguised as warder Gaydon, awakens in a dark, metallic cell after being kidnapped alongside Thomas Roch. He deduces they are aboard a vessel with an unusual propulsion system, lacking typical engine noise or motion. Resolving to maintain his disguise, he vows to observe and record everything, hoping to uncover the kidnappers' identities and Roch's secret.
Chapter 6
On Deck
Simon Hart, having been brought on deck, observes the schooner Ebba moving at high speed without sails or visible screw, deducing it must be propelled by some advanced mechanism. He encounters Captain Spade and Engineer Serko, and recognizes Count d'Artigas as the mastermind behind the abduction. Thomas Roch appears on deck, showing signs of madness and failing to recognize Hart. Roch becomes increasingly agitated, fixating on the ship's mysterious propulsion, and eventually suffers a violent fit, requiring restraint by the crew. Hart confronts d'Artigas, who asserts his authority with 'the right of might.'
Chapter 7
Two Days at Sea
Simon Hart, still posing as Warder Gaydon, reflects on his kidnapping aboard the Ebba and considers revealing his true identity to Count d'Artigas. He observes the schooner's mysterious propulsion system, speculates on the Count's origins (possibly Malay), and notes the crew's disciplined maneuvers. After a night of uneasy sleep, he witnesses the Ebba avoid a warship and approach a becalmed merchantman, raising suspicions of piracy. The Count orders him to continue attending Thomas Roch, and Hart is confined below as the schooner prepares for a covert action.
Chapter 8
Back Cup
Simon Hart, still disguised as Warder Gaydon, recognizes the island of Back Cup as the Ebba approaches. He recalls a previous visit to the Bermudas and the abandoned fishing village due to volcanic activity. The schooner navigates through a natural canal, and a submerged tugboat surfaces, transporting Hart and Thomas Roch into the interior of the mountain, revealing the secret hideout of Count d'Artigas and his crew.
Chapter 9
Inside Back Cup
Simon Hart explores the interior of Back Cup island, describing its geological formation, the lagoon, the Beehive cells housing the colony, and the extensive storerooms and electric power house. He observes the inhabitants, deduces they are pirates led by Count d'Artigas, and considers the impossibility of escape.
Chapter 10
X: Ker Karraje
Simon Hart learns the true identity of Count d'Artigas as the notorious pirate Ker Karraje and discovers the secret of Back Cup island, the pirates' hidden lair. He also learns how Ker Karraje and Engineer Serko faked the destruction of their submarine tug to continue their piracy undetected, and realizes the grave danger if they obtain Thomas Roch's fulgurator.
Chapter 11
XI: Five Weeks in Back Cup
Simon Hart reflects on his captivity in Back Cup, noting that Ker Karraje and Engineer Serko have left the island, likely to procure materials for Thomas Roch's fulgurator. He observes a whale entering the lagoon through the tunnel, driven by sharks, and later witnesses the return of the Ebba with boxes of substances for the explosive. Ker Karraje reveals he knows Hart's true identity as a French engineer, but Hart resolves to keep his knowledge of Back Cup's location secret. Over the next two weeks, Hart is kept away from Roch, who is being courted by Serko to reveal his secrets.
Chapter 12
Engineer Serko's Advice
Simon Hart observes Thomas Roch working in his laboratory and overhears conversations between Ker Karraje and Engineer Serko about obtaining the secret of Roch's deflagrator. Serko advises Hart to resign himself to captivity, revealing that Hart is being kept because they suspect he knows Roch's secrets. Hart learns that the explosive has been tested successfully but the deflagrator remains secret, and he considers the possibility of escape through the submarine tunnel.
Chapter 13
God Be with It
Simon Hart, imprisoned in the pirate lair of Back Cup, observes the power of Thomas Roch's fulgurator as it is used to blast a tunnel through the cavern wall. He devises a plan to send a message in a keg through the submarine tunnel during low tide, hoping it will reach the outside world and expose Ker Karraje's operations. After several anxious attempts, the keg is swept away by the current, carrying his plea for rescue.
Chapter 14
Battle Between the Sword and the Tug
Lieutenant Davon and Simon Hart attempt to rescue Thomas Roch from the pirates of Back Cup using the submersible Sword. They successfully board Roch and navigate the lagoon, but the tug, commanded by Ker Karraje, engages them in a desperate underwater battle. The Sword is rammed and sinks, with Simon Hart losing consciousness, believing that Roch and his secret have perished with him, preventing the pirates from using his invention.
Chapter 15
XV: Expectation
Simon Hart recovers consciousness after the collision and is questioned by Engineer Serko about the kidnapping. Hart feigns ignorance, claiming he was attacked by strangers and knows nothing of the submarine Sword. Serko explains that the Sword was raised and its crew perished, but Hart and Thomas Roch were saved. Hart learns that his message keg reached Bermuda, but his chance for escape was lost. The pirates, now alert, fortify Back Cup with Roch's fulgurator engines and maintain constant watch, fearing further attacks.
Chapter 16
Only a Few More Hours
Simon Hart attempts to reason with Thomas Roch, revealing the true identity of Count d'Artigas as the pirate Ker Karraje and warning him of the approaching squadron. Roch, believing himself the master of Back Cup and its treasures, refuses to listen, insisting he will defend his property with his fulgurator. Hart considers killing Roch to prevent catastrophe but is forced to flee when Roch calls for help.
Chapter 17
One Against Five
Simon Hart witnesses Thomas Roch's devastating use of his fulgurator engines against approaching warships. After destroying one cruiser, Roch hesitates when he recognizes the French tricolor on the next vessel, ultimately refusing to fire and crushing the phial of deflagrator liquid. The pirates panic as French shells rain on the island, and Roch escapes into the passage while Hart resolves to stay and record his final notes.
Chapter 18
On Board the Tonnant
After the failure of Lieutenant Davon's mission with the Sword, the English authorities assume the submarine was lost. A new multinational naval expedition is assembled to bombard Back Cup island. The squadron arrives on November 17, and the next day a cruiser is sunk by Thomas Roch's fulgurator, proving Ker Karraje has the weapon. The French cruiser Tonnant leads the attack, but before the bombardment can destroy the cavern, a massive explosion obliterates Back Cup. The landing party finds only mangled corpses, except for Simon Hart, who is found alive with his notebook. From his recovery, it is deduced that Thomas Roch, moved by the sight of the French flag, deliberately blew up the magazine, destroying the island, Ker Karraje, and himself.
