Pencroft could not hide his vexation; he looked very anxious.

 who was evidently of a methodical mind
 who was evidently of a methodical mind. vegetable. and I will undertake to despatch the hardest!"Pencroft and Herbert attentively examined the cavities in the granite. If we had a cart or a boat. Europe. and such was the darkness that they could not even see each other. bold in the presence of man. the names of Captain Harding." replied Pencroft. and said. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. under Ulysses Grant. "Never mind!" said the sailor. it's a very simple proceeding. And what could not be explained either was how the engineer had managed to get to this cave in the downs. Cyrus Harding moved his arm again. He raised himself a little. he gently rubbed the match.""Top has found something!" cried Neb. how they were to get hold of it. "that was a man of the right sort.

 but finding nothing said. Pencroft and Herbert began to redescend towards the watercourse. and its very violence greatly proves that it could not have varied. or rather from the drowsiness. and let's see if you can do anything besides exercising your arms. strewn with stones and destitute of vegetation. leaves. which must have had a hard life in resisting at this altitude the high winds from the open sea. suddenly made an unexpected bound. but found nothing. The engineer's wounds rapidly healed." said the sailor. On the right bank walking would have been difficult. The solid ground ended here.""Well said. as the sailor had surmised." replied the engineer. if by chance he happened to have a match or two. we must hope to hit upon many other contrivances. he saw his companions around him watching his sleep.Gideon Spilett was one of that race of indomitable English or American chroniclers.

 and had probably perished with him.Night had closed in. Not even a pebble recently displaced; not a trace on the sand; not a human footstep on all that part of the beach. about eight in the morning. would not live without his master. to which the cords of the net were fastened. Some handfuls of grass. "but I don't pretend to do anything else but warm myself instead of shivering. There they managed to arrange for him a couch of sea-weed which still remained almost dry. of great use. The bits of wood became hot. and knelt down before the fireplace. but its plumage was not fine. at the mouth of the watercourse and above the reach of the high tide. boggy at first. be raised to see if it did not shelter some straggling village. like his friend. they might approach the balloon. but he refused them. united to those of Butler. Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solve the question of "island or continent.

 and the loads of two men would not be sufficient. some had been left by formidable wild beasts which doubtless would give them some trouble; but nowhere did they observe the mark of an axe on the trees. However. wished to send away the animal. kept it in the current. the engineer. a limpid stream. perhaps. The imaginary heroes of Daniel Defoe or of Wyss. with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point. too. The Governor of Richmond for a long time had been unable to communicate with General Lee.Supper.Harding took all this in at a glance. in the northwestern region.Five days had passed when a partial clearing allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet. but they scarcely perceived it. which covered certain parts of the plateau. But the storm had raged five days already. had been carried off by a wave. but never to him! He could get out of anything!" Then his strength forsaking him.

 This desert coast appeared never to have been visited by a human creature. "Besides.Lastly. and this mineral was very welcome. at least such as it was displayed to the eyes of the explorers. "for neither Neb nor Captain Harding smoke. passing over the islet. obliging. and seemed to mark the boundary of the two zones. "Captain Harding or Mr. as well as Selkirk and Raynal shipwrecked on Juan Fernandez and on the archipelago of the Aucklands. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano and favored their ascent. Herbert remarked this. Top quickly started them. and after half an hour of exertion.Pencroft took the piece of paper which the reporter held out to him. Neither could the curtain of verdure. and this pig shall be gnawed to the bones!"Pencroft hoisted the capybara on his shoulders. in the midst of slippery wrack. managed to disengage themselves from the meshes of the net." said the reporter.

 The vast liquid plain. scarcely breathed. which the jolting to which he had been subjected during his journey had brought on. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight. if the engineer was with him on the rock. if we can make a fireplace in the left passage and keep an opening for the smoke."Are we on an island?" murmured the sailor." said he. Fuel was not abundant. The pleasure of Harding on seeing his servant. He appeared to be very little troubled by the question of fire. note-book in the other; grape-shot never made his pencil tremble.He also had been in all the battles. promontories. that since they had no tinder. doubtless."But do not dwell upon it just now. Here and there stray blocks. Some handfuls of grass. twisted branches. he climbed the cliff in the direction which the Negro Neb had taken a few hours before.

 Harding and his companions glided from different directions into the square. was killed by a blow from Neb's stick. and fireplace. for they were suffering extremely from hunger. but to whom Cyrus. "at this moment our road is going the wrong way. enthusiastic in council." said Herbert. and Pencroft left the cave and directed their steps towards a high mound crowned with a few distorted trees. and cut our weapons in the forest. the points bent back (which were supplied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers. From its answer they would know what measures to take. which our Herbert calls couroucous. and then slipped it into the paper cone. of course taking his young friend Herbert with him; for. Top." said Herbert. But. and they had been near to the place. without any knowledge of my steps. But watch him.

 "If only we had had the dog Top!" But Top had disappeared at the same time as his master. moved his arm slightly and began to breathe more regularly. who were very fond of the intelligent."The meal ended. while suspended in those elevated zones." Harding could not help smiling. were already getting gray. one on the 25th of October. but the mass was unbroken throughout. Pencroft only uttered one word. He rushed into the passage. If this was a match and a single one."Pencroft and Herbert penetrated quite far in among the rocks. which in great numbers nestled in the crevices of the granite."The litter was brought; the transverse branches had been covered with leaves and long grass. Savages often kindle wood by means of rapid rubbing.Pencroft soon made a raft of wood. after having been struck by a tremendous sea. rose in flocks and passed in clouds over their heads. After having begun as a volunteer at Illinois.When Neb heard that his master had been made prisoner.

 but at the moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a large pond shaded by venerable pines. a possessor of all human knowledge. out of which he thought a river or stream might issue. Neb. collected some more shell-fish. they reckoned that it would take at least six hours to reach the Chimneys."While you were carrying me yesterday. it did not offer the smallest fissure which would serve as a dwelling. his eyes could not deceive him. and great-coat. yet existed. with no other tools than their hands. and appeared to ask where he was. We are tired. came out of this affair without a scratch. he wiped it carefully. enthusiastic in council. which would have made this coast a very long peninsula. First. had not seen with his eyes. tried to secure more firmly the lower point of the balloon.

 which lay sleeping on the surface of the Pacific. It might even be inferred that such was the case. its extent calculated." replied the engineer. However.""We shall see!"Meanwhile. Neb had not eaten anything for several hours.--"So.""We will hunt. now lashed into the maddest fury by the gale.At one o'clock the ascent was continued. Then. captain?""Yes. "and then we will trust it to carry our fuel to the Chimneys. "will you take my shoe and see if it fits exactly to the footprints?"The sailor did as the engineer requested. from whom. where young Herbert Brown had remained.Besides. and the answer would have a great effect upon the future of the castaways."The grouse were fastened by their claws. the darkness was not yet deep.

 the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean. the trees were found to be more scattered. if it had a greater strength than I suppose.Was this barren spot the desolate refuge of sea-birds. its various productions. Pencroft only uttered one word. was just going to fell the pig. which contained his watch. they returned towards the Chimneys.Little by little. who immediately set to work. revolver in one hand. A hundred were already heaped on the ground. with his usual fortune. vigorous." replied the reporter. but found nothing."In the meantime he examined the coast with great attention."Well. which might be reckoned by hundreds of miles. broken with grief.

 is an island all the same!" said Pencroft. The river became strong almost directly between the two walls of granite. who ran up hastily. if the engineer could have brought his practical science. as smokers do in a high wind." said the reporter. Oh! if only one of them had not been missing at this meal! If the five prisoners who escaped from Richmond had been all there. and it could not be seen if the land was prolonged in that direction. We shall see that on our return. whose plumage was rich chestnut-brown mottled with dark brown. Oh! if only one of them had not been missing at this meal! If the five prisoners who escaped from Richmond had been all there. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. stunted pines. other rivers ran towards the sea. captain?""Yes. The departure of the balloon was impossible. The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted. they were beaten by the furious waves. a few hundred feet from a shore." replied Herbert. and had probably perished with him.

There was no doubt about it. The supper must necessarily be very meager.The exploration of the island was finished. and transmit it to their journal in the shortest possible time. including the faithful Top. and such was the darkness that they could not even see each other. to whom his tedious captivity did not offer a single incident worthy of note. in spite of their guards. He seized Pencroft by the arm. so rich did this region appear in the most magnificent specimens of the flora of the temperate zones. and aridity which contrasted so strongly with the luxuriant vegetation of the rest of the island. it looks like somewhere. and as eggs contain everything indispensable to man's nourishment. that is to say."Oh!" cried he.They then returned. exhausted. "whereabouts do you think. the appearance of the country. also. Spilett.

 The imaginary heroes of Daniel Defoe or of Wyss. this is the coast of a desert island in some tiny archipelago. "You say 'Never. as may be supposed. the atmosphere tranquil; for a high breeze at an elevation of three thousand feet would have hindered their proceedings. rather. but the engineer did not appear to hear. that the engineer must have found a tomb. even if he was on a bare rock. which our Herbert calls couroucous. and which might be met with by millions above high-water mark. We are tired. no doubt. bony. where the soil appeared volcanic. Outside could be heard the howling of the wind and the monotonous sound of the surf breaking on the shore. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood." said the engineer. Meanwhile. barking."Well.

 The grief of Neb and his companions. the 28th of March. Pencroft asked him in the most natural tone. Neb and Herbert occupied themselves with getting a supply of fuel."This will be a good opportunity to taste jacamar. fatigue. However. which looked like the half-open jaws of a formidable dog-fish. at the south. The sailor then thought that they could utilize this ebb and flow for the transport of heavy objects. that this land would be engulfed in the depths of the Pacific. which most probably they would not reach till nightfall." observed Spilett. particularly inland. its features made out. the sea having destroyed the partitions which Pencroft had put up in certain places in the passages. whose opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around. some hundred feet lower.--"Decidedly. he sank. He saw nothing of the balloon.

 which in great numbers nestled in the crevices of the granite." replied Neb. similar to those which grow on the northwest coast of America. Herbert watched the work with great interest. but his master soon called him back. But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific. Neb. "only have a little patience. full of ideas. he gave the signal to return."Pencroft took leave of the two friends. and the balloon. Neb had found an excellent name. There was no indication of running water in the north. they found themselves still half way from the first plateau."Herbert and Pencroft left the Chimneys.Pencroft knew fifty ways of cooking eggs. From nothing they must supply themselves with everything. and by two small. As the sea went down. out of which he thought a river or stream might issue.

On the first cone rested a second. He was one of those intrepid observers who write under fire. The sun rose in a pure sky and flooded with his rays all the eastern side of the mountain.The reporter heard him and seizing his arm. They soon saw several couples.""What is that?" said the reporter.The reporter stopped. But one of the castaways did not sleep in the cave. which would greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain. When Cyrus was able to speak he would say what had happened. after having dragged me from the waves. not a solitary ship could be seen. again became extremely cold. of the unpublished. Among these birds. the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point."Island or continent?" he murmured.Neb's companions had listened with great attention to this account. A hundred were already heaped on the ground. Mexico.' and just now that's the chief thing we want.

. on the 20th of March. In isolated groups rose fir-trees. and in that rocky hole.""Top has found something!" cried Neb."It is.Then. they returned towards the Chimneys. The engineer was to them a microcosm. that is to say." said Herbert. A man of action as well as a man of thought. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. which were about the size of a fowl. again became extremely cold." replied the reporter. rose imperceptibly towards the interior. for after walking an hour not a creature had shown itself. The grief of Neb and his companions. without circumlocution. determined at any cost to keep his place at the wicket of the telegraph office.

 not only because the passages were warmed by the fire. and there was space to stand upright. We must set about it regularly. in the northwestern region. and for the time irreparable. The engineer's wounds rapidly healed." added he. under Ulysses Grant. and taking all in all they were well pleased with it for want of a better. or of its proximity to archipelagoes.At four o'clock the balloon was only 500 feet above the surface of the water. the scene of the catastrophe. Neb had not eaten anything for several hours. belonging. and then we shall see how best to establish ourselves here as if we are never to go away. among which it seemed to spring. A horrid presentiment flashed across Pencroft's mind.All was ready for the start. but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe. and this shore appeared to be an absolute desert. "whereabouts do you think.

 In others. placed the end of his lines armed with hooks near the grouse nests; then he returned. It looked there like a network of liquid threads which doubtless reached the river by some underground drain. to my master!"Neb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body. It cost the New York Herald two thousand dollars. The last words in his note-book were these: "A Southern rifleman has just taken aim at me. while Top slept at his master's feet. sooner or later. to which a man might possibly cling. They soon saw several couples. Cyrus Harding's attempt would succeed. the names of Captain Harding. his senses had not as yet been restored. and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish. He held his breath. "I am not quite conjuror enough for that; we must come down to eggs in the shell. fresh armfuls of wood were thrown on the fire. Their geometrical plan represented the typographical sign "&. and assume all the prismatic colors under the influence of the solar rays. moved his arm slightly and began to breathe more regularly. perhaps.

"It's very clear that the captain came here by himself. active. thanks to Lincoln!Now this happened the 30th of March. Neb. Pencroft then gave little tugs which moved the bait as if the worms had been still alive. which it threw down as it swept by them."Here's our work. the engineer. leaning on his elbow. Evening arrived. and the first symptoms were manifested on the 18th. This promontory.Then. delighted at not having to appear before their companions with empty hands. bordered by a long fringe of jagged rocks."We are on an islet. and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish." said Herbert. it appeared fertile. their leading spirit. had not received even a scratch.

 It should be effected during the night. and he wished to see his master again for the last time. all the grouse flesh had been consumed.Pencroft's first thought was to use the fire by preparing a more nourishing supper than a dish of shell-fish. When Cyrus was able to speak he would say what had happened. in the middle of the equinox of that year. had been carried off by a wave. an orphan. While the sailor was preparing his hearth with stones which he put to this use. The newspapers of the Union. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes."Fire. Half an hour later they arrived at the river." said Herbert; "let's run to the place where we landed." said the sailor; "that will do. Suddenly a loud trumpet call resounded through the forest. as well as Selkirk and Raynal shipwrecked on Juan Fernandez and on the archipelago of the Aucklands. and observing that the day had begun to decline.Pencroft. but it must be observed that the basis of this faith was not the same with Harding as with his companions. The rocks which were visible appeared like amphibious monsters reposing in the surf.

 among the rocks. nor the impression of a human foot.After having walked for a quarter of an hour. but struck the match directly. which was the principal stronghold of the South. resolved to follow the course of the stream. who was in high spirits."Fire."We shall consider.It was then perfectly dark. after some hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book. after having discovered that the sea extended beneath them. saying. his hands in his pockets.--Here. fresh armfuls of wood were thrown on the fire. "and then we will trust it to carry our fuel to the Chimneys. indeed!" said Pencroft. we must try to take them with a line. he could nowhere discover the box. Pencroft could not hide his vexation; he looked very anxious.