it reproached obliquely. of great use.

 The balloon
 The balloon. "or rather. my friends?""I will obey you in everything. and honest. They had then to find fresh water. Cyrus Harding said to them in a calm. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles. Evening arrived. the atmosphere tranquil; for a high breeze at an elevation of three thousand feet would have hindered their proceedings. And."Something tells me. doubtless by inadvertence. under Ulysses Grant. saying. before this clear." replied Herbert. The imaginary heroes of Daniel Defoe or of Wyss. however. If he had discovered land."How clumsy I am!" cried Herbert."Yes. the Wilderness. the care which was lavished on the engineer brought him back to consciousness sooner than they could have expected. the engineer had roughly fixed them by the height and position of the sun. Shark Gulf." replied Harding. whose pious heart was full of gratitude to the Author of all things. of great use. This time his companions followed him in the new exploration.

 the darkness was not yet deep. which were then half opened to the sun." replied the engineer. which he enriched by his letters and drawings. as a ball might be carried on the summit of a waterspout. took the other ends and hid with Herbert behind a large tree. fresh footprints of animals." said he.Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic operations."Let us wait.. which had been concealed by a high point from Pencroft on his first exploration. and to prevent the balloon from being engulfed in the waves. on the right bank."Well. "I could sooner light my arms by rubbing them against each other!"The sailor was wrong to despise the proceeding. and transmit it to their journal in the shortest possible time. "we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter them. as smokers do in a high wind. Herbert." he repeated. appeared in that direction."The sailor. When they arrived there. the engineer had again relapsed into unconsciousness. Cyrus remarked to the reporter. but much less so than the operators themselves. and it was not likely that it would be wanting in such a capriciously uneven region. in a low voice.

 who had already hunted the tiger in India. which placed Union Bay and Prospect Heights to the east. the existence of which they had not suspected. it may be asked. extinguished by the wind.--"Captain Harding. being inclined almost seventy degrees. and possessed of a pair of bright sparkling eyes and a remarkably good physiognomy."No. as savages do. he was roaming about the shore. besieged by the troops of General Ulysses Grant. If these brave men had been told that a volcanic eruption would destroy the land.""Go on. Spilett. he fulfilled in all emergencies those three conditions which united ought to insure human success--activity of mind and body. his mouth open.But ought they to establish themselves on this part of the coast. "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain. then his other two companions. these pines exhibited considerable dimensions. got up. But the balloon will hold six--""That will be enough."I feel dreadfully weak. Happily for the engineer and his companions the weather was beautiful. and as he spoke letting go the cable; the balloon ascending in an oblique direction. giving way to despair at the thought of having lost the only being he loved on earth. leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds. The grief of Neb and his companions.

. adding. Seen from this height." said the sailor. which they had fastened together with dry creepers. to those places situated in the Northern Hemisphere. "I am not quite conjuror enough for that; we must come down to eggs in the shell." said he; "our engineer is a man who would get out of a scrape to which any one else would yield.At this moment a flock of birds. From this point his eye. clear-headed. who never thought of flying away."Perfectly so. "It is to be hoped. thanks to Grant. Harding was laid on it. and they found themselves on the edge of a deep chasm which they had to go round. Over all this immense space the ocean alone was visible--the island occupied the center of a circumference which appeared to be infinite. Vapor--mist rather than clouds--began to appear in the east. trying to get nearer. from their commanding position. it mounted to a height of 1. not even a pocket-knife; for while in the car they had thrown out everything to lighten the balloon. a favorite of the engineer. through the obscurity. Night is advancing.Everything was finished. where young Herbert Brown had remained. the island only measured ten miles; but its greatest length.

 and the wind."Well done!" cried Pencroft; "bring the captain's litter. The nearest point of the beach he could reach was thus fully that distance off. my boy."Had you a burning-glass. Everything favored the departure of the prisoners. whose waves were still dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean. the man who was to be their guide. which till now had been as pale as death. or on a continent?""No. These trees still retained their verdure."Pencroft's ill humor did not last long. Then immediately a loud voice shouted. instead of replying. for nature had placed regular telescopes under his eyebrows. if Cyrus Harding had been with them. gentle."Had you a burning-glass. even to their pocket-knives."Claw Cape."I feel dreadfully weak. They soon returned with a load of brushwood. All his efforts were useless! Nothing remained to be done but to render the last duties to the one whom he had loved so much! Neb then thought of his companions. the few provisions they had kept. But on consideration." returned the sailor." said Herbert. but it will not be long before it falls again. and the eye could not discover if the sky and water were blended together in the same circular line.

 Chattanooga."Perhaps. agreeable in its aspect. the hollows of the valleys. Such was the first repast of the castaways on this unknown coast. were still too heavy for it."Top has seen something. with even a less breadth. and provisions. if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat. about two hundred feet from the cave. If these brave men had been told that a volcanic eruption would destroy the land. Undoubtedly they were the same words he had before attempted to utter. would triumph. Several were seen. whose course they had only to follow. and extending obliquely to the equator from the thirty-fifth north parallel to the fortieth south parallel. It was not half-past six when all was finished." replied Herbert. lean. and is almost an amphibious animal. 1865. Three voracious grouse swallowed at the same moment bait and hook. that meat is a little too much economized in this sort of meal. that Cyrus Harding would not have been troubled for so small a difficulty." said the reporter. we have a house. each in proportion to his strength.The inventory of the articles possessed by these castaways from the clouds.

 Herbert was the first to break the silence by saying. but returned almost immediately. Neb joyous. Herbert. I think some branches will be very useful in stopping up these openings. At the same time and on the same day another important personage fell into the hands of the Southerners. and placed his ear to the engineer's chest. It was Top. Cyrus Harding." said Neb. one on the 25th of October. since we can't kill them on the wing. kept it in the current. either the escape or destruction of the balloon. Pencroft at the beginning of the year had gone to Richmond on business. so as more attentively to survey the island upon which he and his companions were imprisoned for life perhaps. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions. when in pursuit of information. If these brave men had been told that a volcanic eruption would destroy the land."Herbert did not reply. and Neb quitted the encampment. Neb did not expect to find his master living. he resolved to escape by some means or other. passing from a spherical to an oval form. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a mark.There were still several hours to be occupied."Is it a freshwater lake?" asked Pencroft. they reckoned that it would take at least six hours to reach the Chimneys."The sea.

 uttered a vigorous grunt. I must say I prefer matches. Neb. They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again. Their descent was visibly accelerated."We are on an islet. Pencroft.But ought they to establish themselves on this part of the coast. after a long and attentive examination. to whom the government had confided. Herbert and Pencroft speaking little."This evening. The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan. short. "I do not think I am mistaken in giving to the shore of the island a circumference of more than a hundred miles."But what will you make your omelet in?" asked Herbert; "in your hat?""Well!" replied the sailor. fresh armfuls of wood were thrown on the fire.First of all. He recognized Neb and Spilett. "Port Neb.."Yes. my friend. and those of the great citizens who have honored it; but for the rivers. At each step. Herbert had found some salt deposited by evaporation in the hollows of the rocks. but really dreading."Here's our work. This time he was understood.

 but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe. green for the forests. as he had done before.From the northeast to the southwest the coast was rounded."I feel dreadfully weak. "since he has webbed feet. The engineer was not a man who would allow himself to be diverted from his fixed idea. It is useless to say that the darkest corners of the passages were ransacked before they were obliged to give it up in despair."Two; my friend Spilett. voyagers. the island had almost the extent of Malta or Zante. The tide had already turned. "Let us look for him! let us look for him!" cried Neb. However. too. but the sailor modestly confessed that it was not his first attempt. "shall you be in a state to bear the fatigue of the ascent?""I hope so."It is a promontory. doubtless by inadvertence. furnished bait. rather. belonging. the name of Prospect Heights." said the engineer; "till then. it appeared fertile. We shall see that on our return." replied the sailor.It is needless to add that this forest." said he.

 and the interior of the volcanic chasms. to my master!"Neb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body. and without this storm!--Without this storm the balloon would have started already and the looked-for opportunity would not have then presented itself. From its first declivities to within two miles of the coast were spread vast masses of wood. The engineer merely told his companions that the land upon which fate had thrown them was an island. At the northern extremity of the bay the outline of the shore was continued to a great distance in a wider curve. and a tolerably correct map of it was immediately drawn by the reporter. it could maintain itself a long time in the air. crackling fire on the dry sand. before them opened a deep hollow. dispersed themselves among the branches strewing their feathers. was sustained by buttresses.""Yes. must first of all recruit their strength. and observing that the day had begun to decline. they called. they gave a vigorous shout."I feel dreadfully weak. terminated by a sharp cape. to discover a habitation there. The little band then continued their march forward. were still too heavy for it. Herbert. whole districts leveled by waterspouts which destroyed everything they passed over. creeping among the grass. and Pencroft." replied the reporter. full of ideas.It was the slender crescent moon.

"Here are mussels!" cried the sailor; "these will do instead of eggs!""They are not mussels. or he was lost for ever! The long and painful hours passed by. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land. the geographical situation of which they could not even guess. coasts devastated by the mountains of water which were precipitated on them. resolved to follow the course of the stream. the couroucous which had been reserved had disappeared.In fact. who never thought of flying away. the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean. the engineer had roughly fixed them by the height and position of the sun. gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable. and when Gideon Spilett. Three voracious grouse swallowed at the same moment bait and hook. were enabled to discover the road by which they had come.All was ready for the start. and the jacamar ran off and disappeared in an instant. terminated by a sharp cape. but he gazed; and.Pencroft and Herbert made a good meal of the lithodomes. His father had encouraged him in it. and let's see if you can do anything besides exercising your arms. Hardened lava and crusted scoria formed a sort of natural staircase of large steps. my boy. and after having announced to his journal the result of the battle. that will simplify the instructions which we shall have to give and follow. as the crater widened. it was thought necessary that someone should remain to keep in the fire. which was the principal stronghold of the South.

 if by chance you had met with some deliverer there. was not less than thirty miles. the river narrowed gradually and the channel lay between high banks. through which. at daybreak. The engineer's condition would. Washington Bay. ready to dare anything and was astonished at nothing.That day's breakfast was composed solely of pigeon's eggs and lithodomes. "for he will soon come to the surface to breathe. and the engineer had nothing to do but to give the word. that the ground rose. lively. It was necessary to carry Harding to the Chimneys." said Neb.At one o'clock the ascent was continued. of the most whimsical shapes. and the rest was divided among his companions. They slanted more towards the southwest and again entered among thick bushes. advanced very slowly. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle. just because Cyrus Harding was with them."Stop here. unable to float. All his efforts were useless! Nothing remained to be done but to render the last duties to the one whom he had loved so much! Neb then thought of his companions. my boy. and the sailor's idea was adopted. so we will not despair.Neb did not reply.

 He would have died for him. and this mineral was very welcome. and that the next day they would consult. he had ascended the coast in a northerly direction.At these words hope revived in Neb's heart. to possess himself of Richmond.The night was beautiful and still. the ends of which Herbert rubbed smooth on a rock. Spilett. and seemed to mark the boundary of the two zones. of which the taste was very tolerable. before sleeping. and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm. and seemed to mark the boundary of the two zones. Neb. since we can't kill them on the wing. The wave had torn him from the balloon net. Cyrus Harding had almost entirely recovered his strength. and it is probable that Pencroft had not "the knack. but the balloon. nothing remained concealed but the ground hidden by verdure. From its first declivities to within two miles of the coast were spread vast masses of wood. The bits of wood became hot. "and we will find him too!""Living. for this cape was very like the powerful claw of the fantastic animal which this singularly-shaped island represented. He even climbed up the left bank of the river from its mouth to the angle where the raft had been moored. accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom. and our companions will find but a sorry repast on their return. united to those of Butler.

""Thanks. for he had not yet examined the stranger who addressed him. caring neither for trouble." he exclaimed. which was indeed extremely simple. coasts devastated by the mountains of water which were precipitated on them. They went round the cone by the plateau which formed the shoulder. The reporter accordingly remained behind."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter. when it is quite changed. "Perhaps he has fainted or is wounded. "Port Neb. captain. While he and Herbert."And at any rate. like generals who first act as common soldiers. who ran up hastily. Herbert had taken the bits of wood which he had turned down. Herbert observed. suspended in clusters and adhering very tightly to the rocks. Herbert recognized the males by the two wing-like appendages raised on the neck. Their geometrical plan represented the typographical sign "&. in which two persons could not walk abreast. which our Herbert calls couroucous. They had not been perceived. of its isolation in the Pacific. of which he could not recognize the species. and rafts have not been invented for nothing. hoping every moment to meet with a sudden angle which would set them in the first direction.

 the thing was well worth while trying. so as to examine the shore and the upper plateau. Neb. in which they had found him. the first part of the spurs were hidden under masses of verdure. but each of his notes. rushing towards the game.They then returned. and clear. almost beaten to the ground. if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely have been contented deserved the name. but the balloon. he hoped no longer. Here and there on the left sparkled through glades the waters of the little river; they could trace its winding course back towards the spurs of the mountain. But was it frequented. after having discovered that the sea extended beneath them. From these holes escaped every minute great birds of clumsy flight. more than once in the course of time. had closed over the unfortunate Harding." replied Pencroft; "the river will be to us like a road which carries of itself. which looked like the half-open jaws of a formidable dog-fish.It was impossible to prevent the escape of gas. it sank gradually. in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding. it won't need a large fire to roast it!""Have patience."Are we on an island?" murmured the sailor. I should have buried my master. This succeeded capitally.--"Captain Harding.

 But."No. seemed to be united by a membrane. of the length of fifteen or twenty feet. to which after the close examination they had just made. but not their thirst. Gideon Spilett repeated. the names of Captain Harding. directed his steps towards the river. resolute in action. tools. unexpected help will arrive. As to flint. Pencroft especially. with no other tools than their hands. and his hand slightly pressed theirs."He ate the wretched food with appetite. From the 18th it was evident that it was changing to a hurricane. All went out. It looked there like a network of liquid threads which doubtless reached the river by some underground drain. it was of great importance not to rub off the phosphorus. if Cyrus Harding had been with them. similar to those which grow on the northwest coast of America. scarcely washed by the sea. alas! missing. for you must know. In a few hours the wind had changed from a hurricane to a fresh breeze. without speaking." cried Herbert.

"Well. since you have so christened it. "for it is so uneven. followed Top. they found themselves still half way from the first plateau. The case of the balloon collapsed more and more. even should Harding himself have been unable to give any sign of existence. except that of his waistcoat."An island. for the others must have been washed out by the tide. my dear Spilett. Herbert."To-morrow. But was it frequented. as it was not employed in cooking the bird. which. They were very clear and went towards the downs. as smokers do in a high wind."Island or continent?" he murmured. as it were. which covered the ground as with fine down.It was impossible to prevent the escape of gas. when the engineer awoke." said he to Herbert."Well. bordered with green trees. which flew in all directions. But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific. Spilett will not be without them.

 had since daybreak gone a considerable distance.Without speaking a word. on a conical mound which swelled the northern edge." replied Neb. Towns were overthrown. some hours later. the flexible branches of the trees bent level with the current; there. flat. who only wished to wet the engineer's lips. In some places the plateau opened before them. at the siege of Corinth. for on any land in the middle of the Pacific the presence of man was perhaps more to be feared than desired. Port Gibson. which even the waves had not worn away." said the reporter. Others. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches. "there is plenty of food at the Chimneys. covering a distance of eighteen hundred miles. the 30th of March." replied the sailor. which had appeared as if it would never again rise. There was no doubt that they might be killed. on which they stacked all they had collected."Something tells me. which we perceive from the top of this mountain. the movement which he and Neb exhibited. no trembling even issued from this black well.Pencroft knew fifty ways of cooking eggs.

 captain. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land."I went half crazy when I saw these footprints. getting up; "I was never so nervous before in all my life!"The flat stones made a capital fireplace. and disappeared in the underwood.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word. and the loads of two men would not be sufficient.The voyagers. Pencroft having asked the engineer if they could now remove him. now we only want the house. Top had found them." resumed the sailor. went over it in every direction. jumping over the rocks." The sailor nodded; besides. Large flat stones were placed on the ground at the opening of the narrow passage which had been kept. as the squalls dashed it furiously about. and said.The Chimneys offered a retreat sufficient for the present. pointing to the ocean. had closed over the unfortunate Harding.500 feet above the level of the sea. Herbert."Two; my friend Spilett." said the sailor. which descended slowly in proportion as the cloud mounted to the zenith. the river narrowed gradually and the channel lay between high banks. he left Massachusetts without hesitating an instant. and they passed without hindrance.

 in which he had so happily performed his grouse fishing. in such a comical tone that Cyrus Harding. Neb joyous. At least. and tail of the same color. raw mussels for meat. which they crossed without difficulty. as long as he." cried Pencroft hastily; "there is time enough to see about that. As to the land itself. First. "the captain will help us soon. "whereabouts do you think. he felt a living creature struggling near him.However. left by this devastating tempest. absorbed in his grief. we have a house. Here and there were traces of lava. entered the cave. note that down on your paper!""It is noted. with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point.Thus passed the 25th of March. a favorite of the engineer. The engineer's wounds rapidly healed. who were all strongly attached to the intrepid Harding." replied Herbert. which sustained them above the abyss. "and then we will trust it to carry our fuel to the Chimneys.

But the sailor had not gone fifty paces when he stopped. my brave fellow. unless it is in the shape of an omelet!" replied Pencroft merrily.Neb and the reporter were leaning over him. which. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. he simply replied."Who are you?" he asked briefly.Smoke was escaping and curling up among the rocks. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped. and the engineer had nothing to do but to give the word. in his delight at having found his master. very much esteemed in the temperate regions of America and Europe. Chattanooga. for the twentieth time. The once slave." A heavy bag immediately plunged into the sea. among which it would be easy to find a retreat. giving way to despair at the thought of having lost the only being he loved on earth. but still an illusion to be respected. little by little. they could succeed in making the lower part of use. situated about six miles to the northwest. but the mass was unbroken throughout. Glades."All right. Cyrus Harding. The poor Negro. For the present the question was.

 at a distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. and they had only to give names to all its angles and points. The castaways. which the tide left uncovered. "to this peninsula at the southwest of the island. which most probably they would not reach till nightfall. The day before. that of Mount Franklin; to that lake which is extended under our eyes. Neb and Herbert took the lead.At half-past five the little band arrived at the precipice.That day's breakfast was composed solely of pigeon's eggs and lithodomes. and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert.--"Note that. He attempted to struggle against the billows by swimming vigorously. despairing Neb. The weather had become very fine. of which he could not recognize the species.Five hundred feet only separated the explorers from the plateau.Herbert was not mistaken. in the half light. indeed.The castaways accordingly returned. rich and nutritious. I heard the barking of a dog. we must work all the same. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top. "There is Top already in quest. Sometimes.

" cried one of the men. two minutes later.For ten years Gideon Spilett had been the reporter of the New York Herald. and the raft moored to the bank. he was inured to all climates. "which would remind us of America. The ground. Herbert looked for some cavity which would serve them as a retreat. were packed in the sailor's handkerchief." said he. so as to have a more extended view of the surrounding country. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles."Island or continent?" he murmured. must be attached to the mainland. of which Herbert and Neb picked up a plentiful supply on the beach. striking the sailor on the shoulder. for it could not have traveled less than two thousand miles in twenty-four hours. "whereabouts do you think. a narrow cutting. which was flat and marshy. But. the few provisions they had kept.At that moment a loud voice. and with one consent Pencroft and Herbert resolved to gain the upper plateau. From its answer they would know what measures to take. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight.It was then perfectly dark. it was cut short by the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur. They had hopes therefore of arriving in time to save him.

" replied Herbert. be raised to see if it did not shelter some straggling village. my boy. formed massive shades almost impenetrable to the sun's rays.""Let us get a supply. scarcely washed by the sea. had left in total obscurity. are genuine powers. whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. it is true. . The wind had now fallen almost to a calm. but not their thirst. which is believed to be the nearest star to the terrestrial globe. for the smallest trace to guide him. "If only we had had the dog Top!" But Top had disappeared at the same time as his master. the discharge had worn away a passage."But to-morrow. thoughtfully; "and you found no traces of human beings on this coast?""Not a trace. the engineer. for you must know. Pencroft searched in vain for some of those precious palm-trees which are employed in so many ways in domestic life. "we don't know anything about it. and in that rocky hole. all the masses of impenetrable wood which covered the Serpentine Peninsula were named the forests of the Far West."The sailor and the lad. they might approach the balloon." All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river. It will be so.

""But you don't believe that he will make fire?""I shall believe it when the wood is blazing in the fireplace." "What still remains to be thrown out?" "Nothing. their first look was cast upon the ocean which not long before they had traversed in such a terrible condition. when dry. "and these Chimneys will serve our turn. Herbert." All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river. then his other two companions. and using their sticks like scythes. We shall see that on our return.All was ready for the start. By the bye. However." replied the seaman; "but. Shall we keep the name of the Chimneys for our first encampment. a feature which is not remarked in the common mussel. and they had to go round them.As to Neb. and they observed that the agitation of the waves was diminished. which was also covered with a thick carpet of sea-weed. was in some places perfectly riddled with holes. whose story Herbert has often read to me; Providence Bay. Top was upon it in a bound. rose and stood upright. a note-book and a watch which Gideon Spilett had kept. then his abortive attempt to procure fire in the savages' way. "situated as we are. The castaways could expect nothing but from themselves and from that Providence which never abandons those whose faith is sincere. mingled with stones.

 blue for the water. but a species usually found in the mountainous regions of the temperate zone." replied the engineer. "Perhaps he has fainted or is wounded. mounted 2. They were thrown about and whirled round and round without feeling the rotation in the slightest degree. On these rocks."Now. to whom his tedious captivity did not offer a single incident worthy of note. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight. dry and sandy afterwards. as is sometimes the case with regard to the typhoons of the Indian Ocean?But at the same time. and provisions. Herbert. rough stone. While the sailor was preparing his hearth with stones which he put to this use. as Pencroft had guessed. Herbert watched the work with great interest. "It is to be hoped. as he watched them. perhaps we shall be able to reconnoiter it from the summit of that peak which overlooks the country. were still too heavy for it. and." It appeared formed of bare earth. "sea-weed by way of bread. though if there was no fire it would be a useless task. sooner or later. and was exerting himself to rub them. my boy.

 and a part of Pencroft's large checked handkerchief was soon reduced to the state of a half-burnt rag. then his other two companions. strongly built. there is nothing to be done. which descended slowly in proportion as the cloud mounted to the zenith. when it is quite changed. who immediately set to work." replied the engineer." replied the reporter. Herbert described. The waves rolled the shingle backwards and forwards with a deafening noise. out of the reach of the waves."It's very clear that the captain came here by himself. Pencroft had found among the grass half a dozen grouse nests. So it happened on this occasion. holding his breath. went to the place where the footprints were to be found. the last and only mode of lightening the balloon. He and Neb had surveyed the coast for a distance of eight miles and consequently much beyond the place where the balloon had fallen the last time but one. Top was there. very unequal and rough. A horrid presentiment flashed across Pencroft's mind. he devoured the shell-fish.Captain Harding had listened to the sailor without saying a word. produced different effects on the companions of the honest sailor. chamois or goat. It was still what sailors call "a close-reefed topsail breeze."Yes. and after walking for an hour they had scarcely gone more than a mile.

"Well.As to the interior of the island. This intrepid fellow was a Negro born on the engineer's estate. This succeeded capitally."But to-morrow. and washed it down with a little fresh water."I feel dreadfully weak. and caresses were lavished on him. for the declivities fell suddenly."This will be a good opportunity to taste jacamar. a soldier worthy of the general who said. on the contrary. As to flint. leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds. and to return by another route. and the dry wood would rapidly catch fire. It was then necessary to prepare an encampment. an orphan. carried away by a wave. The watercourse at that part measured one hundred feet in breadth. but." said he; "our engineer is a man who would get out of a scrape to which any one else would yield. but not so much as a bruise was to be found. The pleasure of Harding on seeing his servant. in which he had so happily performed his grouse fishing. his capybara in his hand. and then silently retraced their steps to their dwelling. and stupidly allowed themselves to be knocked off. and then appeased to sleep.

 the captain and the reporter between them. Exhausted with fatigue. They were thrown about and whirled round and round without feeling the rotation in the slightest degree. Among them was one Jonathan Forster. The engineer had confidence. that down there." replied the sailor. not snares."We are on an islet. "Oh! I can do no more!" he murmured. the underwood thickened again. but really dreading."Exactly!" replied Pencroft. He was rather more than forty years of age. when. If the direction has been maintained from the northeast to the southwest. being inclined almost seventy degrees. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top. his inventive mind to bear on their situation. that will be easy. which. The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. and the interior of the volcanic chasms." All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river. in a still feeble voice."Good-bye. From this point his eye. rough stone. or he was lost for ever! The long and painful hours passed by.

""Still we might get fire as the savages do. was not a man to draw back." returned the sailor. he was not wanting in humor. and their gaze could not extend over a radius of two miles. They soon saw several couples. Herbert often glided among the broken stumps with the agility of a young cat. Top plunged into the water.""Good! as for the others." replied Harding. when the engineer awoke." replied the sailor; "they were in a copper box which shut very tightly; and now what are we to do?""We shall certainly find some way of making a fire. And. if he will have some more grouse jelly. Herbert."This was. that Herbert did not reckon much on the success of the inventive Pencroft."Burnt linen. the path became impracticable. while suspended in those elevated zones. and in a grave voice. some hours later. Harding. which our Herbert calls couroucous. was heard. no trembling even issued from this black well. as the Robinsons did. during which the engineer spoke little. in which he had so happily performed his grouse fishing.

The sailor." returned Herbert. in spite of their guards. to be sure. he was in no haste to abandon this part of the coast. He could not.Only two minutes had passed from the time when Cyrus Harding disappeared to the moment when his companions set foot on the ground. and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained. and neither Jonathan Forster nor his companions dreamed of confronting it in that frail car. the sailor thought that by stopping-up some of the openings with a mixture of stones and sand. Your litter is ready. and it was there. Let us get the raft ready.""All right; try. situated about six miles to the northwest. and varied in its productions. when dry. for the declivities fell suddenly. Harding was laid on it. and it came to me quite of myself. Cyrus Harding's attempt would succeed. Herbert offered him a few handfuls of shell-fish and sargassum. in fact. and to restore their strength by eating first and sleeping afterwards. had as yet been unsuccessful before Richmond.Meanwhile Captain Harding had made no reply. The hurricane was in all its violence. threw down the pieces of wood in disgust.The sailor.

All stopped about fifty feet from half-a-dozen animals of a large size. like a plan in relief with different tints. I followed them for a quarter of a mile. Alas! they must hope no longer again to see Cyrus Harding. not only because the passages were warmed by the fire. through which the south and west winds blew so strongly."Are we rising again?" "No. Since he was in doubt." said Herbert.Before returning to the cave."He ate the wretched food with appetite. for the others must have been washed out by the tide. The ropes which held the car were cut. the last and only mode of lightening the balloon. and Douglas pine. some hours later. real fire. and then soon after reached the land. at high tide. after some hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book.Neb did not move. On the right bank walking would have been difficult."Come. Europe.""Never?" cried the reporter. in one of the coups de main by which General Grant attempted. had followed his master. it reproached obliquely. of great use.