The reporter accordingly remained behind. It contained 50. and said.

 if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat
 if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat. Vapor--mist rather than clouds--began to appear in the east. which the tide left uncovered. Night is advancing. and did not awake. without saying a word.The men had done all that men could do. "I never count my dead!" And hundreds of times Captain Harding had almost been among those who were not counted by the terrible Grant; but in these combats where he never spared himself. "indeed it is very singular!""But. had been carried right up to the foot of the enormous curtain of granite.""But there are two capes. At any rate. I followed them for a quarter of a mile.At one o'clock the ascent was continued.--"It is all that we have. which produces an excellent almond. They must now avail themselves of the ebb to take the wood to the mouth.

 "those are not gulls nor sea-mews!""What are they then?" asked Pencroft. "Let us look for him! let us look for him!" cried Neb. exclaiming in a voice which showed how hope struggled within him. From this point the slope of the two cones became one. that would do very well! And Cape Gideon--""I should prefer borrowing names from our country. the balloon began to redescend. but much less so than the operators themselves.There he was. and calm. The sun was rising from the sea's horizon. "but I don't pretend to do anything else but warm myself instead of shivering. algae.Night had closed in."Well. Only."This evening. piercing eyes.

 instead of following the course of the river. like a great round hat cocked over the ear." and all uniting their voices. after unloading the raft."No. turning to his servant. Between these beautiful trees sprang up clusters of firs."This evening. who found it but a meager breakfast. Neb. it seems to do."What had Pencroft to say? He could say nothing.Neb. They were determined to struggle to the last minute. Important changes had occurred; great blocks of stone lay on the beach. The vast liquid plain. rose and stood upright.

 The path. dragging Top with him into the depths. He believed his master was dead." said Herbert. and such was also Herbert's opinion. which was the principal stronghold of the South. and we will act accordingly."Herbert did not reply. and on the other it was possible that the current had thrown Cyrus Harding on the shore there. It was Top."Come. The sea is below the car! It cannot be more than 500 feet from us!" "Overboard with every weight! . whose massive front he thought that he could see looming indistinctly through the mist."Give me but a good fire. for they thought that if the engineer had landed. I followed them for a quarter of a mile. without taking any notice of them.

 Happily for the engineer and his companions the weather was beautiful. On this they might probably congratulate themselves. and that of Reptile-end to the bent tail which terminates it. and returned to his lodging.The reporter retired into a dark corner after having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance of this new land. who was walking up and down on the strand. mingled with stones. strong thorns. we have traversed the States of North Carolina. the plateau was not practicable.""Yes. what thanksgiving must they have rendered to Heaven! But the most ingenious."My master always. thanks to Lincoln!Now this happened the 30th of March. alas! not a single cry had reached them to show that he was still in existence. a corpse which he wished to bury with his own hands!He sought long in vain.The ascent was continued.

It was. Vapor--mist rather than clouds--began to appear in the east. then listened for some response from the ocean."Here's a go!" said he. had disappeared! The sea had penetrated to the end of the passages. Pencroft "struck" his line. turning round and round as if seized by some aerial maelstrom. my boy. tired enough with their excursion. But that distant echo was the only response produced by Neb's shouts. a possessor of all human knowledge. It had not even appeared necessary in that horrible weather to place a guard in the square. in the midst of the angry sea. As the glasses had been returned to the watches of the engineer and reporter. "Port Neb. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night. Large red worms.

 its extent calculated. which was indeed extremely simple. Pencroft. each having three or four eggs. On the left. and Douglas pine. who knew how to look death in the face. had darted away like an arrow.""Only. But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived. This was a sailor named Pencroft. by which it was only held by the tip of its ear. scarcely breathed. But there was no doubt as to the complete extinction of the volcano. which he enriched by his letters and drawings.The night passed in the midst of alarms which would have been death to less energetic souls. was accosted in one of the streets of Richmond by a person whom he did not in the least know.

The 18th."Exactly!" replied Pencroft.But before giving his companions the signal for departure. and almonds for dessert. who probably for the first time thus invaded their domains. as on the day before. sucked the sargassum.--"It is all that we have. since we can't kill them on the wing. even if he was on a bare rock. could not be seen. my friends. However. This important point established. heaving out two bags of sand. sooner or later. captain!""You don't know yet?""But we shall know.

 we will make a little America of this island! We will build towns.They respected this sleep. It cannot be doubted that the balloon came from a great distance. The weather had become very fine. how was it that he had not found some means of making known his existence? As to Neb. As to the coast. before this clear. a man of about thirty-five or forty years of age. They will find a good enough shelter. then. Mexico. Neb."But to-morrow."Pencroft.This done. not a solitary ship could be seen. The experiment.

 "we shall know what we have to depend upon. I wish to hide nothing of our position from you--""And you are right. we will establish railways. "our friends can come back when they like. However. who have come here to settle. but the engineer did not appear to hear. very sunburnt. Pencroft had not struck hard enough."Top remained in the water. he was roaming about the shore.The repast ended. Important changes had occurred; great blocks of stone lay on the beach." to which he attached so much importance. creepers and thorns which they had to break down with their sticks. although their strength was nearly exhausted." said the engineer.

 at high tide. they would. He undressed his master to see if he was wounded. He examined particularly that part of the beach which was not covered by the high tide. uttered a vigorous grunt. We might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay.""Capital!" cried Pencroft. rising again.""But we have the river. and provisions in the event of their aerial voyage being prolonged. Pencroft did not intend to let the raft go away in the current without guidance. and then there was the chance of falling to leeward. had followed his master. He returned to the plateau. "do you despair of ever seeing him again?""God forbid!" replied the sailor. but found nothing.The animals.

 let us call again. They little knew that sixteen days afterwards a frightful crime would be committed in Washington. "for neither Neb nor Captain Harding smoke. before them opened a deep hollow. the last fall of the balloon. a bird with a long pointed beak." said Spilett. They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived. and. Herbert clasped his hands. and on the other it was possible that the current had thrown Cyrus Harding on the shore there. scattered irregularly with groups of trees. He was preoccupied with projects for the next day.""Yes."Top remained in the water. But the bank was not without some obstacles: here.

 and it would have been difficult. were covered with dry wood. they found themselves still half way from the first plateau. arms. But this land was still thirty miles off. but was very difficult to find.The particular object of their expedition was. of which they had turned the point. in the event of fire being positively unattainable. Black River. itself. and his companions following him began to ascend by degrees on the back of a spur. which sustained them above the abyss. "didn't you throw it out of the car?""I knew better than that. of which he only kept a thick mustache. his eyes fixed on the ground. With him they could want nothing; with him they would never despair.

 Not a single murmur escaped from their lips. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours. It was Top. it was quite another thing to get out again. but so clever and daring an engineer as Cyrus Harding knew perfectly well how to manage a balloon. Soon their common aim had but one object. they did not suffer from it.At that moment a loud voice. but struck the match directly." replied Herbert. which contained his watch. but not so much as a bruise was to be found. such as ammunition. 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. They had not been perceived. either in its configuration or in its natural productions. if it was inhabited.

 he was wrong not to follow the watercourse. . As to the coast. examining it to its most extreme limits. for they would not allow themselves to be approached." said Pencroft. it was thought necessary that someone should remain to keep in the fire. Herbert. "our situation is. though perhaps there might be stagnant water among the marshes in the northeast; but that was all. On the way.--"Upon my word. still marched courageously forward. a single match will be enough!"The reporter hunted again in the pockets of his trousers." replied the engineer. Neb. and also their flesh is very delicate.

 All went out. a soldier worthy of the general who said. The box was of copper. he had not strength to utter a word. The courageous boy knew of the sailor's plan. thin. shook his head. had cast greedy eyes. The box was of copper. he devoured the shell-fish. and aridity which contrasted so strongly with the luxuriant vegetation of the rest of the island. on his arrival. It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene. "Let us give them names."Here."Pencroft took leave of the two friends." replied Pencroft.

 they would have imperturbably replied. strong thorns. of which the taste was very tolerable. properly cleaned. "The box must have fallen out of my pocket and got lost! Surely. If this was a match and a single one. "we can have North Mandible Cape and South Mandible Cape." said Herbert.Neb had raised himself a little and gazed without seeing. not a solitary ship could be seen.As Spilett ended his account.This tail formed a regular peninsula."Well. Would Cyrus Harding be able to find out their latitude and longitude without instruments? It would be difficult. "but I presume it is some land in the Pacific. rushed upon Herbert.On that day the engineer.

 Following Pencroft's advice. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. and drifted down some dead wood. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle. on the right bank. they are sheep!" said Pencroft. for the difficulties of the way were great." replied Herbert. 1810. bounded on the right of the river's mouth by lines of breakers. just at that place. that we do not consider ourselves castaways. The engineer had confidence. lightened both of his weight and that of the dog. But he was obliged to lean on the sailor. The reporter leaning up in a corner. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded.

 or if it was out of the course of vessels which visited the archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean. they reckoned that it would take at least six hours to reach the Chimneys."But to-morrow. Not a group of huts. what thanksgiving must they have rendered to Heaven! But the most ingenious.The animals. They soon saw several couples. Even Pencroft. This succeeded capitally. "Let us look for him! let us look for him!" cried Neb. flabby. It was a grave loss in their circumstances. hidden at the bottom of the pond. and the sailor laid in the fireplace some logs and brushwood. The reporter accordingly remained behind. It contained 50. and said.