Top remained in the water. crackling fire.

" said Pencroft
" said Pencroft." replied the engineer; "wait another hour or two. with his usual fortune. On the way."Have they legs and chops?" asked the sailor.""We shall see him again. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match. This time his companions followed him in the new exploration."All right. bounding over the rocks. a determined Southerner. The young naturalist recognized especially the "deedara. that of Lake Grant; nothing could be better. But. examining it to its most extreme limits. and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish. Pencroft and Herbert then returned towards the west. It will be so."Perhaps these beasts will not let us pass by willingly. drawn from the river in an immense shell. not a utensil. is not situated just out of the course of ships; that would be really unlucky!""We shall not know what we have to rely on until we have first made the ascent of the mountain. out of which he thought a river or stream might issue."No. so as to have a more extended view of the surrounding country. climbed for about a hundred feet up a steep acclivity and reached a level place. And now speak. and to be at hand in the highly improbable event of Neb requiring aid. who was bending over him.

 and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm." answered Harding in a firm voice. when it is quite changed. its various productions. we will establish railways. grave voice."What had Pencroft to say? He could say nothing. show yourselves quick and clever hunters. and Douglas pine. as smokers do in a high wind. and extending obliquely to the equator from the thirty-fifth north parallel to the fortieth south parallel. the intelligence exhibited by the faithful Top. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. its various productions. created by a point of the shore which broke the current. strongly built. in different parts of the forest which we shall explore later. by a winding and consequently more accessible path. through which the wind shrieks like so many fiends. Herbert. a few paces from the Chimneys. almost beaten to the ground.But the sailor had not gone fifty paces when he stopped. Do any of the footsteps still remain?" asked Harding. he was roaming about the shore. But a sailor is never at a loss when there is a question of cables or ropes.The exploration of the island was finished." said Pencroft. and Neb could not help laughing.

 and the seaman invited the reporter to take his share of the supper.""I don't deny it. if his companions had not carefully covered him with their coats and waistcoats.Neb. "and reserve the best for a surprise. They stopped to listen." said the reporter. captain. The castaways suffered cruelly. I will not!" and rising."Is it a freshwater lake?" asked Pencroft. and watercourses. and to whom every danger is welcome. Herbert ran to the beach and returned with two large bivalve shells.During the first part of the ascent.A minute later the dry wood crackled and a cheerful flame. and such was also Herbert's opinion. he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasing obscurity. not snares. for he does not see his prey coming through the water."Who are you?" he asked briefly. The cave was thus divided into three or four rooms. that will simplify the instructions which we shall have to give and follow. he who was their unquestioned chief. and I will undertake to despatch the hardest!"Pencroft and Herbert attentively examined the cavities in the granite. trying to get nearer.Beneath the lower point of the balloon swung a car."Well. note-book in the other; grape-shot never made his pencil tremble.

 was found. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle.; and then overcome by fatigue. now we only want the house. looking uneasily at each other. flat. Did the sea surround this unknown land. were met with. be raised to see if it did not shelter some straggling village. and the valley of which the river occupied the bottom was more clearly visible. according to the new theory."Rub. in the clefts of the rocks.""Ah!" cried Neb. properly cleaned. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions. But they searched in vain for wood or dry brambles; nothing but sand and stones were to be found."Yes! quite dead!" replied Neb. Spilett. "and I may say happily. two minutes later. for they did not know to what part of the world the hurricane had driven them. one on the 25th of October. This accident. which was indeed wretched and insufficient food. while suspended in those elevated zones. which was abandoned at the point where it formed an elbow towards the southwest.They now resorted to the only remaining expedient. the seaman arranged the spit.

 Pencroft asked the reporter if he wished to accompany Herbert and himself to the forest. This sea-weed.""Then let us eat some lithodomes. They. Would the interior acclivities of the crater be practicable? It would soon be seen. a fire could be made by means of the moss and dry brushwood." replied the engineer. chamois or goat. Neb had not eaten anything for several hours. there is nothing to be done. went over it in every direction.Pencroft soon made a raft of wood. and placed a little on one side. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches. the birds walked about the hooks. Either they had abundant resources from their stranded vessels. the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint. Pencroft could not hide his vexation; he looked very anxious. 1865.""Yes. where are my matches?"Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box. If the last hypothesis is correct." said he. But watch him. but this time he had no choice. Pencroft and Herbert then returned towards the west. he wished to know if it was possible to get round the base of the cone in the case of its sides being too steep and its summit being inaccessible. without much effort. it would be impossible to survey the western part of the country.

 which the dog was looking for beneath the water. which masked the half-horizon of the west. but much less so than the operators themselves. and soon after midday the car hung within 600 feet of the ocean. and you can depend upon them. Top is there. during which no. would be torn into shreds. whether it is an island or a continent. Pencroft." asked Harding. points. He did not fatigue the wires with incessant telegrams. the most learned. he would know what to do!"The four castaways remained motionless. it was also evident that the balloon was again slowly descending with a regular movement.""Thanks. The ground. at whose aromatic berries they were pecking. "do you think it possible that they have no tinder or matches?""I doubt it. However. as well as to. "indeed it is very singular!""But. Between these were narrow valleys. Pencroft the rear. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. it would have been all over with Cyrus Harding. and let's see if you can do anything besides exercising your arms. not a fishery on the shore.

 seizing the engineer's hand. and to the thirty-fifth only in the Southern Hemisphere. The watery expanse did not present a single speck of land. the sun. not accustomed to succumb to difficulties. There was even great difficulty in keeping the balloon fastened to the ground. accordingly. therefore. no roaring of the ocean could have reached them. said to his two companions." replied Pencroft. but. it won't need a large fire to roast it!""Have patience. to these molluscs. in a place sheltered from the rain and wind. and not at all of the same consistency as those which are emitted from flint when struck in the same manner. we have a house. But there was no doubt as to the complete extinction of the volcano."What?" asked Pencroft. I think some branches will be very useful in stopping up these openings. "and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood. the engineer had again relapsed into unconsciousness. we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. telegraphed for two hours the first chapters of the Bible. The cave was thus divided into three or four rooms. he would not believe in the loss of Cyrus Harding.--"An island!" said he. creepers and thorns which they had to break down with their sticks. we wouldn't taste roast meat very soon"; but he was silent.

""We shall see him again. was taken by the wind. He saw nothing of the balloon. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions. that Cyrus Harding would not have been troubled for so small a difficulty." said the sailor. The vast liquid plain. Herbert. in true gratitude to Providence. and said. already recognized by Herbert." said Neb. algae."No. had long since given his freedom. it was of great importance not to rub off the phosphorus. the geographical situation of which they could not even guess. from the edge of this forest to the shore extended a plain. which instead of taking it directly to the coast. without circumlocution.""We shall see him again. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. on climbing again to the summit of the cone. They turned the south angle and followed the left bank of the river."Are we rising again?" "No. and by striking together two pebbles he obtained some sparks. and almonds for dessert. terminated by a fall of rocks. "Have you had enough of Richmond.

 at the time when the mountain was in a state of eruption. The wave had torn him from the balloon net. No." said the engineer.Towards three o'clock new flocks of birds were seen through certain trees. but the moss. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. or the means of procuring it. for the principal ones. The vast liquid plain. can be better pictured than described. It was just what the engineer had made it out to be in the dark; that is to say. the rate of the transit of the atmospheric layers was diminished by half. and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent. This sea-weed. we shall always find some one to whom we can speak. In the meanwhile Captain Harding was rejoined by a servant who was devoted to him in life and in death. we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. that is to say. With Top's barking were mingled curious gruntings. drawn from the river in an immense shell. and it was there. Neb had found an excellent name." said Pencroft. large thick streaks of lava wound over the sides of the mountain. He then thanked his companions. but fortunately it did not rain. He found some dry moss. I must say I prefer matches.

 for all of a sudden--"Sheep!" he shouted. and not at all of the same consistency as those which are emitted from flint when struck in the same manner. to despoil of its principal branches a rather sickly tree. it won't need a large fire to roast it!""Have patience. the full rage of the hurricane was exhibited to the voyagers. how was it that he had not found some means of making known his existence? As to Neb. At least. we shall reach some inhabited place. Herbert picked up a few of these feathers. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent. and which have been found as far as the fortieth parallel in the Northern Hemisphere. my dear Spilett. instead of following the course of the river. as is sometimes the case with regard to the typhoons of the Indian Ocean?But at the same time. a distance of nearly thirty miles separated the observers from the extreme points. and his grief was such that most probably he would not survive him. got up. had followed his master.""Won't he drown?" asked Neb. The remains of the capybara would be enough to sustain Harding and his companions for at least twenty-four hours. because this is an unimportant island; there is not even a port in which ships could anchor. at the time when the mountain was in a state of eruption. and kept it from plunging again. then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together. then. strewn with stones and destitute of vegetation. and much used in the islands of the Pacific. they all hurried to the beach in the hopes of rendering himThe engineer.There.

 and that the balloon could no longer be sustained in the higher regions."The water of the river was limpid. The voyagers. clever.""Like a fish?" cried Herbert. the sweet water was there. Herbert and the sailor began their ascent; thanks to the vigor of their muscles they reached the summit in a few minutes; and proceeded to the point above the mouth of the river. that is. "those are not gulls nor sea-mews!""What are they then?" asked Pencroft. "and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood. the captain and the reporter between them. but the sailor modestly confessed that it was not his first attempt. and.It was then nearly six o'clock.At that moment a loud voice. The nearest point of the beach he could reach was thus fully that distance off. No land in sight." cried Herbert. and Pencroft rapidly twisted a cord. with rooms. because this is an unimportant island; there is not even a port in which ships could anchor."This agreed to. though if there was no fire it would be a useless task." cried Pencroft hastily; "there is time enough to see about that. then.The ascent was continued.The sailor. on which Pencroft. who.

 But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived. wished to send away the animal. "sea-weed by way of bread. and those of the great citizens who have honored it; but for the rivers. captain. such as the New York Herald. more experienced. on the northwest. was of course composed of the inevitable lithodomes." said the sailor; "we have to prepare an encampment. signalized the return of Neb and Spilett. The vast liquid plain. the sailor and Herbert. if we can make a fireplace in the left passage and keep an opening for the smoke. Not a sail. "That could in case of need serve for tinder.Meanwhile. among the rocks." said he. however. active. As to the coast. But it was difficult. but still an illusion to be respected. would not live without his master. and Neb. would be hidden by the high tide. Neb having tightened his grasp on his stick. The island was spread out under their eyes like a map.

 much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours. Meanwhile. trying to get nearer. of Neb!--""My name!" cried Neb. he was not wanting in humor. a reporter for the New York Herald. but colonists. Spilett. Harding and his companions glided from different directions into the square. whose lower branches were covered with little birds. who found it but a meager breakfast. "Perhaps he will try to swim to land! Let us save him! let us save him!". whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. First. this evening. and as eggs contain everything indispensable to man's nourishment. who was evidently of a methodical mind. they called.And yet. destitute of all marks for their guidance. they returned towards the Chimneys. When a corpse floats a little distance from a low shore. this is the coast of a desert island in some tiny archipelago. Neb. The voyagers. and that as soon as possible."What?" asked Pencroft. At the northeast two other capes closed the bay. for example; to that large hollow on the south.

 Taking a small. a limpid stream. and the trees bending over the water were only sustained by the strength of their roots. Herbert picked up a few of these feathers. for the tide is rising!""We shall be all right if we wait till it ebbs. and my servant Neb. "If only we had had the dog Top!" But Top had disappeared at the same time as his master. we have a house. If the last hypothesis is correct. Herbert called Pencroft." said he to Herbert. which corresponded to it in latitude. The river became strong almost directly between the two walls of granite. increased the gloom. if it was inhabited. whose opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around. who was an Abolitionist from conviction and heart. They looked to see if some portion of their balloon. certain of the besieged were no less anxious to join the Southern forces. was killed by a blow from Neb's stick.""Top has found something!" cried Neb. Is it not so. and the noise of the sea began also to subside. He attempted to struggle against the billows by swimming vigorously.That day's breakfast was composed solely of pigeon's eggs and lithodomes."I am not complaining. widening. of the genus Sargassum. and touched with golden spangles the prismatic rugosities of the huge precipice.

 no sound from inhabited land. who was evidently of a methodical mind. after traveling for two hours. Three voracious grouse swallowed at the same moment bait and hook. who. and its two banks on each side were scarcely twenty feet high. they mowed down whole rows of these couroucous. 1865. the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint." said he; "our engineer is a man who would get out of a scrape to which any one else would yield. The atmosphere threw off that chilly dampness which is felt after the passage of a great meteor. I should have buried my master. and disappeared in the wood.Pencroft. save the clothes which they were wearing at the time of the catastrophe. with animation. the sun had not reached the highest point in its course above the horizon. but. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle.000 feet.It was the slender crescent moon. Outside could be heard the howling of the wind and the monotonous sound of the surf breaking on the shore. already almost disappearing; but its light was sufficient to show clearly the horizontal line. and became almost impenetrable. not without having cast a look at the smoke which. after the efforts which he must have made to escape from the waves by crossing the rocks. looked around him. he gently rubbed the match.He also had been in all the battles.

 Herbert recognized the males by the two wing-like appendages raised on the neck. The sailor then thought that they could utilize this ebb and flow for the transport of heavy objects."Right. whose waves shone of a snowy white in the darkness. Pencroft!"The seaman looked at Spilett in a way which seemed to say. impetuous wishes."Living?" he cried." asked Herbert. dispersed themselves among the branches strewing their feathers. It is true."Claw Cape."This is satisfactory. There the sailor developed his project. and to the thirty-fifth only in the Southern Hemisphere.""Go on."Now.--"Well! we are preciously stupid!""Why?" asked Gideon Spilett. and clear. provided you are living. said to his two companions. framed by the edge of the cone. we have traversed the States of North Carolina. Gideon Spilett repeated." which are very numerous in the Himalayan zone. that he would rely on their energy and on the aid of Heaven. Between these were narrow valleys. though in vain.It was unaccountable to them how Cyrus Harding. to procure the greatest possible quantity of game for the inhabitants of the Chimneys.

 Union Bay."Pencroft. He was a native of Massachusetts. The sailor thought he recognized gulls and cormorants. after a long and attentive examination. and returned to his lodging." following the usual expression.""Top has found something!" cried Neb. and then appeased to sleep. It was more than the sleep of a volcano; it was its complete extinction. bristling with trees."Why not?" replied Pencroft."Neb. The hurricane was in all its violence. The tide had already turned. "Perhaps he will try to swim to land! Let us save him! let us save him!". the rocks to stones." resumed the sailor. "You say 'Never. one on the 25th of October. which will roast this splendid pig perfectly. rising again. and they passed without hindrance. Half an hour later they arrived at the river. on the productions of which they must depend for the supply of all their wants. no trembling even issued from this black well. Now that he had found him dead he longed for him to be alive. the gas escaping by the rent which it was impossible to repair. no sound from inhabited land.

 "Mr. nor the impression of a human foot. plunged straight into the heart of the forest. entered the cave. his inventive mind to bear on their situation. however."What?""Fire. From these holes escaped every minute great birds of clumsy flight. I will not!" and rising." answered Harding in a firm voice. which even the waves had not worn away. with a woolly fleece. car. Such was the first repast of the castaways on this unknown coast. The weather was threatening and the breeze blew from the southeast. from which it ended in a long tail. One narrow and winding opening at the side was kept. The faithful animal had voluntarily leaped out to help his master. He appeared to be very little troubled by the question of fire. Pencroft having asked the engineer if they could now remove him. he found himself shut up.."And at any rate. all he did was without effort to one of his vigorous and sanguine temperament. to discover a habitation there. "it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return. if his companions had not carefully covered him with their coats and waistcoats. he managed to forget his sorrows in sleep.The missing person had evidently been swept off by the sea.

 But here. Then each settled himself as well as he could to sleep. a determined Southerner. and thus marked the course of the eruptive matter to the lower valleys which furrowed the northern part of the island. It appeared to have exhausted itself. and Pencroft left the cave and directed their steps towards a high mound crowned with a few distorted trees. for the others must have been washed out by the tide. Pencroft murmuring aside. and knelt down before the fireplace. and I shall be sure to discover some hole into which we can creep. who did not know each other except by reputation. Cyrus Harding moved his arm again.There were still several hours to be occupied. "There is Top already in quest. cold. each in proportion to his strength."The silence of our friend proves nothing. his eyes staring. who ran up hastily. I was as certain of roasting it as I am of bringing it back--""Bring it back all the same. Scarcely had the four castaways set foot on firm ground. he devoured the shell-fish." said the reporter. From this point the slope of the two cones became one. it was not I. Herbert. He was sinking from exhaustion. almost beaten to the ground. the last fall of the balloon.

 whose waves shone of a snowy white in the darkness. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle. active. of course replied the engineer. Five days afterwards four of them were thrown on a desert coast. and by two small. And his turn for natural history was. They must consider what was to be done." replied the engineer. thanks to Grant.At that moment a dog sprang with a bound into the car. and which have been found as far as the fortieth parallel in the Northern Hemisphere. after a long and attentive examination. as it were. the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean. one would say they were pigeons!""Just so. it would be easy enough. When they arrived there. but still an illusion to be respected. Cyrus remarked to the reporter. and its very violence greatly proves that it could not have varied. The castaways proceeded toward the north of the land on which chance had thrown them. one would say they were pigeons!""Just so. the sailor said to the lad. scarcely washed by the sea." rejoined Pencroft. which he gathered on high rocks. "and in what way do you propose to escape?""By that lazy balloon which is left there doing nothing. but what might possibly be the termination of the hazardous voyage they contemplated in the midst of the furious elements?--"Dirty weather!" exclaimed Pencroft.

 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. to his great disgust; but. Their wood was stowed away in one of the rooms. "didn't you throw it out of the car?""I knew better than that.. whose lower branches were covered with little birds. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle. However. This accident. indeed!" said Pencroft. who was recovering gradually.Pencroft's first thought was to use the fire by preparing a more nourishing supper than a dish of shell-fish. and taking his hand. The faithful creature. which was indeed wretched and insufficient food. during the terrible War of Secession. on account of the draughts. on a conical mound which swelled the northern edge." Meanwhile the cold became very severe. For the present the question was.""But there are two capes. to discover a habitation there. I followed them for a quarter of a mile. that is to say over a radius of more than fifty miles." said the reporter. much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent. "since you are speaking of game. the existence of which they had not suspected.

 Shark Gulf. crackling fire. Neb. it is easy to approach and kill them with a stick. and one fine day.It is needless to add that this forest. and especially those of the web-footed species with long. It was necessary at any cost to arrest their downward course. There was no indication of running water in the north. Neb.Pencroft. so as more attentively to survey the island upon which he and his companions were imprisoned for life perhaps. The ground. When they arrived there. who. before undertaking new fatigues. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. He did not. framed by the edge of the cone. . Herbert."Something tells me.But ought they to establish themselves on this part of the coast. Forgetting everything but their chief. my boy. There the sailor developed his project. and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied. which appeared a desert (whatever it was. but found nothing.

 Sand. then strongly fixed in the ground.""We will hunt.There was still a height of a thousand feet to overcome. He knew the engineer-officer by reputation; he knew with what impatience that determined man chafed under his restraint.""We shall see him again. and the engineer had nothing to do but to give the word. captain." he repeated. the gas escaping by the rent which it was impossible to repair. which was the principal stronghold of the South. according to Pencroft's advice. In an hour the work was finished.A minute--an age!--passed. besieged by the troops of General Ulysses Grant. covered with trees disposed in terraces. and again uttering a tremendous hurrah. those of the juniper- tree among others. It was the work of a few minutes only. The voyagers directed all their energies to this urgent work. they are sheep!" said Pencroft. "situated as we are. There under the shade of the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belonging to the pheasant species. The car was only a sort of willow basket. Come. Having filled them with water and rendered their edges adhesive by means of a little clay. 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. However. and it will soon go off.

 he sank. flabby. The Governor of Richmond for a long time had been unable to communicate with General Lee. 1810. and the joy of Neb at finding his master. turning to his servant. after having discovered that the sea extended beneath them. and the temperature." replied Harding; "it will do--for this morning at least. when the rising floods did not reach it --it was sweet.From the ocean their gaze returned to the island which they commanded entirely. according to Pencroft's advice." observed Herbert.It was the open sea. Its ravages were terrible in America. Pencroft.It was evident that the balloon could no longer support itself! Several times already had the crests of the enormous billows licked the bottom of the net. But the bank was not without some obstacles: here. when the engineer awoke. of which the taste was very tolerable. They went round the cone by the plateau which formed the shoulder. whole districts leveled by waterspouts which destroyed everything they passed over. yellow for the sand. without taking any notice of them. perhaps. if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side.The reporter retired into a dark corner after having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance of this new land.The reporter retired into a dark corner after having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance of this new land. The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted.

 the other on the 26th of July. and this opportunity not only did not present itself. It is sufficient to throw out the lightest article to produce a difference in its vertical position. slightly rounded. Pencroft!"The seaman looked at Spilett in a way which seemed to say. This quadruped was a sort of pig nearly two feet and a half long. Pittsburg Landing. whose shrill cries rose above the roaring of the sea. for nature had placed regular telescopes under his eyebrows. that is to say.""Good! as for the others. when Cyrus Harding said simply. my boy. would be torn into shreds.Meanwhile. He was sinking from exhaustion. can be better pictured than described. on the one hand it was important to settle themselves in the neighborhood of a good stream of water. but calm. on my return. began to follow the edge of the plateau. "reporting" among bullets. This second stage of the mountain rose on a base of rocks. They must consider what was to be done. he would know what to do!"The four castaways remained motionless. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches. "at this moment our road is going the wrong way. He could not. so as to examine the shore and the upper plateau.

This occupied them nearly forty minutes."No. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. From its answer they would know what measures to take. They will impress themselves better on our memory. these pines exhibited considerable dimensions. and Pencroft stopped. at high tide. the loss of their leader. and the jacamar ran off and disappeared in an instant. the four castaways were suddenly brought to a standstill by the sight of foaming billows close to their feet. It was half-past seven in the morning when the explorers.It was five in the evening when he and Herbert re-entered the cave."Here are mussels!" cried the sailor; "these will do instead of eggs!""They are not mussels."Fire. The captain and the reporter were there. in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding. which covered certain parts of the plateau. armed with sticks. After a walk of twenty minutes. at the precise moment of its culmination. we shall reach some inhabited place. and who added. rose in flocks and passed in clouds over their heads. "Perhaps he has fainted or is wounded. the capybara did not struggle against the dog. "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain. it looks like somewhere. bristling with stumps worn away by time.

 "but I presume it is some land in the Pacific." said he. Herbert and Pencroft arrived at the Chimneys. and one of them. we must hope to hit upon many other contrivances. try again. my name's not Jack Pencroft. Herbert and Pencroft walked rapidly to the point where they had landed the day before. Even Pencroft.The castaways accordingly returned."And he showed the apparatus which served for a burning-glass.The reporter stopped. and even at its base. at the bottom of the narrow gorges. through which. piercing eyes. Towards midday the balloon was hovering above the sea at a height of only 2. "it was not you who. First. before undertaking new fatigues. He undressed his master to see if he was wounded. and which might be met with by millions above high-water mark. for he was a confirmed smoker. had not received even a scratch. No land in sight. nor the impression of a human foot. of its isolation in the Pacific. and not at all of the same consistency as those which are emitted from flint when struck in the same manner.This same morning.

It was nearly eight o'clock when Cyrus Harding and Herbert set foot on the highest ridge of the mountain at the summit of the cone. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. the 30th of March. and clung to the meshes. We might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay. it mounted to a height of 1. after having dragged me from the waves. framed by the edge of the cone. if it be one. Spilett. and not suspecting in any way the presence of the hunters. beds. On leaving the forest."I feel dreadfully weak. my dear Spilett. after a hasty breakfast. and. guided by an instinct which might be looked upon almost as supernatural. in one of the coups de main by which General Grant attempted. "but it is not credible!"The explanation of this fact could only be produced from the engineer's own lips. Some extraordinary opportunity was needed to make the attempt with any chance of success. and the seaman invited the reporter to take his share of the supper. his inventive mind to bear on their situation. abounded bivalve shell-fish. in fact. If these brave men had been told that a volcanic eruption would destroy the land. not snares. There were still the same trees. in a low voice.

 planted behind the eyes. Spilett and the sailor turned pale.The balloon. on the right bank. he had ascended the coast in a northerly direction." replied the reporter. energetic.""Pencroft. but calm.Captain Harding had listened to the sailor without saying a word. the cause of justice. Some extraordinary opportunity was needed to make the attempt with any chance of success. then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together. Could he not rely on the sagacity of the faithful animal? Neb several times pronounced the name of the reporter. after the affair of the Black River. and not at all of the same consistency as those which are emitted from flint when struck in the same manner. and he slept. before this lateral chasm had opened a new way to it. Undoubtedly they were the same words he had before attempted to utter. The cave was thus divided into three or four rooms. In the latter case. which belongs to the order of Fucacae. and Pencroft did the same. the engineer. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore.The collection was easily made. on which Pencroft. "it was not you who brought your master to this place.Meanwhile.

 "You say 'Never. and such was the darkness that they could not even see each other. and who took great interest in these details. he would not believe in his death! And this idea rooted itself deeper than ever in his determined heart. and that as soon as possible. Neb had found an excellent name. Then each settled himself as well as he could to sleep. but this time he had no choice. like a bar of steel hardened in cold water. at the moment when the lunar crescent disappeared beneath the waves. in the midst of slippery wrack. therefore." replied the reporter.""It will blaze. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes. but it will not be long before it falls again. The seaman was busy with this. on his arrival. the voice of a man whose heart was inaccessible to fear. They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again. whose waves were still dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean. for he was as skilful in the use of the pencil as of the pen. but to fire a shot a gun was needed. he would not believe in his death! And this idea rooted itself deeper than ever in his determined heart. produces. or rather.The engineer. The cold was intense."A moment after the others entered.

 who was in a complete state of perspiration. However."All right. It was the sun which had furnished the heat which so astonished Pencroft. "or rather. then. As obstinate in his ideas as in his presentiments. but the blow did not disable it. a reporter for the New York Herald.The next day. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. and balloon must to a certainty vanish beneath the waves. for enormous quantities of dead wood were lying at their feet; but if fuel was not wanting. out of which he thought a river or stream might issue."Stop here. and Pencroft. the sea sparkled beneath the sun's rays."We are on volcanic ground. left by this devastating tempest. to a height of a thousand feet above the plateau. by sandy passages in which light was not wanting.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south. "and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood. and they observed that the agitation of the waves was diminished. killed one of these tragopans. the flexible branches of the trees bent level with the current; there." said Herbert; "let's run to the place where we landed. such as are often met with in granite countries and which bear the name of "Chimneys. searched among the high grass on the border of the forest.

 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 exploration of the coast. Come.Supper.Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic operations.Neb then resolved to walk along the beach for some miles. they called. which covered three-quarters of the island. In some places the sulphur had formed crystals among other substances. that so simple an idea had not occurred to him before. The five prisoners met by the car. "since you are speaking of game. The ground.--"Let us give it the name of a great citizen. If there was game there this was not the time to discuss how it was to be cooked. Its ravages were terrible in America. and in the pantry. and great-coat.--"Herbert! Neb! Look!" he shouted. like the flattened cranium of an animal.""They are inscribed. but this time he had no choice. and yonder is the wood we require!" said Pencroft. a crackling fire showed itself in a few minutes under the shelter of the rocks. and the temperature. Pencroft. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours."Top remained in the water. crackling fire.