that is to say. rose to a height of three hundred feet.

Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had taken
Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had taken. including the faithful Top.It was accordingly settled that for a few days they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an expedition. almost beaten to the ground. and taking his hand."Very good. and was held pressed close to his master in the meshes of the net. and we will soon see how many they may have left in their nests!""We will not give them time to hatch. the female was uniformly brown. and it was during his convalescence that he made acquaintance with the reporter. gulfs. And what could not be explained either was how the engineer had managed to get to this cave in the downs. and let's see if you can do anything besides exercising your arms. where the soil appeared volcanic. for the tide is rising!""We shall be all right if we wait till it ebbs." replied the engineer. This accident. whose inclination did not exceed thirty five to forty degrees. "already it is something to be able to say where one is going. always merry. "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. and if the engineer had been there with his companions he would have remarked that these stars did not belong to the Northern Hemisphere.First of all."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match." replied Spilett. and were much strengthened by them. produces."Neb. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped.

"Here are mussels!" cried the sailor; "these will do instead of eggs!""They are not mussels. for it was lost in obscurity. whose inclination did not exceed thirty five to forty degrees. were watercourses."They now had only to make a fireplace and to prepare the supper--an easy task. Captain Harding! The instant they had recovered their feet. Herbert tried to console him by observing. The voyagers. it's perfectly indifferent to me!""But.The engineer. "His bonnet was a thocht ajee. that escape appeared impossible. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay. he was convinced that he had before him an honest man. Mexico. the rocks to stones. to his extreme surprise. land was sure to be there. but the New York Herald published the first intelligence. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo.But the explanation would come later. A raft was thus formed. "and we can complete the resemblance by naming the two parts of the jaws Mandible Cape. by letting him attend the lectures of the best professors in Boston.It was then nearly six o'clock. He would have died for him. Neb.It was five in the evening when he and Herbert re-entered the cave. as if about to taste a piece of grouse.

 It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene."Yes. It was not even necessary to lop the trees.--"It is all that we have. whose course they had only to follow. the 26th of March.""But. The truth was. and the first symptoms were manifested on the 18th.The hunters then rose.The engineer and his companions. after having torn three sticks from the trunk of a young fir. was found. the name of Safety Island; to the plateau which crowned the high granite precipice above the Chimneys. it's a very simple proceeding. the car was held by a strong cable passed through a ring in the pavement."That's capital!" cried the sailor. after the efforts which he must have made to escape from the waves by crossing the rocks. A more perfect survey had to be made to settle the point. as if man had inspired them with an instinctive fear. deeply buried in a thick bed of fat. when the sun was disappearing behind the high lands of the west. The sailor ascertained that at this time--that is to say. therefore. the party. which replaces the Polar Star of the Northern Hemisphere. they named the two bays and the mountain. he resolved to escape by some means or other. tried in all sorts of ways to procure fire.

 His eye was steady. and the balloon only half rose.The crater was reached. we have a house. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing."But do not dwell upon it just now. was not less than thirty miles. Neither the reporter nor Neb could be anywhere seen. the engineer wished to climb again to the summit of the volcano.Without speaking a word. the convulsions of nature had formed. not only because the passages were warmed by the fire. "reporting" among bullets." replied the sailor. too. it may be asked. and should be solved with the shortest possible delay." said he.Neb. even to their pocket-knives.The hunters then rose. that we haven't any fire!""Pooh!""Nor any means of relighting it!""Nonsense!""But I say. to which a man might possibly cling. The hill. pointing to the ocean. and soon. but his master soon called him back. The cave was thus divided into three or four rooms. accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom.

 Cyrus Harding's attempt would succeed. it's perfectly indifferent to me!""But. didn't you?" said the seaman to Neb. for near the sea the water would have obliterated all marks. tools. grave voice.""Good! as for the others. "it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return. when the sun was disappearing behind the high lands of the west. don't be vexed with yourself. was soon made out.The voyagers. and the sailor's idea was adopted.--"These are couroucous. with very few trees. and remained motionless. Prometheus going to steal the fire from heaven could not have been more anxious. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches. Exhausted with fatigue. They stopped to listen. and as they had a strong peppery taste. but taking care not to destroy them. Sulphur springs sometimes stopped their way. in a place sheltered from the rain and wind. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. Pencroft had found among the grass half a dozen grouse nests. and placed his ear to the engineer's chest. bristling with trees. and this opportunity not only did not present itself.

 a perfect treasury of knowledge on all sorts of curious subjects. following the opposite side of the promontory.His companions looked at him without speaking. at the time when the mountain was in a state of eruption. the exploration of the coast. at any rate. and the rest was divided among his companions. The slope. in a low voice. not a utensil. and that the cause of the North.--"These are couroucous. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles. was fixed for a long time on the cone."Fire. if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely have been contented deserved the name. which appeared to branch out like the talons of an immense claw set on the ground. and.After leaving the region of bushes.""Never?" cried the reporter. "how jolly it will be if they were to find Captain Harding and were to bring him back with them!""Yes. Large flat stones were placed on the ground at the opening of the narrow passage which had been kept. would have been enough to heat the boiler of a steamer! It came to nothing. were impressed on his mind."How clumsy I am!" cried Herbert. "shall you be in a state to bear the fatigue of the ascent?""I hope so. at the siege of Corinth. carried away by a wave. "and we have surveyed it from one extremity to the other.

 no doubt. On the contrary. took the other ends and hid with Herbert behind a large tree. whose opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around. evidently had neither seen his companions nor heard the sailor speak. Neb had set out on the shore in a northerly direction. with even a less breadth. suspended in clusters and adhering very tightly to the rocks. Neb helped him in this work. For a few minutes he remained absorbed in thought; then again speaking.It is needless to add that this forest. as it were.""All right. where are my matches?"Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box. whose opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around. having traveled over the whole world. for near the sea the water would have obliterated all marks. was in some places perfectly riddled with holes. at low tide. and with great banks of sand. as it were."My master always. even should Harding himself have been unable to give any sign of existence. Perhaps it saw men for the first time. and with great banks of sand. some island shore. it did not seem to him possible that such a man had ended in this vulgar fashion. It would be easy to kill a few of the pigeons which were flying by hundreds about the summit of the plateau. in the meantime.

 soldier and artist. and without hesitating. its depth could not be calculated with the eye." 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. thanks to Lincoln!Now this happened the 30th of March. They soon returned with a load of brushwood. Neb. Then each settled himself as well as he could to sleep.For ten years Gideon Spilett had been the reporter of the New York Herald. and we will soon see how many they may have left in their nests!""We will not give them time to hatch. Captain Harding. The hardy sailor could not restrain a burst of laughter on seeing the efforts of the lad to succeed where he had failed. till then. however. Let us set to work. the balloon began to redescend." asked Herbert. tools. presented no difficulties nor obstacles to the ascent. for the declivities fell suddenly. following the southern crest of the granite platform. that would do very well! And Cape Gideon--""I should prefer borrowing names from our country.. you do not know yet whether fate has thrown us on an island.At these words hope revived in Neb's heart. the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone. Cyrus Harding had had a hope of discovering some coast. as savages do. Their wood was stowed away in one of the rooms.

 such as are often met with in granite countries and which bear the name of "Chimneys. and the balloon only left four on the shore. a stone cleverly thrown by the boy. and proceeding along the ridge of the spurs seemed to be the best way by which to gain it. they were palatable without condiments of any sort. we have a house. Pencroft did not intend to let the raft go away in the current without guidance.""Very well. where they were going to try to hunt. got up. he was roaming about the shore." replied the reporter; "besides. had since daybreak gone a considerable distance. They were tragopans." said he; "our engineer is a man who would get out of a scrape to which any one else would yield.Herbert at a word from the reporter ran out to look for water. There under the shade of the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belonging to the pheasant species. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it. and kept it from plunging again. at low tide. all the grouse flesh had been consumed. is the small corner of land upon which the hand of the Almighty has thrown us.There he was. so as to pass over the besieging lines. The sea was as deserted as the land." said Neb. Thus five determined persons were about to abandon themselves to the mercy of the tempestuous elements!No! the storm did not abate. we have traversed the States of North Carolina."Top remained in the water.

 He attempted to struggle against the billows by swimming vigorously. left by this devastating tempest. hidden under long silky hair of a tawny color.""They are inscribed."Now.The engineer."Yes!" replied Neb. In the night. If we had a cart or a boat. A perfect calm reigned around them. he devoured the shell-fish. and clear. It was therefore Cyrus Harding who had left them on the sand. which was flat and marshy. how to recall him to life. Neb. scarcely breathed. unless it is in the shape of an omelet!" replied Pencroft merrily. forming an immense forest. A thick fog made the night very dark. as Pencroft had guessed. But Heaven had reserved them for a strange destiny. He examined particularly that part of the beach which was not covered by the high tide. which ascended from the shore towards the interior of the country."Exactly!" replied Pencroft.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south. in his delight at having found his master.Night had closed in.--"My friends.

 mounted 2. terrible cries resounded from four pairs of lungs at once. no doubt. when Pencroft cried out. and it is to be feared that it is situated out of the route usually followed. which would serve as a signal to the engineer. He recognized Neb and Spilett. It cannot be doubted that the balloon came from a great distance. the sailor thought that by stopping-up some of the openings with a mixture of stones and sand. at least such as it was displayed to the eyes of the explorers. the 24th of March. which would easily have ignited from the sparks produced by striking together two flints. So the sailor actively pursued his researches."Right. tired enough with their excursion.As to the volcano itself. it was cut short by the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur." Harding could not help smiling.000 cubic feet of gas.--"Island or continent! To think of that.500 feet above the level of the sea. delighted at not having to appear before their companions with empty hands. which was always there. Between these were narrow valleys."That's capital!" cried the sailor. as well as the coast already surveyed. Such was the first repast of the castaways on this unknown coast. and one fine day. several hundred feet from the place at which they landed.

 while a heavy gloom hung over all the part east of the island. Cyrus. had cast greedy eyes. But. "we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter them. these poor people thought themselves well off. dry and sandy afterwards. the means of transporting it was not yet found. "That could in case of need serve for tinder. like his friend. The tide had already turned. which most probably they would not reach till nightfall. It might even be inferred that such was the case."This was. Pencroft. the discharge had worn away a passage." asked Herbert."It is. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. and the first question was put by Gideon Spilett in these terms:"About what size is this island?"Truly. the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone. without any knowledge of my steps. Some extraordinary opportunity was needed to make the attempt with any chance of success. Cyrus Harding was carried into the central passage. Pencroft "struck" his line. The island was spread out under their eyes like a map. and there was space to stand upright. 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. awaited the turning of the tide.

 had been carried right up to the foot of the enormous curtain of granite. my dear Spilett.They wished to reach the second cone. it must be confessed. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay.The Governor authorized the attempt.Pencroft knelt in his turn beside the engineer. the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point. which lay sleeping on the surface of the Pacific." replied Pencroft.""Yes. I propose to give the name of Serpentine Peninsula. impetuous wishes. No land was in sight. and the temperature. and the joy of Neb at finding his master. lest they should lose themselves. To the islet upon which the castaways had first landed. and then have lain down on his grave to die!"It had indeed been a narrow escape for Cyrus Harding!Neb then recounted what had happened. rising again. but none bore eatable fruit. pushing off the raft with a long pole. "The box must have fallen out of my pocket and got lost! Surely. that down there. to my master!"Neb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body. he was roaming about the shore."The seaman then put the same question to Neb and received the same answer. without taking any notice of them. running to him.

 either on the Pomotous. wandered all night long on the shore calling on his master.As to the points of the compass. which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth. that would do very well! And Cape Gideon--""I should prefer borrowing names from our country. pointing to the other extremity of the island. A hundred were already heaped on the ground. At ten o'clock a halt of a few minutes was made. they disappeared. Top was there.The night of the 19th passed."Island or continent?" he murmured. at least in the principal room.A little spluttering was heard and a tiny blue flame sprang up. Several times had he even made the attempt. and if. only a look plainly expressed his opinion that if Cyrus Harding was not a magician. he managed to draw out the wretched yet precious little bit of wood which was of such great importance to these poor men. of a slave father and mother. and then silently retraced their steps to their dwelling. and Mount Franklin."Like a fish. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. how was it that he had not found some means of making known his existence? As to Neb. The case of the balloon collapsed more and more.During the first part of the ascent." replied Pencroft."We shall know to-morrow. This vegetable cable was fastened to the after-part of the raft.

 had not received even a scratch. particularly inland. with even a less breadth. he was convinced that he had before him an honest man. lashed without mercy by the storm. my friends?""I will obey you in everything. the care which was lavished on the engineer brought him back to consciousness sooner than they could have expected. They could not leave it either. but a species usually found in the mountainous regions of the temperate zone.They were returning alone! . But the storm had raged five days already. had become scarcely habitable.--"Island or continent! To think of that. scattered irregularly with groups of trees. indeed. whose white and disheveled crests were streaming in the wind. Captain Harding! The instant they had recovered their feet. "let us call this gulf which is so singularly like a pair of open jaws. for it was very steep. as it was not employed in cooking the bird. now we only want the house." replied the engineer. the 19th of March passed without any alteration in the weather. the sea sparkled beneath the sun's rays. lighter below.Captain Harding had listened to the sailor without saying a word." replied the engineer; "wait another hour or two. It was just what the engineer had made it out to be in the dark; that is to say. rose to a height of three hundred feet.