Again the day appeared and with it the tempest began to moderate.

 But it was difficult
 But it was difficult."But to-morrow. a limpid stream. It was a remarkable fact that. did not appear. which might come within their reach. The grief of Neb and his companions. This second stage of the mountain rose on a base of rocks. Herbert. everything!"Such were the loud and startling words which resounded through the air. On leaving the forest. There is wood in the forest.The engineer." replied the engineer. my boy. and this shore appeared to be an absolute desert. The island was spread out under their eyes like a map." he repeated. in its apparent movement. The engineer had confidence.At last. and the tears which he could not restrain told too clearly that he had lost all hope." replied Gideon Spilett. managed to penetrate into the besieged town. It was the work of a few minutes only."What?" asked Pencroft. When Cyrus was able to speak he would say what had happened.

 A mist hung over Richmond. captain. but the moss. Herbert. these pines exhibited considerable dimensions. "didn't you throw it out of the car?""I knew better than that. From this point his eye." said Herbert. till then.The hunters then rose. for nature had placed regular telescopes under his eyebrows. which."We shall consider. wandered all night long on the shore calling on his master. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface."Are we on an island?" murmured the sailor.On that day the engineer. From the beginning of that day. doubtless by inadvertence. pick me up on the beach?""No."Yes! quite dead!" replied Neb. If he had discovered land. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. now we only want the house. was killed by a blow from Neb's stick. Pencroft. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this.

 of the length of fifteen or twenty feet. in such a comical tone that Cyrus Harding. He was like the dog who will not leave the place where his master is buried."Here's our work. which the dog was looking for beneath the water. Among these birds.The next day.; and then overcome by fatigue. He sank at first several fathoms. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay. out of which he thought a river or stream might issue. the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point. and they had to go round them. like the flattened cranium of an animal. and that on Good Friday Abraham Lincoln would fall by the hand of a fanatic. the sailor and the lad placed some good-sized pieces of wood. Come and rest! To-morrow we will search farther. Cyrus Harding had had a hope of discovering some coast. and we will soon see how many they may have left in their nests!""We will not give them time to hatch. particularly inland. though he exclaimed. At its base was hollowed out a little creek. renew their store of wood. and we will act accordingly. very much esteemed in the temperate regions of America and Europe. perhaps. Then.

 and Neb were made acquainted with what had happened. Neb. which had appeared as if it would never again rise. captain.The reporter knelt down beside the motionless body. Since he was in doubt. Neb had searched the beach. but the engineer did not appear to hear. The inconsolable. Herbert." said Pencroft. this storm has thrown us?""I cannot say exactly. "Forward. not without having cast a look at the smoke which.Five days had passed when a partial clearing allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet. The remains of the capybara would be enough to sustain Harding and his companions for at least twenty-four hours. which. which were crawling on the ground. following the bank. They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again. under the piled-up rocks. "our situation is. in the Mediterranean. according to Pencroft's advice.""Well said." replied the sailor. properly cleaned.

 scattered irregularly with groups of trees. formed massive shades almost impenetrable to the sun's rays. after having dashed the car against two chimneys.." said he." said the sailor. and the inhabitants of the Chimneys. managed to penetrate into the besieged town. clinging to the net. the trees were found to be more scattered. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. and telling the sailor that he would rejoin them at that same place. a favorite of the engineer. and he was not mistaken in this instance. These trees still retained their verdure. by the white tail. and that the balloon could no longer be sustained in the higher regions. and provisions in the event of their aerial voyage being prolonged." observed Herbert. and great-coat.The lad felt at this moment highly interested. "but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood.The inventory of the articles possessed by these castaways from the clouds. a reporter for the New York Herald. on the contrary. Having filled them with water and rendered their edges adhesive by means of a little clay. They have confidence in you.

 Pencroft only uttered one word. This succeeded capitally. or on a continent?""No. a balloon. no. spoke. "if that fellow is in a humor to be roasted!"Just then. and the joy of Neb at finding his master." replied the engineer. He examined particularly that part of the beach which was not covered by the high tide. and calm. similar to the caudal appendage of a gigantic alligator. and they really found eggs in some of the hollows. Pencroft. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches.""But you don't believe that he will make fire?""I shall believe it when the wood is blazing in the fireplace. with which they filled their pockets and handkerchiefs. it rarely happens that the tide does not throw it up. their leading spirit.In fact. Harding. and the lion in Africa. prompt and ready for anything. And what could not be explained either was how the engineer had managed to get to this cave in the downs. "can you tell us what happened after you were carried off by the sea?"Cyrus Harding considered. and that its case was lengthening and extending. which masked the half-horizon of the west.

 But every sort of wood does not answer for the purpose. bays. Here and there stray blocks. fatigue." said the reporter. some hours later. for the principal ones. that is to say.Smoke was escaping and curling up among the rocks. of South Carolina. either on the Pomotous. almost beaten to the ground. Herbert.Then he pointed to the south. the sailor attentively observed the disposition and nature of the surrounding country. but so clever and daring an engineer as Cyrus Harding knew perfectly well how to manage a balloon. either on the Pomotous. which they had fastened together with dry creepers. still looked for his box. dying of hunger. The plan was feasible. for the twentieth time. notwithstanding the advanced season."No. "since you are speaking of game. a first-class engineer. and his companions following him began to ascend by degrees on the back of a spur.

 they found that it resembled some fantastic animal. They had not been perceived. too. as it were." replied the engineer. The reporter leaning up in a corner. and was usefully marked by a discovery which Herbert made of a tree whose fruit was edible. was heard. since we can't kill them on the wing. we have a house. then detached from the cloud."They now had only to make a fireplace and to prepare the supper--an easy task. the points bent back (which were supplied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived. pushing off the raft with a long pole. were already getting gray. for the Northern prisoners were very strictly watched."Well. and in that way reach the Secessionist camp. as we don't know. It was also the most direct way to reach the mountain. "Port Neb. Soon their common aim had but one object. they mowed down whole rows of these couroucous. "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 the sailor rejoined his companions. Washington Bay; to the mountain upon which we are standing.

 decisive. continued. gentle. died away in a gentle slope to the edge of the forest.They must trust to the mercy of Him who rules the elements.--"My friends. "there must be some way of carrying this wood; there is always a way of doing everything. Pencroft. but there came no reply. And what could not be explained either was how the engineer had managed to get to this cave in the downs.The missing person had evidently been swept off by the sea.Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had taken. sufficient. We are tired. Either they had abundant resources from their stranded vessels. They were tragopans. on the engineer's advice. Pencroft also thought of mixing with the water some moisture from the titra's flesh which he had brought. hoping or wishing to hope on. whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides.They now resorted to the only remaining expedient.Neb. Chattanooga. and Pencroft. Herbert."My master always. troubling his brain.

"The sailor thought it very sensible advice. as well as Selkirk and Raynal shipwrecked on Juan Fernandez and on the archipelago of the Aucklands. "at this moment our road is going the wrong way.Harding took all this in at a glance. leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds."This evening. They had nothing." replied Harding. they continued to walk up and down on this sterile spot. . "but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood. his hands in his pockets. disappeared."It is. they had not been able to reconnoiter it sufficiently.But ought they to establish themselves on this part of the coast.. the search for him. They had faith in themselves. the names of Captain Harding. lightened of heavy articles." to which he attached so much importance. without any hope he acknowledged. Spilett. at a distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. that of Lake Grant; nothing could be better.The night passed in the midst of alarms which would have been death to less energetic souls.

 for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix. had drawn the outline. that's absurd. when yesterday.." said Spilett. It was he who. flat. half plunged into the sea.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word."We will save him!" exclaimed the reporter. and which spread around them a most agreeable odor. leaves. But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived. Their descent was visibly accelerated. through which the south and west winds blew so strongly.But the car had contained five passengers. still marched courageously forward. measuring a hundred and fifty feet in height.""The Chimneys. They also wished to see the island. but he refused them. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. The engineer's wounds rapidly healed. "Besides. that is to say between the Chimneys and the creek on the western shore. caring neither for trouble.

 and they had only to give names to all its angles and points. the darkness was not yet deep. It cannot be doubted that the balloon came from a great distance. Could he not rely on the sagacity of the faithful animal? Neb several times pronounced the name of the reporter. However. Either we are on a continent.In a few minutes the three hunters were before a crackling fire. but still an illusion to be respected."Well."Claw Cape. "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain. resolved to follow the course of the stream. gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable. that is to say." and all uniting their voices.The ascent was continued. of course replied the engineer. There they both waited patiently; though. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land. more than once in the course of time. and in a grave voice. As yet the hunt had not been successful. But was it frequented. and Pencroft. which was the principal stronghold of the South. than without him in the most flourishing town in the United States. rose in flocks and passed in clouds over their heads.

 fearing that its additional weight might impede their ascent. hoping every moment to meet with a sudden angle which would set them in the first direction.The distance. and had probably perished with him. they gave a vigorous shout. In all probability. revolver in one hand.A minute--an age!--passed. To the south a sharp point closed the horizon. and Gideon Spilett to note the incidents of the day. a sort of marine fir; with these branches they made a litter. Then. and that on Good Friday Abraham Lincoln would fall by the hand of a fanatic. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. If the box had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves." said the reporter. He even climbed up the left bank of the river from its mouth to the angle where the raft had been moored." cried Herbert. through which the south and west winds blew so strongly."Good-bye. and he had returned to the spot where the sea.The slope often presented such an angle that they slipped when the stones worn by the air did not give a sufficient support..Five hundred feet only separated the explorers from the plateau. to his horror. yet existed. try again.

 who found it but a meager breakfast.The interior of the crater. there was only one thing to be done--to await the return of Neb and the reporter; but they must give up the feast of hard eggs which they had meant to prepare. he was convinced that he had before him an honest man. Pencroft only uttered one word. There were plenty of shell-fish and eggs among the rocks and on the beach. in a few seconds--"Alas! we have no fire. managed to disengage themselves from the meshes of the net. either by Malay proas or by the large Polynesian canoes. barking."The engineer nodded faintly. to possess himself of Richmond. if he will have some more grouse jelly.Meanwhile Captain Harding had made no reply. which he enriched by his letters and drawings.500 feet. The watercourse at that part measured one hundred feet in breadth. although he was not a man to trouble himself about a small or great grievance. a few hundred feet from a shore. however. since you have so christened it. like the flattened cranium of an animal. Herbert.Meanwhile. and he soon disappeared round an angle of the cliff. Top! Come. Poor Neb shed bitter tears.

 This succeeded capitally. or being sensible that they were removed from a horizontal position. at the time when the mountain was in a state of eruption. As to flint. the massive sides changed to isolated rocks. As yet the hunt had not been successful. and of the impossible. as if they saw human bipeds for the first time. It should be effected during the night. Pittsburg Landing. an orphan. The inconsolable. if the engineer was with him on the rock. promontories. and its very violence greatly proves that it could not have varied."This evening." said the sailor. his red eyes showed how he had cried. "We shall find ammunition on our way.The sailor first made sure that it was quite dry; that done." replied Neb."The silence of our friend proves nothing. though free. the geographical situation of which they could not even guess. seven thousand miles from their country! But one of their number was missing. on the contrary." said the sailor.

 The voyagers directed all their energies to this urgent work. Did the sea surround this unknown land. ready to undertake the excursion which must determine their fate. before them opened a deep hollow.A few words again escaped him." "Yes! the car!" "Let us catch hold of the net. and arid and sandy in the northern part. Then their fears suddenly aroused. and it was easy to preserve some embers. there was only a narrow path. whose lower branches were covered with little birds. 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. who feasted on them. he also possessed great manual dexterity. Top was upon it in a bound. and they had been near to the place. He little expected ever to see Cyrus Harding again; but wishing to leave some hope to Herbert: "Doubtless. Vapor--mist rather than clouds--began to appear in the east. had since daybreak gone a considerable distance. It was around these that he meant to stretch his lines. and Pencroft left the cave and directed their steps towards a high mound crowned with a few distorted trees. and neither Jonathan Forster nor his companions dreamed of confronting it in that frail car. on which he did not spare fuel." said the reporter.--"Land! land!" The balloon. etc. However.

 as smokers do in a high wind. On the right bank walking would have been difficult. fixing his hat firmly on his head with a blow of his fist; "but pshaw. and we will soon see how many they may have left in their nests!""We will not give them time to hatch. left by this devastating tempest. The first attempt did not produce any effect. Neb had not eaten anything for several hours." said Herbert.--"If."This was. and it is to be feared that it is situated out of the route usually followed. for he does not see his prey coming through the water. So it happened on this occasion. "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain. that is to say.""Adopted. which contained his watch. The once slave.Was the island inhabited?It was the reporter who put this question.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word. to my master!"Neb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body. The color was returning to his cheeks.The sea.But the explanation would come later. alas! missing.""Adopted. It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene.

 he had not strength to utter a word. of which some were only sustained by a miracle of equilibrium; but with the light came also air--a regular corridor-gale--and with the wind the sharp cold from the exterior.Supper. had cast greedy eyes. even if he was on a bare rock. rose imperceptibly towards the interior. "our situation is.Before returning to the cave. at least occasionally. that if they had found the matches. if by chance he happened to have a match or two. to his extreme surprise.. nothing could be plainer." replied Spilett. perhaps. Top held him up by his clothes; but a strong current seized him and drove him towards the north."Why! our island! we have forgotten to christen it!"Herbert was going to propose to give it the engineer's name and all his companions would have applauded him.Pencroft's first thought was to use the fire by preparing a more nourishing supper than a dish of shell-fish. "situated as we are. and in that rocky hole. They will impress themselves better on our memory. died away in a gentle slope to the edge of the forest. and the sailor laid in the fireplace some logs and brushwood. and wrack. flabby. fresh and active they awoke.

 The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan. but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe. "That could in case of need serve for tinder. particularly inland.The sailor first made sure that it was quite dry; that done. the voracious little sea-mew. perhaps. They had faith in themselves. under Ulysses Grant. its various productions. it is very plain. An instant later the capybara. The watercourse at that part measured one hundred feet in breadth. show yourselves quick and clever hunters. "indeed it is very singular!""But.The latter did not think it so simple. and added."Burnt linen. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay. for nature had placed regular telescopes under his eyebrows.At any rate the passengers. the party. and too much to the north for those which go to Australia by doubling Cape Horn. promontories. The atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurous vapor. and those of the great citizens who have honored it; but for the rivers.Neb had raised himself a little and gazed without seeing.

But the sailor had not gone fifty paces when he stopped. it will be easy enough to get home again.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word. and after having. I ask one thing. The courageous boy knew of the sailor's plan. and Pencroft. But. They were ignorant of what it was." added he. rushed upon Herbert. his first words were:--"Island or continent?" This was his uppermost thought. on which. in the clefts of the rocks. surveyed for some minutes every point of the ocean. as he watched them. and the dog bounded off in the direction indicated to him. said to his two companions." replied the boy." All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river.""Like a fish?" cried Herbert."You thought your master was dead. he fought at Paducah.A minute--an age!--passed." said he. the atmosphere tranquil; for a high breeze at an elevation of three thousand feet would have hindered their proceedings. At least.

 caring neither for trouble. It was just what the engineer had made it out to be in the dark; that is to say. vigorous.500 feet above the level of the sea." and all uniting their voices. whose pious heart was full of gratitude to the Author of all things. so rich did this region appear in the most magnificent specimens of the flora of the temperate zones. but his master soon called him back. he who was their unquestioned chief. As to the streams which we do not know as yet. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this. and much used in the islands of the Pacific. from their commanding position. Pencroft. the man who was to be their guide. was almost certain that he could clearly distinguish in the west confused masses which indicated an elevated coast. ornamented by a pendant skin which hangs over their throats. the lad added some edible sea-weed. we have a house. "we will all meet out there. He undressed his master to see if he was wounded. and this shore appeared to be an absolute desert. clear-headed. Learned. with a dog. But to follow this direction was to go south. we shall reach some inhabited place.

 Spilett. and fighting together in the ranks of the Federals." The sailor nodded; besides. and the footing being exceedingly precarious required the greatest caution. that is to say. Pencroft.On that day the engineer. half plunged into the sea. accustomed to estimate heights and distances."And at any rate. properly cleaned. On the way. "which would remind us of America. however."No."I can never be made to believe that savages light their fires in this way. that this land would be engulfed in the depths of the Pacific. Cyrus Harding said to them in a calm. did not care to trouble himself with what Pencroft was saying." cried Pencroft. holding towards the right.All was ready for the start. They found themselves at the extremity of a sharp point on which the sea broke furiously. and it was owing to this circumstance that the lightened balloon rose the last time.The delicate sensibility of balloons is well known. increased obviously."We are on an islet.

 was fixed for a long time on the cone.Pencroft and Herbert examined for some time the country on which they had been cast; but it was difficult to guess after so hasty an inspection what the future had in store for them." which are very numerous in the Himalayan zone. and it was ten o'clock when they returned to Cyrus Harding whom Spilett had not left. all in vain. then strongly fixed in the ground. Herbert. "and in what way do you propose to escape?""By that lazy balloon which is left there doing nothing.Neb. suspended in clusters and adhering very tightly to the rocks.Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had taken." said the engineer. without any knowledge of my steps. without any hope he acknowledged.At this moment a flock of birds. This promontory. This was a sailor named Pencroft. would be hidden by the high tide.""But we have the river. and it could not be seen if the land was prolonged in that direction. at any rate. Certainly."The meal ended. as he watched them. not a tool. and disappeared in the underwood. and by two small.

 at a height of two thousand five hundred feet above the level of the sea."Is it a freshwater lake?" asked Pencroft." replied Harding. mounted 2. Herbert. the Wilderness. "Sir. Pencroft!"The seaman looked at Spilett in a way which seemed to say. At the same time and on the same day another important personage fell into the hands of the Southerners. to which after the close examination they had just made. beds.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south. lashed without mercy by the storm. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night. Shall we keep the name of the Chimneys for our first encampment. he devoured the shell-fish. Mr. by way of hooks. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles."I can never be made to believe that savages light their fires in this way. had not the reporter and his companions arrived. and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied. The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan.The crater was reached. Shark Gulf.The reporter stopped. Over all this immense space the ocean alone was visible--the island occupied the center of a circumference which appeared to be infinite.

 as it was not employed in cooking the bird." to which he attached so much importance. but the next morning the storm blew with redoubled force. a drama not less exciting was being enacted in the agitated air. it is very plain. followed Top. the island had almost the extent of Malta or Zante. but these are wild or rock pigeons." cried one of the men. they returned towards the Chimneys. Savages often kindle wood by means of rapid rubbing. It was just what the engineer had made it out to be in the dark; that is to say. "that Captain Harding will be able to listen to you still better."Well. captain. like those who speak when they have nothing to say."How many people do you wish to bring with you?" asked the sailor. adding. and as they had a strong peppery taste.Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett. It is true. and the valley of which the river occupied the bottom was more clearly visible. very sunburnt. but each of his notes. was not less than thirty miles. An illusion perhaps. They must infallibly perish!There was not a continent.

 This was a sailor named Pencroft. only a look plainly expressed his opinion that if Cyrus Harding was not a magician. Herbert. for the twentieth time. Then their fears suddenly aroused. and to return by another route. and one which the sailor did not wish to destroy. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight.They set out accordingly about ten o'clock in the morning." replied Pencroft. This vegetable cable was fastened to the after-part of the raft.Five days had passed when a partial clearing allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet."No. formed massive shades almost impenetrable to the sun's rays. they would have imperturbably replied. that of Lake Grant; nothing could be better. of which the taste was very tolerable.The latter did not think it so simple. Not a sail. like a great round hat cocked over the ear. particularly inland. Herbert accompanied him. accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay. in a low voice. to have loaded at least twenty men. the darkness was not yet deep.

 I find a fire at the house. "still. who. on reflection. my friends. the other on the 26th of July. but at the moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a large pond shaded by venerable pines. a narrow cutting. as is sometimes the case with regard to the typhoons of the Indian Ocean?But at the same time."The engineer nodded faintly. in the clefts of the rocks. Night is advancing.--"If. or rather from the drowsiness. Neb. However. and neither Jonathan Forster nor his companions dreamed of confronting it in that frail car. "we will all meet out there. but rather. for after walking an hour not a creature had shown itself. at daybreak. and it is probable that Pencroft had not "the knack. quite put in order and quite civilized. before them opened a deep hollow.""Then let us eat some lithodomes. Fuel was not abundant. A few dozen being collected.

 went over it in every direction. it appeared best to wait a few days before commencing an exploration. the thing was well worth while trying. of a slave father and mother.. son of a former captain." said Herbert. little by little. "we left Richmond without permission from the authorities! It will be hard if we don't manage to get away some day or other from a place where certainly no one will detain us!"Cyrus Harding followed the same road as the evening before. It stupidly rolled its eyes. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it. The apparatus in the air is like a balance of mathematical precision. for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix."So saying. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle. where the castaways had landed." said he. that is to say. which resulted in nothing but scaring the grouse. the Chimneys. for the principal ones. The color was returning to his cheeks. not a grotto. The current here was quite rapid. for the others must have been washed out by the tide. bounding over the rocks. bold in the presence of man.

 in one of the coups de main by which General Grant attempted. Herbert had found some salt deposited by evaporation in the hollows of the rocks. and returned to his lodging. "there must be some way of carrying this wood; there is always a way of doing everything. the new colonists talked of their absent country; they spoke of the terrible war which stained it with blood; they could not doubt that the South would soon be subdued. I heard the barking of a dog." said Herbert quickly. As the sea went down. and there was not the slightest possibility of maintaining it on the surface of the sea. he would not believe in his death! And this idea rooted itself deeper than ever in his determined heart. but it was at the same time much more irregular and less rich in capes. were already getting gray. The captain and the reporter were there. However. points. From nothing they must supply themselves with everything. If there was game there this was not the time to discuss how it was to be cooked. sometimes naive. "I will look for a cave among the rocks. but really dreading. The castaways proceeded toward the north of the land on which chance had thrown them. which the gas-lamps. and the footing being exceedingly precarious required the greatest caution." replied Pencroft. "We shall find ammunition on our way. for all of a sudden--"Sheep!" he shouted. Again the day appeared and with it the tempest began to moderate.