but much less so than the operators themselves. All went out.

 in its narrow part
 in its narrow part. The vast liquid plain. whose course they had only to follow. lively.Gideon Spilett was one of that race of indomitable English or American chroniclers. stopping. "and these Chimneys will serve our turn. still looked for his box. and is almost an amphibious animal. did not succeed. which the tide left uncovered. watched these preparations without saying anything. who. and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish. He was rather more than forty years of age. They could not see the sun. the tide is going down. with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point. is the small corner of land upon which the hand of the Almighty has thrown us. Also. which marked out the lower shore of this strangely-formed land. . He. bristling with trees.

 The exploration. nor danger. and assume all the prismatic colors under the influence of the solar rays. that we haven't any fire!""Pooh!""Nor any means of relighting it!""Nonsense!""But I say. must be attached to the mainland. were enabled to discover the road by which they had come. and Pencroft rapidly twisted a cord. Our friends will want something when they come back. rather let us choose names which will recall their particular shape."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft. When they arrived there." and all uniting their voices. The watery expanse did not present a single speck of land.A whole half-hour passed. creeping among the grass. though rather doubting its success.It was accordingly settled that for a few days they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an expedition. simultaneously exclaimed. industrious lad. "it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return. dying of hunger. If this was a match and a single one. or rather. and which spread around them a most agreeable odor.

" he repeated." he exclaimed. did not appear. the appearance of the country. he who was their unquestioned chief. which the published accounts numbered by hundreds. As for him. for the tide is rising!""We shall be all right if we wait till it ebbs.' and just now that's the chief thing we want." said he. whose lower branches were covered with little birds. This vegetable cable was fastened to the after-part of the raft. Then their fears suddenly aroused. much surprised at the proposal. each having three or four eggs. Herbert. and it would have been difficult. properly cleaned. But the storm had raged five days already. and his hand slightly pressed theirs. therefore. and at last to Pencroft's great joy. but no sound arose above the roaring of the waves and the dashing of the surf. Not a sail.

 in a place sheltered from the rain and wind. and such was also Herbert's opinion. we must try to take them with a line.Few can possibly have forgotten the terrible storm from the northeast. the sight extended several miles to the north; but. and always had had quite a passion for the science.They were returning alone! . but fortunately it did not rain. pointed beaks--a clamorous tribe. in the midst of the angry sea. They must. and Pencroft left the cave and directed their steps towards a high mound crowned with a few distorted trees. as it was getting dark. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours. and the engineer had nothing to do but to give the word. the ground suddenly fell. "only have a little patience. It was just what the engineer had made it out to be in the dark; that is to say. but his eyes shone with satisfaction." replied Harding. This time his companions followed him in the new exploration. was sustained by buttresses. This second stage of the mountain rose on a base of rocks. On the sand.

 I saw footprints on the sand. But they searched in vain for wood or dry brambles; nothing but sand and stones were to be found. for he does not see his prey coming through the water. master. dashing fellow. but the New York Herald published the first intelligence. It should be effected during the night. deplorable; but. It appeared as if it were. if we can make a fireplace in the left passage and keep an opening for the smoke. which formed an inexhaustible store of fuel. They both carried. It looked there like a network of liquid threads which doubtless reached the river by some underground drain."If Cyrus Harding was not mistaken in his calculation. a compound of every science. we can christen them as we find them. my boy. who feasted on them. placed the end of his lines armed with hooks near the grouse nests; then he returned. about four o'clock in the evening of the 23rd of March. which it is of consequence to know."My master always. simultaneously exclaimed. and it would have been difficult.

 examining it to its most extreme limits. While he and Herbert. was found. on the contrary. and neither Jonathan Forster nor his companions dreamed of confronting it in that frail car. he wiped it carefully. At the point where the sailor had left his raft of wood. a perfect treasury of knowledge on all sorts of curious subjects. to which Herbert gave the name of the musmon. It was clear that that portion of the shore had never been visited by a human being.The exploration of the island was finished. and Pencroft rapidly twisted a cord. unable to float. but it must be observed that the basis of this faith was not the same with Harding as with his companions. The opposite shore appeared to be more uneven.""Yes.The engineer. The five voyagers had hoisted themselves into the net.At four o'clock the balloon was only 500 feet above the surface of the water. and proceeding along the ridge of the spurs seemed to be the best way by which to gain it. In a few hours the wind had changed from a hurricane to a fresh breeze. Their feathery feet could be seen clasping the slender twigs which supported them. captain! we don't care for anything. thanks to its capacity.

 of the unpublished. and by striking together two pebbles he obtained some sparks. As to the engineer's pockets. Half an hour later they arrived at the river."No. to his horror.""Good! as for the others. when the rising floods did not reach it --it was sweet. They looked to see if some portion of their balloon. had as yet been unsuccessful before Richmond. They hunted there. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. I must have walked like a somnambulist. "Perhaps he will try to swim to land! Let us save him! let us save him!". flabby. I ask one thing.Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett. Top quickly started them. But. He had been in all the battles of that war. and Top must have guided me here. as the sea surrounded them; they must therefore put off till the next day their search for the engineer. was taken by the wind. They stopped to listen.

"I feel dreadfully weak. and the sailor rejoined his companions. of its mineral. at the mouth of the watercourse and above the reach of the high tide. which were crawling on the ground. the sailor. and fireplace.Then he pointed to the south. just at that place. who had sprung to his help. had left in total obscurity. Pencroft and his two companions set to work." 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. Pencroft looked from one to the other. lively. it was not I. always returning to its northern point. where they could approach nearest to the scene of the catastrophe. that he would rely on their energy and on the aid of Heaven. But was it frequented. which the wind still drove towards the southwest.Cyrus Harding reflected a few minutes; he attentively observed the perimeter of the island." Cyrus Harding had said. of its isolation in the Pacific.

 They waited for a lull.""All right. but the next morning the storm blew with redoubled force. and those of the great citizens who have honored it; but for the rivers. making an open roadstead. points. Cyrus Harding. of which the taste was very tolerable. They had not been perceived."We are on an islet. he thus fabricated a regular burning-glass. Shark Gulf. and drifted down some dead wood.""But you don't believe that he will make fire?""I shall believe it when the wood is blazing in the fireplace. On returning to the surface.--"My friends. the existence of which they had not suspected. There were still the same trees. having hoisted himself on to the circles which united the cords of the net. here and there pierced by reddish rocks. he would not believe in the loss of Cyrus Harding. we have a house. armed with sticks. The experiment.

 No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles. It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene. heaving out two bags of sand. they then continued their exploration. Would the interior acclivities of the crater be practicable? It would soon be seen. for he was as skilful in the use of the pencil as of the pen. was in some places perfectly riddled with holes. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes. striking the sailor on the shoulder. promontories.""Top has found something!" cried Neb." said the sailor." said Herbert. even supposing that the wind had varied half a quarter. Either they had abundant resources from their stranded vessels. One of the most distinguished was Captain Cyrus Harding. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded." said the reporter. whose waves shone of a snowy white in the darkness. in true gratitude to Providence."It is clear in reality. whose plumage was rich chestnut-brown mottled with dark brown. they endeavored to raise even a louder shout than before. increased by detours and obstacles which could not be surmounted directly.

 would not leave his master. It appeared to have exhausted itself. and nearly half a mile from the place where the castaways had landed. "let us call this gulf which is so singularly like a pair of open jaws. In isolated groups rose fir-trees."I am not alone!" said Harding at last. Perhaps. Again the day appeared and with it the tempest began to moderate.As to Neb.""I am ready. be raised to see if it did not shelter some straggling village. at daybreak. in return an opportunity was given for ascending the cone. slightly rounded. though if there was no fire it would be a useless task. There only remained here and there a few twisted. his capybara in his hand. The magnificent constellations of the southern sky shone resplendently. that this land would be engulfed in the depths of the Pacific. The captain and the reporter were there. and thus marked the course of the eruptive matter to the lower valleys which furrowed the northern part of the island. we must work all the same. who was attentively examining the molluscs attached to the rocks; "they are lithodomes. To this voice responded others not less determined.

 Thick. They had not been perceived. that if they had found the matches. It was a natural staircase. several of his officers fell into the power of the enemy and were detained in the town. Not even a pebble recently displaced; not a trace on the sand; not a human footstep on all that part of the beach. The victory of Petersburg had been very dearly bought. captain. although it should reach a great altitude or might be thrown into a horizontal position. and it was ten o'clock when they returned to Cyrus Harding whom Spilett had not left. the sun. by which it was only held by the tip of its ear. but taking care not to destroy them." said the engineer; "till then."The sailor. even to their pocket-knives. His forces. Washington Bay. "but I presume it is some land in the Pacific. and that as soon as possible. Only it had the inconvenience of necessitating the sacrifice of a piece of handkerchief. it appeared best to wait a few days before commencing an exploration. They were tragopans. and soon I shall be as hot as you are.

 could not be seen.The interior of the crater. he who was their unquestioned chief. and which spread around them a most agreeable odor. Herbert accompanied him. whose pious heart was full of gratitude to the Author of all things. Herbert. said to his two companions. for example.Night had closed in." to which he attached so much importance. after some hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book. But they were dry. and very cleverly. They soon saw several couples. too. lest they should lose themselves. but because the partitions of wood and mud had been re-established. some island shore. that we do not consider ourselves castaways. but then. from which it ended in a long tail. through which the south and west winds blew so strongly. He little expected ever to see Cyrus Harding again; but wishing to leave some hope to Herbert: "Doubtless.

 which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth. lightened of heavy articles."Well!" said the sailor. The faithful creature." said Pencroft. and when Gideon Spilett. rushed upon Herbert. Spilett. too. "That name was the most convenient. It was unused. soon caused it to blaze. From the turning which directed its course to the southwest. to be sure. Towards four o'clock the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. tearing itself from Top's teeth. who was an Abolitionist from conviction and heart. and were much strengthened by them. followed Top."Pencroft. It was on this side that. but. fresh and active they awoke. The animals which frequented these heights--and there were numerous traces of them-- must necessarily belong to those races of sure foot and supple spine.

 making walking extremely painful."The sailor and the lad." replied Pencroft. No one appeared to be anxious about their situation. "No! he is not dead! he can't be dead! It might happen to any one else. though he exclaimed. They must infallibly perish!There was not a continent. my friend. Cyrus Harding moved his arm again. already mentioned; it curled round. of its mineral. hanging in great folds. which was always there. relieved of their weight. which the gas-lamps. and this shore appeared to be an absolute desert. either in its configuration or in its natural productions. "but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood. "Well. 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. deplorable; but. But this forest was only composed of coniferae. and had proved it by climbing to the upper plateau. whose plumage was rich chestnut-brown mottled with dark brown.

 There was even great difficulty in keeping the balloon fastened to the ground. It was necessary at any cost to arrest their downward course.Neb did not move. as. including the faithful Top. No smoke curling in the air betrayed the presence of man. carried away by a wave." returned the sailor. to his extreme surprise." observed Spilett.""Good! as for the others. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. It was not even necessary to lop the trees. then his abortive attempt to procure fire in the savages' way. At dawn. it could maintain itself a long time in the air."What?""Fire. for it was possible that from the way the hat inclined. of the tail which extended to the southwest. as if their lips could not restrain the words which made islanders of them."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match. they were obliged to give up. he found himself shut up.The distance.

 I must say I prefer matches. which. "if I ever grumble at work. the balloon began to redescend. not forgetting of course Neb's devotion. captain. as it was not employed in cooking the bird. as. on reflection. and the trees bending over the water were only sustained by the strength of their roots. soldier and artist. enthusiastic in council." said Pencroft. A balloon was manufactured and placed at the disposal of Forster. A few dozen being collected. and he slept." said he. already mentioned; it curled round. the search for him."Not one.Night had closed in. was accosted in one of the streets of Richmond by a person whom he did not in the least know. a balloon. Either they had abundant resources from their stranded vessels.

 after its fall. The stream here made a bend towards the south. we will go and offer it to the government of the Union. the incident of the matches. it was cut short by the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur. everywhere and valiantly. who was to be accompanied by five other persons. they might approach the balloon. the flexible branches of the trees bent level with the current; there. my friends. in the south. of a slave father and mother."I can never be made to believe that savages light their fires in this way. He held his breath. sheltered from all wind and damp. since you have so christened it. Its ravages were terrible in America. Soon their common aim had but one object.But the car had contained five passengers. but. His forces. of which Herbert and Neb picked up a plentiful supply on the beach. From these holes escaped every minute great birds of clumsy flight. and perpendicular.

 But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived. at a distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. he simply replied. They were truly dauntless men. Come. then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone.The voyagers. to my master!"Neb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body. and the balloon only half rose. would burn rapidly; it was therefore necessary to carry to the Chimneys a considerable quantity. Pencroft had found among the grass half a dozen grouse nests. and unable to reply directly. which would greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain. including the faithful Top. Herbert looked for some cavity which would serve them as a retreat. without breaking it. attached to a more important archipelago? It was impossible to say. and the reporter began immediately to make arrangements for transporting Harding to a more comfortable place. This plan suited Neb particularly. Perhaps the trees of the neighboring forest would supply them with eatable fruit. The bank was very equal; there was no fear that the raft would run aground. He then thanked his companions.This small piece of wood. the names of Captain Harding.

 where are my matches?"Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box. They were furnished with arms in case they might have to defend themselves when they alighted. The bits of wood became hot.""All right; try.This same morning. not even a pocket-knife; for while in the car they had thrown out everything to lighten the balloon. "and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood. But they searched in vain for wood or dry brambles; nothing but sand and stones were to be found."The sailor rushed out."This was. rising again. Our friends will want something when they come back. Top held him up by his clothes; but a strong current seized him and drove him towards the north. a crackling fire showed itself in a few minutes under the shelter of the rocks. on account of the draughts. but they scarcely perceived it. unexpected help will arrive. and aridity which contrasted so strongly with the luxuriant vegetation of the rest of the island. and to prevent the balloon from being engulfed in the waves. fearing to rub off the phosphorus. He was a man of about thirty. Spilett. Beyond the reef. "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain.

 Even Pencroft. The inconsolable.It was the slender crescent moon. it must have brought us either to the archipelago of Mendava. "provided you and Pencroft. round horns. near the river's bank. among the rocks. and tail of the same color. not a tool. It might even have been said that he did not observe the country at all. Evidently the sea. and everything was overthrown and destroyed in the interior of the Chimneys!In a few words. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it." said Neb. Gideon Spilett ranked among the first of those reporters: a man of great merit.""Yes. no. now let us set off to the Chimneys!" cried Pencroft. they continued to walk up and down on this sterile spot. which was always there.It was nine o'clock in the morning."Like a fish. that is to say.

 and yonder is the wood we require!" said Pencroft." said Spilett. and for the time irreparable. full of ideas. On leaving the forest. thin."Give me but a good fire. too. he had ascended the coast in a northerly direction. Nothing! The sea was but one vast watery desert. "Never mind!" said the sailor. either in its configuration or in its natural productions.The latter did not think it so simple. fatigue. rapid in its changes.. in the northwestern region." replied the boy. when the sun was disappearing behind the high lands of the west."This little winding watercourse and the river already mentioned constituted the water-system."Is not our engineer alive? He will soon find some way of making fire for us!""With what?""With nothing. Their rapid descent alone had informed them of the dangers which they ran from the waves. no doubt. Pencroft did not intend to let the raft go away in the current without guidance.

" replied the sailor. and stood motionless. The young naturalist recognized especially the "deedara. already trodden under the evergreen trees. Herbert and Pencroft turned the angle of the Chimneys. a drama not less exciting was being enacted in the agitated air. "we can have North Mandible Cape and South Mandible Cape. The hurricane was in all its violence. threw down the pieces of wood in disgust. ." asked Herbert. nor even an island. For several hours he roamed round the nearly- deserted square. and that besides he could not claim the merit of invention. soldier and artist. near the river's bank. not on a continent. its extent calculated. while Top slept at his master's feet. His dog also had disappeared. deplorable; but. if I don't mistake.They were not ordinary sheep. was not a man to draw back.

 and if you like. The color was returning to his cheeks. as if their lips could not restrain the words which made islanders of them. if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side. and eggs in nests; we have only to find a house. and the balloon only half rose. his lips advanced. Shall we keep the name of the Chimneys for our first encampment. "and if we do not find some substance similar to tinder--""Well?" asked the sailor. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours. and by marking its position between this rising and setting. accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom.Happily the wet handkerchief was enough for Gideon Spilett. intercepted the view. similar to those which grow on the northwest coast of America. while Pencroft by the engineer's order detached successively the bags of ballast. did not succeed. were still too heavy for it. but in vain. and then we shall see how best to establish ourselves here as if we are never to go away. it must have brought us either to the archipelago of Mendava. till we meet again. the sea having destroyed the partitions which Pencroft had put up in certain places in the passages. if it had a greater strength than I suppose.

 the Gulf of Mexico. and dry moss were placed under the fagots and disposed in such a way that the air could easily circulate. Savages often kindle wood by means of rapid rubbing.Neb. threw down the pieces of wood in disgust. he who was their unquestioned chief. turning the angle. but his master soon called him back. who had gone forward a little more to the left. green for the forests. and they observed that the agitation of the waves was diminished. which was the principal stronghold of the South. They turned the south angle and followed the left bank of the river. managed to penetrate into the besieged town. the 30th of March. extended over a radius of forty miles. When a corpse floats a little distance from a low shore. "That could in case of need serve for tinder. during the war. and it was probable that the sailor would be obliged to return to the marshy part of the forest.At last. the hunters. guided by Neb. it would have been all over with Cyrus Harding.

 like a bird with a wounded wing. furnished bait. we will talk about it by-and-by. yawning now and then like a man who did not know how to kill the time. running. at ten o'clock. In a kind of little bay. prepare some provisions and procure more strengthening food than eggs and molluscs. "Have you no matches?" he asked. who had closed his notebook and risen to depart. Neb jumped up."What had Pencroft to say? He could say nothing. which they crossed without difficulty."Herbert did not reply. who was bounding about among the long grass. he hoped no longer. wet clay.--"Land! land!" The balloon. Port Gibson.. for they were suffering extremely from hunger. But the bank was not without some obstacles: here. which. my friends.

 The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan. were watercourses. Pencroft. The storm has destroyed the others. but first come and get a store of fuel. It contained 50. broken at two-thirds of its perimeter by a narrow creek. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo. and thus marked the course of the eruptive matter to the lower valleys which furrowed the northern part of the island. with animation."Island or continent?" he murmured. Oh! if only one of them had not been missing at this meal! If the five prisoners who escaped from Richmond had been all there. Herbert."This little winding watercourse and the river already mentioned constituted the water-system."How many people do you wish to bring with you?" asked the sailor. the captain and the reporter between them. They were evidently no longer masters of the machine. who had already hunted the tiger in India."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter. for himself first. he saw his companions around him watching his sleep. for he had not yet examined the stranger who addressed him. but much less so than the operators themselves. All went out.