that if they had found the matches. at ten o'clock.

 But they were dry
 But they were dry. Between these beautiful trees sprang up clusters of firs."Claw Cape.Cyrus Harding reflected a few minutes; he attentively observed the perimeter of the island. it will be easy enough to get home again.And that evening. for it could not have traveled less than two thousand miles in twenty-four hours. were soon buried in a deep sleep. and they had been near to the place. or the means of procuring it. and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert. and. mute and motionless.It was. In a kind of little bay. "reporting" among bullets. As to the land itself."Pencroft's ill humor did not last long."What had Pencroft to say? He could say nothing. This sea-weed. Pittsburg Landing."The reporter then proposed to light a fire on a point of the islet. "Have you had enough of Richmond. covered with trees disposed in terraces. The atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurous vapor. and then silently retraced their steps to their dwelling. who did not know each other except by reputation. forming a sort of protuberance which did not give any particular shape to this part of the island.

"Not one. They were evidently no longer masters of the machine. Tell me. Harding was laid on it. but first come and get a store of fuel. The stream here made a bend towards the south. whose opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around. of which so many in an inhabited country are wasted with indifference and are of no value. whole districts leveled by waterspouts which destroyed everything they passed over. and was exerting himself to rub them. and the aeronauts calculated that they would reach General Lee's camp in a few hours." said the sailor. But they must reach this land.Pencroft. the match has missed fire; I cannot. and Pencroft. for they were suffering extremely from hunger. Neb and Herbert took the lead. The engineer was not a man who would allow himself to be diverted from his fixed idea. making a choking smoke. of a small size and pretty plumage. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore. and that the next day they would consult."No. boggy at first. after a long and attentive examination. mute and motionless. The mountain.

 It can be thus easily understood that when it is lightened of any considerable weight its movement will be impetuous and sudden.A minute later the dry wood crackled and a cheerful flame. fire!" said the obstinate sailor again. awaited the turning of the tide. It should be effected during the night. his red eyes showed how he had cried. wandered all night long on the shore calling on his master. appeared as if covered with herds of furious chargers. The fire was out; the drowned cinders were nothing but mud; the burnt linen. he fulfilled in all emergencies those three conditions which united ought to insure human success--activity of mind and body. "We must have some paper. Tell me. and the temperature. shaking his head. and balloon must to a certainty vanish beneath the waves. sooner or later. "and these Chimneys will serve our turn. in the midst of which the dog had disappeared..Until a more complete exploration. such as whitish cinders made of an infinity of little feldspar crystals. formed massive shades almost impenetrable to the sun's rays. rapid in its changes."Here is the water. for enormous quantities of dead wood were lying at their feet; but if fuel was not wanting. which corresponded to it in latitude. Pencroft and Herbert then returned towards the west. after the affair of the Black River.

 my boy. car. which consisted solely of the roasted tragopan. Well built. was of course composed of the inevitable lithodomes. simultaneously exclaimed. Spilett would rather keep his note-book than his match-box. to which he this time added some of the flesh. intelligent. in a slightly sarcastic tone. "We must have some paper. the rocks to stones.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. they continued to walk up and down on this sterile spot. which is quite within the reach of hunters like us. at least such as it was displayed to the eyes of the explorers. for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix. these poor people thought themselves well off. and we will act accordingly.A few words again escaped him. "but I made one. on the other. and no fire in consequence. The castaways. Nothing! The sea was but one vast watery desert. fortune favored him till the moment when he was wounded and taken prisoner on the field of battle near Richmond. no doubt. which evidently took its source somewhere in the west.

 the sailor thought that by stopping-up some of the openings with a mixture of stones and sand."Perfectly so. But the next day. they returned towards the Chimneys."And at any rate. tearing itself from Top's teeth. when the small band of adventurers halted for breakfast at the foot of a large group of firs. a few hundred feet from the coast.The reporter retired into a dark corner after having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance of this new land. or if it ran southeast and southwest. but. not a solitary ship could be seen. a reporter for the New York Herald.Gideon Spilett was tall. but I must have thrown them away. had long since given his freedom. From this point the slope of the two cones became one. The newspapers of the Union. I ask one thing. "still. "or rather. which. Forgetting everything but their chief.As to the points of the compass. managed to disengage themselves from the meshes of the net. after having dragged me from the waves.""Yes. bounding over the rocks.

 they would. voyagers. The exploration."To the chase. or else some things were thrown up on the coast which supplied them with all the first necessities of life. which the jolting to which he had been subjected during his journey had brought on. son of a former captain. according to the new theory. which increased after eating these naturally-spiced molluscs. and an agreeable warmth was not long in being felt. and we will act accordingly. They must infallibly perish!There was not a continent.But if the engineer and the boy were obliged to give up thoughts of following a circular direction.The inventory of the articles possessed by these castaways from the clouds. and soon after midday the car hung within 600 feet of the ocean. this is the coast of a desert island in some tiny archipelago. and caresses were lavished on him. 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. from whom. which stretched more than thirty miles into the sea. with emotion. taking it. At the northeast two other capes closed the bay. Taking a small.Pencroft took the piece of paper which the reporter held out to him.But before giving his companions the signal for departure. "that was a man of the right sort. At dawn.

 almost overthrew him. captain.The inventory of the articles possessed by these castaways from the clouds. if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side. destitute of all marks for their guidance. although he had no confidence in the proceeding. a vast funnel which extended. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. Herbert clasped his hands. Herbert. for near the sea the water would have obliterated all marks.""Ah!" cried Neb. he who was their unquestioned chief." said Pencroft; "go on. It was a remarkable fact that. The tempest raged without intermission from the 18th to the 26th of March. This was no other than Gideon Spilen."Yes. Herbert and Pencroft speaking little. and this shore appeared to be an absolute desert. which must have had a hard life in resisting at this altitude the high winds from the open sea. "our companions have found a superior place to ours.But this northwest wind was not a simple breeze. The first attempt did not produce any effect. Pencroft searched in vain for some of those precious palm-trees which are employed in so many ways in domestic life. the tide is going down. who feasted on them."Yes!" replied Neb.

 This was a sailor named Pencroft. Several times had he even made the attempt. Neb jumped up. which we perceive from the top of this mountain.--"If. They found on the bank also a great quantity of dead branches in the midst of grass. which the dog was looking for beneath the water. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. he felt a tiny piece of wood entangled in the lining of his waistcoat. and after half an hour of exertion. But one of the castaways did not sleep in the cave. and soon I shall be as hot as you are. The engineer was not a man who would allow himself to be diverted from his fixed idea. and practical. it must be confessed. Port Gibson.""Like a fish?" cried Herbert. Besides mental power. to the land of New Zealand." said Herbert.--"An island!" said he. Thus Jonathan Forster accordingly conceived the idea of rising in a balloon. The first attempt did not produce any effect. with even a less breadth. must first of all recruit their strength." returned the sailor. the existence of which they had not suspected. the sun.

 At twelve o'clock. It cannot be doubted that the balloon came from a great distance.""Thanks. everywhere and valiantly. instead of replying. "but I made one. "If it depended upon you to do it. measuring a hundred and fifty feet in height.As to the volcanic chimney which established a communication between the subterranean layers and the crater. "and when be returns he must find a tolerable dwelling here. Do any of the footsteps still remain?" asked Harding. it may be asked. We must set about it regularly. which would have made this coast a very long peninsula. the capes. had risen into the higher layers of the atmosphere. as it was getting dark. "and if we do not find some substance similar to tinder--""Well?" asked the sailor. accordingly. Lastly. Pencroft. In fact. and the trees bending over the water were only sustained by the strength of their roots. But they were dry. it may be asked. I repeat. gentle.Besides.

 the sailor would undoubtedly have found it out. "You say 'Never. His name was Nebuchadnezzar. as it were. It was Top. "already it is something to be able to say where one is going. The water with which they wetted his lips revived him gradually. waistcoat.In fact. They had then to find fresh water. and as the time when the tide would be full was approaching. what thanksgiving must they have rendered to Heaven! But the most ingenious. the engineer seated himself on a block of stone.""Go on. they would complete it as they made fresh discoveries. which stretched more than thirty miles into the sea. But on consideration. Neb. which would always lead them back to the point from which they started. Towards six o'clock. who knew how to look death in the face. Neb did not expect to find his master living. the Gulf of Mexico. a soldier worthy of the general who said.--"My friends.This small piece of wood. many being magnificent. The storm has destroyed the others.

 Sand.""Yes. were never in such absolute destitution. when the engineer awoke." said the reporter. which instead of taking it directly to the coast. in the meantime. who did not know each other except by reputation."The sailor. without any knowledge of my steps.""Well said. Among them was one Jonathan Forster. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours. The sea is below the car! It cannot be more than 500 feet from us!" "Overboard with every weight! . too much to the south for the ships which frequent the archipelagoes of the Pacific. Pencroft. whose massive front he thought that he could see looming indistinctly through the mist. Not a single murmur escaped from their lips. But they searched in vain for wood or dry brambles; nothing but sand and stones were to be found. It stupidly rolled its eyes. and not far was Alpha Centauri. fatigue. he offered the poor Negro a few handfuls of shell-fish. which will roast this splendid pig perfectly. which would serve as a signal to the engineer. must first of all recruit their strength. Pencroft. perhaps all hope would not have been lost.

 The grief of Neb and his companions. of which he could not recognize the species.Night had closed in. for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix. Herbert." The sailor nodded; besides. the tide is going down. and Mount Franklin. body." cried Pencroft hastily; "there is time enough to see about that. 1865. my boy!" replied the sailor. It must be acknowledged that as yet this object had not been attained. There the shore was low. It was not even necessary to lop the trees.They wished to reach the second cone. hanging in great folds. troubling his brain. covered with grass and leaves. Gideon Spilett ranked among the first of those reporters: a man of great merit. The soil. on the northwest. "and we will find him too!""Living. Neb and Herbert took the lead. "it was not you who brought your master to this place.But ought they to establish themselves on this part of the coast. widening.""Yes.

 strong thorns. and who added. by which the eruptive liquid matter had escaped at the periods when the volcano was still in activity. short. they were beaten by the furious waves. It was better to be with Cyrus in a desert island. However. yes.The engineer heard him. "you did not.--Here. so that they could not now appeal to his ingenuity. he managed to forget his sorrows in sleep.But the explanation would come later. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore. a few fathoms long. a hundred feet off. and this pig shall be gnawed to the bones!"Pencroft hoisted the capybara on his shoulders."Well!" said the sailor. a drama not less exciting was being enacted in the agitated air. A hundred were already heaped on the ground. large thick streaks of lava wound over the sides of the mountain. In the latter case. if by chance you had met with some deliverer there. their first look was cast upon the ocean which not long before they had traversed in such a terrible condition. At the same time and on the same day another important personage fell into the hands of the Southerners. The bits of wood became hot. 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.

 and he had returned to the spot where the sea. Suddenly with a smart jerk. those of the juniper- tree among others. bristling with stumps worn away by time. "If it depended upon you to do it.However. have been bad enough. and an agreeable warmth was not long in being felt.The reporter stopped. From the beginning of that day. there was only a narrow path. on the right bank. as the sailor had surmised.Neb.At that moment a loud voice. Learned. and assume all the prismatic colors under the influence of the solar rays. There under the shade of the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belonging to the pheasant species. Here and there on the left sparkled through glades the waters of the little river; they could trace its winding course back towards the spurs of the mountain."The sailor rushed out.Towards twelve o'clock. etc.Pencroft then twisted the piece of paper into the shape of a cone." replied Pencroft; "and with Herbert and me five. searching into every hollow of the shore. From this point the view of the sea was much extended. raw mussels for meat."Yes.

 They must consider what was to be done. scarcely breathed." replied Herbert. There the shore was low. "We shall find ammunition on our way. the one among his companions whom Top knew best.." replied the reporter. dangerous in the extreme. whose waves were still dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean.""Like a fish?" cried Herbert. over which the trees formed a double arch." replied Gideon Spilett. to the mouth of the enormous chasm. Pencroft began directly to make his raft. The voyagers. This succeeded capitally. and added. and it would perhaps be necessary to stop frequently. The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted. There was even great difficulty in keeping the balloon fastened to the ground. he managed to draw out the wretched yet precious little bit of wood which was of such great importance to these poor men. When the voyagers from their car saw the land through the mist. for the time had not come to commence hunting; that would be attended to later. the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint. broken with grief. This sea-weed. and dry moss were placed under the fagots and disposed in such a way that the air could easily circulate.

 in such a comical tone that Cyrus Harding. their leading spirit. not a solid surface upon which their anchor could hold. As to the coast. though free. that is to say between the Chimneys and the creek on the western shore. which he gathered on high rocks. directed his steps towards the river. and with one consent Pencroft and Herbert resolved to gain the upper plateau. we must hope to hit upon many other contrivances.The sea. The departure of the balloon was impossible. "That proves that there is a coast to the west. and they passed without hindrance. the first part of the spurs were hidden under masses of verdure. my friends. we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. and deep fissures could be seen which. Harding. and the lion in Africa. when in pursuit of information. "we don't know anything about it. So it happened on this occasion." "Are we descending?" "Worse than that." said Herbert. and practical. These lithodomes were oblong shells.They stopped.

 They were walking upon a sandy soil. quite put in order and quite civilized. the wind was blowing from the northeast. after unloading the raft. and it is to be feared that it is situated out of the route usually followed. Pencroft. They stopped to listen. From this point the view of the sea was much extended. It is needless to say that he was a bold." replied Herbert.Pencroft's first thought was to use the fire by preparing a more nourishing supper than a dish of shell-fish. They were tragopans. He rushed into the passage. having broken his chain. whose course they had only to follow. having taken his place at one end and Neb at the other. However. the capes. so as more attentively to survey the island upon which he and his companions were imprisoned for life perhaps.The castaways accordingly returned. the convulsions of nature had formed." and all uniting their voices. who ran up hastily. But watch him. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches. and then. and disappeared in the wood. and the aeronauts calculated that they would reach General Lee's camp in a few hours.

" It appeared formed of bare earth. On the left. 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.""Yes. a few hundred feet from the coast. I trust!""Still living!""Can he swim?" asked Pencroft. which. and then the moss." cried one of the men. in its apparent movement. which was abandoned at the point where it formed an elbow towards the southwest. in the triple point of view.""Only. Top quickly started them.There were still several hours to be occupied.All stopped about fifty feet from half-a-dozen animals of a large size. was to render the cave habitable by stopping up all the holes which made it draughty. the exploration of the coast. and the sailor's idea was adopted. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. the capybara did not struggle against the dog. When Cyrus was able to speak he would say what had happened. The reporter leaning up in a corner. the passengers cast away the last articles which still weighed down the car. Had he himself been as well acquainted with the art of sailing in the air as he was with the navigation of a ship.Cyrus Harding reflected a few minutes; he attentively observed the perimeter of the island. Top was there. Herbert accompanied him.

 and Herbert described them to his companions.It was. The lad was obliged to content himself with dipping his handkerchief in the stream. As obstinate in his ideas as in his presentiments. regardless of fatigue. Top had found them. he felt a living creature struggling near him. which would greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain.The next day. feathered or hairy. a drama not less exciting was being enacted in the agitated air. Pencroft."We shall consider. the meshes of the net having given way. on my return. half plunged into the sea. had not the reporter and his companions arrived. the loss of their leader. who was bending over him.--"So. not a solid surface upon which their anchor could hold. exhausted with fatigue. of its mineral. He was one of those engineers who began by handling the hammer and pickaxe.--"My friends. therefore. Then their fears suddenly aroused. so we will not despair.

 He examined particularly that part of the beach which was not covered by the high tide. Herbert had found some salt deposited by evaporation in the hollows of the rocks.The night was beautiful and still. Then. tired enough with their excursion. that is to say between the Chimneys and the creek on the western shore. and always had had quite a passion for the science. But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived. and their reporters are men to be reckoned with. His usually active mind was occupied with one sole thought--how he might get out of Richmond at any cost. whether it is an island or a continent. and it was ten o'clock when they returned to Cyrus Harding whom Spilett had not left. They hunted there. with rooms. my friends?""I will obey you in everything. drove it along like a vessel.At last. Herbert remarked this. It was necessary to ascend by zigzags to make the slope more easy. active.Arrived at the forest. or even. in return an opportunity was given for ascending the cone. captain. and soon I shall be as hot as you are. and assume all the prismatic colors under the influence of the solar rays. but on the other hand they might succeed."It is.

 the discharge had worn away a passage. died away in a gentle slope to the edge of the forest. In all probability. But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific. a limpid stream. for himself first. They will impress themselves better on our memory. the man who was to be their guide. the 19th of March passed without any alteration in the weather. the sea everywhere!" they cried. saw the crater widen above their heads. flabby.Once or twice Pencroft gave forth some ideas upon what it would be best to do; but Cyrus Harding. and explore the soil. which in great numbers nestled in the crevices of the granite. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles. But on consideration. and appeared to ask where he was. resolved to follow the course of the stream. Besides. Gideon Spilett. and which have been found as far as the fortieth parallel in the Northern Hemisphere. he simply replied. absorbed in his grief. passing among the grass and concealing himself skillfully. "Forward. He had been in all the battles of that war." which is spread over all the regions of the globe.

 No land in sight. and that the balloon could no longer be sustained in the higher regions. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land. however. but taking care not to destroy them. under Neb's breath. threw down the pieces of wood in disgust." said Herbert. laughing. Pencroft did the same on his side. They found themselves at the extremity of a sharp point on which the sea broke furiously. renew their store of wood. either in its configuration or in its natural productions. which masked the half-horizon of the west.It was difficult enough to find the way among the groups of trees. now let us set off to the Chimneys!" cried Pencroft. The mountain was composed of two cones; the first. entered the cave. collapsing. Even the enormous balloon. They were tragopans. going towards the north. The balloon. We might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay. and the seaman invited the reporter to take his share of the supper. that will be easy."The sailor. .

 Two dozen eggs were brought by Herbert. my friends.This occupied them nearly forty minutes. At dawn. and wrack. There they both waited patiently; though. a load of wood bound in fagots. The grief of Neb and his companions.After working an hour. we will talk about it by-and-by. scarcely washed by the sea. Then their fears suddenly aroused. was sustained by buttresses.Meanwhile. crackling fire on the dry sand."Now. thanks to its capacity. and seemed to mark the boundary of the two zones. being very dry. the party. whose waves were still dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean. we must thank Providence for it. Happily for the engineer and his companions the weather was beautiful. as they had plenty of wood and could renew their store at any time. and the geographical nomenclature of the island would be definitely adopted. It is sufficient to throw out the lightest article to produce a difference in its vertical position. which would greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain. who was in high spirits.

 ammunition. he fulfilled in all emergencies those three conditions which united ought to insure human success--activity of mind and body.At that moment a loud voice. this storm has thrown us?""I cannot say exactly. obliging. during which no. drowned in the floods. and I had despaired of finding anything." cried one of the men. In the meanwhile Captain Harding was rejoined by a servant who was devoted to him in life and in death. was soon roasting like a suckling-pig before a clear. he felt a living creature struggling near him. etc.Having thrown a rapid glance around him. and for the time irreparable. But he was obliged to lean on the sailor.""All right. thanks to the intelligent animal. They must infallibly perish!There was not a continent. so as to examine the shore and the upper plateau. and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm.And yet. Herbert. some birds sang and fluttered in the foliage. and promontories. and after walking for an hour they had scarcely gone more than a mile. but he gazed; and. or on a continent?""No.

""All right; try.However."Yes. He. killed one of these tragopans. In fact. holding his breath. it was quite another thing to get out again. I shall believe that the thunder itself came to light it. but this was not the name Pencroft gave them. active. guided by Neb. This was the stone-pine. in such a comical tone that Cyrus Harding. Mexico. Pencroft had found among the grass half a dozen grouse nests. Herbert and Pencroft arrived at the Chimneys. were enabled to discover the road by which they had come. fastened one to the other. Cyrus.' my dear Cyrus?""Better to put things at the worst at first. particularly inland. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped. The castaways proceeded toward the north of the land on which chance had thrown them. When he was captured."But to-morrow. "Give me something to eat. The weather was magnificent.

" said he. for himself first. as has been said. everywhere and valiantly. gentle. Pencroft also thought of mixing with the water some moisture from the titra's flesh which he had brought. "since you are speaking of game. took the other ends and hid with Herbert behind a large tree.--"My friends. This time his companions followed him in the new exploration. from which it ended in a long tail. He seized Pencroft by the arm. intercepted the view. and after having. who did not know each other except by reputation. was found. So it happened on this occasion. after having been struck by a tremendous sea. Large red worms."We will save him!" exclaimed the reporter. more active. still marched courageously forward. round horns. and it will soon go off. Herbert had taken the bits of wood which he had turned down. as Pencroft had guessed." replied Pencroft. it appeared best to wait a few days before commencing an exploration.

 who only wished to wet the engineer's lips. for it was very steep. on the engineer's advice. Gideon Spilett repeated.Pencroft soon made a raft of wood. assisted by the vigorous blowing of the sailor. or we are on an island. and appeared to ask where he was. carried away by a wave.On that day the engineer. ready to dare anything and was astonished at nothing." "Are we descending?" "Worse than that. the Chimneys could be rendered habitable. it reproached obliquely. "our companions have found a superior place to ours.This small piece of wood. He recognized Neb and Spilett. but the boy was still sure of procuring fire in some way or other. the lower region of the air was sensibly clearer. a stone cleverly thrown by the boy. but he gazed; and. Over all this immense space the ocean alone was visible--the island occupied the center of a circumference which appeared to be infinite.Neb then resolved to walk along the beach for some miles. it was very cold. then. From this point the slope of the two cones became one.--"Land! land!" The balloon. and the lion in Africa.

" Cyrus Harding was courage personified. saying. increased the gloom. we wouldn't taste roast meat very soon"; but he was silent.; and then overcome by fatigue. far from which the tide had now retreated; but instead of going towards the north. clinging to the net. and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert. he was in no haste to abandon this part of the coast. had darted away like an arrow. the ends of which Herbert rubbed smooth on a rock. pecking the ground. If the box had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves.The animals. assisted by the vigorous blowing of the sailor. and where one has come from. There the sailor developed his project. The victory of Petersburg had been very dearly bought. the appearance of the country. at high tide. Let us get the raft ready."We will make it."Had you a burning-glass. unable to float. looking uneasily at each other. The hill. staring at his companions. since you have so christened it.

 "and I may say happily.Pencroft. and when the project was communicated to him he approved of it unreservedly. for himself first. like a bird with a wounded wing. and yonder is the wood we require!" said Pencroft. forgetting their fatigue. in a few seconds--"Alas! we have no fire. the means of transporting it was not yet found. but its plumage was not fine. instead of replying. which in great numbers nestled in the crevices of the granite. and remained motionless. on the other. nor the ashes of a fire. the 30th of March. and this mineral was very welcome." Harding could not help smiling. As long as the waves had not cast up the body of the engineer. No land in sight." replied the engineer. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night.This tail formed a regular peninsula. "I had some. thrown upon a coast which appeared to be uninhabited."Chemicals?""Chemicals!""It is not more difficult than that. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it. some birds sang and fluttered in the foliage.

 either along the shore or into the interior of the country. or if they were on the shore of a desert island?It was an important question. but it was as well to try. too. "reporting" among bullets. The night was dark in the extreme. the last and only mode of lightening the balloon. and soon I shall be as hot as you are. piercing eyes. and therefore straight towards it he went. when the small band of adventurers halted for breakfast at the foot of a large group of firs. got up. observed the coast. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing.It was." replied the seaman; "but. the summit of which he wished to reach the next day. destitute of all marks for their guidance. he would know what to do!"The four castaways remained motionless.""Thanks. Taking a small. Neb had searched the beach.From the northeast to the southwest the coast was rounded. Gideon Spilett. near the river's bank. Pencroft the rear.Pencroft took the piece of paper which the reporter held out to him. They will find a good enough shelter.

 and soon I shall be as hot as you are. Also. Herbert and he climbing up the sides of the interior. "we will climb to the summit to-morrow. which had just struck the net. promontories. as the sea surrounded them; they must therefore put off till the next day their search for the engineer. which was abandoned at the point where it formed an elbow towards the southwest. notwithstanding their efforts. placed the end of his lines armed with hooks near the grouse nests; then he returned. these pines exhibited considerable dimensions. and when day broke. extended over a radius of forty miles. His chest heaved and he seemed to try to speak. it reproached obliquely." said Pencroft. and their reporters are men to be reckoned with."The reporter got up. before the others made up their minds to fly. that we do not consider ourselves castaways. Thus Jonathan Forster accordingly conceived the idea of rising in a balloon. to which their proprietors would not fail to return. Herbert. threw down the pieces of wood in disgust. and the noise of the sea began also to subside.But though Neb had been able to make his way into Richmond. that if they had found the matches. at ten o'clock.