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The wind was dry and cold. They followed Top. At 5 o’clock the sailor and his companions were six miles from the Chimneys. Top ran ahead, returned, and ran again.
Five minutes after the reporter and his companions reached a hollow, before which Top stopped with a loud bark. The men entered the cave. Neb was there, he was kneeling beside a body upon a bed of grass. It was the body of Cyrus Smith.
Glossary
devour – поглощать
lad – юноша
companion – товарищ
Chapter VIII
Neb did not move.
– Is he alive? – the sailor cried.
Neb did not answer. Herbert did not move. The reporter knelt down beside the motionless body, and pressed his ear to the chest of the engineer. Gideon Spilett rose up.
– He is alive! – he said.
Pencroff knelt down beside Cyrus Smith; he also detected the heartbeat. Herbert brought water. He found a brook; so the lad soaked his handkerchief in the stream. The drops of fresh water produced an instantaneous effect. Smith let out a louder breath.
– We will save him, – said the reporter.
Neb removed the clothing from his master. Neither on his head nor body was there a bruise or even a scratch. That was astonishing.
– I thought he was dead, – said Neb. – And I wanted to die near my master.
Then Neb told them everything. Neb followed along the coast to the north, until he reached that part of the beach. There he searched the shore, the rocks, and the sand for any marks. He did not hope to find his master. Then he decided to continue some miles further up the coast.
– I followed the shore two miles further, and yesterday evening, about 5 o’clock, I discovered footprints upon the sand.
– Did they begin at the water? – demanded the reporter.
– No, – answered Neb, – above high-water mark. They went towards the downs. I followed them for a quarter of an hour. Then I heard a dog. It was Top. Top brought me here, to my master.
– So you, Neb, – said the reporter, – did not bring your master to this place?
– No, it was not I, – answered Neb.
It was a real mystery. But they had to carry Cyrus Smith to the Chimneys as soon as possible and they had no time to solve the mystery.
Soon the engineer opened his eyes.
– My master! my master! – cried Neb.
The engineer heard him. He recognized Neb and his companions.
– Is it an island or a continent? – he murmured.
– What is the difference? – cried Pencroff, – you are alive! Island or continent? We will see that later.
The engineer closed his eyes. Pencroff and his companions constructed a stretcher, which they covered with leaves and grass. It was 10 o’clock when three men returned to Smith and Spilett. The engineer woke from his sleep. The color came back to his lips. He raised himself slightly.
– Well, – said the sailor, – Mr. Smith, your stretcher is ready, and we will carry you to our house.
– Thanks, my friend, – replied the engineer. – in an hour or two we will go. Did you find me on the beach?
– No, – replied the reporter.
– And it was not you who brought me to this hollow?
– No.
– How far is this place from the reef?
– Half a mile, – replied Pencroff, – and we are very surprised to find you here. Do you remember what happened after you were washed away?
Cyrus Smith remembered little. The wave swept him from the net of the balloon. Then Top sprang to him. Smith found himself in the tumultuous sea, more than half a mile from shore. He was swimming; but a strong current seized him. It carried him to the north, and soon he sank into the abyss. From that moment he remembered nothing.
– It’s strange, – said the reporter. – Did anyone rescue you from the waves?
– I don’t know.
The rain stopped. At half past 5 the little party reached the Chimneys.
Glossary:
lad – юноша
companion – товарищ
stretcher – носилки
seize – схватить, сжать
Chapter IX
The engineer was sleeping. They carried Cyrus Smith into the main corridor and made a couch of seaweeds for him.
The next day, the 28
of March, when the engineer awoke, about 8 o’clock, he saw his companions beside him. His first words were,
– Island or continent?
– Mr. Smith, – answered Pencroff, – we don’t know. But we will, when you guide us in this country.
– I think that I am able to do that now, – answered the engineer. – When you were carrying me here yesterday, did not I see a mountain in the west?
– Yes, – said Spilett, – a high mountain.
– All right, – exclaimed the engineer. – Tomorrow we will climb to its summit and determine whether this is an island or a continent.
– But, – asked Spilett, – where are we, Cyrus?
– I cannot say, – replied the engineer, – we are somewhere in the Pacific. We will know how to act when we ascend the mountain.
– But will you be able, Mr. Smith, to make the climb tomorrow? – asked Herbert.
– I hope so, – answered the engineer.
Glossary:
companion – товарищ
summit – вершина
the Pacific – Тихий океан
Chapter X
Soon Smith recovered his strength. They had a pleasant supper. The engineer said little; he was planning for the next day. After supper, the party lay down to sleep. In the morning they were fresh and ready for the expedition.
Everything was ready. At half past 7 they left the Chimneys, each had a stout cudgel. Pencroff recommended to take the route of the previous day, which was the shortest way to the mountain. They turned the southern angle, and followed the left bank of the river. They took the path under the evergreens, and soon reached the northern border of the forest. The soil was flat and swampy, then dry and sandy. Among the trees appeared a few animals. The engineer was going to the top of the mountain.
The mountain was composed of two cones. The first was truncated about 2,500 feet up, and supported by fantastic spurs. Between these spurs were narrow valleys.
On the first cone lay the second one. It was slightly rounded towards the summit. The goal of the expedition was to reach the top of this cone.
– We are in a volcanic country, – said Cyrus Smith, as they began to climb.
They were gradually going up. At 12 o’clock, the little company stopped to dine. They were still half way from the first plateau. They could hardly reach it before nightfall. From this point the sea was beneath their feet. On the left they saw directly north for several miles; but they could not see far to the northwest.
At 1 o’clock, the ascent began again. The easiest route slanted upwards towards the southwest, through the thick copse. The climbers reached a terrace, its soil was volcanic. From hence, their course was a zigzag towards the east. Neb and Herbert led the way.
They saw large animals and, as the ascension continued, the traces of lava were more frequent. As they neared the first plateau, the ascent became very difficult. By 4 o’clock they passed the last belt of trees. It was a pleasant, mild day. The sky was bright and clear.
There were only 500 feet between the explorers and the plateau where they wanted to encamp for the night. It was almost night when the party arrived at the top of the first cone.
Now they must pitch their camp, and think of supper and sleep. The sailor built up a fireplace with huge stones. Neb and Herbert brought a load of thistles. The night was beautiful and not very dark. Cyrus decided to go further and Herbert accompanied him. Sometimes the plateau was wide and easy, sometimes very encumbered with rubbish. There were yet 1,000 feet to climb.
It was nearly 8 o’clock when they reached the summit of the cone. They hardly saw around them. Was the land an island or a continent? At one point of the horizon suddenly appeared a weak light. The line of the horizon was now cloudless, and as the moon touched it, the engineer seized the boy’s hand.
– An island! – said he.
Glossary:
cudgel – дубина
summit – вершина
beneath – под
ascent – подъем
horizon – горизонт
seize – схватить, сжать
Chapter XI
Then they walked back to the camp. The country is an island, and tomorrow they will consider what to do.
The next day, March 30, after breakfast, they started out for the summit of the volcano. All desired to see the isle. It was about 7 o’clock in the morning when they left the camp.
It was a superb day, and the southern side of the mountain was sunny. The crater was a huge shaft gradually opening to a height of 1,000 feet above the plateau. They saw on the way traces of ancient lava. At 8 o’clock, they were standing at the summit of the crater.
– The sea! the sea everywhere! – was their exclamation.
Yes, water around them on every side. Around the island stretched an ocean. They were silent and motionless. Spilett asked:
– How large is this island?
– Small enough in the infinite ocean.
– My friends, – said Smith, – I think, the coast of the island is more than 100 miles around.
If Smith was right, the island was about the size of Malta. The eastern coast was a curve, it was embracing a large bay. On the northeast, two other capes shut in the bay. Between them lay a narrow gulf. From northeast to northwest the coast was round and flat. Then came a hump, whose centre was occupied by the volcanic mountain. From this point the coast ran directly north and south. For two-thirds of its length it was bordered by a narrow creek; then it finished in a long cue. The narrowest part of the island, between the Chimneys and the creek, on the west, was ten miles wide.
The southern part, from the shore to the mountain, was covered with woods. The northern part was arid and sandy. Between the volcano and the eastern coast there was a lake.
– So, it is a fresh water lake? – asked Pencroff.
– Yes, of course, – said the engineer.
– I see a little river there, – said Herbert. He pointed to a narrow brook. The volcano did not occupy the centre of the island. It rose in the northwest.
They remained at the summit of the mountain for an hour. It was the island, but was the island inhabited? They did not perceive the handiwork of man; no houses on the beach, no fisherman’s hut. No smoke.
The exploration of the island was finished. They drew a map of it, and calculated its size. They wanted now to examine the animal, vegetable, and mineral resources of the country. But before the departure, Cyrus Smith addressed his companions.
– Look, my friends, upon this little corner of the earth. Here, perhaps, we may long dwell.
– Mr. Smith, – said the sailor, – we will make a little America here. We will build cities, railroads, telegraphs. We will be not castaways, but colonists!
– One minute, my friends, – said the engineer; – let’s name the island, the capes, promontories, and water-courses.
