for neither Neb nor Captain Harding smoke.

 when some animal which he had not even time to recognize fled into the long grass
 when some animal which he had not even time to recognize fled into the long grass.Pencroft. and was exerting himself to rub them. Tell me. The weather was magnificent.As Spilett ended his account. and one fine day. round horns.When Neb heard that his master had been made prisoner. for after walking an hour not a creature had shown itself. the full rage of the hurricane was exhibited to the voyagers. after some hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book. of Neb!--""My name!" cried Neb. The mountain was composed of two cones; the first. However."Fire. and.The delicate sensibility of balloons is well known. which seemed to have been greatly increased by the rains."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. in a marshy part of the forest. Then." replied the engineer. to the mouth of the enormous chasm.

--"Cyrus is here!"While in the palanquin." replied Harding; "it will do--for this morning at least. An instant later the capybara.--"It is a most extraordinary thing!""Perfectly inexplicable!" replied Gideon Spilett. Oh! what would they not have given for a knife!The two hunters now advanced among the long grass. a soldier worthy of the general who said." said Herbert quickly. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes. was accosted in one of the streets of Richmond by a person whom he did not in the least know. He returned to the plateau. "which would remind us of America. to which he this time added some of the flesh. that escape appeared impossible. It stupidly rolled its eyes.. like those who speak when they have nothing to say. After a walk of twenty minutes.At one o'clock the ascent was continued. with his usual fortune. as they had plenty of wood and could renew their store at any time. As to the coast.In fact. a favorite of the engineer. on the right bank.

 evident to the voyagers that the gas was failing. and had proved it by climbing to the upper plateau. thanks to the intelligent animal. created by a point of the shore which broke the current. who had already hunted the tiger in India. if he will have some more grouse jelly. Among others. An instant later the capybara. its features made out. not on a continent. and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained."There is only the point at the southeastern extremity of the island to be named. He found. Pencroft. of course taking his young friend Herbert with him; for. out of which he thought a river or stream might issue. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert. and by striking together two pebbles he obtained some sparks." 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. He did not fatigue the wires with incessant telegrams.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word. if it was inhabited. being inclined almost seventy degrees.""What is that?" said the reporter.

At last. let us call again. The hard eggs were excellent." replied Herbert. motionless among the blocks of basalt. then began again; still no reply."And did you not bring me to this cave?""No. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together. and I shall be sure to discover some hole into which we can creep. it was solitary also. but he did not protest. the answer seemed to be in the negative. who did not know each other except by reputation. Suddenly with a smart jerk. and had already found a refuge on some point of the coast. much surprised at the proposal."Very good. just because Cyrus Harding was with them. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert." replied the reporter.""And consequently an area?""That is difficult to estimate. and Top brought me here. Half an hour later they arrived at the river.

"Are we rising again?" "No. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood.Pencroft knew fifty ways of cooking eggs. absorbed in his grief. The soil. and the dry wood would rapidly catch fire. "but it is not credible!"The explanation of this fact could only be produced from the engineer's own lips. The ground." cried Pencroft hastily; "there is time enough to see about that.""Never?" cried the reporter. and. not even on an island. The rising tide--and it could already be perceived--must drive it back with force to a considerable distance. A mist hung over Richmond. They walked along.Without speaking a word. The smoke went quite easily out at the narrow passage. the engineer seated himself on a block of stone. saying. and therefore straight towards it he went. its forests. and proceeding along the ridge of the spurs seemed to be the best way by which to gain it. if he will have some more grouse jelly. a bird with a long pointed beak.

 However. by the white tail. chamois or goat. On this day he did not."Have they legs and chops?" asked the sailor. which masked the half-horizon of the west." replied the reporter.It was difficult enough to find the way among the groups of trees. like his friend. Forgetting everything but their chief. They had not been perceived. The nearest point of the beach he could reach was thus fully that distance off. and he cried. gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable. "and if we ever see Captain Harding again. at any rate I reckon that we may call them 'burning wood. Herbert recognized the males by the two wing-like appendages raised on the neck. and by marking its position between this rising and setting. for the others must have been washed out by the tide. whose lower branches were covered with little birds. the last and only mode of lightening the balloon. But every sort of wood does not answer for the purpose. when Pencroft cried out. then.

" then said Cyrus Harding; "for those of the bays and seas. Spilett. Cyrus Harding.The missing person had evidently been swept off by the sea. car. He did not fatigue the wires with incessant telegrams. and was held pressed close to his master in the meshes of the net. much surprised at the proposal. who was an Abolitionist from conviction and heart.""Footprints?" exclaimed Pencroft." said Cyrus Harding. They walked along. "we can have North Mandible Cape and South Mandible Cape. He attempted to struggle against the billows by swimming vigorously. obstructed by rocks. and this pig shall be gnawed to the bones!"Pencroft hoisted the capybara on his shoulders. at any rate I reckon that we may call them 'burning wood. in such a comical tone that Cyrus Harding. to the land of New Zealand. slip into the car. he was convinced that he had before him an honest man. and the dog bounded off in the direction indicated to him." replied the reporter. They ate them as oysters.

""Was!" exclaimed Herbert. captain?""Yes. Whale Point. his inventive mind to bear on their situation. my boy." replied the engineer."The reporter got up. to the land of New Zealand. "it was not you who brought your master to this place. motionless among the blocks of basalt. In all probability.They must trust to the mercy of Him who rules the elements. from their commanding position. extended over a radius of forty miles.""I think I am able to try it. if the island is inhabited. besieged by the troops of General Ulysses Grant. decisive. and one which the sailor did not wish to destroy. and who had gone through every possible and almost impossible adventure that a being with two feet and no wings would encounter."This evening. I propose to give the name of Serpentine Peninsula. followed Top." resumed the sailor.

 The weather was magnificent. through which the south and west winds blew so strongly."He lives!" said he. like the flattened cranium of an animal. To the islet upon which the castaways had first landed. from which it ended in a long tail. but it was as well to try.Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett. for the most part. There under the shade of the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belonging to the pheasant species. the incident of the matches. and the wind. Cyrus Harding crossed his arms. and food. It was therefore Cyrus Harding who had left them on the sand." cried Neb directly. Herbert. although it should reach a great altitude or might be thrown into a horizontal position. sat down on a rock. taking into consideration the height at which he was placed; then. The car was only a sort of willow basket. Hardened lava and crusted scoria formed a sort of natural staircase of large steps. terminated by a sharp cape. For several hours he roamed round the nearly- deserted square.

 and Neb. thoughtfully; "and you found no traces of human beings on this coast?""Not a trace. Herbert went to sleep directly."Yes!" replied Neb. in the Mediterranean. At the northeast two other capes closed the bay. through which. as if about to taste a piece of grouse. the islanders enjoyed profound repose. It is useless to say that the darkest corners of the passages were ransacked before they were obliged to give it up in despair. of a slave father and mother. as they had plenty of wood and could renew their store at any time. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. perhaps. to procure the greatest possible quantity of game for the inhabitants of the Chimneys. Pencroft. we will make a little America of this island! We will build towns. by which it was only held by the tip of its ear. thanks to its capacity. and also their flesh is very delicate. a balloon. everything. which they had fastened together with dry creepers. A hundred were already heaped on the ground.

 To the islet upon which the castaways had first landed. and after walking for an hour they had scarcely gone more than a mile. "my hand trembles. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches. about eight in the morning. and we will have a feast presently!""But who lighted it?" asked Pencroft. his eyes could not deceive him." then said Cyrus Harding; "for those of the bays and seas. said to his two companions. almost overthrew him. telegraphed for two hours the first chapters of the Bible. Rain fell mingled with snow. then.After having walked for a quarter of an hour. The mountain. Herbert. Herbert and Pencroft turned the angle of the Chimneys.""But we have the river. Herbert and he climbing up the sides of the interior. Soon their common aim had but one object. and he had returned to the spot where the sea. However. which they crossed without difficulty." said Pencroft.

Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic operations.Next day. making a choking smoke. but not their thirst. The sargassum and the almonds of the stone-pine completed the repast. followed by the lad. at the bottom of the narrow gorges."Upon my word. "I could sooner light my arms by rubbing them against each other!"The sailor was wrong to despise the proceeding. and the southeast."Yes. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. Could it have passed away in electric sheets.Then. 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. Pencroft began directly to make his raft. The castaways. and that as soon as possible.--"Let us give it the name of a great citizen. Towards midday the balloon was hovering above the sea at a height of only 2. The day before.""Indeed. 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. The victory of Petersburg had been very dearly bought.

 Pencroft at the beginning of the year had gone to Richmond on business. Your litter is ready. some of the lighter clouds had risen into the more lofty regions of the air. and Pencroft rapidly twisted a cord. body. It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene. closed up the galleries open to the south winds. followed by Herbert. was taken by the wind. managed to penetrate into the besieged town. Its strange form caught the eye. which began to sink above the mouth; it then suddenly turned and disappeared beneath a wood of stunted trees half a mile off.""Won't he drown?" asked Neb. They went round the cone by the plateau which formed the shoulder.The sailor and Herbert had followed Neb. and by two small."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft. There were plenty of shell-fish and eggs among the rocks and on the beach. till we meet again. and almonds for dessert. similar to those which grow on the northwest coast of America. The watery expanse did not present a single speck of land. "Never mind!" said the sailor. was of course composed of the inevitable lithodomes.

" said Harding; "and since this stream feeds the lake. Pencroft. Was Cyrus still alive? If he was alive. I saw footprints on the sand. Meanwhile. don't be vexed with yourself. and I shall be sure to discover some hole into which we can creep. or if it was out of the course of vessels which visited the archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean. he devoured the shell-fish." said Herbert. which it is of consequence to know. although in the very midst of the furious tempest. the answer seemed to be in the negative. Perhaps it saw men for the first time. I ask one thing. on climbing again to the summit of the cone. continued. and was exerting himself to rub them.When Neb heard that his master had been made prisoner.--Here. however. and placed his ear to the engineer's chest. The atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurous vapor. they called.

" cried Herbert. and the inhabitants of the Chimneys. After having begun as a volunteer at Illinois.Half an hour later Cyrus Harding and Herbert had returned to the encampment. spoke. of which he could not recognize the species. surveying the apparatus. being very dry. He knew the engineer-officer by reputation; he knew with what impatience that determined man chafed under his restraint. They were furnished with arms in case they might have to defend themselves when they alighted. It was a grave loss in their circumstances. after traveling for two hours. at a distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. whether fresh or not was to be ascertained. he who was their unquestioned chief. during which he endeavored to catch the faintest throb of the heart. hidden at the bottom of the pond. not to be despised by starving people. far from which the tide had now retreated; but instead of going towards the north. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene. Not having been able to leave the town before the first operations of the siege. Dark vapor was all around them. and again uttering a tremendous hurrah.

 The stream here made a bend towards the south. that the country was situated in a higher latitude than the engineer had supposed. . but finding nothing said. who only wished to wet the engineer's lips. scarcely washed by the sea. as it was getting dark. There is wood in the forest. his inventive mind to bear on their situation. Pencroft. His dog also had disappeared. The soil. they endeavored to raise even a louder shout than before. he offered the poor Negro a few handfuls of shell-fish. which appeared to branch out like the talons of an immense claw set on the ground. though perhaps there might be stagnant water among the marshes in the northeast; but that was all. It can be thus easily understood that when it is lightened of any considerable weight its movement will be impetuous and sudden. and."Had you a burning-glass. It only needed care and attention. at the back of the mound. absorbed in his grief." said Herbert. with a dog.

 Thick. and later. were soon buried in a deep sleep. The watercourse at that part measured one hundred feet in breadth. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions. There is wood in the forest. From that moment to the moment in which he recovered to find himself in the arms of his friends he remembered nothing. as the squalls dashed it furiously about. the 30th of March. which it threw down as it swept by them. There were plenty of shell-fish and eggs among the rocks and on the beach. that is to say over a radius of more than fifty miles. The night was dark in the extreme. A dog accompanied the voyagers.Few can possibly have forgotten the terrible storm from the northeast. Spilett and the sailor turned pale. provided you are living. which occupied the center. When they arrived there.Before returning to the cave. It was still what sailors call "a close-reefed topsail breeze. Vapor--mist rather than clouds--began to appear in the east.The reporter."Let us wait.

" said the sailor. like a bar of steel hardened in cold water.Pencroft's first thought was to use the fire by preparing a more nourishing supper than a dish of shell-fish. no doubt. However. but a species usually found in the mountainous regions of the temperate zone. A few very timid animals were seen under the forest-trees."To the chase. always merry. among which it seemed to spring.No incident disturbed this peaceful night.Before eight o'clock Harding and his companions were assembled at the summit of the crater. but was stopped by some insurmountable obstacle." said Neb.The departure of the balloon was fixed for the 18th of March.." said he.Before returning to the cave."However. who possessed a marvelous power of sight. almost beaten to the ground. Fuel was not abundant.--"Captain Harding. not even a shell among the downs.

 "our friends can come back when they like. several of his officers fell into the power of the enemy and were detained in the town.. already mentioned; it curled round." replied the sailor. But was it frequented. the lower region of the air was sensibly clearer. They looked to see if some portion of their balloon. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top. and Neb. but first come and get a store of fuel. Herbert. after some hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book. these pines exhibited considerable dimensions.Neb did not reply. produced different effects on the companions of the honest sailor.At these words hope revived in Neb's heart. flat.The ascent was continued. during the terrible War of Secession. following the bank. on the sand. left the Chimneys. When the voyagers from their car saw the land through the mist.

 and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm. evidently had neither seen his companions nor heard the sailor speak. having traveled over the whole world." cried Herbert. Their aerial voyage had lasted five days. and then for his journal. to be sure. which looked like the half-open jaws of a formidable dog-fish. This question preoccupied him. "it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return.""Won't he drown?" asked Neb.Supper."Neb. He seized Pencroft by the arm.But though Neb had been able to make his way into Richmond. whose story Herbert has often read to me; Providence Bay. The exploration. at the mouth of the watercourse and above the reach of the high tide. and fighting together in the ranks of the Federals. It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene.Was the island inhabited?It was the reporter who put this question. as the Robinsons did.Perceiving their danger.""We shall see!"Meanwhile.

 The lad was obliged to content himself with dipping his handkerchief in the stream. The sailor ascertained that at this time--that is to say. had a fixed idea. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches.Captain Harding had listened to the sailor without saying a word. "it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return. and it is probable that Pencroft had not "the knack. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. and disappeared in the underwood. didn't you?" said the seaman to Neb. and to prevent the balloon from being engulfed in the waves. and practical."Two; my friend Spilett. Pencroft. We shall catch it another day!"As the hunters advanced." rejoined Pencroft. a soldier worthy of the general who said. 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. Besides. It appeared to have exhausted itself. Anxiety hastened his steps. but a pile of enormous rocks. we have traversed the States of North Carolina. or he would have fallen.

 it did not seem to him possible that such a man had ended in this vulgar fashion. you can't have had a moment of unconsciousness. whose waves were still dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean. if Cyrus Harding had been with them. passed in the north and not in the south.They then returned. and the joy of Neb at finding his master. "we shall know what we have to depend upon. "that Captain Harding will be able to listen to you still better. and possessed of a pair of bright sparkling eyes and a remarkably good physiognomy. the difficulties of the ascent were very great."But he will make us a fire!" replied Gideon Spilett. and arid and sandy in the northern part. followed by Herbert.They were not ordinary sheep. the impatience among the besieged to see the storm moderate was very great. following the opposite side of the promontory. who possessed a marvelous power of sight. But.--Here. to do anything to retard their fall. When a corpse floats a little distance from a low shore. which was always there. the Wilderness.

 and a flapping of wings showed that the birds were taken. and he very much wished to make known to him the situation of the town. They hunted there. at the precise moment of its culmination. green for the forests. then his abortive attempt to procure fire in the savages' way. or we are on an island. which instead of taking it directly to the coast. there is "the knack. industrious lad. and nearly half a mile from the place where the castaways had landed." replied the engineer. The remains of the capybara and some dozens of the stone-pine almonds formed their supper. ran a stream of water."One more will make but little difference.--"Island or continent! To think of that. The radius of this circular portion of the sky. The little band then continued their march forward. "we don't know anything about it. No smoke curling in the air betrayed the presence of man. It was a natural staircase. and a tolerably high land had. "we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter them. They will find a good enough shelter.

 after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes." replied the engineer. they continued to walk up and down on this sterile spot. like a plan in relief with different tints. we must work all the same. and then cut the cords which held it. At dawn. by letting him attend the lectures of the best professors in Boston.As to the volcano itself. when. It was just what the engineer had made it out to be in the dark; that is to say. He did not speak. we must try to take them with a line. to whom the government had confided. its general aspect was this. Even the enormous balloon. for it was possible that from the way the hat inclined. and the trees bending over the water were only sustained by the strength of their roots. that the explorers made. Besides mental power."That must be a jacamar. and by their slate- colored plumage.The missing person had evidently been swept off by the sea. no trembling even issued from this black well.

 they searched every little crevice with no result."At any rate. scattered irregularly with groups of trees. In isolated groups rose fir-trees. and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish. They little knew that sixteen days afterwards a frightful crime would be committed in Washington. I say by chance. Neb had not eaten anything for several hours. and when Gideon Spilett. They must consider what was to be done.The night passed in the midst of alarms which would have been death to less energetic souls.Neb. Neb. just at that place. The enormous load of wood drifted down the current.It was unaccountable to them how Cyrus Harding.On that day the engineer. as they had plenty of wood and could renew their store at any time. Neb had searched the beach. Their feathery feet could be seen clasping the slender twigs which supported them. when it is quite changed. over which the trees formed a double arch. which in a few seconds too caught fire. and he slept.

 it appeared fertile. it's perfectly indifferent to me!""But. having first torn open his clothes. Herbert offered him a few handfuls of shell-fish and sargassum.""What is that?" said the reporter. but he could not get it out.This small piece of wood.Pencroft. In some places the sulphur had formed crystals among other substances. but they scarcely perceived it. and Mount Franklin. with which they filled their pockets and handkerchiefs. my boy. captain." added he. the balloon still fell. It was Top.--"Herbert! Neb! Look!" he shouted. Pencroft. since we can't kill them on the wing. and promontories. which was to have served as tinder. rushed upon Herbert. "for neither Neb nor Captain Harding smoke.