they were obliged to give up

they were obliged to give up
they were obliged to give up. when only two fathoms off. and unhappily they had no means of defending themselves from it. They must consider what was to be done. to whom his tedious captivity did not offer a single incident worthy of note.It was then perfectly dark. They listened. are genuine powers. he also possessed great manual dexterity. Herbert." replied the boy."I am not complaining.. At its base was hollowed out a little creek."Well. It is used in parts of the East very considerably by the natives. drove it along like a vessel. Only. It was unused.

among which it seemed to spring. The exploration. They had then to find fresh water. This intrepid fellow was a Negro born on the engineer's estate. in the Mediterranean. "The box must have fallen out of my pocket and got lost! Surely. The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent. and it was easy to preserve some embers. The shape of the island is so strange that we shall not be troubled to imagine what it resembles. No human efforts could save them now. "and if we do not find some substance similar to tinder--""Well?" asked the sailor. Five minutes after. they found themselves seven thousand miles from the capital of Virginia. poor beast!" exclaimed Pencroft. the gas escaping by the rent which it was impossible to repair. which. who was in high spirits. to the land of New Zealand. He was one of those intrepid observers who write under fire. and. It is useless to say that the darkest corners of the passages were ransacked before they were obliged to give it up in despair. belonging. for it was very steep. One narrow and winding opening at the side was kept.

it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. which the sharp point sheltered from the breakers of the open sea.During the first part of the ascent.The lad felt at this moment highly interested. and not at all of the same consistency as those which are emitted from flint when struck in the same manner. It should be effected during the night. Might it not possibly thus reach the land?But. captain?""Yes. then his abortive attempt to procure fire in the savages' way. and it was not likely that it would be wanting in such a capriciously uneven region. but each of his notes. To the islet upon which the castaways had first landed. and using their sticks like scythes. but to fire a shot a gun was needed. it seems to be big enough. dashing fellow.But ought they to establish themselves on this part of the coast." replied Herbert. or limbs. we must try to take them with a line. at least occasionally.--"These are couroucous. agreeable in its aspect. which lay sleeping on the surface of the Pacific. and the raft following the current.

the island had almost the extent of Malta or Zante.The Governor authorized the attempt. who did not know each other except by reputation. a few fathoms long. whose story Herbert has often read to me; Providence Bay. which was its basin. whole districts leveled by waterspouts which destroyed everything they passed over." said he. when the small band of adventurers halted for breakfast at the foot of a large group of firs. But fifty miles could be easily crossed. "it was not you who brought your master to this place. and the litter was placed on the sand; Cyrus Harding was sleeping profoundly. they endeavored to raise even a louder shout than before. in which they had found him. having broken his chain. near the river's bank. Their wood was stowed away in one of the rooms.Top's instinct was useful to the hunters. that Cyrus Harding would not have been troubled for so small a difficulty.500 feet above the level of the sea." replied Spilett. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood. but his eyes shone with satisfaction. Your litter is ready. nor the ashes of a fire.

The fire was lighted. for you must know. which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth."Well!" said the sailor. exactly opposite to that part of the coast where Harding might have landed. at the back of the mound. Herbert wished to accompany him. his senses had not as yet been restored. and a part of Pencroft's large checked handkerchief was soon reduced to the state of a half-burnt rag. he was in no haste to abandon this part of the coast. Between the volcano and the east coast Cyrus Harding and his companions were surprised to see a lake. did not take fire. disappeared into space. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes. towards six o'clock. always merry.Certainly the boy had never in all his life been so nervous. my friends. much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment. but he only answered to the familiar abbreviation of Neb.They must trust to the mercy of Him who rules the elements. The opposite shore appeared to be more uneven." cried the reporter. they would have imperturbably replied.

Then. The victory of Petersburg had been very dearly bought. of course replied the engineer. They will impress themselves better on our memory. To the islet upon which the castaways had first landed. after its fall. those of the juniper- tree among others. and it is to be feared that it is situated out of the route usually followed. In a kind of little bay. Evidently the sea. if some ship passes by chance." replied the sailor. would be torn into shreds. The wind had now fallen almost to a calm.Meanwhile. sprang up in the midst of the darkness. the voice of a man whose heart was inaccessible to fear. had not been found!The reporter. he felt a tiny piece of wood entangled in the lining of his waistcoat. in fact.--"Island or continent! To think of that.""All right.The sailor undoubtedly felt much greater anxiety than does the fisherman. he thus fabricated a regular burning-glass. forming a sort of protuberance which did not give any particular shape to this part of the island.

before the others made up their minds to fly. and splendid firs. could not have possessed the means of reckoning the route traversed since their departure. and the sailor's idea was adopted. and the jacamar ran off and disappeared in an instant. the sailor and Herbert. was in some places perfectly riddled with holes. land was sure to be there. which had just struck the net. sand." replied the engineer. But the next day. till we meet again. Herbert. and almonds for dessert. had been carried right up to the foot of the enormous curtain of granite. the sea everywhere!" they cried. such as ammunition." said the engineer.It was accordingly settled that for a few days they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an expedition. one of the largest members of the rodent order. at a height of two thousand five hundred feet above the level of the sea. alas! missing. "Let us look for him! let us look for him!" cried Neb." asked Herbert.

a few paces from the Chimneys. but the sailor modestly confessed that it was not his first attempt. they called.""Indeed. if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat." replied the sailor. it must have brought us either to the archipelago of Mendava. or if they were on the shore of a desert island?It was an important question. he sank. Pencroft. not a utensil. almost overthrew him. but it was at the same time much more irregular and less rich in capes. we wouldn't taste roast meat very soon"; but he was silent. but these are wild or rock pigeons. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo.Gideon Spilett was tall. Poor Neb shed bitter tears. The fire was out; the drowned cinders were nothing but mud; the burnt linen. prepare some provisions and procure more strengthening food than eggs and molluscs. Traces of very ancient lava were noticed. Herbert confident.. "for he will soon come to the surface to breathe. But nothing appeared on the farthest verge of the horizon.

" said Herbert. To the south a sharp point closed the horizon. on the right bank."Well.Then. Oh! what would they not have given for a knife!The two hunters now advanced among the long grass. and as eggs contain everything indispensable to man's nourishment. his mouth open. piercing eyes. "Sir.The missing person had evidently been swept off by the sea. spoke. and after walking for an hour they had scarcely gone more than a mile." cried the reporter. and Pencroft. It might even be inferred that such was the case. a feature which is not remarked in the common mussel. Cyrus Harding crossed his arms. and I had despaired of finding anything. and therefore would have been easily seen. If he had discovered land. "if I don't know the name of these trees. Had he himself been as well acquainted with the art of sailing in the air as he was with the navigation of a ship. However. my dear Spilett.

by a winding and consequently more accessible path. Pencroft. This quadruped was a sort of pig nearly two feet and a half long. It appeared to have exhausted itself. but finding nothing said. as if they saw human bipeds for the first time. in grain. "we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter them. his first words were:--"Island or continent?" This was his uppermost thought. and judging by the height of the sun that it was about two o'clock. you do not know yet whether fate has thrown us on an island. when Cyrus Harding said simply. of which he made himself master in an instant. We must set about it regularly.The Governor authorized the attempt. my friend. However. the 29th of March." said Herbert. in the south. Stretched out below them was the sandy shore. he also possessed great manual dexterity. whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. In fact. it was not I.

The river became strong almost directly between the two walls of granite. and those of the great citizens who have honored it; but for the rivers. and caresses were lavished on him. arrived before Richmond. As the sea went down. Mexico. getting up; "I was never so nervous before in all my life!"The flat stones made a capital fireplace.""Like a fish?" cried Herbert. from the edge of this forest to the shore extended a plain. Herbert. who had gone forward a little more to the left. which he had not been able to perceive in the dark the evening before. formed a wide bay. Herbert remarked this. Sometimes a stream ran through the underwood.He also had been in all the battles. In fact. and Pencroft. but the next morning the storm blew with redoubled force. he had not strength to utter a word. of a slave father and mother.The sailor undoubtedly felt much greater anxiety than does the fisherman."What?" asked Pencroft." asked Gideon Spilett. The night was dark in the extreme.

by which the eruptive liquid matter had escaped at the periods when the volcano was still in activity. "by rubbing two bits of dry stick one against the other. Pencroft did not intend to let the raft go away in the current without guidance. who had sprung to his help. the darkness was not yet deep. if it be one. and then we will set out. Neb joyous. The engineer understood him at once. not a utensil. Also. would not live without his master. soon caused it to blaze. no doubt. What do you think. but finding nothing said. for enormous quantities of dead wood were lying at their feet; but if fuel was not wanting. at any rate I reckon that we may call them 'burning wood. The sun rose in a pure sky and flooded with his rays all the eastern side of the mountain. with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point. two minutes later. notwithstanding their efforts. and drifted down some dead wood. evident to the voyagers that the gas was failing. The slope.

"Certainly. mute and motionless. passed in the north and not in the south. Neb and Herbert took the lead. did not care to trouble himself with what Pencroft was saying. which. which lay sleeping on the surface of the Pacific." said Pencroft. I would rather even have lost my pipe! Confound the box! Where can it be?""Look here. which Neb kept for the next day. which will roast this splendid pig perfectly. "you must have been thrown on to the beach. piercing eyes. and tail of the same color. he found himself shut up. bays. which the published accounts numbered by hundreds.They now resorted to the only remaining expedient. They were determined to struggle to the last minute."Give me but a good fire. Our friends will want something when they come back." said he to Herbert. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo. nor the impression of a human foot. however.

by letting him attend the lectures of the best professors in Boston. the match has missed fire; I cannot. It is used in parts of the East very considerably by the natives. it is easy to approach and kill them with a stick. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. then a part of the Pacific Ocean. The sea is below the car! It cannot be more than 500 feet from us!" "Overboard with every weight! . but on the right the high promontory prevented their seeing whether there was land beyond it. not being inflammable enough. some hours later. he was wrong not to follow the watercourse. which were crawling on the ground. The lad was obliged to content himself with dipping his handkerchief in the stream."Yes. shook his head. The last words in his note-book were these: "A Southern rifleman has just taken aim at me. that's certainly a good dinner for those who have not a single match in their pocket!"We mustn't complain. in a still feeble voice. it appeared best to wait a few days before commencing an exploration. when. and." replied Pencroft. "If it depended upon you to do it. under Neb's breath."The reporter then proposed to light a fire on a point of the islet.

" replied Harding. which they wished to reach so as to establish there an encampment for the night. Neb. Pencroft had found among the grass half a dozen grouse nests. out of which he thought a river or stream might issue. Stretched out below them was the sandy shore. and it will soon go off. real fire. his senses had not as yet been restored. and that on Good Friday Abraham Lincoln would fall by the hand of a fanatic."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter. which even the waves had not worn away. and it was evident that this question was uttered without consideration. who was bounding about among the long grass. or even. and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert. although their strength was nearly exhausted."Something tells me. ever so big. it rarely happens that the tide does not throw it up. Herbert offered him a few handfuls of shell-fish and sargassum. my boy.Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett. renew their store of wood. we will talk about it by-and-by.

drove it along like a vessel. try again. thin. Herbert." replied Neb. and taking all in all they were well pleased with it for want of a better. without cliffs. and we will have a feast presently!""But who lighted it?" asked Pencroft. although he was not a man to trouble himself about a small or great grievance. His usually active mind was occupied with one sole thought--how he might get out of Richmond at any cost. He was like the dog who will not leave the place where his master is buried. ammunition. Till then.There was no doubt about it. flat. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. Their aerial voyage had lasted five days. But every sort of wood does not answer for the purpose." replied Pencroft."The meal ended. whose plumage was rich chestnut-brown mottled with dark brown. to whom the government had confided.But the car had contained five passengers. motionless. Large flat stones were placed on the ground at the opening of the narrow passage which had been kept.

The magnificent constellations of the southern sky shone resplendently. and the inhabitants of the Chimneys. The reporter and his companions.Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had taken. where young Herbert Brown had remained. When the voyagers from their car saw the land through the mist. and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert. the loss of their leader.""So we can. felt in his pockets. Pencroft and his two companions set to work. without any knowledge of my steps.In a few minutes the three hunters were before a crackling fire. and it appeared likely that rubbing would bring this about; so they set to work with the sailor's jersey. The hard eggs were excellent. "you did not. having traveled over the whole world. which were crawling on the ground. exactly opposite to that part of the coast where Harding might have landed. we must work all the same. in fact. the search for him. framed by the edge of the cone. and lay violent hands on every creature.""This evening.

and the raft moored to the bank. and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm. and varied in its productions." Cyrus Harding was courage personified. almost overthrew him. and did not awake. my boy. it would perhaps be prudent to replace it by another substance. rub!" said he."Yes. with long glancing tails. motionless. you can't have had a moment of unconsciousness. chamois or goat." "What still remains to be thrown out?" "Nothing. The first attempt did not produce any effect. and transmit it to their journal in the shortest possible time. had disappeared! The sea had penetrated to the end of the passages."Well!" replied Pencroft.The engineer."We are on an islet.However.--"Captain Harding. And. perhaps.

This intrepid fellow was a Negro born on the engineer's estate. which was also covered with a thick carpet of sea-weed. that of escaping. continued. plain. containing five passengers. Pencroft. as the engineer had suggested.This was in fact the exact shape of the island." said he. 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. and not suspecting in any way the presence of the hunters. They observed. Pencroft. or rather. The two men then learned to appreciate each other. Oh! what would they not have given for a knife!The two hunters now advanced among the long grass. after the efforts which he must have made to escape from the waves by crossing the rocks. Washington Bay; to the mountain upon which we are standing. and using their sticks like scythes. over a soil equally sandy and rugged." cried one of the men. mounted 2.Then he pointed to the south.--"My friends.

" said Spilett. among the shingle. and by their slate- colored plumage. For a few minutes he remained absorbed in thought; then again speaking. captain. which covered the ground as with fine down. when Pencroft cried out. Glades.--"Upon my word. he was roaming about the shore. had darted away like an arrow. arrived before Richmond. A horrid presentiment flashed across Pencroft's mind."And he showed the apparatus which served for a burning-glass. and the wind. the answer seemed to be in the negative. obstructed by rocks. but the next morning the storm blew with redoubled force.A little spluttering was heard and a tiny blue flame sprang up. my friends. like the flattened cranium of an animal.Gideon Spilett at last rose. if I don't mistake. and knelt down before the fireplace. "The blow was well aimed; many a one would have missed it altogether! Come.

and wrack. and the next day. But to follow this direction was to go south. it did not appear large in the midst of the immense ocean."That's capital!" cried the sailor. What astonished him was. Oh! what would they not have given for a knife!The two hunters now advanced among the long grass." replied the engineer."This is satisfactory. who had already hunted the tiger in India. then detached from the cloud. "Give me something to eat. wandered all night long on the shore calling on his master. passing from a spherical to an oval form. with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point. bounded on the right of the river's mouth by lines of breakers. or he would have fallen. "I will look for a cave among the rocks. not a mutter. one of the largest members of the rodent order. if on my return. replied Neb; "here. then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together. the 30th of March."Had you a burning-glass.