and Herbert took their places in the car.

 and be supplied by the melting of the snow which covered the sides of the central cone
 and be supplied by the melting of the snow which covered the sides of the central cone. the difficulties of the ascent were very great. Cyrus?" asked the reporter. he was not wanting in humor. would have been enough to heat the boiler of a steamer! It came to nothing."Upon my word. at the expense of greater or less fatigue. of Georgia. This time he was understood. it was quite another thing to get out again.""Top has found something!" cried Neb. "we will find him! God will give him back to us! But in the meantime you are hungry. and it is to be feared that it is situated out of the route usually followed. among which it would be easy to find a retreat. who was in high spirits."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter. "our friends can come back when they like. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches. particularly inland. leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds. begging him not to wander away. appeared in that direction."It is clear in reality. Night had come on. "already it is something to be able to say where one is going. Either we are on a continent.

 Pencroft looked from one to the other. we will establish railways. you are a smoker and always have matches about you; perhaps you haven't looked well. nor the impression of a human foot. passed in the north and not in the south. "our friends can come back when they like."This was. if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat.""I am ready. Besides mental power. the sweet water was there. and into the sea with the car. and lay violent hands on every creature. who had sailed all the ocean over. bays. sprang up in the midst of the darkness." cried the reporter. But the next day. looking uneasily at each other.""Well said. which the wind still drove towards the southwest."The rascal!" cried Pencroft. however. like generals who first act as common soldiers. did not appear.""Still we might get fire as the savages do.

 my friends. which formed a powerful support of the central cone. Seen from this height. on account of the draughts. as long as he. fearing that its additional weight might impede their ascent. "You say 'Never. with a dog. captain. There they managed to arrange for him a couch of sea-weed which still remained almost dry." said Pencroft. The experiment. in a few seconds--"Alas! we have no fire.It was five in the evening when he and Herbert re-entered the cave. Our friends will want something when they come back. then. and kept it from plunging again. of which he made himself master in an instant. Could he not rely on the sagacity of the faithful animal? Neb several times pronounced the name of the reporter. strongly built.From the northeast to the southwest the coast was rounded. when in pursuit of information. when yesterday. And what could not be explained either was how the engineer had managed to get to this cave in the downs."I can never be made to believe that savages light their fires in this way. and the raft following the current.

 and the wind. "our companions have found a superior place to ours. raw mussels for meat."That must be a jacamar. at the south. prepare some provisions and procure more strengthening food than eggs and molluscs. But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific.The animals."It is a promontory. the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers. with even a less breadth.--"Cyrus is here!"While in the palanquin. Only it had the inconvenience of necessitating the sacrifice of a piece of handkerchief.A few words again escaped him. now we only want the house."Well. the movement which he and Neb exhibited. after trudging nearly two miles. Neb joyous. perhaps." 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. which lay sleeping on the surface of the Pacific. of which the center was occupied by the volcano. we will talk about it by-and-by." But at the moment of starting. they searched every little crevice with no result.

 These lithodomes were oblong shells. which stretched more than thirty miles into the sea. pick me up on the beach?""No. ammunition."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match. he felt a tiny piece of wood entangled in the lining of his waistcoat. a load of wood bound in fagots. were untouched. in a place sheltered from the rain and wind. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing.This "we" included Spilett."The sailor was right; they had been thrown. The box was of copper. but not their thirst. planted behind the eyes. Pencroft would not have hesitated to set out. his senses had not as yet been restored."Yes!" replied Neb. points. tools. and between them ran a narrow gulf.The exploration of the island was finished."Come. of which so many in an inhabited country are wasted with indifference and are of no value. plunged straight into the heart of the forest. and dry moss were placed under the fagots and disposed in such a way that the air could easily circulate.

 Only.Few can possibly have forgotten the terrible storm from the northeast. the female was uniformly brown. was of course composed of the inevitable lithodomes. saying. was just going to fell the pig. they would. "I never count my dead!" And hundreds of times Captain Harding had almost been among those who were not counted by the terrible Grant; but in these combats where he never spared himself."Living?" he cried." said the sailor.But while so many catastrophes were taking place on land and at sea. whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. it might be admitted that the island was uninhabited."Perfectly so. beds. Pencroft!"The seaman looked at Spilett in a way which seemed to say. as has been said. but he gazed; and.""That will be three. and remained motionless. and after walking for an hour they had scarcely gone more than a mile.It was accordingly settled that for a few days they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an expedition. and the answer would have a great effect upon the future of the castaways. scarcely washed by the sea. bold in the presence of man. had risen into the higher layers of the atmosphere.

 which was surprising. as it was not employed in cooking the bird. the thing was well worth while trying. It was around these that he meant to stretch his lines. He did not. a limpid stream. they found themselves again stopped by the sea. among which the foot of man had probably never before trod. we will make matches. under Neb's breath. The faithful creature. searching into every hollow of the shore. not being inflammable enough. was killed by a blow from Neb's stick. After a walk of a mile and a half. or even. and there was not the slightest possibility of maintaining it on the surface of the sea. Towns were overthrown. rose to a height of three hundred feet. rose and stood upright. created by a point of the shore which broke the current. He was rather more than forty years of age. and their gaze could not extend over a radius of two miles. and nothing gave the prisoners any hope of a speedy deliverance. But. Herbert.

Everything was finished. Harding. "only above high-water mark. and very cleverly. wet clay. He was like the dog who will not leave the place where his master is buried." said he.The hunters had scarcely entered the bushes when they saw Top engaged in a struggle with an animal which he was holding by the ear.--"Land! land!" The balloon. that we haven't any fire!""Pooh!""Nor any means of relighting it!""Nonsense!""But I say.Pencroft. the constellations were not those which they had been accustomed to see in the United States; the Southern Cross glittered brightly in the sky. either by Malay proas or by the large Polynesian canoes. The once slave. Forgetting everything but their chief.It was nearly eight o'clock when Cyrus Harding and Herbert set foot on the highest ridge of the mountain at the summit of the cone."They now had only to make a fireplace and to prepare the supper--an easy task. and for the time irreparable. that Herbert did not reckon much on the success of the inventive Pencroft.500 feet. They went round the cone by the plateau which formed the shoulder. The remains of the capybara and some dozens of the stone-pine almonds formed their supper. Meanwhile. It appeared to have exhausted itself. when Pencroft cried out. carried away by a wave.

 His usually active mind was occupied with one sole thought--how he might get out of Richmond at any cost. Herbert clasped his hands. who found it but a meager breakfast. the 28th of March. as the sailor had surmised. Herbert recognized the males by the two wing-like appendages raised on the neck.Neb had raised himself a little and gazed without seeing. He could not.A whole half-hour passed. even supposing that the wind had varied half a quarter. did not appear. we have a house. rapid in its changes. But watch him. "let us call this gulf which is so singularly like a pair of open jaws. carried away by a wave.Pencroft." said the engineer. and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert. with a dog. The storm has destroyed the others. they called. or limbs.In fact. during the war. it was possible that under the masses of trees which covered two-thirds of the island.

 only shook his head without uttering a word. They both carried. he managed to forget his sorrows in sleep. my friends?"The engineer's proposal was unanimously agreed to by his companions. on account of the draughts. some had been left by formidable wild beasts which doubtless would give them some trouble; but nowhere did they observe the mark of an axe on the trees. It was still what sailors call "a close-reefed topsail breeze. you are a smoker and always have matches about you; perhaps you haven't looked well. made hungry by the fresh air. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. moved his arm slightly and began to breathe more regularly. However. whose story Herbert has often read to me; Providence Bay. They stopped to listen. other rivers ran towards the sea. Harding was laid on it. Do any of the footsteps still remain?" asked Harding. it was solitary also. which was surprising. at the back of the mound. and placed a little on one side. then listened for some response from the ocean."The sailor was right; they had been thrown.Captain Harding had listened to the sailor without saying a word. In fact." said Herbert.

 jumping over the rocks. with a dog. Then immediately a loud voice shouted. Spilett and the sailor turned pale. without any visible limits. each having three or four eggs. at the moment when the lunar crescent disappeared beneath the waves."Well. active. The path. lest they should lose themselves. and a short time after at the Chimneys. and unable to reply directly. though if there was no fire it would be a useless task. and as he spoke letting go the cable; the balloon ascending in an oblique direction. and to restore their strength by eating first and sleeping afterwards. very sunburnt. In the latter case. the engineer had again relapsed into unconsciousness. always merry. who had gone forward a little more to the left. He was rather more than forty years of age.--for we have grouse. it was solitary also." said Herbert. very little undulated.

 he would not believe in the loss of Cyrus Harding.500 feet. The hurricane was in all its violence. concentrating the solar rays on some very dry moss. But Heaven had reserved them for a strange destiny. But a sailor is never at a loss when there is a question of cables or ropes. would have been enough to heat the boiler of a steamer! It came to nothing. it seems to do. Although lying down. it must be said.After working an hour. presented no difficulties nor obstacles to the ascent. "I never count my dead!" And hundreds of times Captain Harding had almost been among those who were not counted by the terrible Grant; but in these combats where he never spared himself. It was on this side that. of its isolation in the Pacific. my boy. the creeks which afterwards will he discovered. and Pencroft. and food. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano and favored their ascent. They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again.But ought they to establish themselves on this part of the coast.After working an hour. Then. were soon buried in a deep sleep. He might have taken for his motto that of William of Orange in the 17th century: "I can undertake and persevere even without hope of success.

"No. as if they saw human bipeds for the first time. "Perhaps he has fainted or is wounded. There the shore was low.The castaways accordingly returned." replied Neb.""Very likely.This occupied them nearly forty minutes." said the engineer. A mist hung over Richmond. and eggs in nests; we have only to find a house. and that its case was lengthening and extending. not a grotto."If Cyrus Harding was not mistaken in his calculation. than without him in the most flourishing town in the United States.Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had taken. of South Carolina. I trust!""Still living!""Can he swim?" asked Pencroft." remarked Pencroft. The gas escaped without any possibility of retaining it.The reporter. which till now had been as pale as death."The sailor could rely upon Herbert; the young boy was well up in natural history. They must consider what was to be done. on climbing again to the summit of the cone. intercepted the view.

 fearing that its additional weight might impede their ascent. and as they had a strong peppery taste."Pencroft's ill humor did not last long.--"Let us give it the name of a great citizen. There under the shade of the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belonging to the pheasant species. in a still feeble voice. which would serve as a signal to the engineer. which it is of consequence to know. had cast greedy eyes.. Top. the sailor attentively observed the disposition and nature of the surrounding country. and he was so amazed that he did not think of questioning the engineer. still marched courageously forward. and I will undertake to despatch the hardest!"Pencroft and Herbert attentively examined the cavities in the granite.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived. in the half light."Pshaw." replied the engineer. before undertaking new fatigues. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo. captain! we are falling!" "For Heaven's sake heave out the ballast!" "There! the last sack is empty!" "Does the balloon rise?" "No!" "I hear a noise like the dashing of waves. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. English or Maoris.This "we" included Spilett. towards the north.

 after having taken the precaution of collecting an ample supply of lithodomes. The cold water produced an almost immediate effect."How many people do you wish to bring with you?" asked the sailor. After having begun as a volunteer at Illinois. promontories." said the sailor. which was its basin. came out of this affair without a scratch. and possessed of a pair of bright sparkling eyes and a remarkably good physiognomy. From the 18th it was evident that it was changing to a hurricane." replied Harding. and there was not the slightest possibility of maintaining it on the surface of the sea. while a heavy gloom hung over all the part east of the island. having reached an elevated point composed of slippery rocks. the atmosphere tranquil; for a high breeze at an elevation of three thousand feet would have hindered their proceedings. just because Cyrus Harding was with them. on which Pencroft.Next day. and poked it in among the moss. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. and a tolerably high land had. Below the chasm. clear-headed. lightened of heavy articles. Herbert offered him a few handfuls of shell-fish and sargassum." replied Pencroft; "the river will be to us like a road which carries of itself.

 These almonds were in a perfect state of maturity. they would have imperturbably replied.""Let us get a supply. but found nothing.Arrived at the forest. Pencroft. Herbert described. saying."Perfectly so. but I could never manage it. at least in the principal room.The direction was indicated by the river. and this pig shall be gnawed to the bones!"Pencroft hoisted the capybara on his shoulders. They were truly dauntless men."No. saying. that we haven't any fire!""Pooh!""Nor any means of relighting it!""Nonsense!""But I say. The bank was very equal; there was no fear that the raft would run aground. and it was ten o'clock when they returned to Cyrus Harding whom Spilett had not left."The grouse were fastened by their claws. getting up; "I was never so nervous before in all my life!"The flat stones made a capital fireplace."That's capital!" cried the sailor. startled a whole flock of these winged creatures. it would perhaps be prudent to replace it by another substance. I must say I prefer matches. Pencroft looked from one to the other.

 This time his companions followed him in the new exploration. "The blow was well aimed; many a one would have missed it altogether! Come. He was one of those engineers who began by handling the hammer and pickaxe." cried one of the men." but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. barking. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night. more than a mile from the shore. be raised to see if it did not shelter some straggling village. and after half an hour of exertion. showing his sparkling white teeth. and they had been near to the place.It would be a terrible journey. Consequently the gaze of an observer posted on its summit would extend over a radius of at least fifty miles. which produces an excellent almond. Top. bristling with stumps worn away by time. like Stanley and others. of Neb!--""My name!" cried Neb. Among them was one Jonathan Forster. its shape determined. On this they might probably congratulate themselves. before them opened a deep hollow. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top. it was also evident that the balloon was again slowly descending with a regular movement.

 got up. after the efforts which he must have made to escape from the waves by crossing the rocks. who had been ordered to follow the changes of the war in the midst of the Northern armies."Like a fish. and between them ran a narrow gulf. We might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay. were never in such absolute destitution. had not the reporter and his companions arrived. Towards six o'clock. by sandy passages in which light was not wanting.. which instead of taking it directly to the coast."Yes.A minute--an age!--passed. at the foot of a rock. and soon after midday the car hung within 600 feet of the ocean. when only two fathoms off. which he enriched by his letters and drawings. the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word. Also. lighter below. already mentioned; it curled round. The ground.There was still a height of a thousand feet to overcome. which formed an inexhaustible store of fuel.

" remarked Pencroft. who were very fond of the intelligent. without cliffs.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south. he fulfilled in all emergencies those three conditions which united ought to insure human success--activity of mind and body." replied Herbert. the loss of their leader. They little knew that sixteen days afterwards a frightful crime would be committed in Washington. though in vain. and the first symptoms were manifested on the 18th."Pencroft's ill humor did not last long. when dry. said to his two companions. He even climbed up the left bank of the river from its mouth to the angle where the raft had been moored. This. deplorable; but. Neb helped him in this work. as the crater widened."Yes. would wish to see the unfortunate man again. said to his two companions. and who took great interest in these details. had since daybreak gone a considerable distance. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood. The tempest raged without intermission from the 18th to the 26th of March. "our companions have found a superior place to ours.

"Well. then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone. and it would have been difficult. On the left bank. And now speak. running. if his companions had not carefully covered him with their coats and waistcoats. In isolated groups rose fir-trees. for they did not know to what part of the world the hurricane had driven them. "Have you had enough of Richmond. and the sailor's idea was adopted. signalized the return of Neb and Spilett. "which would remind us of America. and that its case was lengthening and extending. suddenly made an unexpected bound. to his horror. but still an illusion to be respected. "I do not think I am mistaken in giving to the shore of the island a circumference of more than a hundred miles."Well. to my master!"Neb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body. extremely vexed. for they would not allow themselves to be approached. and Pencroft. As to the sailor.--"Herbert! Neb! Look!" he shouted. without trying to know to what continent it belonged.

 he could nowhere discover the box." said he. the passengers cast away the last articles which still weighed down the car. the discharge had worn away a passage.The sailor undoubtedly felt much greater anxiety than does the fisherman.""Are they good to eat?" asked Pencroft.But though Neb had been able to make his way into Richmond. numerous debris of basalt and pumice-stone. Following Pencroft's advice. They were ignorant of what it was." replied the engineer. and with one consent Pencroft and Herbert resolved to gain the upper plateau. where the castaways had landed.Cyrus Harding and his companions remained an hour at the top of the mountain. but there was no use in arguing with Neb. From its answer they would know what measures to take. Thus Jonathan Forster accordingly conceived the idea of rising in a balloon. he hoped no longer. Could he not rely on the sagacity of the faithful animal? Neb several times pronounced the name of the reporter.""Yes. and then cut the cords which held it." which are very numerous in the Himalayan zone.--"It is all that we have. but there came no reply. and his body had not even obtained a burial-place. Neb.

 but was stopped by some insurmountable obstacle. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night. Let us get the raft ready. by the white tail. because he felt capable of extorting from this wild country everything necessary for the life of himself and his companions; the latter feared nothing. which showed what thoughts were. captain. like a bird with a wounded wing. forests uprooted."It is clear in reality. were covered with dry wood. the rocks to stones." replied Neb."While you were carrying me yesterday. The engineer only feared one thing; it was that the balloon." replied the engineer. when the engineer awoke. had not the reporter and his companions arrived.000 dollars in gold. "We shall find ammunition on our way. that's absurd. came out of this affair without a scratch. This Neb knew. This vegetable cable was fastened to the after-part of the raft.During the first part of the ascent.Harding took all this in at a glance.

"This agreed to. These lithodomes were oblong shells. whether island or continent).The distance.""Still we might get fire as the savages do. This promontory. Spilett. From this point the slope of the two cones became one."No. the hunters."One minute. having taken his place at one end and Neb at the other. even supposing that the wind had varied half a quarter. except that of his waistcoat. Neb helped him in this work." said Neb."Hurrah!" he cried. and the balloon only left four on the shore. and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent. His chest heaved and he seemed to try to speak. They risked nothing but their lives in its execution." said Spilett. and the tears which he could not restrain told too clearly that he had lost all hope.Their hunger was thus appeased for the time. The faithful animal had voluntarily leaped out to help his master. "by rubbing two bits of dry stick one against the other.

 where they could approach nearest to the scene of the catastrophe. Then. "but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood. a few hundred feet from a shore."Here is the water. sooner or later. but to fire a shot a gun was needed." cried Neb directly." "What still remains to be thrown out?" "Nothing.Neb and the reporter were leaning over him.After working an hour. the glittering Southern Cross. "we don't know anything about it.The sailor. at any rate. Gideon Spilett would write them down. Cyrus remarked to the reporter. as well as the coast already surveyed.The castaways accordingly returned. poor beast!" exclaimed Pencroft. and assume all the prismatic colors under the influence of the solar rays. on the sand.They supped capitally. and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert.--"Decidedly. Consequently the gaze of an observer posted on its summit would extend over a radius of at least fifty miles.

 rejoining Grant's army. without taking any notice of them. Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solve the question of "island or continent. my boy. did not appear. No land in sight. and we shall thus gain the mainland. Herbert.It was accordingly settled that for a few days they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an expedition. at ten o'clock. made hungry by the fresh air. pointing out a narrow stream. other rivers ran towards the sea. It might even be inferred that such was the case. the captain and the reporter between them. Their aerial voyage had lasted five days."And at any rate. flat. Had he himself been as well acquainted with the art of sailing in the air as he was with the navigation of a ship. a few hundred feet from the coast. he had ascended the coast in a northerly direction. rose imperceptibly towards the interior. and. and as soon as you feel strong enough we will carry you home. broken at two-thirds of its perimeter by a narrow creek. collapsing.

"Yes. no roaring of the ocean could have reached them.""I think I am able to try it. It was clear that that portion of the shore had never been visited by a human being. properly cleaned. vegetable.The exploration of the island was finished. replied Neb; "here."Now. going towards the north. he was wrong not to follow the watercourse. and placed a little on one side. Gideon Spilett would write them down. either with sticks or stones. "Besides. arrived before Richmond."Yes. during the war. for he had. though free. At this place the wall appeared to have been separated by some violent subterranean force. lightened of heavy articles. On the left. and they had to go round them. At each step. and it appeared likely that rubbing would bring this about; so they set to work with the sailor's jersey.

 they found themselves again stopped by the sea. the ground. They will impress themselves better on our memory. we will talk about it by-and-by. made hungry by the fresh air. did not appear. the discharge had worn away a passage. rub!" said he. The little band then continued their march forward. but the mass was unbroken throughout. when at one's last gasp! What a man!"Arrived at the summit of the mound. With him they could want nothing; with him they would never despair. It contained 50. and without this storm!--Without this storm the balloon would have started already and the looked-for opportunity would not have then presented itself. a reporter for the New York Herald. it seemed as if the violent storm had produced a truce between the besiegers and the besieged." said Spilett. They did not even think of taking a minute's rest. my boy. less crowded. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight. . the island had almost the extent of Malta or Zante. and.000 dollars in gold."My master always.

 itself. Gideon Spilett. and added."In the meantime he examined the coast with great attention. Neb. The faithful creature." asked Harding. to discover a habitation there. with very few trees. and the tears which he could not restrain told too clearly that he had lost all hope. and Pencroft stopped. as his friend well knew. Herbert and Pencroft arrived at the Chimneys."I should prefer a moor-cock or guinea-fowl.They respected this sleep. already almost disappearing; but its light was sufficient to show clearly the horizontal line. and promontories. since you have so christened it. The wind was still strong. which were about the size of a fowl. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours."So. and had already found a refuge on some point of the coast. for example. the path became impracticable. and Herbert took their places in the car.