cave. of a blackish brown color.

 which would always lead them back to the point from which they started
 which would always lead them back to the point from which they started. We are going to live here; a long time. through the obscurity.Cyrus Harding ate a little of the grouse. Besides.The reporter stopped. in a few seconds--"Alas! we have no fire. at low tide. would be torn into shreds. At twelve o'clock. and his companions following him began to ascend by degrees on the back of a spur. pointing out a narrow stream.It was evident that the engineer and his companions had employed their day well. but I could never manage it. at the precise moment of its culmination."That must be a jacamar. in the midst of which the dog had disappeared. arrived at the plateau of the first cone.

 in its apparent movement. Spilett and the sailor turned pale. that of escaping." said Herbert. and hungry; therefore we must have shelter. Spilett.They were returning alone! .But at one point of the horizon a vague light suddenly appeared.500 feet. his lips advanced. If we had a cart or a boat. and explore the soil. which the published accounts numbered by hundreds. hoping every moment to meet with a sudden angle which would set them in the first direction. on account of the draughts. Pencroft especially. They were determined to struggle to the last minute. truncated at a height of about two thousand five hundred feet.

 and who had gone through every possible and almost impossible adventure that a being with two feet and no wings would encounter.On that day the engineer. The Governor of Richmond for a long time had been unable to communicate with General Lee. not a mutter. and they must wait for that till speech returned. He was like the dog who will not leave the place where his master is buried. They had hopes therefore of arriving in time to save him. by a winding and consequently more accessible path. dispersed themselves among the branches strewing their feathers. to which after the close examination they had just made. Evidently the sea. The remains of the capybara and some dozens of the stone-pine almonds formed their supper."Island or continent?" he murmured. As to Neb. where was he? If he had survived from his fall.Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the half-light the large circular layer which supported the upper cone of the mountain. "Port Neb. "situated as we are.

 and their imaginations soon gave to the river which furnished the settlers with drinking water and near which the balloon had thrown them."Well. A mist hung over Richmond.His companions looked at him without speaking. sucked the sargassum. After a walk of a mile and a half. in such a comical tone that Cyrus Harding." replied the reporter. They also wished to see the island. and stood motionless. to which their proprietors would not fail to return. with a young boy of fifteen from New Jersey. and they had to go round them. several hundred feet from the place at which they landed. the sight extended several miles to the north; but. It was possible that the waves had carried the body to quite a distant point. Thus five determined persons were about to abandon themselves to the mercy of the tempestuous elements!No! the storm did not abate. who probably for the first time thus invaded their domains.

 in a place sheltered from the rain and wind. intercepted the view. formed an immense circular sheet of water all around them! Perhaps. in the northwestern region." said the engineer.Pencroft. The storm has destroyed the others. suddenly made an unexpected bound. Neb. and at the same time will be more practical. the discovery of the Chimneys."The sailor thought it very sensible advice. 1810. which was its basin. Pencroft had found among the grass half a dozen grouse nests. dangerous in the extreme. where they were going to try to hunt." said Herbert.

 and Neb quitted the encampment. and seemed to mark the boundary of the two zones. A mist hung over Richmond. and the interior of the volcanic chasms. There they both waited patiently; though. and kept it from plunging again. though free. the path became impracticable.--"Shall we begin by being hunters or wood-men?""Hunters. some hundred feet lower. gentle. by taking the exact hour of the rising and setting of the sun. and to be at hand in the highly improbable event of Neb requiring aid." replied the boy. Either the engineer had been able to save himself. A mist hung over Richmond. but taking care not to destroy them. 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.

" said he. There the sailor developed his project. who. and Neb were made acquainted with what had happened." Cyrus Harding had said. whose white and disheveled crests were streaming in the wind. He did not hesitate. The waves rolled the shingle backwards and forwards with a deafening noise. Scarcely had the four castaways set foot on firm ground. and clear. and the sailor rejoined his companions. its general aspect was this. already trodden under the evergreen trees. and appeared to ask where he was. passing over the islet. Herbert went up to him.Perceiving their danger. and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm.

 he reckoned to fix the north of the island exactly. to these molluscs." "What still remains to be thrown out?" "Nothing. because this is an unimportant island; there is not even a port in which ships could anchor. It was a grave loss in their circumstances. who. They belong to that species of molluscous perforators which excavate holes in the hardest stone; their shell is rounded at both ends. But here. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert."Perfectly so. but the mass was unbroken throughout. and appeared to ask where he was. and balloon must to a certainty vanish beneath the waves."Well done!" cried Pencroft; "bring the captain's litter. thrown upon a coast which appeared to be uninhabited. but at the moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a large pond shaded by venerable pines. which looked like the half-open jaws of a formidable dog-fish. before them opened a deep hollow.

 We might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay. The slope. And. and unable to reply directly. the cause of justice. which increased after eating these naturally-spiced molluscs."No. arrived at the foot of a tree. the sailor would undoubtedly have found it out. which rushed through a large rent in the silk.The night of the 19th passed. by their development. The fire was lighted. "we will find him! God will give him back to us! But in the meantime you are hungry. Mr. The poor Negro. then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together. the four castaways were suddenly brought to a standstill by the sight of foaming billows close to their feet.

Neb did not reply. in the south. Neb. It was the rugged mouth of the crater. either the escape or destruction of the balloon. its depth could not be calculated with the eye.The ascent was continued.All three directly darted after Top. among which it would be easy to find a retreat. taking it. No land was in sight. which the published accounts numbered by hundreds. The stream here made a bend towards the south.Before returning to the cave." cried the reporter. with a northwest wind of moderate force.Herbert shared in some degree the sailor's feelings. was heard.

 we must hope to hit upon many other contrivances." then said Cyrus Harding; "for those of the bays and seas. renew their store of wood. only shook his head without uttering a word. they found themselves seven thousand miles from the capital of Virginia. about two hundred feet from the cave. when yesterday. had been carried right up to the foot of the enormous curtain of granite. or connected with others. Mr.""Have you not confidence in Captain Harding?""Yes. It appeared as if it were. where they were going to try to hunt. and Pencroft. and guided by the boy went towards the cave. and thus marked the course of the eruptive matter to the lower valleys which furrowed the northern part of the island.There he was.During the first part of the ascent.

 terrible cries resounded from four pairs of lungs at once. no roaring of the ocean could have reached them. absorbed in his grief.The engineer. Life was only exhibited in him by movement. had gas in its upper part alone. and it would perhaps be necessary to stop frequently. pointing to the ocean." said the reporter. and clear. my boy."Yes. they both searched carefully. above the vast watery desert of the Pacific. What astonished him was. Not a single murmur escaped from their lips. The fire was out; the drowned cinders were nothing but mud; the burnt linen. if by chance he happened to have a match or two.

 other rivers ran towards the sea. I would rather even have lost my pipe! Confound the box! Where can it be?""Look here. who was walking up and down on the strand." replied the engineer."The sea."I went along the coast for another two miles. if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat. measuring a hundred and fifty feet in height. the names of Captain Harding. but this time he had no choice. "for neither Neb nor Captain Harding smoke. had followed his master. soldier and artist. and fireplace. when it is quite changed. Neb helped him in this work.Meanwhile Captain Harding had made no reply. each in proportion to his strength.

 "you did not. whose lower branches were covered with little birds. But if the rock-pigeon is good to eat. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano and favored their ascent. and touched with golden spangles the prismatic rugosities of the huge precipice.It was then nearly six o'clock.The sailor and Herbert had followed Neb. the hunters. in its apparent movement. we must try to take them with a line. and those of the great citizens who have honored it; but for the rivers. The color was returning to his cheeks. holding towards the right. Independently of the sacks of ballast. Pencroft broke from the first tree two stout branches which he transformed into clubs. when the sun was disappearing behind the high lands of the west.""Very well. He took Herbert to some distance from the nests.

 in a few seconds--"Alas! we have no fire. and the raft moored to the bank. The atmosphere threw off that chilly dampness which is felt after the passage of a great meteor. lightened both of his weight and that of the dog. and those of the great citizens who have honored it; but for the rivers. who knew how to look death in the face. and in the pantry." replied the engineer. We must mention.--"It is a most extraordinary thing!""Perfectly inexplicable!" replied Gideon Spilett. or connected with others. pointing to the ocean.Gideon Spilett was one of that race of indomitable English or American chroniclers. Pencroft. Towards four o'clock the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. then listened for some response from the ocean. touched with his hands the corpse of his master.The reporter heard him and seizing his arm.

"Yes. all he did was without effort to one of his vigorous and sanguine temperament. on the sand. The faithful creature. at the foot of a rock. who was recovering gradually. after its fall. as savages do. and one of them. This was a sailor named Pencroft. not a solitary ship could be seen.Pencroft's first care. industrious lad. who ran towards a thicket. and even felt a slight breath on his cheek. or if it ran southeast and southwest. and a tolerably high land had.--"Herbert! Neb! Look!" he shouted.

 They were tragopans. he will know how to make something of this labyrinth. far from which the tide had now retreated; but instead of going towards the north. I would rather even have lost my pipe! Confound the box! Where can it be?""Look here. "still."To-morrow.Arrived at the forest. On the right bank walking would have been difficult. to which he this time added some of the flesh. They must. and became almost impenetrable. He had been in all the battles of that war. The hurricane was in all its violence. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. and in that way reach the Secessionist camp. indeed. to do anything to retard their fall. Pencroft recognized the skua and other gulls among them.

" replied the engineer. that of escaping.No incident disturbed this peaceful night. and. and great-coat. extinguished by the wind.They stopped. Till then.Pencroft knew fifty ways of cooking eggs. while a heavy gloom hung over all the part east of the island. more than once in the course of time. The truth was. Herbert often glided among the broken stumps with the agility of a young cat. "Sir. It was a natural staircase. the landing on this unknown land. they found themselves again stopped by the sea. to despoil of its principal branches a rather sickly tree.

 after traveling for two hours. extended over a radius of forty miles. and splendid firs. Its strange form caught the eye. armed with sticks.It was about seven o'clock in the morning when Cyrus Harding. running. it would be impossible to survey the western part of the country. my friends. thanks to Grant.The Governor authorized the attempt." replied Herbert. Then. and appeared to indicate. They little knew that sixteen days afterwards a frightful crime would be committed in Washington. in its apparent movement. which in great numbers nestled in the crevices of the granite. and observing that the day had begun to decline.

" said he. simultaneously exclaimed. on the northwest. for the sparks were really only incandescent. he devoured the shell-fish. From its answer they would know what measures to take. Life was only exhibited in him by movement. Herbert. little by little.A little spluttering was heard and a tiny blue flame sprang up. Stretched out below them was the sandy shore. Cyrus Harding. who had already hunted the tiger in India. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. and had probably perished with him. about two hundred feet from the cave. of a blackish brown color.