Таинственный остров

           Theyweretragopans,ornamentedbyapendantskinwhichhangsovertheirthroats,andbytwosmall,roundhorns,plantedbehindtheeyes.Amongthesebirds,whichwereaboutthesizeofafowl,thefemalewasuniformlybrown,whilethemalewasgorgeousinhisredplumage,decoratedwithwhitespots.GideonSpilett,withastonecleverlyandvigorouslythrown,killedoneofthesetragopans,onwhichPencroft,madehungrybythefreshair,hadcastgreedyeyes.

           Afterleavingtheregionofbushes,theparty,assistedbyrestingoneachother’sshoulders,climbedforaboutahundredfeetupasteepacclivityandreachedalevelplace,withveryfewtrees,wherethesoilappearedvolcanic.Itwasnecessarytoascendbyzigzagstomaketheslopemoreeasy,foritwasverysteep,andthefootingbeingexceedinglyprecariousrequiredthegreatestcaution.NebandHerberttookthelead,Pencrofttherear,thecaptainandthereporterbetweenthem.Theanimalswhichfrequentedtheseheights—andtherewerenumeroustracesofthem—mustnecessarilybelongtothoseracesofsurefootandsupplespine,chamoisorgoat.Severalwereseen,butthiswasnotthenamePencroftgavethem,forallofasudden—"Sheep!"heshouted.

           Allstoppedaboutfiftyfeetfromhalf-a-dozenanimalsofalargesize,withstronghornsbentbackandflattenedtowardsthepoint,withawoollyfleece,hiddenunderlongsilkyhairofatawnycolor.

           Theywerenotordinarysheep,butaspeciesusuallyfoundinthemountainousregionsofthetemperatezone,towhichHerbertgavethenameofthemusmon.

           "Havetheylegsandchops?"askedthesailor.

           "Yes,"repliedHerbert.