Таинственный остров

           Clever,intelligent,indefatigable,robust,withironhealth,heknewalittleabouttheworkoftheforge,andcouldnotfailtobeveryusefulinthecolony.

           AstoPencroft,hehadsailedovereverysea,acarpenterinthedockyardsinBrooklyn,assistanttailorinthevesselsofthestate,gardener,cultivator,duringhisholidays,etc.,andlikeallseamen,fitforanything,heknewhowtodoeverything.

           Itwouldhavebeendifficulttounitefivemen,betterfittedtostruggleagainstfate,morecertaintotriumphoverit.

           "Atthebeginning,"CyrusHardinghadsaid.Nowthisbeginningofwhichtheengineerspokewastheconstructionofanapparatuswhichwouldservetotransformthenaturalsubstances.Thepartwhichheatplaysinthesetransformationsisknown.Nowfuel,woodorcoal,wasreadyforimmediateuse,anovenmustbebuilttouseit.

           "Whatisthisovenfor?"askedPencroft.

           "Tomakethepotterywhichwehaveneedof,"repliedHarding.

           "Andofwhatshallwemaketheoven?"

           "Withbricks."

           "Andthebricks?"

           "Withclay.Letusstart,myfriends.Tosavetrouble,wewillestablishourmanufactoryattheplaceofproduction.Nebwillbringprovisions,andtherewillbenolackoffiretocookthefood."

           "No,"repliedthereporter;"butifthereisalackoffoodforwantofinstrumentsforthechase?"

           "Ah,ifweonlyhadaknife!"criedthesailor.

           "Well?"askedCyrusHarding.

           "Well!Iwouldsoonmakeabowandarrows,andthentherecouldbeplentyofgameinthelarder!"

           "Yes,aknife,asharpblade."saidtheengineer,asifhewasspeakingtohimself.