Таинственный остров

           "Herearethesealsrequired,captain!"saidthesailor,advancingtowardstheengineer.

           "Capital,"repliedHarding."Wewillmakebellowsofthem!"

           "Bellows!"criedPencroft."Well!theseareluckyseals!"

           Itwas,infact,ablowing-machine,necessaryforthetreatmentoftheorethattheengineerwishedtomanufacturewiththeskinsoftheamphibiouscreatures.Theywereofamediumsize,fortheirlengthdidnotexceedsixfeet.Theyresembledadogaboutthehead.

           Asitwasuselesstoburdenthemselveswiththeweightofboththeanimals,NebandPencroftresolvedtoskinthemonthespot,whileCyrusHardingandthereportercontinuedtoexploretheislet.

           ThesailorandtheNegrocleverlyperformedtheoperation,andthreehoursafterwardsCyrusHardinghadathisdisposaltwoseals’skins,whichheintendedtouseinthisstate,withoutsubjectingthemtoanytanningprocess.

           Thesettlerswaitedtillthetidewasagainlow,andcrossingthechanneltheyenteredtheChimneys.

           Theskinshadthentobestretchedonaframeofwoodandsewnbymeansoffiberssoastopreservetheairwithoutallowingtoomuchtoescape.CyrusHardinghadnothingbutthetwosteelbladesfromTop’scollar,andyethewassoclever,andhiscompanionsaidedhimwithsomuchintelligence,thatthreedaysafterwardsthelittlecolony’sstockoftoolswasaugmentedbyablowing-machine,destinedtoinjecttheairintothemidstoftheorewhenitshouldbesubjectedtoheat—anindispensableconditiontothesuccessoftheoperation.