Таинственный остров

           Thesettlerswerenowfollowingtheeasternbankofthelake,andtheywouldnotbelonginreachingthepartwhichtheyalreadyknew.Theengineerwasmuchsurprisedatnotseeinganyindicationofthedischargeofwater.Thereporterandthesailortalkedwithhim,andhecouldnotconcealhisastonishment.

           AtthismomentTop,whohadbeenveryquiettillthen,gavesignsofagitation.Theintelligentanimalwentbackwardsandforwardsontheshore,stoppedsuddenly,andlookedatthewater,onepawraised,asifhewaspointingatsomeinvisiblegame;thenhebarkedfuriously,andwassuddenlysilent.

           NeitherCyrusHardingnorhiscompanionshadatfirstpaidanyattentiontoTop’sbehavior;butthedog’sbarkingsoonbecamesofrequentthattheengineernoticedit.

           "Whatisthere,Top?"heasked.

           Thedogboundedtowardshismaster,seemingtobeveryuneasy,andthenrushedagaintowardsthebank.Then,allatonce,heplungedintothelake.

           "Here,Top!"criedCyrusHarding,whodidnotlikehisdogtoventureintothetreacherouswater.

           "What’shappeningdownthere?"askedPencroft,examiningthesurfaceofthelake.

           "Topsmellssomeamphibiouscreature,"repliedHerbert.

           "Analligator,perhaps,"saidthereporter.

           "Idonotthinkso,"repliedHarding."Alligatorsareonlymetwithinregionslesselevatedinlatitude."