Таинственный остров

           "Oh,captain,"repliedthesailor,"withalittledetermination—"

           Pencrofthaderasedtheword"impossible"fromthedictionaryofLincolnIsland.

           Thesettlers,havingarrivedatProspectHeights,wentimmediatelytowardsthatpointofthelakenearwhichwastheoldopeningnowuncovered.Thisoutlethadnowbecomepracticable,sincethewaternolongerrushedthroughit,anditwoulddoubtlessbeeasytoexploretheinterior.

           Inafewminutesthesettlershadreachedthelowerpointofthelake,andaglanceshowedthemthattheobjecthadbeenattained.

           Infact,inthesideofthelake,andnowabovethesurfaceofthewater,appearedthelong-looked-foropening.Anarrowridge,leftbarebytheretreatofthewater,allowedthemtoapproachit.Thisorificewasnearlytwentyfeetinwidth,butscarcelytwoinheight.Itwaslikethemouthofadrainattheedgeofthepavement,andthereforedidnotofferaneasypassagetothesettlers;butNebandPencroft,takingtheirpickaxes,soonmadeitofasuitableheight.

           Theengineerthenapproached,andfoundthatthesidesoftheopening,initsupperpartatleast,hadnotaslopeofmorethanfromthirtytothirty-fivedegrees.Itwasthereforepracticable,and,providedthatthedeclivitydidnotincrease,itwouldbeeasytodescendeventothelevelofthesea.Ifthen,aswasprobable,somevastcavityexistedintheinteriorofthegranite,itmight,perhaps,beofgreatuse.

           "Well,captain,whatarewestoppingfor?"askedthesailor,impatienttoenterthenarrowpassage.