Таинственный остров

           ThesettlersaskedifGraniteHousewasinhabitedornot,andyetthepositionoftheladderwassufficienttoshowthatitwas;itwasalsocertainthattheinhabitants,whoevertheymightbe,hadnotbeenabletoescape.Buthowweretheytobegotat?

           Herbertthenthoughtoffasteningacordtoanarrow,andshootingthearrowsothatitshouldpassbetweenthefirstroundsoftheladderwhichhungfromthethreshold.Bymeansofthecordtheywouldthenbeabletodrawdowntheladdertotheground,andsore-establishthecommunicationbetweenthebeachandGraniteHouse.Therewasevidentlynothingelsetobedone,and,withalittleskill,thismethodmightsucceed.VeryfortunatelybowsandarrowshadbeenleftattheChimneys,wheretheyalsofoundaquantityoflighthibiscuscord.Pencroftfastenedthistoawell-featheredarrow.ThenHerbertfixingittohisbow,tookacarefulaimforthelowerpartoftheladder.

           CyrusHarding,GideonSpilett,Pencroft,andNebdrewback,soastoseeifanythingappearedatthewindows.Thereporterliftedhisguntohisshoulderandcoveredthedoor.

           Thebowwasbent,thearrowflew,takingthecordwithit,andpassedbetweenthetwolastrounds.

           Theoperationhadsucceeded.

           Herbertimmediatelyseizedtheendofthecord,but,atthatmomentwhenhegaveitapulltobringdowntheladder,anarm,thrustsuddenlyoutbetweenthewallandthedoor,graspeditanddraggeditinsideGraniteHouse.

           "Therascals!"shoutedthesailor."Ifaballcandoanythingforyou,youshallnothavelongtowaitforit."