Таинственный остров

           Theyobserved,withemotion,allthatparttothenorthofthecoastonwhichthecatastrophehadtakenplace.ItwastherethatCyrusHardinghaddisappeared.Theylookedtoseeifsomeportionoftheirballoon,towhichamanmightpossiblycling,yetexisted.Nothing!Theseawasbutonevastwaterydesert.Astothecoast,itwassolitaryalso.NeitherthereporternorNebcouldbeanywhereseen.Butitwaspossiblethatatthistimetheywerebothtoofarawaytobeperceived.

           "Somethingtellsme,"criedHerbert,"thatamanasenergeticasCaptainHardingwouldnotlethimselfbedrownedlikeotherpeople.Hemusthavereachedsomepointoftheshore;don’tyouthinkso,Pencroft?"

           Thesailorshookhisheadsadly.HelittleexpectedevertoseeCyrusHardingagain;butwishingtoleavesomehopetoHerbert:"Doubtless,doubtless,"saidhe;"ourengineerisamanwhowouldgetoutofascrapetowhichanyoneelsewouldyield."

           Inthemeantimeheexaminedthecoastwithgreatattention.Stretchedoutbelowthemwasthesandyshore,boundedontherightoftheriver’smouthbylinesofbreakers.Therockswhichwerevisibleappearedlikeamphibiousmonstersreposinginthesurf.Beyondthereef,theseasparkledbeneaththesun’srays.Tothesouthasharppointclosedthehorizon,anditcouldnotbeseenifthelandwasprolongedinthatdirection,orifitransoutheastandsouthwest,whichwouldhavemadethiscoastaverylongpeninsula.Atthenorthernextremityofthebaytheoutlineoftheshorewascontinuedtoagreatdistanceinawidercurve.Theretheshorewaslow,flat,withoutcliffs,andwithgreatbanksofsand,whichthetideleftuncovered.PencroftandHerbertthenreturnedtowardsthewest.