Таинственный остров

           "Water!"criedPencroft,"waterasfuelforsteamersandengines!watertoheatwater!"

           "Yes,butwaterdecomposedintoitsprimitiveelements,"repliedCyrusHarding,"anddecomposeddoubtless,byelectricity,whichwillthenhavebecomeapowerfulandmanageableforce,forallgreatdiscoveries,bysomeinexplicablelaws,appeartoagreeandbecomecompleteatthesametime.Yes,myfriends,Ibelievethatwaterwillonedaybeemployedasfuel,thathydrogenandoxygenwhichconstituteit,usedsinglyortogether,willfurnishaninexhaustiblesourceofheatandlight,ofanintensityofwhichcoalisnotcapable.Somedaythecoalroomsofsteamersandthetendersoflocomotiveswill,insteadofcoal,bestoredwiththesetwocondensedgases,whichwillburninthefurnaceswithenormouscalorificpower.Thereis,therefore,nothingtofear.Aslongastheearthisinhabiteditwillsupplythewantsofitsinhabitants,andtherewillbenowantofeitherlightorheataslongastheproductionsofthevegetable,mineraloranimalkingdomsdonotfailus.Ibelieve,then,thatwhenthedepositsofcoalareexhaustedweshallheatandwarmourselveswithwater.Waterwillbethecoalofthefuture."

           "Ishouldliketoseethat,"observedthesailor.

           "Youwereborntoosoon,Pencroft,"returnedNeb,whoonlytookpartinthediscussionbythesewords.

           However,itwasnotNeb’sspeechwhichinterruptedtheconversation,butTop’sbarking,whichbrokeoutagainwiththatstrangeintonationwhichhadbeforeperplexedtheengineer.