"Poorman!"saidHerbert,whohadrushedtothedoor,butreturned,havingseenAyrtonslidedowntheropeontheliftanddisappearinthedarkness.

           "Hewillcomeback,"saidCyrusHarding.

           "Come,now,captain,"exclaimedPencroft,"whatdoesthatmean?What!wasn’titAyrtonwhothrewthatbottleintothesea?Whowasitthen?"

           Certainly,ifeveraquestionwasnecessarytobemade,itwasthatone!

           "Itwashe,"answeredNeb,"onlytheunhappymanwashalf-mad."

           "Yes!"saidHerbert,"andhewasnolongerconsciousofwhathewasdoing."

           "Itcanonlybeexplainedinthatway,myfriends,"repliedHardingquickly,"andIunderstandnowhowAyrtonwasabletopointoutexactlythesituationofTaborIsland,sincetheeventswhichhadprecededhisbeingleftontheislandhadmadeitknowntohim."

           "However,"observedPencroft,"ifhewasnotyetabrutewhenhewrotethatdocument,andifhethrewitintotheseasevenoreightyearsago,howisitthatthepaperhasnotbeeninjuredbydamp?"

           "Thatproves,"answeredCyrusHarding,"thatAyrtonwasdeprivedofintelligenceatamorerecenttimethanhethinks."

           "Ofcourseitmustbeso,"repliedPencroft,"withoutthatthefactwouldbeunaccountable."

           "Unaccountableindeed,"answeredtheengineer,whodidnotappeardesiroustoprolongtheconversation.

           "ButhasAyrtontoldthetruth?"askedthesailor.

           "Yes,"repliedthereporter."Thestorywhichhehastoldistrueineverypoint.