Таинственный остров

           "Andbesides,"thoughtPencroft,"whyshoulditbeimpossibletorefloatthebrig?Ifshehasonlyaleak,thatmaybestoppedup;avesselfromthreetofourhundredtons,whysheisaregularshipcomparedtoour‘Bonadventure’!Andwecouldgoalongdistanceinher!Wecouldgoanywhereweliked!CaptainHarding,AyrtonandImustexamineher!Shewouldbewellworththetrouble!"

           Infact,ifthebrigwasstillfittonavigate,thecolonists’chancesofreturningtotheirnativelandweresingularlyincreased.But,todecidethisimportantquestion,itwasnecessarytowaituntilthetidewasquitelow,sothateverypartofthebrig’shullmightbeexamined.

           Whentheirtreasureshadbeensafelyconveyedonshore,Hardingandhiscompanionsagreedtodevotesomeminutestobreakfast.Theywerealmostfamished;fortunately,thelarderwasnotfaroff,andNebwasnotedforbeinganexpeditiouscook.Theybreakfasted,therefore,neartheChimneys,andduringtheirrepast,asmaybesupposed,nothingwastalkedofbuttheeventwhichhadsomiraculouslysavedthecolony.

           "Miraculousistheword,"repeatedPencroft,"foritmustbeacknowledgedthatthoserascalsblewupjustattherightmoment!GraniteHousewasbeginningtobeuncomfortableasahabitation!"

           "Andcanyouguess,Pencroft,"askedthereporter,"howithappened,orwhatcanhaveoccasionedtheexplosion?"

           "Oh!Mr.Spilett,nothingismoresimple,"answeredPencroft."Aconvictvesselisnotdisciplinedlikeaman-of-war!Convictsarenotsailors.