Таинственный остров

           Hadtheunhappymanbeendraggedawaybyhisformeraccomplices?Hadheresisted,andbeenovercomeinthestruggle?Thislastsuppositionwasonlytooprobable.GideonSpilett,atthemomenthescaledthepalisade,hadclearlyseensomeoneoftheconvictsrunningalongthesouthernspurofMountFranklin,towardswhomTophadsprung.ItwasoneofthosewhoseobjecthadbeensocompletelydefeatedbytherocksatthemouthoftheMercy.Besides,theonekilledbyHarding,andwhosebodywasfoundoutsidetheenclosure,ofcoursebelongedtoBobHarvey’screw.

           Astothecorral,ithadnotsufferedanydamage.Thegateswereclosed,andtheanimalshadnotbeenabletodisperseintheforest.Norcouldtheyseetracesofanystruggle,anydevastation,eitherinthehut,orinthepalisade.Theammunitiononly,withwhichAyrtonhadbeensupplied,haddisappearedwithhim.

           "Theunhappymanhasbeensurprised,"saidHarding,"andashewasamantodefendhimself,hemusthavebeenoverpowered."

           "Yes,thatistobefeared!"saidthereporter."Then,doubtless,theconvictsinstalledthemselvesinthecorralwheretheyfoundplentyofeverything,andonlyfledwhentheysawuscoming.Itisveryevident,too,thatatthismomentAyrton,whetherlivingordead,isnothere!"

           "Weshallhavetobeattheforest,"saidtheengineer,"andridtheislandofthesewretches.Pencroft’spresentimentswerenotmistaken,whenhewishedtohuntthemaswildbeasts.