Таинственный остров

           Theatmospherewassaturatedwithgasesandcarbonicacid,mingledwithaqueousvapors.CyrusHardingfeltthevolcanictufawithwhichtheplainwasstrewn,andwhichwasbutpulverizedcindershardenedintosolidblocksbytime,tremblebeneathhim,buthecoulddiscovernotracesoffreshlava.

           TheengineerbecamemoreassuredofthiswhenheobservedallthenorthernpartofMountFranklin.Pillarsofsmokeandflameescapedfromthecrater;ahailofscoriaefellontheground;butnocurrentoflavaburstfromthemouthofthevolcano,whichprovedthatthevolcanicmatterhadnotyetattainedthelevelofthesuperiororificeofthecentralshaft.

           "ButIwouldpreferthatitwereso,"saidCyrusHardingtohimself."Atanyrate,Ishouldthenknowthatthelavahadfolloweditsaccustomedtrack.whocansaythatitmaynottakeanewcourse?Butthedangerdoesnotconsistinthat!CaptainNemoforesawitclearly!No,thedangerdoesnotliethere!"

           CyrusHardingadvancedtowardstheenormouscausewaywhoseprolongationenclosedthenarrowSharkGulf.Hecouldnowsufficientlyexamineonthissidetheancientchannelsofthelava.Therewasnodoubtinhismindthatthemostrecenteruptionhadoccurredatafar-distantepoch.

           Hethenreturnedbythesameway,listeningattentivelytothesubterraneanmutteringswhichrolledlikelong-continuedthunder,interruptedbydeafeningexplosions.Atnineinthemorninghereachedthecorral.

           Ayrtonawaitedhim.

           "Theanimalsarecaredfor,CaptainHarding,"saidAyrton.

           "Good,Ayrton."