Таинственный остров

           Inthelattercase,iftheislandisinhabited,wewilltrytogetoutofthescrapewiththehelpofitsinhabitants;ifitisdesert,wewilltrytogetoutofthescrapebyourselves."

           "Certainly,nothingcouldbeplainer,"repliedPencroft.

           "But,whetheritisanislandoracontinent,"askedGideonSpilett,"whereaboutsdoyouthink,Cyrus,thisstormhasthrownus?"

           "Icannotsayexactly,"repliedtheengineer,"butIpresumeitissomelandinthePacific.Infact,whenweleftRichmond,thewindwasblowingfromthenortheast,anditsveryviolencegreatlyprovesthatitcouldnothavevaried.Ifthedirectionhasbeenmaintainedfromthenortheasttothesouthwest,wehavetraversedtheStatesofNorthCarolina,ofSouthCarolina,ofGeorgia,theGulfofMexico,Mexico,itself,initsnarrowpart,thenapartofthePacificOcean.Icannotestimatethedistancetraversedbytheballoonatlessthansixtoseventhousandmiles,and,evensupposingthatthewindhadvariedhalfaquarter,itmusthavebroughtuseithertothearchipelagoofMendava,eitheronthePomotous,oreven,ifithadagreaterstrengththanIsuppose,tothelandofNewZealand.Ifthelasthypothesisiscorrect,itwillbeeasyenoughtogethomeagain.EnglishorMaoris,weshallalwaysfindsomeonetowhomwecanspeak.If,onthecontrary,thisisthecoastofadesertislandinsometinyarchipelago,perhapsweshallbeabletoreconnoiteritfromthesummitofthatpeakwhichoverlooksthecountry,andthenweshallseehowbesttoestablishourselveshereasifwearenevertogoaway."

           "Never?"criedthereporter."Yousay‘Never,’mydearCyrus?"

           "Bettertoputthingsattheworstatfirst,"repliedtheengineer,"andreservethebestforasurprise."