Таємничий острів

           Fivehundredfeetonlyseparatedtheexplorersfromtheplateau,whichtheywishedtoreachsoastoestablishthereanencampmentforthenight,butthesefivehundredfeetwereincreasedtomorethantwomilesbythezigzagswhichtheyhadtodescribe.Thesoil,asitwere,slidundertheirfeet.

           Theslopeoftenpresentedsuchananglethattheyslippedwhenthestoneswornbytheairdidnotgiveasufficientsupport.Eveningcameonbydegrees,anditwasalmostnightwhenCyrusHardingandhiscompanions,muchfatiguedbyanascentofsevenhours,arrivedattheplateauofthefirstcone.Itwasthennecessarytoprepareanencampment,andtorestoretheirstrengthbyeatingfirstandsleepingafterwards.Thissecondstageofthemountainroseonabaseofrocks,amongwhichitwouldbeeasytofindaretreat.Fuelwasnotabundant.However,afirecouldbemadebymeansofthemossanddrybrushwood,whichcoveredcertainpartsoftheplateau.Whilethesailorwaspreparinghishearthwithstoneswhichheputtothisuse,NebandHerbertoccupiedthemselveswithgettingasupplyoffuel.Theysoonreturnedwithaloadofbrushwood.Thesteelwasstruck,theburntlinencaughtthesparksofflint,and,underNeb’sbreath,acracklingfireshoweditselfinafewminutesundertheshelteroftherocks.Theirobjectinlightingafirewasonlytoenablethemtowithstandthecoldtemperatureofthenight,asitwasnotemployedincookingthebird,whichNebkeptforthenextday.Theremainsofthecapybaraandsomedozensofthestone-pinealmondsformedtheirsupper.Itwasnothalf-pastsixwhenallwasfinished.

           CyrusHardingthenthoughtofexploringinthehalf-lightthelargecircularlayerwhichsupportedtheupperconeofthemountain.Beforetakinganyrest,hewishedtoknowifitwaspossibletogetroundthebaseoftheconeinthecaseofitssidesbeingtoosteepanditssummitbeinginaccessible.