Таємничий острів

           Thisquestionpreoccupiedhim,foritwaspossiblethatfromthewaythehatinclined,thatistosay,towardsthenorth,theplateauwasnotpracticable.Also,ifthesummitofthemountaincouldnotbereachedononeside,andif,ontheother,theycouldnotgetroundthebaseofthecone,itwouldbeimpossibletosurveythewesternpartofthecountry,andtheirobjectinmakingtheascentwouldinpartbealtogetherunattained.

           Theengineer,accordingly,regardlessoffatigue,leavingPencroftandNebtoarrangethebeds,andGideonSpiletttonotetheincidentsoftheday,begantofollowtheedgeoftheplateau,goingtowardsthenorth.Herbertaccompaniedhim.

           Thenightwasbeautifulandstill,thedarknesswasnotyetdeep.CyrusHardingandtheboywalkedneareachother,withoutspeaking.Insomeplacestheplateauopenedbeforethem,andtheypassedwithouthindrance.Inothers,obstructedbyrocks,therewasonlyanarrowpath,inwhichtwopersonscouldnotwalkabreast.Afterawalkoftwentyminutes,CyrusHardingandHerbertwereobligedtostop.Fromthispointtheslopeofthetwoconesbecameone.Noshoulderhereseparatedthetwopartsofthemountain.Theslope,beinginclinedalmostseventydegrees,thepathbecameimpracticable.

           Butiftheengineerandtheboywereobligedtogiveupthoughtsoffollowingacirculardirection,inreturnanopportunitywasgivenforascendingthecone.

           Infact,beforethemopenedadeephollow.Itwastheruggedmouthofthecrater,bywhichtheeruptiveliquidmatterhadescapedattheperiodswhenthevolcanowasstillinactivity.Hardenedlavaandcrustedscoriaformedasortofnaturalstaircaseoflargesteps,whichwouldgreatlyfacilitatetheascenttothesummitofthemountain.