Таємничий острів

           However,weshallseelater!"

           "Why,"criedPencroft,"wereweobligedtothrowoverboardalltheweaponswehadwithusinthecar,allourimplements,evenourpocket-knives?"

           "Butifwehadnotthrownthemaway,Pencroft,theballoonwouldhavethrownustothebottomofthesea!"saidHerbert.

           "Whatyousayistrue,myboy,"repliedthesailor.

           Thenpassingtoanotheridea,—"Think,"saidhe,"howastoundedJonathanForsterandhiscompanionsmusthavebeenwhen,nextmorning,theyfoundtheplaceempty,andthemachineflownaway!"

           "Iamutterlyindifferentaboutknowingwhattheymayhavethought,"saidthereporter.

           "Itwasallmyidea,that!"saidPencroft,withasatisfiedair.

           "Asplendididea,Pencroft!"repliedGideonSpilett,laughing,"andwhichhasplaceduswhereweare."

           "IwouldratherbeherethaninthehandsoftheSoutherners,"criedthesailor,"especiallysincethecaptainhasbeenkindenoughtocomeandjoinusagain."

           "SowouldI,truly!"repliedthereporter."Besides,whatdowewant?Nothing."

           "Ifthatisnot—everything!"repliedPencroft,laughingandshrugginghisshoulders."But,somedayorother,weshallfindmeansofgoingaway!"

           "Sooner,perhaps,thanyouimagine,myfriends,"remarkedtheengineer,"ifLincolnIslandisbutamediumdistancefromaninhabitedisland,orfromacontinent.Weshallknowinanhour.IhavenotamapofthePacific,butmymemoryhaspreservedaveryclearrecollectionofitssouthernpart.