Таємничий острів

           Infact,themomentwhenthisshadowwouldreachitsminimumoflengthwouldbeexactlytwelveo’clock,anditwouldbeenoughtowatchtheextremityoftheshadow,soastoascertaintheinstantwhen,alterhavingsuccessivelydiminished,itbegantolengthen.Byinclininghissticktothesideoppositetothesun,CyrusHardingmadetheshadowlonger,andconsequentlyitsmodificationswouldbemoreeasilyascertained.Infact,thelongertheneedleofadialis,themoreeasilycanthemovementofitspointbefollowed.Theshadowofthestickwasnothingbuttheneedleofadial.Themomenthadcome,andCyrusHardingkneltonthesand,andwithlittlewoodenpegs,whichhestuckintothesand,hebegantomarkthesuccessivediminutionsofthestick’sshadow.Hiscompanions,bendingoverhim,watchedtheoperationwithextremeinterest.Thereporterheldhischronometerinhishand,readytotellthehourwhichitmarkedwhentheshadowwouldbeatitsshortest.Moreover,asCyrusHardingwasworkingonthe16thofApril,thedayonwhichthetrueandtheaveragetimeareidentical,thehourgivenbyGideonSpilettwouldbethetruehourthenatWashington,whichwouldsimplifythecalculation.Meanwhileasthesunslowlyadvanced,theshadowslowlydiminished,andwhenitappearedtoCyrusHardingthatitwasbeginningtoincrease,heasked,"Whato’clockisit?"

           "Oneminutepastfive,"repliedGideonSpilettdirectly.Theyhadnowonlytocalculatetheoperation.Nothingcouldbeeasier.