Таємничий острів

           Pencroftmadehimselfknown.

           "Well,"repliedHarding,"andinwhatwaydoyouproposetoescape?"

           "Bythatlazyballoonwhichislefttheredoingnothing,andwhichlookstomeasifitwaswaitingonpurposeforus—"

           Therewasnonecessityforthesailortofinishhissentence.Theengineerunderstoodhimatonce.HeseizedPencroftbythearm,anddraggedhimtohishouse.Therethesailordevelopedhisproject,whichwasindeedextremelysimple.Theyriskednothingbuttheirlivesinitsexecution.Thehurricanewasinallitsviolence,itistrue,butsocleveranddaringanengineerasCyrusHardingknewperfectlywellhowtomanageaballoon.Hadhehimselfbeenaswellacquaintedwiththeartofsailingintheairashewaswiththenavigationofaship,Pencroftwouldnothavehesitatedtosetout,ofcoursetakinghisyoungfriendHerbertwithhim;for,accustomedtobravethefiercesttempestsoftheocean,hewasnottobehinderedonaccountofthehurricane.

           CaptainHardinghadlistenedtothesailorwithoutsayingaword,buthiseyesshonewithsatisfaction.Herewasthelong-sought-foropportunity—hewasnotamantoletitpass.Theplanwasfeasible,though,itmustbeconfessed,dangerousintheextreme.Inthenight,inspiteoftheirguards,theymightapproachtheballoon,slipintothecar,andthencutthecordswhichheldit.Therewasnodoubtthattheymightbekilled,butontheotherhandtheymightsucceed,andwithoutthisstorm!—Withoutthisstormtheballoonwouldhavestartedalreadyandthelooked-foropportunitywouldnothavethenpresenteditself.

           "Iamnotalone!"saidHardingatlast.