Таємничий острів

           "Butaretheyinhabited?"

           "Thatisthequestion."

           Thiswassoonanswered.Almostimmediately,hundredsoflittleanimals,similartorabbits,fledineverydirection,withsuchrapiditythatevenTopcouldnotovertakethem.Huntersanddograninvain;theserodentsescapedthemeasily.Butthereporterresolvednottoleavetheplace,untilhehadcapturedatleasthalf-a-dozenofthequadrupeds.Hewishedtostocktheirlarderfirst,anddomesticatethosewhichtheymighttakelater.Itwouldnothavebeendifficulttodothis,withafewsnaresstretchedattheopeningsoftheburrows.Butatthismomenttheyhadneithersnares,noranythingtomakethemof.Theymust,therefore,besatisfiedwithvisitingeachhole,andrummaginginitwithastick,hopingbydintofpatiencetodowhatcouldnotbedoneinanyotherway.

           Atlast,afterhalfanhour,fourrodentsweretakenintheirholes.TheyweresimilartotheirEuropeanbrethren,andarecommonlyknownbythenameofAmericanrabbits.

           ThisproduceofthechasewasbroughtbacktoGraniteHouse,andfiguredattheeveningrepast.Thetenantsofthewarrenwerenotatalltobedespised,fortheyweredelicious.Itwasavaluableresourceofthecolony,anditappearedtobeinexhaustible.

           Onthe31stofMaythepartitionswerefinished.Theroomshadnowonlytobefurnished,andthiswouldbeworkforthelongwinterdays.Achimneywasestablishedinthefirstroom,whichservedasakitchen.Thepipedestinedtoconductthesmokeoutsidegavesometroubletotheseamateurbricklayers.