Таємничий острів

           "But,"astheengineerjustlyobserved,"thatcouldnottaketheplaceofaregularbridge!"So,theconstructionofaregularbridgewasnotedinthelistoffutureworks.

           ItwasthefirsttimethatthesettlershadsetfootontherightbankoftheMercy,andventuredintothemidstofthosegiganticandsuperbconiferaenowsprinkledoverwithsnow.

           Buttheyhadnotgonehalfamilewhenfromathicketawholefamilyofquadrupeds,whohadmadeahomethere,disturbedbyTop,rushedforthintotheopencountry.

           "Ah!Ishouldsaythosearefoxes!"criedHerbert,whenhesawthetrooprapidlydecamping.

           Theywerefoxes,butofaverylargesize,whoutteredasortofbarking,atwhichTopseemedtobeverymuchastonished,forhestoppedshortinthechase,andgavetheswiftanimalstimetodisappear.

           Thedoghadreasontobesurprised,ashedidnotknowNaturalHistory.But,bytheirbarking,thesefoxes,withreddish-grayhair,blacktailsterminatinginawhitetuft,hadbetrayedtheirorigin.SoHerbertwasable,withouthesitating,togivethemtheirrealnameof"Arcticfoxes."TheyarefrequentlymetwithinChile,intheFalklandIslands,andinallpartsofAmericatraversedbythethirtiethandfortiethparallels.HerbertmuchregrettedthatTophadnotbeenabletocatchoneofthesecarnivora.

           "Aretheygoodtoeat?"askedPencroft,whoonlyregardedtherepresentativesofthefaunaintheislandfromonespecialpointofview."