Таємничий острів

           Noanimalhadfallenintothem,andyetthefootprintsintheneighborhoodwereverynumerous,amongothers,certainveryclearmarksofclaws.Herbertdidnothesitatetoaffirmthatsomeanimalofthefelinespecieshadpassedthere,whichjustifiedtheengineer’sopinionthatdangerousbeastsexistedinLincolnIsland.TheseanimalsdoubtlessgenerallylivedintheforestsoftheFarWest,butpressedbyhunger,theyhadventuredasfarasProspectHeights.PerhapstheyhadsmelledouttheinhabitantsofGraniteHouse."Now,whatarethesefelinecreatures?"askedPencroft."Theyaretigers,"repliedHerbert."Ithoughtthosebeastswereonlyfoundinhotcountries?"

           "Onthenewcontinent,"repliedthelad,"theyarefoundfromMexicotothePampasofBuenosAires.Now,asLincolnIslandisnearlyunderthesamelatitudeastheprovincesofLaPlata,itisnotsurprisingthattigersaretobemetwithinit."

           "Well,wemustlookoutforthem,"repliedPencroft.

           However,thesnowsoondisappeared,quicklydissolvingundertheinfluenceoftherisingtemperature.Rainfell,andthesheetofwhitesoonvanished.Notwithstandingthebadweather,thesettlersrenewedtheirstoresofdifferentthings,stone-pinealmonds,rhizomes,syrupfromthemaple-tree,forthevegetablepart;rabbitsfromthewarren,agouties,andkangaroosfortheanimalpart.Thisnecessitatedseveralexcursionsintotheforest,andtheyfoundthatagreatnumberoftreeshadbeenblowndownbythelasthurricane.