Таємничий острів

           "Yes,arealboat,"repliedthesailor;"butwedonotwantoneforaseavoyage,andinfivedaysatthemost,IwillundertaketoconstructacanoefittonavigatetheMercy."

           "Fivedays,"criedNeb,"tobuildaboat?"

           "Yes,Neb;aboatintheIndianfashion."

           "Ofwood?"askedtheNegro,lookingstillunconvinced.

           "Ofwood,"repliedPencroft,"ofratherofbark.Irepeat,captain,thatinfivedaystheworkwillbefinished!"

           "Infivedays,then,beit,"repliedtheengineer.

           "Buttillthattimewemustbeverywatchful,"saidHerbert.

           "Verywatchfulindeed,myfriends,"repliedHarding;"andIbegyoutoconfineyourhuntingexcursionstotheneighborhoodofGraniteHouse."

           ThedinnerendedlessgailythanPencrofthadhoped.

           So,then,theislandwas,orhadbeen,inhabitedbyothersthanthesettlers.Provedasitwasbytheincidentofthebullet,itwashereafteranunquestionablefact,andsuchadiscoverycouldnotbutcausegreatuneasinessamongthecolonists.

           CyrusHardingandGideonSpilett,beforesleeping,conversedlongaboutthematter.Theyaskedthemselvesifbychancethisincidentmightnothavesomeconnectionwiththeinexplicablewayinwhichtheengineerhadbeensaved,andtheotherpeculiarcircumstanceswhichhadstruckthematdifferenttimes.However,CyrusHarding,afterhavingdiscussedtheprosandconsofthequestion,endedbysaying,—

           "Inshort,wouldyouliketoknowmyopinion,mydearSpilett?"

           "Yes,Cyrus.