Таємничий острів

           "Ah!"criedPencroft,"Iseewhatitis!"

           "What?"askedNeb.

           "Barrels,barrels,whichperhapsarefull,"repliedthesailor.

           "Pulltotheshore,Pencroft!"saidCyrus.

           Afewstrokesoftheoarbroughtthecanoeintoalittlecreek,anditspassengersleapedonshore.

           Pencroftwasnotmistaken.Twobarrelswerethere,halfburiedinthesand,butstillfirmlyattachedtoalargechest,which,sustainedbythem,hadfloatedtothemomentwhenitstrandedonthebeach.

           "Therehasbeenawreck,then,insomepartoftheisland,"saidHerbert.

           "Evidently,"repliedSpilett.

           "Butwhat’sinthischest?"criedPencroft,withverynaturalimpatience."What’sinthischest?Itisshutup,andnothingtoopenitwith!Well,perhapsastone—"

           Andthesailor,raisingaheavyblock,wasabouttobreakinoneofthesidesofthechest,whentheengineerarrestedhishand.

           "Pencroft,"saidhe,"canyourestrainyourimpatienceforonehouronly?"

           But,captain,justthink!Perhapsthereiseverythingwewantinthere!"

           "Weshallfindthatout,Pencroft,"repliedtheengineer;"buttrusttome,anddonotbreakthechest,whichmaybeusefultous.WemustconveyittoGraniteHouse,wherewecanopeniteasily,andwithoutbreakingit.Itisquitepreparedforavoyage;andsinceithasfloatedhere,itmayjustaswellfloattothemouthoftheriver."

           "Youareright,captain,andIwaswrong,asusual,"repliedthesailor.

           Theengineer’sadvicewasgood.