Таємничий острів

           Theyhadnodoubtwhatever,onexaminingitcarefully,thatithadnotbeenlonginthewater,andthatitsarrivalonthiscoastwasrecent.Thewaterdidnotappeartohavepenetratedtotheinside,andthearticleswhichitcontainedwerenodoubtuninjured.

           Itwasevidentthatthischesthadbeenthrownoverboardfromsomedismastedvesseldriventowardstheisland,andthat,inthehopethatitwouldreachtheland,wheretheymightafterwardsfindit,thepassengershadtakentheprecautiontobuoyitupbymeansofthisfloatingapparatus.

           "WewilltowthischesttoGraniteHouse,"saidtheengineer,"wherewecanmakeaninventoryofitscontents;then,ifwediscoveranyofthesurvivorsfromthesupposedwreck,wecanreturnittothosetowhomitbelongs.Ifwefindnoone—"

           "Wewillkeepitforourselves!"criedPencroft."Butwhatintheworldcantherebeinit?"

           Theseawasalreadyapproachingthechest,andthehightidewouldevidentlyfloatit.Oneoftheropeswhichfastenedthebarrelswaspartlyunlashedandusedasacabletounitethefloatingapparatuswiththecanoe.PencroftandNebthendugawaythesandwiththeiroars,soastofacilitatethemovingofthechest,towingwhichtheboatsoonbegantodoublethepoint,towhichthenameofFlotsamPointwasgiven.

           Thechestwasheavy,andthebarrelswerescarcelysufficienttokeepitabovewater.Thesailoralsofearedeveryinstantthatitwouldgetlooseandsinktothebottomofthesea.