Таємничий острів

           TheywereanxioustoreachGraniteHousetoeatandsleep,andifthebridgehadbeenconstructed,inaquarterofanhourtheywouldhavebeenathome.

           Thenightwasverydark.Pencroftpreparedtokeephispromisebyconstructingasortofraft,onwhichtomakethepassageoftheMercy.HeandNeb,armedwithaxes,chosetwotreesnearthewater,andbegantoattackthematthebase.

           CyrusHardingandSpilett,seatedonthebank,waitedtilltheircompanionswerereadyfortheirhelp,whileHerbertroamedabout,thoughwithoutgoingtoanydistance.Allatonce,thelad,whohadstrolledbytheriver,camerunningback,and,pointinguptheMercy,exclaimed,—

           "Whatisfloatingthere?"

           Pencroftstoppedworking,andseeinganindistinctobjectmovingthroughthegloom,—

           "Acanoe!"criedhe.

           Allapproached,andsawtotheirextremesurprise,aboatfloatingdownthecurrent.

           "Boatahoy!"shoutedthesailor,withoutthinkingthatperhapsitwouldbebesttokeepsilence.

           Noreply.Theboatstilldriftedonward,anditwasnotmorethantwelvefeetoff,whenthesailorexclaimed,—

           "Butitisourownboat!shehasbrokenhermoorings,andfloateddownthecurrent.Imustsayshehasarrivedveryopportunely."

           "Ourboat?"murmuredtheengineer.

           Pencroftwasright.Itwasindeedthecanoe,ofwhichtheropehadundoubtedlybroken,andwhichhadcomealonefromthesourcesoftheMercy