Таємничий острів

           Comenow,istherenowayofgettingatthem?"

           "LetustrytoenterGraniteHousebytheoldopeningatthelake,"repliedtheengineer.

           "Oh!"shoutedthesailor,"andIneverthoughtofthat."

           ThiswasinrealitytheonlywaybywhichtopenetrateintoGraniteHousesoastofightwithanddriveouttheintruders.Theopeningwas,itistrue,closedupwithawallofcementedstones,whichitwouldbenecessarytosacrifice,butthatcouldeasilyberebuilt.Fortunately,CyrusHardinghadnotasyeteffectedhisprojectofhidingthisopeningbyraisingthewatersofthelake,fortheoperationwouldthenhavetakensometime.

           Itwasalreadypasttwelveo’clock,whenthecolonists,wellarmedandprovidedwithpicksandspades,lefttheChimneys,passedbeneaththewindowsofGraniteHouse,aftertellingToptoremainathispost,andbegantoascendtheleftbankoftheMercy,soastoreachProspectHeights.

           Buttheyhadnotmadefiftystepsinthisdirection,whentheyheardthedogbarkingfuriously.

           Andallrusheddownthebankagain.

           Arrivedattheturning,theysawthatthesituationhadchanged.

           Infact,theapes,seizedwithasuddenpanic,fromsomeunknowncause,weretryingtoescape.Twoorthreeranandclamberedfromonewindowtoanotherwiththeagilityofacrobats.Theywerenoteventryingtoreplacetheladder,bywhichitwouldhavebeeneasytodescend;perhapsintheirterrortheyhadforgottenthiswayofescape.Thecolonists,nowbeingabletotakeaimwithoutdifficulty,fired.