Таємничий острів

           Thesettlersnowbegantotalkoffetchingtheballoon-case,whichtheywereanxioustoplaceinperfectsecurity;buttobringit,itwouldbenecessarytotakeacarttoPortBalloon,andconsequently,necessarytobeataroadthroughthedenseforestsoftheFarWest.Thiswouldtakesometime.Also,NebandPencrofthavinggonetoexamineintothestateofthingsatPortBalloon,andreportedthatthestockofclothwouldsuffernodamageinthegrottowhereitwasstored,itwasdecidedthattheworkatProspectHeightsshouldnotbediscontinued.

           "That,"observedPencroft,"willenableustoestablishourpoultry-yardunderbetterconditions,sinceweneedhavenofearofvisitsfromfoxesnortheattacksofotherbeasts."

           "Then,"addedNeb,"wecancleartheplateau,andtransplantwildplantstoit."

           "Andprepareoursecondcorn-field!"criedthesailorwithatriumphantair.

           Infact,thefirstcorn-fieldsownwithasinglegrainhadprosperedadmirably,thankstoPencroft’scare.Ithadproducedthetenearsforetoldbytheengineer,andeachearcontainingeightygrains,thecolonyfounditselfinpossessionofeighthundredgrains,insixmonths,whichpromisedadoubleharvesteachyear.

           Theseeighthundredgrains,exceptfifty,whichwereprudentlyreserved,weretobesowninanewfield,butwithnolesscarethanwasbestowedonthesinglegrain.

           Thefieldwasprepared,thensurroundedwithastrongpalisade,highandpointed,whichquadrupedswouldhavefounddifficultyinleaping.