Таємничий острів

           Itisuselesstosaythatsincetheenclosingoftheplateauhadbeencompleted,MasterJuphadbeensetatliberty.Hedidnotleavehismasters,andevincednowishtoescape.Hewasagentleanimal,thoughverypowerfulandwonderfullyactive.HewasalreadytaughttomakehimselfusefulbydrawingloadsofwoodandcartingawaythestoneswhichwereextractedfromthebedofCreekGlycerine.

           Thepoultry-yardoccupiedanareaoftwohundredsquareyards,onthesoutheasternbankofthelake.Itwassurroundedbyapalisade,andinitwereconstructedvarioussheltersforthebirdswhichweretopopulateit.Theseweresimplybuiltofbranchesanddividedintocompartments,madereadyfortheexpectedguests.

           Thefirstwerethetwotinamous,whichwerenotlonginhavinganumberofyoungones;theyhadforcompanionshalfadozenducks,accustomedtothebordersofthelake.SomebelongedtotheChinesespecies,ofwhichthewingsopenlikeafan,andwhichbythebrilliancyoftheirplumagerivalthegoldenpheasants.Afewdaysafterwards,Herbertsnaredacoupleofgallinaceae,withspreadingtailscomposedoflongfeathers,magnificentalectors,whichsoonbecametame.Astopelicans,kingfishers,water-hens,theycameofthemselvestotheshoresofthepoultry-yard,andthislittlecommunity,aftersomedisputes,cooing,screaming,clucking,endedbysettlingdownpeacefully,andincreasedinencouragingproportionforthefutureuseofthecolony.

           CyrusHarding,wishingtocompletehisperformance,establishedapigeon-houseinacornerofthepoultry-yard.