Таємничий острів

           Hesometimesamusedhimselfattheexpenseofhislittlepensionersbytweakingtheirtails;butthiswasmischief,andnotwickedness,fortheselittletwistedtailsamusedhimlikeaplaything,andhisinstinctwasthatofachild.OnedayinthismonthofMarch,Pencroft,talkingtotheengineer,remindedCyrusHardingofapromisewhichthelatterhadnotasyethadtimetofulfil.

           "YouoncespokeofanapparatuswhichwouldtaketheplaceofthelongladdersatGraniteHouse,captain,"saidhe;"won’tyoumakeitsomeday?"

           "Nothingwillbeeasier;butisthisareallyusefulthing?"

           "Certainly,captain.Afterwehavegivenourselvesnecessaries,letusthinkalittleofluxury.Forusitmaybeluxury,ifyoulike,butforthingsitisnecessary.Itisn’tveryconvenienttoclimbupalongladderwhenoneisheavilyloaded."

           "Well,Pencroft,wewilltrytopleaseyou,"repliedCyrusHarding.

           "Butyouhavenomachineatyourdisposal."

           "Wewillmakeone."

           "Asteammachine?"

           "No,awatermachine."

           And,indeed,toworkhisapparatustherewasalreadyanaturalforceatthedisposaloftheengineerwhichcouldbeusedwithoutgreatdifficulty.Forthis,itwasenoughtoaugmenttheflowofthelittlestreamwhichsuppliedtheinteriorofGraniteHousewithwater.Theopeningamongthestonesandgrasswasthenincreased,thusproducingastrongfallatthebottomofthepassage,theoverflowfromwhichescapedbytheinnerwell.