Таємничий острів

           "ThatwillsuitNebaswellasus.Evenifwedonotfindthecastaway,atleastourvoyagewillnothavebeenuseless,andGodwillhaverewardedus."

           "Doubtless,"repliedGideonSpilett,"buttoseethestateinwhichwefindtheseplantations,itistobefearedthattheislandhasnotbeeninhabitedforsometime."

           "Indeed,"answeredHerbert,"aninhabitant,whoeverhewas,couldnothaveneglectedsuchanimportantculture!"

           "Yes,"saidPencroft,"thecastawayhasgone."

           "Wemustsupposeso."

           "Itmustthenbeadmittedthatthedocumenthasalreadyadistantdate?"

           "Evidently."

           "AndthatthebottleonlyarrivedatLincolnIslandafterhavingfloatedintheseaalongtime."

           "Whynot?"returnedPencroft."Butnightiscomingon,"addedhe,"andIthinkthatitwillbebesttogiveupthesearchforthepresent."

           "Letusgoonboard,andto-morrowwewillbeginagain,"saidthereporter.

           Thiswasthewisestcourse,anditwasabouttobefollowedwhenHerbert,pointingtoaconfusedmassamongthetrees,exclaimed,—

           "Ahut!"

           Allthreeimmediatelyrantowardsthedwelling.Inthetwilightitwasjustpossibletoseethatitwasbuiltofplanksandcoveredwithathicktarpaulin.

           Thehalf-closeddoorwaspushedopenbyPencroft,whoenteredwitharapidstep.

           Thehutwasempty!