Таємничий острів

           AndthisbecamestillmoreevidentwhenGideonSpilett,afterhavingwalkedaroundthehut,sawonaplank,probablyoneofthosewhichhadformedthearmorofthewreckedvessel,theselettersalreadyhalfeffaced:

           BR—TAN—A

           "Britannia,"exclaimedPencroft,whomthereporterhadcalled;"itisacommonnameforships,andIcouldnotsayifshewasEnglishorAmerican!"

           "Itmattersverylittle,Pencroft!"

           "Verylittleindeed,"answeredthesailor,"andwewillsavethesurvivorofhercrewifheisstillliving,towhatevercountryhemaybelong.Butbeforebeginningoursearchagainletusgoonboardthe‘Bonadventure’."

           AsortofuneasinesshadseizedPencroftuponthesubjectofhisvessel.Shouldtheislandbeinhabitedafterall,andshouldsomeonehavetakenpossessionofher?Butheshruggedhisshouldersatsuchanunreasonablesupposition.Atanyratethesailorwasnotsorrytogotobreakfastonboard.Theroadalreadytroddenwasnotlong,scarcelyamile.Theysetoutontheirwalk,gazingintothewoodandthicketsthroughwhichgoatsandpigsfledinhundreds.

           TwentyminutesafterleavingthehutPencroftandhiscompanionsreachedthewesterncoastoftheisland,andsawthe"Bonadventure"heldfastbyheranchor,whichwasburieddeepinthesand.

           Pencroftcouldnotrestrainasighofsatisfaction.Afterallthisvesselwashischild,anditistherightoffatherstobeoftenuneasywhenthereisnooccasionforit.