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           "Youhavefoundthecastaway?"

           "Yes."

           "Andyouhavebroughthim?"

           "Yes."

           "Living?"

           "Yes."

           "Whereishe?Whoishe?"

           "Heis,"repliedthereporter,"orratherhewasaman!There,Cyrus,thatisallwecantellyou!"

           Theengineerwastheninformedofallthathadpassedduringthevoyage,andunderwhatconditionsthesearchhadbeenconducted;howtheonlydwellingintheislandhadlongbeenabandoned;howatlastacastawayhadbeencaptured,whoappearednolongertobelongtothehumanspecies.

           "Andthat’sjustthepoint,"addedPencroft,"Idon’tknowifwehavedonerighttobringhimhere."

           "Certainlyyouhave,Pencroft,"repliedtheengineerquickly.

           "Butthewretchedcreaturehasnosense!"

           "Thatispossibleatpresent,"repliedCyrusHarding,"butonlyafewmonthsagothewretchedcreaturewasamanlikeyouandme.Andwhoknowswhatwillbecomeofthesurvivorofusafteralongsolitudeonthisisland?Itisagreatmisfortunetobealone,myfriends;anditmustbebelievedthatsolitudecanquicklydestroyreason,sinceyouhavefoundthispoorcreatureinsuchastate!"

           "But,captain,"askedHerbert,"whatleadsyoutothinkthatthebrutishnessoftheunfortunatemanbeganonlyafewmonthsback?"

           "Becausethedocumentwefoundhadbeenrecentlywritten,"answeredtheengineer,"andthecastawayalonecanhavewrittenit."

           "Alwayssupposing,"observedGideonSpilett,"thatithadnotbeenwrittenbyacompanionofthisman,sincedead."