Таємничий острів

           Notevenapebblerecentlydisplaced;notatraceonthesand;notahumanfootsteponallthatpartofthebeach.Itwasclearthatthatportionoftheshorehadneverbeenvisitedbyahumanbeing.Theseawasasdesertedastheland,anditwasthere,afewhundredfeetfromthecoast,thattheengineermusthavefoundatomb.

           AsSpilettendedhisaccount,Nebjumpedup,exclaiminginavoicewhichshowedhowhopestruggledwithinhim,"No!heisnotdead!hecan’tbedead!Itmighthappentoanyoneelse,butnevertohim!Hecouldgetoutofanything!"Thenhisstrengthforsakinghim,"Oh!Icandonomore!"hemurmured.

           "Neb,"saidHerbert,runningtohim,"wewillfindhim!Godwillgivehimbacktous!Butinthemeantimeyouarehungry,andyoumusteatsomething."

           Sosaying,heofferedthepoorNegroafewhandfulsofshell-fish,whichwasindeedwretchedandinsufficientfood.Nebhadnoteatenanythingforseveralhours,butherefusedthem.Hecouldnot,wouldnotlivewithouthismaster.

           AstoGideonSpilett,hedevouredtheshell-fish,thenhelaidhimselfdownonthesand,atthefootofarock.Hewasveryweak,butcalm.Herbertwentuptohim,andtakinghishand,"Sir,"saidhe,"wehavefoundashelterwhichwillbebetterthanlyinghere.Nightisadvancing.Comeandrest!To-morrowwewillsearchfarther."

           Thereportergotup,andguidedbytheboywenttowardsthecave.