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           "Andthen,"continuedthesailor,"ifthedocumentwasseveralyearsold,ifithadbeenshutupinthatbottleforseveralyears,itwouldhavebeeninjuredbydamp.Now,thereisnothingofthekind,anditwasfoundinaperfectstateofpreservation."

           Thesailor’sreasoningwasveryjust,andpointedoutanincomprehensiblefact,forthedocumentappearedtohavebeenrecentlywritten,whenthecolonistsfounditinthebottle.Moreover,itgavethelatitudeandlongitudeofTaborIslandcorrectly,whichimpliedthatitsauthorhadamorecompleteknowledgeofhydrographythancouldbeexpectedofacommonsailor.

           "Thereisinthis,again,somethingunaccountable,"saidtheengineer,"butwewillnoturgeourcompanionstospeak.Whenhelikes,myfriends,thenweshallbereadytohearhim!"

           Duringthefollowingdaysthestrangerdidnotspeakaword,anddidnotonceleavetheprecinctsoftheplateau.Heworkedaway,withoutlosingamoment,withouttakingaminute’srest,butalwaysinaretiredplace.AtmealtimeshenevercametoGraniteHouse,althoughinvitedseveraltimestodoso,butcontentedhimselfwitheatingafewrawvegetables.Atnightfallhedidnotreturntotheroomassignedtohim,butremainedundersomeclumpoftrees,orwhentheweatherwasbadcrouchedinsomecleftoftherocks.ThushelivedinthesamemanneraswhenhehadnoothershelterthantheforestsofTaborIsland,andasallpersuasiontoinducehimtoimprovehislifewasinvain,thecolonistswaitedpatiently.