Таємничий острів

           "No!no!"heexclaimed;"onewordonly—amIfree?"

           "Youarefree,"answeredtheengineer.

           "Farewell,then!"hecried,andfledlikeamadman.

           Neb,Pencroft,andHerbertranalsotowardstheedgeofthewood—buttheyreturnedalone.

           "Wemustlethimalone!"saidCyrusHarding.

           "Hewillnevercomeback!"exclaimedPencroft.

           "Hewillcomeback,"repliedtheengineer.

           Manydayspassed;butHarding—wasitasortofpresentiment?—presentimentinthefixedideathatsoonerorlatertheunhappymanwouldreturn.

           "Itisthelastrevoltofhiswildnature,"saidhe,"whichremorsehastouched,andwhichrenewedsolitudewillterrify."

           Inthemeanwhile,worksofallsortswerecontinued,aswellonProspectHeightsasatthecorral,whereHardingintendedtobuildafarm.ItisunnecessarytosaythattheseedscollectedbyHerbertonTaborIslandhadbeencarefullysown.Theplateauthusformedoneimmensekitchen-garden,welllaidoutandcarefullytended,sothatthearmsofthesettlerswereneverinwantofwork.Therewasalwayssomethingtobedone.Astheesculentsincreasedinnumber,itbecamenecessarytoenlargethesimplebeds,whichthreatenedtogrowintoregularfieldsandreplacethemeadows.Butgrassaboundedinotherpartsoftheisland,andtherewasnofearoftheonagersbeingobligedtogoonshortallowance.