Таємничий острів

           Itmighthavebeensupposedonemorning—the21st—thatthefirstsnowhadalreadymadeitsappearance.InfactHerbertlookingearlyfromoneofthewindowsofGraniteHouse,exclaimed,—

           "Hallo!theisletiscoveredwithsnow!"

           "Snowatthistime?"answeredthereporter,joiningtheboy.

           Theircompanionsweresoonbesidethem,butcouldonlyascertainonething,thatnotonlytheisletbutallthebeachbelowGraniteHousewascoveredwithoneuniformsheetofwhite.

           "Itmustbesnow!"saidPencroft.

           "Orratherit’sverylikeit!"repliedNeb.

           "Butthethermometermarksfifty-eightdegrees!"observedGideonSpilett.

           CyrusHardinggazedatthesheetofwhitewithoutsayinganything,forhereallydidnotknowhowtoexplainthisphenomenon,atthistimeofyearandinsuchatemperature.

           "ByJove!"exclaimedPencroft,"allourplantswillbefrozen!"

           Andthesailorwasabouttodescend,whenhewasprecededbythenimbleJup,whosliddowntothesand.

           Buttheoranghadnottouchedtheground,whenthesnowysheetaroseanddispersedintheairinsuchinnumerableflakesthatthelightofthesunwasobscuredforsomeminutes.

           "Birds!"criedHerbert.

           Theywereindeedswarmsofsea-birds,withdazzlingwhiteplumage.Theyhadperchedbythousandsontheisletandontheshore,andtheydisappearedinthedistance,leavingthecolonistsamazedasiftheyhadbeenpresentatsometransformationscene,inwhichsummersucceededwinteratthetouchofafairy’swand