Таємничий острів

           Dirtyweatheriscomingon!"

           "AtanyratewehaveafavorablewindforreachingCapeMandible,"observedthereporter.

           "Averyfinewind,"repliedthesailor;"butwemusttacktoenterthegulf,andIshouldliketoseemywayclearintheseunknownquarters."

           "Quarterswhichappeartobefilledwithrocks,"addedHerbert,"ifwejudgebywhatwesawonthesouthcoastofSharkGulf."

           "Pencroft,"saidCyrusHarding,"doasyouthinkbest,wewillleaveittoyou."

           "Don’tmakeyourminduneasy,captain,"repliedthesailor,"Ishallnotexposemyselfneedlessly!Iwouldratheraknifewererunintomyribsthanasharprockintothoseofmy‘Bonadventure!’"

           ThatwhichPencroftcalledribswasthepanofhisvesselunderwater,andhevalueditmorethanhisownskin.

           "Whato’clockisit?"askedPencroft.

           "Teno’clock,"repliedGideonSpilett.

           "AndwhatdistanceisittotheCape,captain?"

           "Aboutfifteenmiles,"repliedtheengineer.

           "That’samatteroftwohoursandahalf,"saidthesailor,"andweshallbeofftheCapebetweentwelveandoneo’clock.Unluckily,thetidewillbeturningatthatmoment,andwillbeebbingoutofthegulf.Iamafraidthatitwillbeverydifficulttogetin,havingbothwindandtideagainstus."

           "Andthemoresothatitisafullmoonto-day,"remarkedHerbert,"andtheseApriltidesareverystrong."

           "Well,Pencroft,"askedHarding,"canyounotanchorofftheCape?"

           "Anchornearland,withbadweathercomingon!"exclaimedthesailor.