Таємничий острів

           GideonSpilettdidnotceasefromponderingoverthisnewandinexplicableincident,theappearanceofafireonthecoastoftheisland.Thefirehadactuallybeenseen!Hiscompanions,HerbertandPencroft,hadseenitwithhim!Thefirehadservedtosignalizethepositionoftheislandduringthatdarknight,andtheyhadnotdoubtedthatitwaslightedbytheengineer’shand;andherewasCyrusHardingexpresslydeclaringthathehadneverdoneanythingofthesort!Spilettresolvedtorecurtothisincidentassoonasthe"Bonadventure"returned,andtourgeCyrusHardingtoacquainttheircompanionswiththesestrangefacts.PerhapsitwouldbedecidedtomakeincommonacompleteinvestigationofeverypartofLincolnIsland.

           Howeverthatmightbe,onthiseveningnofirewaslightedontheseyetunknownshores,whichformedtheentrancetothegulf,andthelittlevesselstoodoffduringthenight.

           Whenthefirststreaksofdawnappearedinthewesternhorizon,thewind,whichhadslightlyfallen,shiftedtwopoints,andenabledPencrofttoenterthenarrowgulfwithgreaterease.Towardsseveno’clockinthemorning,the"Bonadventure,"weatheringtheNorthMandibleCape,enteredthestraitandglidedontothewaters,sostrangelyenclosedintheframeoflava.