Таємничий острів

           Acompleteexplorationofthecoastoftheislandhadnowbeenmade,andnosuspiciousappearanceshadbeenobserved.Ifanymysteriousbeingresidedonit,itcouldonlybeundercoveroftheimpenetrableforestoftheSerpentinePeninsula,towhichthecolonistshadnotyetdirectedtheirinvestigations.

           GideonSpilettdiscussedthesethingswiththeengineer,anditwasagreedthattheyshoulddirecttheattentionoftheircompanionstothestrangecharacterofcertainincidentswhichhadoccurredontheisland,andofwhichthelastwasthemostunaccountable.

           However,Harding,returningtothefactofafirehavingbeenkindledontheshorebyanunknownhand,couldnotrefrainfromrepeatingforthetwentiethtimetothereporter,—

           "Butareyouquitesureofhavingseenit?Wasitnotapartialeruptionofthevolcano,orperhapssomemeteor?"

           "No,Cyrus,"answeredthereporter,"itwascertainlyafirelightedbythehandofman.Besides;questionPencroftandHerbert.TheysawitasIsawitmyself,andtheywillconfirmmywords."

           Inconsequence,therefore,afewdaysafter,onthe25thofApril,intheevening,whenthesettlerswereallcollectedonProspectHeights,CyrusHardingbeganbysaying,—

           "Myfriends,Ithinkitmydutytocallyourattentiontocertainincidentswhichhaveoccurredintheisland,onthesubjectofwhichIshallbehappytohaveyouradvice.Theseincidentsare,sotospeak,supernatural—"

           "Supernatural!"exclaimedthesailor,emittingavolumeofsmokefromhismouth.