Таємничий острів

           Itmaybe,althoughitisscarcelypossible,thatoneofthesevillainshaslanded,andinthatcasetwomenwillnotbetoomanytohinderhimfromgivingthealarm.IwillwaitforAyrtonontheislet,andheshallgoalonetothevessel,sincehehasproposedtodoso."Thesethingsagreedto,Ayrtonmadepreparationsforhisdeparture.Hisplanwasbold,butitmightsucceed,thankstothedarknessofthenight.Oncearrivedatthevessel’sside,Ayrton,holdingontothemainchains,mightreconnoiterthenumberandperhapsoverheartheintentionsofthepirates.

           AyrtonandPencroft,followedbytheircompanions,descendedtothebeach.Ayrtonundressedandrubbedhimselfwithgrease,soastosufferlessfromthetemperatureofthewater,whichwasstillcold.Hemight,indeed,beobligedtoremaininitforseveralhours.

           PencroftandNeb,duringthistime,hadgonetofetchtheboat,mooredafewhundredfeethigherup,onthebankoftheMercy,andbythetimetheyreturned,Ayrtonwasreadytostart.Acoatwasthrownoverhisshoulders,andthesettlersallcameroundhimtopresshishand.

           AyrtonthenshovedoffwithPencroftintheboat.

           Itwashalf-pasttenintheeveningwhenthetwoadventurersdisappearedinthedarkness.TheircompanionsreturnedtowaitattheChimneys.

           Thechannelwaseasilytraversed,andtheboattouchedtheoppositeshoreoftheislet.Thiswasnotdonewithoutprecaution,forfearlestthepiratesmightberoamingaboutthere.Butafteracarefulsurvey,itwasevidentthattheisletwasdeserted.