Таємничий острів

           However,itwassoonevidenttoCyrusHarding,onobservingthedirectionfollowedbytheboat,thattheywouldnotattempttopenetrateintothechannel,butwouldlandontheislet.

           PencroftandAyrton,eachhiddeninanarrowcleftoftherock,sawthemcomingdirectlytowardsthem,andwaitedtilltheywerewithinrange.

           Theboatadvancedwithextremecaution.Theoarsonlydippedintothewateratlongintervals.Itcouldnowbeseenthatoneoftheconvictsheldalead-lineinhishand,andthathewishedtofathomthedepthofthechannelhollowedoutbythecurrentoftheMercy.ThisshowedthatitwasBobHarvey’sintentiontobringhisbrigasnearaspossibletothecoast.Aboutthirtypirates,scatteredintherigging,followedeverymovementoftheboat,andtookthebearingsofcertainlandmarkswhichwouldallowthemtoapproachwithoutdanger.Theboatwasnotmorethantwocables-lengthsofftheisletwhenshestopped.Themanatthetillerstoodupandlookedforthebestplaceatwhichtoland.

           Atthatmomenttwoshotswereheard.Smokecurledupfromamongtherocksoftheislet.Themanatthehelmandthemanwiththelead-linefellbackwardsintotheboat.Ayrton’sandPencroft’sballshadstruckthembothatthesamemoment.

           Almostimmediatelyalouderreportwasheard,acloudofsmokeissuedfromthebrig’sside,andaball,strikingthesummitoftherockwhichshelteredAyrtonandPencroft,madeitflyinsplinters,butthetwomarksmenremainedunhurt.

           Horribleimprecationsburstfromtheboat,whichimmediatelycontinueditsway.