Таємничий острів

           "Confoundthem!"exclaimedPencroft,"itreallyseemsasiftheblackguardswerepreparingtoweighanchor."

           "PerhapsweshallbeobligedtotakerefugeinGraniteHouse!"observedHerbert.

           "Wemustwait!"answeredCyrusHarding.

           "ButMr.SpilettandNeb?"saidPencroft.

           "Theywillknowwhenitisbesttorejoinus.Beready,Ayrton.ItisyoursandSpilett’srifleswhichmustspeaknow."

           Itwasonlytootrue.The"Speedy"wasbeginningtoweighheranchor,andherintentionwasevidentlytoapproachtheislet.Thetidewouldberisingforanhourandahalf,andtheebbcurrentbeingalreadyweakened,itwouldbeeasyforthebrigtoadvance.Butastoenteringthechannel,Pencroft,contrarytoAyrton’sopinion,couldnotbelievethatshewoulddaretoattemptit.

           Inthemeanwhile,thepirateswhooccupiedtheislethadgraduallyadvancedtotheoppositeshore,andwerenowonlyseparatedfromthemainlandbythechannel.

           Beingarmedwithmusketsalone,theycoulddonoharmtothesettlers,inambushattheChimneysandthemouthoftheMercy;but,notknowingthelattertobesuppliedwithlong-rangerifles,theyontheirsidedidnotbelievethemselvestobeexposed.Quiteuncovered,therefore,theysurveyedtheislet,andexaminedtheshore.

           Theirillusionwasofshortduration.Ayrton’sandGideonSpilett’sriflesthenspoke,andnodoubtimpartedsomeverydisagreeableintelligencetotwooftheconvicts,fortheyfellbackwards.

           Thentherewasageneralhelter-skelter.