Таємничий острів

           Butitwasnotnecessarytowaitforthetidetobringuptheseriches,andAyrtonandPencroftjumpedintotheboatwiththeintentionoftowingthepiecesofwreckeithertothebeachortotheislet.Butjustastheywereshovingoff,anobservationfromGideonSpilettarrestedthem.

           "WhataboutthosesixconvictswhodisembarkedontherightbankoftheMercy?"saidhe.

           Infact,itwouldnotdotoforgetthatthesixmenwhoseboathadgonetopiecesontherockshadlandedatFlotsamPoint.

           Theylookedinthatdirection.Noneofthefugitiveswerevisible.Itwasprobablethat,havingseentheirvesselengulfedinthechannel,theyhadfledintotheinterioroftheisland.

           "Wewilldealwiththemlater,"saidHarding."Astheyarearmed,theywillstillbedangerous;butasitissixagainstsix,thechancesareequal.Tothemostpressingbusinessfirst."

           AyrtonandPencroftpulledvigorouslytowardsthewreck.

           Theseawascalmandthetideveryhigh,astherehadbeenanewmoonbuttwodaysbefore.Awholehouratleastwouldelapsebeforethehullofthebrigcouldemergefromthewaterofthechannel.

           AyrtonandPencroftwereabletofastenthemastsandsparsbymeansofropes,theendsofwhichwerecarriedtothebeach.There,bytheunitedeffortsofthesettlersthepiecesofwreckwerehauledup.Thentheboatpickedupallthatwasfloating,coops,barrels,andboxes,whichwereimmediatelycarriedtotheChimneys.

           Severalbodiesfloatedalso.