Таємничий острів

           "Atanyrate,"observedGideonSpiletttothesailor,"theexplosion,iftherehasbeenone,hasproducedsingulareffects!Ithassplitthelowerpartofthehull,insteadofblowingupthedeckandtopsides!Thesegreatrentsappearrathertohavebeenmadebyarockthanbytheexplosionofapowder-magazine."

           "Thereisnotarockinthechannel!"answeredthesailor."Iwilladmitanythingyoulike,excepttherock."

           "Letustrytopenetrateintotheinteriorofthebrig,"saidtheengineer;"perhapsweshallthenknowwhattothinkofthecauseofherdestruction."

           Thiswasthebestthingtobedone,anditwasagreed,besides,totakeaninventoryofallthetreasuresonboard,andtoarrangetheirpreservation.

           Accesstotheinteriorofthebrigwasnoweasy.Thetidewasstillgoingdownandthedeckwaspracticable.Theballast,composedofheavymassesofiron,hadbrokenthroughinseveralplaces.Thenoiseoftheseacouldbeheardasitrushedoutattheholesinthehull.

           CyrusHardingandhiscompanions,hatchetsinhand,advancedalongtheshattereddeck.Casesofallsortsencumberedit,and,astheyhadbeenbutaveryshorttimeinthewater,theircontentswereperhapsuninjured.

           Theythenbusiedthemselvesinplacingallthiscargoinsafety.Thewaterwouldnotreturnforseveralhours,andthesehoursmustbeemployedinthemostprofitableway.AyrtonandPencrofthad,attheentrancemadeinthehull,discoveredtackle,whichwouldservetohoistupthebarrelsandchests.