Таємничий острів

           Thiswas,infact,thelastandonlymodeoflighteningtheballoon. Theropeswhichheldthecarwerecut,andtheballoon,afteritsfall,mounted2,000feet. Thefivevoyagershadhoistedthemselvesintothenet,andclungtothemeshes,gazingattheabyss. 

           Thedelicatesensibilityofballoonsiswellknown. Itissufficienttothrowoutthelightestarticletoproduceadifferenceinitsverticalposition. Theapparatusintheairislikeabalanceofmathematicalprecision. Itcanbethuseasilyunderstoodthatwhenitislightenedofanyconsiderableweightitsmovementwillbeimpetuousandsudden. Soithappenedonthisoccasion. Butafterbeingsuspendedforaninstantaloft,theballoonbegantoredescend,thegasescapingbytherentwhichitwasimpossibletorepair. 

           Themenhaddoneallthatmencoulddo. Nohumaneffortscouldsavethemnow. 

           TheymusttrusttothemercyofHimwhorulestheelements. 

           Atfouro’clocktheballoonwasonly500feetabovethesurfaceofthewater. 

           Aloudbarkingwasheard. Adogaccompaniedthevoyagers,andwasheldpressedclosetohismasterinthemeshesofthenet. 

           "Tophasseensomething,"criedoneofthemen. Thenimmediatelyaloudvoiceshouted, 

           "Land!land!" Theballoon,whichthewindstilldrovetowardsthesouthwest,hadsincedaybreakgoneaconsiderabledistance,whichmightbereckonedbyhundredsofmiles,andatolerablyhighlandhad,infact,appearedinthatdirection. Butthislandwasstillthirtymilesoff. Itwouldnottakelessthananhourtogettoit,andthentherewasthechanceoffallingtoleeward.