Таємничий острів

           Doyouimaginethattheconvictswillnotseeyouleaveit,thattheywillnotallowyoutoentertheforest,andthattheywillnotattackitduringyourabsence,knowingthatthereisnooneherebutawoundedboyandaman?"

           "Youareright,captain,"repliedPencroft,hischestswellingwithsullenanger."Youareright;theywilldoalltheycantoretakethecorral,whichtheyknowtobewellstored;andaloneyoucouldnotholditagainstthem."

           "Oh,ifwewereonlyatGraniteHouse!"

           "IfwewereatGraniteHouse,"answeredtheengineer,"thecasewouldbeverydifferent.ThereIshouldnotbeafraidtoleaveHerbertwithone,whiletheotherthreewenttosearchtheforestsoftheisland.Butweareatthecorral,anditisbesttostayhereuntilwecanleaveittogether."

           CyrusHarding’sreasoningwasunanswerable,andhiscompanionsunderstooditwell.

           "IfonlyAyrtonwasstilloneofus!"saidGideonSpilett."Poorfellow!hisreturntosociallifewillhavebeenbutofshortduration."

           "Ifheisdead,"addedPencroft,inapeculiartone.

           "Doyouhope,then,Pencroft,thatthevillainshavesparedhim?"askedGideonSpilett.

           "Yes,iftheyhadanyinterestindoingso."

           "What!yousupposethatAyrtonfindinghisoldcompanions,forgettingallthatheowesus—"

           "Whoknows?"answeredthesailor,whodidnothazardthisshamefulsuppositionwithouthesitating.