Таємничий острів

           Hewassurehisstrengthwouldreturnmorequicklyinhisroom,withtheairandsightofthesea!

           SeveraltimeshepressedGideonSpilett,butthelatter,fearing,withgoodreason,thatHerbert’swounds,halfhealed,mightreopenontheway,didnotgivetheordertostart.

           However,somethingoccurredwhichcompelledCyrusHardingandhistwofriendstoyieldtothelad’swish,andGodaloneknewthatthisdeterminationmightcausethemgriefandremorse.

           Itwasthe29thofNovember,seveno’clockintheevening.ThethreesettlersweretalkinginHerbert’sroom,whentheyheardToputterquickbarks.

           Harding,Pencroft,andSpilettseizedtheirgunsandranoutofthehouse.Top,atthefootofthepalisade,wasjumping,barking,butitwaswithpleasure,notanger.

           "Someoneiscoming."

           "Yes."

           "Itisnotanenemy!"

           "Neb,perhaps?"

           "OrAyrton?"

           Thesewordshadhardlybeenexchangedbetweentheengineerandhistwocompanionswhenabodyleapedoverthepalisadeandfellonthegroundinsidethecorral.

           ItwasJup,MasterJupinperson,towhomTopimmediatelygaveamostcordialreception.

           "Jup!"exclaimedPencroft.

           "Nebhassenthimtous,"saidthereporter.

           "Then,"repliedtheengineer,"hemusthavesomenoteonhim."

           Pencroftrusheduptotheorang.CertainlyifNebhadanyimportantmattertocommunicatetohismasterhecouldnotemployamoresureormorerapidmessenger,whocouldpasswhereneitherthecolonistscould,norevenTophimself.

           CyrusHardingwasnotmistaken.