Таємничий острів

           Thesun’sbrightraysglancedthroughthetrees.

           "Arethegunsready?"askedCyrusHarding.

           Theywere.TheengineerandPencroft,eacharmedwithadouble-barreledgun,andGideonSpilettcarryinghisrifle,hadnothingtodobutstart.

           "Areyoucomfortable,Herbert?"askedtheengineer.

           "Ah,captain,"repliedthelad,"don’tbeuneasy,Ishallnotdieontheroad!"

           Whilespeakingthus,itcouldbeseenthatthepoorboyhadcalledupallhisenergy,andbytheenergyofapowerfulwillhadcollectedhisfailingstrength.

           Theengineerfelthisheartsinkpainfully.Hestillhesitatedtogivethesignalfordeparture;butthatwouldhavedrivenHerberttodespair—killedhimperhaps.

           "Forward!"saidHarding.

           Thegateofthecorralwasopened.JupandTop,whoknewwhentobesilent,raninadvance.Thecartcameout,thegatewasreclosed,andtheonager,ledbyPencroft,advancedataslowpace.

           Certainly,itwouldhavebeensafertohavetakenadifferentroadthanthatwhichledstraightfromthecorraltoGraniteHouse,butthecartwouldhavemetwithgreatdifficultiesinmovingunderthetrees.Itwasnecessary,therefore,tofollowthisway,althoughitwaswellknowntotheconvicts.

           CyrusHardingandGideonSpilettwalkedoneoneachsideofthecart,readytoanswertoanyattack.However,itwasnotprobablethattheconvictswouldhaveyetlefttheplateauofProspectHeights.

           Neb’snotehadevidentlybeenwrittenandsentassoonastheconvictshadshownthemselvesthere.