Таємничий острів

           "No,"saidGideonSpilett,"buttherearewillowsontheborderofthelake,andthebarkofthewillowmight,perhaps,provetobeasubstituteforquinine."

           "Letustryitwithoutlosingamoment,"repliedCyrusHarding.

           Thebarkofthewillowhas,indeed,beenjustlyconsideredasasuccedaneumforPeruvianbark,ashasalsothatofthehorse-chestnuttree,theleafoftheholly,thesnake-root,etc.Itwasevidentlynecessarytomaketrialofthissubstance,althoughnotsovaluableasPeruvianbark,andtoemployitinitsnaturalstate,sincetheyhadnomeansforextractingitsessence.

           CyrusHardingwenthimselftocutfromthetrunkofaspeciesofblackwillow,afewpiecesofbark;hebroughtthembacktoGraniteHouse,andreducedthemtoapowder,whichwasadministeredthatsameeveningtoHerbert.

           Thenightpassedwithoutanyimportantchange.Herbertwassomewhatdelirious,butthefeverdidnotreappearinthenight,anddidnotreturneitherduringthefollowingday.

           Pencroftagainbegantohope.GideonSpilettsaidnothing.Itmightbethatthefeverwasnotquotidian,buttertian,andthatitwouldreturnnextday.Therefore,heawaitedthenextdaywiththegreatestanxiety.

           ItmighthavebeenremarkedbesidesthatduringthisperiodHerbertremainedutterlyprostrate,hisheadweakandgiddy.Anothersymptomalarmedthereportertothehighestdegree.Herbert’sliverbecamecongested,andsoonamoreintensedeliriumshowedthathisbrainwasalsoaffected.

           GideonSpilettwasoverwhelmedbythisnewcomplication.