Таємничий острів

           Thethickfoliageofthetreesthrewagratefulshadeontheground.Deodars,Douglasfirs,casuarinas,banksias,gum-trees,dragon-trees,andotherwell-knownspecies,succeededeachotherfarastheeyecouldreach.Thefeatheredtribesoftheislandwereallrepresented—grouse,jacamars,pheasants,lories,aswellasthechatteringcockatoos,parrots,andparoquets.Agouties,kangaroos,andcapybarasfledswiftlyattheirapproach;andallthisremindedthesettlersofthefirstexcursionstheyhadmadeontheirarrivalattheisland.

           "Nevertheless,"observedCyrusHarding,"Inoticethatthesecreatures,bothbirdsandquadrupeds,aremoretimidthanformerly.Thesewoodshave,therefore,beenrecentlytraversedbytheconvicts,andweshallcertainlyfindsometracesofthem."

           And,infact,inseveralplacestheycoulddistinguishtraces,moreorlessrecent,ofthepassageofabandofmen—herebranchesbrokenoffthetrees,perhapstomarkouttheway;theretheashesofafire,andfootprintsinclayeyspots;butnothingwhichappearedtobelongtoasettledencampment.

           Theengineerhadrecommendedhiscompanionstorefrainfromhunting.Thereportsofthefirearmsmightgivethealarmtotheconvicts,whowere,perhaps,roamingthroughtheforest.Moreover,thehunterswouldnecessarilyramblesomedistancefromthecart,whichitwasdangeroustoleaveunguarded.

           Intheafterpartoftheday,whenaboutsixmilesfromGraniteHouse,theirprogressbecamemuchmoredifficult.