Таємничий острів

           Itdidnotappearthatthefootofmanhadeverbeforetroddentheseancientpassages,orthathisarmhadeverdisplacedoneoftheseblocks,whichremainedasthevolcanohadcastthemupabovethewaters,atthetimeofthesubmersionoftheisland.

           However,althoughthesepassagesappearedtobeabsolutelydeserted,andtheobscuritywascomplete,CyrusHardingwasobligedtoconfessthatabsolutesilencedidnotreignthere.

           Onarrivingattheendofoneofthesegloomycaverns,extendingseveralhundredfeetintotheinteriorofthemountain,hewassurprisedtohearadeeprumblingnoise,increasedinintensitybythesonorousnessoftherocks.

           GideonSpilett,whoaccompaniedhim,alsoheardthesedistantmutterings,whichindicatedarevivificationofthesubterraneanfires.Severaltimesbothlistened,andtheyagreedthatsomechemicalprocesswastakingplaceinthebowelsoftheearth.

           "Thenthevolcanoisnottotallyextinct?"saidthereporter.

           "Itispossiblethatsinceourexplorationofthecrater,"repliedCyrusHarding,"somechangehasoccurred.Anyvolcano,althoughconsideredextinct,mayevidentlyagainburstforth."

           "ButifaneruptionofMountFranklinoccurred,"askedSpilett,"wouldtherenotbesomedangertoLincolnIsland?"

           "Idonotthinkso,"answeredthereporter."Thecrater,thatistosay,thesafety-valve,exists,andtheoverflowofsmokeandlava,wouldescape,asitdidformerly,bythiscustomaryoutlet."