ThreeyearshadpassedawaysincetheescapeoftheprisonersfromRichmond,andhowoftenduringthosethreeyearshadtheyspokenoftheircountry,alwayspresentintheirthoughts!

           Theyhadnodoubtthatthecivilwarwasatanend,andtothemitappearedimpossiblethatthejustcauseoftheNorthhadnottriumphed.Butwhathadbeentheincidentsofthisterriblewar?Howmuchbloodhaditnotcost?Howmanyoftheirfriendsmusthavefalleninthestruggle?Theyoftenspokeofthesethings,withoutasyetbeingabletoforeseethedaywhentheywouldbepermittedoncemoretoseetheircountry.Toreturnthither,wereitbutforafewdays,torenewthesociallinkwiththeinhabitedworld,toestablishacommunicationbetweentheirnativelandandtheirisland,thentopassthelongest,perhapsthebest,portionoftheirexistenceinthiscolony,foundedbythem,andwhichwouldthenbedependentontheircountry,wasthisadreamimpossibletorealize?

           Therewereonlytwowaysofaccomplishingit—eitherashipmustappearoffLincolnIsland,orthecolonistsmustthemselvesbuildavesselstrongenoughtosailtothenearestland.

           "Unless,"saidPencroft,"ourgoodgenius,himselfprovidesuswiththemeansofreturningtoourcountry."

           And,really,hadanyonetoldPencroftandNebthatashipof300tonswaswaitingfortheminSharkGulforatPortBalloon,theywouldnotevenhavemadeagestureofsurprise.Intheirstateofmindnothingappearedimprobable.