Таємничий острів

           Wemustcalculateonseveralweeksdelay,andifourvesselisreadybynextNovemberwemaythinkourselvesverylucky."

           "Well,"repliedCyrusHarding,"thatwillbeexactlythemostfavorabletimeforundertakingavoyageofanyimportance,eithertoTaborIslandortoamoredistantland."

           "Soitwill,captain,"answeredthesailor."Makeoutyourplansthen;theworkmenareready,andIimaginethatAyrtoncanlendusagoodhelpinghand."

           Thecolonists,havingbeenconsulted,approvedtheengineer’splan,anditwas,indeed,thebestthingtobedone.Itistruethattheconstructionofashipoffromtwotothreehundredtonswouldbegreatlabor,butthecolonistshadconfidenceinthemselves,justifiedbytheirprevioussuccess.

           CyrusHardingthenbusiedhimselfindrawingtheplanofthevesselandmakingthemodel.Duringthistimehiscompanionsemployedthemselvesinfellingandcartingtreestofurnishtheribs,timbers,andplanks.TheforestoftheFarWestsuppliedthebestoaksandelms.Theytookadvantageoftheopeningalreadymadeontheirlastexcursiontoformapracticableroad,whichtheynamedtheFarWestRoad,andthetreeswerecarriedtotheChimneys,wherethedockyardwasestablished.Astotheroadinquestion,thechoiceoftreeshadrendereditsdirectionsomewhatcapricious,butatthesametimeitfacilitatedtheaccesstoalargepartoftheSerpentinePeninsula.