Таємничий острів

           Itwasrarelythatthedistantgrowlingofthethundercouldnotbeheard,likealowbutincessantmurmur,suchasisproducedintheequatorialregionsoftheglobe.

           The1stofJanuary,1869,wassignalizedbyastormofextremeviolence,andthethunderburstseveraltimesovertheisland.Largetreeswerestruckbytheelectricfluidandshattered,andamongothersoneofthosegiganticnettle-treeswhichhadshadedthepoultry-yardatthesouthernextremityofthelake.Hadthismeteoranyrelationtothephenomenagoingoninthebowelsoftheearth?Wasthereanyconnectionbetweenthecommotionoftheatmosphereandthatoftheinterioroftheearth?CyrusHardingwasinclinedtothinkthatsuchwasthecase,forthedevelopmentofthesestormswasattendedbytherenewalofvolcanicsymptoms.

           Itwasonthe3rdofJanuarythatHerbert,havingascendedatdaybreaktotheplateauofProspectHeightstoharnessoneoftheonagers,perceivedanenormoushat-shapedcloudrollingfromthesummitofthevolcano.

           Herbertimmediatelyapprisedthecolonists,whoatoncejoinedhiminwatchingthesummitofMountFranklin.

           "Ah!"exclaimedPencroft,"thosearenotvaporsthistime!Itseemstomethatthegiantisnotcontentwithbreathing;hemustsmoke!"

           Thisfigureofspeechemployedbythesailorexactlyexpressedthechangesgoingonatthemouthofthevolcano.Alreadyforthreemonthshadthecrateremittedvaporsmoreorlessdense,butwhichwereasyetproducedonlybyaninternalebullitionofmineralsubstances.