Таємничий острів

           But,veryfortunately,thewindblewfromthenortheast,andthegreaterpartoftheclouddissolveditselfoverthesea.

           "Thisisverysingular,CaptainHarding,"saidAyrton.

           "Itisveryserious,"repliedtheengineer."Thispowderedpumice-stone,allthismineraldust,proveshowgraveistheconvulsiongoingforwardinthelowerdepthsofthevolcano."

           "Butcannothingbedone?"

           "Nothing,excepttonotetheprogressofthephenomenon.Doyou,therefore,Ayrton,occupyyourselfwiththenecessaryworkatthecorral.InthemeantimeIwillascendjustbeyondthesourceofRedCreekandexaminetheconditionofthemountainuponitsnorthernaspect.Then—"

           "Well,CaptainHarding?"

           "ThenwewillpayavisittoDakkarGrotto.Iwishtoinspectit.AtanyrateIwillcomebackforyouintwohours."

           Ayrtonthenproceededtoenterthecorral,and,whileawaitingtheengineer’sreturn,busiedhimselfwiththemusmonsandgoatswhichseemedtofeelacertainuneasinessinpresenceofthesefirstsignsofaneruption.

           MeanwhileCyrusHardingascendedthecrestoftheeasternspur,passedRedCreek,andarrivedatthespotwhereheandhiscompanionshaddiscoveredasulphurousspringatthetimeoftheirfirstexploration.

           Howchangedwaseverything!Insteadofasinglecolumnofsmokehecountedthirteen,forcedthroughthesoilasifviolentlypropelledbysomepiston.Itwasevidentthatthecrustoftheearthwassubjectedinthispartoftheglobetoafrightfulpressure.