Таємничий острів

           "Nonsense!LincolnIsland,itcan’tbe!"criedPencroft,who,inspiteoftherespecthefeltforCyrusHarding,couldnotpreventagestureofincredulity.

           "Listen,Pencroft,"resumedtheengineer,"IwilltellyouwhatCaptainNemocommunicatedtome,andwhichImyselfconfirmedyesterday,duringtheexplorationofDakkarGrotto.

           "Thiscavernstretchesundertheislandasfarasthevolcano,andisonlyseparatedfromitscentralshaftbythewallwhichterminatesit.Now,thiswallisseamedwithfissuresandcleftswhichalreadyallowthesulphurousgasesgeneratedintheinteriorofthevolcanotoescape."

           "Well?"saidPencroft,hisbrowsuddenlycontracting.

           "Well,then,Isawthatthesefissureswidenundertheinternalpressurefromwithin,thatthewallofbasaltisgraduallygivingwayandthatafteralongerorshorterperioditwillaffordapassagetothewatersofthelakewhichfillthecavern."

           "Good!"repliedPencroft,withanattemptatpleasantry."Theseawillextinguishthevolcano,andtherewillbeanendofthematter!"

           "Notso!"saidCyrusHarding,"shouldadayarrivewhenthesea,rushingthroughthewallofthecavern,penetratesbythecentralshaftintotheinterioroftheislandtotheboilinglava,LincolnIslandwillthatdaybeblownintotheair—justaswouldhappentotheislandofSicilyweretheMediterraneantoprecipitateitselfintoMountEtna."

           Thecolonistsmadenoanswertothesesignificantwordsoftheengineer.Theynowunderstoodthedangerbywhichtheyweremenaced.