Таємничий острів

           CyrusHarding,accustomedtotheconsiderationofimportantcrises,andawarethathewasaddressingmencapableofhearingthetruth,whateveritmightbe,thensaid,—

           "Eitherthelakewillarresttheprogressofthelava,andapartoftheislandwillbepreservedfromutterdestruction,orthestreamwilloverruntheforestsoftheFarWest,andnotatreeorplantwillremainonthesurfaceofthesoil.Weshallhavenoprospectbutthatofstarvationuponthesebarrenrocks—adeathwhichwillprobablybeanticipatedbytheexplosionoftheisland."

           "Inthatcase,"repliedPencroft,foldinghisarmsandstampinghisfoot,"what’stheuseofworkinganylongeronthevessel?"

           "Pencroft,"answeredCyrusHarding,"wemustdoourdutytothelast!"

           Atthisinstanttheriveroflava,afterhavingbrokenapassagethroughthenobletreesitdevouredinitscourse,reachedthebordersofthelake.Atthispointtherewasanelevationofthesoilwhich,haditbeengreater,mighthavesufficedtoarrestthetorrent.

           "Towork!"criedCyrusHarding.

           Theengineer’sthoughtwasatonceunderstood.itmightbepossibletodam,asitwere,thetorrent,andthuscompelittopouritselfintothelake.

           Thecolonistshastenedtothedockyard.Theyreturnedwithshovels,picks,axes,andbymeansofbankingtheearthwiththeaidoffallentreestheysucceededinafewhoursinraisinganembankmentthreefeethighandsomehundredsofpacesinlength.