Таємничий острів

           Yetanothermonthmustelapsebeforethevesselwouldbereadyforsea.Wouldtheislandholdtogethertillthen?TheintentionofPencroftandCyrusHardingwastolaunchthevesselassoonasthehullshouldbecomplete.Thedeck,theupperworks,theinteriorwoodworkandtheriggingmightbefinishedafterwards,buttheessentialpointwasthatthecolonistsshouldhaveanassuredrefugeawayfromtheisland.PerhapsitmightbeevenbettertoconductthevesseltoPortBalloon,thatistosay,asfaraspossiblefromthecenteroferuption,foratthemouthoftheMercy,betweentheisletandthewallofgranite,itwouldruntheriskofbeingcrushedintheeventofanyconvulsion.Alltheexertionsofthevoyagerswerethereforeconcentrateduponthecompletionofthehull.

           Thusthe3rdofMarcharrived,andtheymightcalculateuponlaunchingthevesselintendays.

           Hoperevivedintheheartsofthecolonists,whohad,inthisfourthyearoftheirsojournonLincolnisland,sufferedsomanytrials.EvenPencroftlostinsomemeasurethesombertaciturnityoccasionedbythedevastationandruinofhisdomain.Hishopes,itistrue,wereconcentrateduponhisvessel.

           "Weshallfinishit,"hesaidtotheengineer,"weshallfinishit,captain,anditistime,fortheseasonisadvancingandtheequinoxwillsoonbehere.Well,ifnecessary,wemustputintoTaborislandtospendthewinter.ButthinkofTaborislandafterLincolnIsland.Ah,howunfortunate!Whocouldhavebelieveditpossible?"

           "Letusgeton,"wastheengineer’sinvariablereply.