Таємничий острів

           WhathadPencrofttosay?Hecouldsaynothing,for,inthebottomofhishearthesharedtheconfidencewhichhiscompanionshadinCyrusHarding.Theengineerwastothemamicrocosm,acompoundofeveryscience,apossessorofallhumanknowledge.ItwasbettertobewithCyrusinadesertisland,thanwithouthiminthemostflourishingtownintheUnitedStates.Withhimtheycouldwantnothing;withhimtheywouldneverdespair.Ifthesebravemenhadbeentoldthatavolcaniceruptionwoulddestroytheland,thatthislandwouldbeengulfedinthedepthsofthePacific,theywouldhaveimperturbablyreplied,—

           "Cyrusishere!"

           Whileinthepalanquin,however,theengineerhadagainrelapsedintounconsciousness,whichthejoltingtowhichhehadbeensubjectedduringhisjourneyhadbroughton,sothattheycouldnotnowappealtohisingenuity.Thesuppermustnecessarilybeverymeager.Infact,allthegrousefleshhadbeenconsumed,andtherenolongerexistedanymeansofcookingmoregame.Besides,thecouroucouswhichhadbeenreservedhaddisappeared.Theymustconsiderwhatwastobedone.

           Firstofall,CyrusHardingwascarriedintothecentralpassage.Theretheymanagedtoarrangeforhimacouchofsea-weedwhichstillremainedalmostdry.Thedeepsleepwhichhadoverpoweredhimwouldnodoubtbemorebeneficialtohimthananynourishment.

           Nighthadclosedin,andthetemperature,whichhadmodifiedwhenthewindshiftedtothenorthwest,againbecameextremelycold.Also,theseahavingdestroyedthepartitionswhichPencrofthadputupincertainplacesinthepassages,theChimneys,onaccountofthedraughts,hadbecomescarcelyhabitable.