Таємничий острів

           Afterworkinganhour,Pencroft,whowasinacompletestateofperspiration,threwdownthepiecesofwoodindisgust.

           "Icanneverbemadetobelievethatsavageslighttheirfiresinthisway,letthemsaywhattheywill,"heexclaimed."Icouldsoonerlightmyarmsbyrubbingthemagainsteachother!"

           Thesailorwaswrongtodespisetheproceeding.Savagesoftenkindlewoodbymeansofrapidrubbing.Buteverysortofwooddoesnotanswerforthepurpose,andbesides,thereis"theknack,"followingtheusualexpression,anditisprobablethatPencrofthadnot"theknack."

           Pencroft’sillhumordidnotlastlong.Herberthadtakenthebitsofwoodwhichhehadturneddown,andwasexertinghimselftorubthem.Thehardysailorcouldnotrestrainaburstoflaughteronseeingtheeffortsoftheladtosucceedwherehehadfailed.

           "Rub,myboy,rub!"saidhe.

           "Iamrubbing,"repliedHerbert,laughing,"butIdon’tpretendtodoanythingelsebutwarmmyselfinsteadofshivering,andsoonIshallbeashotasyouare,mygoodPencroft!"

           Thissoonhappened.However,theywereobligedtogiveup,forthisnightatleast,theattempttoprocurefire.GideonSpilettrepeated,forthetwentiethtime,thatCyrusHardingwouldnothavebeentroubledforsosmalladifficulty.And,inthemeantime,hestretchedhimselfinoneofthepassagesonhisbedofsand.Herbert,Neb,andPencroftdidthesame,whileTopsleptathismaster’sfeet.

           Nextday,the28thofMarch,whentheengineerawoke,abouteightinthemorning,hesawhiscompanionsaroundhimwatchinghissleep,and,asonthedaybefore,hisfirstwordswere:—