Таємничий острів

           "Tophasfoundsomething!"criedNeb,whorantowardsathicket,inthemidstofwhichthedoghaddisappeared,barking.WithTop’sbarkingweremingledcuriousgruntings.

           ThesailorandHerberthadfollowedNeb.Iftherewasgametherethiswasnotthetimetodiscusshowitwastobecooked,butrather,howtheyweretogetholdofit.

           ThehuntershadscarcelyenteredthebusheswhentheysawTopengagedinastrugglewithananimalwhichhewasholdingbytheear.Thisquadrupedwasasortofpignearlytwofeetandahalflong,ofablackishbrowncolor,lighterbelow,havinghardscantyhair;itstoes,thenstronglyfixedintheground,seemedtobeunitedbyamembrane.Herbertrecognizedinthisanimalthecapybara,thatistosay,oneofthelargestmembersoftherodentorder.

           Meanwhile,thecapybaradidnotstruggleagainstthedog.Itstupidlyrolleditseyes,deeplyburiedinathickbedoffat.Perhapsitsawmenforthefirsttime.

           However,Nebhavingtightenedhisgrasponhisstick,wasjustgoingtofellthepig,whenthelatter,tearingitselffromTop’steeth,bywhichitwasonlyheldbythetipofitsear,utteredavigorousgrunt,rusheduponHerbert,almostoverthrewhim,anddisappearedinthewood.

           "Therascal!"criedPencroft.

           AllthreedirectlydartedafterTop,butatthemomentwhentheyjoinedhimtheanimalhaddisappearedunderthewatersofalargepondshadedbyvenerablepines.