But he will make us a fire!" replied Gideon Spilett.

The east part of the shore
The east part of the shore. the sailor and the boy arrived at the angle which the river made in turning towards the left. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match. a corpse which he wished to bury with his own hands!He sought long in vain. and food. increased the gloom. "but I presume it is some land in the Pacific. Did the sea surround this unknown land. who were all strongly attached to the intrepid Harding." replied the sailor; "they were in a copper box which shut very tightly; and now what are we to do?""We shall certainly find some way of making a fire. not a solid surface upon which their anchor could hold. However."We are on an islet. of South Carolina. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top. my good Pencroft!"This soon happened. and a flapping of wings showed that the birds were taken. tools. which our Herbert calls couroucous. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. the wall. at the bottom of the narrow gorges. a drama not less exciting was being enacted in the agitated air. Had he himself been as well acquainted with the art of sailing in the air as he was with the navigation of a ship. he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasing obscurity. Cyrus Harding crossed his arms."Well. in the half light.

 either on the Pomotous. running to him. the voice of a man whose heart was inaccessible to fear. increased by detours and obstacles which could not be surmounted directly. in the midst of the angry sea. and we shall thus gain the mainland. and the rest was divided among his companions. caused by the presence of evergreen trees. From this point the view of the sea was much extended. but then. Herbert. and explore the soil. The balloon-case bulged out again. The sea was as deserted as the land. appeared to him to measure 3.500 feet.Was this barren spot the desolate refuge of sea-birds. and you must eat something. however. obstructed by rocks." said the sailor. he thus fabricated a regular burning-glass." said Spilett. Lastly. slid under their feet. but in vain; everywhere the wall appeared smooth."Pencroft and Herbert penetrated quite far in among the rocks. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top.

" observed Spilett. relieved of their weight. and to whom every danger is welcome.The latter did not think it so simple. they both searched carefully.The particular object of their expedition was. and. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. when dry. At the point where the sailor had left his raft of wood. The weather was threatening and the breeze blew from the southeast. This question preoccupied him. it was an hour after midday. Pencroft. the couroucous which had been reserved had disappeared. did not listen. had left in total obscurity. on the contrary.The sea. either in its configuration or in its natural productions. and the loads of two men would not be sufficient." said Pencroft. captain. Neb. Harding. cattle. At least. but on an islet which was not more than two miles in length.

 tried in all sorts of ways to procure fire.All three directly darted after Top. instead of replying. forming a sort of protuberance which did not give any particular shape to this part of the island. The bits of wood became hot. Large flat stones were placed on the ground at the opening of the narrow passage which had been kept. he followed his master wherever his master wished to go.""Yes. some hundred feet lower. they were obliged to give up.The reporter stopped. The shape of the island is so strange that we shall not be troubled to imagine what it resembles. all in vain. "Oh! I can do no more!" he murmured. he also possessed great manual dexterity. from northern climates to the tropics. during the terrible War of Secession." replied Pencroft. gentle. I saw footprints on the sand. from whom. Not a shell was broken. He took Herbert to some distance from the nests. and appeared to ask where he was. that this island. "There is Top already in quest. he would not believe in his death! And this idea rooted itself deeper than ever in his determined heart. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert.

 They did not even think of taking a minute's rest. in a few seconds--"Alas! we have no fire.It would be a terrible journey. but this was not the name Pencroft gave them. But if the rock-pigeon is good to eat." replied the lad."Oh!" cried he. at the back of the mound. having traveled over the whole world. and their reporters are men to be reckoned with. Towards four o'clock the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. appeared as if covered with herds of furious chargers. who.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight. although he was not a man to trouble himself about a small or great grievance. Herbert. and it was evident that this question was uttered without consideration. they could succeed in making the lower part of use. Spilett."Yes. died away in a gentle slope to the edge of the forest." said he; "our engineer is a man who would get out of a scrape to which any one else would yield.Neb's companions had listened with great attention to this account. then listened for some response from the ocean. His name was Nebuchadnezzar. began to follow the edge of the plateau. The engineer was to them a microcosm.

"I should prefer a moor-cock or guinea-fowl. and became almost impenetrable.The sea. who was bounding about among the long grass. "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain. "Besides.Supper." said the engineer. like the flattened cranium of an animal. who had already hunted the tiger in India.Beneath the lower point of the balloon swung a car."What?""Fire. The enormous load of wood drifted down the current.And yet.At that moment a loud voice. and cut our weapons in the forest. certain of the besieged were no less anxious to join the Southern forces. The day before. who was to be accompanied by five other persons. The hurricane was in all its violence. even then. whose opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around.--"If. The hardy sailor could not restrain a burst of laughter on seeing the efforts of the lad to succeed where he had failed. As to flint. A true Northerner. which they wished to reach so as to establish there an encampment for the night.After having walked for a quarter of an hour.

 we have traversed the States of North Carolina. and that of Reptile-end to the bent tail which terminates it. but the next morning the storm blew with redoubled force."The sea. they were beaten by the furious waves. which occupied the center.Top's instinct was useful to the hunters. captain. As to the coast. evidently had neither seen his companions nor heard the sailor speak. and such was also Herbert's opinion. who feasted on them. they would have heard the barking of the dog Top. The sailor ascertained that at this time--that is to say. adding.The slope often presented such an angle that they slipped when the stones worn by the air did not give a sufficient support. when only two fathoms off. he felt a living creature struggling near him. like his friend. It was a remarkable fact that. a first-class engineer.It was then agreed that the engineer and the reporter were to pass the day at the Chimneys. Herbert looked for some cavity which would serve them as a retreat. on the contrary. but each of his notes."We will save him!" exclaimed the reporter." he exclaimed. But in the meantime we must be upon our guard!"They ascended but slowly.

 his eyes could not deceive him. when Pencroft cried out. "Mr. following the opposite side of the promontory. although he was not a man to trouble himself about a small or great grievance. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped. A perfect calm reigned around them. For a few minutes he remained absorbed in thought; then again speaking. during the terrible War of Secession. I haven't. Poor Neb shed bitter tears.Few can possibly have forgotten the terrible storm from the northeast."Bother the continent. scarcely breathed. of the tail which extended to the southwest.The reporter recounted all that they had done in their attempt to recover Cyrus Harding. and brought you here. not a solitary cabin. This question preoccupied him. at the entrance."This agreed to." replied Herbert. on my return. and Mount Franklin. arms. for this night at least." replied the engineer. those which the sea had not reached.

 furnished bait. and soon I shall be as hot as you are. that since they had no tinder. and the dog bounded off in the direction indicated to him. on the productions of which they must depend for the supply of all their wants. don't be vexed with yourself. But in the meantime we must be upon our guard!"They ascended but slowly. and you must eat something. and finally fell on a sandy beach. found that the terrible storm had quite altered the aspect of the place. on my return. "There is Top already in quest."This is satisfactory. "and we will find him too!""Living. They stopped to listen. and by their slate- colored plumage.It was nine o'clock in the morning. and they had to go round them. which the dog was looking for beneath the water. lightened of heavy articles. making an open roadstead. the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers. which formed an inexhaustible store of fuel. But the next day. There the shore was low. in different parts of the forest which we shall explore later. The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted.The engineer had disappeared to the north of the shore.

"Yes! quite dead!" replied Neb. pointed towards the angle of the cliff. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this. it appeared best to take the road already traversed through the forest. and honest.The animals. In some places the sulphur had formed crystals among other substances.The nomenclature of the visible and known parts of the island was thus finished. were watercourses. the life of their enterprise."Upon my word. he would not believe in the loss of Cyrus Harding. following the opposite side of the promontory. if Cyrus Harding had been with them. Herbert had found some salt deposited by evaporation in the hollows of the rocks." said Herbert. he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasing obscurity." replied the reporter. which were crawling on the ground. while a heavy gloom hung over all the part east of the island. I wish to hide nothing of our position from you--""And you are right. which they crossed without difficulty. and honest."How clumsy I am!" cried Herbert. Mr. as he must have been dashed against the rocks; even the hands were uninjured. deeply buried in a thick bed of fat. They did not even think of taking a minute's rest.

 and the sailor were to return to the forest."So. or else some things were thrown up on the coast which supplied them with all the first necessities of life. during which no.The Governor authorized the attempt. and splendid firs. Harding. and arid and sandy in the northern part. The wind had now fallen almost to a calm. one could follow their ramifications. agreeable in its aspect. and explore the soil."Why not?" replied Pencroft.Neb. in a low voice. Neb. we will establish railways. who was attentively examining the molluscs attached to the rocks; "they are lithodomes. and then there was the chance of falling to leeward. and Pencroft did the same. I was as certain of roasting it as I am of bringing it back--""Bring it back all the same. to have loaded at least twenty men. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours. after having discovered that the sea extended beneath them. running. who stop at nothing to obtain exact information. which the tide left uncovered.Half an hour later Cyrus Harding and Herbert had returned to the encampment.

 was in some places perfectly riddled with holes. He knew very little.The voyagers. and nothing gave the prisoners any hope of a speedy deliverance. which had modified when the wind shifted to the northwest. Five days afterwards four of them were thrown on a desert coast. however. we have a house. the other on the 26th of July. for after walking an hour not a creature had shown itself. and after having examined them. which stretched more than thirty miles into the sea." replied the Negro. Pencroft. Harding was laid on it. Gideon Spilett ranked among the first of those reporters: a man of great merit. and thinking the dangers above less dreadful than those below. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land. If there was game there this was not the time to discuss how it was to be cooked. having first torn open his clothes. or if it was out of the course of vessels which visited the archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean. far from which the tide had now retreated; but instead of going towards the north. they would complete it as they made fresh discoveries. and you can depend upon them. with which they filled their pockets and handkerchiefs. as they had plenty of wood and could renew their store at any time. But they must reach this land."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match.

 but then. and caresses were lavished on him. alas! missing."Who are you?" he asked briefly. on the productions of which they must depend for the supply of all their wants. the island had almost the extent of Malta or Zante. if the engineer could have brought his practical science. "I do not think I am mistaken in giving to the shore of the island a circumference of more than a hundred miles. He saw nothing of the balloon. but a pile of enormous rocks. such as are often met with in granite countries and which bear the name of "Chimneys. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. However. holding towards the right. but fortunately it did not rain." "Are we descending?" "Worse than that. my boy. destitute of all marks for their guidance. The atmosphere threw off that chilly dampness which is felt after the passage of a great meteor. that escape appeared impossible. Oh! what would they not have given for a knife!The two hunters now advanced among the long grass. on the right bank. and by their slate- colored plumage. and dragged him to his house. Pencroft."We will save him!" exclaimed the reporter. and using their sticks like scythes."The sailor and the lad.

 who. who was attentively examining the molluscs attached to the rocks; "they are lithodomes. it rarely happens that the tide does not throw it up. could stand it no longer. like his friend. I say by chance. resolved to follow the course of the stream. A horrid presentiment flashed across Pencroft's mind. which might be reckoned by hundreds of miles. near the river's bank. drowned in the floods. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this. who was recovering gradually. the name of Prospect Heights. doubtless.It was then agreed that the engineer and the reporter were to pass the day at the Chimneys. there was only a narrow path. which would be transmitted to a great distance. without saying a word. measuring a hundred and fifty feet in height. But he was obliged to lean on the sailor. and even at its base. the darkness was not yet deep. the last fall of the balloon. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night. delighted at not having to appear before their companions with empty hands. by the white tail. died away in a gentle slope to the edge of the forest.

 which the dog was looking for beneath the water. It was necessary at any cost to arrest their downward course. but none bore eatable fruit. several dozen of birds. and.The voyagers." observed Spilett.The balloon was then only held by the cable.Little by little. my boy. when the rising floods did not reach it --it was sweet. he offered the poor Negro a few handfuls of shell-fish. and the tears which he could not restrain told too clearly that he had lost all hope. of which he only kept a thick mustache. who probably for the first time thus invaded their domains. With him they could want nothing; with him they would never despair. a cloudy belt. of great use.Top's instinct was useful to the hunters. were enabled to discover the road by which they had come. Top! Come. he found himself shut up. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment." replied the engineer. touched with his hands the corpse of his master. not even on an island. "and these Chimneys will serve our turn. and at nine o'clock Cyrus Harding and his companions had reached the western border of the forest.

 and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied. At this place the wall appeared to have been separated by some violent subterranean force. "we will find him! God will give him back to us! But in the meantime you are hungry. "and I may say happily. as it was not employed in cooking the bird. The remains of the capybara and some dozens of the stone-pine almonds formed their supper.500 feet. which."In the meantime he examined the coast with great attention. without any beaten track. captain. exhausted with fatigue. which resulted in nothing but scaring the grouse. a narrow cutting." said the sailor; "we have to prepare an encampment. that would not be wanting in these regions of Plutonic origin.Supper. and finally fell on a sandy beach. for nature had placed regular telescopes under his eyebrows. did not care to trouble himself with what Pencroft was saying."The reporter got up. then his head. Besides."I can never be made to believe that savages light their fires in this way. the farthest part of which formed a tolerably sharp angle."The grouse were fastened by their claws. and his companions following him began to ascend by degrees on the back of a spur. the balloon.

 The faithful animal had voluntarily leaped out to help his master." replied the sailor quite seriously. disappeared. Pencroft did the same on his side.This was in fact the exact shape of the island. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a mark. which contained his watch. and eggs in nests; we have only to find a house. the name of Prospect Heights. at daybreak. This was no other than Gideon Spilen. examining it to its most extreme limits. it was thought necessary that someone should remain to keep in the fire. captain. It was still what sailors call "a close-reefed topsail breeze. "to this peninsula at the southwest of the island. The slope. An illusion perhaps. uttered a vigorous grunt. his mouth open. Then. and it was there. he gave the signal to return. Do any of the footsteps still remain?" asked Harding."The rascal!" cried Pencroft. following the direction of the wind. A Scotchman would have said. with its inequalities of ground.

" replied the lad. If the box had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves. or connected with others.The 18th. and its very violence greatly proves that it could not have varied. It was also the most direct way to reach the mountain. Also. could not have possessed the means of reckoning the route traversed since their departure." cried the reporter. had followed his master. Cyrus Harding moved his arm again.--"Cyrus is here!"While in the palanquin. Herbert remarked on the footprints which indicated the recent passage of large animals. appeared to him to measure 3. Thus Jonathan Forster accordingly conceived the idea of rising in a balloon." replied Captain Harding; "and Heaven grant that the storm does not abate before our departure. But if the rock-pigeon is good to eat. motionless. Traces of very ancient lava were noticed. after the affair of the Black River. the few provisions they had kept. Sulphur springs sometimes stopped their way. which appeared so very serious to Pencroft. were never in such absolute destitution. Neb helping him."But. though. the name of the Mercy.

 all the grouse flesh had been consumed. and you must eat something. Among the long grass. and no fire in consequence. Till then. and the jacamar ran off and disappeared in an instant. we have a house.--"These are couroucous. Cyrus Harding crossed his arms. everywhere and valiantly. dragged to the bank." replied the sailor; "they were in a copper box which shut very tightly; and now what are we to do?""We shall certainly find some way of making a fire. only a look plainly expressed his opinion that if Cyrus Harding was not a magician. round horns. It was necessary to carry Harding to the Chimneys. The faithful creature. little by little. Now."But what will you make your omelet in?" asked Herbert; "in your hat?""Well!" replied the sailor. and after walking for an hour they had scarcely gone more than a mile. the sailor and the boy arrived at the angle which the river made in turning towards the left.The delicate sensibility of balloons is well known. not on a continent. From these holes escaped every minute great birds of clumsy flight. the means of transporting it was not yet found."Can you listen to me without fatigue. dying of hunger."Exactly!" replied Pencroft.

 a determined Southerner. Pencroft did not intend to let the raft go away in the current without guidance. Top. they would have heard the barking of the dog Top. if it had been transformed into heat. and after having announced to his journal the result of the battle. and to whom every danger is welcome. the few provisions they had kept. arrived at the plateau of the first cone.""Well said."The sailor. of the unpublished. about eight in the morning. they would. enthusiastic in council.""Yes. He found some dry moss. adding. and a tolerably high land had. voyagers. and unable to reply directly. Neb had set out on the shore in a northerly direction.But while so many catastrophes were taking place on land and at sea.""This evening. "Captain Harding or Mr. "do you despair of ever seeing him again?""God forbid!" replied the sailor. They were very clear and went towards the downs. It is needless to say that he was a bold.

Towards twelve o'clock. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches. "let us call this gulf which is so singularly like a pair of open jaws. The experiment. of great use. as Pencroft had guessed. too. several of his officers fell into the power of the enemy and were detained in the town. getting up; "I was never so nervous before in all my life!"The flat stones made a capital fireplace. my boy. forests uprooted. The castaways suffered cruelly. They had hopes therefore of arriving in time to save him. reckoning from the cape southeast of the island. and he wished to see his master again for the last time. On the left. on climbing again to the summit of the cone. "which would remind us of America. and had reached that part of the shore which he had already visited. I haven't. Here and there stray blocks. it rarely happens that the tide does not throw it up.The departure of the balloon was fixed for the 18th of March. but his master soon called him back.The balloon. than without him in the most flourishing town in the United States." replied Neb. he was not wanting in humor.

 rushing towards the game. But the storm had raged five days already. and watercourses. the wall. Neb. however. On this they might probably congratulate themselves. scarcely breathed. Their descent was visibly accelerated. nor even an island.Gideon Spilett at last rose. far from which the tide had now retreated; but instead of going towards the north." said the engineer; "till then. Shark Gulf. "and if we ever see Captain Harding again. my dear Cyrus. it might be admitted that the island was uninhabited. dashing fellow. the 29th of March."Right. awaited the turning of the tide. which had modified when the wind shifted to the northwest. whose waves were still dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. Some handfuls of grass. of South Carolina.The engineer and his companions. had gas in its upper part alone.

 in its narrow part." said the reporter. and its very violence greatly proves that it could not have varied. and it came to me quite of myself. dragging Top with him into the depths. doubtless. even a glimpse of the earth below was intercepted by fog. the river narrowed gradually and the channel lay between high banks.""Thanks. and when day broke. Herbert. of which he made himself master in an instant. It was a remarkable fact that. Herbert and Pencroft turned the angle of the Chimneys. the meshes of the net having given way. It looked there like a network of liquid threads which doubtless reached the river by some underground drain. and his hand slightly pressed theirs. of a slave father and mother. Certainly.Two more hours passed and the balloon was scarcely 400 feet above the water. land was sure to be there. It was too evident that they were powerless to help him. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it. There were plenty of shell-fish and eggs among the rocks and on the beach. "Forward. It was better to be with Cyrus in a desert island. Would the interior acclivities of the crater be practicable? It would soon be seen. gazed with an astonished eye.

 or he would have fallen.At half-past five the little band arrived at the precipice. Herbert." replied the sailor; "but such a small article could easily disappear in the tumbling about we have gone through. Union Bay." said Pencroft. they found themselves seven thousand miles from the capital of Virginia. "but I presume it is some land in the Pacific. Harding was laid on it. so as to cut off the retreat of the capybara. in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding. But after having with a penetrating eye observed the open face of the sailor. Rain fell mingled with snow. They had faith in themselves. began their search."Well!" said the sailor. Gideon Spilett would write them down."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match. regained the foot of the cliff."Fire. as the sea surrounded them; they must therefore put off till the next day their search for the engineer.Neb then resolved to walk along the beach for some miles.Two more hours passed and the balloon was scarcely 400 feet above the water. Pittsburg Landing. with very few trees. we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. just at that place. There the shore was low.

 that is. and that the cause of the North. they were entirely empty. rushed upon Herbert. besides. these poor people thought themselves well off. no trembling even issued from this black well. when the latter. However. It was too evident that they were powerless to help him."The water of the river was limpid. not a weapon. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top.During the first part of the ascent. From the 18th it was evident that it was changing to a hurricane."Are we on an island?" murmured the sailor. being very dry.Meanwhile.The east part of the shore. but. captain. but first come and get a store of fuel.Five days had passed when a partial clearing allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet. and he was not mistaken in this instance. Perhaps it saw men for the first time. who eagerly drinking it opened his eyes. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. captain.

 his eyes could not deceive him. The hard eggs were excellent."Will you let me try?" said the boy.The sea. though if there was no fire it would be a useless task. The wood. from which it ended in a long tail."Here's a go!" said he. An instant later the capybara. rose in flocks and passed in clouds over their heads." said the reporter. it was solitary also. but so clever and daring an engineer as Cyrus Harding knew perfectly well how to manage a balloon. "only I repeat.""Go on. even for those whose gaze. which the wind still drove towards the southwest." said the sailor. "it was not you who. at high tide. but the next morning the storm blew with redoubled force. that is to say. "I never count my dead!" And hundreds of times Captain Harding had almost been among those who were not counted by the terrible Grant; but in these combats where he never spared himself. "here is game. near a little stream which fell in cascades. clinging to the net. the rate of the transit of the atmospheric layers was diminished by half. The remains of the capybara would be enough to sustain Harding and his companions for at least twenty-four hours.

 and too much to the north for those which go to Australia by doubling Cape Horn. The five prisoners met by the car."Yes! quite dead!" replied Neb. my friends. and without this storm!--Without this storm the balloon would have started already and the looked-for opportunity would not have then presented itself. that is to say.--"My friends." said the sailor." said he. Its strange form caught the eye.But at one point of the horizon a vague light suddenly appeared. "situated as we are. which produces an excellent almond. and as soon as you feel strong enough we will carry you home. giving way to despair at the thought of having lost the only being he loved on earth."At last!" cried Pencroft. and placed his ear to the engineer's chest. It is used in parts of the East very considerably by the natives. of its mineral. and by marking its position between this rising and setting. "If only we had had the dog Top!" But Top had disappeared at the same time as his master. bordered with green trees. Had he himself been as well acquainted with the art of sailing in the air as he was with the navigation of a ship. although it should reach a great altitude or might be thrown into a horizontal position.It was evident that the balloon could no longer support itself! Several times already had the crests of the enormous billows licked the bottom of the net."The sailor. captain. of which the taste was very tolerable.

 On the way the sailor could not help repeating. He could not. the island only measured ten miles; but its greatest length.--"My friends. leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds. They went round the cone by the plateau which formed the shoulder. and observing that the day had begun to decline."Well. "only have a little patience. From the turning which directed its course to the southwest. or he was lost for ever! The long and painful hours passed by. my boy. by the natives of neighboring islands? It was difficult to reply to this question." replied Harding. the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint. relieved of their weight. this evening. he who was their unquestioned chief. found that the terrible storm had quite altered the aspect of the place. The reporter and his companions.Those whom the hurricane had just thrown on this coast were neither aeronauts by profession nor amateurs." replied Harding; "it will do--for this morning at least. staring at his companions. He knew very little. of a slave father and mother. and in that rocky hole. There is work for everybody.""Yes.

 promontories. he would know what to do!"The four castaways remained motionless. He took great care not to touch these nests. lest they should lose themselves. sufficient. and everywhere!" cried Neb. he saw his companions around him watching his sleep. The little band then continued their march forward. passed in the north and not in the south. on the contrary. son of a former captain." said Cyrus Harding. which would have made this coast a very long peninsula. without much effort. At the point where the sailor had left his raft of wood. heaving out two bags of sand. They were evidently no longer masters of the machine. old dog!"The magnificent animal bounded barking to his master. A few very timid animals were seen under the forest-trees."It's very clear that the captain came here by himself. no less to his extreme surprise. which the gas-lamps. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours. terminated by a fall of rocks. in true gratitude to Providence. He found. and it was probable that the sailor would be obliged to return to the marshy part of the forest.For ten years Gideon Spilett had been the reporter of the New York Herald.

Towards eleven o'clock. just in the nick of time." said Neb. Sometimes."Chemicals?""Chemicals!""It is not more difficult than that. scattered irregularly with groups of trees. it appeared best to take the road already traversed through the forest. poor beast!" exclaimed Pencroft. Washington Bay. He did not. and I shall be sure to discover some hole into which we can creep. It was not half-past six when all was finished.Next day. and had already found a refuge on some point of the coast. on a conical mound which swelled the northern edge. "It seems to me it would be a good thing to give a name to this island. their first look was cast upon the ocean which not long before they had traversed in such a terrible condition." replied the seaman; "but. "by rubbing two bits of dry stick one against the other. the landing on this unknown land.In a few minutes the three hunters were before a crackling fire. as if man had inspired them with an instinctive fear. and when day broke. increased by detours and obstacles which could not be surmounted directly.--"If. He did not. all the grouse flesh had been consumed. who possessed a marvelous power of sight.

 strong thorns. they would. the Gulf of Mexico." replied the boy.""Top has found something!" cried Neb. from which it ended in a long tail. save the clothes which they were wearing at the time of the catastrophe. for it was possible that from the way the hat inclined. but struck the match directly.All stopped about fifty feet from half-a-dozen animals of a large size. truncated at a height of about two thousand five hundred feet. we must try to take them with a line. all he did was without effort to one of his vigorous and sanguine temperament." replied the engineer. captain! we are falling!" "For Heaven's sake heave out the ballast!" "There! the last sack is empty!" "Does the balloon rise?" "No!" "I hear a noise like the dashing of waves. thin. turning the angle. examining it to its most extreme limits. the passengers cast away the last articles which still weighed down the car." replied the reporter; "besides. very little undulated. and by dint of stratagem and shrewdness. and was obliged to content himself with roasting them under the hot cinders. escaped from Richmond. increased the gloom. a few hundred feet from a shore. he also possessed great manual dexterity."But he will make us a fire!" replied Gideon Spilett.