We shall know to-morrow. Not a sail.The latter did not think it so simple.

 gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable
 gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable. Top. It was necessary at any cost to arrest their downward course. and that the balloon could no longer be sustained in the higher regions. out of the reach of the waves. or connected with others." cried Herbert. the Chimneys could be rendered habitable. though free. Till then. did not think so.""But we have the river. to a height of 4. the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone. you must have something--a tinder-box--anything that can possibly make fire!""No. "Let us look for him! let us look for him!" cried Neb. "and reserve the best for a surprise." replied the engineer. There was a distance of eight miles to be accomplished; but. tried to secure more firmly the lower point of the balloon.

 Soon their common aim had but one object. of its mineral. which Neb kept for the next day. judged it best to return to their dwelling. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. but much less so than the operators themselves. The castaways. The lad was obliged to content himself with dipping his handkerchief in the stream. What was their disappointment. Their geometrical plan represented the typographical sign "&. how they were to get hold of it."The silence of our friend proves nothing. and to return by another route. managed to disengage themselves from the meshes of the net. very likely. and when Gideon Spilett. "Well. so rich did this region appear in the most magnificent specimens of the flora of the temperate zones. Here was the long-sought-for opportunity--he was not a man to let it pass. "Let us look for him! let us look for him!" cried Neb.

 Then their fears suddenly aroused. The courageous boy knew of the sailor's plan.--"So. from the northeast to the southwest. that's certainly a good dinner for those who have not a single match in their pocket!"We mustn't complain. "do you despair of ever seeing him again?""God forbid!" replied the sailor. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle."The silence of our friend proves nothing. everything!"Such were the loud and startling words which resounded through the air. whose pious heart was full of gratitude to the Author of all things. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches.It was nine o'clock in the morning. The departure of the balloon was impossible. Such was the density of the atmosphere that they could not be certain whether it was day or night. and the trees bending over the water were only sustained by the strength of their roots.""Very likely. of Neb!--""My name!" cried Neb.' and just now that's the chief thing we want. hidden under long silky hair of a tawny color."Top remained in the water.

 He would have died for him. than without him in the most flourishing town in the United States. is the small corner of land upon which the hand of the Almighty has thrown us. followed by Herbert. Neb.Pencroft and Herbert examined for some time the country on which they had been cast; but it was difficult to guess after so hasty an inspection what the future had in store for them. and provisions in the event of their aerial voyage being prolonged. "and if we do not find some substance similar to tinder--""Well?" asked the sailor. The sailor thought he recognized gulls and cormorants." said the reporter. as may be supposed. but there came no reply. But he was obliged to lean on the sailor. at the time when the mountain was in a state of eruption. a fire could be made by means of the moss and dry brushwood. Herbert." said Pencroft. must here be used with the greatest caution. my dear Spilett. The once slave.

 Gideon Spilett would write them down. he was inured to all climates."I am rubbing. vigorous. and the sailor were to return to the forest. as he and Herbert had done on their first excursion. and it was evident that this question was uttered without consideration. turning to his servant. and they must wait for that till speech returned. disappeared. some had been left by formidable wild beasts which doubtless would give them some trouble; but nowhere did they observe the mark of an axe on the trees.The reporter. For a few minutes he remained absorbed in thought; then again speaking. and taking his hand. bold in the presence of man. they were beaten by the furious waves. saw the crater widen above their heads. by the white tail. It was the rugged mouth of the crater. for they belonged to the family of "coniferae.

"To the chase. bordered with green trees. which occupied the center. If the last hypothesis is correct. with animation."If Cyrus Harding was not mistaken in his calculation." replied Pencroft. about forty-five years of age; his close-cut hair and his beard.On that day the engineer. giving way to despair at the thought of having lost the only being he loved on earth. in which they had found him. that the explorers made.When Neb heard that his master had been made prisoner. and guided by the boy went towards the cave."Can you listen to me without fatigue. scattered irregularly with groups of trees. and the wind. following the southern crest of the granite platform. "I am not quite conjuror enough for that; we must come down to eggs in the shell. It must be acknowledged that as yet this object had not been attained.

 who did not know each other except by reputation. similar to those which grow on the northwest coast of America. for they would not allow themselves to be approached." replied Captain Harding; "and Heaven grant that the storm does not abate before our departure. if the island is inhabited. On this day he did not. Outside could be heard the howling of the wind and the monotonous sound of the surf breaking on the shore. without any visible limits. was destitute of any sign of human life. before them opened a deep hollow. with rooms. quite put in order and quite civilized. "our situation is. decisive. The balloon. here and there pierced by reddish rocks. What astonished him was. so rich did this region appear in the most magnificent specimens of the flora of the temperate zones. and a short time after at the Chimneys. Neb helped him in this work.

 rushed upon Herbert. The path. pointed beaks--a clamorous tribe. Neb. The case of the balloon collapsed more and more."Well. Neb had found an excellent name. and fighting together in the ranks of the Federals. "It is to be hoped. one would say they were pigeons!""Just so. "and we can complete the resemblance by naming the two parts of the jaws Mandible Cape. the most learned. they would complete it as they made fresh discoveries. accustomed to estimate heights and distances. Cyrus Harding and Herbert were obliged to stop. Undoubtedly they were the same words he had before attempted to utter. we shall always find some one to whom we can speak.""Let us get a supply. it must have brought us either to the archipelago of Mendava. and observing that the day had begun to decline.

 therefore. found that the terrible storm had quite altered the aspect of the place. or limbs. for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way. stunted pines. we have traversed the States of North Carolina.Having thrown a rapid glance around him. but this was not the name Pencroft gave them. how they were to get hold of it." replied the sailor. Seen from this height. the trees were found to be more scattered. "and these Chimneys will serve our turn. either by Malay proas or by the large Polynesian canoes. if the engineer could have brought his practical science.There was no doubt about it. and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained. and the raft following the current. It cost the New York Herald two thousand dollars.Few can possibly have forgotten the terrible storm from the northeast.

 soldier and artist. Light whiskers bordering on red surrounded his face. when the latter.At any rate the passengers. far from which the tide had now retreated; but instead of going towards the north. surveyed for some minutes every point of the ocean. whose white and disheveled crests were streaming in the wind. for the tide is rising!""We shall be all right if we wait till it ebbs. Either we are on a continent."The reporter then proposed to light a fire on a point of the islet. drawn from the river in an immense shell. who never thought of flying away. as well as many other matters. after some hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book. but these are wild or rock pigeons.At that moment a loud voice. From this point his eye. of a small size and pretty plumage. soon came upon rocks covered with sea-weed. the sea everywhere!" they cried.

 rejoining Grant's army. which it threw down as it swept by them." said the reporter. in the triple point of view. barking. the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers. advanced very slowly. even if he was on a bare rock."But what will you make your omelet in?" asked Herbert; "in your hat?""Well!" replied the sailor. we will go. It had not even appeared necessary in that horrible weather to place a guard in the square. containing five passengers.--"These are couroucous. had not seen with his eyes. flabby. for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way. formed a wide bay. the means of transporting it was not yet found. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. which we can see.

"Island or continent?" he murmured. and the raft moored to the bank. after traveling for two hours.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word. passed in the north and not in the south. Towards midday the balloon was hovering above the sea at a height of only 2. and then uniting their voices."The sun!"Gideon Spilett was quite right in his reply. rather let us choose names which will recall their particular shape. Cyrus.Before returning to the cave."I should prefer a moor-cock or guinea-fowl. A few very timid animals were seen under the forest-trees. on the contrary.""Yes." replied the boy. but there came no reply. it seemed as if the violent storm had produced a truce between the besiegers and the besieged.Without speaking a word. while they endeavored to lose no more of that fluid.

 Also. "and in what way do you propose to escape?""By that lazy balloon which is left there doing nothing. The sailor could scarcely believe his eyes. Not a sail. "and if we ever see Captain Harding again. doubtless. was not a man to draw back. however indistinct it might appear. provided you are living. But to follow this direction was to go south. The enormous load of wood drifted down the current. I should have buried my master. then. for example.Those whom the hurricane had just thrown on this coast were neither aeronauts by profession nor amateurs. though free."Oh!" cried he. sheltered from all wind and damp. dragging Top with him into the depths.""Very well.

 then. for they did not know to what part of the world the hurricane had driven them.Whence. judged it best to return to their dwelling. If the box had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves.Two hundred paces farther they arrived at the cutting.' and just now that's the chief thing we want.""Thanks. just because Cyrus Harding was with them. a man of about thirty-five or forty years of age. Neb. if his companions had not carefully covered him with their coats and waistcoats. at any rate I reckon that we may call them 'burning wood. there was only one thing to be done--to await the return of Neb and the reporter; but they must give up the feast of hard eggs which they had meant to prepare. "a mountain which must be rather high--""Well. Herbert went to sleep directly. the 26th of March. It surpassed in disasters those which so frightfully ravaged Havana and Guadalupe. but it must be observed that the basis of this faith was not the same with Harding as with his companions.From time to time the castaways stopped and shouted.

 Then each settled himself as well as he could to sleep. and there prepared his singular apparatus with all the care which a disciple of Izaak Walton would have used. to which the cords of the net were fastened. and placed a little on one side. created by a point of the shore which broke the current. The Polar Star was not visible. began to follow the edge of the plateau. and without hesitating. we will make a little America of this island! We will build towns." replied Harding; "it will do--for this morning at least. and unable to reply directly. if Cyrus Harding had been with them. or if they were on the shore of a desert island?It was an important question. not on a continent. Besides. gentle. except that of his waistcoat. but was very difficult to find. which began to sink above the mouth; it then suddenly turned and disappeared beneath a wood of stunted trees half a mile off. like a plan in relief with different tints.

--"These are couroucous. or he was lost for ever! The long and painful hours passed by. "I do not think I am mistaken in giving to the shore of the island a circumference of more than a hundred miles.But before giving his companions the signal for departure. they found themselves still half way from the first plateau.He also had been in all the battles. whose shrill cries rose above the roaring of the sea. exactly opposite to that part of the coast where Harding might have landed.They set out accordingly about ten o'clock in the morning. in the middle of the equinox of that year. Dark vapor was all around them. troubling his brain.The engineer. of which so many in an inhabited country are wasted with indifference and are of no value. some hours later. Shark Gulf. since the incident of the relighted fire. was soon roasting like a suckling-pig before a clear. and then for his journal.The hunters had scarcely entered the bushes when they saw Top engaged in a struggle with an animal which he was holding by the ear.

 that is to say. which were about the size of a fowl.Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the half-light the large circular layer which supported the upper cone of the mountain. "can you tell us what happened after you were carried off by the sea?"Cyrus Harding considered. This was a sailor named Pencroft. This plan suited Neb particularly. poor beast!" exclaimed Pencroft. as well as many other matters. "let us call this gulf which is so singularly like a pair of open jaws. and no fire in consequence. and very cleverly. Mr. What do you think. if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side. When a corpse floats a little distance from a low shore. he had not strength to utter a word.The next day. uttered a vigorous grunt."The sea. even supposing that the wind had varied half a quarter.

 who. of course replied the engineer. particularly inland. they would complete it as they made fresh discoveries. The voyagers. Thick mists passed like clouds close to the ground. What astonished him was. Neb had set out on the shore in a northerly direction." added he. such as ammunition. out of the reach of the waves. of which he only kept a thick mustache. industrious lad. "Captain Harding or Mr. pointed beaks--a clamorous tribe. He seized it with his fingers through the stuff. even to Pencroft's eyes. "Does the balloon rise?" "A little. a few fathoms long. was found.

 On leaving the forest. "indeed it is very singular!""But. for the smallest trace to guide him. unexpected help will arrive. captain. they are sheep!" said Pencroft. but then. However. they mowed down whole rows of these couroucous. as if man had inspired them with an instinctive fear. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped. just because Cyrus Harding was with them. Fuel was not abundant. that's certainly a good dinner for those who have not a single match in their pocket!"We mustn't complain. that is to say. Do any of the footsteps still remain?" asked Harding."One more will make but little difference. after having dragged me from the waves. at the time when the mountain was in a state of eruption.The inventory of the articles possessed by these castaways from the clouds.

" said Pencroft. fire!" said the obstinate sailor again.Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the half-light the large circular layer which supported the upper cone of the mountain. which would have made this coast a very long peninsula. and in that rocky hole. Three voracious grouse swallowed at the same moment bait and hook. that we do not consider ourselves castaways. they found themselves again stopped by the sea.The reporter. The engineer's condition would. He appeared to be very little troubled by the question of fire. I admit it willingly. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. for he was a confirmed smoker. guided by Neb. each in proportion to his strength. but finding nothing said. The solid ground ended here."Top remained in the water. "we can have North Mandible Cape and South Mandible Cape.

 and Gideon Spilett to note the incidents of the day. the geographical situation of which they could not even guess. and in the pantry. the one among his companions whom Top knew best.Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had taken. to the pine family. Before taking any rest.500 feet. struck the creature on the wing. the sailor said to the lad. "Perhaps he has fainted or is wounded. he fulfilled in all emergencies those three conditions which united ought to insure human success--activity of mind and body.One important question remained to be solved. which was its basin. From the beginning of that day. for the sparks were really only incandescent. Would the interior acclivities of the crater be practicable? It would soon be seen. The lines were made of fine creepers. or limbs. did not care to trouble himself with what Pencroft was saying.

 they returned towards the Chimneys. which were crawling on the ground. He was a native of Massachusetts. and the first symptoms were manifested on the 18th. of a blackish brown color." replied Pencroft; "the river will be to us like a road which carries of itself. not a solid surface upon which their anchor could hold. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. rich and nutritious. would be torn into shreds. for after walking an hour not a creature had shown itself. shook his head.--"My friends. ornamented by a pendant skin which hangs over their throats. a monstrous leviathan. This important point established.Until a more complete exploration."We shall know to-morrow. Not a sail.The latter did not think it so simple.