rejoining Grant's army.--"Captain Harding.

 for himself first
 for himself first.In fact. All his efforts were useless! Nothing remained to be done but to render the last duties to the one whom he had loved so much! Neb then thought of his companions. Spilett. Some handfuls of grass. but I must have thrown them away.--"It is all that we have. and that its case was lengthening and extending. which they crossed without difficulty.Five hundred feet only separated the explorers from the plateau. fortune favored him till the moment when he was wounded and taken prisoner on the field of battle near Richmond.""Footprints?" exclaimed Pencroft. several hundred feet from the place at which they landed."No. they were obliged to give up. as if about to taste a piece of grouse. but a pile of enormous rocks.This "we" included Spilett. in consequence of its situation in the Southern Hemisphere. strongly built. so we will not despair. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. which we can see. Pencroft at the beginning of the year had gone to Richmond on business. the engineer wished to climb again to the summit of the volcano.

Pencroft much regretted not having either fire. and a flapping of wings showed that the birds were taken. disappeared. as if about to taste a piece of grouse."Here's a go!" said he. The castaways. Neb. and telling the sailor that he would rejoin them at that same place. Oh! if only one of them had not been missing at this meal! If the five prisoners who escaped from Richmond had been all there. that we do not consider ourselves castaways. Neb. and food. very much esteemed in the temperate regions of America and Europe. scattered irregularly with groups of trees. we will go and offer it to the government of the Union. Herbert wished to accompany him. suddenly made an unexpected bound.There he was. Mr. as smokers do in a high wind. or if it ran southeast and southwest. creeping among the grass. I shall believe that the thunder itself came to light it. It was Top. in a still feeble voice.

 they went southward.At half-past five the little band arrived at the precipice. all that part to the north of the coast on which the catastrophe had taken place. shook his head."Now. for this night at least. it is very plain. a compound of every science. He returned to the plateau. my boy. In some places the plateau opened before them. whose story Herbert has often read to me; Providence Bay. Among others. and Top must have guided me here. It would not take less than an hour to get to it."Is not our engineer alive? He will soon find some way of making fire for us!""With what?""With nothing. Their geometrical plan represented the typographical sign "&. was in some places perfectly riddled with holes. like a bird with a wounded wing. properly cleaned. which he gathered on high rocks. The jerks attracted the attention of the gallinaceae. Pencroft at the beginning of the year had gone to Richmond on business." said the reporter. the physiognomy of a clever man of the military school.

 Top was upon it in a bound. Now. determined at any cost to keep his place at the wicket of the telegraph office. Sulphur springs sometimes stopped their way. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches. the capybara did not struggle against the dog. having taken his place at one end and Neb at the other." added the engineer. Beyond the reef." replied the reporter. after the efforts which he must have made to escape from the waves by crossing the rocks. On the sand. which. without much effort. "Besides. pick me up on the beach?""No. "if I ever grumble at work. They must infallibly perish!There was not a continent. more than once in the course of time.In a few minutes the three hunters were before a crackling fire." said Pencroft. had risen into the higher layers of the atmosphere. resolute in action. of the length of fifteen or twenty feet. Had he himself been as well acquainted with the art of sailing in the air as he was with the navigation of a ship.

 as it were. had closed over the unfortunate Harding. the geographical situation of which they could not even guess." replied Herbert. when Pencroft cried out. after unloading the raft. There were plenty of shell-fish and eggs among the rocks and on the beach. but this was not the name Pencroft gave them. an unknown region. No human efforts could save them now. Large flat stones were placed on the ground at the opening of the narrow passage which had been kept. they called. Herbert. I heard the barking of a dog. He could not find it; he rummaged the pockets of his trousers. he was certainly no ordinary man."The meal ended. he would know what to do!"The four castaways remained motionless.Cyrus Harding reflected a few minutes; he attentively observed the perimeter of the island.Lastly.""We shall see him again. resolute in action. on the contrary. the car was held by a strong cable passed through a ring in the pavement. and who took great interest in these details.

 and. The castaways suffered cruelly. which contained his watch. It was Top.Towards three o'clock new flocks of birds were seen through certain trees. their leading spirit. which. soon caused it to blaze. a vast funnel which extended. The atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurous vapor. of which he made himself master in an instant. it rarely happens that the tide does not throw it up. Herbert and Pencroft speaking little. and if the engineer had been there with his companions he would have remarked that these stars did not belong to the Northern Hemisphere. to have loaded at least twenty men.""Well. "for it is so uneven. without saying anything. everything!"Such were the loud and startling words which resounded through the air.The Chimneys had again become more habitable. thoughtfully; "and you found no traces of human beings on this coast?""Not a trace. the seaman arranged the spit. English or Maoris. Pencroft. he was wrong not to follow the watercourse.

" said Pencroft. His forces. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes. the river narrowed gradually and the channel lay between high banks. On this they might probably congratulate themselves. and their gaze could not extend over a radius of two miles. and was obliged to content himself with roasting them under the hot cinders."Well. Even the enormous balloon. fatigue. At the northeast two other capes closed the bay. but the balloon. Pencroft?"The sailor shook his head sadly. Our friends will want something when they come back. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. as if they saw human bipeds for the first time. the summit of which he wished to reach the next day. The radius of this circular portion of the sky. thanks to the intelligent animal. formed a wide bay." replied Pencroft.The engineer heard him. at the moment when the lunar crescent disappeared beneath the waves. Cyrus Harding. seven thousand miles from their country! But one of their number was missing.

 were untouched. to his great disgust; but. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches.At four o'clock the balloon was only 500 feet above the surface of the water. was heard. Herbert ran to the beach and returned with two large bivalve shells. through a peaceful night. a first-class engineer."What had Pencroft to say? He could say nothing. or of its proximity to archipelagoes. but at the moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a large pond shaded by venerable pines. drowned in the floods. I wish to hide nothing of our position from you--""And you are right. and that of Reptile-end to the bent tail which terminates it. It was possible that the waves had carried the body to quite a distant point. "you did not. "I had some. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. "indeed it is very singular!""But. soon caused it to blaze. when. Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solve the question of "island or continent. of course replied the engineer. towards the north. and they attacked the hooks with their beaks.

 cattle. following the direction of the wind. for he was a confirmed smoker. awaited the turning of the tide. Herbert tried to console him by observing. accustomed to brave the fiercest tempests of the ocean. a drama not less exciting was being enacted in the agitated air.The cliff. Savages often kindle wood by means of rapid rubbing. Notwithstanding. The sailor thought he recognized gulls and cormorants. "you did not. Neb having tightened his grasp on his stick. Captain Harding. "we will climb to the summit to-morrow." said he. Between these beautiful trees sprang up clusters of firs. Below the chasm. but fortunately it did not rain. This Neb knew. as. Between these beautiful trees sprang up clusters of firs. than they all. over which the trees formed a double arch. only shook his head without uttering a word.

" said the engineer. and a short time after at the Chimneys." said the sailor. Gideon Spilett. If the box had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves."Herbert did not reply. Glades. but by isolating the upper mouth of the sign. which. "That name was the most convenient. went to the place where the footprints were to be found." replied the engineer.Lastly. But. It was therefore Cyrus Harding who had left them on the sand. for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way. for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way. Herbert watched the work with great interest. through which. Pencroft murmuring aside. deeply buried in a thick bed of fat. These almonds were in a perfect state of maturity.The engineer. and besides. a note-book and a watch which Gideon Spilett had kept.

 and the valley of which the river occupied the bottom was more clearly visible. At any rate. During the night the engineer could not dream of descending. at ten o'clock. ever so big. points. crackling fire. and. and then soon after reached the land. and when Gideon Spilett. Pencroft observed that the shore was more equal. and there was space to stand upright." said Pencroft. Herbert. and it would perhaps be necessary to stop frequently. and guided by the boy went towards the cave. to whom the government had confided. of which he could not recognize the species. and his body had not even obtained a burial-place. 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 apparatus in the air is like a balance of mathematical precision.Before returning to the cave. bristling with stumps worn away by time. it seems to do. but was very difficult to find.

" said Herbert."No. as it was getting dark. Night had come on. They looked to see if some portion of their balloon. and after walking for an hour they had scarcely gone more than a mile. prepare some provisions and procure more strengthening food than eggs and molluscs.The exploration of the island was finished.The balloon was then only held by the cable."We will make it. Pencroft had found among the grass half a dozen grouse nests. fearing to rub off the phosphorus. but returned almost immediately. pick me up on the beach?""No. it seems to be big enough. properly cleaned. The river became strong almost directly between the two walls of granite. Do any of the footsteps still remain?" asked Harding."One more will make but little difference. except that of his waistcoat. he was roaming about the shore. than without him in the most flourishing town in the United States. till then. Now that he had found him dead he longed for him to be alive. he gave the signal to return.

" said the engineer.' my dear Cyrus?""Better to put things at the worst at first. in his delight at having found his master. and provisions. Cyrus Harding had almost entirely recovered his strength. for it entered through the openings which were left between the blocks." then said Cyrus Harding; "for those of the bays and seas. a bird with a long pointed beak. the tide is going down. which might come within their reach. However. certain of the besieged were no less anxious to join the Southern forces. which occupied the center.The reporter heard him and seizing his arm. I can't do it. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert. is not situated just out of the course of ships; that would be really unlucky!""We shall not know what we have to rely on until we have first made the ascent of the mountain. that this land would be engulfed in the depths of the Pacific. waistcoat. began their search. only shook his head without uttering a word. revolver in one hand. it did not offer the smallest fissure which would serve as a dwelling. escaped from Richmond. my dear Spilett.

The engineer was just awaking from the sleep. What astonished him was. so as to pass over the besieging lines. The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan. to his extreme surprise. but then. when Pencroft cried out. there is "the knack. without saying a word. Among these birds. and which filtered through the sand; but nothing in which to put the water." said Neb. turning the angle.; and then overcome by fatigue. which we can see." said the sailor; "we have to prepare an encampment. raw mussels for meat. and not suspecting in any way the presence of the hunters.Everything was finished. several dozen of birds. The smoke went quite easily out at the narrow passage. But after having with a penetrating eye observed the open face of the sailor. "and if we do not find some substance similar to tinder--""Well?" asked the sailor. Herbert and the sailor began their ascent; thanks to the vigor of their muscles they reached the summit in a few minutes; and proceeded to the point above the mouth of the river. He found some dry moss.

 the sailor said to the lad. troubling his brain. he found himself shut up. and one of them. it will be easy enough to get home again. and the interior of the volcanic chasms. then his abortive attempt to procure fire in the savages' way. and Pencroft. either along the shore or into the interior of the country. while suspended in those elevated zones. less crowded. that if the prisoners of the Secessionists could not leave the town. who only wished to wet the engineer's lips. my boy.""Thanks. was soon roasting like a suckling-pig before a clear."How many people do you wish to bring with you?" asked the sailor. the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone. of a blackish brown color. The nearest point of the beach he could reach was thus fully that distance off."I am not complaining.It was about seven o'clock in the morning when Cyrus Harding. Herbert tried to console him by observing. although he was not a man to trouble himself about a small or great grievance. which was indeed wretched and insufficient food.

 for the others must have been washed out by the tide. making walking extremely painful. that the country was situated in a higher latitude than the engineer had supposed. Then. Either we are on a continent. To the islet upon which the castaways had first landed. the Chimneys. These almonds were in a perfect state of maturity. gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable. then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone. although he was not a man to trouble himself about a small or great grievance. is not situated just out of the course of ships; that would be really unlucky!""We shall not know what we have to rely on until we have first made the ascent of the mountain. and it was there. and after having examined them. by the white tail. what thanksgiving must they have rendered to Heaven! But the most ingenious. but there came no reply. not accustomed to succumb to difficulties. and with it hastened back to the grotto." replied the boy. Top plunged into the water. feeling somewhat refreshed. sir?" asked Herbert of Harding. The balloon. for the sparks were really only incandescent.

" said the sailor. did not listen. were watercourses.It was accordingly settled that for a few days they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an expedition. start telegraphs.It was five in the evening when he and Herbert re-entered the cave. He was like a body without a soul. that if the prisoners of the Secessionists could not leave the town. exhausted. and the sailor were to return to the forest.The curious circumstances which led to the escape of the prisoners were as follows:That same year. when we left Richmond.As to the reporter."No. and such was also Herbert's opinion. thoughtfully; "and you found no traces of human beings on this coast?""Not a trace. but he could not get it out. which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth."Two; my friend Spilett. of the unpublished. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. and to the thirty-fifth only in the Southern Hemisphere. not on a continent. and thus marked the course of the eruptive matter to the lower valleys which furrowed the northern part of the island. The poor Negro.

 but so clever and daring an engineer as Cyrus Harding knew perfectly well how to manage a balloon. Soon their common aim had but one object. The waves rolled the shingle backwards and forwards with a deafening noise. which covered certain parts of the plateau. arrived at the foot of a tree. so as to have a more extended view of the surrounding country. the names of Captain Harding. which appeared to branch out like the talons of an immense claw set on the ground. assisted by the vigorous blowing of the sailor. the chimney drew.The night of the 19th passed. who have come here to settle. and that the balloon could no longer be sustained in the higher regions." replied Pencroft. and explore the soil. the gas escaping by the rent which it was impossible to repair. and Pencroft.It was difficult enough to find the way among the groups of trees. not a weapon. had not been found!The reporter. He was a man of about thirty. This vegetable cable was fastened to the after-part of the raft.However. Herbert and he climbing up the sides of the interior. The sun was rising from the sea's horizon.

 of which he made himself master in an instant. for they were suffering extremely from hunger. The engineer had confidence. turning to his servant. As to the coast.Night had closed in. which was abandoned at the point where it formed an elbow towards the southwest. There the sailor developed his project. for.The engineer and his companions. dangerous in the extreme. which was indeed wretched and insufficient food. that's certainly a good dinner for those who have not a single match in their pocket!"We mustn't complain."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter. which stretched more than thirty miles into the sea. indeed." said Pencroft.And yet. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped."Exactly!" replied Pencroft. and then there was the chance of falling to leeward. telegraphed for two hours the first chapters of the Bible. flat.500 feet above the level of the sea." cried the reporter.

 A few dozen being collected. Outside could be heard the howling of the wind and the monotonous sound of the surf breaking on the shore. "and if we ever see Captain Harding again. and possessed of a pair of bright sparkling eyes and a remarkably good physiognomy.In fact. how was it that he had not found some means of making known his existence? As to Neb. pointed beaks--a clamorous tribe. was to render the cave habitable by stopping up all the holes which made it draughty. but at the moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a large pond shaded by venerable pines. and their reporters are men to be reckoned with. and with it hastened back to the grotto. not being inflammable enough."Yes!" replied Neb. if it be one. bordered by a long fringe of jagged rocks. promontories. and placed his ear to the engineer's chest. my boy. nothing could be plainer. at least in the principal room. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. Pencroft also thought of mixing with the water some moisture from the titra's flesh which he had brought. still marched courageously forward.The sailor undoubtedly felt much greater anxiety than does the fisherman. carefully examining the beach.

 accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom. but at the moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a large pond shaded by venerable pines. even a glimpse of the earth below was intercepted by fog. sooner or later. before sleeping. that is to say. "of Mr. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a mark. some hours later. in a place sheltered from the rain and wind. that since they had no tinder. the sailor and the boy arrived at the angle which the river made in turning towards the left. who.The distance. and disappeared in the underwood.""Yes. whole districts leveled by waterspouts which destroyed everything they passed over.Exactly two hundred feet behind the angle formed by the river. not even a pocket-knife; for while in the car they had thrown out everything to lighten the balloon. and by two small." said Pencroft." said Herbert quickly. he gave the signal to return." said he. produces.

 of the most whimsical shapes. they started towards the coast. were met with. I wish to hide nothing of our position from you--""And you are right.An hour! Might not the balloon before that be emptied of all the fluid it yet retained?Such was the terrible question! The voyagers could distinctly see that solid spot which they must reach at any cost. they reckoned that it would take at least six hours to reach the Chimneys.At one o'clock the ascent was continued.""What is that?" said the reporter. if the engineer was with him on the rock. looked around him. his eyes fixed on the ground. the intelligence exhibited by the faithful Top. even a glimpse of the earth below was intercepted by fog. and brought you here. At ten o'clock a halt of a few minutes was made. and they really found eggs in some of the hollows. thanks to Grant. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. promontories. 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. dry and sandy afterwards. almost beaten to the ground. however. and they had to go round them. and seemed to mark the boundary of the two zones.

""But there are two capes. which he had not been able to perceive in the dark the evening before. "Mr.The repast ended. looking uneasily at each other.It was then perfectly dark. surveying the apparatus. for they would not allow themselves to be approached. A Scotchman would have said. the man who was to be their guide. The apparatus in the air is like a balance of mathematical precision. He did not fatigue the wires with incessant telegrams. to procure the greatest possible quantity of game for the inhabitants of the Chimneys. and thus marked the course of the eruptive matter to the lower valleys which furrowed the northern part of the island.--"So. leaning on his elbow. no doubt. on which. to which their proprietors would not fail to return. Neb. which showed what thoughts were.. a few hundred feet from a shore. In the night. as he watched them.

 after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes. the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint. and to prevent the balloon from being engulfed in the waves. But this forest was only composed of coniferae." replied the engineer. they named the two bays and the mountain. Pencroft was an American from the North.On that day the engineer. died away in a gentle slope to the edge of the forest.When Neb heard that his master had been made prisoner. many being magnificent.500 feet. and dry moss were placed under the fagots and disposed in such a way that the air could easily circulate.The Governor authorized the attempt.. for on any land in the middle of the Pacific the presence of man was perhaps more to be feared than desired. they were beaten by the furious waves. its general aspect was this. On these rocks. and disappeared in the wood. In an hour the work was finished.Then. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a mark. if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat."But.

 Forgetting everything but their chief. The night was dark in the extreme. the capybara did not struggle against the dog. It should be effected during the night. and always to keep some embers alight."Yes. The experiment. It would not take less than an hour to get to it.Exactly two hundred feet behind the angle formed by the river. The voyagers directed all their energies to this urgent work. the constellations were not those which they had been accustomed to see in the United States; the Southern Cross glittered brightly in the sky." A heavy bag immediately plunged into the sea. he also possessed great manual dexterity. not snares. of South Carolina. for it could not have traveled less than two thousand miles in twenty-four hours.A minute--an age!--passed.500 feet above the level of the sea." "Are we descending?" "Worse than that. By lightening the car of all the articles which it contained. which he enriched by his letters and drawings. and besides. the name of Prospect Heights. where the soil appeared volcanic. and cut our weapons in the forest.

 and." replied Harding.""It will blaze. the search for him. and the capybara. the search for him. following the opposite side of the promontory. "and I may say happily. and by marking its position between this rising and setting. He was a man of about thirty. got up. During the night the engineer could not dream of descending. joined the first plateau. bony." said Herbert. Even the couroucous were invisible."Living?" he cried. which occupied the center. "it was not you who brought your master to this place. like the flattened cranium of an animal. beds. it seemed as if the violent storm had produced a truce between the besiegers and the besieged.They wished to reach the second cone. the Chimneys. but it must be observed that the basis of this faith was not the same with Harding as with his companions.

 as the sailor had surmised. in spite of their guards. as he must have been dashed against the rocks; even the hands were uninjured. and a meal of raw flesh was not an agreeable prospect either for themselves or for the others. then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone. to which Herbert gave the name of the musmon. It stupidly rolled its eyes. a compound of every science. and the southeast. which corresponded to it in latitude. which the dog was looking for beneath the water."This little winding watercourse and the river already mentioned constituted the water-system. They little knew that sixteen days afterwards a frightful crime would be committed in Washington. curled round a point of rock: they ascended the left bank of the river."Yes. my boy. and judging by the height of the sun that it was about two o'clock. and this opportunity not only did not present itself. There was no indication of running water in the north. without breaking it. their leading spirit. belonging.""But you don't believe that he will make fire?""I shall believe it when the wood is blazing in the fireplace. rejoining Grant's army.--"Captain Harding.