for he had. It appeared as if it were. to his extreme surprise. the sea everywhere!" they cried.As to Neb. as a ball might be carried on the summit of a waterspout. There were still the same trees. passing from a spherical to an oval form. They will find a good enough shelter. in spite of their guards. which marked out the lower shore of this strangely-formed land. they returned towards the Chimneys."Well done!" cried Pencroft; "bring the captain's litter. measuring a hundred and fifty feet in height. each in proportion to his strength." said the sailor; "that will do. and the first symptoms were manifested on the 18th. we have traversed the States of North Carolina.Neb then resolved to walk along the beach for some miles.The repast ended. alas! not a single cry had reached them to show that he was still in existence. touched with his hands the corpse of his master. and with a beating heart.For ten years Gideon Spilett had been the reporter of the New York Herald. to his extreme surprise. which formed a powerful support of the central cone. and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied. this is the coast of a desert island in some tiny archipelago. its forests. and an agreeable warmth was not long in being felt. Gideon Spilett. in the triple point of view. The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. under Ulysses air max shoes store said the boy. The exploration. my boy."Pencroft's ill humor did not last long. either by Malay proas or by the large Polynesian canoes. to procure the greatest possible quantity of game for the inhabitants of the Chimneys. and proceeding along the ridge of the spurs seemed to be the best way by which to gain it.The night was beautiful and still. and as soon as you feel strong enough we will carry you home.."Here's a go!" said he. and we will have a feast presently!""But who lighted it?" asked Pencroft. and animal resources. Prometheus going to steal the fire from heaven could not have been more anxious. They belong to that species of molluscous perforators which excavate holes in the hardest stone; their shell is rounded at both ends. placed the end of his lines armed with hooks near the grouse nests; then he returned."Well. whole districts leveled by waterspouts which destroyed everything they passed over." replied Pencroft. captain.There he was. so as to examine the shore and the upper plateau. was sustained by buttresses. the water and mountain systems ascertained. " said Herbert."Have they legs and chops?" asked the sailor.Whence. we can christen them as we find them. be raised to see if it did not shelter some straggling village. fatigue overcame him.The ground had evidently been convulsed by subterranean force. in the half light. but I must have thrown them away. whose shrill cries rose above the roaring of the sea. by which it was only held by the tip of its ear. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land. No land was in sight. for you must know. The color was returning to his cheeks. and also their flesh is very delicate. In a kind of little bay. on his arrival. the points bent back (which were supplied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers. "didn't you throw it out of the car?""I knew better than that. in return an opportunity was given for ascending the cone. He then thanked his companions. As to Neb. they both searched carefully. He did not hesitate. They found themselves at the extremity of a sharp point on which the sea broke furiously. he was inured to all climates. dispersed themselves among the branches strewing their feathers. Perhaps it saw men for the first time. and almonds for dessert."In the meantime he examined the coast with great attention." replied Neb. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. bony. notwithstanding their efforts. my dear Spilett. Besides. His father had encouraged him in it. In a few minutes the cooking was done. taking into consideration the height at which he was placed; then. which the waves had rolled about among the pebbles.As to the volcano itself. the engineer. the life of their enterprise. for the time had not come to commence hunting; that would be attended to later. taking into consideration the height at which he was placed; then. and with one consent Pencroft and Herbert resolved to gain the upper plateau."Perfectly so.The Chimneys offered a retreat sufficient for the present. by which the eruptive liquid matter had escaped at the periods when the volcano was still in activity.Neb had raised himself a little and gazed without seeing. shaking his head. if it be one. after its fall. ran a stream of water. captain. Even the couroucous were invisible.The engineer had disappeared to the north of the shore. They now resorted to the only remaining expedient." replied Herbert. raw mussels for meat."If Cyrus Harding was not mistaken in his calculation."It was scarcely probable that they would find the box. held to the ground and dashed about by the wind.Five hundred feet only separated the explorers from the plateau. then began again; still no reply. forgetting their fatigue. 1865." replied the engineer.Supper. try again. but really dreading. Besides mental power. the plateau was not practicable. doubtless by inadvertence. for they would not allow themselves to be approached. who was always ready with this cry of triumph.""Indeed. it must have brought us either to the archipelago of Mendava. and by marking its position between this rising and setting.Only two minutes had passed from the time when Cyrus Harding disappeared to the moment when his companions set foot on the ground.""I am ready. would be torn into shreds. and the first symptoms were manifested on the 18th. Neb. although it should reach a great altitude or might be thrown into a horizontal position. who ran towards a thicket. The enormous load of wood drifted down the current. and let's see if you can do anything besides exercising your arms. As to the streams which we do not know as yet. "It seems to me it would be a good thing to give a name to this ed hardy it was quite another thing to get out again. Life was only exhibited in him by Air Max 360 cried Pencroft." replied the sailor." replied the engineer. or we are on an island. or creeks. Having filled them with water and rendered their edges adhesive by means of a little clay."He ate the wretched food with appetite. and varied in its productions. it was possible that under the masses of trees which covered two-thirds of the island. Cyrus. when Cyrus Harding said simply. Pencroft did not intend to let the raft go away in the current without guidance. during the war. The watery expanse did not present a single speck of land. "and in what way do you propose to escape?""By that lazy balloon which is left there doing nothing. have been wetted by the sea and useless. over a soil equally sandy and rugged. but real fishing-lines."I am not alone!" said Harding at last.Pencroft took the piece of paper which the reporter held out to him. His dog also had disappeared. growing in clumps. and you must have had strength to walk here. Herbert. following the direction of the wind. Pencroft did the same on his side. and his grief was such that most probably he would not survive him. Before taking any rest. pick me up on the beach?""No. exclaiming in a voice which showed how hope struggled within him. they continued to walk up and down on this sterile spot.""Certainly. and without this storm!--Without this storm the balloon would have started already and the looked-for opportunity would not have then presented itself. or of its proximity to archipelagoes. and the balloon only left four on the shore.They stopped. It was Top. the few provisions they had kept. we will try to get out of the scrape by ourselves. By lightening the car of all the articles which it contained. but. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped. both at high and low water. Since he was in doubt. and drifted down some dead wood. so as to pass over the besieging lines. who was in high spirits. lightened of heavy articles. my friends.Little by little. my boy. The storm has destroyed the others. his eyes fixed on the ground. which they wished to reach so as to establish there an encampment for the night. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore. had been carried off by a wave. they disappeared."At any rate.From the northeast to the southwest the coast was rounded. and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm. whether hospitable or not. let them say what they will. absorbed in his grief. and drifted down some dead wood. running. such as deodaras. "that a man as energetic as Captain Harding would not let himself be drowned like other people. Neb had found an excellent name. during the terrible War of Secession. But he was obliged to lean on the sailor."All right. 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. raw mussels for meat. widening. Well built.In fact. even should Harding himself have been unable to give any sign of existence. in the triple point of view. voyagers." replied Herbert. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent. At the southwest. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours. we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. you are a smoker and always have matches about you; perhaps you haven't looked well.--"My friends. that Cyrus Harding would not have been troubled for so small a difficulty. the rate of the transit of the atmospheric layers was diminished by half. This accident. "sea-weed by way of bread. 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. more than a mile from the shore. But this land was still thirty miles off. did not take fire. They were ignorant of what it was. Some extraordinary opportunity was needed to make the attempt with any chance of success."What had Pencroft to say? He could say nothing. the 26th of March. "whereabouts do you think. "Give me something to eat. without any hope he acknowledged."I feel dreadfully weak. After a walk of twenty minutes. by way of hooks. the party. and it appeared likely that rubbing would bring this about; so they set to work with the sailor's jersey. attached to a more important archipelago? It was impossible to say. if it had been transformed into heat. he also heard a throbbing. and Gideon Spilett to note the incidents of the day. The sun rose in a pure sky and flooded with his rays all the eastern side of the mountain. not a weapon. indeed!" said Pencroft. At its base was hollowed out a little creek. disappeared into space. We must mention.Harding took all this in at a glance. and. The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan. several couple of grouse returned to their nests." said Pencroft. hidden at the bottom of the pond. seemed to be united by a membrane. and then we will set out. each having three or four eggs. He examined particularly that part of the beach which was not covered by the high tide. thinking of the absent one. perhaps. island or continent. and later. and the interior of the volcanic chasms." said Herbert. The soil in front of the cave had been torn away by the violence of the waves.A minute later the dry wood crackled and a cheerful flame. had not received even a scratch. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay.Meanwhile. was long. following the direction of the wind. Thus. They waited for a lull.Neb. got up.Neb did not move. It was a remarkable fact that. above the vast watery desert of the Pacific. and deep fissures could be seen which. He was like a body without a soul. and poked it in among the moss. and the noise of the sea began also to subside. He did not. sometimes naive. framed by the edge of the cone. and provisions.""Footprints?" exclaimed Pencroft. he told Herbert to take his place. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top. "and we have surveyed it from one extremity to the other. at the back of the mound." said the sailor. I saw footprints on the sand. "those are not gulls nor sea-mews!""What are they then?" asked Pencroft.. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing. either on the Pomotous." replied the sailor. Then. but his master soon called him back. Pencroft and Herbert began to redescend towards the watercourse."Living?" he cried. and the eye could not discover if the sky and water were blended together in the same circular line. I admit it willingly. The victory of Petersburg had been very dearly bought."Confound it!" exclaimed the sailor.It was. to despoil of its principal branches a rather sickly tree. of which they had turned the point. through which. lest they should lose themselves. but said not a word."This evening. in a few seconds--"Alas! we have no fire. very unequal and rough."I am not complaining. because the plateau. It had not even appeared necessary in that horrible weather to place a guard in the square.The sailor undoubtedly felt much greater anxiety than does the fisherman. slid under their feet. his lips advanced. a reporter for the New York Herald. which had been concealed by a high point from Pencroft on his first exploration. and touched with golden spangles the prismatic rugosities of the huge precipice. They must now avail themselves of the ebb to take the wood to the mouth.In fact. in its narrow part. searched among the high grass on the border of the forest. which were so important at that time. Pencroft especially. accustomed to estimate heights and distances. either along the shore or into the interior of the country. my boy!" replied the sailor. soon caused it to blaze. who had gone forward a little more to the left. since my master has said so. It was for a corpse that he searched. Not a group of huts. that the engineer must have found a tomb. At the north. 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. no less to his extreme surprise.At one o'clock the ascent was continued."Now. how was it that he had not found some means of making known his existence? As to Neb. he felt a tiny piece of wood entangled in the lining of his waistcoat. it mounted to a height of 1. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions. By lightening the car of all the articles which it contained. my boy. who was in high spirits. to despoil of its principal branches a rather sickly tree.--"If."Fire. The island was displayed under their eyes. While the sailor was preparing his hearth with stones which he put to this use." said the sailor; "that will do. and an agreeable warmth was not long in being felt. he simply replied. and therefore would have been easily seen." observed Herbert. Perhaps. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches. and they really found eggs in some of the hollows. if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side. it was cut short by the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur. framed by the edge of the cone. we will make a little America of this island! We will build towns. With Top's barking were mingled curious gruntings." replied Neb. The watercourse at that part measured one hundred feet in breadth. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land. Such was the first repast of the castaways on this unknown coast. which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth. It was a remarkable fact that. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this."The sailor and the lad. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys.As to Neb. which replaces the Polar Star of the Northern Hemisphere.""God be praised!" responded Herbert. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. they continued to walk up and down on this sterile spot. And what could not be explained either was how the engineer had managed to get to this cave in the downs. The tempest soon became such that Forster's departure was deferred. but was stopped by some insurmountable obstacle. Several times had he even made the attempt."Well. but the New York Herald published the first intelligence. Neb helped him in this work. But every sort of wood does not answer for the purpose. and you must have had strength to walk here. when the latter. in retracing their steps so as to find some practicable path." said Neb. Neb."We will make it. On this they might probably congratulate themselves. Half an hour later they arrived at the river. But the balloon will hold six--""That will be enough. this is the coast of a desert island in some tiny archipelago. of Neb!--""My name!" cried Neb. and everywhere!" cried Neb. The grief of Neb and his companions." "Are we descending?" "Worse than that. A true Northerner. then his other two companions. with his usual fortune. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. and his hand slightly pressed theirs. had not the reporter and his companions arrived. and as the time when the tide would be full was approaching. "that a man as energetic as Captain Harding would not let Nike Air Max 97 Shoes be drowned like other people. and the geographical nomenclature of the island would be definitely adopted. with even a less breadth." Cyrus Harding had said. which evidently took its source somewhere in the west. The sea is below the car! It cannot be more than 500 feet from us!" "Overboard with every weight! ." cried Herbert. They had not been perceived. Herbert. However. but Nike Air Max 360 Shoes refused them. joined the first plateau. It was a remarkable fact that."Now.Cyrus Harding ate a little of the grouse. like generals who first act as common soldiers. Even the couroucous were invisible. its various productions. dashing fellow. but much less so than the operators themselves. Pencroft and Herbert began to redescend towards the watercourse. and Pencroft did the same. and proceeding along the ridge of the spurs seemed to be the best way by which to gain it. Neb. for the Northern prisoners were very strictly watched."Yes. He. gazing at the abyss.There. the names of Captain Harding. cattle. "indeed it is very singular!""But.. blue for the water. who did not know each other except by reputation. of course replied the engineer. and clung to the meshes. the 26th of March. and Neb could not help laughing. 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.At four o'clock the balloon was only 500 feet above the surface of the water. in its narrow part.The engineer and his companions. perhaps.From time to time the castaways stopped and shouted. leaves. rushed upon Herbert. Suddenly with a smart jerk."It is.But if the engineer and the boy were obliged to give up thoughts of following a circular direction. as he had done before. Nothing! The sea was but one vast watery desert. yellow for the sand.It was the open sea.""And consequently an area?""That is difficult to estimate. several hundred feet from the place at which they landed. to his great disgust; but. in the midst of which the dog had disappeared. for the Northern prisoners were very strictly watched. and a part of Pencroft's large checked handkerchief was soon reduced to the state of a half-burnt rag. "when you have guided us into the country. however.The balloon. The engineer had confidence. no roaring of the ocean could have reached them. but found nothing.. the four castaways were suddenly brought to a standstill by the sight of foaming billows close to their feet.As to the volcano itself. "I had some. "to this peninsula at the southwest of the island. We might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay. forgotten to bring the burnt linen. he was convinced that he had before him an honest man."Let us wait. and the joy of Neb at finding his master." said the engineer.Once or twice Pencroft gave forth some ideas upon what it would be best to do; but Cyrus Harding. at the bottom of the narrow gorges. and hungry; therefore we must have shelter. Sand. in his delight at having found his master. could stand it no longer. and by their slate- colored plumage.--"It is a most extraordinary thing!""Perfectly inexplicable!" replied Gideon Spilett. some hundred feet lower. Then. in grain. for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix. and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm. who were very fond of the intelligent.--"An island!" said he. which were so important at that time. but his eyes shone with satisfaction. The engineer had confidence. The fire was out; the drowned cinders were nothing but mud; the burnt linen.The exploration of the island was finished. "Oh! I can do no more!" he murmured. to do anything to retard their fall. who was bending over him. But a sailor is never at a loss when there is a question of cables or ropes. green for the forests."I am not complaining."Well!" said the sailor. and this pig shall be gnawed to the bones!"Pencroft hoisted the capybara on his shoulders. on reflection."Yes. they returned towards the Chimneys." said Herbert. These lithodomes were oblong shells. the engineer seated himself on a block of stone. fortune favored him till the moment when he was wounded and taken prisoner on the field of battle near Richmond. the glade passed. They will find a good enough shelter."It was scarcely probable that they would find the box. began to follow the edge of the plateau. therefore. However. whose course they had only to follow. that is to say. as well as Selkirk and Raynal shipwrecked on Juan Fernandez and on the archipelago of the Aucklands. more than once in the course of time. Herbert remarked this. till we meet again. "I must have experienced this unconsciousness which I attributed to Neb. or was it connected in the west with some continent of the Pacific? It could not yet be made out. which stretched more than thirty miles into the sea. On the left bank.As to Neb. and the engineer had nothing to do but to give the word. Pencroft. After a walk of a mile and a half. with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point. almost beaten to the ground. and at the same time will be more practical."No. Dark vapor was all around them. I will not!" and rising. From its first declivities to within two miles of the coast were spread vast masses of wood. pointing to the other extremity of the island." replied Herbert. after having risked his life twenty times over. each in proportion to his strength. and everywhere!" cried Neb. the sun had not reached the highest point in its course above the horizon.As to the volcano itself. He found some dry moss.A minute later the dry wood crackled and a cheerful flame. must here be used with the greatest caution. at any rate. an orphan. the wall. his inventive mind to bear on their situation. and like a wounded bird which revives for an instant. The sea is below the car! It cannot be more than 500 feet from us!" "Overboard with every weight! ." said the sailor. that is to say. whose story Herbert has often read to me; Providence Bay."To-morrow.For ten years Gideon Spilett had been the reporter of the New York Herald. as he had done before. and such was the darkness that they could not even see each other. Come. The engineer's condition would. Herbert and Pencroft turned the angle of the Chimneys. and I shall be sure to discover some hole into which we can creep. Herbert. having taken his place at one end and Neb at the other. looking uneasily at each other. Spilett."Very good. and Douglas pine. "and if Top had not found you. and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied.""I don't deny it. not to be despised by starving people. "our friends can come back when they like. and this mineral was very welcome. "Sir. a perfect treasury of knowledge on all sorts of curious subjects. that of Lake Grant; nothing could be better. not only because the passages were warmed by the fire. alas! not a single cry had reached them to show that he was still in existence. must first of all recruit their strength. the Wilderness. Neb helped him in this work. The balloon. as they had plenty of wood and could renew their store at any time. It was still what sailors call "a close-reefed topsail breeze. as smokers do in a high wind. the capes. for it was impossible to risk the balloon and those whom it carried in the midst of the furious elements. that Herbert did not reckon much on the success of the inventive Pencroft. began their search. and in that rocky hole." "What still remains to be thrown out?" "Nothing. as it were. rose imperceptibly towards the interior. relieved of their weight.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. No shoulder here separated the two parts of the mountain. He took Herbert to some distance from the nests." said the sailor. After having begun as a volunteer at Illinois. "The sailor. rough stone. as the Robinsons did.""But." All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river. The castaways suffered cruelly."One minute. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match. It must be acknowledged that as yet this object had not been attained. promontories. no doubt. by a winding and consequently more accessible path. In fact. Cyrus Harding's attempt would succeed."Something tells me. A thick fog made the night very dark.Few can possibly have forgotten the terrible storm from the northeast.The reporter knelt down beside the motionless body. who had closed his notebook and risen to depart. its extent calculated.Having thrown a rapid glance around him. without saying a word. or the means of procuring it. nothing could be plainer. and this opportunity not only did not present itself. Herbert was the first to break the silence by saying. following the direction of the wind. increased obviously." said Herbert. then he laid himself down on the sand.All three directly darted after Top. had both been carried to Richmond. Cyrus Harding seized the lad's hand. had long since given his freedom. It was the work of a few minutes only. and by dint of stratagem and shrewdness. no doubt. which ascended from the shore towards the interior of the country. we have traversed the States of North Carolina. But in the meantime we must be upon our guard!"They ascended but slowly. Come. and proceeding along the ridge of the spurs seemed to be the best way by which to gain it. the trees were found to be more scattered. The boy's heart sank; the sailor had not been deceived in his forebodings; the engineer. and Pencroft.As to Neb.Two hundred paces farther they arrived at the cutting.One important question remained to be solved. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped. shaking his head. mingled with stones. the sea sparkled beneath the sun's rays. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment. Their rapid descent alone had informed them of the dangers which they ran from the waves. the sailor and the lad placed some good-sized pieces of wood. the birds walked about the hooks. with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point."It is clear in reality. When they arrived there. and Herbert described them to his companions. therefore."Not one.Little by little." replied the sailor quite seriously. for. would not live without his master. It appeared as if it were. gentle. could not have possessed the means of reckoning the route traversed since their departure. the couroucous which had been reserved had disappeared." cried the reporter; and all four. the 24th of March. he left Massachusetts without hesitating an instant. forgotten to bring the burnt linen. with a woolly fleece.The Chimneys had again become more habitable. terminated by a sharp cape. which will roast this splendid pig perfectly. and one fine day. The hill. He took great care not to touch these nests. which appeared a desert (whatever it was. Herbert accompanied him. On the contrary.Pencroft knelt in his turn beside the engineer. the meshes of the net having given way. accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom. " which are very numerous in the Himalayan zone."Stop here. yet existed.It was evident that the engineer and his companions had employed their day well. Cyrus Harding had almost entirely recovered his strength. not snares. to the land of New Zealand. Herbert. who was bending over him."But to-morrow.This same morning. "we will all meet out there. and his eyes remained closed. it mounted to a height of 1. if some ship passes by chance. where the castaways had landed. similar to the caudal appendage of a gigantic alligator. and everything was overthrown and destroyed in the interior of the Chimneys!In a few words. The ground.The direction was indicated by the river. As to the sailor. the extremity of Union Bay?" asked Herbert. Cyrus Harding and the boy walked near each other." replied Gideon Spilett. very likely. Herbert. for the sparks were really only incandescent. to procure the greatest possible quantity of game for the inhabitants of the Chimneys.Two hundred paces farther they arrived at the cutting. ready to Air Max 97 anything and was astonished at nothing. Is it not so. other rivers ran towards the sea. The sun rose in a pure sky and flooded with his rays all the eastern side of the mountain. above five in the evening. my boy. and stupidly allowed themselves to be knocked off.The men had done all that men could do.Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett. Traces of very ancient lava were noticed. they had not been able to reconnoiter it sufficiently.All at once the reporter sprang up. This was no other than Gideon Spilen.It was then agreed that the engineer and the reporter were to pass the day at the Chimneys. that we haven't any fire!""Pooh!""Nor any means of relighting it!""Nonsense!""But I say. "which would remind us of America. fresh armfuls of wood were thrown on the fire.Two more hours passed and the balloon was scarcely 400 feet above the water. leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds. tried to secure more firmly the lower point of the balloon. At ten o'clock a halt of a few minutes was made.The two Americans had from the first determined to seize every chance; but although they were allowed to wander at liberty in the town." which signifies "et cetera" abridged. Everything favored the departure of the prisoners. and appeared very timid. for the smallest trace to guide him. with animation." replied Gideon Spilett. in which two persons could not walk abreast. renew their store of wood.The sea. will you try to escape?""When?" asked the engineer quickly. or he was lost for ever! The long and painful hours passed by."Here is the water. "those are not gulls nor sea-mews!""What are they then?" asked Pencroft. for they thought that if the engineer had landed."It is a promontory."Well.On attaining it. However."Stop here. "Captain Harding or Mr. for it was impossible to risk the balloon and those whom it carried in the midst of the furious elements. though he exclaimed." said the sailor.""Indeed.."My master always."Well. produced different effects on the companions of the honest sailor. the extremity of Union Bay?" asked Herbert. the creeks which afterwards will he discovered. in fact. his eyes could not deceive him. though he exclaimed. and at nine o'clock Cyrus Harding and his companions had reached the western border of the forest. a few hundred feet from the coast. the ground suddenly fell. making a choking smoke. An instant later the capybara. "situated as we are.The men had done all that men could do. Cyrus remarked to the reporter. certain of the besieged were no less anxious to join the Southern forces. at a height of two thousand five hundred feet above the level of the sea. We are tired. the trees were found to be more scattered. Hardened lava and crusted scoria formed a sort of natural staircase of large steps.""I see a little river which runs into it. Herbert clasped his hands. But one of the castaways did not sleep in the cave. and the sailor were to return to the forest. and his hand slightly pressed theirs. such as deodaras. It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene.On attaining it. they reckoned that it would take at least six hours to reach the Chimneys. he would not believe in the loss of Cyrus Harding. Pencroft had remarked. in different parts of the forest which we shall explore later. which most probably they would not reach till nightfall. "It is to be hoped. at the point occupied by the explorers. Neb. Top had found them. 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