Таинственный остров

           "Perfectlyso."

           "Thenletuseatsomelithodomes."

           ThesailorcouldrelyuponHerbert;theyoungboywaswellupinnaturalhistory,andalwayshadhadquiteapassionforthescience.Hisfatherhadencouragedhiminit,bylettinghimattendthelecturesofthebestprofessorsinBoston,whowereveryfondoftheintelligent,industriouslad.Andhisturnfornaturalhistorywas,morethanonceinthecourseoftime,ofgreatuse,andhewasnotmistakeninthisinstance.Theselithodomeswereoblongshells,suspendedinclustersandadheringverytightlytotherocks.Theybelongtothatspeciesofmolluscousperforatorswhichexcavateholesinthehardeststone;theirshellisroundedatbothends,afeaturewhichisnotremarkedinthecommonmussel.

           PencroftandHerbertmadeagoodmealofthelithodomes,whichwerethenhalfopenedtothesun.Theyatethemasoysters,andastheyhadastrongpepperytaste,theywerepalatablewithoutcondimentsofanysort.

           Theirhungerwasthusappeasedforthetime,butnottheirthirst,whichincreasedaftereatingthesenaturally-spicedmolluscs.Theyhadthentofindfreshwater,anditwasnotlikelythatitwouldbewantinginsuchacapriciouslyunevenregion.PencroftandHerbert,afterhavingtakentheprecautionofcollectinganamplesupplyoflithodomes,withwhichtheyfilledtheirpocketsandhandkerchiefs,regainedthefootofthecliff.

           Twohundredpacesfarthertheyarrivedatthecutting,throughwhich,asPencrofthadguessed,ranastreamofwater,whetherfreshornotwastobeascertained.Atthisplacethewallappearedtohavebeenseparatedbysomeviolentsubterraneanforce.