Таинственный остров

           Theengineerwasnotamanwhowouldallowhimselftobedivertedfromhisfixedidea.Itmightevenhavebeensaidthathedidnotobservethecountryatall,eitherinitsconfigurationorinitsnaturalproductions,hisgreataimbeingtoclimbthemountainbeforehim,andthereforestraighttowardsithewent.Atteno’clockahaltofafewminuteswasmade.Onleavingtheforest,themountainsystemofthecountryappearedbeforetheexplorers.Themountainwascomposedoftwocones;thefirst,truncatedataheightofabouttwothousandfivehundredfeet,wassustainedbybuttresses,whichappearedtobranchoutlikethetalonsofanimmenseclawsetontheground.Betweenthesewerenarrowvalleys,bristlingwithtrees,thelastclumpsofwhichrosetothetopofthelowestcone.Thereappearedtobelessvegetationonthatsideofthemountainwhichwasexposedtothenortheast,anddeepfissurescouldbeseenwhich,nodoubt,werewatercourses.

           Onthefirstconerestedasecond,slightlyrounded,andplacedalittleononeside,likeagreatroundhatcockedovertheear.AScotchmanwouldhavesaid,"Hisbonnetwasathochtajee."Itappearedformedofbareearth,hereandtherepiercedbyreddishrocks.

           Theywishedtoreachthesecondcone,andproceedingalongtheridgeofthespursseemedtobethebestwaybywhichtogainit.

           "Weareonvolcanicground,"CyrusHardinghadsaid,andhiscompanionsfollowinghimbegantoascendbydegreesonthebackofaspur,which,byawindingandconsequentlymoreaccessiblepath,joinedthefirstplateau.

           Thegroundhadevidentlybeenconvulsedbysubterraneanforce.Hereandtherestrayblocks,numerousdebrisofbasaltandpumice-stone,weremetwith.Inisolatedgroupsrosefir-trees,which,somehundredfeetlower,atthebottomofthenarrowgorges,formedmassiveshadesalmostimpenetrabletothesun’srays.