Таинственный остров

           Itwillbehardifwedon’tmanagetogetawaysomedayorotherfromaplacewherecertainlynoonewilldetainus!"

           CyrusHardingfollowedthesameroadastheeveningbefore.Theywentroundtheconebytheplateauwhichformedtheshoulder,tothemouthoftheenormouschasm.Theweatherwasmagnificent.Thesunroseinapureskyandfloodedwithhisraysalltheeasternsideofthemountain.

           Thecraterwasreached.Itwasjustwhattheengineerhadmadeitouttobeinthedark;thatistosay,avastfunnelwhichextended,widening,toaheightofathousandfeetabovetheplateau.Belowthechasm,largethickstreaksoflavawoundoverthesidesofthemountain,andthusmarkedthecourseoftheeruptivemattertothelowervalleyswhichfurrowedthenorthernpartoftheisland.

           Theinteriorofthecrater,whoseinclinationdidnotexceedthirtyfivetofortydegrees,presentednodifficultiesnorobstaclestotheascent.Tracesofveryancientlavawerenoticed,whichprobablyhadoverflowedthesummitofthecone,beforethislateralchasmhadopenedanewwaytoit.

           Astothevolcanicchimneywhichestablishedacommunicationbetweenthesubterraneanlayersandthecrater,itsdepthcouldnotbecalculatedwiththeeye,foritwaslostinobscurity.Buttherewasnodoubtastothecompleteextinctionofthevolcano.

           Beforeeighto’clockHardingandhiscompanionswereassembledatthesummitofthecrater,onaconicalmoundwhichswelledthenorthernedge.

           "Thesea,theseaeverywhere!"theycried,asiftheirlipscouldnotrestrainthewordswhichmadeislandersofthem.