Таинственный остров

           Whenhewascaptured,hewasintheactofmakingadescriptionandsketchofthebattle.Thelastwordsinhisnote-bookwerethese:"ASouthernriflemanhasjusttakenaimatme,but—"TheSouthernernotwithstandingmissedGideonSpilett,who,withhisusualfortune,cameoutofthisaffairwithoutascratch.

           CyrusHardingandGideonSpilett,whodidnotknoweachotherexceptbyreputation,hadbothbeencarriedtoRichmond.Theengineer’swoundsrapidlyhealed,anditwasduringhisconvalescencethathemadeacquaintancewiththereporter.Thetwomenthenlearnedtoappreciateeachother.Soontheircommonaimhadbutoneobject,thatofescaping,rejoiningGrant’sarmy,andfightingtogetherintheranksoftheFederals.

           ThetwoAmericanshadfromthefirstdeterminedtoseizeeverychance;butalthoughtheywereallowedtowanderatlibertyinthetown,Richmondwassostrictlyguarded,thatescapeappearedimpossible.InthemeanwhileCaptainHardingwasrejoinedbyaservantwhowasdevotedtohiminlifeandindeath.ThisintrepidfellowwasaNegrobornontheengineer’sestate,ofaslavefatherandmother,buttowhomCyrus,whowasanAbolitionistfromconvictionandheart,hadlongsincegivenhisfreedom.Theonceslave,thoughfree,wouldnotleavehismaster.Hewouldhavediedforhim.Hewasamanofaboutthirty,vigorous,active,clever,intelligent,gentle,andcalm,sometimesnaive,alwaysmerry,obliging,andhonest.HisnamewasNebuchadnezzar,butheonlyansweredtothefamiliarabbreviationofNeb.

           WhenNebheardthathismasterhadbeenmadeprisoner,heleftMassachusettswithouthesitatinganinstant,arrivedbeforeRichmond,andbydintofstratagemandshrewdness,afterhavingriskedhislifetwentytimesover,managedtopenetrateintothebesiegedtown.