Таинственный остров

           "Nevermind,"saidPencroft,"thoughIdonotseetheland,Ifeelit...itisthere...there...assureasthefactthatwearenolongeratRichmond."Butthefogwasnotlonginrising.itwasonlyafine-weathermist.Ahotsunsoonpenetratedtothesurfaceoftheisland.Abouthalf-pastsix,three-quartersofanhouraftersunrise,themistbecamemoretransparent.Itgrewthickerabove,butclearedawaybelow.Soontheisleappearedasifithaddescendedfromacloud,thentheseashoweditselfaroundthem,spreadingfarawaytowardstheeast,butboundedonthewestbyanabruptandprecipitouscoast.

           Yes!thelandwasthere.Theirsafetywasatleastprovisionallyinsured.Theisletandthecoastwereseparatedbyachannelabouthalfamileinbreadth,throughwhichrushedanextremelyrapidcurrent.

           However,oneofthecastaways,followingtheimpulseofhisheart,immediatelythrewhimselfintothecurrent,withoutconsultinghiscompanions,withoutsayingasingleword.ItwasNeb.Hewasinhastetobeontheotherside,andtoclimbtowardsthenorth.Ithadbeenimpossibletoholdhimback.Pencroftcalledhiminvain.Thereporterpreparedtofollowhim,butPencroftstoppedhim."Doyouwanttocrossthechannel?"heasked."Yes,"repliedSpilett."Allright!"saidtheseaman;"waitabit;Nebiswellabletocarryhelptohismaster.Ifweventureintothechannel,weriskbeingcarriedintotheopenseabythecurrent,whichisrunningverystrong;but,ifI’mnotwrong,itisebbing.See,thetideisgoingdownoverthesand.Letushavepatience,andatlowwateritispossiblewemayfindafordablepassage.""Youareright,"repliedthereporter,"wewillnotseparatemorethanwecanhelp."