Таинственный остров

           Ayrton’sarrivalhadsurprisedthem,buttheyhadmanagedtooverpowertheunfortunateman,and—therestmaybeeasilyimagined!

           Now,theconvicts,—reducedtofive,itistrue,butwellarmed,—wereroamingthewoods,andtoventuretherewastoexposethemselvestotheirattacks,whichcouldbeneitherguardedagainstnorprevented.

           "Wait!Thereisnothingelsetobedone!"repeatedCyrusHarding."WhenHerbertiscured,wecanorganizeageneralbattleoftheisland,andhavesatisfactionoftheseconvicts.Thatwillbetheobjectofourgrandexpeditionatthesametime—"

           "Asthesearchforourmysteriousprotector,"addedGideonSpilett,finishingtheengineer’ssentence."An,itmustbeacknowledged,mydearCyrus,thatthistimehisprotectionwaswantingattheverymomentwhenitwasmostnecessarytous!"

           "Whoknows?"repliedtheengineer.

           "Whatdoyoumean?"askedthereporter.

           "Thatwearenotattheendofourtroubleyet,mydearSpilett,andthathispowerfulinterventionmayhaveanotheropportunityofexercisingitself.Butthatisnotthequestionnow.Herbert’slifebeforeeverything."

           Thiswasthecolonists’saddestthought.Severaldayspassed,andthepoorboy’sstatewashappilynoworse.Coldwater,alwayskeptatasuitabletemperature,hadcompletelypreventedtheinflammationofthewounds.Itevenseemedtothereporterthatthiswater,beingslightlysulphurous,—whichwasexplainedbytheneighborhoodofthevolcano,hadamoredirectactiononthehealing.