Таинственный остров

           "Ah!anote!"criedHerbert,pointingtoapaperlyingonthetable.

           OnthispaperwerewrittenthesewordsinEnglish:—

           "Followthenewwire."

           "Forward!"criedHarding,whounderstoodthatthedespatchhadnotbeensentfromthecorral,butfromthemysteriousretreat,communicatingdirectlywithGraniteHousebymeansofasupplementarywirejoinedtotheoldone.

           Nebtookthelightedlantern,andallleftthecorral.Thestormthenburstforthwithtremendousviolence.Theintervalbetweeneachlightning-flashandeachthunder-clapdiminishedrapidly.Thesummitofthevolcano,withitsplumeofvapor,couldbeseenbyoccasionalflashes.

           Therewasnotelegraphiccommunicationinanypartofthecorralbetweenthehouseandthepalisade;buttheengineer,runningstraighttothefirstpost,sawbythelightofaflashanewwirehangingfromtheisolatortotheground.

           "Thereitis!"saidhe.

           Thiswirelayalongtheground,andwassurroundedwithanisolatingsubstancelikeasubmarinecable,soastoassurethefreetransmissionofthecurrent.Itappearedtopassthroughthewoodandthesouthernspursofthemountain,andconsequentlyitrantowardsthewest.

           "Followit!"saidCyrusHarding.

           Andthesettlersimmediatelypressedforward,guidedbythewire.

           Thethundercontinuedtoroarwithsuchviolencethatnotawordcouldbeheard.However,therewasnooccasionforspeaking,buttogetforwardasfastaspossible.