Таинственный остров / The Mysterious Island. Уровень 2

– Certainly.

Pencroff and Herbert made a good meal of them, they tasted like oysters. Now they must find fresh water. Two hundred feet further on Pencroff and Herbert reached the inlet. A little river was flowing through it.

– Here is water, – said Pencroff, – and there is wood. Herbert, now we need the house.

The river water was clear. Pencroff and Herbert went down into sandy corridors.

– This is what we want, – said Pencroff. – These Chimneys will be our house.

Herbert and Pencroff left the Chimneys, and walked up the left bank of the river. Soon they reached the elbow which the river made to the left. From this point they saw a forest.

– Good, – said the sailor, – these trees will help us to make a fire.

It was easy to gather the firewood: many dry branches lay at their feet. But how can they carry them to the Chimneys?

– We have the river, – suggested Herbert.

– Exactly, said Pencroff. – The river will be our road and our carrier, too.

They looked at the ocean. The sea was a watery desert.

– Something tells me, – said Herbert, – that Mr. Smith is a very energetic man. So he saved himself. Don’t you think so, Pencroff?

The sailor shook his head sadly.

– Yes, – said he, – our engineer saved himself.

Pencroff and Herbert walked towards the west. They looked at the snowcapped mountain, which rose six or seven miles away. They saw a forest. Then from the edge of this forest to the coast stretched a plateau.

Chapter V

Pencroff made the real house from the Chimneys. The Chimneys were divided into three or four chambers. They were dry, and they could stand up in them. The floor was covered with sand.

– Perhaps, – said Herbert, – our companions found a better place than ours.

– It is possible, – answered Pencroff, – but don’t stop. We will have two houses!

– Oh, – said Herbert, – will they find Mr. Smith, and bring him back?

– Yes, – murmured Pencroff. – He was a good man.

– Was! – said Herbert. – Do you think we will not see him again?

– Never! – replied the sailor. – But now our friends may return, and they will find a good shelter.

At 6 o’clock, Neb and Gideon Spilett returned. They came back alone. The sailor was right: they did not find the engineer.

The reporter sat upon a rock. He was tired and very hungry. Neb was weeping, he lost all hope.

The reporter told Pencroff and Herbert about their search. Neb and he followed the coast for more than eight miles. The shore was deserted. Not a trace upon the sand, not a footprint. At that moment Neb raised his head, and exclaimed:

– No, he is not dead! It is impossible!

Herbert ran to him and cried:

– Neb, we will find him! But please eat something.

But Neb refused to eat. He did not want to live.

As to Gideon Spilett, he devoured[15 - devour – жадно есть] the mollusks. He was exhausted, but calm. Herbert took his hand.

– Mr. Spilett, – said he, – we discovered a shelter. You will be more comfortable there. So let us rest there. Tomorrow we will see.

The reporter rose, and proceeded towards the Chimneys.

Pencroff took the match and made fire. Was Cyrus still alive? If so, where was he?

In a few minutes the food was ready. The sailor invited the reporter to eat.

Then the reporter retired to a dark corner. Herbert fell asleep at once. The sailor passed the night by the fire. Neb wandered upon the sands. He was calling his master.

Chapter VI

The castaways had only the clothes they wore in the balloon. They did not have any guns, not even a pocket knife. They threw everything overboard to lighten the balloon.

Pencroff wanted to find food. They began to prepare an expedition along the coast. Neb did not believe that Smith was dead. In the morning of the 26th of March, at daybreak, Neb started along the coast northward.

For breakfast that morning they had only eggs and lithodomes, with salt. Herbert found it in the cavities of the rocks. Then the reporter stayed to keep up the fire[16 - keep up the fire – поддерживать огонь], and Herbert and Pencroff went into the forest.

– We will hunt, Herbert, – said the sailor.

At 9 o’clock the breeze blew from the southeast. When Herbert and Pencroff reached the forest, Pencroff broke two thick branches. He made them into cudgels[17 - cudgel – дубина]. The sailor observed the region. On the left bank the surface was flat. Sometimes it was moist and swampy. The opposite bank was more undulating. The hill was covered with trees. The descent was very steep. Both forest and shore looked wild. They saw fresh traces of animals.

They did not speak. Birds were singing and flying under the trees; but they were afraid of men. Among fir trees, birds with small bodies and long tails fluttered.

– These are couroucous[18 - couroucous – куруку ( птицаизпородыворон )], – said Herbert. – Their meat is delicious. Besides, I think we can easily get at them with our sticks.

When they killed enough birds for dinner, they found a river and followed it downward. At 6 o’clock, Herbert and Pencroff re-entered the Chimneys.

Chapter VII

Gideon Spilett stood motionless upon the shore. He was gazing on the sea. The wind, already strong, was freshening, and the sky had an angry look. Pencroff began to prepare dinner. At 7 o’clock Neb was still absent.

The storm began. Furious wind passed over the coast from the southeast. At 8 o’clock Neb did not return. The birds were all they had for supper. Pencroff and Herbert devoured them. Then each one retired to their corners, and Herbert was soon asleep.

It was about 2 o’clock when Pencroff suddenly woke up. The reporter was shaking him.

– What’s the matter? – Pencroff cried.