Таинственный остров / The Mysterious Island. Уровень 3

Herbert and Pencroff left the Chimneys, and walked up the left bank of the river. After a quarter of an hour’s walk, the two reached the elbow which the river made to the left. From this point they saw a forest of magnificent trees.

– Good, – said the sailor, – I do not know the name of these trees, but I know they will help us to make a fire, and that’s important.

It was easy to gather the firewood; plenty of dead branches lay at their feet. This dry wood burn rapidly. But how can two men carry such a load to the Chimneys? Herbert asked the question.

– My boy, – said the sailor, there’s a way to do everything.

– 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. The coast, too, was desolate.

– Something tells me, – said Herbert, – that Mr. Smith is a very energetic man. So he got to the shore; don’t you think so, Pencroff?

The sailor shook his head sadly.

– No doubt, – 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.

– Are we upon an island? – muttered the sailor.

– It is big enough, – said the boy.

– An island’s an island, – said Pencroff.

Chapter V

Pencroff made the Chimneys habitable. One narrow, winding passage was arranged to carry out the smoke and to quicken the draught of the fire. 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. Herbert and Pencroff chatted together.

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

– It is possible, – answered the sailor, – but don’t stop. Better have two houses than none at all!

– Oh, – said Herbert, – if they can only find Mr. Smith, and bring him back with them!

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

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

– Never! – replied the sailor.

The work was rapidly accomplished, Pencroff was satisfied.

– Now, – said he, – our friends may return, and they will find a good shelter.

It was 5 o’clock when they returned again to the Chimneys. Towards 6 o’clock, Herbert, who was walking upon the shore, announced the return of Neb and of Gideon Spilett. They came back alone. The sailor was right: they could not find the engineer.

The reporter seated himself upon a rock. He was tired and very hungry, he was unable to utter a word. Neb’s eyes showed that he was weeping and lost all hope.

The reporter told 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, was upon the shore.

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; God will give him back to us; but please eat something.

And the lad offered the poor servant some shell-fish. But Neb refused them. He wished no longer to live.

As to Gideon Spilett, he devoured the mollusks, and then laid down upon the sand at the foot of a rock. He was exhausted, but calm. Herbert took his hand.

– Mr. Spilett, – said he, – we have discovered a shelter where you will be more comfortable. The night is coming on; so come and rest there. Tomorrow we will see.

The reporter rose, and proceeded towards the Chimneys.

Pencroff took the match and made some fire. Herbert brought two dozen eggs and the reporter watched them. Did Cyrus still live? If alive, where was he?

In a few minutes the food was ready, and the sailor invited the reporter to eat. This was the first meal of the castaways upon this unknown coast. The eggs were excellent.

Thus passed the 25th of March. 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. We must add Spilett’s watch and note-book; but there were no firearms and no tools, not even a pocket knife. They threw everything overboard to lighten the balloon. The castaways relied on their own hands.

It seemed to Pencroff better to wait a few days before an exploration. They must try to find food. It was decided then to wait a few days at the Chimneys, and to prepare for an expedition either along the coast or into the interior of the country.

Neb did not believe that Smith was dead. Upon 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. When the meal was over they divided forces. The reporter stayed to keep up the fire, Herbert and Pencroff went into the forest.

– We will hunt, Herbert, – said the sailor. – We will cut our guns in the forest.

At 9 o’clock the breeze blew from the southeast. When Herbert and Pencroff reached the forest, Pencroff broke from the first tree two thick branches. He made them into cudgels. The sailor carefully observed the character of the region. On this left bank the surface was flat. Sometimes it was moist and swampy. The opposite bank was more undulating. The hill was covered with trees. Along this right bank they could hardly walk, because the descent was steep, and the trees were only sustained by their roots. It is needless to say that both forest and shore looked wild. They saw fresh traces of animals.

They did not speak, their hunting was fruitless. Birds were singing and flying under the trees; but they showed an instinctive fear of the men. Among fir trees were fluttering birds with small bodies and long, glittering tails.

– These are couroucous[22 - couroucous – куруку (птица из породы ворон)], – said Herbert. – Their meat is delicious. Besides, I think we can easily get at them with our sticks.

They used their sticks like a scythe, and they mowed down whole rows of the couroucous, of whom 105 were killed.

Then they saw a river. They followed it downward. And by 6 o’clock, Herbert and Pencroff re-entered the Chimneys.

Chapter VII