JULES VERNE: 25 Greatest Books in One Volume (Illustrated Edition). Жюль Верн

asked Harding, much astonished at the reporter's words.

      "We mean, captain," answered Pencroft, "that on board the Bonadventure we were very anxious during the few hours before our return, and we should have passed to windward of the island, if it had not been for the precaution you took of lighting a fire in the night of the 19th of October, on Prospect Heights."

      "Yes, yes! That was a lucky idea of mine!" replied the engineer.

      "And this time," continued the sailor, "unless the idea occurs to Ayrton, there will be no one to do us that little service!"

      "No! no one!" answered Cyrus Harding.

      A few minutes after, finding himself alone in the bows of the vessel with the reporter, the engineer bent down and whispered,—

      "If there is one thing certain in this world, Spilett, it is that I never lighted any fire during the night of the 19th of October, neither on Prospect Heights nor on any other part of the island!"

      CHAPTER XX

       Table of Contents

      A Night at Sea—Shark Gulf—Confidences—Preparations for Winter—Forwardness of the bad Season—Severe Cold—Work in the Interior—In six Months—A photographic Negative—Unexpected Incident.

      Things happened as Pencroft had predicted, he being seldom mistaken in his prognostications. The wind rose, and from a fresh breeze it soon increased to a regular gale; that is to say, it acquired a speed of from forty to forty-five miles an hour, before which a ship in the open sea would have run under close-reefed topsails. Now, as it was nearly six o'clock when the Bonadventure reached the gulf, and as at that moment the tide turned, it was impossible to enter. They were therefore compelled to stand off, for even if he had wished to do so, Pencroft could not have gained the mouth of the Mercy. Hoisting the jib to the mainmast by way of a storm-sail, he hove to, putting the head of the vessel towards the land.

      Fortunately, although the wind was strong, the sea, being sheltered by the land, did not run very high. They had then little to fear from the waves, which always endanger small craft. The Bonadventure would doubtlessly not have capsized, for she was well ballasted; but enormous masses of water falling on the deck, might injure her, if her timbers could not sustain them. Pencroft, as a good sailor, was prepared for anything. Certainly, he had great confidence in his vessel, but nevertheless he awaited the return of day with some anxiety.

      During the night, Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett had no opportunity for talking together, and yet the words pronounced in the reporter's ear by the engineer were well worth being discussed, together with the mysterious influence which appeared to reign over Lincoln Island. Gideon Spilett did not cease from pondering over this new and inexplicable incident,—the appearance of a fire on the coast of the island. The fire had actually been seen! His companions, Herbert and Pencroft, had seen it with him! The fire had served to signalise the position of the island during that dark night, and they had not doubted that it was lighted by the engineer's hand; and here was Cyrus Harding expressly declaring that he had never done anything of the sort! Spilett resolved to recur to this incident as soon as the Bonadventure returned, and to urge Cyrus Harding to acquaint their companions with these strange facts. Perhaps it would be decided to make in common a complete investigation of every part of Lincoln Island.

      However that might be, on this evening no fire was lighted on these yet unknown shores, which formed the entrance to the gulf, and the little vessel stood off during the night.

      When the first streaks of dawn appeared in the western horizon, the wind, which had slightly fallen, shifted two points, and enabled Pencroft to enter the narrow gulf with greater ease. Towards seven o'clock in the morning, the Bonadventure, weathering the North Mandible Cape, entered the strait and glided on to the waters, so strangely enclosed in the frame of lava.

      "Well," said Pencroft, "this bay would make admirable roads, in which a whole fleet could lie at their ease!"

      "What is especially curious," observed Harding, "is that the gulf has been formed by two rivers of lava, thrown out by the volcano, and accumulated by successive eruptions. The result is that the gulf is completely sheltered on all sides, and I believe that even in the stormiest weather, the sea here must be as calm as a lake."

      "No doubt," returned the sailor, "since the wind has only that narrow entrance between the two capes to get in by; and besides, the north cape protects that of the south in a way which would make the entrance of gusts very difficult. I declare our Bonadventure could stay here from one end of the year to the other, without even dragging at her anchor!"

      "It is rather large for her!" observed the reporter.

      "Well! Mr. Spilett," replied the sailor, "I agree that it is too large for the Bonadventure; but if the fleets of the Union were in want of a harbour in the Pacific, I don't think they would ever find a better place than this!"

      "We are in the shark's mouth," remarked Neb, alluding to the form of the gulf.

      "Right into its mouth, my honest Neb!" replied Herbert; "but you are not afraid that it will shut upon us, are you?"

      "No, Mr. Herbert," answered Neb; "and yet this gulf here doesn't please me much! It has a wicked look!"

      "Hallo!" cried Pencroft, "here is Neb turning up his nose at my gulf, just as I was thinking of presenting it to America!"

      "But, at any rate, is the water deep enough?" asked the engineer, "for a depth sufficient for the keel of the Bonadventure, would not be enough for those of our iron-clads."

      "That is easily found out," replied Pencroft.

      And the sailor sounded with a long cord, which served him as a lead-line, and to which was fastened a lump of iron. This cord measured nearly fifty fathoms, and its entire length was unrolled without finding any bottom.

      "There," exclaimed Pencroft, "our iron-clads can come here after all! They would not run aground!"

      "Indeed," said Gideon Spilett, "this gulf is a regular abyss; but, taking into consideration the volcanic origin of the island, it is not astonishing that the sea should offer similar depressions."

      "One would say too," observed Herbert, "that these cliffs were perfectly perpendicular; and I believe that at their foot, even with a line five or six times longer, Pencroft would not find the bottom."

      "That is all very well," then said the reporter; "but I must point out to Pencroft that his harbour is wanting in one very important respect!"

      "And what is that, Mr. Spilett?"

      "An opening, a cutting of some sort, to give access to the interior of the island. I do not see a spot on which we could land."

      And, in fact, the steep lava cliffs did not afford a single place suitable for landing. They formed an insuperable barrier, recalling, but with more wildness, the fiords of Norway. The Bonadventure, coasting as close as possible along the cliffs, did not discover even a projection which would allow the passengers to leave the deck.

      Pencroft consoled himself by saying that with the help of a mine they could soon open out the cliff when that was necessary, and then, as there was evidently nothing to be done in the gulf, he steered his vessel towards the strait and passed out at about two o'clock in the afternoon.

      "Ah!" said Neb, uttering a sigh of satisfaction.

      One might really say that the honest negro did not feel at his ease in those enormous jaws.

      The distance from Mandible Cape to the mouth of the Mercy was not more than eight miles. The head of the Bonadventure was put towards Granite House, and a fair wind