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Robert and Mary could not keep back their tears, and Paganel had not a word of hope or comfort to give them.
In a moment his eyes gleamed, his hand pointed out into the distance. "A ship! a ship!" he cried. "My friends, row! row hard!" Not one of the rowers turned his head not an oar-stroke must be lost. Paganel alone rose, and turned his telescope to the point indicated. "Yes," said he, "a ship! a steamer! they are under full steam! they are coming to us! Found now, brave comrades!"
At the spot mentioned Paganel had noticed an enormous block of stone, round which the vapors played with a certain degree of intensity. This block covered a small natural crater hollowed in the cone, and by its own weight prevented the egress of the subterranean fire. If they could move it from its socket, the vapors and the lava would issue by the disencumbered opening.
"You are too well acquainted with the 37th parallel and the river Guamini and the whole Pampas for us to let you go. Neither Mulrady, nor Wilson, nor myself would be able to rejoin Thalcave at the given rendezvous, but we will put ourselves under the banner of the brave Jacques Paganel with perfect confidence." "I resign myself," said the geographer, much flattered at having supreme command.
"The horns come out of the ground," replied the Indian, "but the oxen are down below." "What!" exclaimed Paganel; "do you mean to say that a whole herd was caught in that mud and buried alive?" "Yes," said the Patagonian. And so it was.
"Be that as it may, my brave Paganel, seeing there are neither Indians, nor negroes, nor mulattoes among us, I am quite rejoiced at the absence of your beloved jaguars. Our situation is not so particularly agreeable." "What! not agreeable!" exclaimed Paganel, jumping at the word as likely to give a new turn to the conversation. "You are complaining of your lot, Glenarvan."
"Escaped convicts, that is evident," replied Paganel, "but not regularly transported criminals. Those fellows have no business here." "Well, they are here, at any rate," said Glenarvan; "but I don't suppose the fact need materially alter our arrangements. What do you think, John?"
And he leaned over the boy and pressed his lips on his cheek, still wet with Mary's tears. The Major and Paganel, it need hardly be said, came in for their due share of welcome, and Lady Helena only regretted she could not shake hands with the brave and generous Thalcave.
"My crew massacred! my DUNCAN in the hands of these bandits!" "Yes, for Ben Joyce will surprise the ship," said the Major, "and then " "Well, we must get to the coast first," said Paganel. "But how are we to cross the Snowy River?" said Wilson. "As they will," replied Glenarvan. "They are to cross at Kemple Pier Bridge, and so will we." "But about Mulrady?" asked Lady Helena.
About three o'clock in the morning, however, the Major noticed that the roots were beginning to graze the ground occasionally, and by sounding the depth of the water with a long branch, Tom Austin found that they were getting on rising ground. Twenty minutes afterward, the OMBU stopped short with a violent jolt. "Land! land!" shouted Paganel, in a ringing tone.
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