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His companions stared at each other, scarcely believing their ears. "What does that mean?" cried Neb. "Was it the devil who rang it?" No one answered. "The weather is stormy," observed Herbert. "Might not its influence of electricity " Herbert did not finish his phrase. The engineer, towards whom all eyes were turned, shook his head negatively. "We must wait," said Gideon Spilett.
"We propose to construct a vessel," said Gideon Spilett, "sufficiently large to convey us to the nearest land; but if we should succeed, sooner or later we shall return to Lincoln Island. We are attached to it by too many recollections ever to forget it." "It is here that we have known Captain Nemo," said Cyrus Harding. "It is here only that we can make our home!" added Herbert.
Soon the "Speedy" reached the point of the islet; she rounded it with ease; the mainsail was braced up, and the brig hugging the wind, stood across the mouth of the Mercy. "The scoundrels! they are coming!" said Pencroft. At that moment, Cyrus Harding, Ayrton, the sailor, and Herbert, were rejoined by Neb and Gideon Spilett.
"And can you guess, Pencroft," asked the reporter, "how it happened, or what can have occasioned the explosion?" "Oh! Mr Spilett, nothing is more simple," answered Pencroft. "A convict vessel is not disciplined like a man-of-war! Convicts are not sailors. Of course the powder-magazine was open, and as they were firing incessantly, some careless or clumsy fellow just blew up the vessel!"
These details settled, it was agreed that since the fine season would not return before six months, Cyrus Harding and Pencroft should work alone at the boat. Gideon Spilett and Herbert were to continue to hunt, and neither Neb nor Master Jup, his assistant, were to leave the domestic duties which had devolved upon them.
"Ah!" said Pencroft, "if there was only a lighthouse on the coast, it would be much more convenient for sailors." "Yes," replied Herbert, "and this time we shall have no obliging engineer to light a fire to guide us into port!" "Why, indeed, my dear Cyrus," said Spilett, "we have never thanked you; but frankly, without that fire we should never have been able "
Ah! how wearisome this imprisonment was to them, and more particularly to Gideon Spilett. "Look here," said he to Neb one day, "I would give you by notarial deed all the estates which will come to me some day, if you were a good-enough fellow to go, no matter where, and subscribe to some newspaper for me!
We must mention, however, a note-book and a watch which Gideon Spilett had kept, doubtless by inadvertence, not a weapon, not a tool, not even a pocket-knife; for while in the car they had thrown out everything to lighten the balloon.
"No doubt, my boy," answered the engineer smiling, "but it would be better not to have to defend it." "A useless observation," said Spilett. "Lincoln Island is unknown to navigators, since it is not marked even on the most recent maps. Do you not think, Cyrus, that that is a sufficient motive for a ship, finding herself unexpectedly in sight of new land, to try and visit rather than avoid it?"
"Well, Cyrus," said the reporter, "there seems to be nothing suspicious in this water." "No, my dear Spilett," replied the engineer, "and I really do not know how to account for the incident of yesterday." "I acknowledge," returned Spilett, "that the wound given this creature is, at least, very strange, and I cannot explain either how Top was so vigorously cast up out of the water.
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