In a few words, Gideon Spilett, Herbert, and Neb were made acquainted with what had happened. This accident, which appeared so very serious to Pencroft, produced different effects on the companions of the honest sailor.

Neb, in his delight at having found his master, did not listen, or rather, did not care to trouble himself with what Pencroft was saying.

Herbert shared in some degree the sailor's feelings.

As to the reporter, he simply replied,--

"Upon my word, Pencroft, it's perfectly¹ indifferent to me!"

"But, I repeat, that we haven't any fire!"

"Pooh!"

"Nor any means of relighting it!"

"Nonsense!"

"But I say, Mr. Spilett--"

"Isn't Cyrus here?" replied the reporter.

"Is not our engineer alive? He will soon find some way of making fire for us!"

"With what?"

"With nothing."

What had Pencroft to say? He could say nothing, for, in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding. The engineer was to them a microcosm, a compound of every science, a possessor of all human knowledge. It was better to be with Cyrus in a desert island, than without him in the most flourishing town in the United States. With him they could want nothing; with him they would never despair. If these brave men had been told that a volcanic² eruption³ would destroy the land, that this land would be engulfed⁴ in the depths of the Pacific, they would have imperturbably⁶ replied,--

"Cyrus is here!"

While in the palanquin, however, the engineer had again relapsed into unconsciousness, which the jolting⁷ to which he had been subjected during his journey had brought on, so that they could not now appeal to his ingenuity⁸. The supper must necessarily be very meager⁹. In fact, all the grouse¹⁰ flesh had been consumed, and there no longer existed any means of cooking more game. Besides, the couroucous which had been reserved had disappeared. They must consider what was to be done.

First of all, Cyrus Harding was carried into the central passage. There they managed to arrange for him a couch of sea-weed which still remained almost dry. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment¹¹.

Night had closed in, and the temperature, which had modified when the wind shifted to the northwest, again became extremely cold. Also, the sea having destroyed the partitions which Pencroft had put up in certain places in the passages, the Chimneys, on account of the draughts¹², had become scarcely habitable. The engineer's condition would, therefore, have been bad enough, if his companions had not carefully covered him with their coats and waistcoats.

Supper, this evening, was of course composed of the inevitable¹³ lithodomes, of which Herbert and Neb picked up a plentiful¹⁴ supply on the beach. However, to these molluscs, the lad added some edible¹⁵ sea-weed, which he gathered on high rocks, whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. This sea-weed, which belongs to the order of Fucacae, of the genus Sargassum, produces, when dry, a gelatinous matter, rich and nutritious¹⁶. The reporter and his companions, after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes, sucked the sargassum, of which the taste was very tolerable. It is used in parts of the East very considerably¹⁷ by the natives. "Never mind!" said the sailor, "the captain will help us soon." Meanwhile the cold became very severe, and unhappily they had no means of defending themselves from it.

The sailor, extremely vexed¹⁸, tried in all sorts of ways to procure¹⁹ fire. Neb helped him in this work. He found some dry moss²⁰, and by striking together two pebbles²¹ he obtained some sparks, but the moss, not being inflammable enough, did not take fire, for the sparks were really only incandescent²², and not at all of the same consistency²³ as those which are emitted from flint when struck in the same manner. The experiment, therefore, did not succeed.

Pencroft, although he had no confidence in the proceeding²⁴, then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together, as savages²⁵ do. Certainly, the movement which he and Neb exhibited, if it had been transformed into heat, according to the new theory, would have been enough to heat the boiler²⁶ of a steamer! It came to nothing. The bits of wood became hot, to be sure, but much less so than the operators themselves.

After working an hour, Pencroft, who was in a complete state of perspiration²⁷, threw down the pieces of wood in disgust.

"I can never be made to believe that savages light their fires in this way, let them say what they will," he exclaimed. "I could sooner light my arms by rubbing them against each other!"

The sailor was wrong to despise the proceeding. Savages often kindle²⁸ wood by means of rapid rubbing. But every sort of wood does not answer for the purpose, and besides, there is "the knack²⁹," following the usual expression, and it is probable that Pencroft had not "the knack."

Pencroft's ill humor did not last long. Herbert had taken the bits of wood which he had turned down, and was exerting himself to rub them. The hardy³⁰ sailor could not restrain a burst of laughter on seeing the efforts of the lad to succeed where he had failed.

"Rub, my boy, rub!" said he.

"I am rubbing," replied Herbert, laughing, "but I don't pretend to do anything else but warm myself instead of shivering, and soon I shall be as hot as you are, my good Pencroft!"

This soon happened. However, they were obliged to give up, for this night at least, the attempt to procure fire. Gideon Spilett repeated, for the twentieth time, that Cyrus Harding would not have been troubled for so small a difficulty. And, in the meantime, he stretched himself in one of the passages on his bed of sand. Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft did the same, while Top slept at his master's feet.

Next day, the 28th of March, when the engineer awoke, about eight in the morning, he saw his companions around him watching his sleep, and, as on the day before, his first words were:--

"Island or continent?" This was his uppermost thought.

"Well!" replied Pencroft, "we don't know anything about it, captain!"

"You don't know yet?"

"But we shall know," rejoined Pencroft, "when you have guided us into the country."

"I think I am able to try it," replied the engineer, who, without much effort, rose and stood upright.

"That's capital!" cried the sailor.

"I feel dreadfully weak," replied Harding. "Give me something to eat, my friends, and it will soon go off. You have fire, haven't you?"

This question was not immediately replied to. But, in a few seconds--

"Alas³¹! we have no fire," said Pencroft, "or rather, captain, we have it no longer!"

And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match, then his abortive³² attempt to procure fire in the savages' way.

"We shall consider," replied the engineer, "and if we do not find some substance similar to tinder--"

"Well?" asked the sailor.

"Well, we will make matches.

"Chemicals?"

"Chemicals!"

"It is not more difficult than that," cried the reporter, striking the sailor on the shoulder.

The latter did not think it so simple, but he did not protest. All went out. The weather had become very fine. The sun was rising from the sea's horizon, and touched with golden spangles the prismatic rugosities of the huge precipice³³.

Having thrown a rapid glance around him, the engineer seated himself on a block of stone. Herbert offered him a few handfuls of shell-fish and sargassum, saying,--

"It is all that we have, Captain Harding."

"Thanks, my boy," replied Harding; "it will do--for this morning at least."

He ate the wretched food with appetite, and washed it down with a little fresh water, drawn³⁴ from the river in an immense shell.

His companions looked at him without speaking. Then, feeling somewhat refreshed, Cyrus Harding crossed his arms, and said,--

"So, my friends, you do not know yet whether fate has thrown us on an island, or on a continent?"

"No, captain," replied the boy.

"We shall know to-morrow," said the engineer; "till then, there is nothing to be done."

"Yes," replied Pencroft.

"What?"

"Fire," said the sailor, who, also, had a fixed³⁵ idea.

"We will make it, Pencroft," replied Harding.

"While you were carrying me yesterday, did I not see in the west a mountain which commands the country?"

"Yes," replied Spilett, "a mountain which must be rather high--"

"Well," replied the engineer, "we will climb to the summit to-morrow, and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent. Till then, I repeat, there is nothing to be done."

"Yes, fire!" said the obstinate³⁶ sailor again.

"But he will make us a fire!" replied Gideon Spilett, "only have a little patience, Pencroft!"

The seaman³⁷ looked at Spilett in a way which seemed to say, "If it depended upon you to do it, we wouldn't taste roast meat very soon"; but he was silent.

Meanwhile Captain Harding had made no reply. He appeared to be very little troubled by the question of fire. For a few minutes he remained absorbed in thought; then again speaking,--

"My friends," said he, "our situation is, perhaps, deplorable; but, at any rate, it is very plain. Either we are on a continent, and then, at the expense of greater or less fatigue³⁸, we shall reach some inhabited place, or we are on an island. In the latter case, if the island is inhabited, we will try to get out of the scrape with the help of its inhabitants; if it is desert, we will try to get out of the scrape by ourselves."

"Certainly, nothing could be plainer," replied Pencroft.

"But, whether it is an island or a continent," asked Gideon Spilett, "whereabouts do you think, Cyrus, this storm has thrown us?"

"I cannot say exactly," replied the engineer, "but I presume it is some land in the Pacific. In fact, when we left Richmond, the wind was blowing from the northeast, and its very violence greatly proves that it could not have varied³⁹. If the direction has been maintained from the northeast to the southwest, we have traversed the States of North Carolina, of South Carolina, of Georgia, the Gulf⁵ of Mexico, Mexico, itself, in its narrow part, then a part of the Pacific Ocean. I cannot estimate the distance traversed by the balloon at less than six to seven thousand miles, and, even supposing that the wind had varied half a quarter, it must have brought us either to the archipelago of Mendava, either on the Pomotous, or even, if it had a greater strength than I suppose, to the land of New Zealand. If the last hypothesis is correct, it will be easy enough to get home again. English or Maoris, we shall always find some one to whom we can speak. If, on the contrary, this is the coast of a desert island in some tiny archipelago, perhaps we shall be able to reconnoiter it from the summit of that peak which overlooks the country, and then we shall see how best to establish ourselves here as if we are never to go away."

"Never?" cried the reporter. "You say 'Never,' my dear Cyrus?"

"Better to put things at the worst at first," replied the engineer, "and reserve the best for a surprise."

"Well said," remarked Pencroft. "It is to be hoped, too, that this island, if it be one, is not situated⁴⁰ just out of the course of ships; that would be really unlucky!"

"We shall not know what we have to rely on until we have first made the ascent⁴¹ of the mountain," replied the engineer.

"But to-morrow, captain," asked Herbert, "shall you be in a state to bear the fatigue of the ascent?"

"I hope so," replied the engineer, "provided you and Pencroft, my boy, show yourselves quick and clever hunters."

"Captain," said the sailor, "since you are speaking of game, if on my return, I was as certain of roasting it as I am of bringing it back--"

"Bring it back all the same, Pencroft," replied Harding.

It was then agreed that the engineer and the reporter were to pass the day at the Chimneys, so as to examine the shore and the upper plateau. Neb, Herbert, and the sailor were to return to the forest, renew their store of wood, and lay violent hands on every creature, feathered or hairy, which might come within their reach.

They set out accordingly about ten o'clock in the morning, Herbert confident, Neb joyous⁴², Pencroft murmuring aside,--

"If, on my return, I find a fire at the house, I shall believe that the thunder itself came to light it." All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river, the sailor, stopping, said to his two companions,--

"Shall we begin by being hunters or wood-men?"

"Hunters," replied Herbert. "There is Top already in quest."

"We will hunt, then," said the sailor, "and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood."

This agreed to, Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft, after having torn three sticks from the trunk of a young fir, followed Top, who was bounding about among the long grass.

This time, the hunters, instead of following the course of the river, plunged⁴³ straight into the heart of the forest. There were still the same trees, belonging, for the most part, to the pine family. In certain places, less crowded, growing in clumps⁴⁴, these pines exhibited considerable dimensions, and appeared to indicate, by their development, that the country was situated in a higher latitude⁴⁵ than the engineer had supposed. Glades⁴⁷, bristling⁴⁸ with stumps⁴⁹ worn away by time, were covered with dry wood, which formed an inexhaustible store of fuel. Then, the glade⁴⁶ passed, the underwood thickened again, and became almost impenetrable.

It was difficult enough to find the way among the groups of trees, without any beaten track. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. But, perhaps, he was wrong not to follow the watercourse, as he and Herbert had done on their first excursion, for after walking an hour not a creature had shown itself. Top, running under the branches, only roused birds which could not be approached. Even the couroucous were invisible, and it was probable that the sailor would be obliged to return to the marshy⁵⁰ part of the forest, in which he had so happily performed his grouse fishing.

"Well, Pencroft," said Neb, in a slightly sarcastic⁵¹ tone, "if this is all the game which you promised to bring back to my master, it won't need a large fire to roast it!"

"Have patience," replied the sailor, "it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return."

"Have you not confidence in Captain Harding?"

"Yes."

"But you don't believe that he will make fire?"

"I shall believe it when the wood is blazing in the fireplace."

"It will blaze, since my master has said so."

"We shall see!"

Meanwhile, the sun had not reached the highest point in its course above the horizon. The exploration, therefore, continued, and was usefully marked by a discovery which Herbert made of a tree whose fruit was edible. This was the stone-pine, which produces an excellent almond, very much esteemed⁵² in the temperate⁵³ regions of America and Europe. These almonds were in a perfect state of maturity⁵⁴, and Herbert described them to his companions, who feasted on them.

"Come," said Pencroft, "sea-weed by way of bread, raw mussels for meat, and almonds for dessert, that's certainly a good dinner for those who have not a single match in their pocket!"

We mustn't complain," said Herbert.

"I am not complaining, my boy," replied Pencroft, "only I repeat, that meat is a little too much economized⁵⁵ in this sort of meal."

"Top has found something!" cried Neb, who ran towards a thicket⁵⁶, in the midst of which the dog had disappeared, barking. With Top's barking were mingled⁵⁷ curious gruntings.

The sailor and Herbert had followed Neb. If there was game there this was not the time to discuss how it was to be cooked, but rather, how they were to get hold of it.

The hunters had scarcely entered the bushes when they saw Top engaged in a struggle with an animal which he was holding by the ear. This quadruped was a sort of pig nearly two feet and a half long, of a blackish brown color, lighter⁵⁹ below, having hard scanty⁶⁰ hair; its toes, then strongly fixed in the ground, seemed to be united by a membrane⁶¹. Herbert recognized in this animal the capybara, that is to say, one of the largest members of the rodent⁶² order.

Meanwhile, the capybara did not struggle against the dog. It stupidly rolled its eyes, deeply buried in a thick bed of fat. Perhaps it saw men for the first time.

However, Neb having tightened⁶³ his grasp on his stick, was just going to fell the pig, when the latter, tearing itself from Top's teeth, by which it was only held by the tip of its ear, uttered a vigorous grunt⁵⁸, rushed upon Herbert, almost overthrew⁶⁴ him, and disappeared in the wood.

"The rascal⁶⁵!" cried Pencroft.

All three directly darted⁶⁶ after Top, but at the moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a large pond shaded by venerable pines.

Neb, Herbert, and Pencroft stopped, motionless. Top plunged into the water, but the capybara, hidden at the bottom of the pond, did not appear.

"Let us wait," said the boy, "for he will soon come to the surface to breathe."

"Won't he drown?" asked Neb.

"No," replied Herbert, "since he has webbed feet, and is almost an amphibious animal. But watch him."

Top remained in the water. Pencroft and his two companions went to different parts of the bank, so as to cut off the retreat of the capybara, which the dog was looking for beneath the water.

Herbert was not mistaken. In a few minutes the animal appeared on the surface of the water. Top was upon it in a bound, and kept it from plunging⁶⁷ again. An instant later the capybara, dragged to the bank, was killed by a blow from Neb's stick.

"Hurrah⁶⁸!" cried Pencroft, who was always ready with this cry of triumph.

"Give me but a good fire, and this pig shall be gnawed⁶⁹ to the bones!"

Pencroft hoisted⁷⁰ the capybara on his shoulders, and judging by the height of the sun that it was about two o'clock, he gave the signal to return.

Top's instinct was useful to the hunters, who, thanks to the intelligent animal, were enabled to discover the road by which they had come. Half an hour later they arrived at the river.

Pencroft soon made a raft of wood, as he had done before, though if there was no fire it would be a useless task, and the raft following the current, they returned towards the Chimneys.

But the sailor had not gone fifty paces when he stopped, and again uttering a tremendous hurrah, pointed⁷¹ towards the angle of the cliff,--

"Herbert! Neb! Look!" he shouted.

Smoke was escaping and curling up among the rocks.

吉丁.史佩莱、赫伯特和纳布都知道了发生的事情。这件可能引起严重后果的意外（至少潘克洛夫这样认为）在忠实的水手的伙伴们身上产生了不同的反应。

纳布找到了主人满心高兴，根本不听、或者不愿意听潘克洛夫在说些什么。

赫伯特多少和水手有些同感。

通讯记者听了潘克洛夫的话以后，只是简单地说：

“真的，潘克洛夫，我一点儿也不在乎！”

“可是我还要重复一遍，我们没有火了！”

“呸！”

“也没有办法再生火了！”

“没关系！”

“可是我说，史佩莱先生……”

“赛勒斯不是在这儿吗，”通讯记者答道。“我们的工程师不是活着吗？他会想法子给我们取火的！”

“用什么？”

“什么也不用。”

潘克洛夫还有什么好说的？他没有什么话可说了，因为实际上他也和他的伙伴们一样信服赛勒斯.史密斯。在大家的心目中，工程师就是一个小天地，他是一切科学和全部人类智慧的综合。和赛勒斯在一起，就跟在美国工业最发达的城市里一样。有了他就什么也不缺了；和他在一起不会感到失望。假如有人告诉他们，这块陆地将要被火山吞没，将要下沉到太平洋的深处，他们就会镇静地回答：

“有赛勒斯在这里！瞧赛勒斯的吧！”

工程师躺在担架上，由于一路的颠簸，又昏睡过去，因此他们没法请教他。晚餐只好将就一些。松鸡肉已经吃光了，现在又没有办法烹调其他的野味。况且留下来的锦鸡也不见了。他们只好考虑下一步应该怎么办。

他们首先把赛勒斯.史密斯抬到中堂里去。在那里给他用海藻铺成了一个床铺，海藻还很干。工程师睡得很舒服，这可以使他很快恢复疲劳，无疑比吃任何营养品都更有好处。

黑夜来临了，气候随着风向转为东北风而变得十分寒冷。潘克洛夫在通道里分成的隔间都被海水冲毁了，寒风直灌进来，“石窟”里几乎冷得不能住人。幸亏大家把自己的外套和坎肩小心地盖在工程师身上，要不然工程师的处境就更加困难了。

赫伯特和纳布从海滩上捡了一大堆茨蟹回来，晚上只好拿它们当饭。除了这些软体动物以外，少年从高处岩石上搜集到一些可以吃的海藻，只有在潮水很高的时候，海水才冲得到这些高岩石壁的旁边。这是马尾藻属的植物，是一种昆布，晒干以后产生一种胶状物质，营养相当丰富。通讯记者和他的伙伴们吃了不少茨蟹，又吸了一些昆布的汁，味道还不坏。亚洲沿海地带有些地方的居民常常吃它。“不要紧！”水手说，“赛勒斯先生很快就可以帮助我们了。”天气冷得更加刺骨，他们不幸又没有御寒的办法。

水手心里非常焦急，千方百计地想要取火。纳布也帮助他试验。他找到一些干燥的地苔，用两块鹅卵石砸出火星来，但是地苔不容易起火，点不着，其实这种火星只不过是达到白热时发出来的一点光，完全不象用同样方法从火石里迸出来的火星那样稳定。因此试验的结果没有成功。

潘克洛夫虽然一点也没有把握，可还是接着干，他模仿着土人的方法，用两块干柴摩擦起来。他和纳布进行了一番剧烈的运动，如果根据新的理论把这种运动转化为热的话，那么肯定地说，连轮船的锅炉也可以烧开了！但还是没有结果。小木块固然磨热了，可是比起这两位劳动者身上的热来，还差得很远。

干了一个小时以后，潘克洛夫浑身大汗，赌气把木块摔在地上。

“不管他们怎么说，我也不相信土人是用这个方法取得火的，”他大声说。“再摩下去我的胳膊倒先要烧着了！”

水手否定摩擦取火的办法是没有根据的。土人经常用剧烈摩擦的方法使木柴着火。但并不是每一种木柴都能起火。此外，除了一般的方法以外，还有个“秘诀”，潘克洛夫摩不出火大概就是由于不懂这个“秘诀”的缘故。

潘克洛夫发了一顿脾气，一会儿就好了。赫伯特捡起他扔下的小木块，用力摩起来。这位健壮的水手看见少年还抱着成功的希望在干他已经失败的事，不禁哈哈大笑起来。

“摩吧，孩子，摩吧！”他说。

“我是在摩，”赫伯特笑道，“可是我也就是想使身体暖和一些，免得冻得直抖，并没有说要摩出火来；马上我就要和你一样热了，我的好潘克洛夫！”

不久，少年果然累得满头大汗。他们只好放弃这项工作，至少是当天晚上不再作取火的尝试。吉丁.史佩莱重复了足有二十次，说不能为了这一点小小的困难去打扰赛勒斯.史密斯。说完之后，他就躺到一个隔间里的沙铺上去了。赫伯特、纳布和潘克洛夫也同样躺了下来，托普睡在它主人的脚边。

第二天是3月28日，早上八点钟，工程师醒来了，他看见伙伴们都围在旁边看着自己，他还是象前一天那样，开口就问：

“荒岛还是大陆？”

他最惦记的就是这个问题。

“我们还一点也不知道哩，史密斯先生！”潘克洛夫答道。

“你们还不知道？”

“等你带我们到内陆去察看过以后，”潘克洛夫补充说，“我们就知道了。”

“我想我是能够试一试的，”工程师说，他不费多大的气力，就站了起来。

“太好了！”水手大声说。

“我感到浑身软得厉害，”史密斯说。“给我一点吃的，朋友们，不久就会好的。你们不是有火吗？”

他们没有马上就回答。隔了几秒钟，潘克洛夫说：

“唉！我们没有火，说得更正确些，我们现在没有火！”

于是水手把前一天的事从头到尾说了一遍。他把那根独一无二的火柴的趣事也告诉工程师了，然后又谈到他打算用土人的方法取火而没有成功的经过。

“我们可以想办法，”工程师说，“假如找不到跟火绒差不多的东西……”

“那怎么办呢？”水手问道。

“那么，我们就自己做火柴。”

“化学火柴吗？”

“化学火柴！”

“这并不比昨天你那样更困难，”通讯记者拍了一下水手的肩膀，大声说。

水手觉得事情没有那么简单，可是他也不反驳。大家都出去了，天气变得非常晴朗。太阳正从水平线上升起来，高大的悬崖上一层层的岩石被照得一片金黄，十分美丽。

工程师匆匆向周围看了一眼，就在一块石头上坐了下来。赫伯特递了一些蛤蜊和马尾藻给他说：

“我们只剩下这些了，史密斯先生。”

“谢谢你，孩子，”史密斯说，“够了……至少今天早上够吃了。”

他津津有味地吃着这粗糙的食品，喝了几口淡水，这是用一个巨大的贝壳从河里舀来的。

伙伴们默默地看着他。赛勒斯.史密斯总算吃饱了，就叉着两臂说：

“那么，朋友，你们还不知道命运把我们扔在荒岛上还是大陆上，是吗？”

“是的，史密斯先生。”少年说。

“明天我们就知道了，”工程师说，“到那时候就没有别的事了。”

“有的。”潘克洛夫说。

“什么？”

“生火。”水手说，这个念头牢牢地占据了他的脑海。

“我们一定要生火的，潘克洛夫。”史密斯说。

“你们昨天抬着我的时候，我似乎看见西面有一座高山俯瞰着这片土地，是吗？”

“是的，”史佩莱答道，“那座山一定相当高……”

“好吧，”工程师说，“明天我们就爬到山顶上去，那时候就可以知道这片土地是荒岛还是大陆了。我再说一遍，到那时候就没有别的事了。”

“有的，生火！”顽固的水手又说了一遍。

“他会给我们生火的！”吉丁.史佩莱说，“要耐心一些，潘克洛夫！”

水手瞪了史佩莱一眼，好象在说，“假如靠你的话，我们暂时就不要想吃烤肉了。”可是他没有说出口。

这时候史密斯并没有答话。他好象一点也不为火的问题而操心。他沉思了几分钟，然后说：

“朋友们，总的说来，我们的处境也许相当悲惨，可是也很明显，我们不是在大陆上，就是在荒岛上。假如是在大陆上，那是可以到达有人居住的地方的，只是费力多少的问题。要是在荒岛上呢，如果岛上有人，我们可以由居民帮助，想法子脱离这个窘境；如果岛上没有人，那就只好自己想法子了。”

“一点也不错，没有比这个更明显的了。”潘克洛夫说。

“可是，不管是荒岛还是大陆，”吉丁.史佩莱问道，“你认为我们被风暴扔在什么地方了呢，赛勒斯？”

“这我不能肯定，”工程师回答说，“可是我猜是太平洋里的陆地。当我们离开里士满的时候，刮的是东北风，风力很大，足可以证明方向一直没有改变。如果风向始终保持从东北到西南，那么我们就越过了北卡罗来纳州、南卡罗来纳州、乔治亚州、墨西哥湾、墨西哥本土的狭窄地带，然后是太平洋的一部分。我估计气球至少飞出六七千英里了。即使风向改变了半个方角，我们也一定被带到曼达瓦群岛，或是帕摩图群岛；可是如果风力比我想象中的还要大，那么甚至可能来到了新西兰。要是真的到了新西兰，我们就很容易回故土了。不管是英国人或是毛利人，我们总可以找到几个可以打交道的。反过来说，假如这里不过是一个小群岛中的荒岛海岸，——这一点我们可以从那座能俯瞰周围的高山顶上看出来——那时候，我们就只能在这里做长期打算，考虑怎样舒舒服服地住下来了。”

“‘长期’？”通讯记者喊道。“你说‘长期’，亲爱的赛勒斯？”

“开始的时候最好把事情往最坏处想，”工程师说，“如果将来有一个好结果，就把它当做意外的收获。”

“对，”潘克洛夫说。“不过，如果这真是一个孤岛的话，我还希望它不在船只的航线以外；要是那样就真倒楣了！”

“在没有上山以前，我们还不能肯定应该指望什么。”工程师说。

“可是，赛勒斯先生，”赫伯特问道，“明天上山，你经得起劳累吗？”

“我希望能做到，”工程师回答说，“这要看你和潘克洛夫是不是个又灵活又能干的猎手了，孩子。”

“史密斯先生，”水手说，“既然你谈到野味，那么我可以向你保证，只要能烤，我就一定能把野味带回来……”

“不管怎么样，你把野味带回来吧，潘克洛夫。”史密斯说。

大家商量的结果是这样：这一天工程师和通讯记者留在“石窟”里，顺便视察一下海岸和上面的高地，纳布、赫伯特和水手还是到森林里去，一方面搜集柴火，另一方面只要遇到动物，不管是飞禽还是走兽，到手就抓。

大约上午十点钟的时候，他们出发了。赫伯特满怀信心，纳布兴致勃勃，只有潘克洛夫一个人在旁边嘀嘀咕咕：

“假如回来以后家里有了火，那准是电火点着的。”

三个人一起爬上了河岸。走到河流拐角的地方时，水手站住了脚，对他的两个伙伴说：

“我们先打猎，还是先砍柴？”

“先打猎，”赫伯特答道。“你看，托普已经在搜找野味了。”

“那么就打猎吧，”水手说，“等回来再捡木柴。”

大家同意之后，赫伯特、纳布和潘克洛夫就从一棵小枞树上各扳了一根粗枝，跟上托普，这时候它正在深草丛中乱跑乱跳。

这一次猎人们没有循着河道前进，而是直接深入丛林。这里的树木也是一样，大多属于松柏科，某些地方的松树比较稀疏，一丛一丛地生在一起，非常高大，根据它们的生长情况看来，似乎当地的纬度比工程师想象中的要高一些。林间的空地上有许多树桩，都因为年深月久渐渐磨秃了。这里遍地都是干柴，燃料简直烧用不完。过了空地以后，矮树林逐渐又密起来，想穿过去几乎都很困难。

这些树丛中没有一条现成的道路，要想找路走的确很不容易。因此水手走几步就折断一根树枝，以便回来的时候辨认。第一次他是和赫伯特循着河道走的，今天没有照上次那样走也许是失策了，因为走了一个钟头，什么动物也没有看见。只有一些小鸟，他们还没走近，鸟就被在树枝下乱窜的托普惊起来了。连锦鸡也没有看见，看样子水手只好回到森林的沼泽地带去，也就是上次他偶然钓到松鸡的地方。

“潘克洛夫，”纳布略带讥讽地说，“假如你答应带给主人的野味就是这些，那倒不需要什么火来烤它们！”

“耐心点儿，”水手说，“恐怕回去以后没有的倒不是野味。”

“你难道还不相信史密斯先生吗？”

“是的。”

“你认为他不会生起火来吗？”

“要等到亲眼看见木柴在炉子里烧我才相信呢。”

“既然主人那么说过，一定会有火的。”

“等着瞧吧！”

这时候太阳还没有升到天空。于是他们继续进行探索，赫伯特发现一棵树上的果子可以吃，这样探索多少是有一些成绩了。这是一棵南欧松，松子非常好吃，是欧美温带地区的珍品。这棵树上的松子已经熟透了，大家一面吃，一面听赫伯特介绍。

“好吧，”潘克洛夫说，“拿海藻当面包，生蛤蜊当肉，松子当饭后的点心，对我们这些口袋里连一根火柴也没有的人说来，这一餐就算不错了！”

“我们不应该埋怨。”赫伯特说。

“我并没有埋怨谁呀，孩子，”潘克洛夫说，“我只是再说一遍，这顿饭，肉太少了。”

“托普找到什么东西了！”纳布一面喊，一面向一丛树木中奔去，托普已经钻到里面看不见的地方了，但还在叫。和托普的叫声夹杂在一起的还有一种奇怪的声音，好象是什么东西在哼。

水手和赫伯特紧跟着纳布跑去。很明显，假如那里有什么野味，现在首先应该考虑的是怎样把它捉住，而不应该讨论怎样烹调。

猎人才进入灌木丛，就看见托普咬着一只野兽的耳朵在和它搏斗。这只四足兽很象猪，差不多有两英尺半长，身体是深褐色的，肚子上的颜色比较浅，浑身的毛又稀又硬。这时候它的足趾紧紧地按在地上，趾间好象有脚蹼连着。赫伯特认得它是水豚，这是啮齿动物中最大的一目。

这时候水豚并没有和狗搏斗。它的眼睑很厚，眼珠陷在里面笨拙地转动着。也许它还是第一次看见人类。

纳布握紧了棍子正打算过去把它打倒，这时候它却挣脱了托普的利齿（因为托普只是咬住了它的耳朵边）低低地叫了一声，向赫伯特冲去，几乎把他撞倒，然后就跑进丛林不见了。

“该死的东西！”潘克洛夫喊道。

三个人马上跟着托普一起追上去，可是他们才赶上托普，水豚就跳到一个古松覆盖下的水池子里去不见了。

纳布、赫伯特和潘克洛夫呆呆地站住了。托普纵身跳进水池，可是水豚躲在水底没有出来。

“我们等一会吧，”少年说，“它很快就要到水面来呼吸的。”

“它不会淹死吗？”纳布问道。

“不会，”赫伯特回答说，“它长着蹼足，几乎可以算是一种两栖动物。注意看着它。”

托普还是呆在水里。潘克洛夫和他的两个伙伴站在池边三面把守着，切断水豚的退路。托普在水面上寻找水豚。

赫伯特的话果然不错。几分钟以后它就露出水面来了。托普一下子跳在它的身上，拖住它不让它沉下去。过了一会儿，水豚被拖到岸边来，纳布一棍子便把它打死了。

“哈哈！”潘克洛夫叫着，他总是第一个发出胜利呼声。

“只要给我生上火，就可以把这只猪吃得只剩骨头了！”

潘克洛夫把水豚扛在肩上，他看了看太阳，估计已经有两点钟，就挥手喊大家回去了。

托普的直觉给猎人带来很大的好处，多亏这只聪明的畜生，他们才找到回去的旧路。只费了半个钟头的工夫，他们就到达了河边。

潘克洛夫还象以前那样很快地做了一个木筏，当然，假如没有火，这一切劳动就都白费了。木筏顺流而下，一直向“石窟”漂去。

还没有走到五十步，水手就站住了，他指着悬崖的转角，扯开嗓门欢呼了一声。

“赫伯特！纳布！瞧！”他喊道。

只见岩石丛中，有一缕轻烟袅袅上升。