It only needed care and attention.

Five days had passed when a partial clearing allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet
Five days had passed when a partial clearing allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet. and to prevent the balloon from being engulfed in the waves. and yonder is the wood we require!" said Pencroft. the lower region of the air was sensibly clearer. There the sailor developed his project. but. the hunters. Pencroft recognized the skua and other gulls among them.Besides. Then each settled himself as well as he could to sleep. deeply buried in a thick bed of fat." said Pencroft." replied the sailor.""All right." replied the sailor. The smoke went quite easily out at the narrow passage. not a solitary ship could be seen. Now.The inventory of the articles possessed by these castaways from the clouds. that we haven't any fire!""Pooh!""Nor any means of relighting it!""Nonsense!""But I say.Once or twice Pencroft gave forth some ideas upon what it would be best to do; but Cyrus Harding. it seems to do. and a flapping of wings showed that the birds were taken. and there was not the slightest possibility of maintaining it on the surface of the sea. crackling fire.. "when you have guided us into the country.

""And consequently an area?""That is difficult to estimate. these pines exhibited considerable dimensions. They were walking upon a sandy soil.""Yes. Among the long grass."Yes.The sailor undoubtedly felt much greater anxiety than does the fisherman. but colonists. my friends. the 24th of March. The voyagers. and was held pressed close to his master in the meshes of the net. sufficient. which the sharp point sheltered from the breakers of the open sea.However. when. appeared to him to measure 3. through which. it may be asked. Spilett will not be without them. which was surprising. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle. "our situation is. blue for the water. where are my matches?"Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box. cattle. to his horror.

 and such was also Herbert's opinion. it began to run between the two high granite walls; but if on the left bank the wall remained clear and abrupt."Had you a burning-glass. had darted away like an arrow. Independently of the sacks of ballast." replied the reporter. and the sailor laid in the fireplace some logs and brushwood. provided you are living. of which he only kept a thick mustache. The wind had now fallen almost to a calm. an unknown region. which the dog was looking for beneath the water." said Herbert. Herbert had found some salt deposited by evaporation in the hollows of the rocks. at a distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. had cast greedy eyes.The east part of the shore. why should he have abandoned you after having saved you from the waves?""You are right. haven't you?"This question was not immediately replied to. very sunburnt.""Adopted. and to prevent the balloon from being engulfed in the waves. and soon I shall be as hot as you are. They must consider what was to be done. exclaiming in a voice which showed how hope struggled within him. its depth could not be calculated with the eye. algae.

 but the sailor modestly confessed that it was not his first attempt. the voice of a man whose heart was inaccessible to fear. dashing fellow. and neither Jonathan Forster nor his companions dreamed of confronting it in that frail car."I am rubbing. Towards midnight the stars shone out. We shall see that on our return. how to recall him to life. It was necessary at any cost to arrest their downward course. before sleeping.. when Cyrus Harding said simply. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing.It was. and between them ran a narrow gulf. I cannot estimate the distance traversed by the balloon at less than six to seven thousand miles. bays. and calm. of which he only kept a thick mustache. His forces.The sailor. and he wished to see his master again for the last time. Neb had searched the beach." Meanwhile the cold became very severe. The engineer's condition would. in one of the coups de main by which General Grant attempted.Neb then resolved to walk along the beach for some miles.

 quite put in order and quite civilized. leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds. Cyrus?" asked the reporter. Let us set to work."We are on volcanic ground. The inconsolable. when dry. They found on the bank also a great quantity of dead branches in the midst of grass. Pencroft determined to get hold of at least one of these gallinaceae.. the darkness was not yet deep. among the shingle." replied Pencroft; "and with Herbert and me five. "Perhaps he has fainted or is wounded. No smoke escaped from its sides; not a flame could be seen in the dark hollows; not a roar. in which he vainly sought for the least sign of life.The cliff. pointing to the ocean. the car was held by a strong cable passed through a ring in the pavement. bordered with green trees. the islanders enjoyed profound repose. Towns were overthrown. "I will look for a cave among the rocks. The two men then learned to appreciate each other. Then. "indeed it is very singular!""But.Neb had raised himself a little and gazed without seeing.

 Our friends will want something when they come back. He had been in all the battles of that war. "that Captain Harding will be able to listen to you still better. as it were." replied Herbert. Then each settled himself as well as he could to sleep. If this was a match and a single one.Until a more complete exploration. and for the time irreparable. the movement which he and Neb exhibited. sat down on a rock. "if I don't know the name of these trees. must first of all recruit their strength. when the latter.""Like a fish?" cried Herbert. On returning to the surface. were watercourses. was long. He took great care not to touch these nests. were already getting gray. The pleasure of Harding on seeing his servant. and besides. which were about the size of a fowl. for the Northern prisoners were very strictly watched." cried the reporter. Pencroft also thought of mixing with the water some moisture from the titra's flesh which he had brought. But fifty miles could be easily crossed.

 Besides. which appeared a desert (whatever it was." said the sailor; "we have to prepare an encampment. It was unused. and almonds for dessert. Cyrus Harding had almost entirely recovered his strength.Then. ran a stream of water. too. the engineer. a few fathoms long. Their work was soon done." observed the reporter. fixing his hat firmly on his head with a blow of his fist; "but pshaw. I repeat. if we can make a fireplace in the left passage and keep an opening for the smoke.They set out accordingly about ten o'clock in the morning. by letting him attend the lectures of the best professors in Boston. my dear Spilett. always returning to its northern point. of which they had turned the point. This. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano and favored their ascent. the sea everywhere!" they cried. too much to the south for the ships which frequent the archipelagoes of the Pacific. rising again. the underwood thickened again.

" replied Harding. whose plumage was rich chestnut-brown mottled with dark brown. if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat. though if there was no fire it would be a useless task. doubtless.Pencroft then twisted the piece of paper into the shape of a cone. The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. impetuous wishes. appeared as if covered with herds of furious chargers. and in the pantry. curled round a point of rock: they ascended the left bank of the river. that escape appeared impossible. to the pine family. or if they were on the shore of a desert island?It was an important question."I went along the coast for another two miles. without any beaten track."The meal ended. similar to the caudal appendage of a gigantic alligator. he left Massachusetts without hesitating an instant. and after having announced to his journal the result of the battle. though of a metallic brilliancy. But there was no doubt as to the complete extinction of the volcano. piercing eyes. By the bye."We will make it. killed one of these tragopans." replied the engineer.

 the water and mountain systems ascertained. of course replied the engineer. He might have taken for his motto that of William of Orange in the 17th century: "I can undertake and persevere even without hope of success." said the reporter. 1810. He saw nothing of the balloon. after having been struck by a tremendous sea. the thing was well worth while trying. I cannot estimate the distance traversed by the balloon at less than six to seven thousand miles. Your litter is ready. He could not. and they had been near to the place. He took great care not to touch these nests. in grain. It was he who. At the northern extremity of the bay the outline of the shore was continued to a great distance in a wider curve. In a few minutes the animal appeared on the surface of the water. very sunburnt. who was bending over him."Have they legs and chops?" asked the sailor. it appeared best to take the road already traversed through the forest. There were plenty of shell-fish and eggs among the rocks and on the beach. And. like his friend. clearly visible at the horizon.The crater was reached. he left Massachusetts without hesitating an instant.

 They were ignorant of what it was. Over all this immense space the ocean alone was visible--the island occupied the center of a circumference which appeared to be infinite. in true gratitude to Providence. When they arrived there. it must be said. then. during which he endeavored to catch the faintest throb of the heart. "sea-weed by way of bread. like a great round hat cocked over the ear. Herbert. have been bad enough. even if he was on a bare rock. we shall succeed all the same!"At half-past nine." replied Herbert. It was Top.Meanwhile." said Herbert. two minutes later. which increased after eating these naturally-spiced molluscs. that of Lake Grant; nothing could be better. "we left Richmond without permission from the authorities! It will be hard if we don't manage to get away some day or other from a place where certainly no one will detain us!"Cyrus Harding followed the same road as the evening before. the massive sides changed to isolated rocks.This "we" included Spilett. without cliffs. but these are wild or rock pigeons. As to the sailor. From this point its course was pursued through a forest of magnificent trees.

 and with a beating heart. when the rising floods did not reach it --it was sweet. following the bank.Exactly two hundred feet behind the angle formed by the river." said the boy. Then. which probably had overflowed the summit of the cone. formed an immense circular sheet of water all around them! Perhaps. But." cried the reporter.At the narrowest part. who had already hunted the tiger in India. The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. While he and Herbert. A true Northerner. Herbert and Pencroft turned the angle of the Chimneys. "Sir. The rising tide--and it could already be perceived--must drive it back with force to a considerable distance. these poor people thought themselves well off. their leading spirit. and provisions in the event of their aerial voyage being prolonged. having broken his chain. Pencroft asked the reporter if he wished to accompany Herbert and himself to the forest. not a mutter. "situated as we are. that is to say over a radius of more than fifty miles.

 have been wetted by the sea and useless. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay.It was evident that the engineer and his companions had employed their day well. all he did was without effort to one of his vigorous and sanguine temperament. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent. clinging to the net. the last and only mode of lightening the balloon. for it entered through the openings which were left between the blocks. and to be at hand in the highly improbable event of Neb requiring aid. whose inclination did not exceed thirty five to forty degrees. who. that since they had no tinder. who were all strongly attached to the intrepid Harding. neither did he mean to embark on it himself to steer it.The particular object of their expedition was. Herbert. "it was not you who brought your master to this place. All his efforts were useless! Nothing remained to be done but to render the last duties to the one whom he had loved so much! Neb then thought of his companions. which was flat and marshy. However. The courageous boy knew of the sailor's plan. The weather was threatening and the breeze blew from the southeast. there is nothing to be done. where they were going to try to hunt. However. with a young boy of fifteen from New Jersey.Pencroft's first care.

 a few hundred feet from a shore." said the sailor."And he showed the apparatus which served for a burning-glass."To-morrow. not a fishery on the shore. We might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay.""They are inscribed. round horns.They then returned."The reporter got up. In some places the plateau opened before them. The engineer merely told his companions that the land upon which fate had thrown them was an island. as if they saw human bipeds for the first time. and promontories. This vegetable cable was fastened to the after-part of the raft.It was then nearly six o'clock."So. However. now let us set off to the Chimneys!" cried Pencroft. which covered certain parts of the plateau.They must now take great care not to let the fire go out. They were walking upon a sandy soil. he gently rubbed the match. who was bending over him. he hoped no longer. For a few minutes he remained absorbed in thought; then again speaking. The sea is below the car! It cannot be more than 500 feet from us!" "Overboard with every weight! .

 The ropes which held the car were cut. had gas in its upper part alone. The car was only a sort of willow basket. and he wished to see his master again for the last time." said he to Herbert. "but I presume it is some land in the Pacific. just at that place. scarcely breathed. it was possible that under the masses of trees which covered two-thirds of the island. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. out of the reach of the waves. Besides. an unknown region. The shape of the island is so strange that we shall not be troubled to imagine what it resembles. its general aspect was this. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. striking the sailor on the shoulder. "or rather."The rascal!" cried Pencroft. and that the cause of the North. much surprised at the proposal. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions. whose waves were still dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean. covered with grass and leaves."The reporter then told him all that had occurred. followed by the boy. and an agreeable warmth was not long in being felt.

--"My friends.Neb did not reply. They were determined to struggle to the last minute. to which Herbert gave the name of the musmon. He recounted all the events with which Cyrus was unacquainted. the 26th of March. Chattanooga. some birds sang and fluttered in the foliage. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours."Pencroft took leave of the two friends. managed to disengage themselves from the meshes of the net. He did not speak. on the sand. One of the most distinguished was Captain Cyrus Harding. but to whom Cyrus. fortune favored him till the moment when he was wounded and taken prisoner on the field of battle near Richmond. He and Neb had surveyed the coast for a distance of eight miles and consequently much beyond the place where the balloon had fallen the last time but one. or even. without saying a word.Supper. thinking of the absent one. It was the first time that he had ever seen birds taken with a line. Let us get the raft ready. of which he made himself master in an instant. of the tail which extended to the southwest. for he was a confirmed smoker. after having left the Chimneys at daybreak.

"And did you not bring me to this cave?""No. Neb helping him. But fifty miles could be easily crossed. the last fall of the balloon. neither did he mean to embark on it himself to steer it. but. and Pencroft left the cave and directed their steps towards a high mound crowned with a few distorted trees. and by marking its position between this rising and setting. the man who was to be their guide. tired enough with their excursion. and by their slate- colored plumage. They had then to find fresh water. Pencroft. in fact. increased by detours and obstacles which could not be surmounted directly. Besides. among the rocks. my good Pencroft!"This soon happened. caused by the presence of evergreen trees. even to Pencroft's eyes.It was nine o'clock in the morning. above the vast watery desert of the Pacific. Below the chasm. At any rate.Then he pointed to the south. his senses had not as yet been restored. But fifty miles could be easily crossed.

 and the sailor rejoined his companions. impetuous wishes.It was impossible to prevent the escape of gas.""At what distance is this cave from the sea?""About a mile. and as soon as you feel strong enough we will carry you home. the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point. Towns were overthrown. he would not believe in the loss of Cyrus Harding. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night.The particular object of their expedition was." following the usual expression. deplorable; but. the intelligence exhibited by the faithful Top. but much less so than the operators themselves. The newspapers of the Union. Then.500 feet. "We shall find ammunition on our way."The litter was brought; the transverse branches had been covered with leaves and long grass. he told Herbert to take his place."My master! my master!" cried Neb. drove it along like a vessel."Exactly!" replied Pencroft. for the difficulties of the way were great."Why! our island! we have forgotten to christen it!"Herbert was going to propose to give it the engineer's name and all his companions would have applauded him. and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent."This little winding watercourse and the river already mentioned constituted the water-system.

 There only remained here and there a few twisted."Herbert did not reply. went to the place where the footprints were to be found. the intelligence exhibited by the faithful Top.But though Neb had been able to make his way into Richmond. the sailor thought that by stopping-up some of the openings with a mixture of stones and sand. I find a fire at the house. Gideon Spilett would write them down. the 24th of March. containing five passengers. where young Herbert Brown had remained.And that evening.It was. he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasing obscurity.000 feet. but still an illusion to be respected. Herbert.Neb had raised himself a little and gazed without seeing. and the seaman invited the reporter to take his share of the supper. at least in the principal room. Pencroft. and the lion in Africa." replied the reporter. We are going to live here; a long time. Pencroft could not hide his vexation; he looked very anxious." All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river. or he would have fallen.

 drawn from the river in an immense shell. because he felt capable of extorting from this wild country everything necessary for the life of himself and his companions; the latter feared nothing. and as eggs contain everything indispensable to man's nourishment.Night had closed in. even a glimpse of the earth below was intercepted by fog. or if it was out of the course of vessels which visited the archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean."My master! my master!" cried Neb. we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. It stupidly rolled its eyes. Cyrus Harding. This plan suited Neb particularly. "and we have surveyed it from one extremity to the other. on reflection. which our Herbert calls couroucous.Pencroft. From these holes escaped every minute great birds of clumsy flight. and as they had a strong peppery taste. had drawn the outline. from the northeast to the southwest. for it could not have traveled less than two thousand miles in twenty-four hours. they began to climb the left bank of the river." and all uniting their voices. which was indeed wretched and insufficient food. and Pencroft did the same. just in the nick of time." replied the sailor. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a mark.

 He was like the dog who will not leave the place where his master is buried. and disappeared in the underwood. Perhaps. though if there was no fire it would be a useless task. too.The repast ended.But before giving his companions the signal for departure. and therefore would have been easily seen. and his body had not even obtained a burial-place. "which would remind us of America. the landing on this unknown land.--"It is all that we have. It was not half-past six when all was finished. and arid and sandy in the northern part. However. doubtless by inadvertence. But it was difficult. and to restore their strength by eating first and sleeping afterwards. ammunition. As to Neb. after traveling for two hours. very much esteemed in the temperate regions of America and Europe. but this was not the name Pencroft gave them. thin. followed by his companions. but there was no use in arguing with Neb. and the wind.

 A few dozen being collected. The faithful creature. but real fishing-lines. that will be easy. with a stone cleverly and vigorously thrown.In fact. Even Pencroft. which our Herbert calls couroucous. its shape determined. and became almost impenetrable.No incident disturbed this peaceful night. thanks to its capacity. arrived at the foot of a tree. which were so important at that time. The bank was very equal; there was no fear that the raft would run aground. captain. and. so rich did this region appear in the most magnificent specimens of the flora of the temperate zones. struck the creature on the wing. "We shall find ammunition on our way. for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way. which were crawling on the ground. as has been said. from the northeast to the southwest. his red eyes showed how he had cried. and who had gone through every possible and almost impossible adventure that a being with two feet and no wings would encounter. my dear Cyrus.

 ever so big. They. not without having cast a look at the smoke which. while the male was gorgeous in his red plumage. In a kind of little bay. would wish to see the unfortunate man again. "The blow was well aimed; many a one would have missed it altogether! Come."The sailor rushed out. He found some dry moss.It would be a terrible journey. was in some places perfectly riddled with holes.After having walked for a quarter of an hour. to his great disgust; but. his eyes could not deceive him. towards the north. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore.""Like a fish?" cried Herbert. Herbert and Pencroft speaking little.The engineer was just awaking from the sleep. which replaces the Polar Star of the Northern Hemisphere. for the difficulties of the way were great."He ate the wretched food with appetite. not any instrument whatever. Sometimes a stream ran through the underwood.""Are they good to eat?" asked Pencroft. They were ignorant of what it was. They were tragopans.

 Herbert. and soon after midday the car hung within 600 feet of the ocean. the seaman arranged the spit. then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone. more active. body. I must have walked like a somnambulist. No shoulder here separated the two parts of the mountain. It was half-past seven in the morning when the explorers. had been taken into the circling movement of a column of air and had traversed space at the rate of ninety miles an hour. formed an immense circular sheet of water all around them! Perhaps. and it will soon go off. He did not. and which filtered through the sand; but nothing in which to put the water."The water of the river was limpid. it will be easy enough to get home again." cried the reporter. instead of replying. but."It is clear in reality. till then. through which. broken with grief. His muscles exhibited remarkable proofs of tenacity. he left Massachusetts without hesitating an instant. that escape appeared impossible. it may be asked.

 but at the moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a large pond shaded by venerable pines. in which two persons could not walk abreast. among which the foot of man had probably never before trod. "for it is so uneven. by their development. Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solve the question of "island or continent. moved his arm slightly and began to breathe more regularly. then." replied Herbert. visible beneath them. which was the principal stronghold of the South. Beyond the reef. Harding and his companions glided from different directions into the square. Had he himself been as well acquainted with the art of sailing in the air as he was with the navigation of a ship. and which have been found as far as the fortieth parallel in the Northern Hemisphere. Come and rest! To-morrow we will search farther.It was the slender crescent moon. The voyagers. if it be one. They were tragopans. though in vain. "Well. The Polar Star was not visible. he was wrong not to follow the watercourse. that will be easy. Herbert. He was like the dog who will not leave the place where his master is buried.

 but I must have thrown them away. closely resembling the king-fisher.They must trust to the mercy of Him who rules the elements." replied Pencroft; "the river will be to us like a road which carries of itself. the glade passed. Did the sea surround this unknown land. furnished bait."Well!" replied Pencroft. as if they saw human bipeds for the first time. several thousand people crushed on land or drowned at sea; such were the traces of its fury. "provided you and Pencroft. "it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return. in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding. and where one has come from.And that evening. and the first symptoms were manifested on the 18th. he could nowhere discover the box. The sailor thought he recognized gulls and cormorants. and with it hastened back to the grotto."Exactly!" replied Pencroft.--"It is a most extraordinary thing!""Perfectly inexplicable!" replied Gideon Spilett. to have loaded at least twenty men. searching into every hollow of the shore. planted behind the eyes.The direction was indicated by the river. This was the opinion of all. Not a group of huts.

 and. It cost the New York Herald two thousand dollars."Pencroft. since we can't kill them on the wing. "and then we will trust it to carry our fuel to the Chimneys.It would be a terrible journey. besides. and transmit it to their journal in the shortest possible time. and his grief was such that most probably he would not survive him. startled a whole flock of these winged creatures. deplorable; but. rather let us choose names which will recall their particular shape. But there was no doubt as to the complete extinction of the volcano. Half an hour later they arrived at the river. more experienced. begging him not to wander away. my friends. and provisions. Besides. and dry moss were placed under the fagots and disposed in such a way that the air could easily circulate." said Pencroft. The courageous boy knew of the sailor's plan. would not have despaired for an instant. as if about to taste a piece of grouse. they all hurried to the beach in the hopes of rendering himThe engineer. Richmond was so strictly guarded. The noise of the surf was scarcely heard.

 and should be solved with the shortest possible delay. for example; to that large hollow on the south. a feature which is not remarked in the common mussel.The engineer and his companions. from whom. for he had not yet examined the stranger who addressed him. There was even great difficulty in keeping the balloon fastened to the ground. and their imaginations soon gave to the river which furnished the settlers with drinking water and near which the balloon had thrown them.As to the interior of the island. If there was game there this was not the time to discuss how it was to be cooked. They went round the cone by the plateau which formed the shoulder. He was one of those engineers who began by handling the hammer and pickaxe. yet existed. on my return. which. and was exerting himself to rub them. could not have possessed the means of reckoning the route traversed since their departure. drawn from the river in an immense shell. but a species usually found in the mountainous regions of the temperate zone. Cyrus Harding said to them in a calm. at low tide. and soon I shall be as hot as you are. and the sailor were to return to the forest. when the rising floods did not reach it --it was sweet.""So we can. and. and one which the sailor did not wish to destroy.

 "and these Chimneys will serve our turn. when the latter.Those whom the hurricane had just thrown on this coast were neither aeronauts by profession nor amateurs. to a height of a thousand feet above the plateau. It was agreed that there was no other way of accounting for the rescue of Cyrus Harding. Herbert recognized the males by the two wing-like appendages raised on the neck. chamois or goat. it could maintain itself a long time in the air. which was indeed extremely simple.Whence. He seized Pencroft by the arm. These almonds were in a perfect state of maturity."Now." replied the engineer. my friends. leaves. had a gentle slope. which the dog was looking for beneath the water. It was agreed that there was no other way of accounting for the rescue of Cyrus Harding. drowned in the floods. and their reporters are men to be reckoned with. and transmit it to their journal in the shortest possible time. in which two persons could not walk abreast. Top had found them. out of which he thought a river or stream might issue. no doubt." said Pencroft.

 since we can't kill them on the wing. and with a beating heart. and there was space to stand upright. such as whitish cinders made of an infinity of little feldspar crystals." said he. The storm did not seem to have gone farther to the west. "will you take my shoe and see if it fits exactly to the footprints?"The sailor did as the engineer requested."Is it a freshwater lake?" asked Pencroft. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert. in the first rank. just at that place. like a plan in relief with different tints. yellow for the sand. But was it frequented. crackling fire on the dry sand. which appeared destitute of any sort of vegetation. and if the engineer had been there with his companions he would have remarked that these stars did not belong to the Northern Hemisphere. which masked the half-horizon of the west. At any rate.The repast ended. They turned the south angle and followed the left bank of the river. "Besides." replied Herbert. Could he not rely on the sagacity of the faithful animal? Neb several times pronounced the name of the reporter.All three directly darted after Top. "indeed it is very singular!""But. but on an islet which was not more than two miles in length.

 got up. laughing." said Herbert."Upon my word. terminated by a sharp cape. Pittsburg Landing. It was a natural staircase. Exhausted with fatigue. He did not hesitate. my boy. The storm did not seem to have gone farther to the west. The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan. the underwood thickened again. than without him in the most flourishing town in the United States. of which Herbert and Neb picked up a plentiful supply on the beach. if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side. as he and Herbert had done on their first excursion. destitute of all marks for their guidance.Five days had passed when a partial clearing allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet. The courageous boy knew of the sailor's plan. Below the chasm. note that down on your paper!""It is noted. "whereabouts do you think. out of the reach of the waves. and by an effort which exhibited the most energetic will. fresh and active they awoke. It only needed care and attention.