Part 17 (2/2)
”And the more so that it is a full moon to-day,” re”
”Well, Pencroft,” asked Cyrus Harding, ”can you not anchor off the Cape?”
”Anchor near land, with bad weather co of, captain? We should run aground to a certainty!”
”What will you do then?”
”I shall try to keep in the offing until the flood, that is to say, till about seven in the evening, and if there is still light enough I will try to enter the gulf; if not, we ht, and ill enter to-morrow at sunrise”
”As I told you, Pencroft, ill leave it to you,” answered Harding
”Ah!” said Pencroft, ”if there was only a light-house on the coast, it would be much more convenient for sailors”
”Yes,” replied Herbert, ”and this tiuide us into port!”
”Why, indeed, my dear Cyrus,” said Spilett, ”we have never thanked you for it, but frankly, without that fire we should never have been able to reach--”
”A fire?” asked Harding, much astonished at the reporter's words
”We mean, captain,” answered Pencroft, ”that on board the Bonadventure ere very anxious during the few hours before our return, and we should have passed to ard 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 ineer
”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 fewhimself 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!”
[Illustration: ANOTHER MYSTERY]
CHAPTER XX
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 seldonostications The wind rose, and froale; that is to say, it acquired a speed of from forty to forty-five miles an hour, before which a shi+p 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 thethe jib to thethe head of the vessel towards the land
Fortunately, although the as strong, the sea, being sheltered by the land, did not run very high They had then little to fear froer small craft The Bonadventure would doubtlessly not have capsized, for she ell ballasted; but enorht injure her, if her tiood sailor, was prepared for anything Certainly, he had great confidence in his vessel, but nevertheless he awaited the return of day with so and Gideon Spilett had no opportunity for talking together, and yet the words pronounced in the reporter's ear by the engineer orth being discussed, together with the n over Lincoln Island Gideon Spilett did not cease fro 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 hinalise 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 coe facts Perhaps it would be decided to ation of every part of Lincoln Island
However that hted on these yet unknown shores, which forulf, 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, shi+fted two points, and enabled Pencroft to enter the narrow gulf with greater ease Towards seven o'clock in thethe 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 accuulf 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 hich would usts very difficult I declare our Bonadventure could stay here fro 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 ulf
”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 atit to Ah?” 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 th was unrolled without finding any bottom
”There,” exclaimed Pencroft, ”our iron-clads can coround!”
”Indeed,” said Gideon Spilett, ”this gulf is a regular abyss; but, taking into consideration the volcanic origin of the island, it is not astonishi+ng 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 tier, Pencroft would not find the bottom”
”That is all very well,” then said the reporter; ”but Iin one very important respect!”
”And what is that, Mr Spilett?”
”An opening, a cutting of soive 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 for, 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 hi 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