Part 18 (2/2)

”Yes, yes! exactly,” added Herbert, ”and it was certainly placed on the heights of Granite House”

”Well, ht of the 19th of October, neither Neb nor I lighted any fire on the coast”

”You did not!” exclai able to finish his sentence

”We did not leave Granite House,” answered Cyrus Harding, ”and if a fire appeared on the coast, it was lighted by another hand than ours!”

Pencraft, Herbert, and Neb were stupefied No illusion could be possible, and a fire had actually ht of the 19th of October

Yes! they were obliged to acknowledge it, a mystery existed! An inexplicable influence, evidently favourable to the colonists, but very irritating to their curiosity, was executed always in the nick of ti hidden in its profoundest recesses? It was necessary at any cost to ascertain this

Harding also reular behaviour of Top and Jup when they prowled round the mouth of the well, which placed Granite House in communication with the sea, and he told the suspicious The final resolve taken, in consequence of this conversation, by all the members of the colony, was that as soon as the fine season returned they would thoroughly search the whole of the island

But from that day, Pencroft appeared to be anxious He felt as if the island which he had ed to hier, and that he shared it with anotheror not, he felt subject Neb and he often talked of those unaccountable things, and both, their natures inclining the that Lincoln Island was under the dominion of some supernatural power

In the meanwhile, the bad weather came with the month of May, the November of the northern zones It appeared that the winter would be severe and forward The preparations for the winter season were therefore commenced without delay

[Illustration: RETURNING FROM A SPORTING EXCURSION]

Nevertheless, the colonists ell prepared to ht be They had plenty of felt clothing, and the musmons, very numerous by this time, had furnished an abundance of the wool necessary for the manufacture of this warm material

It is unnecessary to say that Ayrton had been provided with this co proposed that he should come to spend the bad season with theed than at the corral, and Ayrton promised to do so, as soon as the last work at the corral was finished He did this towards the middle of April From that time Ayrton shared the common life, and made himself useful on all occasions; but still humble and sad, he never took part in the pleasures of his coreater part of this, the third winter which the settlers passed in Lincoln Island, they were confined to Granite House There were htful tempests, which appeared to shake the rocks to their very foundations Immense waves threatened to overwhelm the island, and certainly any vessel anchored near the shore would have been dashed to pieces Twice, during one of these hurricanes, the Mercy swelled to such a degree as to give reason to fear that the bridges would be swept away, and it was necessary to strengthen those on the shore, which disappeared under the foaainst the beach

It may well be supposed that such storled rain and snoould cause great havoc on the plateau of Prospect Heights The mill and the poultry-yard particularly suffered The colonists were often obliged to make immediate repairs, without which the safety of the birds would have been seriously threatened

[Illustration: THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEGATIVE]

During the worst weather, several jaguars and troops of quadrue of the plateau, and it was always to be feared that the e to cross the streae Plantations and domestic animals would then have been infallibly destroyed, without a constant watch, and it was often necessary to erous visitors at a respectful distance Occupation was not wanting to the colonists, for without reckoning their out-door cares, they had always a thousand plans for the fitting up of Granite House

They had also so the frost in the vast Tadorn marsh Gideon Spilett and Herbert, aided by Jup and Top, did not miss a shot in the midst of the myriads of wild-duck, snipe, teal, and others The access to these hunting-grounds was easy; besides, whether they reached the passed the Mercy Bridge, or by turning the rocks from Flotsam Point, the hunters were never distant from Granite House more than two or three miles

Thus passed the four winter orous, that is to say, June, July, August, and September But, in short, Granite House did not suffer much from the inclemency of the weather, and it was the same with the corral, which, less exposed than the plateau, and sheltered partly by Mount Franklin, only received the remains of the hurricanes, already broken by the forests and the high rocks of the shore The daes there were consequently of small importance, and the activity and skill of Ayrton promptly repaired them, when some time in October he returned to pass a few days in the corral

During this winter, no fresh inexplicable incident occurred Nothing strange happened, although Pencroft and Neb were on the watch for the nificant facts to which they attached any rowled round the well or gave any signs of uneasiness It appeared, therefore, as if the series of supernatural incidents was interrupted, although they often talked of thes in Granite House, and they rehly resolved that the island should be searched, even in those parts the hest iht be terrible,and his companions

It was theNature was reviving; and ae of the coniferae which for leaves of the banksias, deodars, and other trees

It may be remembered that Gideon Spilett and Herbert had, at different tiraphic views of Lincoln Island

Now, on the 17th of this month of October, towards three o'clock in the afternoon, Herbert, enticed by the char Union Bay, which was opposite to Prospect Heights, from Cape Mandible to Claw Cape

The horizon was beautifully clear, and the sea, undulating under a soft breeze, was as cal here and there under the sun's rays

The apparatus had been placed at one of the s of the dining-room at Granite House, and consequently overlooked the shore and the bay Herbert proceeded as he was accustoative obtained, he went away to fix it by means of the chemicals deposited in a dark nook of Granite House

Returning to the bright light, and exaative an almost imperceptible little spot on the sea horizon He endeavoured to , but could not accoht

And then he had the curiosity to exanifier which he unscrewed from one of the telescopes

But he had scarcely looked at it, when he uttered a cry, and the glass al to the rooative andout the little spot

Harding exa his telescope he rushed to the

The telescope, after having sloept the horizon, at last stopped on the looked-for spot, and Cyrus Harding lowering it, pronounced one word only,-- ”A vessel!”

And in fact a vessel was in sight, off Lincoln Island!