The Mysterious Island. B2 / Таинственный остров

At 8 o’clock Neb did not return. The birds were all they had for supper. Pencroff and Herbert devoured them. Then each one retired to their corners, and Herbert was soon asleep.

It was about 2 o’clock when Pencroff suddenly woke up. The reporter was shaking him.

– What’s the matter? – Pencroff cried.

– Listen, Pencroff, listen!

– It is the wind, – the sailor said.

– No, – answered Spilett, – listen again! I think I heard…

– What?

– The barking of a dog!

– Impossible! – answered the sailor.

– Wait and listen, – said the reporter.

– It is Top! It is Top! – cried Herbert, and they rushed to the entrance of the Chimneys. The darkness was absolute. The sea, the sky, and the earth were black. Then again, in the hush of the storm, they heard the barking of a dog.

It was indeed Top. But he was alone! Neither his master nor Neb accompanied him. The dog came to the Chimneys. Herbert drew the dog towards him.

– Top will guide us to its master! – said Herbert.

The tempest was terrible. It was difficult to follow a straight course. The reporter and the lad walked behind the dog, and the sailor followed after.

Probably, Neb found his master and sent the faithful dog to them. But is the engineer dead?

– Saved! He is saved! Isn’t he, Top? – repeated the boy. And the dog barked.

The wind was dry and cold. They followed Top. At 5 o’clock the sailor and his companions were six miles from the Chimneys.

Five minutes after the reporter and his companions reached a hollow, before which Top stopped with a loud bark. The men entered the cave. Neb was there, he was kneeling beside a body upon a bed of grass. It was the body of Cyrus Smith.

Glossary

devour – поглощать

lad – юноша

companion – товарищ

ChapterВ VIII

Neb did not move.

– Is he alive? – the sailor cried.

Neb did not answer. Herbert did not move. The reporter knelt down beside the motionless body, and pressed his ear to the chest of the engineer. Gideon Spilett rose up.

– He is alive! – he said.

Pencroff knelt down beside Cyrus Smith; he also detected the heartbeat. Herbert brought water. He found a brook; so the lad soaked his handkerchief in the stream. The drops of fresh water produced an instantaneous effect. Smith let out a louder breath.