登陆注册
15324700000014

第14章

Pencroft's first care, after unloading the raft, was to render the cave habitable by stopping up all the holes which made it draughty.Sand, stones, twisted branches, wet clay, closed up the galleries open to the south winds.One narrow and winding opening at the side was kept, to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw.The cave was thus divided into three or four rooms, if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely have been contented deserved the name.But they were dry, and there was space to stand upright, at least in the principal room, which occupied the center.The floor was covered with fine sand, and taking all in all they were well pleased with it for want of a better.

"Perhaps," said Herbert, while he and Pencroft were working, "our companions have found a superior place to ours.""Very likely," replied the seaman; "but, as we don't know, we must work all the same.Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert, "how jolly it will be if they were to find Captain Harding and were to bring him back with them!""Yes, indeed!" said Pencroft, "that was a man of the right sort.""Was!" exclaimed Herbert, "do you despair of ever seeing him again?""God forbid!" replied the sailor.Their work was soon done, and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied.

"Now," said he, "our friends can come back when they like.They will find a good enough shelter."They now had only to make a fireplace and to prepare the supper--an easy task.Large flat stones were placed on the ground at the opening of the narrow passage which had been kept.This, if the smoke did not take the heat out with it, would be enough to maintain an equal temperature inside.

Their wood was stowed away in one of the rooms, and the sailor laid in the fireplace some logs and brushwood.The seaman was busy with this, when Herbert asked him if he had any matches.

"Certainly," replied Pencroft, "and I may say happily, for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix.""Still we might get fire as the savages do," replied Herbert, "by rubbing two bits of dry stick one against the other.""All right; try, my boy, and let's see if you can do anything besides exercising your arms.""Well, it's a very simple proceeding, and much used in the islands of the Pacific.""I don't deny it," replied Pencroft, "but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood, for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way, but I could never manage it.I must say I prefer matches.By the bye, where are my matches?"Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box, which was always there, for he was a confirmed smoker.He could not find it; he rummaged the pockets of his trousers, but, to his horror, he could nowhere discover the box.

"Here's a go!" said he, looking at Herbert."The box must have fallen out of my pocket and got lost! Surely, Herbert, you must have something--a tinder-box--anything that can possibly make fire!""No, I haven't, Pencroft."

The sailor rushed out, followed by the boy.On the sand, among the rocks, near the river's bank, they both searched carefully, but in vain.The box was of copper, and therefore would have been easily seen.

"Pencroft," asked Herbert, "didn't you throw it out of the car?""I knew better than that," replied the sailor; "but such a small article could easily disappear in the tumbling about we have gone through.I would rather even have lost my pipe! Confound the box! Where can it be?""Look here, the tide is going down," said Herbert; "let's run to the place where we landed."It was scarcely probable that they would find the box, which the waves had rolled about among the pebbles, at high tide, but it was as well to try.Herbert and Pencroft walked rapidly to the point where they had landed the day before, about two hundred feet from the cave.They hunted there, among the shingle, in the clefts of the rocks, but found nothing.If the box had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves.As the sea went down, they searched every little crevice with no result.It was a grave loss in their circumstances, and for the time irreparable.

Pencroft could not hide his vexation; he looked very anxious, but said not a word.Herbert tried to console him by observing, that if they had found the matches, they would, very likely, have been wetted by the sea and useless.

"No, my boy," replied the sailor; "they were in a copper box which shut very tightly; and now what are we to do?""We shall certainly find some way of making a fire," said Herbert.

"Captain Harding or Mr.Spilett will not be without them.""Yes," replied Pencroft; "but in the meantime we are without fire, and our companions will find but a sorry repast on their return.""But," said Herbert quickly, "do you think it possible that they have no tinder or matches?""I doubt it," replied the sailor, shaking his head, "for neither Neb nor Captain Harding smoke, and I believe that Mr.Spilett would rather keep his note-book than his match-box."Herbert did not reply.The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted, but the boy was still sure of procuring fire in some way or other.

Pencroft, more experienced, did not think so, although he was not a man to trouble himself about a small or great grievance.At any rate, there was only one thing to be done--to await the return of Neb and the reporter; but they must give up the feast of hard eggs which they had meant to prepare, and a meal of raw flesh was not an agreeable prospect either for themselves or for the others.

Before returning to the cave, the sailor and Herbert, in the event of fire being positively unattainable, collected some more shell-fish, and then silently retraced their steps to their dwelling.

Pencroft, his eyes fixed on the ground, still looked for his box.He even climbed up the left bank of the river from its mouth to the angle where the raft had been moored.He returned to the plateau, went over it in every direction, searched among the high grass on the border of the forest, all in vain.

同类推荐
  • 佛说罗摩伽经

    佛说罗摩伽经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 東三省輿地圖說

    東三省輿地圖說

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 醉春风

    醉春风

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 西村诗集

    西村诗集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Boy Captives

    The Boy Captives

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 快穿之祈缘者

    快穿之祈缘者

    不管是主角,配角,反派还是炮灰,在字里行间所表现的只是那个世界的一部,我们所看到的也只是他们被作者所写出的事情,但在小说世界里面他们都是鲜活的生命,是拥有完整人生的。
  • 双面公主:三生情债

    双面公主:三生情债

    魔幻空间,不死世界。母亲欠下的情债,居然让自己来还!从小在炼狱里长大,受尽磨难与痛苦,没想到,自己却为了债主,死了两次,为什么?自己那么恨债主,却不知何时爱上了他,不,并不是爱,那并不是爱!不是!可是,这一切的一切都身不由己,即便逃离炼狱时遇见的那个男子对自己如何好,心里依旧爱着债主。不!自己并不爱他!自己只是他的奴隶,自己在他眼里什么都不是,什么都不是!可是最后,还是毅然决然的选择他……
  • 魔尊的白痴王妃

    魔尊的白痴王妃

    有个魔尊宠我爱我,好像也不错。谁欺负我老婆丢进蛇窟去,魔尊大人王妃把你喜欢的琉璃壶打坏了,没事在拿几个给她打。不好了魔尊大人王妃和你的侍妾打起来了,怎么回事王妃有没有伤到哪里,没有是你的侍妾受伤了,哈哈不愧是本王的老婆,去把那些侍妾砍了敢惹我老婆生气,魔尊不好了,又怎么了,王妃把魔殿烧了,什么、、、、王妃有没有受伤,没有那就好让她烧吧只要她开心。殿下我能问一下吗老婆是什么意思,王妃说是夫人的意思要我这样叫的哦、、、、、、
  • 王俊凯之一生沫爱

    王俊凯之一生沫爱

    内容介绍:写的是王俊凯和苏沫的爱情故事!他们的爱情波澜起伏!具体内容自己看!
  • exo之星空物语

    exo之星空物语

    “我望眼欲穿,看我看不到的你,我侧耳倾听,听我听不到的你”熟悉的旋律响起,在睡梦中的人儿,倏然坐起,“哥哥,为什么要这样对我?”已经连续好几次做这种梦了,晨曦的脸上晶莹的泪悄然划过…………
  • 半月道记

    半月道记

    依靠做法事为生的小道士林半月,救得断了道途的道门弟子陆九儿后入道修仙,二人携手在这道途上越走越远??
  • 极品废柴变天才——君墨快快来!

    极品废柴变天才——君墨快快来!

    现代她是一个金牌辩护师,可是却遭遇了一场劫难,穿越到古代,那时候古代以武为生,可她的灵魂却投入到了一个废材身躯里,原来身躯本来的主人因为练不了武,而经常被,妹妹们欺负。知道现代的苏季涵投入到她的身躯里,命运受到了转轮,她变强了,变得很强,变成了一个天才,无人能敌,当时,她就想我一定要曾经嫌弃过我的人欺负过我的人都感到后悔!从此他变成了一个冰美人,心狠手辣,杀人不眨眼!其实她并不是真正的冷漠,她只是把心封存了起来,她怕当她敞开心扉的时候,却又有人伤害了她!直到后来他的出现才让她那颗冰冷的心软了下来......
  • 半鬼擒仙传

    半鬼擒仙传

    至善者成神,至恶者成魔——仙神由人的信念产生,是人精神的寄托,引导着人、支撑着人,是正面的。而鬼魔亦由人的信念产生,是人负面情绪的集合。
  • 凤舞九天之绝色妖皇逆天后

    凤舞九天之绝色妖皇逆天后

    【已完结】【已转站,现更名为《近水楼台先得妖》】被人追杀也能穿越?好吧,但是尼玛谁能告诉月紫溪,为什么自己穿越后旁边还坐着一个小正太?这难道就是传说中的未婚先孕?如果这是个可爱聪明萌萌哒的小正太也就算了,可这丫的却是一个毒舌自大小魔王!小小年纪不学好,长大怎么得了!而且凶巴巴的一点都不讨人喜欢!但是!才过了几天?小正太变身成大妖孽!月紫溪对此只想吐槽一句:真是日了狗了(简介不给力,请看正文)
  • 末世信仰之门

    末世信仰之门

    这里是地球,公元2025年,出现了万年难遇的三星连珠,由此引发了地球的磁场混乱,于是山崩海啸,火山爆发,冰川融化,海平面急剧上升,这样的情况持续了一个月,一个月后世界进入了灾后重建的忙碌时期,一年后,一种名为天启的药剂被研制出来了。三年后,也就是2028年,另一个灾难开始!五星连珠!没有人知道这场灾难过后世界将会变成什么样……