Таинственный остров / Mysterious Island

He was a man of thirty years, vigorous, agile, adroit, intelligent, quick, and self-possessed, sometimes ingenuous, always smiling, ready and honest. He was named Nebuchadnezzar[15 - Nebuchadnezzar – Навуходоносор], but he answered to the nickname of Neb.

All these people were in Richmond[16 - Richmond – Ричмонд], and it was very difficult to get out. Nothing indicated an early release to the prisoners. The reporter had but one idea; to get out of Richmond at any risk.

Many times, indeed, he tried the experiment, and was stopped by obstacles.

Meanwhile, the siege continued, and the prisoners were anxious to escape in order to join the army of Grant[17 - army of Grant – армия Гранта]; and among these was a certain Jonathan Forster[18 - Jonathan Forster – Джонатан Форстер], who was a violent Southerner. This Jonathan Forster had conceived the idea of passing over the lines of the besiegers in a balloon.

So a balloon was made and placed at the disposal of Forster and five of his companions. They were provided with arms and food. The departure of the balloon had been fixed for the 18th of March. However, on the morning of the 18th the tempest broke forth.

The balloon, inflated in the great square of Richmond, was all ready, but the weather was terrible. The night of the 19th and 20th passed, but the storm only developed in intensity, and departure was impossible.

On that day Cyrus Smith in one of the streets of Richmond met a man whom he did not know. It was a sailor named Pencroff[19 - Pencroff – Пенкроф], aged from thirty-five to forty years, strongly built, much sun-burnt, his eyes bright and glittering. This Pencroff had sailed every sea, and had experienced every kind of extraordinary adventure that a man could encounter. It is needless to say that he was of an adventurous nature.

Pencroff, in the early part of this year, had come to Richmond on business, having with him Herbert Brown[20 - Herbert Brown – Герберт Браун], of New Jersey[21 - New Jersey – Нью-Джерси], a lad fifteen years old, the son of Pencroff’s captain, and an orphan whom he loved as his own child. He also had but one idea: to get out. He did not hesitate to address Mr. Smith without ceremony:

“Mr.