Таинственный остров / The Mysterious Island. Уровень 3

But is the engineer dead?

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

By 4 o’clock the wind was drier and colder. No murmur passed their lips. They were determined to follow Top wherever he wished to lead them.

At 5 o’clock the sailor and his companions were six miles from the Chimneys. Top ran ahead, returned, and ran again. The dog left the coast, and walked among the downs. The border of the downs was composed of hills and hillocks. It was like a little Switzerland of sand, but a dog instinct could find the way.

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

Chapter VIII

Neb did not move. The sailor uttered one word.

– Alive? – he cried.

Neb did not answer. Herbert stood motionless. It was evident that the poor servant did not hear the voice of the sailor.

The reporter knelt down beside the motionless body, and pressed his ear to the chest of the engineer. Then he tried to detect some movement of the heart.

Gideon Spilett, after a long and attentive examination, rose up.

– He lives! – he said.

Pencroff knelt down beside Cyrus Smith; he also detected some heartbeats. Herbert hurried in search of water. Soon he found a brook; so the lad soaked his handkerchief in the stream, and hastened back with it to the cave.

The drops of fresh water produced an instantaneous effect. A sigh escaped from the breast of Smith.

– We will save him, – said the reporter.

Neb removed the clothing from his master. Neither on his head nor body nor limbs was there a bruise or even a scratch. That was astonishing.

– You thought he was dead? – asked the sailor Neb.

– Yes, I thought so, – answered Neb. – And I wanted to die beside my master.

Then Neb told them everything.

Neb followed along the coast to the north, until he reached that part of the beach. There he searched the shore, the rocks, the sand for any marks. He did not hope to find his master. Then he decided to continue some miles further up the coast.

– I followed the shore two miles further, and yesterday evening, about 5 o’clock, I discovered footprints upon the sand.

– Footprints?! – cried Pencroff.

– Yes, sir, – replied Neb.