l,
1891; The Purchase of the North Pole, 1891; A Family without a Name,
1891; Mistress Branican, 1892; Claudius Bombarnac, 1894; Foundling Mick,
1895; Clovis Dardentor, 1897; For the Flag, tr. Mrs C. Hoey, 1897; An
Antarctic Mystery, 1898.

Jules Verne's works are published in an authorised and illustrated
edition by Messrs. Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd.

CHAPTER ONE.

LOST OR SAVED--AYRTON SUMMONED--IMPORTANT DISCUSSION--IT IS NOT THE
DUNCAN--SUSPICIOUS VESSEL--PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN--THE SHIP
APPROACHES--A CANNON-SHOT--THE BRIG ANCHORS IN SIGHT OF THE ISLAND--
NIGHT COMES ON.

It was now two years and a half since the castaways from the balloon had
been thrown on Lincoln Island, and during that period there had been no
communication between them and their fellow-creatures. Once the
reporter had attempted to communicate with the inhabited world by
confiding to a bird a letter which contained the secret of their
situation, but that was a chance on which it was impossible to reckon
seriously. Ayrton, alone, under the circumstances which have been
related, had come to join the little colony. Now, suddenly, on this
day, the 17th of October, other men had unexpectedly appeared in sight
of the island, on that deserted sea!

There could be no doubt about it! A vessel was there! But would she
pass on, or would she put into port? In a few hours the colonists would
definitely know what to expect.

Cyrus Harding and Herbert having immediately called Gideon Spilett,
Pencroft, and Neb into the dining-room of Granite House, told them what
had happened. Pencroft, seizing the telescope, rapidly swept the
horizon, and stopping on the indicated point, that is to say, on that
which had made the almost imperceptible spot on the photographic
negative--

"I'm blessed but it is really a vessel!" he exclaimed, in a voice which
did not express any great amount of satisfaction.

"Is she coming here?" asked Gideon Spilett.

"Impossible to say anything yet," answered Pencroft, "for her rigging
alone is above the horizon, and not a bit of her hull can be seen."

"What is to be done?" asked the lad.

"Wait," replied Harding.

And for a considerable time the settlers remained silent, given up to
all the thoughts, all the emotions, all the fears, all the hopes, which
were aroused by this incident--the most important which had occurred
since their arrival in Lincoln Island. Certainly, the colonists were
not in the situ