other attempt, that was not easy; for the lower part of the ladder
had been drawn again into the door, and when another pull was given,
the line broke and the ladder remained firm. The case was really
perplexing. Pencroft stormed. There was a comic side to the situation,
but he did not think it funny at all. It was certain that the settlers
would end by reinstating themselves in their domicile and driving out
the intruders, but when and how? that is what they were not able to
say.

[Illustration: THE INVADERS OF GRANITE HOUSE]

Two hours passed, during which the apes took care not to show
themselves, but they were still there, and three or four times a nose
or a paw was poked out at the door or windows, and was immediately
saluted by a gun-shot.

"Let us hide ourselves," at last said the engineer. "Perhaps the apes
will think we have gone quite away and will show themselves again. Let
Spilett and Herbert conceal themselves behind those rocks and fire on
all that may appear."

The engineer's orders were obeyed, and whilst the reporter and the
lad, the best marksmen in the colony, posted themselves in a good
position, but out of the monkeys' sight, Neb, Pencroft, and Cyrus
climbed the plateau and entered the forest in order to kill some game,
for it was now time for breakfast and they had no provisions
remaining.

In half an hour the hunters returned with a few rock pigeons, which
they roasted as well as they could. Not an ape had appeared. Gideon
Spilett and Herbert went to take their share of the breakfast, leaving
Top to watch under the windows. They then, having eaten, returned to
their post.

Two hours later, their situation was in no degree improved. The
quadrumana gave no sign of existence, and it might have been supposed
that they had disappeared; but what seemed more probable was that,
terrified by the death of one of their companions, and frightened by
the noise of the firearms, they had retreated to the back part of the
house or probably even into the storeroom. And when they thought of
the valuables which this storeroom contained, the patience so much
recommended by the engineer, fast changed into great irritation, and
there certainly was room for it.

"Decidedly it is too bad," said the reporter; "and the worst of it is,
there is no way of putting an end to it."

"But we must drive these vagabonds out somehow," cried the sailor. "We
could soon get the better of them, even if there are twenty of the