a light craft to pass the bar, there
was not enough for the _Nautilus_, whose draught of water was
considerable.

Captain Nemo was compelled, therefore, to remain. He observed these men
thrown without resources upon a desert island, but had no wish to be
himself discovered by them. By degrees he became interested in their
efforts when he saw them honest, energetic, and bound to each other by
the ties of friendship. As if despite his wishes, he penetrated all the
secrets of their existence. By means of the diving-dress he could
easily reach the well in the interior of Granite House, and climbing by
the projections of rock to its upper orifice he heard the colonists as
they recounted the past, and studied the present and future. He learnt
from them the tremendous conflict of America with America itself, for
the abolition of slavery. Yes, these men were worthy to reconcile
Captain Nemo with that humanity which they represented so nobly in the
island.

Captain Nemo had saved Cyrus Harding. It was he also who had brought
back the dog to the Chimneys, who rescued Top from the waters of the
lake, who caused to fall at Flotsam Point the case containing so many
things useful to the colonists, who conveyed the canoe back into the
stream of the Mercy, who cast the cord from the top of Granite House at
the time of the attack by the baboons, who made known the presence of
Ayrton upon Tabor Island, by means of the document enclosed in the
bottle, who caused the explosion of the brig by the shock of a torpedo
placed at the bottom of the canal, who saved Herbert from a certain
death by bringing the sulphate of quinine; and finally, it was he who
had killed the convicts with the electric balls, of which he possessed
the secret, and which he employed in the chase of submarine creatures.
Thus were explained so many apparently supernatural occurrences, and
which all proved the generosity and power of the captain.

Nevertheless, this noble misanthrope longed to benefit his _proteges_
still further. There yet remained much useful advice to give them, and,
his heart being softened by the approach of death, he invited, as we are
aware, the colonists of Granite House to visit the _Nautilus_, by means
of a wire which connected it with the corral. Possibly he would not
have done this had he been aware that Cyrus Harding was sufficiently
acquainted with his history to address him by the name of Nemo.

The captain concluded the narrat