we shall save!"

The castaway of Tabor Island, to the great pity of the engineer and
the great astonishment of Neb, was then brought from the cabin which
he occupied in the fore part of the _Bonadventure_; when once on land
he manifested a wish to run away.

But Cyrus Harding approaching, placed his hand on his shoulder with a
gesture full of authority, and looked at him with infinite tenderness.
Immediately the unhappy man, submitting to a superior will, gradually
became calm, his eyes fell, his head bent, and he made no more
resistance.

"Poor fellow!" murmured the engineer.

Cyrus Harding had attentively observed him. To judge by his appearance
this miserable being had no longer anything human about him, and yet
Harding, as had the reporter already, observed in his look an
indefinable trace of intelligence.

It was decided that the castaway, or rather the stranger, as he was
thenceforth termed by his companions, should live in one of the rooms
of Granite House, from which, however, he could not escape. He was led
there without difficulty; and with careful attention, it might,
perhaps, be hoped that some day he would be a companion to the
settlers in Lincoln Island.

Cyrus Harding, during breakfast, which Neb had hastened to prepare, as
the reporter, Herbert, and Pencroft were dying of hunger, heard in
detail all the incidents which had marked the voyage of exploration to
the islet. He agreed with his friends on this point, that the stranger
must be either English or American, the name Britannia leading them to
suppose this, and, besides, through the bushy beard, and under the
shaggy, matted hair, the engineer thought he could recognise the
characteristic features of the Anglo-Saxon.

[Illustration: "POOR FELLOW," MURMURED THE ENGINEER]

"But, by the bye," said Gideon Spilett, addressing Herbert, "you never
told us how you met this savage, and we know nothing, except that you
would have been strangled, if we had not happened to come up in time
to help you!"

"Upon my word," answered Herbert, "it is rather difficult to say how
it happened. I was, I think, occupied in collecting my plants, when I
heard a noise like an avalanche falling from a very tall tree. I
scarcely had time to look round. This unfortunate man, who was without
doubt concealed in a tree, rushed upon me in less time than I take to
tell you about it, and unless Mr. Spilett and Pencroft--"

"My boy!" said Cyrus Harding, "you ran a great dang