to form a
certain angle with it, and secured with iron clamps. As to the
different parts of the internal mechanism, the box destined to contain
the two millstones, the fixed stone and the moving stone, the hopper,
a sort of large square trough, wide at the top, narrow at the bottom,
which would allow the grain to fall on the stones, the oscillating
spout intended to regulate the passing of the grain, and lastly the
bolting machine, which by the operation of sifting, separates the bran
from the flour, were made without difficulty. The tools were good, and
the work not difficult, for in reality, the machinery of a mill is
very simple. This was only a question of time.

Every one had worked at the construction of the mill, and on the 1st
of December it was finished. As usual, Pencroft was delighted with his
work, and had no doubt that the apparatus was perfect.

"Now for a good wind," said he, "and we shall grind our first harvest
splendidly!"

"A good wind, certainly," answered the engineer, "but not too much,
Pencroft."

"Pooh! our mill would only go the faster!"

"There is no need for it to go so very fast," replied Cyrus Harding.
"It is known by experience that the greatest quantity of work is
performed by a mill when the number of turns made by the sails in a
minute is six times the number of feet traversed by the wind in a
second. A moderate breeze, which passes over twenty-four feet to the
second, will give sixteen turns to the sails during a minute, and
there is no need of more."

"Exactly!" cried Herbert; "a fine breeze is blowing from the
north-east, which will soon do our business for us."

There was no reason for delaying the inauguration of the mill, for the
settlers were eager to taste the first piece of bread in Lincoln
Island. On this morning two or three bushels of wheat were ground, and
the next day at breakfast a magnificent loaf, a little heavy perhaps,
although raised with yeast, appeared on the table at Granite House.
Every one munched away at it with a pleasure which may be easily
understood.

In the meanwhile, the stranger had not reappeared. Several times
Gideon Spilett and Herbert searched the forest in the neighbourhood of
Granite House, without meeting or finding any trace of him. They
became seriously uneasy at this prolonged absence. Certainly, the
former savage of Tabor Island could not be perplexed how to live in
the forest, abounding in game, but was it not to be feared that he