was evidently nothing to be done in the gulf, he steered his
vessel towards the strait and passed out at about two o'clock in the
afternoon.

"Ah!" said Neb, uttering a sigh of satisfaction.

One might really say that the honest negro did not feel at his ease in
those enormous jaws.

The distance from Mandible Cape to the mouth of the Mercy was not more
than eight miles. The head of the _Bonadventure_ was put towards
Granite House, and a fair wind filling her sails, she ran rapidly
along the coast.

To the enormous lava rocks succeeded soon those capricious sand dunes,
among which the engineer had been so singularly recovered, and which
sea-birds frequented in thousands.

About four o'clock, Pencroft, leaving the point of the islet on his
left, entered the channel which separated it from the coast, and at
five o'clock the anchor of the _Bonadventure_ was buried in the sand
at the mouth of the Mercy.

The colonists had been absent three days from their dwelling. Ayrton
was waiting for them on the beach, and Jup came joyously to meet them,
giving vent to deep grunts of satisfaction.

A complete exploration of the coast of the island had now been made,
and no suspicious appearances had been observed. If any mysterious
being resided on it, it could only be under cover of the impenetrable
forest of the Serpentine Peninsula, to which the colonists had not yet
directed their investigations.

Gideon Spilett discussed these things with the engineer, and it was
agreed that they should direct the attention of their companions to
the strange character of certain incidents which had occurred on the
island, and of which the last was the most unaccountable.

However, Harding, returning to the fact of a fire having been kindled
on the shore by an unknown hand, could not refrain from repeating for
the twentieth time to the reporter--

"But are you quite sure of having seen it? Was it not a partial
eruption of the volcano, or perhaps some meteor?"

"No, Cyrus," answered the reporter; "it was certainly a fire lighted
by the hand of man. Besides, question Pencroft and Herbert. They saw
it as I saw it myself, and they will confirm my words."

In consequence therefore, a few days after, on the 25th of April, in
the evening, when the settlers were all collected on Prospect Heights,
Cyrus Harding began by saying,--

"My friends, I think it my duty to call your attention to certain
incidents which have occurred in the island,