lived on it for some time. Now, who were these men? How many of them remain?"
"The document," said Herbert, "only spoke of one."
"Well, if he is still on the island," replied Pencroft, "it is certain we shall find him." The exploration was continued. The sailor and his companions followed the route which cut diagonally across the island, and were thus obliged to follow the stream which flowed towards the sea.
The animals of European origin, the works due to a human hand, showed incontestably that men had already visited the island; and several specimens of the vegetable kingdom did the same. In some places, in the midst of clearings, it was evident that the soil had been planted with culinary plants, at probably the same distant period. What was Herbert's joy, when he recognized potatoes, chicory, sorrel, carrots, cabbages, and turnips, with which by collecting the seed he could enrich the soil of Lincoln Island.
"Capital, jolly!" exclaimed Pencroft. "That will suit Neb as well as us. Even if we do not find the castaway, at least our voyage will not have been useless, and God will have rewarded us."
"Doubtless," replied Gideon Spilett; "but to see the state in which we find these plantations, it is to be feared that the island has not been inhabited for some time."
"Indeed," answered Herbert, "no inhabitant, whoever he was, could have neglected such important culture "
"Yes," said Pencroft, "the castaway has gone."
"We must suppose so."
"It must then be admitted that the document has already a distant date?"
"Evidently."
"And that the bottle only arrived at Lincoln Island after having floated in the sea a long time."
"Why not," returned Pencroft. "But night is coming on," added he, "and I think that it will be best to give up the search for the present."
"Let us go on board, and to-morrow we will begin again," said the reporter.
This was the wisest course, and it was about to be followed when Herbert, pointing to a confused mass among the trees, exclaimed, "A hut'"
All three ran towards the dwelling. In the twilight it was
