The storm began. A furious gust of wind passed over the coast from the southeast. At 8 o’clock Neb had not returned. The birds were all they had for supper, but the party found them excellent eating. Pencroff and Herbert devoured them. Then each one retired to his corner, and Herbert was soon asleep.
It was about 2 o’clock when Pencroff was suddenly aroused from a deep sleep. The reporter was shaking him.
“What’s the matter?” Pencroff cried.
The reporter was bending over him and saying:
“Listen, Pencroff, listen!”
The sailor listened, but could hear nothing interesting.
“It is the wind,” he said.
“No,” answered Spilett, “listen again! I think I heard…”
“What?”
“The barking of a dog!”
“A dog!” cried Pencroff, springing to his feet.
“Yes, the barking.”
“Impossible!” answered the sailor.
“Wait and listen,” said the reporter.
Pencroff listened most attentively, and at length he caught the sound of distant barking.
“Is it?” asked the reporter.
“Yes, yes!” said Pencroff.
“It is Top! It is Top!” cried Herbert, who had just wakened, and the three rushed to the entrance of the Chimneys. The darkness was absolute. Sea, sky, and earth, were one intense blackness.
For some moments the reporter and his two companions stood in this place, drenched by the rain, blinded by the sand. Then again, in the hush of the storm, they heard, far away, the barking of a dog. This must be Top. But was he alone or accompanied?
It was indeed Top. But he was alone! Neither his master nor Neb accompanied him. It seemed inexplicable how, through the darkness and storm, the dog’s instinct had directed him to the Chimneys. Herbert had drawn him towards him, patting his head; and the dog rubbed his neck against the lad’s hands.
“If the dog is found, the master will be found also,” said the reporter.
“Top will guide us!” responded Herbert.
Pencroff made no objection. The tempest was, perhaps, at its maximum intensity. It was difficult to follow a straight course. The better way, therefore, was to trust to the instinct of Top. The reporter and the lad walked behind the dog, and the sailor followed after. To speak was impossible. The rain was not heavy, but the strength of the storm was terrible.
They felt, no doubt, that Neb had found his master and had sent the faithful dog to them. But was the engineer living or dead?
“Saved! He is saved! Isn’t he, Top?” repeated the boy. And the dog barked his answer[30].
By 4 o’clock they estimated the distance travelled as eight miles. The clouds had risen a little, and the wind was drier and colder. No murmur passed their lips. They were determined[31] to follow Top wherever he wished to lead them.
Towards 5 o’clock the day began to break[32]. The sailor and his companions were some six miles from the Chimneys, following a very flat shore. Top ran ahead, returned, and seemed to try to hurry them on[33]. The dog had left the coast, and had gone among the downs[34]. The border of the downs was composed of hills and hillocks. It was like a little Switzerland of sand, but a dog’s astonishing instinct could find the way.
Five minutes after the reporter and his companions reached a sort of hollow, before which Top stopped with a loud bark. The three entered the cave. Neb was there, kneeling beside a body extended upon a bed of grass. It was the body of Cyrus Smith.
Chapter VIII
Neb did not move. The sailor uttered one word.
“Alive?” he cried.
Neb did not answer. Spilett and Pencroff turned pale[35]. Herbert stood motionless. But it was evident that the poor servant, overcome by grief, had not heard the voice of the sailor.
The reporter knelt down beside the motionless body, and pressed his ear to the chest of the engineer. Then he tried to detect some movement of the heart.
Neb was hardly recognizable. He believed his master dead. Gideon Spilett, however, after a long and attentive examination, rose up.
“He lives!” he said.
Pencroff, in his turn[36], knelt down beside Cyrus Smith; he also detected some heartbeats. Herbert hurried in search of water. A hundred paces off he found a clear brook; so the lad soaked his handkerchief in the stream, and hastened back with it to the cave.
The drops of fresh water produced an instantaneous effect. A sigh escaped from the breast of Smith.
“We will save him,” said the reporter.
Neb removed the clothing from his master to see if his body was wounded anywhere. But neither on his head nor body nor limbs was there a bruise or even a scratch. That was an astonishing circumstance.
“You thought he was dead?” asked the sailor Neb.
“Yes, I thought so,” answered Neb. “And if Top had not found you and brought you back, I would have buried my master and died beside him.”
Then Neb told them what had happened. The day before, Neb had followed along the coast in a direction due north, until he reached that part of the beach. There he searched the shore, the rocks, the sand for any marks that could guide him. He did not hope to find his master living. Then he decided to continue some miles further up the coast. It was possible that the currents had carried the body to some distant point. He followed the shore two miles further, hardly hoping to find anything, when yesterday evening, about 5 o’clock, he discovered footprints upon the sand.
“Footprints?!” cried Pencroff.
“Yes, sir,” replied Neb.
“And did they begin at the water?” demanded the reporter.
“No,” answered Neb, “above high-water mark; below that the tide had washed out the others. The sight of these footprints made me wild with joy. They went towards the downs. I followed them for a quarter of an hour. Five minutes later, as it was growing dark, I heard a dog bark. It was Top. And he brought me here, to my master.”
“So you, Neb,” said the reporter, “did not bring your master to this place?”
“No, it was not I,” answered Neb.
They must wait for the solution of the mystery until the engineer could speak. It was therefore the unanimous opinion that Cyrus Smith must be carried to the Chimneys as soon as possible.
Soon the engineer opened his eyes. Neb and the reporter were leaning over him.
“My master! My master!” cried Neb.
The engineer heard him. He recognized Neb and his companions.
“Is it an island or a continent?” he murmured.
“What the devil do we care[37],” cried Pencroff, unable to restrain the exclamation, “now that you are alive, sir. Island or continent? We will find that out later.”
The engineer seemed to sleep. The sailor was repeating:
“Island or continent! To think of that!