CHAPTER X.
THE ENGINEER’S INVENTION—ISLAND OR CONTINENT?—DEPARTURE FOR THE MOUNTAIN—THE FOREST—VOLCANIC SOIL—THE TRAGOPANS—THE MOUFFLONS —THE FIRST PLATEAU—ENCAMPING FOR THE NIGHT—THE SUMMIT OF THE CONE
A few minutes afterwards, the three hunters were seated before a sparkling fire. Beside them sat Cyrus Smith and the reporter. Pencroff looked from one to the other without saying a word, his cabiai in his hand.
“Yes, my good fellow,” said the reporter, “a fire, a real fire, that will roast your game to a turn.”
“But who lighted it?” said the sailor.
“The sun.”
The sailor could not believe his eyes, and was too stupefied to question the engineer.
“Had you a burning-glass, sir?” asked Herbert of Cyrus Smith.
“No, my boy,” said he, “but I made one.”
And he showed his extemporized len
