When Pencroft had once got a plan in his head, he had no peace till it was executed. Now he wished to visit Tabor Island, and as a boat of a certain size was necessary for this voyage, he determined1 to build one.
What wood should he employ? Elm or fir, both of which abounded2 in the island? They decided3 for the fir, as being easy to work, but which stands water as well as the elm.
These details settled, it was agreed that since the fine season would not return before six months, Cyrus Harding and Pencroft should work alone at the boat. Gideon Spilett and Herbert were to continue to hunt, and neither Neb nor Master Jup, his assistant, were to leave the domestic duties which had devolved upon them.
Directly the trees were chosen, they were felled, stripped of their branches, and sawn into planks4 as well as sawyers would have been able to do it. A week after, in the recess5 between the Chimneys and the cliff, a dockyard was prepared, and a keel five-and-thirty feet long, furnished with a stern-post at the stern and a stem at the bows, lay along the sand.
Cyrus Harding was not working in the dark at this new trade. He knew as much about ship-building as about nearly everything else, and he had at first drawn6 the model of his ship on paper. Besides, he was ably seconded by Pencroft, who, having worked for several years in a dockyard in Brooklyn, knew the practical part of the trade. It was not until after careful calculation and deep thought that the timbers were laid on the keel.
Pencroft, as may be believed, was all eagerness to carry out his new enterprise, and would not leave his work for an instant.
A single thing had the honor of drawing him, but for one day only, from his dockyard. This was the second wheat-harvest, which was gathered in on the 15th of April. It was as much a success as the first, and yielded the number of grains which had been predicted.
"Five bushels, captain," said Pencroft, alter having scrupulously7 measured his treasure.
"Five bushels," replied the engineer; "and a hundred and thirty thousand grains a bushel will make six hundred and fifty thousand grains."
"Well, we will sow them all this time," said the sailor, "except a little in reserve."
"Yes, Pencroft, and if the next crop gives a proportionate yield, we shall have four thousand bushels."
"And shall we eat bread?"
"We shall eat bread."
"But we must have a mill.
"We will make one."
The third corn-field was very much larger than the two first, and the soil, prepared with extreme care, received the precious seed. That done, Pencroft returned to his work.
During this time Spilett and Herbert hunted in the neighborhood, and they ventured deep into the still unknown parts of the Far West, their guns loaded with ball, ready for any dangerous emergency. It was a vast thicket8 of magnificent trees, crowded together as if pressed for room. The exploration of these dense9 masses of wood was difficult in the extreme, and the reporter never ventured there without the pocket-compass, for the sun scarcely pierced through the thick foliage10 and it would have been very difficult for them to retrace11 their way. It naturally happened that game was more rare in those situations where there was hardly sufficient room to move; two or three large herbivorous animals were however killed during the last fortnight of April. These were koalas, specimens12 of which the settlers had already seen to the north of the lake, and which stupidly allowed themselves to be killed among the thick branches of the trees in which they took refuge. Their skins were brought back to Granite13 House, and there, by the help of sulphuric acid, they were subjected to a sort of tanning process which rendered them capable of being used.
On the 30th of April, the two sportsmen were in the depth of the Far West, when the reporter, preceding Herbert a few paces, arrived in a sort of clearing, into which the trees more sparsely14 scattered15 had permitted a few rays to penetrate16. Gideon Spilett was at first surprised at the odor which exhaled17 from certain plants with straight stalks, round and branchy, bearing grape-like clusters of flowers and very small berries. The reporter broke off one or two of these stalks and returned to the lad, to whom he said,--
"What can this be, Herbert?"
"Well, Mr. Spilett," said Herbert, "this is a treasure which will secure you Pencroft's gratitude18 forever."
"Is it tobacco?"
"Yes, and though it may not be of the first quality, it is none the less tobacco!"
"Oh, good old Pencroft! Won't he be pleased! But we must not let him smoke it all, he must give us our share."
"Ah! an idea occurs to me, Mr, Spilett," replied Herbert. "Don't let us say anything to Pencroft yet; we will prepare these leaves, and one fine day we will present him with a pipe already filled!"
"All right, Herbert, and on that day our worthy19 companion will have nothing left to wish for in this world."
The reporter and the lad secured a good store of the precious plant, and then returned to Granite House, where they smuggled20 it in with as much precaution as if Pencroft had been the most vigilant21 and severe of custom- house officers.
Cyrus Harding and Neb were taken into confidence, and the sailor suspected nothing during the whole time, necessarily somewhat long, which was required in order to dry the small leaves, chop them up, and subject them to a certain torrefaction on hot stones. This took two months; but all these manipulations were successfully carried on unknown to Pencroft, for, occupied with the construction of his boat, he only returned to Granite House at the hour of rest.
For some days they had observed an enormous animal two or three miles out in the open sea swimming around Lincoln Island. This was a whale of the largest size, which apparently22 belonged to the southern species, called the "Cape23 Whale."
"What a lucky chance it would be if we could capture it!" cried the sailor. "Ah! if we only had a proper boat and a good harpoon24, I would say 'After the beast,' for he would be well worth the trouble of catching25!"
"Well, Pencroft," observed Harding, "I should much like to watch you handling a harpoon. It would be very interesting."
"I am astonished," said the reporter, "to see a whale in this comparatively high latitude26."
"Why so, Mr. Spilett?" replied Herbert. "We are exactly in that part of the Pacific which English and American whalemen call the whale field, and it is here, between New Zealand and South America, that the whales of the Southern Hemisphere are met with in the greatest numbers."
And Pencroft returned to his work, not without uttering a sigh of regret, for every sailor is a born fisherman, and if the pleasure of fishing is in exact proportion to the size of the animal, one can judge how a whaler feels in sight of a whale. And if this had only been for pleasure! But they could not help feeling how valuable such a prize would have been to the colony, for the oil, fat, and bones would have been put to many uses.
Now it happened that this whale appeared to have no wish to leave the waters of the island. Therefore, whether from the windows of Granite House, or from Prospect27 Heights, Herbert and Gideon Spilett, when they were not hunting, or Neb, unless presiding over his fires, never left the telescope, but watched all the animal's movements. The cetacean, having entered far into Union Bay, made rapid furrows28 across it from Mandible Cape to Claw Cape, propelled by its enormously powerful flukes, on which it supported itself, and making its way through the water at the rate little short of twelve knots an hour. Sometimes also it approached so near to the island that it could be clearly distinguished29. It was the southern whale, which is completely black, the head being more depressed30 than that of the northern whale.
They could also see it throwing up from its air-holes to a great height a cloud of vapor31, or of water, for, strange as it may appear, naturalists33 and whalers are not agreed on this subject. Is it air or is it water which is thus driven out? It is generally admitted to be vapor, which, condensing suddenly by contact with the cold air, falls again as rain.
However, the presence of this mammifer preoccupied34 the colonists35. It irritated Pencroft especially, as he could think of nothing else while at work. He ended by longing36 for it, like a child for a thing which it has been denied. At night he talked about it in his sleep, and certainly if he had had the means of attacking it, if the sloop37 had been in a fit state to put to sea, he would not have hesitated to set out in pursuit.
But what the colonists could not do for themselves chance did for them, and on the 3rd of May shouts from Neb, who had stationed himself at the kitchen window, announced that the whale was stranded38 on the beach of the island.
Herbert and Gideon Spilett, who were just about to set out hunting, left their guns, Pencroft threw down his ax, and Harding and Neb joining their companions, all rushed towards the scene of action.
The stranding39 had taken place on the beach of Flotsam Point, three miles from Granite House, and at high tide. It was therefore probable that the cetacean would not be able to extricate40 itself easily; at any rate it was best to hasten, so as to cut off its retreat if necessary. They ran with pick-axes and iron-tipped poles in their hands, passed over the Mercy bridge, descended41 the right bank of the river, along the beach, and in less than twenty minutes the settlers were close to the enormous animal, above which flocks of birds already hovered42.
"What a monster!" cried Neb.
And the exclamation43 was natural, for it was a southern whale, eighty feet long, a giant of the species, probably not weighing less than a hundred and fifty thousand pounds!
In the meanwhile, the monster thus stranded did not move, nor attempt by struggling to regain44 the water while the tide was still high.
It was dead, and a harpoon was sticking out of its left side.
"There are whalers in these quarters, then?" said Gideon Spilett directly.
"Oh, Mr. Spilett, that doesn't prove anything!" replied Pencroft. "Whales have been known to go thousands of miles with a harpoon in the side, and this one might even have been struck in the north of the Atlantic and come to die in the south of the Pacific, and it would be nothing astonishing."
Pencroft, having torn the harpoon from the animal's side, read this inscription45 on it:
MARIA STELLA, VINEYARD
"A vessel46 from the Vineyard! A ship from my country!" he cried. "The 'Maria Stella!' A fine whaler, 'pon my word; I know her well! Oh, my friends, a vessel from the Vineyard!--a whaler from the Vineyard!"
And the sailor brandishing47 the harpoon, repeated, not without emotion, the name which he loved so well--the name of his birthplace.
But as it could not be expected that the "Maria Stella" would come to reclaim48 the animal harpooned49 by her, they resolved to begin cutting it up before decomposition50 should commence. The birds, who had watched this rich prey51 for several days, had determined to take possession of it without further delay, and it was necessary to drive them off by firing at them repeatedly.
The whale was a female, and a large quantity of milk was taken from it, which, according to the opinion of the naturalist32 Duffenbach, might pass for cow's milk, and, indeed, it differs from it neither in taste, color, nor density52.
Pencroft had formerly53 served on board a whaling-ship, and he could methodically direct the operation of cutting up, a sufficiently54 disagreeable operation lasting55 three days, but from which the settlers did not flinch56, not even Gideon Spilett, who, as the sailor said, would end by making a "real good castaway."
The blubber, cut in parallel slices of two feet and a half in thickness, then divided into pieces which might weigh about a thousand pounds each, was melted down in large earthen pots brought to the spot, for they did not wish to taint57 the environs of Granite House, and in this fusion58 it lost nearly a third of its weight.
But there was an immense quantity of it; the tongue alone yielded six thousand pounds of oil, and the lower lip four thousand. Then, besides the fat, which would insure for a long time a store of stearine and glycerine, there were still the bones, for which a use could doubtless be found, although there were neither umbrellas nor stays used at Granite House. The upper part of the mouth of the cetacean was, indeed, provided on both sides with eight hundred horny blades, very elastic59, of a fibrous texture60, and fringed at the edge like great combs, at which the teeth, six feet long, served to retain the thousands of animalculae, little fish, and molluscs, on which the whale fed.
The operation finished, to the great satisfaction of the operators, the remains61 of the animal were left to the birds, who would soon make every vestige62 of it disappear, and their usual daily occupations were resumed by the inmates63 of Granite House.
However, before returning to the dockyard, Cyrus Harding conceived the idea of fabricating certain machines, which greatly excited the curiosity of his companions. He took a dozen of the whale's bones, cut them into six equal parts, and sharpened their ends.
"This machine is not my own invention, and it is frequently employed by the Aleutian hunters in Russian America. You see these bones, my friends; well, when it freezes, I will bend them, and then wet them with water till they are entirely64 covered with ice, which will keep them bent65, and I will strew66 them on the snow, having previously67 covered them with fat. Now, what will happen if a hungry animal swallows one of these baits? Why, the heat of his stomach will melt the ice, and the bone, springing straight, will pierce him with its sharp points."
"Well! I do call that ingenious!" said Pencroft.
"And it will spare the powder and shot," rejoined Cyrus Harding.
"That will be better than traps!" added Neb.
In the meanwhile the boat-building progressed, and towards the end of the month half the planking was completed. It could already be seen that her shape was excellent, and that she would sail well.
Pencroft worked with unparalleled ardor68, and only a sturdy frame could have borne such fatigue69; but his companions were preparing in secret a reward for his labors70, and on the 31st of May he was to meet with one of the greatest joys of his life.
On that day, after dinner, just as he was about to leave the table, Pencroft felt a hand on his shoulder.
It was the hand of Gideon Spilett, who said,--
"One moment, Master Pencroft, you mustn't sneak71 off like that! You've forgotten your dessert."
"Thank you, Mr. Spilett," replied the sailor, "I am going back to my work."
"Well, a cup of coffee, my friend?"
"Nothing more."
"A pipe, then?"
Pencroft jumped up, and his great good-natured face grew pale when he saw the reporter presenting him with a ready-filled pipe, and Herbert with a glowing coal.
The sailor endeavored to speak, but could not get out a word; so, seizing the pipe, he carried it to his lips, then applying the coal, he drew five or six great whiffs. A fragrant72 blue cloud soon arose, and from its depths a voice was heard repeating excitedly,--
"Tobacco! real tobacco!"
"Yes, Pencroft," returned Cyrus Harding, "and very good tobacco too!"
"O, divine Providence73; sacred Author of all things!" cried the sailor. "Nothing more is now wanting to our island."
And Pencroft smoked, and smoked, and smoked.
"And who made this discovery?" he asked at length. "You, Herbert, no doubt?"
"No, Pencroft, it was Mr. Spilett."
"Mr. Spilett!" exclaimed the sailor, seizing the reporter, and clasping him to his breast with such a squeeze that he had never felt anything like it before.
"Oh Pencroft," said Spilett, recovering his breath at last, "a truce74 for one moment. You must share your gratitude with Herbert, who recognized the plant, with Cyrus, who prepared it, and with Neb, who took a great deal of trouble to keep our secret."
"Well, my friends, I will repay you some day," replied the sailor. "Now we are friends for life."
潘克洛夫只要决定做一件事情，在没有完成之前他是决不撒手的。现在他想到达抱岛去，航海需要一只相当大的船，于是他决心造一艘。
应该用哪一种木料呢？榆树和枞树岛上都很多。他们决定用枞树，因为它砍伐起来容易，而防水的功能并不比榆树差。
决定了细节以后，既然还有半年的时间才到晴朗的季节，因此决定只抽出赛勒斯·史密斯和潘克洛夫两个人造船。吉丁·史佩莱和赫伯特还是继续打猎，纳布和他的助手小杰普仍然干他们的家务事。
他们马上就选妥了树木，砍下来，去了杈，锯成板，即使是真正的锯木工人恐怕锯得也不过如此。一个星期以后，就在“石窟”和峭壁之间的一块地方，布置起一个造船所；一条长达三十五英尺的龙骨躺在沙地上，它的后部安上了船尾材，前部安上了船首材。
赛勒斯·史密斯进行这项新工作的时候，并不是盲目摸索的。他在造船方面的知识并不比其他方面差，他首先在纸上画好船的图样。此外，还有潘克洛夫做他的有力助手，潘克洛夫在布罗克林的造船所里工作过好几年，很有一些造船的实际经验。他们经过一番精密的计算和仔细的考虑以后，才把肋材架在龙骨上。
潘克洛夫希望实现新计划的焦急心情是可以理解的，他一刻也不愿意离开工作。
有一件事情居然使他离开了造船所，这真是天大的情面，然而也仅仅是一天而已。那就是4月15日那天的第二次麦收。这一次的收成和第一次一样丰收，收获量达到了预期的数字。
“五蒲式耳，史密斯先生。”潘克洛夫认真地量了量他的珍宝，然后说。
“五蒲式耳，”工程师说，“每蒲式耳十三万粒，那么我们一共就有六十五万粒了。”
“好，这次我们把它都种上，”水手说，“只留一点儿。”
“对，潘克洛夫，假如下一次收成也能这样，我们就可以有四千蒲式耳了。”
“那时候我们能吃面包了吗？”
“能吃了。”
“可是我们得有一盘磨子。”
“我们可以做一盘。”
这一次麦田的面积比前两次大多了，他们小心翼翼地把地耕好，然后把宝贵的种籽撤下去。完了以后，潘克洛夫又回去工作了。
在这期间，史佩莱和赫伯特在附近打猎，他们冒险深入到远西森林中尚未到过的地方，他们的枪里装好了子弹，以防万一。这是一片林木幽美的大森林，树与树挤在一起，好象是地方不够似的。在这样的密林里探索是极其困难的，通讯记者每次到这里来都随身带着指南针，因为这里枝叶浓密，几乎连阳光也透不进来，要想循着原路往回走很不容易。一般说来，在这个空间不大的地方，飞禽走兽照例比较少，因为它们没有活动的余地，可是，在四月份的下半月还是打到两三只很大的草食动物。这种动物，居民们在格兰特湖的北岸已经看见过了，那就是“考拉”，它们躲在稠密的树枝间呆呆地束手待毙。“考拉”皮带回了“花岗石宫”，只要用硫酸鞣制一下，就可以使用了。
4月30日，这两个猎人又深入了远西森林；通讯记者走在赫伯特前面，来到一块空地上，这里树叶比较稀疏，阳光一道道透进来。有几株植物，茎干又圆又直，开着一簇簇葡萄似的花团，结有很小的种籽，向四周散发着香气，吉丁·史佩莱闻到以后，觉得有些奇怪。他折断一两根茎枝回来问少年道：
“这是什么，赫伯特？”
“你从哪儿找到的，史佩莱先生？”
“就在那儿，那一块空地上，要多少有多少。”
“啊，史佩莱先生，”赫伯特说，“潘克洛夫得到这样宝贝，一辈子也忘不了你的恩德。”
“是烟草吗？”
“是的，虽然不是头等的，但至少算是烟草！”
“啊，好潘克洛夫！他要高兴啦！我们不能让他独享，他也应该留下我们自己的一份！”
“我有一个主意，史佩莱先生，”赫伯特说。“我们暂时不告诉潘克洛夫，我们先把烟叶制好了，等到有那么一天我们再把烟斗装得满满的给他！”
“好，赫伯特，到了那一天，我们的好朋友就会心满意足，什么也不要了。”
通讯记者和少年采集了大量这种宝贵植物，然后回“花岗石宫”，他们偷偷摸摸非常小心地溜进去，好象潘克洛夫是个最机警和最严厉的海关检查员似的。
他们倒没有隐瞒赛勒斯·史密斯和纳布，水手自始至终没有半点怀疑，这一段时间是相当长的，因为必须先把小片的烟叶晒干，再把它们切细，然后放在炙热的石头上焙制。这需要两个月的时间，可是一切都进行得非常顺利，潘克洛夫一点儿也不知道，他忙着造船，只是在睡觉的时候才回家。
在5月1日那天，出现了一个捕鱼的机会，必须全体出动，不管怎样，他却不得不放下自己心爱的工作。
几天以来，他们看见一个庞然大物出没在林肯岛附近两三英里的海面上。这是一只极大的鲸鱼，一看就知道是南方的好望角鲸鱼。
“假如我们能把它逮住，那多好啊！”水手喊道。“要是有一只合适的船和一副上好的鱼叉，我就要下令‘追赶’了，即使麻烦，也是值得一捉的！”
“潘克洛夫，”吉丁·史佩莱说，“我很想看看你使用鱼叉。一定很有趣。”
“有趣是有趣，不过是危险的！”工程师说，“现在既然没法逮住它，也就不用操这分心了。”
“我真不明白，”通讯记者说，“这里的纬度相当高了，居然能够看见鲸鱼。”
“怎么，史佩莱先生？”赫伯特答道。“太平洋中英美捕鲸员常说的鲸鱼田就是我们这儿，在新西兰和南美洲中间一带的大洋里，最容易碰到南半球鲸鱼。”
“的确是这样，”潘克洛夫说，“我感到奇怪的是，只看见一条。不过反正我们也近不了它的身，多一些和少一些也是一样。”
潘克洛夫长叹一声，又回去工作了，水手是天生的渔夫，假如钓鱼的乐趣和鱼的大小成正比的话，那么捕鲸员看见一条大鲸鱼的心情是完全可以理解的。要是仅仅是为了乐趣也就算了！可是他们总忘不了这个无价之宝会给小队带来的好处，因为鲸油、鲸肉和骨头用处都很大。
这只鲸鱼现在好象不想离开荒岛的海面似的。于是，赫伯特和吉丁·史佩莱在不打猎的时候，纳布在不做饭的时候，总是在“花岗石宫”的窗口或是眺望岗上，拿着望远镜注视着它的一举一动。鲸鱼进入联合湾以后，从颚骨角到爪角，激起了一片急浪，它的身子支持在巨大有力的尾巴上，依靠着尾巴前进，速度每小时将近十二海里。有时候它游到离岸很近的海面来，可以看得非常清楚。这是一只南方的鲸鱼，浑身一片黑，头部比北方鲸鱼稍微扁一些。
他们还看见一股很高的水汽——也许是水——从它的气孔里喷出来；这似乎很奇怪，动物学家和捕鲸员在这一点上意见并不统一。喷出来的究竟是空气还是水呢？一般认为是水汽，在突然遇冷以后，就又化为水滴降落下来了。
这只哺乳动物的出现，简直使居民们朝思暮想、精神恍惚了。特别是潘克洛夫，甚至在工作的时候，他都一直想着它。最后他就象个孩子想要什么东西而得不到似的那样神魂颠倒了。他说梦话也说的这个，假如他有法子去猎捕，而小船又适合入海的话，他一定会毫不犹豫地去追赶的。
可是居民们做不到的事情，一个偶然的机会却成全了他们。5月3日那天，纳布突然在厨房的窗口嚷叫起来，原来鲸鱼在荒岛的海滩上搁浅了。
赫伯特和吉丁·史佩莱正打算出去打猎，听见嚷声就放下了他们的枪。潘克洛夫也扔下了斧头，史密斯和纳布跟伙伴们一起冲向那里去了。
鲸鱼在涨潮的时候，在离“花岗石宫”三英里的遗物角搁了浅，因此，不容易脱身了，可是最好还是抓紧时间，必要的时候切断它的归路。他们手拿着鹤嘴锄和搭钩，经过慈悲河桥，跑下慈悲河的右岸，沿着海滨跑去，不到二十分钟，他们就到了这个大家伙附近了；这时候，已经有大群的飞鸟在它的上空盘旋。
“多么大的怪物啊！”纳布喊道。
这声喊叫是非常自然的，因为这只南方鲸长达八十英尺，是一种特大的鲸鱼，它的重量不下十五万斤！
这时候怪物躺在沙滩上一动也不动，虽然还在涨潮，也不挣扎到水里去。
在退潮以后，居民们围绕这个怪物走了一圈。他们立刻明白了鲸鱼不能动弹的原因。
它的左侧插着一根鱼叉，原来它已经死了。
“照这么说，这一带是有捕鲸船的了？”吉丁·史佩莱开口就说。
“为什么呢？”水手问道。
“因为鱼叉还在这里。”
“哎，史佩莱先生，这并不能说明什么问题！”潘克洛夫答道。“听说鲸鱼可以带着鱼叉走上万英里的路程呢，它甚至可能是在大西洋的北部被打中，而跑到太平洋南部这一带来死，这没有什么稀奇。”
“可是……”吉丁·史佩莱说。潘克洛夫的话不能使他满意。
“这是完全可能的。”赛勒斯·史密斯说，“我们先来看一看鱼叉吧。捕鲸员可能按照一般的习惯，在自己的鱼叉上刻下船的名字。”
潘克洛夫从鲸鱼身上拔下鱼叉，把上面的字念了出来：
“玛丽亚·史泰拉，葡萄园。”
“一只葡萄园的船！我家乡的船！”他喊道。“玛丽亚·史泰拉，这是一只刮刮叫的捕鲸船！没有错，我对它很熟悉！喂，朋友们，一只葡萄园的船！葡萄园的捕鲸船！”
水手挥舞着鱼叉，激动地重复着这个他所心爱的名字——他的家乡的名字。
玛丽亚·史泰拉号自然不会到这里来索取它所投中的鲸鱼的，因此他们决定趁着鲸鱼没有腐烂以前，把它切开。那群飞鸟跟着这个丰富的点心已经有好几天了，它们想立刻占有它，仿佛一时也不能等待了，因此不得不连续开枪把它们驱散。
这是一只母鲸，居民们获得了大量的鲸奶，博物学家德芬巴赫曾认为它可以代替牛奶，的确，不论是味道、色泽，还是浓度，都和牛奶没有什么区别。
潘克洛夫过去曾在一艘捕鲸船上工作过一个时期，他能够有条有理地领导切肉工作。这一项工作相当艰巨，整整进行了三夭，可是居民们并没有被工作吓住，连吉丁·史佩莱也是如此，正如水手所说的，他最后会成为一个“真正的遇难英雄”的。
他们首先把鲸油切成厚约二英尺半的方块，然后再分成许多片，每片重约一千斤。他们就在当地用陶土罐熬鲸油，免得在“花岗石宫”搞得腥气冲天。在熬油的过程中，鲸油的重量几乎减少了三分之一。
可是鲸油很多，仅仅从舌头上就得到六千斤，下嘴唇上又得到四千斤。有了它的脂肪，就可以在相当长的时期中保证供应硬脂和甘油，此外还有骨头，虽然在“花岗石宫”里不用雨伞和支架，但无疑还是有用的。鲸鱼嘴的上部两边有八百块骨片，弹性很大，是一种纤维组织，边上象巨大的梳子，梳齿长达六英尺，鲸鱼可以用它一口衔住上万的小动物——小鱼和软体动物——来营养自己。
工作完毕了，人人都感到非常满意，他们把剩下来的残骸留在海滩上，飞鸟马上就把它吃得一干二净。这事过后，“花岗石宫”的居民又恢复了他们的日常工作。
在回造船所以前，赛勒斯·史密斯忽然想制造一些玩意儿，他的伙伴们都感到莫大的兴趣。他选了十二块鲸鱼的骨头，把它们切成大小一样的六份，并把顶头都削尖了。
“这个东西，史密斯先生，”赫怕特问道，“做好以后有什么用？”
“可以弄死狼和狐狸，甚至可以弄死豹那样的动物。”工程师回答说。
“是现在吗？”
“不，要到今年冬天，当我们手边有冰块的时候。”
“我不明白。”赫伯特说。
“你以后就会明白的，我的孩子！”工程师说。“这种玩意儿不是我自己发明的，俄属美洲阿留申群岛的猎人常常使用它。就是这些骨头，朋友们，等到天寒结冰的时候，把它们用水浸湿了弯过来，让它们完全冻结成冰，由于冻住了，它们就会保持住弯曲形状，然后在上面涂一层油，把它们扔在雪地里。饥饿的野兽吞下一个这样的食饵会怎么样呢？它胃里的热把冰融化了，骨头立刻弹直，骨尖就会把它的身子刺穿了。”
“好，真是天才的发明！”潘克洛夫说。
“这样还可以节省弹药。”赛勒斯·史密斯接着说。
“这比陷阱强多了！”纳布补充道。
“那我们就等冬天吧！”
“好！等冬天！”
在这期间，造船的工程还在进行着，到月底的时候，铺板的工序完成一半了，已经看得出来它的外形非常美观，适合航行。
潘克洛夫以无比的热情，把全副精力投在工作里，只有身强力壮的人才经得起这样的劳累，他的伙伴们偷偷地在给他准备慰劳品，5月31日，他遇到了有生以来最大的一次欢乐。
那天吃完饭，潘克洛夫正打算离开桌子，只觉得有人把手放在他的肩膀上。
原来是吉丁·史佩莱，只听他说：
“等一会儿，潘克洛夫，别偷偷地溜走！你忘了你餐后的消遣品了。”
“谢谢你，史佩莱先生，”水手答道，“我要去工作了。”
“好，喝一杯咖啡吧，朋友？”
“什么也不要了。”
“那么抽一袋烟，怎么样？”
潘克洛夫跳了起来，当他看见通讯记者把一只装好的烟斗递给他，赫伯特给他送上一块烧红的火炭来的时候，他那忠厚诚实的面庞发白了。
水手想说话，可是他一个字也说不出来。他把烟斗夺过来衔在嘴里，点上火，然后使劲地抽了五六口，一缕缕芬芳的蓝烟马上升了起来；只听见他在烟雾中一再兴奋地重复道：
“烟！真是烟！”
“是的，潘克洛夫，”赛勒斯·史密斯说，“而且是很好的烟！”
“啊！我的天！万物的主宰！”水手喊道，“现在我们的岛上什么也不缺了。”
于是潘克洛夫抽了一口又一口。
“是谁找到的？”他终于想起来问道。“一定是你，赫伯特？”
“不，潘克洛夫，是史佩莱先生。”
“史佩莱先生！”水手喊道，他抱着通讯记者，紧紧地把他搂在胸前，挤得他喘不出气来，这种滋味真是通讯记者以前从来也没有尝过的。
“喂，潘克洛夫，”史佩莱终于缓过一口气来说。“饶了我吧。你还应该感谢赫伯特，是他认出这种植物来的，还有赛勒斯，是他烤的；还有纳布，他费尽心机保守我们的秘密。”
“好，朋友们，总有一天我要报答你们的，”水手说，“我们的交情要继续到一辈子的。”
收听单词发音 |
1
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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sparsely
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| adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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17
exhaled
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| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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smuggled
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| 水货 | |
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vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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harpoon
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| n.鱼叉；vt.用鱼叉叉，用鱼叉捕获 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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28
furrows
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| n.犁沟( furrow的名词复数 )；（脸上的）皱纹v.犁田，开沟( furrow的第三人称单数 ) | |
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29
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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naturalist
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| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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naturalists
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| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
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34
preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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stranded
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| a.搁浅的，进退两难的 | |
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39
stranding
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| n.（船只）搁浅v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的现在分词 ) | |
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40
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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42
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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43
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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46
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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47
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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48
reclaim
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| v.要求归还，收回；开垦 | |
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49
harpooned
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| v.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
decomposition
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| n. 分解, 腐烂, 崩溃 | |
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51
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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52
density
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| n.密集，密度，浓度 | |
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53
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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54
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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55
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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56
flinch
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| v.畏缩，退缩 | |
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57
taint
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| n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染 | |
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58
fusion
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| n.溶化；熔解；熔化状态，熔和；熔接 | |
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59
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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60
texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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61
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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62
vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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63
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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64
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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65
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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66
strew
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| vt.撒；使散落；撒在…上，散布于 | |
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67
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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68
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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69
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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70
labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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71
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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72
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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73
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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74
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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