CHAPTER XIII Departure decided upon -- Conjectures -- Preparations -- The three Passengers -- First Night -- Second Night -- Tabor Island -- Searching the Shore -- Searching the Wood -- No one -- Animals -- Plants -- A Dwelling -- Deserted 142 CHAPTER XIV The Inventory -- Night -- A few Letters -- Continuation of the Search -- Plants and Animals -- Herbert in great Danger -- On Board -- The Departure -- Bad Weather -- A Gleam of Reason -- Lost on the Sea -- A timely Light 154 CHAPTER XV The Return -- Discussion -- Cyrus Harding and the Stranger -- Port Balloon -- The Engineer's Devotion -- A touching Incident -- Tears flow 166 CHAPTER XVI A Mystery to be cleared up -- The Stranger's first Words -- Twelve Years on the Islet -- Avowal which escapes him -- The Disappearance -- Cyrus Harding's Confidence -- Construction of a Mill -- The first Bread -- An Act of Devotion -- Honest Hands 176 CHAPTER XVII Still alone -- The Stranger's Request -- The Farm established at the Corral -- Twelve Years ago -- The Boatswain's Mate of the _Britannia_ -- Left on Tabor Island -- Cyrus Harding's Hand -- The mysterious Document 191 CHAPTER XVIII Conversation -- Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett -- An Idea of the Engineer's -- The Electric Telegraph -- The Wires -- The Battery -- The Alphabet -- Fine Season -- Prosperity of the Colony -- Photography -- An Appearance of Snow -- Two Years on Lincoln Island 203 CHAPTER XIX Recollections of their Native Land -- Probable Future -- Project for surveying the Coasts of the Island -- Departure on the 16th of April -- Sea-view of Reptile End -- The basaltic Rocks of the Western Coast -- Bad Weather -- Night comes on -- New Incident 216 CHAPTER XX A Night at Sea -- Shark Gulf -- Confidences -- Preparations for Winter -- Forwardness of the Bad Season -- Severe Cold -- Work in the Interior -- In Six Months -- A Photographic Negative -- Unexpected Incident 226 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS