They were finally heard, and answered, by an operator on board
the steamer Camberanian, which came on under forced draught, and
rescued Tom and his friends. It was only just in time, for, no
sooner had they gotten aboard the steamer in lifeboats, than the
whole island was destroyed by an earthquake shock.
But Tom, the parents of Mary Nestor, Mr. Damon, Mr. Fenwick,
and all the others, got safely home. Among the survivors from the
yacht Resolute was a Mr. Barcoe Jenks, who now, most unexpectedly,
had confronted Tom through the glass window of the jewelry
store. Mr. Jenks was a peculiar man. Tom discovered this on Earthquake
Island. Mr. Jenks carried with him some stones which he said were
diamonds. He asserted that he had made them, but Tom did not know
whether or not to believe this.
When it seemed that the castaways would not be saved Mr. Jenks
offered Tom a large sum in these same diamonds for some plan
whereby he might escape the earthquakes. Mr. Jenks said there was
a certain secret in connection with the manufactured diamonds
that he had to solve--that he had been defrauded of his rights--and
that a certain Phantom Mountain figured in it. But Tom, at that time,
paid little attention to Mr. Jenks' talk. The time was to come,
however, when he would attach much importance to it.
Pages:
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31