No one appeared to be anxious about their situation.

They had faith in themselves, doubtless, but it must be observed that the basis of this faith was not the same with Harding as with his companions.

The engineer had confidence, because he felt capable of extorting from this wild country everything necessary for the life of himself and his companions; the latter feared nothing, just because Cyrus Harding was with them.
Pencroft especially, since the incident of the relighted fire, would not have despaired for an instant, even if he was on a bare rock, if the engineer was with him on the rock.
"Pshaw," said he, "we left Richmond without permission from the authorities! It will be hard if we don't manage to get away some day or other from a place where certainly no one will detain us!" Cyrus Harding followed the same road as the evening before.

They went round the cone by the plateau which formed the shoulder, to the mouth of the enormous chasm.

The weather was magnificent.