They had no doubt that Neb had found his master, and that he had sent them the faithful dog.
But was the engineer living, or had Neb only sent for his companions that they might render the last duties to the corpse of the unfortunate Harding?
After having passed the precipice, Herbert, the reporter, and Pencroft prudently stepped aside to stop and take breath.

The turn of the rocks sheltered them from the wind, and they could breathe after this walk or rather run of a quarter of an hour.
They could now hear and reply to each other, and the lad having pronounced the name of Cyrus Harding, Top gave a few short barks, as much as to say that his master was saved.
"Saved, isn't he ?" repeated Herbert; "saved, Top ?" And the dog barked in reply.
They once more set out.

The tide began to rise, and urged by the wind it threatened to be unusually high, as it was a spring tide.

Great billows thundered against the reef with such violence that they probably passed entirely over the islet, then quite invisible.

The mole no longer protected the coast, which was directly exposed to the attacks of the open sea.
As soon as the sailor and his companions left the precipice, the wind struck them again with renewed fury.