Do any of the footsteps still remain ?" asked Harding.
"Yes, master," replied Neb; "here, at the entrance, at the back of the mound, in a place sheltered from the rain and wind.

The storm has destroyed the others." "Pencroft," said Cyrus Harding, "will you take my shoe and see if it fits exactly to the footprints ?" The sailor did as the engineer requested.

While he and Herbert, guided by Neb, went to the place where the footprints were to be found, Cyrus remarked to the reporter,-- "It is a most extraordinary thing!" "Perfectly inexplicable!" replied Gideon Spilett.
"But do not dwell upon it just now, my dear Spilett, we will talk about it by-and-by." A moment after the others entered.
There was no doubt about it.

The engineer's shoe fitted exactly to the footmarks.

It was therefore Cyrus Harding who had left them on the sand.
"Come," said he, "I must have experienced this unconsciousness which I attributed to Neb.