Хребты безумия
III
Thehigherfoothillsshotupbetweenfiveandsixmilesaway,formingarangealmostdistinctfromtheterrifyinglineofmorethanHimalayanpeaksbeyondthem. AtlengthRopes—thestudentwhohadrelievedMcTigheatthecontrols—begantoheaddownwardtowardtheleft-handdarkspotwhosesizemarkeditasthecamp. Ashedidso,McTighesentoutthelastuncensoredwirelessmessagetheworldwastoreceivefromourexpedition.
Everyone,ofcourse,hasreadthebriefandunsatisfyingbulletinsoftherestofourantarcticsojourn. Somehoursafterourlandingwesentaguardedreportofthetragedywefound,andreluctantlyannouncedthewipingoutofthewholeLakepartybythefrightfulwindoftheprecedingday,orofthenightbeforethat. Elevenknowndead,youngGedneymissing. Peoplepardonedourhazylackofdetailsthroughrealizationoftheshockthesadeventmusthavecausedus,andbelieveduswhenweexplainedthatthemanglingactionofthewindhadrenderedallelevenbodiesunsuitablefortransportationoutside. Indeed,Iflattermyselfthateveninthemidstofourdistress,utterbewilderment,andsoul-clutchinghorror,wescarcelywentbeyondthetruthinanyspecificinstance. Thetremendoussignificanceliesinwhatwedarednottell;whatIwouldnottellnowbutfortheneedofwarningothersofffromnamelessterrors.
Itisafactthatthewindhadbroughtdreadfulhavoc. Whetherallcouldhavelivedthroughit,evenwithouttheotherthing,isgravelyopentodoubt. Thestorm,withitsfuryofmadlydriveniceparticles,musthavebeenbeyondanythingourexpeditionhadencounteredbefore. Oneaeroplaneshelter-wall,itseems,hadbeenleftinafartooflimsyandinadequatestate—wasnearlypulverized—andthederrickatthedistantboringwasentirelyshakentopieces.
