Хребты безумия
IV
Thisformedtheworstofthecamphorror,butotherthingswereequallyperplexing. ThedisappearanceofGedney,theonedog,theeightuninjuredbiologicalspecimens,thethreesledges,andcertaininstruments,illustratedtechnicalandscientificbooks,writingmaterials,electrictorchesandbatteries,foodandfuel,heatingapparatus,sparetents,fursuits,andthelike,wasutterlybeyondsaneconjecture; aswerelikewisethespatter-fringedinkblotsoncertainpiecesofpaper,andtheevidencesofcuriousalienfumblingandexperimentationaroundtheplanesandallothermechanicaldevicesbothatthecampandattheboring. Thedogsseemedtoabhorthisoddlydisorderedmachinery. Then,too,therewastheupsettingofthelarder,thedisappearanceofcertainstaples,andthejarringlycomicalheapoftincanspriedopeninthemostunlikelywaysandatthemostunlikelyplaces. Theprofusionofscatteredmatches,intact,broken,orspent,formedanotherminorenigma—asdidthetwoorthreetentclothsandfursuitswhichwefoundlyingaboutwithpeculiarandunorthodoxslashingsconceivablyduetoclumsyeffortsatunimaginableadaptations. Themaltreatmentofthehumanandcaninebodies,andthecrazyburialofthedamagedArchaeanspecimens,wereallofapiecewiththisapparentdisintegrativemadness. Inviewofjustsuchaneventualityasthepresentone,wecarefullyphotographedallthemainevidencesofinsanedisorderatthecamp;andshallusetheprintstobuttressourpleasagainstthedepartureoftheproposedStarkweather–MooreExpedition.
Ourfirstactafterfindingthebodiesintheshelterwastophotographandopentherowofinsanegraveswiththefive-pointedsnowmounds. Wecouldnothelpnoticingtheresemblanceofthesemonstrousmounds,withtheirclustersofgroupeddots,topoorLake’sdescriptionsofthestrangegreenishsoapstones; andwhenwecameonsomeofthesoapstonesthemselvesinthegreatmineralpile,wefoundthelikenessverycloseindeed.
