Хребты безумия
IV
Filledashewaswiththehorrorsandstrangenessesdiscoveredatthecamp,hehintedthatthepittingsvaguelyresembledthosebafflinggroupsofdotssprinkledovertheprimevalgreenishsoapstones,sohideouslyduplicatedonthemadlyconceivedsnowmoundsabovethosesixburiedmonstrosities.
Wehadrisengraduallyinflyingoverthehigherfoothillsandalongtowardtherelativelylowpasswehadselected. Asweadvancedweoccasionallylookeddownatthesnowandiceofthelandroute,wonderingwhetherwecouldhaveattemptedthetripwiththesimplerequipmentofearlierdays. Somewhattooursurprisewesawthattheterrainwasfarfromdifficultassuchthingsgo;andthatdespitethecrevassesandotherbadspotsitwouldnothavebeenlikelytodeterthesledgesofaScott,aShackleton,oranAmundsen. Someoftheglaciersappearedtoleaduptowind-baredpasseswithunusualcontinuity,anduponreachingourchosenpasswefoundthatitscaseformednoexception.
Oursensationsoftenseexpectancyaswepreparedtoroundthecrestandpeeroutoveranuntroddenworldcanhardlybedescribedonpaper;eventhoughwehadnocausetothinktheregionsbeyondtherangeessentiallydifferentfromthosealreadyseenandtraversed. Thetouchofevilmysteryinthesebarriermountains,andinthebeckoningseaofopalescentskyglimpsedbetwixttheirsummits,wasahighlysubtleandattenuatedmatternottobeexplainedinliteralwords. Ratherwasitanaffairofvaguepsychologicalsymbolismandaestheticassociation—athingmixedupwithexoticpoetryandpaintings,andwitharchaicmythslurkinginshunnedandforbiddenvolumes.
