Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter XIX. Land?
And,intruth,thebravestcouldnotrepressafeelingofterrorwhenthinkingthattheplankingmighthavegivenwayandtheseahaveinvadedus.
Thebaseofthesefloatingice-mountainswasverysteep,sothatitwouldhavebeenimpossibleforustolanduponone.Moreover,wesawnoseals—thesewereusuallyverynumerouswheretheice-fieldsabounded—norevenaflockofthescreechingpenguinswhich,onotheroccasions,theHalbranesentdivingbymyriadsasshepassedthroughthem;thebirdsthemselvesseemedrarerandwilder.Dread,fromwhichnoneofuscouldescape,seemedtocomeuponusfromthesedesolateanddesertedregions.HowcouldwestillentertainahopethatthesurvivorsoftheJanehadfoundshelter,andobtainedmeansofexistenceinthoseawfulsolitudes?
AndiftheHalbranewerealsoshipwrecked,wouldthereremainanyevidenceofherfate?
Sincethepreviousday,fromthemomentoursoutherncoursehadbeenabandoned,tocutthelineoftheicebergs,achangehadtakenplaceinthedemeanourofthehalf-breed.Nearlyalwayscroucheddownatthefootofthefore-mast,lookingafarintotheboundlessspace,heonlygotupinordertolendahandtosomemanoeuvre,andwithoutanyofhisformervigilanceorzeal.NotthathehadceasedtobelievethathiscomradeoftheJanewasstillliving—thatthoughtneverevencameintohismind!ButhefeltbyinstinctthatthetracesofpoorPymwerenottoberecoveredbyfollowingthiscourse.
