Ледяной сфинкс

           Again,althoughtherecruitsfromtheFalklandsformedonlyatotaloffourteenmen,asagainstthetwelveoftheoldcrew,wasitnottobefearedthatsomeofthelatterwouldtakeHearne’sside?WhatifHearne’speople,urgedbydespair,werealreadythinkingofseizingtheonlyboatwenowpossessed,settingofftowardsthenorth,andleavingusonthisiceberg?Itwas,then,ofgreatimportancethatourboatshouldbeputinsafetyandcloselywatched.

           AmarkedchangehadtakenplaceinCaptainLenGuysincetherecentoccurrences.Heseemedtobetransformeduponfindinghimselffacetofacewiththedangerswhichmenacedus.Uptothattimehehadbeensolelyoccupiedinsearchingforhisfellow-countrymen;hehadhandedoverthecommandoftheschoonertoWest,andhecouldnothavegivenittoanyonemorezealousandmorecapable.Butfromthisdateheresumedhispositionasmasteroftheship,anduseditwiththeenergyrequiredbythecircumstances;inaword,heagainbecamesolemasteronboard,afterGod.

           AthiscommandthecrewweredrawnuparoundhimonaflatspotalittletotheleftoftheHalbrane.Inthatplacethefollowingwereassembled:—ontheseniors’side:MartinHoltandHardy,Rogers,Francis,Gratian,Bury,Stern,thecook(Endicott),andImayaddDirkPeters;onthesideofthenew-comers,HearneandthethirteenotherFalklandsailors.Thelattercomposedadistinctgroup;thesealing-masterwastheirspokesmanandexercisedabanefulinfluenceoverthem.