Ледяной сфинкс

           Itwasinvain!Thefrenziedmenheardnothing,wouldnothearanything,andoneofthemfell,struckbythemate’sbullet,justashewascrossingthelastblock.Hewasunabletocatchontothebankwithhishands,andslippingonthefrozenslope,hedisappearedintheabyss.

           Wasthisthebeginningofamassacre?Wouldothersletthemselvesbekilledatthisplace?Wouldtheoldhandssidewiththenew-comers?

           AtthatmomentIremarkedthatHardy,MartinHolt,FrancisBury,andSternhesitatedaboutcomingovertoourside,whileHearne,stillstandingmotionlessatsomedistance,gavenoencouragementtotherebels.

           However,wecouldnotallowthemtobecomemastersoftheboat,tobringitdown,toembarktenortwelvemen,andtoabandonustoourcertainfateonthisiceberg.Theyhadalmostreachedtheboat,heedlessofdangeranddeaftothreats,whenasecondreportwasheard,andoneofthesailorsfell,byabulletfromtheboatswain’sgun.

           OneAmericanandoneFuegianlesstobenumberedamongstthesealing-master’spartisans!

           Then,infrontoftheboat,amanappeared.ItwasDirkPeters,whohadclimbedtheoppositeslope.

           Thehalf-breedputoneofhisenormoushandsonthesternandwiththeothermadeasigntothefuriousmentoclearoff.DirkPetersbeingthere,wenolongerneededourarms,ashealonewouldsufficetoprotecttheboat.

           Andindeed,asfiveorsixofthesailorswereadvancing,hewentuptothem,caughtholdofthenearestbythebelt,liftedhimup,andsenthimflyingtenpacesoff.