Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter XXI. Amid the Mists
Thatnightnoneofus,Iamsure,couldsleep.Weweresmotheredinthetents,forlackofoxygen.Andwewereallmoreorlessundertheinfluenceofastrangesortofpresentiment,asthoughourfatewereabouttochange,forbetterorworse,ifindeeditcouldbeworse.
Thenightworeonwithoutanyalarm,andatsixo’clockinthemorningeachofuscameouttobreatheamorewholesomeair.
Thestateofthingswasunchanged,thedensityofthefogwasextraordinary.Itwas,however,foundthatthebarometerhadrisen,tooquickly,itistrue,fortherisetobeserious.Presentlyothersignsofchangebecameevident.Thewind,whichwasgrowingcolder—asouthwindsincewehadpassedbeyondthesouthpole—begantoblowafullgale,andthenoisesfrombelowwereheardmoredistinctlythroughthespacesweptbytheatmosphericcurrents.
Atnineo’clocktheicebergdoffeditscapofvapourquitesuddenly,producinganindescribabletransformationscenewhichnofairy’swandcouldhaveaccomplishedinlesstimeorwithgreatersuccess.
Inafewmoments,theskywascleartotheextremevergeofthehorizon,andtheseareappeared,illuminedbytheobliqueraysofthesun,whichnowroseonlyafewdegreesaboveit.Arollingswellofthewavesbathedthebaseofouriceberginwhitefoam,asitdrifted,togetherwithagreatmultitudeoffloatingmountainsunderthedoubleactionofwindandcurrent,onacourseincliningtothenor’-nor’-east
