Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter XXIV. Eleven Years in a Few Pages
Then,afterthosenativeswhocouldnotescapefromtheislandhadallperishedinthemannerdescribed,WilliamGuy,Patterson,Trinkle,Covin,Forbes,andSextonventuredtocomeoutofthelabyrinth,wheretheywereonthevergeofdeathbystarvation.
Whatsortofexistencewasthatofthesevensurvivorsoftheexpeditionduringtheelevenensuingyears?
Onthewhole,itwasmoreendurablethanmighthavebeensupposed.Thenaturalproductsofanextremelyfertilesoilandthepresenceofacertainnumberofdomesticanimalssecuredthemagainstwantoffood;theyhadonlytomakeoutthebestshelterforthemselvestheycouldcontrive,andwaitforanopportunityofgettingawayfromtheislandwithasmuchpatienceasmightbegrantedtothem.Andfromwhencecouldsuchanopportunitycome?OnlyfromoneofthechanceswithintheresourcesofProvidence.
CaptainWilliamGuy,Patterson,andtheirfivecompanionsdescendedtheravine,whichwashalffilledwiththefallenmassesofthehill-face,amidheapsofscoriaandblocksofblackgranite.Beforetheyleftthisgorge,itoccurredtoWilliamGuytoexplorethefissureontherightintowhichArthurPym,DirkPeters,andAllenhadturned,buthefounditblockedup;itwasimpossibleforhimtogetintothepass.Thusheremainedinignoranceoftheexistenceofthenaturalorartificiallabyrinthwhichcorrespondedwiththeonehehadjustleft,andprobablycommunicatedwithitunderthedrybedofthetorrent.
