Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter XXV. “We Were the First“
ThespeedoftheParacutahadthenbeenthirtymilesineachtwenty-fourhours.Ifthisrateofprogresscouldbemaintainedforthreeweeks,therewaseverychanceofourfindingthepassesopen,andbeingabletogetroundtheicebergbarrier;alsothatthewhaling-shipswouldnotyethaveleftthefishing-grounds.
Thesunwasonthevergeofthehorizon,andthetimewasapproachingwhentheAntarcticregionwouldbeshroudedinpolarnight.Fortunately,inre-ascendingtowardsthenorthweweregettingintowatersfromwhencelightwasnotyetbanished.ThendidwewitnessaphenomenonasextraordinaryasanyofthosedescribedbyArthurPym.Forthreeorfourhours,sparks,accompaniedbyasharpnoise,shotoutofourfingers’ends,ourhair,andourbeards.Therewasanelectricsnowstorm,withgreatflakesfallingloosely,andthecontactproducedthisstrangeluminosity.ThesearosesosuddenlyandtumbledaboutsowildlythattheParacutawasseveraltimesindangerofbeingswallowedupbythewaves,butwegotthroughthemystic-seemingtempestallsafeandsound.
Nevertheless,spacewasthenceforthbutimperfectlylighted.Frequentmistscameupandboundedouroutlooktoafewcable-lengths.Extremewatchfulnessandcautionwerenecessarytoavoidcollisionwiththefloatingmassesofice,whichweretravellingmoreslowlythantheParacuta.
Itisalsotobenotedthat,onthesouthernside,theskywasfrequentlylightedupbythebroadandbrilliantraysofthepolaraurora.
Thetemperaturefellveryperceptibly,andnolongerroseabovetwenty-threedegrees.
