Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter XXV. “We Were the First“
Wasthisalivinganimal,agiganticmonster,amastodonathousandtimesthesizeofthoseenormouselephantsofthepolarseaswhoseremainsarestillfoundintheice?Inourframeofmindwemighthavebelievedthatitwassuchacreature,andbelievedalsothatthemastodonwasabouttohurlitselfonourlittlecraftandcrushittoatoms.
Afterafewmomentsofunreasoningandunreasonablefright,werecognizedthatthestrangeobjectwasonlyagreatmound,singularlyshaped,andthatthemisthadjustrolledoffitshead,leavingittostandoutandconfrontus.
Ah!thatsphinx!Iremembered,atsightofit,thatonthenightwhentheicebergwasoverturnedandtheHalbranewascarriedaway,Ihaddreamedofafabulousanimalofthiskind,seatedatthepoleoftheworld,andfromwhomEdgarPoecouldonlywrestitssecrets.
Butourattentionwastobeattracted,oursurprise,evenouralarm,wasevokedsoonbyphenomenastillmorestrangethanthemysteriousearthformuponwhichthemist-curtainhadbeenraisedsosuddenly.
IhavesaidthatthespeedoftheParacutawasgraduallyincreasing;nowitwasexcessive,thatofthecurrentremaininginferiortoit.Now,ofasudden,thegrapnelthathadbelongedtotheHalbrane,andwasinthebowoftheboat,flewoutofitssocketasthoughdrawnbyanirresistiblepower,andtheropethathelditwasstrainedtobreakingpoint.Itseemedtotowus,asitgrazedthesurfaceofthewatertowardstheshore.
“What’sthematter?”criedWilliamGuy.
