Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter V. Edgar Poe’s Romance
Thereismoretocome!
ArthurPymlaystretcheduponhismattress,incapableofthought,inasortoflethargy;suddenlyhebecameawareofasingularsound,akindofcontinuouswhistlingbreathing.ItwasTiger,panting,Tigerwitheyesthatglaredinthemidstofthedarkness,Tigerwithgnashingteeth—Tigergonemad.AnothermomentandthedoghadsprunguponArthurPym,who,wounduptothehighestpitchofhorror,recoveredsufficientstrengthtowardoffhisfangs,andwrappingaroundhimablanketwhichTigerhadtornwithhiswhiteteeth,heslippedoutofthechest,andshuttheslidingsideuponthesnappingandstrugglingbrute.
ArthurPymcontrivedtoslipthroughthestowageofthehold,buthisheadswam,and,fallingagainstabale,helethisknifedropfromhishand.
Justashefelthimselfbreathinghislastsighheheardhisnamepronounced,andabottleofwaterwasheldtohislips.Heswallowedthewholeofitscontents,andexperiencedthemostexquisiteofpleasures.
Afewminuteslater,AugustusBarnard,seatedwithhiscomradeinacornerofthehold,toldhimallthathadoccurredonboardthebrig.
Uptothispoint,Irepeat,thestoryisadmissible,butwehavenotyetcometotheeventswhich“surpassallprobabilitybytheirmarvellousness.”
ThecrewoftheGrampusnumberedthirty-sixmen,includingtheBarnards,fatherandson.Afterthebrighadputtoseaonthe20thofJune,AugustusBarnardhadmadeseveralattemptstorejoinArthurPyminhishidingplace,butinvain.
