20000 льє під водою

Chapter 16. Shortage of Air

           Hadwerisentothesurfaceofthewaves?Werewefreeoftheiceberg?No!NedandConseil,mytwobravefriends,weresacrificingthemselvestosaveme.Someparticlesofairstillremainedatthebottomofoneapparatus.Insteadofusingit,theyhadkeptitforme,and,whiletheywerebeingsuffocated,theygavemelife,dropbydrop.Iwantedtopushbackthething;theyheldmyhands,andforsomemomentsIbreathedfreely.Ilookedattheclock;itwaseleveninthemorning.Itoughttobethe28thofMarch.TheNautiluswentatafrightfulpace,fortymilesanhour.Itliterallytorethroughthewater.WherewasCaptainNemo?Hadhesuccumbed?Werehiscompanionsdeadwithhim?Atthemomentthemanometerindicatedthatwewerenotmorethantwentyfeetfromthesurface.Amereplateoficeseparatedusfromtheatmosphere.Couldwenotbreakit?Perhaps.InanycasetheNautiluswasgoingtoattemptit.Ifeltthatitwasinanobliqueposition,loweringthestern,andraisingthebows.Theintroductionofwaterhadbeenthemeansofdisturbingitsequilibrium.Then,impelledbyitspowerfulscrew,itattackedtheice-fieldfrombeneathlikeaformidablebattering-ram.Itbrokeitbybackingandthenrushingforwardagainstthefield,whichgraduallygaveway;andatlast,dashingsuddenlyagainstit,shotforwardsontheice-field,thatcrushedbeneathitsweight.ThepanelwasopenedonemightsaytornoffandthepureaircameininabundancetoallpartsoftheNautilus.

Налаштування
Фон сторінки
Розмір шрифту
Міжрядковий інтервал
Фразові дієслова
Показати / Приховати меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Сторінка 334 з 384