Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XII. Between the Polar Circle and the Ice Wall
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“Tellme,boatswain—IalwaysgetbacktoHunt—doesheseemsomuchpleasedtohavepassedthePolarCircleastheHalbrane’soldsailorsare?”
“Whoknows?There’snothingtobegotoutofhimonewayoranother.But,asIhavesaidbefore,ifhehasnotalreadymadeacquaintancewiththeice-barrier.”
“Whatmakesyouthinkso?”
“Everythingandnothing,Mr.Jeorling.Onefeelsthesethings;onedoesn’tthinkthem.Huntisanoldsea-dog,whohascarriedhiscanvasbagintoeverycorneroftheworld.”
Theboatswain’sopinionwasminealso,andsomeinexplicablepresentimentmademeobserveHuntconstantly,forheoccupiedalargeshareofmythoughts.
EarlyinDecemberthewindshowedanorth-westtendency,andthatwasnotgoodforus,butwewouldhavenoseriousrighttocomplainsolongasitdidnotblowduesouth-west.Inthelattercasetheschoonerwouldhavebeenthrownoutofhercourse,oratleastshewouldhavehadastruggletokeepinit,anditwasbetterforus,inshort,nottostrayfromthemeridianwhichwehadfollowedsinceourdeparturefromtheNewSouthOrkneys.CaptainLenGuywasmadeanxiousbythisalterationinthewind,andbesides,thespeedoftheHalbranewasmanifestlylessened,forthebreezebegantosoftenonthe4th,andinthemiddleofthenightitdiedaway.
Inthemorningthesailshungmotionlessandshrivelledalongthemasts.
