Крижаний сфінкс

           Ourexplorationwouldtakeonlyhalfadayatmost.Iftheboathadnotreturnedintheafternoonasecondwastobesentinsearchofus.

           “Looksharpalsoafterourrecruits,”addedthecaptain.

           “Don’tbeuneasy,captain,”repliedthelieutenant.“Indeed,sinceyouwantfourmenattheoarsyouhadbettertakethemfromamongthenewones.Thatwillleavefourlesstroublesomefellowsonboard.”

           Thiswasagoodidea,for,underthedeplorableinfluenceofHearne,thediscontentofhisshipmatesfromtheFalklandswasontheincrease.Theboatbeingready,fourofthenewcrewtooktheirplacesforward,whileHunt,athisownrequest,wassteersman.CaptainLenGuy,theboatswainandmyself,allwellarmed,seatedourselvesaft,andwestartedforthenorthernpointoftheislet.Inthecourseofanhourwehaddoubledthepromontory,andcomeinsightofthelittlebaywhoseshorestheboatsoftheJanehadtouched.

           Huntsteeredforthisbay,glidingwithremarkableskillbetweentherockypointswhichstuckuphereandthere.Onewouldhavethoughtheknewhiswayamongthem.

           Wedisembarkedonastonycoast.Thestoneswerecoveredwithsparselichen.Thetidewasalreadyebbing,leavinguncoveredthesandybottomofasortofbeachstrewnwithblackblocks,resemblingbignail-heads.