Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XVII. And Pym
”
“Thatisnotso,”exclaimedCaptainLenGuy.“No!Thatisnotso.IrecruitedyouallforanenterprisewhichIhavearighttopursue,sofarasIplease.”
“Begpardon,”saidHearne,coolly,“butwehavecometoapointwhichnonavigatorhaseveryetreached,inasea,noshipexcepttheJanehaseverventuredintobeforeus,andthereforemycomradesandImeantoreturntotheFalklandsbeforethebadseason.FromthereyoucanreturntoTsalalIsland,andevengoontothePole,ifyousoplease.”
Amurmurofapprobationgreetedhiswords;nodoubtthesealing-masterjustlyinterpretedthesentimentsofthemajority,composedofthenewrecruits.Togoagainsttheiropinion,toexacttheobedienceoftheseill-disposedmen,andundersuchconditionstorisktheunknownAntarcticwaters,wouldhavebeenanactoftemerity—or,rather,anactofmadness—thatwouldhavebroughtaboutsomecatastrophe.
Nevertheless,West,advancinguponHearne,saidtohiminathreateningtone,”Whogaveyouleavetospeak?”
“Thecaptainquestionedus,”repliedHearne.“Ihadarighttoreply.”
ThemanutteredthesewordswithsuchinsolencethatWest,whowasgenerallysoself-restrained,wasabouttogivefreeventtohiswrath,whenCaptainLenGuy,stoppinghimbyamotionofhishand,saidquietly,—
“Becalm,Jem.Nothingcanbedoneunlessweareallagreed.Whatisyouropinion,Hurliguerly?”
“Itisveryclear,captain,”repliedtheboatswain.
