Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XVII. And Pym
“MenoftheHalbrane,listentome!JustasvariousStateshavedoneforvoyagesofdiscoveryinthePolarRegions,Iofferarewardtothecrewofthisschooner.Twothousanddollarsshallbesharedamongyouforeverydegreewemakebeyondtheeighty-fourthparallel.”
Nearlyseventydollarstoeachman;thiswasastrongtemptation.
IfeltthatIhadhitthemark.
“Iwillsignanagreementtothateffect,”Icontinued,“withCaptainLenGuyasyourrepresentative,andthesumsgainedshallbehandedtoyouonyourreturn,nomatterunderwhatconditionsthatreturnbeaccomplished.”
Iwaitedfortheeffectofthispromise,and,totellthetruth,Ihadnottowaitlong.
“Hurrah!”criedtheboatswain,actingasfuglemantohiscomrades,whoalmostunanimouslyaddedtheircheerstohis.Hearneofferednofartheropposition;itwouldalwaysbeinhispowertoputinhiswordwhenthestancesshouldbemorepropitious.
Thusthebargainwasmade,and,togainmyends,Ihavemadeaheaviersacrifice.ItistruewewerewithinsevendegreesoftheSouthand,iftheHalbraneshouldindeedreachthatspot,itwouldnevercostmemorethanfourteenthousanddollars.
Earlyinthemorningofthe27thofDecembertheHalbraneputouttosea,headingsouth-west.
AfterthesceneoftheprecedingeveningCaptainLenGuyhadtakenafewhours’rest.ImethimnextdayondeckwhileWestwasgoingaboutforeandaft,andhecalledusbothtohim.
“Mr.
