Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XVII. And Pym
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“Then,captain,wemustconclude—anditisnotunlikely—thatthegrouptowhichTsalalbelongedhasentirelydisappearedintheearthquake.”
“Landahead!”criedDirkPeters.
Welooked,butcoulddiscernnothingonthesea,norwasituntilaquarterofanhourhadelapsedthatourglassesenabledustorecognizethetopsofafewscatteredisletsshiningintheobliqueraysofthesun,twoorthreemilestothewestward.
Whatachange!Howhaditcomeabout?ArthurPymdescribedspaciousislands,butonlyasmallnumberoftinyislets,halfadozenatmost,protrudedfromthewaters.
Atthismomentthehalf-breedcameslidingdownfromhisloftyperchandjumpedtothedeck.
“Well,DirkPeters!Haveyourecognizedthegroup?”askedthecaptain.
“Thegroup?”repliedthehalf-breed,shakinghishead.“No,Ihaveonlyseenthetopsoffiveorsixislets.Thereisnothingbutstoneheapsthere—notasingleisland!”
Astheschoonerapproachedweeasilyrecognizedthesefragmentsofthegroup,whichhadbeenalmostentirelydestroyedonitswesternside.ThescatteredremainsformeddangerousreefswhichmightseriouslyinjurethekeelorthesidesoftheHalbrane,andtherewasnointentionofriskingtheship’ssafetyamongthem.Weaccordinglycastanchoratasafedistance,andaboatwasloweredforthereceptionofCaptainLenGuy,theboatswain,DirkPeters,Holt,twomenandmyself.
