Крижаний сфінкс

           Asfortheland—islandsorcontinent—whichCaptainLenGuywasseekingonthesurfaceofthatvastocean,itdidnotappear.Iwaswellawarethathewasgraduallylosingconfidenceinourenterprise.

           Asforme,IwaspossessedbythedesiretorescueArthurPymaswellasthesurvivorsoftheJane.Andyet,howcouldhehavesurvived!Butthen,thehalf-breed’sfixedidea!Supposingourcaptainweretogivetheordertogoback,whatwouldDirkPetersdo?Throwhimselfintothesearatherthanreturnnorthwards?Thisitwaswhichmademedreadsomeactofviolenceonhispart,whenheheardthegreaternumberofthesailorsprotestingagainstthisinsensatevoyage,andtalkingofputtingtheshipabout,especiallytowardsHearne,whowasstealthilyincitinghiscomradesoftheFalklandstoinsubordination.

           Itwasabsolutelynecessarynottoallowdisciplinetodecline,ordiscouragementtogrowamongthecrew;sothat,onthe7thofJanuary,CaptainLenGuyatmyrequestassembledthemenandaddressedtheminthefollowingwords:—

           “SailorsoftheHalbrane,sinceourdeparturefromTsalalIsland,theschoonerhasgainedtwodegreessouthwards,andInowinformyou,that,conformablywiththeengagementsignedbyMr.Jeorling,fourthousanddollars—thatistwothousanddollarsforeachdegree—areduetoyou,andwillbepaidattheendofthevoyage.”

           Thesewordsweregreetedwithsomemurmursofsatisfaction,butnotwithcheers,exceptthoseofHurliguerlytheboatswain,andEndicottthecook,whichfoundnoecho.