Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XVIII. A Revelation
Honestly,wasitpossibletoadmitthatWilliamGuyandhisfivecompanionscouldhaveaccomplishedsuchadistanceonacraft,andwasthereonechanceinahundredthattheycouldeverberecovered?
Onthe15thofJanuaryanobservationmostcarefullytakengave43°13’longitudeand88°17’latitude.TheHalbranewaslessthantwodegreesfromthepole.
CaptainLenGuydidnotseektoconcealtheresultofthisobservation,andthesailorsknewenoughofnauticalcalculationtounderstandit.Besides,iftheconsequenceshadtobeexplainedtothem,werenotHoltandHardytheretodothis,andHearne,toexaggeratethemtotheutmost?
DuringtheafternoonIhadindubitableproofthatthesealing-masterhadbeenworkingonthemindsofthecrew.Themen,emergingatthefootofthemainmast,talkedinwhispersandcastevilglancesatus.Twoorthreesailorsmadethreateninggesturesundisguisedly;thenarosesuchangrymutteringsthatWestcouldnottobedeaftothem.
Hestrodeforwardandcalledout.“Silence,there!Thefirstmanwhospeakswillhavetoreckonwithme!”
CaptainLenGuywasshutupinhiscabin,buteverymomentIexpectedtoseehimcomeout,giveonelastlookaroundthewasteofwaters,andthenordertheship’scoursetobereversed.Nevertheless,onthenextdaytheschoonerwassailinginthesamedirection.Unfortunately—forthecircumstancehadsomegravity—amistwasbeginningtocomedownonus.Icouldnotkeepstill,Iconfess.Myapprehensionswereredoubled.
