Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XIX. Land?
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CouldonehaveimaginedamoreterribleconclusiontotheadventurousvoyageoftheHalbrane?
Inthemiddleoftheseremoteregionsouronlymeansoftransporthadjustbeensnatchedfromitsnaturalelement,andcarriedoffbytheturnofanicebergtoaheightofmorethanonehundredfeet!Whataconclusion!Tobeswallowedupinapolartempest,tobedestroyedinafightwithsavages,tobecrushedintheice,sucharethedangerstowhichanyshipengagedinthepolarseasisexposed!ButtothinkthattheHalbranehadbeenliftedbyafloatingmountainjustasthatmountainwasturningover,wasstrandedandalmostatitssummit—no!suchathingseemedquiteimpossible.
Ididnotknowwhetherwecouldsucceedinlettingdowntheschoonerfromthisheightwiththemeanswehadatourdisposal.ButIdidknowthatCaptainLenGuy,themateandtheoldermembersofthecrew,whentheyhadrecoveredfromtheirfirstfright,wouldnotgiveupindespair,nomatterhowterriblethesituationmightbe;ofthatIhadnodoubtwhatsoever!Theywouldalllooktothegeneralsafety;asforthemeasurestobetaken,nooneyetknewanything.Afoggyveil,asortofgreyishmiststillhungovertheiceberg.Nothingcouldbeseenofitsenormousmassexceptthenarrowcraggycleftinwhichtheschoonerwaswedged,norevenwhatplaceitoccupiedinthemiddleoftheice-fleetdriftingtowardsthesouth-east.
CommonprudencedemandedthatweshouldquittheHalbrane,whichmightslidedownatasharpshakeoftheiceberg.
