Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XIX. Land?
“Iagreewithyou,”repliedWest,“thattheoperationinvolvesgreatrisks,butsinceitisindispensable,wewillaccomplishit.Ithinkitwillbenecessarytodigoutasortofslidedowntothebaseoftheiceberg.”
“Andwithoutthedelayofasingleday,”addedCaptainLenGuy.
“Doyouhear,boatswain?”saidJemWest.
“Workbeginsto-day.”
“Ihear,andeveryonewillsethimselftothetask,”repliedHurliguerly.“Ifyouallowme,Ishalljustmakeoneobservation,captain.”
“Whatisit?”
“Beforebeginningthework,letusexaminethehullandseewhatthedamageis,andwhetheritcanberepaired.Forwhatusewoulditbetolaunchashipstrippedofherplanks,whichwouldgotothebottomatonce?”
Wecompliedwiththeboatswain’sjustdemand.
Thefoghavingclearedoff,abrightsunthenilluminedtheeasternsideoftheiceberg,whencetheseawasvisibleroundalargepartofthehorizon.Herethesidesoftheicebergshowedruggedprojections,ledges,shoulders,andevenflatinsteadofsmoothsurfaces,givingnofoothold.However,cautionwouldbenecessaryinordertoavoidthefallingofthoseunbalancedblocks,whichasingleshockmightsetloose.And,asamatteroffact,duringthemorning,severaloftheseblocksdidrollintotheseawithafrightfulnoisejustlikeanavalanche.
Onthewhole,theicebergseemedtobeverysteadyonitsnewbase.Solongasthecentreofgravitywasbelowthelevelofthewater-line,therewasnofearofafreshcapsize
