Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XX. “Unmerciful Disaster“
Oursailing-masterdidnotmissachanceofgettingnearDirkPeters,whoalwaystriedhisbesttoescapefromhim,forreasonswellknowntome.AndwheneverIthoughtofthesecretofthefateoftheso-calledParker,MartinHolt’sbrother,whichhadbeenentrustedtome,thatdreadfulsceneoftheGrampusfilledmewithhorror.Iwascertainthatifthissecretweremadeknownthehalf-breedwouldbecomeanobjectofterror.Hewouldnolongerbelookeduponastherescuerofthesailing-master;andthelatter,learningthathisbrother—Luckily,DirkPetersandmyselfweretheonlytwoacquaintedwiththefact.
WhiletheHalbranewasbeingunloaded,CaptainLenGuyandthematewereconsideringhowthevesselmightbelaunched.Theyhadtoallowforadropofonehundredfeetbetweenthecavityinwhichtheshiplayandthesea;thistobeeffectedbymeansofaninclinedbedhollowedinanobliquelinealongthewestsideoftheiceberg,andtomeasuretwoorthreehundredperchesinlength.So,whilethefirstlotofmen,commandedbytheboatswain,wasunloadingtheschooner,asecondbatchunderWest’sordersbegantocutthetrenchbetweentheblockswhichcoveredthesideofthefloatingmountain.
Floating?IknownotwhyIusethisexpression,fortheicebergnolongerfloated,butremainedasmotionlessasanisland.Therewasnothingtoindicatethatitwouldevermoveagain.Othericebergsdriftedalongandpassedus,goingsouth-east,whilstours,touseDirkPeters’expression,was“lyingto.
