Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XX. “Unmerciful Disaster“
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“That’sgood!that’sgood,Endicott!Eachoneshallhavehisturn!Thereisnoprivilege,evenforaboatswain!Onthewhole,itisbetternottohavetofearfamine!Onecanfightagainstthecold.Weshalldigholesintheiceberg,andcuddleourselvesupthere.Andwhyshouldwenothaveageneraldwelling-room?Wecouldmakeacaveforourselveswithpickaxes!Ihaveheardtellthaticepreservesheat.Well,letitpreserveours,andthatisallIaskofit!”
Thehourhadcomeforustoreturntothecampandtoseekoursleeping-places.
DirkPetersalonerefusedtoberelievedofhisdutyaswatchmanoftheboat,andnobodythoughtofdisputingthepostwithhim.
CaptainLenGuyandWestdidnotenterthetentsuntiltheyhadmadecertainthatHearneandhiscompanionshadgonetotheirusualplaceofrest.Icamebacklikewiseandwenttobed.
IcouldnottellhowlongIhadbeensleeping,norwhattimeitwas,whenIfoundmyselfrollingonthegroundafteraviolentshock.
Whatcouldbehappening?Wasitanothercapsizeoftheiceberg?
Wewereallupinasecond,thenoutsidethetentsinthefulllightofanightinthepolarregions.
Asecondfloatingmassofenormoussizehadjuststruckouriceberg,whichhad“hoistedtheanchor”(asthesailorssay)andwasdriftingtowardsthesouth.
Anunhoped-forchangeinthesituationhadtakenplace.
