Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XX. “Unmerciful Disaster“
Whatwouldhavebecomeofus,hadallourreservesbeenswallowedupinthatgrimencounter?
Now,thetwoicebergsformedbutone,whichwastravellingsouthattherateoftwomilesanhour.Atthisrate,thirtyhourswouldsufficetobringustothepointoftheaxisatwhichtheterrestrialmeridiansunite.Didthecurrentwhichwascarryingusalongpassontothepoleitself,orwasthereanylandwhichmightarrestourprogress?Thiswasanotherquestion,andIdiscusseditwiththeboatswain.
“Nobodyknows,Mr.Jeorling,”wasHurliguerly’sreply.“Ifthecurrentgoestothepole,weshallgothere;andifitdoesn’t,weshan’t.Anicebergisn’taship,andasithasneithersailsnorhelm,itgoesasthedrifttakesit.”
“That’strue,boatswain.AndthereforeIhadtheideathatiftwoorthreeofusweretoembarkintheboat—”
“Ah!youstillholdtoyournotionoftheboat—”
“Certainly,for,ifthereislandsomewhere,isitnotpossiblethatthepeopleoftheJane—”
“Havecomeuponit,Mr.Jeorling—atfourthousandmilesfromTsalalIsland.”
“Whoknows,boatswain?”
“Thatmaybe,butallowmetosaythatyourargumentwillbereasonablewhenthelandcomesinsight,ifiteverdoesso.Ourcaptainwillseewhatoughttobedone,andhewillrememberthattimepresses.Wecannotdelayinthesewaters,and,afterall,theonethingofrealimportancetousistogetoutofthepolarcirclebeforethewintermakesitimpassable.
