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Chapter XX. “Unmerciful Disaster“

           

           TherewasgoodsenseinHurliguerly’swords;Icouldnotdenythefact.

           Duringthatdaythegreaterpartofthecargowasplacedintheinteriorofavastcave-likefissureinthesideoftheiceberg,where,evenincaseofasecondcollision,casksandbarrelswouldbeinsafety.OurmenthenassistedEndicotttosetuphiscooking-stovebetweentwoblocks,sothatitwasfirmlyfixed,andtheyheapedupagreatmassofcoalsclosetoit.

           Nomurmurs,norecriminationdisturbedtheselabours.Itwasevidentthatsilencewasdeliberatelymaintained.ThecrewobeyedthecaptainandWestbecausetheygavenoordersbutsuchaswereofurgentnecessity.But,afterwards,wouldthesemenallowtheauthorityoftheirleaderstobeuncontested?HowlongwouldtherecruitsfromtheFalklands,whowerealreadyexasperatedbythedisastersofourenterprise,resisttheirdesiretoseizeupontheboatandescape?

           Ididnotthinktheywouldmaketheattempt,however,solongasouricebergshouldcontinuetodrift,fortheboatcouldnotoutstripitsprogress;but,ifitweretorunagroundoncemore,tostrikeuponthecoastofanislandoracontinent,whatwouldnottheseunfortunatecreaturesdotoescapethehorrorsofwinteringundersuchconditions?

           Intheafternoon,duringthehourofrestallowedtothecrew,IhadasecondconversationwithDirkPeters.Ihadtakenmycustomaryseatatthetopoftheiceberg,andhadoccupieditforhalfanhour,being,asmaybesupposed,deepinthought,whenIsawthehalf-breedcomingquicklyuptheslope.

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