Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XXI. Amid the Mists
Jeorling,andyouknowheisnotgiventovainimaginations.”
“Certainlynot.”
“Andthenanotherthinghasstruckbothhimandme,whichhasapparentlyescapedyourattention.Itisthatthebrayingofthepenguinsismingledwithasoundlikethelowingofcattle.Listenandyouwillreadilydistinguishit.”
Ilistened,and,sureenough,theorchestrawasmorefullthanIhadsupposed.
“Ihearthelowingplainly,”Isaid;“thereare,then,sealsandwalrusalsointheseaatthebase.”
“Thatiscertain,Mr.Jeorling,andIconcludefromthefactthatthoseanimals—bothbirdsandmammals—veryraresinceweleftTsalalIsland,frequentthewatersintowhichthecurrentshavecarriedus.”
“Ofcourse,captain,ofcourse.Oh!whatamisfortuneitisthatweshouldbesurroundedbythisimpenetrablefog!”
“Whichpreventsusfromevengettingdowntothebaseoftheiceberg!There,nodoubt,weshoulddiscoverwhetherthereareseaweeddriftsaroundus;ifthatbeso,itwouldbeanothersign.”
“Whynottry,captain?”
“No,no,Mr.Jeorling,thatmightleadtofalls,andIwillnotpermitanybodytoleavethecamp.Iflandbethere,Iimagineouricebergwillstrikeitbeforelong.”
“Andifitdoesnot?”
“Ifitdoesnot,howarewetomakeit?”
Ithoughttomyselfthattheboatmightverywellbeusedinthelattercase.ButCaptainLenGuypreferredtowait,andperhapsthiswasthewisercourseunderourcircumstances.
