Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XXIII. Found at Last
“Whatisit?”askedCaptainLenGuy.
“Aboat.”
“IsittheHalbrane’sboatcomingback?”
“No,captain—itisnot.”
Thenweperceivedaboat,nottobemistakenforthatofourschoonerinformordimensions,driftingwithoutoarsorpaddle,seeminglyabandonedtothecurrent.
Wehadbutoneideaincommon—toseizeatanycostuponthisderelictcraft,whichwould,perhaps,proveoursalvation.Buthowwerewetoreachit?howwerewetogetitintothepointofHalbraneLand?
Whilewewerelookingdistractedlyattheboatandateachother,therecameasuddensplashattheendofthehillock,asthoughabodyhadfallenintothesea.
ItwasDirkPeters,who,havingflungoffhisclothes,hadsprungfromthetopofarock,andwasswimmingrapidlytowardstheboatbeforewemadehimout.
Wecheeredhimheartily.Ineverbeheldanythinglikethatswimming.Heboundedthroughthewaveslikeaporpoise,andindeedhepossessedthestrengthandswiftnessofone.Whatmightnotbeexpectedofsuchaman!
Inafewminutesthehalf-breedhadswumseveralcables’lengthstowardstheboatinanobliquedirection.Wecouldonlyseehisheadlikeablackspeckonthesurfaceoftherollingwaves.Aperiodofsuspense,ofintensewatchingofthebraveswimmersucceeded.
