Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XXIII. Found at Last
Surely,surelyhewouldreachtheboat;butmusthenotbecarriedawaywithit?Wasittobebelievedthatevenhisgreatstrengthwouldenablehim,swimming,totowittothebeach?
“Afterall,whyshouldtherenotbeoarsintheboat?”saidtheboatswain.
“Hehasit!Hehasit!Hurrah,Dirk,hurrah!”shoutedHurliguerly,andEndicottechoedhisexultantcheer.
Thehalf-breedhad,infact,reachedtheboatandraisedhimselfalongsidehalfoutofthewater.Hisbig,stronghandgraspedtheside,andattheriskofcausingtheboattocapsize,hehoistedhimselfuptotheside,steppedoverit,andsatdowntodrawhisbreath.
Almostinstantlyashoutreachedourears.ItwasutteredbyDirkPeters.Whathadhefound?Paddles!Itmustbeso,forwesawhimseathimselfinthefrontoftheboat,andpaddlewithallhisstrengthinstrivingtogetoutofthecurrent.
“Comealong!”saidthecaptain,and,turningthebaseofthehillock,weallranalongtheedgeofthebeachbetweentheblackishstonesthatbestrewedit.
Aftersometime,Weststoppedus.Theboathadreachedtheshelterofasmallprojectionatthatplace,anditwasevidentthatitwouldberunashorethere.
Whenitwaswithinfiveorsixcables’lengths,andtheeddywashelpingiton,DirkPetersletgothepaddles,stoopedtowardstheafter-partoftheboat,andthenraisedhimself,holdingupaninertbody
