Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XXIV. Eleven Years in a Few Pages
Onthe22ndofFebruary,inthemorning,WilliamGuyandPattersonweretalkingtogether,interribleperplexityofmind,attheorificeofthecavitythatopeneduponthecountry.Theynolongerknewhowtoprovideforthewantsofsevenpersons,whowerethenreducedtoeatingnutsonly,andweresufferinginconsequencefromseverepainintheheadandstomach.Theycouldseebigturtlescrawlingonthebeach,buthowcouldtheyventuretogothither,withhundredsofnativescomingandgoingabouttheirseveraloccupations,withtheirconstantcryoftékéli-li?
Suddenly,thiscrowdofpeoplebecameviolentlyagitated.Men,women,andchildrenranwildlyaboutoneveryside.Someofthesavageseventooktotheirboatsasthoughagreatdangerwereathand.Whatwashappening?
WilliamGuyandhiscompanionswereverysooninformed.Thecauseofthetumultwastheappearanceofanunknownanimal,aterriblequadruped,whichdashedintothemidstoftheislanders,snappingatandbitingthemindiscriminately,asitsprangattheirthroatswithahoarsegrowling.
Andyettheinfuriatedanimalwasalone,andmighteasilyhavebeenkilledbystonesorarrows.Whythendidacrowdofsavagesmanifestsuchabjectterror?Whydidtheytaketoflight?Whydidtheyappearincapableofdefendingthemselvesagainstthisonebeast?
Theanimalwaswhite,andthesightofithadproducedthephenomenonpreviouslyobserved,thatinexplicableterrorofwhitenesscommontoallthenativesofTsalal.
