Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XXV. “We Were the First“
“Cutaway,boatswain,cutaway!”shoutedWest,“orweshallbedraggedagainsttherocks.”
HurliguerlyhurriedtothebowoftheParacutatocutawaytherope.Ofasuddentheknifeheheldwassnatchedoutofhishand,theropebroke,andthegrapnel,likeaprojectile,shotoffinthedirectionofthesphinx.
Atthesamemoment,allthearticlesonboardtheboatthatweremadeofironorsteel—cookingutensils,arms,Endicott’sstove,ourknives,whichweretornfromourpockets—tookflightafterasimilarfashioninthesamedirection,whiletheboat,quickeningitscourse,broughtupagainstthebeach.
Whatwashappening?Inordertoexplaintheseinexplicablethings,werewenotobligedtoacknowledgethatwehadcomeintotheregionofthosewonderswhichIattributedtothehallucinationsofArthurPym?
No!Thesewerephysicalfactswhichwehadjustwitnessed,andnotimaginaryphenomena!
Wehad,however,notimeforreflection,andimmediatelyuponourlanding,ourattentionwasturnedinanotherdirectionbythesightofaboatlyingwreckeduponthesand.
“TheHalbrane’sboat!”criedHurliguerly.ItwasindeedtheboatwhichHearnehadstolen,anditwassimplysmashedtopieces;inaword,onlytheformlesswreckageofacraftwhichhasbeenflungagainstrocksbythesea,remained.
Weobservedimmediatelythatalltheironworkoftheboathaddisappeared,downtothehingesoftherudder.Notonetraceofthemetalexisted.
