Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter V. Edgar Poe’s Romance
Thefactisthathewasnotdreamingatall.ItwasnotalionthatArthurPymfeltcrouchinguponhischest,itwashisowndog,Tiger,ayoungNewfoundland.TheanimalhadbeensmuggledonboardbyAugustusBarnardunperceivedbyanybody—(this,atleast,isanunlikelyoccurrence).AtthemomentofArthur’scomingoutofhisswoonthefaithfulTigerwaslickinghisfaceandhandswithlavishaffection.
Nowtheprisonerhadacompanion.Unfortunately,thesaidcompanionhaddrunkthecontentsofthewaterjarwhileArthurwasunconscious,andwhenArthurPymfeltthirsty,hediscoveredthattherewas“notadroptodrink!”Hislanternhadgoneoutduringhisprolongedfaint;hecouldnotfindthecandlesandthetinder-box,andhethenresolvedtorejoinAugustusBarnardatallhazards.Hecameoutofthechest,andalthoughfaintfrominanitionandtremblingwithweakness,hefelthiswayinthedirectionofthetrap-doorbymeansoftherope.But,whilehewasapproaching,oneofthebalesofcargo,shiftedbytherollingoftheship,felldownandblockedupthepassage.Withimmensebutquiteuselessexertionhecontrivedtogetoverthisobstacle,butwhenhereachedthetrap-doorunderAugustusBarnard’scabinhefailedtoraiseit,andonslippingthebladeofhisknifethroughoneofthejointshefoundthataheavymassofironwasplaceduponthetrap,asthoughitwereintendedtocondemnhimbeyondhope.Hehadtorenouncehisattemptanddraghimselfbacktowardsthechest,onwhichhefell,exhausted,whileTigercoveredhimwithcaresses.
