Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter V. Edgar Poe’s Romance
Hecouldnotsucceed,butthedoghadscentedArthurPym,andthissuggestedtoAugustustheideaoffasteninganotetoTiger’sneckbearingthewords:
“Iscrawlthiswithblood—remainhidden—yourlifedependsonit—”
Thisnote,aswehavealreadylearned,ArthurPymhadreceived.Justashehadarrivedatthelastextremityofdistresshisfriendreachedhim.
Augustusaddedthatdiscordreignedamongthemutineers.SomewantedtotaketheGrampustowardstheCapeVerdeIslands;others,andDirkPeterswasofthisnumber,werebentonsailingtothePacificIsles.
Tigerwasnotmad.Hewasonlysufferingfromterriblethirst,andsoonrecoveredwhenitwasrelieved.
ThecargooftheGrampuswassobadlystowedawaythatArthurPymwasinconstantdangerfromtheshiftingofthebales,andAugustus,atallrisks,helpedhimtoremovetoacornerofthe‘tweendecks.
Thehalf-breedcontinuedtobeveryfriendlywiththesonofCaptainBarnard,sothatthelatterbegantoconsiderwhetherthesailing-mastermightnotbecountedoninanattempttoregainpossessionoftheship.
TheywerejustthirtydaysoutfromNantucketwhen,onthe4thofJuly,anangrydisputearoseamongthemutineersaboutalittlebrigsignalledintheoffing,whichsomeofthemwantedtotakeandotherswouldhaveallowedtoescape.Inthisquarrelasailorbelongingtothecook’sparty,towhichDirkPetershadattachedhimself,wasmortallyinjured.Therewerenowonlythirteenmenonboard,countingArthurPym.
