Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter V. Edgar Poe’s Romance
Underthesecircumstancesaterriblestormarose,andtheGrampuswasmercilesslyknockedabout.Thisstormrageduntilthe9thofJuly,andonthatday,DirkPetershavingmanifestedanintentionofgettingridofthemate,AugustusBarnardreadilyassuredhimofhisassistance,without,however,revealingthefactofArthurPym’spresenceonboard.Nextday,oneofthecook’sadherents,amannamedRogers,diedinconvulsions,and,beyondalldoubt,ofpoison.Onlyfourofthecook’spartythenremained,oftheseDirkPeterswasone.Thematehadfive,andwouldprobablyendbycarryingthedayoverthecook’sparty.
Therewasnotanhourtolose.Thehalf-breedhavinginformedAugustusBarnardthatthemomentforactionhadarrived,thelattertoldhimthetruthaboutArthurPym.
Whilethetwowereinconsultationuponthemeanstobeemployedforregainingpossessionoftheship,atempestwasraging,andpresentlyagustofirresistibleforcestrucktheGrampusandflungheruponherside,sothatonrightingherselfsheshippedatremendoussea,andtherewasconsiderableconfusiononboard.Thisofferedafavourableopportunityforbeginningthestruggle,althoughthemutineershadmadepeaceamongthemselves.Thelatternumberedninemen,whilethehalf-breed’spartyconsistedonlyofhimself,AugustusBarnardandArthurPym.Theship’smasterpossessedonlytwopistolsandahanger.Itwasthereforenecessarytoactwithprudence.
