Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter VI. An Ocean Waif
Hisfacewasaslividasthatofthecorpsethathaddrifteddownfromthefarlatitudesoftheaustralzone.Whatcouldbedonewasdonetorecoverthebodyoftheunfortunateman,andwhocantellwhetherafaintbreathoflifedidnotanimateiteventhen?Inanycasehispocketsmightperhapscontainsomedocumentthatwouldenablehisidentitytobeestablished.Then,accompaniedbyalastprayer,thosehumanremainsshouldbecommittedtothedepthsoftheocean,thecemeteryofsailorswhodieatsea.
Aboatwasletdown.Ifolloweditwithmyeyesasitnearedthesideoftheicefragmenteatenbythewaves.
Hurliguerlysetfootuponaspotwhichstillofferedsomeresistance.Gratiangotoutafterhim,whileFranciskepttheboatfastbythechain.Thetwocreptalongtheiceuntiltheyreachedthecorpse,thendrewittothembythearmsandlegsandsogotitintotheboat.Afewstrokesoftheoarsandtheboatswainhadrejoinedtheschooner.Thecorpse,completelyfrozen,havingbeenlaidatthefootofthemizenmast,CaptainLenGuyapproachedandexamineditlongandclosely,asthoughhesoughttorecognizeit.
Itwasthecorpseofasailor,dressedincoarsestuff,woollentrousersandapatchedjersey;abeltencircledhiswaisttwice.Hisdeathhadevidentlyoccurredsomemonthspreviously,probablyverysoonaftertheunfortunatemanhadbeencarriedawaybythedrift.Hewasaboutforty,withslightlygrizzledhair,amereskeletoncoveredwithskin.Hemusthavesufferedagoniesofhunger.
