Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter IX. Fitting out the Halbrane
Hisgrizzledhairresembledakindoffur.
Aparticularandanythingbutprepossessingcharacterwasimpartedtothephysiognomyofthisindividualbytheextraordinarykeennessofhissmalleyes,hisalmostliplessmouth,whichstretchedfromeartoear,andhislongteeth,whichweredazzlinglywhite;theirenamelbeingintact,forhehadneverbeenattackedbyscurvy,thecommonscourgeofseameninhighlatitudes.
HunthadbeenlivingintheFalklandsforthreeyears;helivedaloneonapension,nooneknewfromwhencethiswasderived.Hewassingularlyuncommunicative,andpassedhistimeinfishing,bywhichhemighthavelived,notonlyasamatterofsustenance,butasanarticleofcommerce.
TheinformationgainedbyCaptainLenGuywasnecessarilyincomplete,asitwasconfinedtoHunt’sconductduringhisresidenceatPortEgmont.Themandidnotfight,hedidnotdrink,andhehadgivenmanyproofsofhisHerculeanstrength.Concerninghispastnothingwasknown,butundoubtedlyhehadbeenasailor.HehadsaidmoretoLenGuythanhehadeversaidtoanybody;buthekeptsilencerespectingthefamilytowhichhebelonged,andtheplaceofhisbirth.Thiswasofnoimportance;thatheshouldprovetobeagoodsailorwasallwehadtothinkabout.Huntobtainedafavourablereply,andcameonboardthatsameevening.
Onthe27th,inthemorning,inthepresenceoftheauthoritiesoftheArchipelago,theHalbrane’sanchorwaslifted,thelastgoodwishesandthefinaladieuswereexchanged,andtheschoonertookthesea
