alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第37部分

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dge　of　the　snow…bridge　to　her　death；　had　taken　the　near…suicidal　gamble　of　jumping　after　her　to　stop　her。　Even　in　that　moment　I　wondered　if　I　would　have　had　the　courage　to　do　the　same　myself。　I　didn't　think　so。
　
　〃Are　you　all　right？〃　I　shouted。
　
　〃I　think　my　left　arm　is　broken；〃　Jackstraw　said　conversationally。　〃Would　you　please　hurry；　Dr　Mason？　This　bridge　is　rotten；　and　I　can　feel　it　going。〃
　
　His　arm　broken　and　the　bridge　going…and；　indeed；　I　could　see　chunks　of　ice　and　snow　falling　off　from　the　underside　of　the　arch　on　which　he　was　standing！　The　matter…of…fact　lack　of　emotion　of　his　voice　was　more　pelling　than　the　most　urgent　cry　could　possibly　have　been。　But　for　the　moment　I　was　in　the　grip　of　a　blind　panic　that　inhibited　all　feeling；　all　thought　except　the　purely　destructive。　Ropes…but　Jackstraw　couldn't　tie　a　rope　round　himself；　not　with　an　arm　gone；　the　girl　couldn't　help　herself　either；　both　of　them　were　helpless；　somebody　would　have　to　go　down　to　them；　and　go　at　once。　Even　as　I　stared　into　the　crevasse；　held　in　this　strange　motionless　thrall；　a　large　chunk　of　niv6　broke　off　from　the　side　of　the　bridge　and　plummeted　slowly　down　into　the　depths；　to　vanish　from　sight；　perhaps　two　hundred　feet　below；　long　before　we　heard　it　strike　the　floor　of　the　crevasse。
　
　I　jumped　up　and　raced　towards　the　tractor　sled。　How　to　belay　the　man　who　was　lowered？　With　only　eight　or　nine　feet　between　the　edge　of　the　crevasse　and　the　cliff　behind；　not　more　than　three　men　could　get　behind　a　rope；　and；　with　perhaps　two　men　dangling　at　the　end　of　it　what　possible　purchase　could　those　three　find　on　that　ice…hard　snow　to　support　them；　far　less　pull　them　up？　They　would　be　pulled　over　the　edge　themselves。　Spikes…drive　a　spike　into　the　ground　and　anchor　a　rope　to　that。　But　heaven　only　knew　how　long　it　would　take　to　drive　a　spike　into　the　icy　surface　with　no　guarantee　at　the　end　that　the　ice　wouldn't　crack　and　refuse　to　hold；　and　all　the　time　that　snow…bridge　crumbling　under　the　feet　of　the　two　people　who　were　depending　on　me　to　save　their　lives。　The　tractor；　I　thought　desperately…perhaps　the　tractor。　That　would　take　any　weight：　but　by　the　time　we'd　disconnected　the　tractor　sled；　pushed　it　over　the　edge　and　slowly　backed　the　tractor　along　that　narrow　and　treacherous　path；　it　would　have　been　far　too　late。
　
　I　literally　stumbled　upon　the　answer…the　four　big　wooden　bridging　battens　sticking　out　from　the　end　of　the　tractor　sled。　God；　I　must　have　been　crazy　not　to　think　of　them　straight　away。　I　grabbed　a　coil　of　nylon　rope；　hauled　out　one　of　the　battens　…Zagero　was　already　beside　me　pulling　at　another…and　ran　back　to　the　spot　as　fast　as　I　could。　That　three…inch　thick；　eleven…foot　long　batten　must　have　weighed　over　a　hundred　pounds；　but　such　is　the　supernormal　strength　given　us　in　moments　of　desperate　need　that　I　brought　it　sweeping　over　and　had　it　in　position　astride　the　crevasse；　directly　above　Jackstraw　and　Helene；　as　quickly　and　surely　as　if　I　had　been　handling　a　half…inch　plank。　Seconds　later　Zagero　had　laid　the　second　batten　alongside　mine。　I　stripped　off　fur　gloves　and　mittens；　tied　a　double　bowline　in　the　end　of　the　nylon　rope；　slipped　my　legs　through　the　two　loops；　made　a　quick　half…hitch　round　my　waist；　shouted　for　another　rope　to　be　brought；　moved　out　and　tied　my　own　rope　to　the　middle　of　the　planks；　allowing　for　about　twenty　feet　of　slack；　and　lowered　myself　down　hand　over　hand　until　I　was　standing　beside　Jackstraw　and　Helene。
　
　I　could　feel　the　snow…bridge　shake　under　my　feet　even　as　I　touched　it；　but　I'd　no　time　to　think　about　that；　it　would　have　been　fatal　if　I　had　even　begun　to　think　about　it。　Another　rope　came　snaking　down　over　the　edge　and　in　seconds　I　had　it　tied　round　Helene's　waist　so　tightly　that　I　could　hear　her　gasp　with　the　pain　of　it：　but　this　was　no　time　for　taking　chances。　And　whoever　held　the　other　end　of　the　rope　up　above　was　moving　even　as　quickly　as　I　was；　for　the　rope　tightened　just　as　I　finished　tying　the　knot。
　
　I　learned　later　that　Helene　owed　her　life　to　Mahler's　quick　thinking。　The　dog…sledge　carrying　Marie　LeGarde　and　himself　had　stopped　directly　opposite　the　spot　where　Helene　had　gone　over；　and　he　had　shouted　to　Brewster　and　Margaret　Ross　to　sit　on　it　and　thread　the　rope　through　the　slats　on　the　sledge　top。　It　had　been　a　chance；　but　one　that　came　off：　even　on　that　slippery　surface　their　bined　weights　were　more　than　enough　to　hold　the　slightly　built　Helene。
　
　It　was　then　that　I　made　my　mistake…my　second　mistake　of　that　afternoon；　though　I　did　not　realise　that　at　the　time。　To　help　those　above　I　stooped　to　boost　her　up；　and　as　I　straightened　abruptly　the　suddenly　increased　pressure　proved　too　much　for　the　already　crumbling　bridge。　I　heard　the　ominous　rumble；　felt　the　snow　begin　to　give　under　my　feet；　released　my　hold　on　Helene…she　was　already　well　clear　anyway…grabbed　Jackstraw　by　the　arm　and　jumped　for　the　other　side　of　the　bridge　a　second　before　the　spot　where　we　had　been　standing　vanished　with　a　whroom　and　went　cascading　down　into　the　gloomy　depths　of　the　crevasse。　At　the　full　extent　of　my　rope　I　hit　the　ice　on　the　far　side　of　the　crevasse；　wrapped　both　arms　tightly　round　Jackstraw…I　heard　his　muffled　expression　of　pain　and　remembered　his　injury　for　the　first　time…and　wondered　how　long　I　could　hold　him　when　that　side　of　the　bridge　went　too；　as　go　it　must；　its　support　on　the　far　side　no　longer　existing。　But；　miraculously；　for　the　moment　it　held。
　
　Both　of　us　were　pressed　hard　in　against　the　ice；　motionless；　hardly　daring　to　breathe；　when　I　heard　a　sudden　cry　of　pain　from　above。　It　came　from　Helene…she　must　have　caught　her　injured　shoulder　as　she　was　being　pulled　over　the　edge　of　the　crevasse。　But　what　caught　my　eye　was　not　Helene；　but　Corazzini。　He　was　standing　very　close　to　the　edge；　and　he　had　my　gun　in　his　hand。
　
　I　have　never　known　such　chagrin；　such　profound　despair；　such　bitterness　of　spirit…or；　to　be　utterly　frank；　such　depths　of　fear。　The　one　thing　I　had　guarded　against　all　the　time；　the　one　thing　I　had　dreaded　above　all　other　things；　that　Jackstraw　and　I　should　ever　find　ourselves；　at　the　same　time；　pletely　at　the　mercy　of　the　killers；　had　e　to　pass。　But　even　in　my　fear　there　was　savagery…savagery　towards　the　man　who　had　engineered　this　so　beautifully；　savagery　towards　myself　for　having　been　so　easily　and　utterly　fooled。
　
　Even　a　child　could　see　how　it　had　been　done。　The　series　of　snow…bridges　had　given　Corazzini　the　idea。　A　little　nudge　to　Helene　Fleming　at　the　right　place…it　was　as　plain　as　a　pikestaff　that　it　had　been　no　accident…and　it　was　a　foregone　conclusion　that　either　Jackstraw　or　myself　would　have　to　go　down　to　fix　a　rope　round　the　youngster　who；　with　her　broken　collar…bone；　would　be　unable　to　do　it　herself：　I　suppose　the　possibility　that　she　might　have　crashed　straight　through　the　snow…bridge　must　have　occurred　to　Corazzini；　but　a　man　with　a　record　of　killings　like　he　had　wouldn't　be　worried　unduly　on　that　score…annoyance　at　the　failure　of　his　plan　would　probably　have　been　his　only　reaction。　And　when　one　of　us　had　gone　down　and　the　other　was　supervising　the　rescue　from　above…well；　another　little　nudge　would　have　solved　all　Corazzini's　problems。　As　it　was；　I　had　played　into　his　hands　more　pletely　than　he　could　ever　have　hoped。
　
　Mouth　dry；　sweat　breaking　out　in　the　palms　of　my　clenched　fists　and　my　heart　going　like　a　trip…hammer　in　my　chest；　I　was　wondering　desperately　how　he　was　going　to　administer　the　coup　de　grace　when　I　saw　the　Rev。　Smallwood　approaching　him　arms　outstretched　and　saying　something　I　couldn't　catch。　It　was　a　brave　gesture　of　the　little　minister's；　but　a　forlorn　and　hopeless　one：　I　could　see　Corazzini　change　his　gun　to　his　left　hand；　strike　Mr　Smallwood　a　heavy　backhanded　blow　across　the　face　and　the　sound　of　a　body　falling　on　the　ice　above　was　unmistakable。　And　then　Corazzini　was　waving　the　others　back　at　the　point　of　the　gun　and　was　advancing　towards　the　wooden　battens　that　straddled　the　crevasse；　and　I　knew　with　a　dull　certainty　how　he　intended　to　dispose　of　us。　Why　waste　two　bullets　when　all　he　had　to　do　was　to　kick　the　edges　of　these　battens　over　the　side？　Whether　these　。　battens；　weighing　two　hundred　pounds　between　them；　struck　us　or　smashed　away　the　last　remaining　buttress　of　the　snow…bridge　was　quite　immaterial：　the　point　was　that　I　was　inescapably　attached　to　them　by　the　nylon　rope　round　my　waist；　and　when　they　plummeted　down　I　would　go　with　them；　tearing　away　the　bridge　and　carrying　Jackstraw　with　me　to　our　deaths　in　the　unthinkable　depths　below。
　
　Despairingly；　I　considered　the　idea　of　snatching　at　the　rifle　still　strapped　to　Jackstraw's　back；　but　dismissed　it　even　with　the　thought。　It　would　take　me　seconds　to　get　it　off。　There　was　only　one　thing　for　it；　and　it　wasn't　going　to　do　me　any　good　at　all。　With　a　jump　I　could　be　half…way　up　the　rope　in　a　second；　the　increased　weight　would　make　the　battens　difficult　to　kick　over；　and　while　Corazzini　was　either　pushing　these　or　pumping　bullets　into　me　as　I　swarmed　up　the　rope；　somebody…Zagero；　say；　could　get　him　from　the　rear。　That　way　there　might；　at　least；　be　a　faint　chance　for　Jackstraw。　I　swung　my　arms　behind　me；　bent　my　knees　then　remained　frozen　in　that　ridiculous　position