alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第48部分

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other。　It　was　the　left…hand　side　that　we　were　following；　but　even　so　it　was　heavy　work；　for　our　path　was　frequently　blocked　by　the　debris　of　ground　moraines　that　had　been　forced　out　on　the　sides；　and　when　these　were　absent　we　were　as　often　as　not　floundering　through　the　thick　drifts　that　the　great　wind　of　the　night　just　gone　had　piled　up　high　against　the　sides。　The　one　consolation　I　found　was　that　if　it　were　difficult　for　us；　it　was　proving　doubly　so　for　the　tractor　whose　irregularly　weaving　twisting　crimp　marks　we　were　so　doggedly　following。
　
　I　wondered　how　far　away　Hillcrest　and　the　Sno…Cat　were。　I　was　as　certain　as　I　could　be　of　anything　that　he　would　have　headed　due　west　as　soon　as　he　would　have　emerged　from　the　Vindeby　Nunataks；　and　he'd　had　time　and　to　spare　to　make　the　coast　by　this　time…not　even　the　blizzard　of　last　night　could　have　stopped　the　Sno…Cat；　the　engine　was　a　pletely　enclosed　unit；　its　great　caterpillars　would　take　it　over　the　loosest；　the　most　newly　fallen　snow。　But　even　had　he　backed　his　hunches　and　headed　for　the　coast；　as　I　hoped；　he　might　still　be　anything　up　to　twenty　miles　to　the　north　or　south　of　us；　or　he　might　be　not　only　north　or　south　but　fifteen　miles　ahead　of　us…we　had　no　maps　left　but　I　was　fairly　certain　we　were　about　that　distance　from　the　coast。　Or　was　it　possible　that　Hillcrest；　a　shrewd　and　thoughtful　man；　might　have　thought　the　gambit　of　a　break　for　the　coast　too　obvious　a　move？　Could　it　not　be　that　he　might　have　indeed　pressed　on　for　Uplavnik；　or　even　turned　due　north　after　he　had　e　through　the　hills？　Or；　if　he　were　ing　west；　would　he　not　perhaps　be　driving　in　a　search　pattern；　quartering　the　ground　between　the　Vindeby　Nunataks　and　the　coast　in　a　series　of　wide　advancing　zigzags？　If　that　were　so；　he　might　still　be　anything　up　to　thirty　miles　behind。　It　was　infuriating　beyond　measure　to　know　that　he　was　almost　certainly　within　two　or　three　hours'　driving　time　from　where　we　were；　but　without　a　wireless　or　any　other　means　of　contacting　him　he　might　as　well　have　been　a　thousand　miles　away　for　any　hope　there　was　of　two　tiny　moving　objects　encountering　each　other　by　chance　in　that　vast　and　featureless　land。
　
　Soon　after　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning　I　stopped　to　have　a　look　at　the　two　sick　people　on　the　sledge；　professional　instinct；　I　suppose；　but　an　empty　token　gesture：　there　was　nothing　we　could　do　for　them；　except　give　massage　at　frequent　intervals。　The　sound　of　Mahler's　dyspnoea；　his　whooping　gasping　breathing；　was　the　tolling　of　a　death…bell　to　our　ears；　and　this　effort　to　breathe　was　extinguishing　the　last　embers　of　life　in　his　emaciated　and　frozen　body。　In　three　hours'　time；　by　noon　at　the　latest；　Mahler　would　be　dead。　Nothing　could　ever　save　him　now；　it　was　madness；　an　utterly　wasted　effort　to　continue　to　drag　him　along　on　a　sledge：　he　was　past　caring　or　knowing　or　feeling　now；　he　could　die　just　as　peacefully　if　we　left　him　lying　on　the　glacier。　Or　so　I　have　thought　since　then。　But　Mahler　was　more　than　a　man　to　us　that　day；　he　was　a　symbol：　we　would　leave　Mahler　when　he　had　drawn　his　last　gasping　breath；　but　never　before。
　
　Marie　LeGarde　was　dying　too；　but　quietly；　softly；　peacefully；　like　a　little　candle　flame　flickering　to　extinction。　Maybe　she　would　go　first；　maybe　Mahler。　But　both　of　them　would　die　this　day。
　
　The　going　was　being　increasingly　difficult　now；　not　so　much　because　of　the　gradually　steepening　slope　of　the　glacier　which　made　the　sledge　overrun　us　more　and　more　frequently；　but　because　of　the　fact　that　Jackstraw's　torch　had　all　but　pletely　given　out；　and　the　fissures　and　crevasses　that；　earlier；　had　merely　been　nuisances　to　be　negotiated；　now　became　menaces　to　be　avoided　at　the　cost　of　our　lives。　It　was　now　that　Balto　proved　of　his　greatest　value　yet：　as　Jackstraw　had　said　on　our　first　day　out　from　the　IGY　cabin；　the　big　Siberian　had　an　uncanny　nose　for　crevasses；　both　open　and　hidden；　in　daytime　or　dark；　and　he　made　never　a　mistake　that　morning；　constantly　running　ahead　and　then　back　towards　us　to　guide　us　in　the　safest　direction。　Even　so；　progress　was　heartbreakingly　slow。
　
　Shortly　after　half…past　eight　in　the　morning　we　came　across　the　tractor　sled　lying　at　an　angle　against　a　moraine。　Even　in　the　near　darkness　it　was　plain　to　see　what　had　happened。　The　steepness　of　the　glacier；　not　to　mention　sudden　unaccountable　dips　to　left　and　right　across　its　width；　must　have　made　the　heavy　sled　a　dangerous　liability；　for；　from　its　tracks；　we　had　several　times　seen　where　it　had　slewed　wildly　at　an　angle；　pivoting　round　on　its　iron　tow…bar　as；　brakeless；　it　had　sought　to　overrun　the　tractor。　Obviously；　Smallwood　and　Corazzini　must　have　feared…and　with　reason　…that　on　one　of　these　occasions　it　would　pull　round　the　tail　of　the　tractor　after　it　and　topple　the　tractor　on　its　side；　or；　worse；　drag　it　into　a　crevasse：　so　they　had　unhooked　the　tow…bar　and　left　the　sled。
　
　It　was　surprising　that　they　hadn't　done　this　earlier：　apart　from　carrying　their　fuel　and　food；　which　reserves　could　easily　have　gone　into　the　tractor　cabin　itself；　it　had　been　a　useless　encumbrance　to　them。　As　far　as　I　could　judge　they　had　abandoned　it　with　all　its　contents…apart；　of　course；　from　the　portable　radio…including　the　wraps　we　had　given　Zagero　and　Levin　when　they　had　ridden　on　it　at　the　point　of　a　gun。　We　took　these；　tucked　them　round　Mahler　and　Marie　LeGarde　and　passed　on。
　
　Three　hundred　yards　later　I　stopped　so　abruptly；　that　the　sledge；　bumping　into　me；　made　me　lose　my　footing　on　the　slippery　ice。　I　stood　up；　laughing　softly；　laughing　for　the　first　time　for　days；　and　Zagero　came　up　close　and　peered　into　my　face。
　
　〃What　gives；　Doc？〃
　
　I　laughed　again　and　was　just　on　the　point　of　speaking　when　his　hand　struck　me　sharply　across　the　face。
　
　〃Cut　it　out；　Doc。〃　His　voice　was　harsh。　〃That　ain't　goin'　to　help　us　any。〃
　
　〃On　the　contrary；　it's　going　to　help　us　a　very　great　deal。〃　I　rubbed　a　hand　across　my　cheek；　I　couldn't　blame　him　for　what　he　had　done。　〃My　God；　and　I　almost　missed　it！〃
　
　〃Missed　what？〃　He　still　wasn't　sure　that　I　wasn't　hysterical。
　
　〃e　on　back　to　the　tractor　sled　and　see。　Smallwood　claims　he　thinks　of　everything；　but　he's　missed　out　at　last。　He's　made　his　first　big　mistake；　but　oh；　brother；　what　a　mistake！　And　the　weather's　just　perfect　for　it！〃　I　turned　on　my　heel　and　actually　ran　up　the　glacier　towards　the　sled。
　
　Many　items　were　carried　as　standard　equipment　in　ICY　parties；　both　in　the　field　and　at　base　camps；　and　none　more　standard　than　the　magnesium　flares　which　first　came　into　mon　use　in　the　Antarctic　over　a　quarter　of　a　century　ago…they　are　indispensable　as　location　beacons　in　the　long　polar　nights…and　radiosondes。　We　carried　more　radio…sondes　than　any　other　item　of　equipment；　for　our　primary　purpose　on　the　ice…cap…the　garnering　of　information　about　density；　pressure；　temperature；　humidity　and　wind　direction　of　the　upper　atmosphere…was　impossible　without　them。　These　sondes；　still　crated　with　the　tents；　ropes；　axes　and　shovels　which　we　had　found　no　occasion　to　use　on　this　trip；　were　radio…carrying　balloons　which　wirelessed　back　information　from　heights　of　between　100；000　and　150；000　feet。　We　also　carried　rockoons；　radio　rockets　fired　from　balloons　which　took　them　clear　of　the　denser　parts　of　the　atmosphere　before　releasing　them。　But　right　then　rockoons　were　useless　to　me。　So；　too；　were　balloons　at　their　normal　operating　height：　5000　feet　should　serve　our　purpose　admirably。
　
　The　dim　glow　from　the　torch　was　more　than　sufficient；　Jackstraw　and　I　had　worked　with　these　things　a　hundred　times。　To　couple　the　balloon　to　the　hydrogen　cylinder；　disconnect　the　radio　and　substitute　a　group　of　three　magnesium　flares　fused　with　RDX　took　only　minutes。　We　lit　the　fuse；　cut　the　holding　cord　and　had　a　second　balloon　coupled　on　to　the　cylinder　before　the　first　was　500　feet　up。　Then；　just　as　we　had　the　third　on　the　cylinder　and　were　disconnecting　its　radio；　the　first　flare；　now　at　about　a　height　of　4000　feet；　burst　into　scintillating　brilliant　life。
　
　It　was　all　I　could　have　wished　for；　indeed　it　was　more　than　I'd　ever　hoped　for；　and　Zagero's　heavy　thump　on　my　back　showed　how　joyfully　he　shared　my　feelings。
　
　〃Dr　Mason；〃　he　said　solemnly；　〃I　take　it　all　back；　all　I　ever　said　about　you。　This；　Dr　Mason；　is　genius。〃
　
　〃It's　not　bad；〃　I　admitted；　and　indeed　if　anyone；　in　those　perfect　conditions　of　visibility；　couldn't　see　the　coruscating　dazzlement　of　those　flares　at　any　distance　up　to　thirty　miles；　he　would　have　to　be　blind。　If　they　were　looking　in　the　right　direction；　that　was；　but　I　was　sure　that　with　Hillcrest　carrying　five　men　and　everybody　almost　certainly　on　the　lookout　for　us；　the　chances　of　missing　it　were　remote。
　
　The　second　flare；　considerably　higher；　burst　into　life　just　as　the　first　went　sputtering　into　extinction　and　the　further　thought　struck　me　that　if　there　were　any　ships　patrolling　out　in　the　sea　beyond；　it　would　give　them　a　bearing　the　significance　of　which　none　of　them　could　surely　overlook。　And　then　I　saw　Jackstraw　and　Zagero　looking　at　me　and　though　I　couldn't　read　their　expressions　in　the　darkness　I　knew　from　their　stillness　what　they　were　both　thinking　and　suddenly　I　didn't　feel　so　happy　any　more。　The　o