alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第41部分

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miles　in　the　previous　twelve　hours。　In　that　bitter　cold；　it　seemed　…and　where　they　were　temperatures　were　all　of　thirty　degrees　lower　than　they　were　with　us…heating　up　an　eight　gallon　drum　of　petrol；　even　using　stoves；　blow…lamps　and　every　means　at　their　disposal；　to　the　point　of　boiling　was　a　heartbreakingly　slow　job；　and　the　Sno…Cat　gobbled　up　in　a　minute　all　the　pure　fuel　they　could　distil　in　thirty　times　that。　Beyond　that；　there　was　no　news：　Uplavnik；　which　they　had　contacted　less　than　an　hour　previously；　had　still　nothing　fresh　to　report。　Without　a　word；　Jackstraw　and　I　packed　up　the　equipment　and　made　our　way　back　to　the　cabin　of　the　tractor。　Jackstraw's　almost　invariable　Eskimo　cheerfulness　was　at　the　lowest　ebb　I　had　ever　seen；　he　seldom　spoke　now　and　even　more　rarely　smiled。　As　for　me；　I　felt　our　last　hope　was　gone。
　
　We　started　up　the　tractor　again　at　eleven　o'clock　and　headed　straight　into　the　pass；　myself　at　the　wheel。　I　was　the　only　person　left　in　either　the　driving　partment　or　the　cabin　behind：　Mahler　and　Marie　LeGarde；　vanished　under　a　great　mound　of　clothing；　rode　on　the　dog…sled　while　the　others　walked。　The　tractor　was　wide；　the　trail　narrow　and　sometimes　sloping　outwards　and　downwards；　and　with　a　sideslip　into　the　gaping　crevasse　that　bordered　our　path　nobody　inside　the　cabin　would　have　had　any　chance　of　escape。
　
　The　first　part　was　easy。　The　trail；　sometimes　not　more　than　eight　or　nine　feet　broad；　more　often　than　not　opened　out　into　a　shelf　wide　enough；　almost；　to　be　called　the　flat　floor　of　a　valley；　and　we　made　rapid　progress。　At　noon…I'd　warned　Hillcrest　that　we　would　be　traversing　the　Vindeby　Nunataks　then　and　would　have　to　miss　our　regular　radio　schedule…we　were　more　than　half…way　through　and　had　just　entered　the　narrowest　and　most　forbidding　defile　in　the　entire　crossing　when　Corazzini　came　running　up　alongside　the　tractor　and　waved　me　down　to　a　stop。　I　suppose　he　must　have　been　shouting　but　I'd　heard　nothing　above　the　steady　roar　of　the　engine：　and；　of　course；　I'd　seen　nothing；　because　they　had　all　been　behind　me　and　the　width　of　the　tractor　cabin　made　my　driving　mirror　useless。
　
　Trouble；　Doc；〃　he　said　swiftly；　just　as　the　engine　died。　〃Someone's　gone　over　the　edge。　e　on。　Quick！〃
　
　〃Who？〃　I　jumped　out　of　the　seat；　forgetting　all　about　the　gun　I　habitually　carried　in　the　door　partment　as　an　insurance　against　surprise　attack　when　I　was　driving。　〃How　did　it　happen？〃
　
　〃The　German　girl。〃　We　were　running　side　by　side　round　a　corner　in　the　track　towards　the　little　knot　of　people　forty　yards　back；　clustering　round　a　spot　on　the　edge　of　the　crevasse。　〃Slipped；　fell；　I　dunno。　Your　friend's　gone　over　after　her。〃
　
　〃Gone　after　her！〃　I　knew　that　crevasse　was　virtually　bottomless。　〃Good　God！〃
　
　I　pushed　Brewster　and　Levin　to　one　side；　peered　gingerly　over　the　edge　into　the　blue…green　depths　below；　then　drew　in　my　breath　sharply。　To　the　right；　as　I　looked；　the　gleaming　walls　of　the　crevasse；　their　top　ten　feet　glittering　with　a　beaded　crystalline　substance　like　icing　sugar；　and　here　not　more　than　seven　or　eight　feet　apart；　stretched　down　into　the　illimitable　darkness；　curving　away　from　one　another　to　form　an　immense　cavern　the　size　of　which　I　couldn't　even　begin　to　guess　at。　To　the　left；　more　directly　below；　at　a　depth　of　perhaps　twenty　feet；　the　two　walls　were　joined　by　a　snow　and　ice　bridge；　maybe　fifteen　feet　long；　one　of　the　many　that　dotted　the　crevasse　through　its　entire　length。　Jackstraw　was　standing　on　this　pressed　closely　into　one　edge；　holding　an　obviously　dazed　Helene　in　the　crook　of　his　right　arm。
　
　It　wasn't　hard　to　work　out　Jackstraw's　presence　there。　Normally；　he　was　far　too　careful　a　man　to　venture　near　a　crevasse　without　a　rope；　and　certainly　far　too　experienced　to　trust　himself　to　the　treachery　of　a　snow…bridge。　But；　when　Helene　had　stumbled　over　the　edge；　she　must　have　fallen　heavily…almost　certainly　in　an　effort　to　protect　her　broken　collar…bone…and　when　she　had　risen　to　her　feet　had　been　so　dazed　that　Jackstraw；　to　prevent　her　staggering　over　the　edge　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