alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第53部分

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　〃The　cold　will　be　a　change；〃　Zagero　said'feelingly。　He　looked　past　me。　〃The　old　lady's　off　again；　Doc！〃
　
　〃Yes。〃　I　stopped　massaging　her　hands　and　slid　the　gloves　on。　〃Let's　have　a　look　at　these　paws　of　yours；　Mr　Zagero；　will　you？〃
　
　〃　'Johnny'　to　you；　Doc。　I've　been　dismissed　without　a　stain　on　my　character；　remember？〃　He　thrust　his　big　hands　out　for　inspection。　〃Pretty；　aren't　they？〃
　
　They　weren't　pretty；　they　were　the　worst　case　of　frostbite　I　had　ever　seen；　and　I　had　seen　all　too　many；　in　Korea　and　later。　They　were　white　and　yellow　and　dead。　The　original　skin　had　vanished　under　a　mass　of　blisters；　and　from　the　few　warm　spots　I　could　detect　on　either　hand　I　knew　that　much　of　the　tissue　had　been　permanently　destroyed。
　
　〃Fraid　I　was　a　mite　careless　with　my　gloves；〃　Zagero　said　apologetically。　〃In　fact；　I　lost　the　damn'　things　about　five　miles　back。　Didn't　notice　it　at　the　time…hands　were　too　cold；　I　reckon。〃
　
　〃Feel　anything　in　them　now？〃
　
　〃Here　and　there。〃　He　nodded　as　I　touched　some　spots　where　the　blood　still　flowed；　and　went　on　conversationally：　〃Am　I　goin'　to　lose　my　hands；　Doc？　Amputation；　I　mean？〃
　
　〃No。〃　I　shook　my　head　definitely。　I　saw　no　point　in　mentioning　that　some　of　his　fingers　were　beyond　hope。
　
　〃Will　I　ever　fight　again？〃　Still　the　same　casual；　careless　tone。
　
　〃It's　difficult　to　say。　You　never　know…〃
　
　〃Will　I　ever　fight　again？〃
　
　〃You'll　never　fight　again。〃
　
　There　was　a　long　pause；　then　he　said　quietly：　〃You're　sure；　Doc？　You're　absolutely　sure？〃
　
　〃I'm　absolutely　sure；　Johnny。　No　boxing　mission　doctor　in　the　world　would　ever　let　you　climb　into　a　ring。　It　would　cost　him　his　listing　in　the　Medical　Register。〃
　
　〃Okay；　so　that's　how　it　is。　Consolidated　Plastics　of　Trenton；　New　Jersey；　have　just　got　themselves　a　new　factory　hand：　this　boxin'　racket　was　too　damn'　strenuous　anyway。〃　There　was　no　regret　in　his　voice；　no　resignation　even；　but　that　meant　nothing：　like　me；　he　had　more　important　things　to　worry　about。　He　looked　away　into　the　darkness；　then　twisted　round：　〃What's　the　matter　with　that　hound　of　yours；　Jackstraw？〃
　
　〃I　don't　know。　I　think　I'd　better　find　out。〃　Twice　while　we　had　been　talking　Balto　had　left　us；　vanished　into　the　snow；　and　returned　after　a　few　minutes：　he　seemed　restless；　uneasy。　〃I　won't　be　long。〃
　
　He　rose；　followed　Balto　into　the　darkness；　returned　in　a　short　time：　〃e　and　see　this；　Dr　Mason。〃
　
　〃This'　was　a　spot　less　than　a　hundred　yards　away；　close　into　the　side　of　the　glacier　valley。　Jackstraw　flashed　his　torch　on　to　the　snow…dusted　ice。　I　stooped；　made　out　a　black　circular　patch　on　the　ground　and；　a　few　feet　away；　a　smaller　discoloured　area　where　the　surface　snow　had　frozen　solid。
　
　〃Oil　from　the　gearcase　or　sump；　water　from　the　radiator；〃　Jackstraw　said　briefly。　He　altered　the　torch…beam。　〃And　you　can　still　see　the　crimp　marks　of　the　caterpillars。〃
　
　〃And　very　recent？〃　I　suggested。　The　drifting　snow；　the　scouring　effect　of　the　flying　ice…particles　had　scarcely　begun　to　obliterate　the　traces　left　by　the　treads。
　
　〃I　think　so。　And　they　were　stopped　here　a　long　time；　Dr　Mason…look　at　the　size　of　that　oil　patch。〃
　
　〃Mechanical　trouble？〃　I　hazarded。　I　didn't　really　believe　it　myself。
　
　〃Riding　out　the　storm…Corazzini　must　have　been　blind；〃　Jackstraw　said　definitely。　〃If　the　engine　had　stopped　on　that　pair；　they'd　never　have　got　it　started　again。〃
　
　I　knew　he　was　right。　Neither　Smallwood　nor　Corazzini　had　shown　any　mechanical　ability　at　all；　and　I　was　convinced　that　it　had　been　no　act。
　
　〃Perhaps　they　were　still　here　when　we　arrived　back　there？　My　God；　if　we'd　only　carried　on　another　hundred　yards！〃
　
　〃Spilt　milk；　as　you　say；　Dr　Mason。　Yes；　I'm　sure　they　were　here　then。〃
　
　〃We　wouldn't　have　heard　their　engine？〃
　
　〃Not　in　this　wind。〃
　
　〃Jackstraw！〃　A　sudden　thought；　a　flash　of　hope。　〃Jackstraw；　did　you　sleep　back　there？〃
　
　〃No。〃
　
　〃How　long　were　we　stopped？〃
　
　〃Half　an　hour；　maybe　less。〃
　
　〃And　you　think　they　were　still　here…Good　God；　man；　they　can't　be　more　than　a　mile　away。　The　wind's　dropping　right　away；　it's　getting　colder　and　we'll　only　freeze　to　death　if　we　stay　here；　maybe　there'll　be　crevasses　on　the　glacier　to　hold　them　up…〃
　
　I　was　already　on　my　way；　running；　slipping；　stumbling；　Jackstraw　by　my　side；　Balto　leading　the　way。　Zagero　was　standing　up；　waiting…and　the　young　German　girl　by　his　side。
　
　〃Helene！〃　I　caught　her　hands。　〃You　all　right？　How　are　you　feeling？〃
　
　〃Better；　much　better。〃　She　didn't　sound　all　that　much　better。　〃I'm　sorry　I　was　so　silly；　Dr　Mason。　I　don't　know…〃
　
　〃It　doesn't　matter；〃　I　cut　in；　rather　brusquely。　〃You　can　walk？　Fine；　fine。〃　I　could　feel　new　hope　surging　through　me　as　I　rapped　out　a　brief　explanation　to　Zagero；　within　a　minute　we　had　Mahler　and　Marie　LeGarde　bundled　aboard　the　sledge　and　were　on　our　way。
　
　But　the　hope　was　short…lived。　We　made　the　best　speed　we　could；　at　times　breaking　into　a　kind　of　staggering　run；　but　the　sledge　slowed　us　up　terribly　on　that　uneven　surface　of　the　glacier。　Once　it　overturned；　throwing　both　Mahler　and　Marie　LeGarde　heavily　on　to　the　snow；　and　after　that　we　were　forced　to　slow　down。　Another　such　violent　capsizing；　or　even　too　severe　a　jolting；　and　that　sledge　would　bee　a　bier。　From　time　to　time　Jackstraw　flashed　his　failing　torch　on　the　crimp　marks　we　were　following；　and　even　to　my　inexperienced　eye　it　was　obvious　that　the　tracks　in　the　snow　were　being　progressively　fainter　every　time　we　looked　at　them　until　the　time　came　at　last　when　I　knew　we　must　call　a　halt　to　this　pursuit；　admit　defeat：　we　had　fallen　so　far　behind　now；　three　or　four　miles　I　was　certain；　that　the　hope　and　chance　of　overtaking　them　no　longer　existed：　we　were　only　chasing　a　hopeless　dream；　and　killing　ourselves　doing　it。
　
　Jackstraw　and　Zagero　agreed。　We　put　Helene　aboard　the　sledge　to　steady　the　two　sick　people；　took　a　trace　apiece　over　our　shoulders　and　plodded　on　slowly　down　the　glacier；　backs　bent；　heads　bowed；　each　one　of　us　lost　in　his　own　hopeless　thoughts。
　
　As　Jackstraw　had　prophesied；　the　storm　had　blown　itself　out。　pletely。　The　wind　had　gone　so　that　not　a　breath　stirred　across　the　glacier。　The　snow　had　vanished；　with　the　dark　and　heavy　clouds　that　had　carried　it：　the　white　stars　stood　high　in　a　dark　and　frozen　sky。　It　was　cold；　with　a　temperature　well　below　zero；　but　cold　was　an　old　friend　now。　By　eight　o'clock　that　morning；　some　three　hours　and　six　miles　after　we　had　left　our　resting　place；　the　conditions　for　travel　were　perfect。
　
　The　weather　conditions；　that　was…underfoot；　they　varied　from　the　indifferent　to　the　abominable。　We　were　now　fairly　into　the　Kangalak　glacier　and　the　going　was　often　difficult　indeed。　A　glacier　is　seldom　a　smooth　river　of　ice　that　flows　evenly　down…hill；　but　much　more　frequently　an　irregularly　surfaced　fissured　and　crevassed　mass　descending　as　often　as　not　in　a　series　of　rounded　steps　and　ledges　like　a　sea　of　petrified　lava。　The　Kangalak　was　no　exception。　Here　and　there　we　found　some　straight　stretches；　but；　for　the　most　part；　progress　was　possible　only　at　the　sides　where　the　rate　of　flow　was　less　and　the　ice　smoother。　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