alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第62部分

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　Smallwood　apart；　I　found　myself　alone　on　that　narrowing　ledge。　Jackstraw　had　already　been　lowered　by　Hillcrest　and　his　men；　fastened　a　rope　round　Margaret　and　been　pulled　up　himself　after　her：　I　could　have　sworn　that　I　had　fought　with　Smallwood　for　no　more　than　ten　seconds；　but　was　told　later　that　we　had　struggled　like　madmen　for　three　or　four　minutes。　It　may　well　have　been　so；　I　have　no　memory　of　that　time；　my　coolness；　my　detachment　was　something　altogether　outside　me。
　
　My　first　clear　recollection　was　hearing　Jackstraw's　voice；　quick　and　urgent；　as　a　rope　snaked　down　over　my　shoulders。
　
　〃Quickly；　Dr　Mason！　It'll　close　any　second　now。〃
　
　〃I'm　ing。　But　another　rope　first；　please。〃　I　pointed　to　the　radio　lying　at　my　feet。　〃We've　e　too　long　a　way　with　this；　we've　suffered　too　much　for　this　to　leave　it　now。〃
　
　Twenty　seconds　later；　just　as　I　scrambled　over　the　edge　of　the　crevasse；　the　grinding　ice…wall　lurched　another　inch　or　two　towards　the　rock　of　the　nunatak；　and；　at　the　same　moment；　Smallwood's　voice　came　to　us　again。　He　had　propped　himself　up　on　his　hands　and　knees　and　was　staring　up　numbly；　almost　disbelievingly；　at　the　narrowing　walls　above　him。
　
　〃Throw　me　a　rope。〃　He　could　see　death's　hand　reaching　out　to　touch　him；　but　the　urgency　in　his　voice　was　still　under　that　iron　control；　his　face　an　expressionless　mask。　〃For　God's　sake；　throw　me　a　rope。〃
　
　I　thought　of　the　trail　of　death　Smallwood　had　left　behind　him；　of　the　plane's　dead　captain；　the　three　dead　crew　members；　Colonel　Harrison；　Brewster　and　Mrs　Dansby…Gregg；　of　how　close　to　the　brink　of　death　he　had　brought　Marie　LeGarde　and　Mahler；　of　how　often　he　had　threatened　death　to　the　girl　now　trembling　violently　in　the　crook　of　my　arm。　I　thought　of　these　things；　then　I　looked　at　Jackstraw；　who　carried　a　rope　over　his　arm；　and　I　saw　reflected　in　his　face　the　same　implacability；　the　same　bleak　mercilessness　that　informed　my　own　mind。　And　then　Jackstraw　moved　towards　the　brink　of　the　crevasse；　lifted　the　tightly　coiled　rope　high　above　his　head；　hurled　it　down　on　top　of　the　man　below　and　stepped　back　without　a　word。
　
　We　turned；　Jackstraw　and　I；　with　Margaret　Ross　supported　between　us；　and　walked　slowly　up　the　glacier　to　meet　the　officer　in　charge　of　the　landing　party；　and　as　we　walked　we　could　feel　the　glacier　shiver　beneath　our　feet　as　a　million　tons　of　ice　lurched　down　towards　the　head　of　the　Kangalak　Fjord。
　
　THE　END
　







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