atlantis.found-第3部分

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　squeak　of　the　ice　crystals　beneath　her　feet。
　　　　　She　reached　a　hill　about　fifteen　feet　high　from　base　to　ridge　formed　by　the　restless　sea　ice　grinding　and　forcing　the　floe　upward　into　what　was　called　a　hummock。　Most　formed　an　uneven　surface；　but　this　one　was　weathered　until　its　sides　were　smooth。　Falling　to　her　hands　and　knees；　she　clawed　her　way　upward；　sliding　back　two　feet　for　every　three　she　gained。
　　　　　The　exertion　took　what　little　strength　Roxanna　had　left。　Without　knowing　how；　or　remembering　the　struggle；　she　pulled　herself　onto　the　ridge　of　the　hummock　half…dead　from　exhaustion；　heart　pounding；　breath　ing　in　labored　gasps。　She　did　not　know　how　long　she　lay　there；　but　she　was　thankful　to　rest　her　eyes　from　the　ice…plagued　wind。　After　a　few　minutes；　when　her　heart　slowed　and　her　breath　began　to　e　evenly；　Roxanna　cursed　herself　for　the　predicament　she　had　foolishly　caused。　Time　had　no　reference。　Without　a　watch；　she　had　no　idea　how　many　hours　had　passed　since　she　walked　from　her　husband's　whaling　ship；　the　Paloverde。
　　　　　Nearly　six　months　earlier；　the　ship　had　bee　locked　in　the　pack　ice；　and　to　endure　the　boredom　she　had　begun　taking　daily　hikes；　keeping　within　easy　view　of　the　ship　and　its　crew；　who　kept　an　eye　on　her。　That　morning　the　skies　had　dawned　crystal　clear　when　she　left　the　ship；　but　they　soon　turned　dark　and　vanished　when　the　ice　storm　swept　over　the　ice。　Within　minutes；　the　ship　had　disappeared　and　Roxanna　found　herself　wandering　lost　on　the　ice　pack。
　　　　　Traditionally；　most　whalers　never　sailed　with　women　aboard。　But　many　wives　refused　to　sit　at　home　for　the　three　to　four　years　their　husbands　were　gone。　Roxanna　Mender　was　not　about　to　spend　thousands　of　lonely　hours　alone。　She　was　a　hardy　woman；　though　petite；　barely　reaching　five　feet　in　height　and　weighing　less　than　a　hundred　pounds。　With　her　light　brown　eyes　and　ready　smile；　she　was　a　pretty　woman　who　seldom　plained　of　the　hardship　and　boredom　and　who　rarely　became　seasick。　In　her　cramped　cabin　she　had　already　given　birth　to　a　baby　boy；　whom　she　had　named　Samuel。　And　though　she　had　yet　to　tell　her　husband；　she　was　about　two　months　pregnant　with　the　next　baby。　She　had　found　acceptance　aboard　ship　with　the　crew；　taught　several　to　read；　written　letters　home　to　their　wives　and　families；　and　acted　as　nurse　whenever　there　was　an　injury　or　sickness　on　board。
　
　　　　　The　Paloverde　was　one　of　the　fleet　of　whalers　that　sailed　from　San　Francisco　on　the　nation's　west　coast。　She　was　a　stout　ship；　especially　constructed　for　polar　operations　during　the　whaling　season。　With　a　length　of　132　feet；　a　beam　of　30　feet；　and　a　draft　of　17　feet；　her　tonnage　was　close　to　330。　Her　dimensions　allowed　for　a　large　cargo　of　whale　oil　and　acmodations　for　a　lame　crew　of　officers　and　men　for　voyages　that　could　last　as　long　as　three　years。　Her　pine　keel；　timbers；　and　beams　were　cut　from　the　forests　of　the　Sierra　Nevada　Mountains。　Once　they　were　positioned；　the　three…inch　planking　was　laid　on　and　fastened　by　trunnels；　a　wooden　nail　usually　cut　from　oak。
　　　　　She　was　rigged　as　a　three…masted　bark；　and　her　lines　were　clean；　bold；　and　rakish。　Her　cabins　were　neatly　furnished　and　paneled　in　Washington　spruce。　The　captain's　cabin　was　particularly　well　appointed　because　of　his　wife's　insistence　that　she　acpany　him　on　the　long　voyage。　The　figurehead　was　a　finely　carved　image　of　a　paloverde　tree；　native　to　the　southwest。　The　ship's　name　was　spread　across　the　stern　in　carved　letters　gilded　in　gold。　Also　adorning　the　stern　was　a　spreadwinged　carving　of　the　California　condor。
　　　　　Instead　of　sailing　north　through　the　Bering　Sea　toward　the　Arctic　and　the　more　established　waters　for　whale　hunting；　Roxanna's　husband；　Captain　Bradford　Mender；　had　taken　the　Paloverde　south　to　the　Antarctic。　He　believed　that　since　the　region　was　overlooked　and　seldom　visited　by　the　hardy　whalers　from　New　England；　there　was　a　golden　opportunity　to　find　virgin　whaling　grounds。
　　　　　Soon　after　arriving　near　the　Antarctic　Circle；　the　crew　took　six　whales　as　the　ship　sailed　in　the　open　water　between　the　shore；　often　threading　its　way　through　a　sea　of　icebergs。　Then；　in　the　last　week　of　March；　the　Antarctic　autumn；　the　ice　built　over　the　sea　at　incredible　speed　until　it　reached　a　thickness　of　nearly　four　feet。　The　Paloverde　might　still　have　escaped　to　clear　water；　but　a　sudden　shift　of　wind　became　a　howling　gale　that　drove　the　ship　back　toward　shore。　With　no　avenue　of　escape　left　open；　as　the　ice　charged　toward　them　in　chunks　larger　than　the　ship　itself；　the　crew　of　the　Paloverde　could　only　stand　helpless　and　watch　the　cold　trap　spring　shut。
　　　　　The　ice　quickly　surged　around　the　whaler　with　such　force　as　to　shove　her　relentlessly　toward　the　land　as　if　caught　in　a　giant　fist。　The　clear　water　near　the　land　was　quickly　filling　with　a　sheet　of　ice。　Mender　and　his　crew　desperately　labored　and　finally　succeeded　in　getting　the　Paloverde's　anchors　to　hold　in　six　fathoms　less　than　two　miles　from　shore。　But　within　hours；　the　ship　was　jammed　tightly　in　the　ice　that　continued　to　thicken；　and　soon　all　signs　of　water　were　replaced　by　a　white　shroud。　The　Antarctic　winter　was　upon　them；　and　the　days　began　to　shrink。　There　was　no　hope　of　escaping；　and　mild　weather　with　warmer　temperatures　was　a　good　seven　months　away。
　　　　　The　sails　were　dried；　rolled　up；　and　stowed　away；　to　be　raised　again　in　the　spring；　if　divine　providence　allowed　for　warmer　weather　and　permitted　the　ship　to　float　free。　Now；　in　anticipation　of　a　long　imprisonment；　all　food　was　carefully　inventoried　and　rationed　for　the　long　months　of　winter。　Whether　the　victuals　stored　aboard　the　ship　could　be　stretched　until　the　ice　began　to　melt　in　the　spring　was　anybody's　guess。　But　dropping　lines　and　hooks　through　holes　in　the　ice　had　produced　better…than…hoped…for　results　and　a　nice　assortment　of　Antarctic　fish　were　soon　frozen　in　a　deck　larder。　And　then　there　were　the　ical　penguins　on　the　shore。　There　appeared　to　be　millions　of　them。　The　only　dilemma　was　that　no　matter　how　the　ship's　cook　prepared　their　meat；　it　tasted　most　unpleasant。
　　　　　The　principal　threats　facing　the　crew　of　the　whaler　were　the　terrible　cold　and　any　sudden　movement　of　the　ice　floe。　The　danger　of　freezing　was　greatly　reduced　by　burning　the　oil　from　the　whales　they　had　harpooned　before　being　locked　in　the　ice。　The　hold　still　held　more　than　a　hundred　barrels；　easily　enough　to　keep　the　stoves　burning　through　the　worst　of　the　Antarctic　winter。
　　　　　Until　now；　the　floe　had　been　relatively　undisturbed。　But　Mender　knew　that　it　was　only　a　matter　of　time　before　the　ice　would　buckle　and　shift。　Then　the　Paloverde　could　easily　find　her　hull　crushed　to　splinters；　her　stout　timbers　flattened　as　if　they　were　paper；　by　a　massive　migrating　iceberg。　He　did　not　relish　the　thought　of　his　wife　and　baby　trying　to　survive　on　land　until　another　ship　was　sighted　in　the　summer。　And　the　odds　of　that　happening　were　a　thousand　to　one　at　best。
　　　　　There　was　also　the　deadly　menace　of　disease。　Seven　of　the　men　were　showing　signs　of　scurvy。　The　only　bright　area　was　that　the　vermin　and　rats　had　long　before　succumbed　to　the　awful　cold。　The　long　Antarctic　nights；　the　isolation　and　freezing　wind；　nurtured　the　gloom　of　apathy。　Mender　bated　the　restless　boredom　by　keeping　his　men　busy　on　chores；　endless　jobs　to　keep　their　minds　and　bodies　active。
　　　　　Mender　had　sat　in　his　cabin　at　his　desk　and　recalculated　their　odds　of　survival　a　hundred　times。　But　no　matter　how　he　twisted　the　options　and　possibilities；　the　eventuality　always　remained　the　same。　Their　chances　of　floating　undamaged　and　intact　e　spring　were　bleak　indeed。
　
　　　　　The　icy　windstorm　had　ended　as　abruptly　as　it　had　arrived；　and　the　sun　returned。　Peering　through　squinting　eyes　over　the　dazzling　sparkle　of　the　ice　pack；　Roxanna　saw　her　shadow。　How　joyous　to　see　her　shadow　again　despite　the　endless　emptiness　around　her。　But　then　her　heart　surged　as　she　scanned　the　horizon　and　spotted　the　Paloverde　a　good　mile　and　a　half　away。　The　black　hull　was　nearly　hidden　by　the　ice；　but　she　could　see　the　huge　American　flag　flapping　in　the　dying　breeze　and　realized　that　her　worried　husband　had　hung　it　high　in　the　rigging　of　the　mainmast　as　a　beacon。　She　found　it　hard　to　believe