 CHAPTER IX WHO COULD HAVE FORSEEN IT? A dreadful thing has happened to us. Who could have foreseen it? I cannot foresee any end to our troubles. It may be that we are condemned to spend our whole lives in this strange inaccessible place. I am still so confused that I can hardly think clearly of the facts of the present or of the chances for the future. To my astounded senses the one seems most terrible, and the other is black as night. No man have ever found themselves in a worse position, nor is there any use in disclosing to you our exact geographical situation and asking our friends for a relief-party. Even if they could send one, our fate will in all human probability be decided long before it could arrive in South America. We are, in truth, as far from any human aid as if we were on the moon. If we are to win through, it is only our own qualities which can save us. I have as companions three remarkable men, men of great brain power, and of unshaken courage. There lies our one and only hope. It is only when I look upon the untroubled faces of my comrades that I see some glimmer through the darkness. Outwardly I trust that I appear as unconcerned as they, inwardly I am filled with apprehension. Let me give you, with as much detail as I can, the sequence of events which have led us to this catastrophe. When I finished my last letter I stated that we were within seven miles from an enormous line of ruddy cliffs, which encircled, beyond all doubt, the plateau of which Professor Challenger spoke. Their height as we approached them seemed to me in some places to be greater than he had stated, running up in parts to at least a thousand feet, and they were curiously striated, in a manner which is, I believe, characteristic of basaltic upheavals. Something of the sort is to be seen in Salisbury crags at Edinburgh. The summit showed every sign of a luxuriant vegetation, with bushes near the edge and farther back many high trees. There was no indication of any life that we could see. That night we pitched our camp immediately under the cliff, a most wild and desolate spot. The crags above us were not merely perpendicular, but curved outwards at the top, so that ascent was out of the question. Close to us was the high thin pinnacle of rock which I believe I mentioned earlier in this narrative. It is like a broad, rich church spire, the top of it being level with the plateau, but a great chasm gaping between. On the summit of it there grew one high tree. Both pinnacle and cliff were comparatively low, some five or six hundred feet, I should think. It was on that, said Professor Challenger, pointing to this tree, that the pterodactyl was perched. I climbed halfway up the rock before I shot him. I am inclined to think that a good mountaineer like myself could ascend the rock to the top, though he would, of course, be no nearer to the plateau when he had done so. As Challenger spoke of his pterodactyl I glanced at Professor Summerly, and for the first time I seemed to see some signs of a dawning credulity and repentance. There was no sneer upon his thin lips, but on the contrary, a gray, drawn look of excitement and amazement. Challenger saw it, too, and reveled in the first taste of victory. Of course, said he, with his clumsy and ponderous sarcasm, Professor Summerly will understand that when I speak of a pterodactyl I mean a stork. Only it is the kind of stork which has no feathers, a leathery skin, membranous wings, and teeth in its jaws. He grinned and blinked and bowed until his colleague turned and walked away. In the morning, after a frugal breakfast of coffee and maniac, we had to be economical of our stores. We held a council of war as to the best method of ascending to the plateau above us. Challenger presided with a solemnity as if he were the Lord Chief Justice on the bench. After him seated upon a rock, his absurd, boyish straw hat tilted on the back of his head, his supercilious eyes dominating us from under his drooping lids, his great black beard wagging as he slowly defined our present situation and our future movements. Beneath him you might have seen the three of us, myself, sunburnt, young and vigorous after our open-air tramp, Summerly, solemn but still critical, and his eternal pipe, Lord John, as keen as a razor-edge, with his supple, alert figure leaning upon his rifle, and his eager eyes fixed eagerly upon the speaker. Behind us were grouped the two swarthy half-breeds and the little knot of Indians, while in front and above us towered these huge, ruddy ribs of rock which kept us from our goal. I need not say, said our leader, that on the occasion of my last visit I exhausted every means of climbing the cliff, and where I failed I do not think that any one else is likely to succeed, for I am something of a mountaineer. I had none of the appliances of a rock climber with me, but I have taken the precaution to bring them now. With their aid I am positive I could climb that detached pinnacle to the summit, but so long as the main cliff overhangs it is vain to attempt ascending that. I was hurried upon my last visit by the approach of the rainy season and by the exhaustion of my supplies. These considerations limited my time, and I can only claim that I have surveyed about six miles of the cliff to the east of us, finding no possible way up. What then shall we now do? There seems to be only one reasonable course, said Professor Summerly, if you have explored the east we should travel along the base of the cliff to the west, and seek for a practicable point for our ascent. That's it, said Lord John. The odds are that this plateau is of no great size, and we shall travel round it until we either find an easy way up it, or come back to the point from which we started. I have already explained to our young friend here, said Challenger. He has a way of alluding to me as if I were a school-child ten years old, that it is quite impossible that there should be an easy way up anywhere, for the simple reason that if there were the summit would not be isolated, and those conditions would not obtain which have affected so singular an interference with the general laws of survival. Yet I admit that there may very well be places where an expert human climber may reach the summit, and yet a cumbersome heavy animal be unable to descend. It is certain that there is a point where an ascent is possible. How do you know that, sir? Asked Summerly sharply. Because my predecessor, the American Maple White, actually made such an ascent. How otherwise could he have seen the monster which he sketched in his notebook? There you reasoned somewhat ahead at the proved facts, said the stubborn Summerly. I admit your plateau because I have seen it, but I have not as yet satisfied myself that it contains any forms of life whatever. What you admit, sir, or what you do not admit, is really of inconceivably small importance. I am glad to perceive that the plateau itself has actually obtruded itself upon your intelligence. He glanced up at it, and then to our amazement he sprang from his rock, and seasoned Summerly by the neck he tilted his face into the air. No, sir! He shouted hoarse with excitement. Do I help you to realize that the plateau contains some animal life? I have said that a thick fringe of green overhung the edge of the cliff. Out of this there had emerged a black glistening object. As it came slowly forth and overhung the chasm, we saw that it was a very large snake, or the peculiar flat, spade-like head. It wavered and quivered above us for a minute, the morning sun gleaming upon its thick, sinuous coils. Then it slowly drew inwards and disappeared. Really had been so interested that he had stood unresisting while Challenger tilted his head into the air. Now he shook his colleague off and came back to his dignity. I should be glad, Professor Challenger, said he, if you could see your way to make any remarks which may occur to you without seizing me by the chin. Even the appearance of a very ordinary rock python does not appear to justify such a liberty. But there is life upon the plateau all the same, his colleague replied in triumph, and now having demonstrated this important conclusion so that it is clear to any one, however prejudiced or obtuse, I am of opinion that we cannot do better than break up our camp and travel to Westward until we find some means of ascent. The ground at the foot of the cliff was rocky and broken so that the going was slow and difficult. Finally we came, however, upon something which cheered our hearts. It was the sight of an old encampment with several empty Chicago meat tins, a bottle labelled brandy, a broken tin opener, and a quantity of other traveller's debris. A crumpled, disintegrated newspaper revealed itself as the Chicago Democrat, though the date had been obliterated. Not mine, said Challenger. It must be maple whites. Lord John had been gazing curiously at a great tree-furn which overshadowed the encampment. I say, look at this, said he. I believe it is meant for a signpost. A slip of hard wood had been nailed to the tree in such a way as to point to the Westward. Most certainly a signpost, said Challenger. What else? Finding himself upon a dangerous errand, our pioneer has left this sign so that any party which follows him may know the way he has taken. Perhaps we shall come upon some other indications as we proceed. We did indeed, but they were of a terrible and most unexpected nature. Immediately beneath the cliff there grew a considerable patch of high bamboo, like that which we had traversed in our journey. Many of these stems were twenty feet high, with sharp, strong tops, so that even as they stood they made formidable spears. We were passing along the edge of this cover when my eye was caught by the gleam of something white within it. Thrusting in my head between the stems, I found myself gazing at a fleshless skull. The whole skeleton was there, but the skull had detached itself and lay some feet nearer to the open. With a few blows from the machetes of our Indians we cleared the spot and were able to study the details of this old tragedy. Only a few shreds of clothes could still be distinguished, but there was the remains of boots upon the bony feet and it was very clear that the dead man was a European. A gold watch by Hudson of New York and a chain which held a stalagraphic pen lay among the bones. There was also a silver cigarette case with J.C. from A.E.S. upon the lid. The state of the metal seemed to show that the catastrophe had occurred no great time before. Who can he be? asked Lord John. Poor devil! every bone in his body seems to be broken. And the bamboo grows through his smashed ribs, said summerly. It is a fast-growing plant, but it is surely inconceivable that this body could have been here while the canes grew to be twenty feet in length. As to the man's identity, said Professor Challenger, I have no doubt whatever upon that point. As I made my way up the river, before I reached you at the Fizenda I instituted very particular inquiries about maple white. At Para they knew nothing. Fortunately I had a definite clue, for there was a particular picture in his sketchbook which showed him taking lunch with a certain ecclesiastic at Rosario. This priest I was able to find, and though he proved a very argumentative fellow, who took it absurdly amiss that I should point out to him the corrosive effects which modern science must have upon his beliefs, he nonetheless gave me some positive information. Maple white passed Rosario four years ago, or two years before I saw his dead body. He was not alone at the time, but there was a friend, an American named James Calver, who remained in the boat and did not meet the ecclesiastic. I think therefore that there can be no doubt that we are now looking upon the remains of this James Calver. Nor, said Lord John, is there much doubt as to how he met his death. He has fallen, or been chucked from the top, and so been impaled. How else could he have come by his broken bones, and how could he have been stuck through by these canes with their points so high above our heads? A hush came over us as we stood round these shattered remains and realized the truth of Lord John Rockston's words. The beatling head of the cliff projected over the cane-break. Undoubtedly he had fallen from above. But had he fallen, had it been an accident, or already ominous and terrible possibilities begin to form round that unknown land? We moved off in silence and continued to coast round the line of cliffs which were as even and unbroken as some of those monstrous Antarctic ice-fields which I have seen depicted, as stretching from horizon to horizon and towering high above the mastheads of the exploring vessel. In five miles we saw no rift or break, and then suddenly we perceived something which filled us with new hope. In a hollow of the rock, protected from rain, there was drawn a rough arrow in chalk, pointing still to the westwards. "'Maple white again,' said Professor Challenger. He had some presentiment that worthy footsteps would follow close behind him. He had chalk, then?' A box of colored chalks was among the effects I found in his knapsack. I remembered that the white one was worn to a stump. "'That is certainly good evidence,' said Summerly. We can only accept his guidance and follow on to the westward.' We had preceded some five more miles when again we saw a white arrow upon the rocks. It was at a point where the face of the cliff was, for the first time, split into a narrow cleft. Inside the cleft was a second guidance mark, which pointed right up it where the tip somewhat elevated, as if the spot indicated were above the level of the ground. It was a solemn place, for the walls were so gigantic and the slit of blue sky so narrow and so obscured by a double fringe of herdure that only a dim and shadowy light penetrated to the bottom. We had had no food for many hours, and were very weary with the stony and irregular journey, but our nerves were too strung to allow us to halt. We ordered the camp to be pitched, however, and leaving the Indians to arrange it, we, for, with the two half-breeds, proceeded up the narrow gorge. It was not more than forty feet across at the mouth, but it rapidly closed until it ended at an acute angle, too straight and smooth for an ascent. Certainly it was not this which our pioneer had attempted to indicate. We made our way back. The whole gorge was not more than a quarter of a mile deep, and then suddenly the quick eyes of Lord John fell upon what we were seeking. High up above our heads, amid the dark shadows, there was one circle of deeper gloom. Surely it could only be the opening of a cave. The base of the cliff was heaped with loose stones at the spot, and it was not difficult to clamber up. When we reached it, all doubt was removed. Not only wasn't an opening into the rock, but on the side of it there was marked once again the Son of the Arrow. Here was the point, and this the means by which Maple White and his ill-fated comrade had made their ascent. We were too excited to return to the camp, but must make our first exploration at once. Lord John had an electric torch in his knapsack, and this had to serve us as light. He advanced, throwing his little clear circlet of yellow radiance before him, while in single file we followed at his heels. The cave had evidently been water-worn, the sides being smooth, and the floor covered with rounded stones. It was of such a size that a single man could just fit through by stooping. For fifty yards it ran almost straight into the rock, and then it ascended at an angle of forty-five degrees. Presently this incline became even steeper, and we found ourselves climbing upon hands and knees among loose rubble which slid from beneath us. Suddenly an exclamation broke from Lord Rockston. It's blocked, said he. Clustering behind him we saw in the yellow field of light a wall of broken basalt which extended to the ceiling. The roof has fallen in. In vain we dragged out some of the pieces. The only effect was that the larger ones became detached, and threatened to roll down the gradient and crush us. It was evident that the obstacle was far beyond any efforts which could be made to remove it. The road by which Maple White had ascended was no longer available. Too much cast down to speak, we stumbled down the dark tunnel and made our way back to the camp. One incident occurred, however, before we left the gorge, which is of importance in view of what came afterwards. We had gathered in a little group at the bottom of the chasm, some forty feet beneath the mouth of the cave, when a huge rock rolled suddenly downwards and shot past us with tremendous force. It was the narrowest escape for one or all of us. We could not ourselves see whence the rock had come, but our half-breed servants, who were still at the opening of the cave, said that it had flown past them, and must therefore have fallen from the summit. Looking upwards we could see no sign of movement above us amidst the green jungle which topped the cliff. There could be little doubt, however, that the stone was aimed at us, so the incident surely pointed to humanity and malevolent humanity upon the plateau. We withdrew hurriedly from the chasm, our minds full of this new development and its bearing upon our plans. The situation was difficult enough before, but if the obstructions of nature were increased by the deliberate opposition of man, then our case was indeed a hopeless one. And yet as we looked up at that beautiful fringe of verdure only a few hundreds of feet above our heads, there was not one of us who could conceive the idea of returning to London until we had explored it to its depths. On discussing the situation we determined that our best course was to continue to coast round the plateau in the hope of finding some other means of reaching the top. The line of cliffs, which had decreased considerably in height, had already begun to trend from west to north, and if we could take this as representing the arc of a circle, the whole circumference could not be very great. At the worst, then, we should be back in a few days at our starting point. We made a march that day which totaled some two and twenty miles without any change in our prospects. I may mention that our anoroi barometer shows us that in the continual incline which we have ascended, since we abandoned our canoes, we have risen to no less than three thousand feet above sea level. Hence there is considerable change both in the temperature and in the vegetation. We have shaken off some of that horrible insect life which is the bane of tropical travel. A few palms still survive, and many tree ferns, but the Amazonian trees have all been left behind. It was pleasant to see the convolvulus, the passion flower, and the begonia, all reminding me of home, here among these inhospitable rocks. There was a red begonia just the same color as one that is kept in a pot in the window of a certain villa in Stratham, but I am drifting into private reminiscence. That night I am still speaking of the first day of our circumnavigation of the plateau. A great experience awaited us, and one which forever set at rest any doubt which we could have had is to the wonders so near us. You will realize as you read it, my dear Mr. McArdle, and possibly for the first time that the paper has not sent me on a wild goose chase, and that there is conceivably fine copy waiting for the world whenever we have the professors leave to make use of it. I shall not dare to publish these articles unless I can bring back my proofs to England, or I shall be hailed as the journalistic moonshowsum of all time. I have no doubt that you feel the same way yourself, and that you would not care to stake the whole credit of the Gazette upon this adventure, until we can meet the chorus of criticism and skepticism which such articles must of necessity elicit. So this wonderful incident which would make such a headline for the old paper must still wait its turn in the editorial drawer. And yet it was all over in a flash, and there was no sequel to it save in our own convictions. What occurred was this. Lord John had shot in a duty, which is a small pig-like animal, and half of it having been given to the Indians, we were cooking the other half upon our fire. There was a chill in the air after dark, and we had all drawn close to the blaze. The night was moonless, but there were some stars, and one could see for a little distance across the plain. Well, suddenly out of the darkness, out of the night, there swooped something with a swish like an aeroplane. The whole group of us were covered for an instant by a canopy of leathery wings, and I had a momentary vision of a long, snake-like neck, a fierce red, greedy eye, and a great snapping beak filled to my amazement with little gleaming teeth. The next instant it was gone, and so was our dinner. A huge black shadow, twenty feet across, skimmed up into the air. For an instant the monster wings blotted out the stars, and then it vanished over the brow of the cliff above us. We all sat in amazed silence round the fire, like the heroes of Virgil when the harpies came down upon them. It was summerly who was the first to speak. Professor Challenger said he in a solemn voice, which quavered with emotion. I owe you an apology. Sir, I am very much in the wrong, and I beg that you will forget what is past. It was handsomely said, and the two men for the first time shook hands. So much we have gained by this clear vision of our first pterodactyl. It was worth a stolen supper to bring two such men together. But if prehistoric life existed upon the plateau it was not superabundant, for we had no further glimpse of it during the next three days. During this time we traversed a barren and forbidding country, which alternated between Stony Desert and Desolate Marshes, full of many wildfowl, upon the north and east of the cliffs. From that direction the place is really inaccessible, and were it not for a hardish ledge which runs at the very base of the precipice, we should have had to turn back. Many times we were up to our wastes in the slime and blubber of an old semi-tropical swamp. To make matters worse, the place seemed to be a favorite breeding place of the Jericaca Snake, the most venomous and aggressive in South America. Again and again these horrible creatures came writhing and springing towards us across the surface of this putrid bog, and it was only by keeping our shotguns forever ready that we could feel safe from them. One funnel-shaped depression in the morass, of a livid green in color from some lichen which festered in it, will always remain as a nightmare memory in my mind. It seems to have been a special nest of these vermin's, and the slopes were alive with them, all writhing in our direction, for it is a peculiarity of the Jericaca that he will always attack man at first sight. There were too many for us to shoot, so we fairly took to our heels and ran until we were exhausted. I shall always remember as we looked back how far behind we could see the heads and necks of our horrible pursuers rising and falling amid the reeds. At a swamp we named it in the map which we are constructing. The cliffs upon the farther side had lost their ruddy tint, being chocolate brown in color. The vegetation was more scattered among the top of them, and they had sunk to three or four hundred feet in height, but in no place did we find any point where they could be ascended. If anything, they were more impossible than at the first point where we had met them. Their absolute steepness is indicated in the photograph which I took over the Stony Desert. "'Surely,' said I, as we discussed the situation, the rain must find its way down somehow. There are bound to be water channels in the rocks. "'Our young friend has glimpses of lucidity,' said Professor Challenger, patting me upon the shoulder. "'The rain must go somewhere,' I repeated. He keeps a firm grip upon actuality. The only drawback is that we have conclusively proved by ocular demonstration that there are no water channels down the rocks. "'Where, then, does it go?' I persisted. I think it may be fairly assumed that if it does not come outwards it must run inwards. Then there is a lake in the center. So I should suppose. It is more than likely that the lake may be an old crater,' said summerly. "'The whole formation is, of course, highly volcanic.' But however that may be, I should expect to find the surface of the plateau slope inwards with a considerable sheet of water in the center, which may drain off by some subterranean channel into the marshes of the Cherukaka Swamp. Or evaporation might preserve an equilibrium,' remarked Challenger, and the two learned men wandered off into one of their usual scientific arguments, which were as comprehensible as Chinese to the laymen. On the sixth day we completed our first circuit of the cliffs and found ourselves back at the first camp beside the isolated pinnacle of rock. We were a disconsolate party, for nothing could have been more minute than our investigation, and it was absolutely certain that there was no single point where the most active human being could possibly hope to scale the cliff. The place which Maple White's chalk marks had indicated as his own means of access was now entirely impassable. What were we to do now? Our stores of provisions supplemented by our guns were holding out well, but the day must come when they would need replenishment. In a couple of months the rains might be expected, and we should be washed out of our camp. The rock was harder than marble, and any attempt to cutting a path for so great a height was more than our time or resources would admit. No wonder that we looked gloomily at each other that night and sought our blankets with hardly a word exchanged. I remember that as I dropped off to sleep my last recollection was that Challenger was squatting like a monstrous bullfrog by the fire. His huge head and his hands sunk apparently in the deepest thought, and entirely oblivious to the good night which I wished him. But it was a very different Challenger who greeted us in the morning, a Challenger with contentment and self-congratulations shining from his whole person. He faced us as we assembled for breakfast with a deprecating false modesty in his eyes, as who should say, I know that I deserve all that you can say, but I pray you to spare my blushes by not saying it. His beard bristled exultantly, his chest was thrown out, and his hand was thrust into the front of his jacket. So in his fancy may he see himself sometimes gracing the vacant pedestal in Trafalgar Square and adding one more to the horrors of the London streets. Eureka! he cried, his teeth shining through his beard. Gentlemen, you may congratulate me and we may congratulate each other. The problem is solved. You have found a way up? I venture to think so. And where? For answer he pointed to the spire-like pinnacle upon our right. Our faces, or mine at least, fell as we surveyed it, that it could be climbed we had our companion's assurance. But a horrible abyss lay between it and the plateau. We can never get across, I gasped. We can at least all reach the summit, said he. When we are up I may be able to show you that the resources of an inventive mine are not yet exhausted. After breakfast we unpacked the bundle in which our leader had brought his climbing accessories. Clemente took a coil of the strongest and lightest rope, 150 feet in length, with climbing irons, clamps, and other devices. Lord John was an experienced mountaineer, and summerly had done some rough climbing at various times, so that I was really the novice at rockwork of the party, but my strength and activity may have made up for my want of experience. It was not in reality a very stiff task, though there were moments which made my hair bristle upon my head. The first half was perfectly easy, but from there upwards it became continually steeper, until, for the last fifty feet, we were literally clinging with our fingers and toes to tiny ledges and crevices in the rock. I could not have accomplished it, nor could summerly, if Challenger had not gained the summit. It was extraordinary to see such activity in so unwieldy a creature. And there fixed the rope round the trunk of the considerable tree which grew there. With this as our support, we were soon able to scramble up the jagged wall, until we found ourselves upon the small grassy platform some twenty-five feet each way which formed the summit. The first impression which I received when I had recovered my breath was of the extraordinary view over the country which we had traversed. The whole Brazilian plain seemed to lie beneath us, extending away and away until it ended in dim blue mists upon the farthest skyline. In the foreground was the long slope, strewn with rocks and dotted with tree-ferns. Farther off in the middle distance, looking over the saddleback hill, I could just see the yellow and green mass of bamboos through which we had passed. And then, gradually, the vegetation increased until it formed a huge forest which extended as far as the eyes could reach and for a good two thousand miles beyond. I was still drinking in this wonderful panorama when the heavy hand of the professor fell upon my shoulder. "'This way, my young friend,' said he, "'vestigia nula retrosum. Never look rearwards but always to our glorious goal.'" The level of the plateau when I turned was exactly that on which we stood, and the green bank of bushes, with occasional trees, was so near that it was difficult to realize how inaccessible it remained. At a rough guess the gulf was forty feet across, but so far as I could see it might as well have been forty miles. I placed one arm round the trunk of the tree and leaned over the abyss, far down with the small dark figures of our servants looking up at us. The wall was absolutely precipitous, as was that which faced me. "'This is indeed curious,' said the creaking voice of Professor Sumerly. I turned and found that he was examining with great interest the tree to which I clung. That smooth bark and those small ribbed leaves seemed familiar to my eyes. "'Why?' I cried. "'It's a beach!' "'Exactly,' said Sumerly, a fellow countryman, and a far land. "'Not only a fellow countryman, my good sir,' said Challenger, but also, if I may be allowed to enlarge your simile, an ally of the first value. This beach-tree will be our saviour.' "'By George!' cried Lord John, a bridge. "'Exactly, my friends, a bridge. "'It is not for nothing that I expended an hour last night in focusing my mind upon the situation. I have some recollection, at once remarking to our young friend here, that G.E.C. is at his best when his back is to the wall. Last night you will admit that all our backs were to the wall. But where willpower and intellect go together, there is always a way out. A drawbridge had to be found which could be dropped across the abyss. Hold it!' It was certainly a brilliant idea. The tree was a good sixty feet in height, and if it only fell the right way it would easily cross the chasm. Challenger had slung the camp-axe over his shoulder when he ascended. Now he handed it to me. "'Our young friend has the thues and sinews,' said he. "'I think he will be the most useful at this task. I must beg, however, that you will kindly refrain from thinking for yourself, and that you will do exactly what you are told.' Under his direction I cut such gashes in the side of the tree as would ensure that it should fall as we desired. It had already a strong natural tilt in the direction of the plateau, so that the matter was not difficult. Finally I set to work and earnest upon the trunk, taking turn and turn with Lord John. In a little over an hour there was a loud crack. The tree swayed forward, and then crashed over, burying its branches among the bushes on the farther side. The severed trunk rolled to the very edge of our platform, and for one terrible second we all thought it was over. It balanced itself, however, a few inches from the edge, and there was our bridge to the unknown. All of us, without a word, shook hands with Professor Challenger, who raised his straw hat and bowed deeply to each in turn. I claim the honour, said he, to be the first to cross to the unknown land, a fitting subject, no doubt, for some future historical painting. He had approached the bridge when Lord John laid his hand upon his coat. My dear chap, said he, I really cannot allow it. Cannot allow it, sir? The head went back and the beard forward. When it is a matter of science, don't you know, I follow your lead because you are by way of being the man of science, but it's up to you to follow me when you come into my department. Your department, sir. We all have our professions, and soldiering is mine. We are, according to my ideas, invaded a new country, which may or may not be chock-full of enemies of sorts. To barge blindly into it for want of a little common sense and patience isn't my notion of management. Their remonstrance was too reasonable to be disregarded. Challenger tossed his head and shrugged his heavy shoulders. Well, sir, what do you propose? For all I know there may be a tribe of cannibals waiting for lunchtime among those very bushes, said Lord John, looking across the bridge. It's better to learn wisdom before you get into a cook-and-pot, so we will content ourselves with hope and that there is no trouble waiting for us. And at the same time we will act as if there were. Malone and I will go down again, therefore, and we will fetch up the four rifles, together with Gomez and the other. One man can then go across, and the rest will cover him with guns, until he sees that it is safe for the whole crowd to come along. Challenger sat down upon the cut stump and groaned his impatience. But summerly and I were of one mind that Lord John was our leader when such practical details were in question. The climb was more a simple thing now that the rope dangled down the face of the worst part of the ascent. Within an hour we had brought up the rifles and a shotgun. The half-breeds had ascended also, and under Lord John's orders they had carried up a bale of provisions in case our first exploration should be a long one. We each had bandoliers of cartridges. Now, Challenger, if you really insist upon being the first man in, said Lord John when every preparation was complete. I am much indebted to you for your gracious permission, said the angry professor, for never was a man so intolerant of every form of authority. Since you are good enough to allow it, I shall most certainly take it upon myself to act as pioneer upon this occasion. Being himself with a leg overhanging the abyss on each side and his hatchet slung upon his back, Challenger hopped his way across the trunk and was soon at the other side. He clambered up and waved his arms in the air. At last, he cried, at last! I gazed anxiously at him, with a vague expectation that some terrible fate would dart at him from the curtain of green behind him. But all was quiet. I gave that a strange, many-colored bird flew up from under his feet and vanished among the trees. Somerly was the second. His wiry energy is wonderful and so frail aframe. He insisted upon having two rifles slung upon his back, so that both professors were armed when he had made his transit. I came next and tried hard not to look down into the horrible gulf over which I was passing. Somerly held out the butt end of his rifle, and an instant later I was able to grasp his hand. As to Lord John, he walked across, actually walked without support. He must have nerves of iron. And there we were, the four of us, upon the dreamland, the lost world of Maple White. To all of us it seemed the moment of our supreme triumph. Who could have guessed that it was the prelude to our supreme disaster? Let me say in a few words how the crushing blow fell upon us. We had turned away from the edge, and it penetrated about fifty yards of close brushwood when there came a frightful rending crash from behind us. With one impulse we rushed back the way that we had come. The bridge was gone. Far down at the base of the cliff I saw, as I looked over, a tangled mass of branches and splintered trunk. It was our beech tree. Had the edge of the platform crumbled and led it through? For a moment this explanation was in all our minds. The next, from the farther side of the rocky pinnacle before us, a swarly face, the face of Gomez the half-breed, was slowly protruded. Yes, it was Gomez, but no longer the Gomez of the demure smile and the mask-like expression. Here was a face with flashing eyes and distorted features, a face convulsed with hatred and with the mad joy of gratified revenge. Lord Rockston, he shouted, Lord John Rockston. Well, said our companion, here I am. A shriek of laughter came across the abyss. Yes, there you are, you English dog, and there you will remain. I have waited and waited, and now it has come my chance. You found it hard to get up. You will find it harder to get down. You cursed fools. You are trapped every one of you. We were too astounded to speak. We could only stand there staring in amazement. A great broken bow upon the grass showed where he had gained his leverage to tilt over our bridge. The face had vanished, but presently it was up again more frantic than before. We nearly killed you with a stone at the cave, he cried. But this is better. It is slower and more terrible. Your bones will whiten up there, and none will know where you lie or come to cover them. As you lie dying, think of Lopez, whom you shot five years ago on the Pudomeo River. I am his brother, and come what will I will die happy now for his memory has been avenged. A furious hand was shaken at us, and then all was quiet. Had the half-breed simply wrought his vengeance and then escaped, all might have been well with him. It was that foolish, irresistible Latin impulse to be dramatic which brought his own downfall. Rockston, the man who had earned himself the name of the flail of the Lord through three countries, was not one who could be safely taunted. The half-breed was descending on the farther side of the pinnacle, but before he could reach the ground Lord John had run along the edge of the plateau, and gained a point from which he could see his man. There was a single crack of his rifle, and though we saw nothing, we heard the scream, and then the distant thud of the falling body. Rockston came back to us with a face of granite. "'I have been a blind simpleton,' said he bitterly. "'It's my folly that has brought you all into this trouble. I should have remembered that these people have long memories for blood feuds, and have been more upon my guard.' "'What about the other one? It took two of them to lever that tree over the edge.' "'I could have shot him, but I let him go. He may have had no part in it. Perhaps it would have been better if I had killed him, for he must, as you say, have lent a hand. Now that we had the clue to his action, each of us could cast back and remember some sinister act upon the part of the half-breed, his constant desire to know our plans, his arrest outside our tent when he was overhearing them, the furtive looks of hatred which from time to time one of the other of us had surprised. We were still discussing it, endeavouring to adjust our minds to these new conditions, when a singular scene in the plain below arrested our attention. A man in white clothes, who could only be the surviving half-breed, was running as one does when death is the pacemaker. Behind him, only a few yards in his rear, bounded the huge ebony figure of Zambo, our devoted Negro. Even as we looked, he sprang upon the back of the fugitive and flung his arms round his neck. They rolled on the ground together. An instant afterwards Zambo arose, looked at the prostrate man, and then, waving his hand joyously to us, came running in our direction. The white figure lay motionless in the middle of the great plain. Our two traitors had been destroyed, but the mischief that they had done lived after them. By no possible means could we get back to the pinnacle. We had been natives of the world, now we were natives of the plateau. The two things were separate and apart. There was the plain which led to the canoes. Yonder, beyond the violet hazy horizon, was the stream which led back to civilization. But the link between was missing. No human ingenuity could suggest the means of bridging the chasm which yawned between ourselves and our past lives. One instant had altered the whole conditions of our existence. It was at such a moment that I learned the stuff of which my three comrades were composed. They were grave, it is true, and thoughtful, but of an invincible serenity. For the moment we could only sit among the bushes in patience and wait the coming of Zambo. Only his honest black face topped the rocks and his Herculean figure emerged upon the top of the pinnacle. What I do now, he cried. You tell me I do it. It was a question which it was easier to ask than to answer. One thing only was clear. He was our one trusty link with the outside world. On no account must he leave us. No, no, he cried. I not leave you. Whatever come. Please find me here. But no able keep Indians. Already they say too much Kurapuri live in this place. They go home. Now you leave them me no able to keep them. It was a fact that our Indians had shown in many ways of late that they were weary of their journey and anxious to return. We realized that Zambo spoke the truth and that it would be impossible for him to keep them. Make them wait till to-morrow, Zambo. I shouted, then I can send letter back by them. Very good, Tsar. I promise they wait till to-morrow, said the Negro. But what I do for you now? There was plenty for him to do, and admirably the faithful fellow did it. First of all, under our directions he undid the rope from the tree stump and threw one end of it across to us. It was not thicker than a clothes-line, but it was of great strength, and though we could not make a bridge of it, we might well find it invaluable if we had any climbing to do. He then fastened his end of the rope to the package of supplies which had been carried up, and we were able to drag it across. This gave us the means of life for at least a week, even if we found nothing else. Finally he descended and carried up two other packets of mixed goods, a box of ammunition, and a number of other things, all of which we got across by throwing our rope to him and hauling it back. It was evening when he at last climbed down, with a final assurance that he would keep the Indians till next morning. And so it is that I have spent nearly the whole of this our first night upon the plateau, riding up our experiences by the light of a single candle lantern. We supped and camped at the very edge of the cliff, quenching our thirst with two bottles of Apollonaris which were in one of the cases. It is vital to us to find water, but I think even Lord John himself had had adventures enough for one day, and none of us felt inclined to make the first push into the unknown. We forbore to light a fire or to make any unnecessary sound. Tomorrow, or to-day rather, for it is already dawn as I write, we shall make our first venture into the strange land. When I shall be able to write again, or if I shall ever write again, I know not. Meanwhile I can see that the Indians are still in their place, and I am sure that the faithful Zombo will be here presently to get my letter. I only trust that it will come to hand. P.S. The more I think, the more desperate does our position seem. I see no possible hope of our return. If there were a high tree near the edge of the plateau we might drop a return bridge across, but there is none within fifty yards. Our united strength could not carry a trunk which would serve our purpose. The rope, of course, is far too short that we could descend by it. No, our position is hopeless. Hopeless. CHAPTER 10 THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS HAVE HAPPENED The most wonderful things have happened and are continually happening to us. All the paper that I possess consists of five old notebooks and a lot of scraps, and I have only the one stylographic pencil. But so long as I can move my hand I will continue to set down our experiences and impressions for, since we are the only men of the whole human race to see such things, it is of enormous importance that I should record them whilst they are fresh in my memory, before that fate which seems to be constantly impending does actually overtake us. Whether Zombo can at last take these letters to the river, or whether I shall myself in some miraculous way carry them back with me, or finally whether some daring explorer coming upon our tracks with the advantage, perhaps, of a perfected monoplane, should find this bundle of manuscript, in any case I can see that what I am writing is destined to immortality as a classic of true adventure. On the morning after our being trapped upon the plateau by the villainous Gomez we began a new stage in our experiences. The first incident in it was not such as to give me a very favourable opinion of the place to which we had wandered. As I roused myself from a short nap after day had dawned, my eyes fell upon a most singular appearance upon my own leg. My trouser had slipped up, exposing a few inches of my skin above my sock. On this there rested a large, purplish grape. Astonished at the sight I leaned forward to pick it off, when, to my horror, it burst between my finger and thumb, squirting blood in every direction. My cry of disgust had brought the two professors to my side. Most interesting, said summerly, bending over my shin, an enormous blood-tick, as yet I believe unclassified. The first fruits of our labours, said Challenger in his booming, pedantic fashion, we cannot do less than call it Exodes Maloney. The very small inconvenience of being bitten, my young friend, cannot, I am sure, weigh with you as against the glorious privilege of having your name inscribed in the deathless role of zoology. Unhappily you have crushed this fine specimen at the moment of satiation. Filthy vermin, I cried. Professor Challenger raised his great eyebrows in protest, and placed a soothing paw upon my shoulder. You should cultivate the scientific eye and the detached scientific mind, said he, to a man of philosophic temperament like myself, the blood-tick with its lancet-like proboscis and its distending stomach is as beautiful a work of nature as the peacock, or, for that matter, the aurora borealis. It pains me to hear you speak of it in so unappreciative a fashion. No doubt with due diligence we can secure some other specimen. There can be no doubt of that, said summerly grimly, for one has just disappeared behind your shirt-collar. The creature sprang into the air bellowing like a bull, and tore frantically at his coat and shirt to get them off. Summerly and I laughed so that we could hardly help him. At last we exposed that monstrous torso, fifty-four inches by the tailor's tape. His body was all matted with black hair, out of which jungle we picked the wandering tick before it had bitten him. But the bushes round were full of the horrible pests, and it was clear that we must shift our camp. But first of all it was necessary to make our arrangements with the faithful negro, who appeared presently on the pinnacle with a number of tins of cocoa and biscuits which he tossed over to us. Of the stores which remained below he was ordered to retain as much as would keep him for two months. The Indians were to have the remainder as a reward for their services and his payment for taking our letters back to the Amazon. Some hours later we saw them in single file, far out upon the plain, each with a bundle on his head, making their way back along the path we had come. Sambo occupied our little tent at the base of the pinnacle, and there he remained, our one link with the world below. And now we had to decide upon our immediate movements. We shifted our position from among the tick-laden bushes until we came to a small clearing thickly surrounded by trees upon all sides. There were some flat slabs of rock in the center, with an excellent well close by, and there we sat in cleanly comfort while we made our first plans for the invasion of this new country. Birds were calling among the foliage, especially one with a peculiar whooping cry which was new to us, but beyond these sounds there was no signs of life. Our first care was to make some sort of list of our own stores, so that we might know what we had to rely upon. What were the things we had ourselves brought up, and those which Sambo had sent across on the rope, we were fairly well supplied. Most important of all, in view of the dangers which might surround us, we had our four rifles and 1,300 rounds, also a shotgun, but not more than a hundred and fifty medium pellet cartridges. In the matter of provisions we had enough to last for several weeks, with a sufficiency of tobacco and a few scientific implements, including a large telescope and a good field-glass. All these things we collected together in the clearing, and as a first precaution we cut down with our hatchet and knives a number of thorny bushes which we piled round in a circle some fifteen yards in diameter. This was to be our headquarters for the time. Our place of refuge against sudden danger and the guard-house for our stores. Fort Challenger, we called it. It was mid-day before we had made ourselves secure, but the heat was not oppressive, and the general character of the plateau, both in its temperature and in its vegetation, was almost temperate. The beach, the oak, and even the birch were to be found among the tangle of trees which curled us in. One huge ginkgo tree, topping all the others, shot its great limbs and maiden-hair foliage over the fort which we had constructed. In its shade we continued our discussion, while Lord John, who had quickly taken command in the hour of action, gave us his views. So long as neither man nor beast has seen or heard us, we are safe, said he. From the time they know we are here, our troubles begin. There are no signs that they have found us out as yet. So our game surely is to lie low for a time and spy out the land. We want to have a good look at our neighbors before we get on visit in terms. But we must advance, I ventured to remark. By my own means, sonny my boy, we will advance, but with common sense. We must never go so far that we can't get back to our base. Above all, we must never, unless it is life or death, fire off our guns. But you fired yesterday, said summerly. Well it couldn't be helped. However the wind was strong and blew outwards. It is not likely that the sound could have traveled far into the plateau. By the way, what shall we call this place? I suppose it is up to us to give it a name. There were several suggestions, more or less happy, but challengers was final. It can only have one name, said he. It is called after the pioneer who discovered it. It is Maple White Land. Maple White Land it became, and so it is named in that chart which has become my special task. So it will, I trust, appear in the Atlas of the future. The peaceful penetration of Maple White Land was the pressing subject before us. We had the evidence of our own eyes that the place was inhabited by some unknown creatures. And there was that of Maple White's sketchbook to show that more dreadful and more dangerous monsters might still appear. That there might also prove to be human occupants, and that they were of a malevolent character was suggested by the skeleton impaled upon the bamboos, which could not have got there had it not been dropped from above. Our situation, stranded without possibility of escape in such a land, was clearly full of danger, and our reasons endorsed every measure of caution which Lord John's experience could suggest. Yet it was surely impossible that we should halt on the edge of this world of mystery when our very souls were tingling with impatience to push forward and to pluck the heart from it. We therefore blocked the entrance to our Zareba by filling it up with several thorny bushes, and left our camp with the stores entirely surrounded by this protecting hedge. We then slowly and cautiously set forth into the unknown, following the course of the little stream which flowed from our spring, as it should always serve us as a guide on our return. Hardly had we started when we came across signs that there were indeed wonders awaiting us. After a few hundred yards of thick forest, containing many trees which were quite unknown to me, but which, summerly, who was the botanist of the party, recognized as forms of conifera and of psychedacious plants which have long passed away in the world below, we entered a region where the stream widened out and formed a considerable bog. My reeds of a peculiar type grew thickly before us, which were pronounced to be equisitaceae, or mairstales, with tree-furn scattered amongst them, all of them swaying in a brisk wind. Suddenly Lord John, who was walking first, halted with uplifted hand. Look at this, said he, by George! This must be the trail of the father of all birds! An enormous three-toed track was imprinted in the soft mud before us. The creature, whatever it was, had crossed the swamp and had passed on into the forest. We all stopped to examine that monstrous spore, if it were indeed a bird, and what animal could leave such a mark. Its foot was so much larger than an ostrich's that its height upon the same scale must be enormous. Lord John looked eagerly round him and slipped two cartridges into his elephant gun. I'll stake my good name as a chicory, said he, that the track is a fresh one. The creature has not passed ten minutes. Look how the water is still oozing into that deeper print! By Jove! See, here is the mark of a little one. Sure enough, smaller tracks of the same general form were running parallel to the large ones. But what do you make of this? cried Professor Somerly, triumphantly, pointing to what looked like the huge print of a five-fingered human hand appearing among the three-toed marks. Wielden! cried Challenger, in an ecstasy. I've seen them in the wielden clay. It is a creature walking erect upon three-toed feet, and occasionally putting one of its five-fingered forepaws upon the one hand. Not a bird, my dear Oxton, not a bird. A beast? No, a reptile, a dinosaur. Nothing else could have left such a track. They puzzled a worthy Sussex doctor some ninety years ago. But who in the world could have hoped, hoped, to have seen a site like that? His words died away into a whisper, and we all stood in motionless amazement. Among the tracks we had left the morass, and passed through a screen of brushwood and trees. Beyond was an open glade, and in this were five of the most extraordinary creatures that I have ever seen. Crouching down among the bushes, we observed them at our leisure. There were, as I say, five of them, two being adults and three young ones. In size they were enormous. Even the babies were as big as elephants, while the two large ones were far beyond all creatures I have ever seen. They had slate-colored skin, which was scaled like a lizards, and shimmered where the sun shone upon it. All five were sitting up, balancing themselves upon their broad, powerful tails, and their huge, three-toed hind feet, while with their small, five-fingered front feet they pulled down the branches upon which they browsed. I did not know that I can bring their appearance home to you better than by saying that they looked like monstrous kangaroos, twenty feet in length, and with skins like black crocodiles. I do not know how long we stayed motionless gazing at this marvellous spectacle. A strong wind blew towards us, and we were well concealed, so there was no chance of discovery. From time to time the little ones played round their parents in unwieldy gambles, the great beasts bounding into the air, and falling with dull thuds upon the earth. The strength of the parents seemed to be limitless, for one of them, having some difficulty in reaching a bunch of foliage which grew upon a considerable-sized tree, put his forelegs round the trunk and tore it down as if it had been a sapling. The action seemed, as I thought, to show not only the great development of its muscles, but also the small one of its brain, for the whole weight came crashing down upon the top of it, and it uttered a series of shrill yelps to show that, big as it was, there was a limit to what it could endure. The incident made it think, apparently, that the neighborhood was dangerous, for it slowly lurched off through the wood, followed by its mate and its three enormous infants. We saw the shimmering, slaty gleam of their skins between the tree trunks, and their heads undulating high above the brushwood. Then they vanished from our sight. I looked at my comrades. Lord John was standing at gaze with his finger on the trigger of his elephant-gun, his eager hunter's soul shining from his fierce eyes. What would he not give for one such head to place between the two crossed oars above the mantelpiece and his snuggery at the albany, and yet his reason held him in, for all our exploration of the wonders of this unknown land depended upon our presence being concealed from its inhabitants. The two professors were in silent ecstasy. In their excitement they had unconsciously seized each other by the hand and stood like two little children in the presence of a marvel. Challengers' cheeks bunched up into a seraphic smile, and Summerly's sardonic face softening for the moment into wonder and reverence. Nundimitis! he cried at last. What will they say in England of this? My dear Summerly, I will tell you with great confidence exactly what they will say in England, said Challenger. They will say that you were an infertile liar and a scientific charlatan, exactly as you and others said of me. In the face of photographs? Faked Summerly, clumsily faked. In the face of specimens? Ah, there we may have them. Malone and his filthy Fleet Street crew may be all yelping our praises yet. August the 28th, the day we saw five live equanadons and a glade of maple-white land, put it down in your diary, my young friend, and send it to your rag. And be ready to get the toe-end of the editorial boot in return, said Lord John. Things look a bit different from the latitude of London, young fellow-malade, as many a man who never tells his adventures, for he can't hope to be believed. Who's to blame them? For this will seem a bit of a dream to ourselves in a month or two. What did you say they were? Iguanadons, said Summerly. You'll find their footmarks all over the Hastings Sands, in Kent and in Sussex. The south of England was alive with them when there was plenty of good lush green stuff to keep them going. Conditions have changed, and the beast died. Here it seems that the conditions have not changed, and the beasts have lived. If ever we get out of this alive, I must have a head with me, said Lord John. Lord, how some of that Somaliland Uganda crowd would turn a beautiful pea-green if they saw it. I don't know what you, chaps, think, but it strikes me that we are on mighty thin ice all this time. I had the same feeling of mystery and danger around us. In the gloom of the trees there seemed a constant menace, and as we looked up into their shadowy foliage vague terrors crept into one's heart. It is true that these monstrous creatures which we had seen were lumbering in offensive brutes which were unlikely to hurt anyone, but in this world of wonders what other survivals might there not be? What fierce, active horrors ready to pounce upon us from their lair among the rocks or brushwood? I knew little of prehistoric life, but I had a clear remembrance of one book which I had read, in which it spoke of creatures who would live upon our lions and tigers as a cat lives upon mice. What if these also were to be found in the woods of maple white land? It was destined that on this very morning, our first in the new country, we were to find out what strange hazards lay around us. It was a loathsome adventure, and one of which I hate to think. If, as Lord John said, the glade of the iguanodons will remain with us as a dream, then surely the swamp of the pterodactyls will forever be our nightmare. Let me set down exactly what occurred. We passed very slowly through the woods, partly because Lord Rockston acted as scout before he would let us advance, and partly because at every second step one or other of our professors would fall with a cry of wonder before some flower or insect which presented him with a new type. We may have traveled two or three miles in all, keeping to the right of the line of the stream, when we came upon a considerable opening in the trees. A belt of brushwood led up to a tangle of rocks. The whole plateau was strewn with boulders. We were walking slowly towards these rocks, among bushes which reached over our waist, when we became aware of a strange low-gabbling and whistling sound which filled the air with a constant clamor and appeared to come from some spot immediately before us. Lord John held up his hand as a signal for us to stop, and he made his way swiftly, stooping and running to the line of rocks. We saw him peep over them, and give a gesture of amazement. Then he stood staring as if forgetting us so utterly entranced was he by what he saw. Finally he waved us to come on, holding up his hand as a signal for caution. This whole bearing made me feel that something wonderful but dangerous lay before us. Creeping to his side we looked over the rocks. The place into which we gazed was a pit, and may and the early days have been one of the smaller volcanic blow-holes of the plateau. It was bowl-shaped, and at the bottom, some hundreds of yards from where we lay, were pools of green-scummed, stagnant water, drenched with bullrushes. It was a weird place in itself, but its occupants made it seem like a scene from the seven circles of Dante. The place was a rookery of pterodactyls. There were hundreds of them congregated within view. All the bottom area round the water-edge was alive with their young ones, and with hideous mothers brooding upon their leathery, yellowish eggs. From this crawling, flapping mass of obscene reptilian life came the shocking clamor which filled the air, and the mephitic, horrible, musty odor which turned us sick. But above, perched each upon its own stone, tall, gray, and withered, more like dead and dried specimens than actual living creatures, sat the horrible males, absolutely motionless, save for the rolling of their red eyes, or an occasional snap of their rat-trap beaks as a dragonfly went past them. Their huge membranous wings were closed by folding their forearms, so that they sat like gigantic old women, wrapped in hideous, web-coloured shawls, and with their ferocious heads protruding above them. Large and small, not less than a thousand of these filthy creatures lay in the hollow before us. More professors would gladly have stayed there all day, so entranced were they by this opportunity of studying the life of a prehistoric age. They pointed out the fish and dead birds lying about among the rocks as proving the nature of the food of these creatures, and I heard them congratulating each other on having cleared up the point why the bones of this flying dragon are found in such great numbers in certain well-defined areas, as in the Cambridge green sand, since it was now seen that, like penguins, they lived in gregarious fashion. Finally however, Challenger, bent upon proving some point which summerly had contested, thrust his head over the rock and nearly brought destruction upon us all. In an instant the nearest male gave a shrill, whistling cry and flapped its twenty-foot span of leathery wings as it soared up into the air. The females and young ones huddled together beside the water, while the whole circle of sentinels rose one after the other and sailed off into the sky. It was a wonderful sight to see at least a hundred creatures of such enormous size and hideous appearance, all swooping like swallows with swift shearing wing-strokes above us. But soon we realized that it was not one on which we could afford to linger. At first the great brutes flew round in a huge ring, as if to make sure what the exact extent of the danger might be. Then the flight grew lower and the circle narrower, until they were whizzing round and round us, the dry, rustling flap of their huge slate-colored wings, filling the air with the volume of sound that made me think of Heddon Aerodrome upon a race day. Make for the wood and keep together, cried Lord John, clubbing his rifle. The brutes mean mischief. The moment we attempted to retreat the circle closed in upon us, until the tips of the wings of those nearest to us nearly touched our faces. We beat at them with the stocks of our guns, but there was nothing solid or vulnerable to strike. Then suddenly out of the whizzing slate-colored circle a long neck shot out and a fierce beak made a thrust at us. Another and another followed. Suddenly gave a cry and put his hand to his face, from which the blood was streaming. I felt a prod at the back of my neck, and turned dizzy with a shock. Challenger fell, and as I stooped to pick him up I was again struck from behind and dropped on the top of him. At the same instant I heard the crash of Lord John's elephant gun, and, looking up, saw one of the creatures with a broken wing struggling upon the ground, spitting and gurgling at us with a wide open beak and bloodshot, goggled eyes, like some devil in a medieval picture. Its comrades had flown higher at the sudden sound, and were circling above our heads. Now, cried Lord John, now for our lives! We staggered through the brushwood, and even as we reached the trees the harpies were on us again. Summerly was knocked down, but we tore him up and rushed among the trunks. Once there we were safe, for those huge wings had no space for their sweep beneath the branches. As we limped homewards, sadly mauled and discomfited, we saw them for a long time flying at a great height against the deep blue sky above our heads, soaring round and round, no bigger than wood pigeons, with their eyes no doubt still following our progress. At last, however, as we reached the thicker woods they gave up the chase, and we saw them no more. A most interesting and convincing experience, said Challenger, as we halted beside the brook, and he bathed a swollen knee. We are exceptionally well informed, Summerly, as to the habits of the enraged pterodactyl. Summerly was wiping the blood from a cut in his forehead while I was tying up a nasty stab in the muscle of the neck. Lord John had the shoulder of his coat torn away, but the creature's teeth had only grazed the flesh. It is worth noting, Challenger continued, that our young friend has received an undoubted stab, while Lord John's coat could only have been torn by a bite. In my own case I was beaten about the head by their wings, so we have had a remarkable exhibition of their various methods of offence. It has been touch and go for our lives, said Lord John gravely, and I could not think of a more rotten sort of death than to be outed by such filthy vermin. I was sorry to fire my rifle, but by Jove there was no great choice. We should not be here if you hadn't, said I, with conviction. It may do no harm, said he. Among these woods there must be many loud cracks from splitting or falling trees, which would be just like the sound of a gun. But now, if you are of my opinion, we have had thrills enough for one day, and it best get back to the surgical box at the camp for some Karbalik. Who knows what venom these beasts may have in their hideous jaws. But surely no man ever had just such a day since the world began. Some fresh surprise was ever in store for us, when following the course of our brook we at last reached our glade and saw the thorny barricade of our camp. We thought that our adventures were at an end. But we had something more to think of before we could rest. The gate of Fort Challenger had been untouched, the walls were unbroken, and yet it had been visited by some strange and powerful creature in our absence. No footmark showed a trace of its nature, and only the overhanging branch of the enormous ginkgo tree suggested how it might have come and gone, but of its malevolent strength there was ample evidence in the condition of our stores. They were strewn at random all over the ground, and one tin of meat had been crushed into pieces so as to extract the contents. A case of cartridges had been shattered into match wood, and one of the brass shells lay shredded into pieces beside it. Then the feeling of vague horror came upon our souls, and we gazed round with frightened eyes at the dark shadows which lay around us, and all of which some fearsome shape might be lurking. How good it was when we were hailed by the voice of Zambo, and, going to the edge of the plateau, saw him sitting grinning at us upon the top of the opposite pinnacle. All well, Mesa Challenger, all well, he cried. Me stay here, no fear, you always find me when you want. His honest black face, and the immense view before us, which carried us half way back to the affluent of the Amazon, helped us to remember that we really were upon this earth in the twentieth century, and had not by some magic been conveyed to some raw planet in its earliest and wildest state. How difficult it was to realize that the violet line upon the far horizon was well advanced to that great river upon which huge steamers ran, and folk talked of the small affairs of life, while we, marooned among the creatures of a bygone age, could be gazed towards it and yearn for all that it meant. One other memory remains with me of this wonderful day, and with it I will close this letter. The two professors, their tempers aggravated no doubt by their injuries, had fallen out as to whether our assailants were of the genus Pterodactylus or Dimorphodon, and high words had ensued. To avoid their wrangling I moved some little way apart, and was seated smoking upon the trunk of a fallen tree, when Lord John strolled over in my direction. I say, Malone, said he, do you remember that place where those beasts were? Very clearly. A sort of volcanic pit, was it not? Exactly, said I. Did you notice the soil? Rocks. But round the water where the reeds were? It was a bluish soil. It looked like clay. Exactly. A volcanic tube full of blue clay. What of that, I asked. Oh, nothing, nothing, said he, and strolled back to where the voices of the contending men of science rose in a prolonged duet, the high strident note of summerly rising and falling to the sonorous base of Challenger. I should have thought no more of Lord John's remark were it not that once again that night I heard him mutter to himself, blue clay, clay in a volcanic tube. They were the last words I heard before I dropped into an exhausted sleep. End of chapter.