Затерянный мир
Who could have Foreseen it?
Behindusweregroupedthetwoswarthyhalf-breedsandthelittleknotofIndians,whileinfrontandaboveustoweredthosehuge,ruddyribsofrockswhichkeptusfromourgoal.
"Ineednotsay,"saidourleader,"thatontheoccasionofmylastvisitIexhaustedeverymeansofclimbingthecliff,andwhereIfailedIdonotthinkthatanyoneelseislikelytosucceed,forIamsomethingofamountaineer.Ihadnoneoftheappliancesofarock-climberwithme,butIhavetakentheprecautiontobringthemnow.WiththeiraidIampositiveIcouldclimbthatdetachedpinnacletothesummit;butsolongasthemaincliffoverhangs,itisvaintoattemptascendingthat.Iwashurrieduponmylastvisitbytheapproachoftherainyseasonandbytheexhaustionofmysupplies.Theseconsiderationslimitedmytime,andIcanonlyclaimthatIhavesurveyedaboutsixmilesoftheclifftotheeastofus,findingnopossiblewayup.What,then,shallwenowdo?"
"Thereseemstobeonlyonereasonablecourse,"saidProfessorSummerlee."Ifyouhaveexploredtheeast,weshouldtravelalongthebaseoftheclifftothewest,andseekforapracticablepointforourascent."
"That’sit,"saidLordJohn."Theoddsarethatthisplateauisofnogreatsize,andweshalltravelroundituntilweeitherfindaneasywayupit,orcomebacktothepointfromwhichwestarted."
