Затерянный мир
Who could have Foreseen it?
"Ihavealreadyexplainedtoouryoungfriendhere,"saidChallenger(hehasawayofalludingtomeasifIwereaschoolchildtenyearsold),"thatitisquiteimpossiblethatthereshouldbeaneasywayupanywhere,forthesimplereasonthatiftherewerethesummitwouldnotbeisolated,andthoseconditionswouldnotobtainwhichhaveeffectedsosingularaninterferencewiththegenerallawsofsurvival.YetIadmitthattheremayverywellbeplaceswhereanexperthumanclimbermayreachthesummit,andyetacumbrousandheavyanimalbeunabletodescend.Itiscertainthatthereisapointwhereanascentispossible."
"Howdoyouknowthat,sir?"askedSummerlee,sharply.
"Becausemypredecessor,theAmericanMapleWhite,actuallymadesuchanascent.Howotherwisecouldhehaveseenthemonsterwhichhesketchedinhisnotebook?"
"Thereyoureasonsomewhataheadoftheprovedfacts,"saidthestubbornSummerlee."Iadmityourplateau,becauseIhaveseenit;butIhavenotasyetsatisfiedmyselfthatitcontainsanyformoflifewhatever."
"Whatyouadmit,sir,orwhatyoudonotadmit,isreallyofinconceivablysmallimportance.Iamgladtoperceivethattheplateauitselfhasactuallyobtrudeditselfuponyourintelligence."Heglancedupatit,andthen,toouramazement,hesprangfromhisrock,and,seizingSummerleebytheneck,hetiltedhisfaceintotheair."Nowsir!"heshouted,hoarsewithexcitement.
