Затерянный мир
A Sight which I shall Never Forget
Theirlanguageismorethanhalfsigns,anditwasnothardtofollowthem.SoIthoughtitwastimewemadeabreakforit.Ihadbeenplottin’itoutabit,andhadoneortwothingsclearinmymind.Itwasallonme,forSummerleewasuselessandChallengernotmuchbetter.Theonlytimetheygottogethertheygotslangin’becausetheycouldn’tagreeuponthescientificclassificationofthesered-headeddevilsthathadgotholdofus.OnesaiditwasthedryopithecusofJava,theothersaiditwaspithecanthropus.Madness,Icallit—Loonies,both.But,asIsay,Ihadthoughtoutoneortwopointsthatwerehelpful.Onewasthatthesebrutescouldnotrunasfastasamanintheopen.Theyhaveshort,bandylegs,yousee,andheavybodies.EvenChallengercouldgiveafewyardsinahundredtothebestofthem,andyouorIwouldbeaperfectShrubb.Anotherpointwasthattheyknewnothin’aboutguns.Idon’tbelievetheyeverunderstoodhowthefellowIshotcamebyhishurt.Ifwecouldgetatourgunstherewasnosayin’whatwecoulddo.
"SoIbrokeawayearlythismornin’,gavemyguardakickinthetummythatlaidhimout,andsprintedforthecamp.ThereIgotyouandtheguns,andhereweare."
"Buttheprofessors!"Icried,inconsternation.
"Well,wemustjustgobackandfetch’em.Icouldn’tbring’emwithme.Challengerwasupthetree,andSummerleewasnotfitfortheeffort.Theonlychancewastogetthegunsandtryarescue.
