Затерянный мир
Our Eyes have seen Great Wonders
AstoSummerlee,hewasabsorbedintheinsectandbirdlifeoftheplateau,andspenthiswholetime(savethatconsiderableportionwhichwasdevotedtoabusingChallengerfornotgettingusoutofourdifficulties)incleaningandmountinghisspecimens.
Challengerhadbeeninthehabitofwalkingoffbyhimselfeverymorningandreturningfromtimetotimewithlooksofportentoussolemnity,asonewhobearsthefullweightofagreatenterpriseuponhisshoulders.Oneday,palmbranchinhand,andhiscrowdofadoringdevoteesbehindhim,heledusdowntohishiddenwork-shopandtookusintothesecretofhisplans.
Theplacewasasmallclearinginthecenterofapalmgrove.InthiswasoneofthoseboilingmudgeyserswhichIhavealreadydescribed.Arounditsedgewerescatteredanumberofleathernthongscutfromiguanodonhide,andalargecollapsedmembranewhichprovedtobethedriedandscrapedstomachofoneofthegreatfishlizardsfromthelake.Thishugesackhadbeensewnupatoneendandonlyasmallorificeleftattheother.Intothisopeningseveralbamboocaneshadbeeninsertedandtheotherendsofthesecaneswereincontactwithconicalclayfunnelswhichcollectedthegasbubblingupthroughthemudofthegeyser.SoontheflaccidorganbegantoslowlyexpandandshowsuchatendencytoupwardmovementsthatChallengerfastenedthecordswhichheldittothetrunksofthesurroundingtrees.
