Затерянный мир
It’s Just the very Biggest Thing in the World
YouareaColumbusofsciencewhohasdiscoveredalostworld.I’mawfullysorryifIseemedtodoubtyou.Itwasallsounthinkable.ButIunderstandevidencewhenIseeit,andthisshouldbegoodenoughforanyone."
TheProfessorpurredwithsatisfaction.
"Andthen,sir,whatdidyoudonext?"
"Itwasthewetseason,Mr.Malone,andmystoreswereexhausted.Iexploredsomeportionofthishugecliff,butIwasunabletofindanywaytoscaleit.ThepyramidalrockuponwhichIsawandshotthepterodactylwasmoreaccessible.Beingsomethingofacragsman,Ididmanagetogethalfwaytothetopofthat.FromthatheightIhadabetterideaoftheplateauuponthetopofthecrags.Itappearedtobeverylarge;neithertoeastnortowestcouldIseeanyendtothevistaofgreen-cappedcliffs.Below,itisaswampy,junglyregion,fullofsnakes,insects,andfever.Itisanaturalprotectiontothissingularcountry."
"Didyouseeanyothertraceoflife?"
"No,sir,Ididnot;butduringtheweekthatwelayencampedatthebaseofthecliffweheardsomeverystrangenoisesfromabove."
"ButthecreaturethattheAmericandrew?Howdoyouaccountforthat?"
"Wecanonlysupposethathemusthavemadehiswaytothesummitandseenitthere.Weknow,therefore,thatthereisawayup.Weknowequallythatitmustbeaverydifficultone,otherwisethecreatureswouldhavecomedownandoverrunthesurroundingcountry.Surelythatisclear?"
"Buthowdidtheycometobethere?"
