Затерянный мир
The Outlying Pickets of the New World
Aboutthreeo’clockintheafternoonwecametoaverysteeprapid,morethanamilelong—theveryoneinwhichProfessorChallengerhadsuffereddisasteruponhisfirstjourney.Iconfessthatthesightofitconsoledme,foritwasreallythefirstdirectcorroboration,slightasitwas,ofthetruthofhisstory.TheIndianscarriedfirstourcanoesandthenourstoresthroughthebrushwood,whichisverythickatthispoint,whilewefourwhites,ourriflesonourshoulders,walkedbetweenthemandanydangercomingfromthewoods.Beforeeveningwehadsuccessfullypassedtherapids,andmadeourwaysometenmilesabovethem,whereweanchoredforthenight.AtthispointIreckonedthatwehadcomenotlessthanahundredmilesupthetributaryfromthemainstream.
Itwasintheearlyforenoonofthenextdaythatwemadethegreatdeparture.SincedawnProfessorChallengerhadbeenacutelyuneasy,continuallyscanningeachbankoftheriver.Suddenlyhegaveanexclamationofsatisfactionandpointedtoasingletree,whichprojectedatapeculiarangleoverthesideofthestream.
"Whatdoyoumakeofthat?"heasked.
"ItissurelyanAssaipalm,"saidSummerlee.
"Exactly.ItwasanAssaipalmwhichItookformylandmark.Thesecretopeningishalfamileonwardsupontheothersideoftheriver.Thereisnobreakinthetrees.Thatisthewonderandthemysteryofit.Therewhereyouseelight-greenrushesinsteadofdark-greenundergrowth,therebetweenthegreatcottonwoods,thatismyprivategateintotheunknown.Pushthrough,andyouwillunderstand."
