Хребти божевілля
II
Thehollowedlayerwasnotmorethansevenoreightfeetdeepbutextendedoffindefinitelyinalldirectionsandhadafresh,slightlymovingairwhichsuggesteditsmembershipinanextensivesubterraneansystem. Itsroofandfloorwereabundantlyequippedwithlargestalactitesandstalagmites,someofwhichmetincolumnarform: butimportantaboveallelsewasthevastdepositofshellsandbones,whichinplacesnearlychokedthepassage. WasheddownfromunknownjunglesofMesozoictreefernsandfungi,andforestsofTertiarycycads,fanpalms,andprimitiveangiosperms,thisosseousmedleycontainedrepresentativesofmoreCretaceous,Eocene,andotheranimalspeciesthanthegreatestpaleontologistcouldhavecountedorclassifiedinayear. Mollusks,crustaceanarmor,fishes,amphibians,reptiles,birds,andearlymammals-greatandsmall,knownandunknown. NowonderGedneyranbacktothecampshouting,andnowondereveryoneelsedroppedworkandrushedheadlongthroughthebitingcoldtowherethetallderrickmarkedanew-foundgatewaytosecretsofinnerearthandvanishedaeons.
WhenLakehadsatisfiedthefirstkeenedgeofhiscuriosity,hescribbledamessageinhisnotebookandhadyoungMoultonrunbacktothecamptodispatchitbywireless. Thiswasmyfirstwordofthediscovery,andittoldoftheidentificationofearlyshells,bonesofganoidsandplacoderms,remnantsoflabyrinthodontsandthecodonts,greatmosasaurskullfragments,dinosaurvertebraeandarmorplates,pterodactylteethandwingbones,Archaeopteryxdebris,Miocenesharks’teeth,primitivebirdskulls,andotherbonesofarchaicmammalssuchaspalaeotheres,Xiphodons,Eohippi,Oreodons,andtitanotheres. Therewasnothingasrecentasamastodon,elephant,truecamel,deer,orbovineanimal;henceLakeconcludedthatthelastdepositshadoccurredduringtheOligoceneAge,andthatthehollowedstratumhadlaininitspresentdried,dead,andinaccessiblestateforatleastthirtymillionyears.
