Хребти божевілля
II
Ontheotherhand,theprevalenceofveryearlylifeformswassingularinthehighestdegree. Thoughthelimestoneformationwas,ontheevidenceofsuchtypicalimbeddedfossilsasventriculites,positivelyandunmistakablyComanchianandnotaparticleearlier,thefreefragmentsinthehollowspaceincludedasurprisingproportionfromorganismshithertoconsideredaspeculiartofarolderperiods-evenrudimentaryfishes,mollusks,andcoralsasremoteastheSilunanorOrdovician. Theinevitableinferencewasthatinthispartoftheworldtherehadbeenaremarkableanduniquedegreeofcontinuitybetweenthelifeofoverthreehundredmillionyearsagoandthatofonlythirtymillionyearsago. HowfarthiscontinuityhadextendedbeyondtheOligoceneAgewhenthecavernwasclosedwasofcoursepastallspeculation. Inanyevent,thecomingofthefrightfuliceinthePleistocenesomefivehundredthousandyearsago-amereyesterdayascomparedwiththeageofthiscavity-musthaveputanendtoanyoftheprimalformswhichhadlocallymanagedtooutlivetheircommonterms.
Lakewasnotcontenttolethisfirstmessagestand,buthadanotherbulletinwrittenanddispatchedacrossthesnowtothecampbeforeMoultoncouldgetback. AfterthatMoultonstayedatthewirelessinoneoftheplanes,transmittingtome-andtotheArkhamforrelayingtotheoutsideworld-thefrequentpostscriptswhichLakesenthimbyasuccessionofmessengers. Thosewhofollowedthenewspaperswillremembertheexcitementcreatedamongmenofsciencebythatafternoon’sreports -reportswhichhavefinallyled,afteralltheseyears,totheorganizationofthatveryStarkweather-MooreExpeditionwhichIamsoanxioustodissuadefromitspurposes.
