Хребти божевілля
II
Later,asheadoftheexpedition,IaddedsomeremarkstoberelayedthroughtheArkhamtotheoutsideworld. Ofcourse,restwasanabsurdthoughtamidstthisexcitement;andmyonlywishwastogettoLake’scampasquicklyasIcould. Itdisappointedmewhenhesentwordthatarisingmountaingalemadeearlyaerialtravelimpossible.
Butwithinanhourandahalfinterestagainrosetobanishdisappointment. Lake,sendingmoremessages,toldofthecompletelysuccessfultransportationofthefourteengreatspecimenstothecamp. Ithadbeenahardpull,forthethingsweresurprisinglyheavy; butninemenhadaccomplisheditveryneatly. Nowsomeofthepartywerehurriedlybuildingasnowcorralatasafedistancefromthecamp,towhichthedogscouldbebroughtforgreaterconvenienceinfeeding. Thespecimenswerelaidoutonthehardsnownearthecamp,saveforoneonwhichLakewasmakingcrudeattemptsatdissection.
Thisdissectionseemedtobeagreatertaskthanhadbeenexpected,for,despitetheheatofagasolinestoveinthenewlyraisedlaboratorytent,thedeceptivelyflexibletissuesofthechosenspecimen-apowerfulandintactone-lostnothingoftheirmorethanleatherytoughness. Lakewaspuzzledastohowhemightmaketherequisiteincisionswithoutviolencedestructiveenoughtoupsetallthestructuralnicetieshewaslookingfor. Hehad,itistrue,sevenmoreperfectspecimens;buttheseweretoofewtouseuprecklesslyunlessthecavemightlateryieldanunlimitedsupply. Accordinglyheremovedthespecimenanddraggedinonewhich,thoughhavingremnantsofthestarfisharrangementsatbothends,wasbadlycrushedandpartlydisruptedalongoneofthegreattorsofurrows.
