Хребти божевілля

           Itwasapproximately4P.M.,afterwideplanecruisinghadforcedustogiveGedneyupforlost,thatwesentourguardedmessagetotheArkhamforrelaying; andIthinkwedidwelltokeepitascalmandnoncommittalaswesucceededindoing. Themostwesaidaboutagitationconcernedourdogs,whosefranticuneasinessnearthebiologicalspecimenswastobeexpectedfrompoorLake’saccounts. Wedidnotmention,Ithink,theirdisplayofthesameuneasinesswhensniffingaroundthequeergreenishsoapstonesandcertainotherobjectsinthedisorderedregion-objectsincludingscientificinstruments,aeroplanes,andmachinery,bothatthecampandattheboring,whosepartshadbeenloosened,moved,orotherwisetamperedwithbywindsthatmusthaveharboredsingularcuriosityandinvestigativeness. 

           Aboutthefourteenbiologicalspecimens,wewerepardonablyindefinite. Wesaidthattheonlyoneswediscoveredweredamaged,butthatenoughwasleftofthemtoproveLake’sdescriptionwhollyandimpressivelyaccurate. Itwashardworkkeepingourpersonalemotionsoutofthismatter—andwedidnotmentionnumbersorsayexactlyhowwehadfoundthosewhichwedidfind. WehadbythattimeagreednottotransmitanythingsuggestingmadnessonthepartofLake’smen, anditsurelylookedlikemadnesstofindsiximperfectmonstrositiescarefullyburieduprightinnine-footsnowgravesunderfive-pointedmoundspunchedoverwithgroupsofdotsinpatternsexactlythoseonthequeergreenishsoapstonesdugupfromMesozoicorTertiarytimes. TheeightperfectspecimensmentionedbyLakeseemedtohavebeencompletelyblownaway. 

           Wewerecareful,too,aboutthepublic’sgeneralpeaceofmind;henceDanforthandIsaidlittleaboutthatfrightfultripoverthemountainsthenextday.