Загублений світ
Who could have Foreseen it?
"DoIhelpyoutorealizethattheplateaucontainssomeanimallife?"
Ihavesaidthatathickfringeofgreenoverhungtheedgeofthecliff.Outofthistherehademergedablack,glisteningobject.Asitcameslowlyforthandoverhungthechasm,wesawthatitwasaverylargesnakewithapeculiarflat,spade-likehead.Itwaveredandquiveredaboveusforaminute,themorningsungleaminguponitssleek,sinuouscoils.Thenitslowlydrewinwardsanddisappeared.
SummerleehadbeensointerestedthathehadstoodunresistingwhileChallengertiltedhisheadintotheair.Nowheshookhiscolleagueoffandcamebacktohisdignity.
"Ishouldbeglad,ProfessorChallenger,"saidhe,"ifyoucouldseeyourwaytomakeanyremarkswhichmayoccurtoyouwithoutseizingmebythechin.Eventheappearanceofaveryordinaryrockpythondoesnotappeartojustifysuchaliberty."
"Butthereislifeupontheplateauallthesame,"hiscolleaguerepliedintriumph."Andnow,havingdemonstratedthisimportantconclusionsothatitiscleartoanyone,howeverprejudicedorobtuse,Iamofopinionthatwecannotdobetterthanbreakupourcampandtraveltowestwarduntilwefindsomemeansofascent."
Thegroundatthefootofthecliffwasrockyandbrokensothatthegoingwasslowanddifficult.Suddenlywecame,however,uponsomethingwhichcheeredourhearts.
