Загублений світ
Who could have Foreseen it?
ThispriestIwasabletofind,andthoughheprovedaveryargumentativefellow,whotookitabsurdlyamissthatIshouldpointouttohimthecorrosiveeffectwhichmodernsciencemusthaveuponhisbeliefs,henonethelessgavemesomepositiveinformation.MapleWhitepassedRosariofouryearsago,ortwoyearsbeforeIsawhisdeadbody.Hewasnotaloneatthetime,buttherewasafriend,anAmericannamedJamesColver,whoremainedintheboatanddidnotmeetthisecclesiastic.Ithink,therefore,thattherecanbenodoubtthatwearenowlookingupontheremainsofthisJamesColver."
"Nor,"saidLordJohn,"istheremuchdoubtastohowhemethisdeath.Hehasfallenorbeenchuckedfromthetop,andsobeenimpaled.Howelsecouldhecomebyhisbrokenbones,andhowcouldhehavebeenstuckthroughbythesecaneswiththeirpointssohighaboveourheads?"
AhushcameoverusaswestoodroundtheseshatteredremainsandrealizedthetruthofLordJohnRoxton’swords.Thebeetlingheadofthecliffprojectedoverthecane-brake.Undoubtedlyhehadfallenfromabove.Buthadhefallen?Haditbeenanaccident?Or—alreadyominousandterriblepossibilitiesbegantoformroundthatunknownland.
Wemovedoffinsilence,andcontinuedtocoastroundthelineofcliffs,whichwereasevenandunbrokenassomeofthosemonstrousAntarcticice-fieldswhichIhaveseendepictedasstretchingfromhorizontohorizonandtoweringhighabovethemast-headsoftheexploringvessel.
