Загублений світ
Who could have Foreseen it?
"Whatabouttheotherone?Ittooktwoofthemtoleverthattreeovertheedge."
"Icouldhaveshothim,butIlethimgo.Hemayhavehadnopartinit.PerhapsitwouldhavebeenbetterifIhadkilledhim,forhemust,asyousay,havelentahand."
Nowthatwehadthecluetohisaction,eachofuscouldcastbackandremembersomesinisteractuponthepartofthehalf-breed—hisconstantdesiretoknowourplans,hisarrestoutsideourtentwhenhewasover-hearingthem,thefurtivelooksofhatredwhichfromtimetotimeoneorotherofushadsurprised.Wewerestilldiscussingit,endeavoringtoadjustourmindstothesenewconditions,whenasingularsceneintheplainbelowarrestedourattention.
Amaninwhiteclothes,whocouldonlybethesurvivinghalf-breed,wasrunningasonedoesrunwhenDeathisthepacemaker.Behindhim,onlyafewyardsinhisrear,boundedthehugeebonyfigureofZambo,ourdevotednegro.Evenaswelooked,hespranguponthebackofthefugitiveandflunghisarmsroundhisneck.Theyrolledonthegroundtogether.AninstantafterwardsZamborose,lookedattheprostrateman,andthen,wavinghishandjoyouslytous,camerunninginourdirection.Thewhitefigurelaymotionlessinthemiddleofthegreatplain.
Ourtwotraitorshadbeendestroyed,butthemischiefthattheyhaddonelivedafterthem.Bynopossiblemeanscouldwegetbacktothepinnacle.Wehadbeennativesoftheworld;nowwewerenativesoftheplateau.Thetwothingswereseparateandapart.
