Загублений світ
The most Wonderful Things have Happened
Challengersprangintotheairbellowinglikeabull,andtorefranticallyathiscoatandshirttogetthemoff.SummerleeandIlaughedsothatwecouldhardlyhelphim.Atlastweexposedthatmonstroustorso(fifty-fourinches,bythetailor’stape).Hisbodywasallmattedwithblackhair,outofwhichjunglewepickedthewanderingtickbeforeithadbittenhim.Butthebushesroundwerefullofthehorriblepests,anditwasclearthatwemustshiftourcamp.
Butfirstofallitwasnecessarytomakeourarrangementswiththefaithfulnegro,whoappearedpresentlyonthepinnaclewithanumberoftinsofcocoaandbiscuits,whichhetossedovertous.Ofthestoreswhichremainedbelowhewasorderedtoretainasmuchaswouldkeephimfortwomonths.TheIndiansweretohavetheremainderasarewardfortheirservicesandaspaymentfortakingourlettersbacktotheAmazon.Somehourslaterwesawtheminsinglefilefaroutupontheplain,eachwithabundleonhishead,makingtheirwaybackalongthepathwehadcome.Zambooccupiedourlittletentatthebaseofthepinnacle,andthereheremained,ouronelinkwiththeworldbelow.
Andnowwehadtodecideuponourimmediatemovements.Weshiftedourpositionfromamongthetick-ladenbushesuntilwecametoasmallclearingthicklysurroundedbytreesuponallsides.Thereweresomeflatslabsofrockinthecenter,withanexcellentwellcloseby,andtherewesatincleanlycomfortwhilewemadeourfirstplansfortheinvasionofthisnewcountry.
