Загублений світ
It was Dreadful in the Forest
SuddenlyIrememberedthatIhadatinboxofwax-vestasinmypocket.Strikingoneofthem,IwasableatlasttoformsomeopinionofthisplaceintowhichIhadfallen.Therecouldbenoquestionastoitsnature.Itwasatrap—madebythehandofman.Thepostinthecenter,someninefeetlong,wassharpenedattheupperend,andwasblackwiththestalebloodofthecreatureswhohadbeenimpaleduponit.Theremainsscatteredaboutwerefragmentsofthevictims,whichhadbeencutawayinordertoclearthestakeforthenextwhomightblunderin.IrememberedthatChallengerhaddeclaredthatmancouldnotexistupontheplateau,sincewithhisfeebleweaponshecouldnotholdhisownagainstthemonsterswhoroamedoverit.Butnowitwasclearenoughhowitcouldbedone.Intheirnarrow-mouthedcavesthenatives,whoevertheymightbe,hadrefugesintowhichthehugesaurianscouldnotpenetrate,whilewiththeirdevelopedbrainstheywerecapableofsettingsuchtraps,coveredwithbranches,acrossthepathswhichmarkedtherunoftheanimalsaswoulddestroytheminspiteofalltheirstrengthandactivity.Manwasalwaysthemaster.
Theslopingwallofthepitwasnotdifficultforanactivemantoclimb,butIhesitatedlongbeforeItrustedmyselfwithinreachofthedreadfulcreaturewhichhadsonearlydestroyedme.
