Загублений світ
A Sight which I shall Never Forget
Icallthemapes,buttheycarriedsticksandstonesintheirhandsandjabberedtalktoeachother,andendedupbytyin’ourhandswithcreepers,sotheyareaheadofanybeastthatIhaveseeninmywanderin’s.Ape-men—that’swhattheyare—Missin’Links,andIwishtheyhadstayedmissin’.Theycarriedofftheirwoundedcomrade—hewasbleedin’likeapig—andthentheysataroundus,andifeverIsawfrozenmurderitwasintheirfaces.Theywerebigfellows,asbigasamanandadealstronger.Curiousglassygrayeyestheyhave,underredtufts,andtheyjustsatandgloatedandgloated.Challengerisnochicken,butevenhewascowed.Hemanagedtostruggletohisfeet,andyelledoutatthemtohavedonewithitandgetitover.Ithinkhehadgoneabitoffhisheadatthesuddennessofit,forheragedandcursedatthemlikealunatic.IftheyhadbeenarowofhisfavoritePressmenhecouldnothaveslangedthemworse."
"Well,whatdidtheydo?"Iwasenthralledbythestrangestorywhichmycompanionwaswhisperingintomyear,whileallthetimehiskeeneyeswereshootingineverydirectionandhishandgraspinghiscockedrifle.
"Ithoughtitwastheendofus,butinsteadofthatitstartedthemonanewline.Theyalljabberedandchatteredtogether.ThenoneofthemstoodoutbesideChallenger.You’llsmile,youngfellah,but‘ponmywordtheymighthavebeenkinsmen.Icouldn’thavebelieveditifIhadn’tseenitwithmyowneyes.