Загублений світ
A Sight which I shall Never Forget
"Well,now,youngfellah,I’lltellyouwhatwillsurpriseyou.Yousayyousawsignsofmen,andfires,traps,andthelike.Well,wehaveseenthenativesthemselves.Poordevilstheywere,down-facedlittlechaps,andhadenoughtomakethemso.Itseemsthatthehumansholdonesideofthisplateau—overyonder,whereyousawthecaves—andtheape-menholdthisside,andthereisbloodywarbetweenthemallthetime.That’sthesituation,sofarasIcouldfollowit.Well,yesterdaytheape-mengotholdofadozenofthehumansandbroughttheminasprisoners.Youneverheardsuchajabberin’andshriekin’inyourlife.Themenwerelittleredfellows,andhadbeenbittenandclawedsothattheycouldhardlywalk.Theape-menputtwoofthemtodeaththereandthen—fairlypulledthearmoffoneofthem—itwasperfectlybeastly.Pluckylittlechapstheyare,andhardlygaveasqueak.Butitturnedusabsolutelysick.Summerleefainted,andevenChallengerhadasmuchashecouldstand.Ithinktheyhavecleared,don’tyou?"
Welistenedintently,butnothingsavethecallingofthebirdsbrokethedeeppeaceoftheforest.LordRoxtonwentonwithhisstory.
"Ithinkyouhavehadtheescapeofyourlife,youngfellahmylad.Itwascatchin’thoseIndiansthatputyoucleanoutoftheirheads,elsetheywouldhavebeenbacktothecampforyouassureasfateandgatheredyouin.
