Загублений світ
Those Were the Real Conquests
EvenChallengerwasreadytoadmitthatweshouldthenhavedoneallforwhichwehadcome,andthatourfirstdutyfromthattimeonwardswastocarrybacktocivilizationtheamazingdiscoverieswehadmade.
WewereablenowtotakeamoreleisurelyviewoftheIndianswhomwehadrescued.Theyweresmallmen,wiry,active,andwell-built,withlankblackhairtiedupinabunchbehindtheirheadswithaleathernthong,andleathernalsoweretheirloin-clothes.Theirfaceswerehairless,wellformed,andgood-humored.Thelobesoftheirears,hangingraggedandbloody,showedthattheyhadbeenpiercedforsomeornamentswhichtheircaptorshadtornout.Theirspeech,thoughunintelligibletous,wasfluentamongthemselves,andastheypointedtoeachotherandutteredtheword"Accala"manytimesover,wegatheredthatthiswasthenameofthenation.Occasionally,withfaceswhichwereconvulsedwithfearandhatred,theyshooktheirclenchedhandsatthewoodsroundandcried:"Doda!Doda!"whichwassurelytheirtermfortheirenemies.
"Whatdoyoumakeofthem,Challenger?"askedLordJohn."Onethingisverycleartome,andthatisthatthelittlechapwiththefrontofhisheadshavedisachiefamongthem."
Itwasindeedevidentthatthismanstoodapartfromtheothers,andthattheyneverventuredtoaddresshimwithouteverysignofdeeprespect.
