Загублений світ
Those Were the Real Conquests
Heseemedtobetheyoungestofthemall,andyet,soproudandhighwashisspiritthat,uponChallengerlayinghisgreathanduponhishead,hestartedlikeaspurredhorseand,withaquickflashofhisdarkeyes,movedfurtherawayfromtheProfessor.Then,placinghishanduponhisbreastandholdinghimselfwithgreatdignity,heutteredtheword"Maretas"severaltimes.TheProfessor,unabashed,seizedthenearestIndianbytheshoulderandproceededtolectureuponhimasifhewereapottedspecimeninaclass-room.
"Thetypeofthesepeople,"saidheinhissonorousfashion,"whetherjudgedbycranialcapacity,facialangle,oranyothertest,cannotberegardedasalowone;onthecontrary,wemustplaceitasconsiderablyhigherinthescalethanmanySouthAmericantribeswhichIcanmention.Onnopossiblesuppositioncanweexplaintheevolutionofsucharaceinthisplace.Forthatmatter,sogreatagapseparatestheseape-menfromtheprimitiveanimalswhichhavesurviveduponthisplateau,thatitisinadmissibletothinkthattheycouldhavedevelopedwherewefindthem."
"Thenwherethedoocedidtheydropfrom?"askedLordJohn.
"Aquestionwhichwill,nodoubt,beeagerlydiscussedineveryscientificsocietyinEuropeandAmerica,"theProfessoranswered.
