Загублений світ
Those Were the Real Conquests
Howelseshallwegobackunashamedtoourwomen?"
Thelittleredwarriorshunguponthewordsofthespeaker,andwhenhehadfinishedtheyburstintoaroarofapplause,wavingtheirrudeweaponsintheair.Theoldchiefsteppedforwardtous,andaskedussomequestions,pointingatthesametimetothewoods.LordJohnmadeasigntohimthatheshouldwaitforananswerandthenheturnedtous.
"Well,it’suptoyoutosaywhatyouwilldo,"saidhe;"formypartIhaveascoretosettlewiththesemonkey-folk,andifitendsbywipingthemoffthefaceoftheearthIdon’tseethattheearthneedfretaboutit.I’mgoin’withourlittleredpalsandImeantoseethemthroughthescrap.Whatdoyousay,youngfellah?"
"OfcourseIwillcome."
"Andyou,Challenger?"
"Iwillassuredlyco-operate."
"Andyou,Summerlee?"
"Weseemtobedriftingveryfarfromtheobjectofthisexpedition,LordJohn.IassureyouthatIlittlethoughtwhenIleftmyprofessionalchairinLondonthatitwasforthepurposeofheadingaraidofsavagesuponacolonyofanthropoidapes."
"Tosuchbaseusesdowecome,"saidLordJohn,smiling."Butweareupagainstit,sowhat’sthedecision?"
"Itseemsamostquestionablestep,"saidSummerlee,argumentativetothelast,"butifyouareallgoing,IhardlyseehowIcanremainbehind."
"Thenitissettled,"saidLordJohn,andturningtothechiefhenoddedandslappedhisrifle.
