Загублений світ
Our Eyes have seen Great Wonders
Theopeningswereabouteightyfeetabovetheground,andwereleduptobylongstonestairs,sonarrowandsteepthatnolargeanimalcouldmountthem.Insidetheywerewarmanddry,runninginstraightpassagesofvaryinglengthintothesideofthehill,withsmoothgraywallsdecoratedwithmanyexcellentpicturesdonewithcharredsticksandrepresentingthevariousanimalsoftheplateau.Ifeverylivingthingweresweptfromthecountrythefutureexplorerwouldfinduponthewallsofthesecavesampleevidenceofthestrangefauna—thedinosaurs,iguanodons,andfishlizards—whichhadlivedsorecentlyuponearth.
Sincewehadlearnedthatthehugeiguanodonswerekeptastameherdsbytheirowners,andweresimplywalkingmeat-stores,wehadconceivedthatman,evenwithhisprimitiveweapons,hadestablishedhisascendancyupontheplateau.Weweresoontodiscoverthatitwasnotso,andthathewasstillthereupontolerance.
ItwasonthethirddayafterourformingourcampneartheIndiancavesthatthetragedyoccurred.ChallengerandSummerleehadgoneofftogetherthatdaytothelakewheresomeofthenatives,undertheirdirection,wereengagedinharpooningspecimensofthegreatlizards.LordJohnandIhadremainedinourcamp,whileanumberoftheIndianswerescatteredaboutuponthegrassyslopeinfrontofthecavesengagedindifferentways.Suddenlytherewasashrillcryofalarm,withtheword"Stoa"resoundingfromahundredtongues.
