Загублений світ
Our Eyes have seen Great Wonders
Thatevening,afterdusk,hecamedowntoourlittlecamp,handedme(forsomereasonhehadalwaysshownhisattentionstome,perhapsbecauseIwastheonewhowasnearesthisage)asmallrollofthebarkofatree,andthenpointingsolemnlyupattherowofcavesabovehim,hehadputhisfingertohislipsasasignofsecrecyandhadstolenbackagaintohispeople.
Itooktheslipofbarktothefirelightandweexaminedittogether.Itwasaboutafootsquare,andontheinnersidetherewasasingulararrangementoflines,whichIherereproduce:
Theywereneatlydoneincharcoaluponthewhitesurface,andlookedtomeatfirstsightlikesomesortofroughmusicalscore.
"Whateveritis,Icanswearthatitisofimportancetous,"saidI."Icouldreadthatonhisfaceashegaveit."
"Unlesswehavecomeuponaprimitivepracticaljoker,"Summerleesuggested,"whichIshouldthinkwouldbeoneofthemostelementarydevelopmentsofman."
"Itisclearlysomesortofscript,"saidChallenger.
"Lookslikeaguineapuzzlecompetition,"remarkedLordJohn,craninghisnecktohavealookatit.Thensuddenlyhestretchedouthishandandseizedthepuzzle.
"ByGeorge!"hecried,"IbelieveI’vegotit.Theboyguessedrighttheveryfirsttime.Seehere!Howmanymarksareonthatpaper?Eighteen.Well,ifyoucometothinkofitthereareeighteencaveopeningsonthehill-sideaboveus."
"Hepointeduptothecaveswhenhegaveittome,"saidI.
"Well,thatsettlesit.
