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CHAPTER V "Question!"

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    mIgavesomeaccountofmyadventures.Helistenedwithascepticalsmileonhisgauntface,androaredwithlaughteronhearingthattheProfessorhadconvincedme. "Mydearchap,thingsdon'thappenlikethatinreallife.Peopledon'tstumbleuponenormousdiscoveriesandthenlosetheirevidence.Leavethattothenovelists.Thefellowisasfulloftricksasthemonkey-houseattheZoo.It'sallbosh." "ButtheAmericanpoet?" "Heneverexisted." "Isawhissketch-book." "Challenger'ssketch-book." "Youthinkhedrewthatanimal?" "Ofcoursehedid.Whoelse?" "Well,then,thephotographs?" "Therewasnothinginthephotographs.Byyourownadmissionyouonlysawabird." "Apterodactyl." "That'swhatHEsays.Heputthepterodactylintoyourhead." "Well,then,thebones?" "FirstoneoutofanIrishstew.Secondonevampedupfortheoccasion.Ifyouarecleverandknowyourbusinessyoucanfakeaboneaseasilyasyoucanaphotograph." Ibegantofeeluneasy.Perhaps,afterall,Ihadbeenprematureinmyacquiescence.ThenIhadasuddenhappythought. "Willyoucometothemeeting?"Iasked. TarpHenrylookedthoughtful. "Heisnotapopularperson,thegenialChallenger,"saidhe."Alotofpeoplehaveaccountstosettlewithhim.Ishouldsayheisaboutthebest-hatedmaninLondon.Ifthemedicalstudentsturnouttherewillbenoendofarag.Idon'twanttogetintoabear-garden." "Youmightatleastdohimthejusticetohearhimstatehisowncase." "Well,perhapsit'sonlyfair.Allright.I'myourmanfortheevening." WhenwearrivedatthehallwefoundamuchgreaterconcoursethanIhadexpected.Alineofelectricbroughamsdischargedtheirlittlecargoesofwhite-beardedprofessors,whilethedarkstreamofhumblerpedestrians,whocrowdedthroughthearcheddoor-way,showedthattheaudiencewouldbepopularaswellasscientific.Indeed,itbecameevidenttousassoonaswehadtakenourseatsthatayouthfulandevenboyishspiritwasabroadinthegalleryandthebackportionsofthehall.Lookingbehindme,Icouldseerowsoffacesofthefamiliarmedicalstudenttype.Apparentlythegreathospitalshadeachsentdowntheircontingent.Thebehavioroftheaudienceatpresentwasgood-humored,butmischievous.Scrapsofpopularsongswerechorusedwithanenthusiasmwhichwasastrangepreludetoascientificlecture,andtherewasalreadyatendencytopersonalchaffwhichpromisedajovialeven
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