Adreadfulthinghashappenedtous.Whocouldhaveforeseenit?Icannotforeseeanyendtoourtroubles.Itmaybethatwearecondemnedtospendourwholelivesinthisstrange,inaccessibleplace.IamstillsoconfusedthatIcanhardlythinkclearlyofthefactsofthepresentorofthechancesofthefuture.Tomyastoundedsensestheoneseemsmostterribleandtheotherasblackasnight.
Nomenhaveeverfoundthemselvesinaworsepositionnoristhereanyuseindisclosingtoyouourexactgeographicalsituationandaskingourfriendsforareliefparty.Eveniftheycouldsendone,ourfatewillinallhumanprobabilitybedecidedlongbeforeitcouldarriveinSouthAmerica.
Weare,intruth,asfarfromanyhumanaidasifwewereinthemoon.Ifwearetowinthrough,itisonlyourownqualitieswhichcansaveus.Ihaveascompanionsthreeremarkablemen,menofgreatbrain-powerandofunshakencourage.Thereliesouroneandonlyhope.ItisonlywhenIlookupontheuntroubledfacesofmycomradesthatIseesomeglimmerthroughthedarkness.OutwardlyItrustthatIappearasunconcernedasthey.InwardlyIamfilledwithapprehension.
Letmegiveyou,withasmuchdetailasIcan,thesequenceofeventswhichhaveledustothiscatastrophe.
WhenIfinishedmylastletterIstatedthatwewerewithinsevenmilesfromanenormouslineofruddycliffs,whichencircled,beyondalldoubt,theplateauofwhichProfessorChallengerspoke.Theirheight,asweapproachedthem,seemedtomeinsomeplacestobegreaterthanhehadstated—runningupinpartstoatleastathousandfeet—andtheywerecuriouslystriated,inamannerwhichis,Ibelieve,characteristicofbasalticupheavals.SomethingofthesortistobeseeninSalisburyCragsatEdinburgh.Thesummitshowedeverysignofaluxuriantvegetation,withbushesneartheedge,andfartherbackmanyhightrees.Therewasnoindicationofanylifethatwecouldsee.
Thatnightwepitchedourcampimmediatelyunderthecliff—amostwildanddesolatespot.Thecragsaboveuswerenotmerelyperpendicular,butcurvedoutwardsatthetop,sothatascentwasoutofthequestion.ClosetouswasthehighthinpinnacleofrockwhichIbelieveImentionedearlierinthisnarrative.Itislikeabroadredchurchspire,thetopofitbeinglevelwiththeplateau,butagreatchasmgapingbetween.Onthesummitofittheregrewonehightree.Bothpinnacleandcliffwerecomparativelylow—somefiveorsixhundredfeet,Ishouldthink.
"Itwasonthat,"saidProfessorChallenger,pointingtothistree,"thatthepterodactylwasperched.Iclimbedhalf-wayuptherockbeforeIshothim.Iaminclinedtothinkthatagoodmountaineerlikemyselfcouldascendtherocktothetop,thoughhewould,ofcourse,benonearertotheplateauwhenhehaddoneso."
AsChallengerspokeofhispterodactylIglancedatProfessorSummerlee,andforthefirsttimeIseemedtoseesomesignsofadawningcredulityandrepentance.Therewasnosneeruponhisthinlips,but,onthecontrary,agray,drawnlookofexcitementandamazement.Challengersawit,too,andreveledinthefirsttasteofvictory.
"Ofcourse,"saidhe,withhisclumsyandponderoussarcasm,"ProfessorSummerleewillunderstandthatwhenIspeakofapterodactylImeanastork—onlyitisthekindofstorkwhichhasnofeathers,aleatheryskin,membranouswings,andteethinitsjaws."Hegrinnedandblinkedandboweduntilhiscolleagueturnedandwalkedaway.
Inthemorning,afterafrugalbreakfastofcoffeeandmanioc—wehadtobeeconomicalofourstores—weheldacouncilofwarastothebestmethodofascendingtotheplateauaboveus.
ChallengerpresidedwithasolemnityasifheweretheLordChiefJusticeontheBench.Picturehimseateduponarock,hisabsurdboyishstrawhattiltedonthebackofhishead,hissuperciliouseyesdominatingusfromunderhisdroopinglids,hisgreatblackbeardwaggingasheslowlydefinedourpresentsituationandourfuturemovements.
Beneathhimyoumighthaveseenthethreeofus—myself,sunburnt,young,andvigorousafterouropen-airtrampSummerlee,solemnbutstillcritical,behindhiseternalpipeLordJohn,askeenasarazor-edge,withhissupple,alertfigureleaninguponhisrifle,andhiseagereyesfixedeagerlyuponthespeaker.Behindusweregroupedthetwoswarthyhalf-breedsandthelittleknotofIn