hallenger."ItmustbeMapleWhite's."
LordJohnhadbeengazingcuriouslyatagreattree-fernwhichovershadowedtheencampment."Isay,lookatthis,"saidhe."Ibelieveitismeantforasign-post."
Aslipofhardwoodhadbeennailedtothetreeinsuchawayastopointtothewestward.
"Mostcertainlyasign-post,"saidChallenger."Whatelse?Findinghimselfuponadangerouserrand,ourpioneerhasleftthissignsothatanypartywhichfollowshimmayknowthewayhehastaken.Perhapsweshallcomeuponsomeotherindicationsasweproceed."
Wedidindeed,buttheywereofaterribleandmostunexpectednature.Immediatelybeneaththeclifftheregrewaconsiderablepatchofhighbamboo,likethatwhichwehadtraversedinourjourney.Manyofthesestemsweretwentyfeethigh,withsharp,strongtops,sothatevenastheystoodtheymadeformidablespears.Wewerepassingalongtheedgeofthiscoverwhenmyeyewascaughtbythegleamofsomethingwhitewithinit.Thrustinginmyheadbetweenthestems,Ifoundmyselfgazingatafleshlessskull.Thewholeskeletonwasthere,buttheskullhaddetacheditselfandlaysomefeetnearertotheopen.
WithafewblowsfromthemachetesofourIndiansweclearedthespotandwereabletostudythedetailsofthisoldtragedy.Onlyafewshredsofclothescouldstillbedistinguished,butthereweretheremainsofbootsuponthebonyfeet,anditwasveryclearthatthedeadmanwasaEuropean.AgoldwatchbyHudson,ofNewYork,andachainwhichheldastylographicpen,layamongthebones.Therewasalsoasilvercigarette-case,with"J.C.,fromA.E.S.,"uponthelid.Thestateofthemetalseemedtoshowthatthecatastrophehadoccurrednogreattimebefore.
"Whocanhebe?"askedLordJohn."Poordevil!everyboneinhisbodyseemstobebroken."
"Andthebamboogrowsthroughhissmashedribs,"saidSummerlee."Itisafast-growingplant,butitissurelyinconceivablethatthisbodycouldhavebeenherewhilethecanesgrewtobetwentyfeetinlength."
"Astotheman'sidentity,"saidProfessorChallenger,"Ihavenodoubtwhateveruponthatpoint.AsImademywayuptheriverbeforeIreachedyouatthefazendaIinstitutedveryparticularinquiriesaboutMapleWhite.AtParatheyknewnothing.Fortunately,Ihadadefiniteclew,fortherewasaparticularpictureinhissketch-bookwhichshowedhimtakinglunchwithacertainecclesiasticatRosario.ThispriestIwasabletofind,andthoughheprovedaveryargumentativefellow,whotookitabsurdlyamissthatIshouldpointouttohimthecorrosiveeffectwhichmodernsciencemusthaveuponhisbeliefs,henonethelessgavemesomepositiveinformation.MapleWhitepassedRosariofouryearsago,ortwoyearsbeforeIsawhisdeadbody.Hewasnotaloneatthetime,buttherewasafriend,anAmericannamedJamesColver,whoremainedintheboatanddidnotmeetthisecclesiastic.Ithink,therefore,thattherecanbenodoubtthatwearenowlookingupontheremainsofthisJamesColver."
"Nor,"saidLordJohn,"istheremuchdoubtastohowhemethisdeath.Hehasfallenorbeenchuckedfromthetop,andsobeenimpaled.Howelsecouldhecomebyhisbrokenbones,andhowcouldhehavebeenstuckthroughbythesecaneswiththeirpointssohighaboveourheads?"
AhushcameoverusaswestoodroundtheseshatteredremainsandrealizedthetruthofLordJohnRoxton'swords.Thebeetlingheadofthecliffprojectedoverthecane-brake.Undoubtedlyhehadfallenfromabove.Buthadhefallen?Haditbeenanaccident?Or—alreadyominousandterriblepossibilitiesbegantoformroundthatunknownland.
Wemovedoffinsilence,andcontinuedtocoastroundthelineofcliffs,whichwereasevenandunbrokenassomeofthosemonstrousAntarcticice-fieldswhichIhaveseendepictedasstretchingfromhorizontohorizonandtoweringhighabovethemast-headsoftheexploringvessel.
Infivemileswesawnoriftorbreak.Andthensuddenlyweperceivedsomethingwhichfilleduswithnewhope.Inahollowoftherock,protectedfromrain,therewasdrawnarougharrowinchalk,pointingstilltothewestwards.
"MapleWhiteagain,"saidProfessorChallenger."Hehadsomepresentimentthatworthyfootstepswouldfollowclosebehindhim."
"Hehadchalk,then?"
"AboxofcoloredchalkswasamongtheeffectsIfoundinhisknapsack.Iremembert