IlivetositoncemoreonaloungeintheSavageClubandlookoutonthedrabsolidityoftheEmbankment.Iknowthatitwillseemthentobesomewildnightmare,somedeliriumoffever.YetIwillsetitdownnow,whileitisstillfreshinmymemory,andoneatleast,themanwholayinthedampgrassesbymyside,willknowifIhavelied.
Awide,openspacelaybeforeus—somehundredsofyardsacross—allgreenturfandlowbrackengrowingtotheveryedgeofthecliff.Roundthisclearingtherewasasemi-circleoftreeswithcurioushutsbuiltoffoliagepiledoneabovetheotheramongthebranches.Arookery,witheverynestalittlehouse,wouldbestconveytheidea.Theopeningsofthesehutsandthebranchesofthetreeswerethrongedwithadensemobofape-people,whomfromtheirsizeItooktobethefemalesandinfantsofthetribe.Theyformedthebackgroundofthepicture,andwerealllookingoutwitheagerinterestatthesamescenewhichfascinatedandbewilderedus.
Intheopen,andneartheedgeofthecliff,therehadassembledacrowdofsomehundredoftheseshaggy,red-hairedcreatures,manyofthemofimmensesize,andallofthemhorribletolookupon.Therewasacertaindisciplineamongthem,fornoneofthemattemptedtobreakthelinewhichhadbeenformed.InfronttherestoodasmallgroupofIndians—little,clean-limbed,redfellows,whoseskinsglowedlikepolishedbronzeinthestrongsunlight.Atall,thinwhitemanwasstandingbesidethem,hisheadbowed,hisarmsfolded,hiswholeattitudeexpressiveofhishorroranddejection.TherewasnomistakingtheangularformofProfessorSummerlee.
Infrontofandaroundthisdejectedgroupofprisonerswereseveralape-men,whowatchedthemcloselyandmadeallescapeimpossible.Then,rightoutfromalltheothersandclosetotheedgeofthecliff,weretwofigures,sostrange,andunderothercircumstancessoludicrous,thattheyabsorbedmyattention.Theonewasourcomrade,ProfessorChallenger.Theremainsofhiscoatstillhunginstripsfromhisshoulders,buthisshirthadbeenalltornout,andhisgreatbeardmergeditselfintheblacktanglewhichcoveredhismightychest.Hehadlosthishat,andhishair,whichhadgrownlonginourwanderings,wasflyinginwilddisorder.AsingledayseemedtohavechangedhimfromthehighestproductofmoderncivilizationtothemostdesperatesavageinSouthAmerica.Besidehimstoodhismaster,thekingoftheape-men.Inallthingshewas,asLordJohnhadsaid,theveryimageofourProfessor,savethathiscoloringwasredinsteadofblack.Thesameshort,broadfigure,thesameheavyshoulders,thesameforwardhangofthearms,thesamebristlingbeardmergingitselfinthehairychest.Onlyabovetheeyebrows,wheretheslopingforeheadandlow,curvedskulloftheape-manwereinsharpcontrasttothebroadbrowandm