dhorseand,withaquickflashofhisdarkeyes,movedfurtherawayfromtheProfessor.Then,placinghishanduponhisbreastandholdinghimselfwithgreatdignity,heutteredtheword"Maretas"severaltimes.TheProfessor,unabashed,seizedthenearestIndianbytheshoulderandproceededtolectureuponhimasifhewereapottedspecimeninaclass-room.
"Thetypeofthesepeople,"saidheinhissonorousfashion,"whetherjudgedbycranialcapacity,facialangle,oranyothertest,cannotberegardedasalowoneonthecontrary,wemustplaceitasconsiderablyhigherinthescalethanmanySouthAmericantribeswhichIcanmention.Onnopossiblesuppositioncanweexplaintheevolutionofsucharaceinthisplace.Forthatmatter,sogreatagapseparatestheseape-menfromtheprimitiveanimalswhichhavesurviveduponthisplateau,thatitisinadmissibletothinkthattheycouldhavedevelopedwherewefindthem."
"Thenwherethedoocedidtheydropfrom?"askedLordJohn.
"Aquestionwhichwill,nodoubt,beeagerlydiscussedineveryscientificsocietyinEuropeandAmerica,"theProfessoranswered."Myownreadingofthesituationforwhatitisworth—"heinflatedhischestenormouslyandlookedinsolentlyaroundhimatthewords—"isthatevolutionhasadvancedunderthepeculiarconditionsofthiscountryuptothevertebratestage,theoldtypessurvivingandlivingonincompanywiththenewerones.Thuswefindsuchmoderncreaturesasthetapir—ananimalwithquitearespectablelengthofpedigree—thegreatdeer,andtheant-eaterinthecompanionshipofreptilianformsofjurassictype.Somuchisclear.Andnowcometheape-menandtheIndian.Whatisthescientificmindtothinkoftheirpresence?Icanonlyaccountforitbyaninvasionfromoutside.ItisprobablethatthereexistedananthropoidapeinSouthAmerica,whoinpastagesfoundhiswaytothisplace,andthathedevelopedintothecreatureswehaveseen,someofwhich"—herehelookedhardatme—"wereofanappearanceandshapewhich,ifithadbeenaccompaniedbycorrespondingintelligence,would,Idonothesitatetosay,havereflectedcredituponanylivingrace.AstotheIndiansIcannotdoubtthattheyaremorerecentimmigrantsfrombelow.Underthestressoffamineorofconquesttheyhavemadetheirwayuphere.Facedbyferociouscreatureswhichtheyhadneverbeforeseen,theytookrefugeinthecaveswhichouryoungfriendhasdescribed,buttheyhavenodoubthadabitterfighttoholdtheirownagainstwildbeasts,andespeciallyagainsttheape-menwhowouldregardthemasintruders,andwageamercilesswaruponthemwithacunningwhichthelargerbeastswouldlack.Hencethefactthattheirnumbersappeartobelimited.Well,gentlemen,haveIreadyoutheriddlearight,oristhereanypointwhichyouwouldquery?"
ProfessorSum