CHAPTER II "Try Your Luck with Professor Challenger"

k?" IdaresayIlookedalittlestartled. "Challenger!"Icried."ProfessorChallenger,thefamouszoologist!Wasn'thethemanwhobroketheskullofBlundell,oftheTelegraph?" Thenewseditorsmiledgrimly. "Doyoumind?Didn'tyousayitwasadventuresyouwereafter?" "Itisallinthewayofbusiness,sir,"Ianswered. "Exactly.Idon'tsupposehecanalwaysbesoviolentasthat.I'mthinkingthatBlundellgothimatthewrongmoment,maybe,orinthewrongfashion.Youmayhavebetterluck,ormoretactinhandlinghim.There'ssomethinginyourlinethere,Iamsure,andtheGazetteshouldworkit." "Ireallyknownothingabouthim,"saidI."Ionlyrememberhisnameinconnectionwiththepolice-courtproceedings,forstrikingBlundell." "Ihaveafewnotesforyourguidance,Mr.Malone.I'vehadmyeyeontheProfessorforsomelittletime."Hetookapaperfromadrawer."Hereisasummaryofhisrecord.Igiveityoubriefly:— "'Challenger,GeorgeEdward.Born:Largs,N.B.,1863.Educ.:LargsAcademyEdinburghUniversity.BritishMuseumAssistant,1892.Assistant-KeeperofComparativeAnthropologyDepartment,1893.Resignedafteracrimoniouscorrespondencesameyear.WinnerofCraystonMedalforZoologicalResearch.ForeignMemberof'—well,quitealotofthings,abouttwoinchesofsmalltype—'SocieteBelge,AmericanAcademyofSciences,LaPlata,etc.,etc.Ex-PresidentPalaeontologicalSociety.SectionH,BritishAssociation'—soon,soon!—'Publications:"SomeObservationsUponaSeriesofKalmuckSkulls""OutlinesofVertebrateEvolution"andnumerouspapers,including"TheunderlyingfallacyofWeissmannism,"whichcausedheateddiscussionattheZoologicalCongressofVienna.Recreations:Walking,Alpineclimbing.Address:EnmorePark,Kensington,W.' "There,takeitwithyou.I'venothingmoreforyouto-night." Ipocketedtheslipofpaper. "Onemoment,sir,"Isaid,asIrealizedthatitwasapinkbaldhead,andnotaredface,whichwasfrontingme."IamnotveryclearyetwhyIamtointerviewthisgentleman.Whathashedone?" Thefaceflashedbackagain. "WenttoSouthAmericaonasolitaryexpedeetiontwoyearsago.Camebacklastyear.HadundoubtedlybeentoSouthAmerica,butrefusedtosayexactlywhere.Begantotellhisadventuresinavagueway,butsomebodystartedtopickholes,andhejustshutuplikeanoyster.Somethingwonderfulhappened—ortheman'sachampionliar,whichisthemoreprobablesupposeetion.Hadsomedamagedphotographs,saidtobefakes.Gotsotouchythatheassaultsanyonewhoasksquestions,and