CHAPTER IV "It's Just the very Biggest Thing in the World"

apir,forexample." "Youmaytakeit,youngman,thatIamversedintheelementsofmybusiness.Thisisnotaconceivableboneeitherofatapirorofanyothercreatureknowntozoology.Itbelongstoaverylarge,averystrong,and,byallanalogy,averyfierceanimalwhichexistsuponthefaceoftheearth,buthasnotyetcomeunderthenoticeofscience.Youarestillunconvinced?" "Iamatleastdeeplyinterested." "Thenyourcaseisnothopeless.Ifeelthatthereisreasonlurkinginyousomewhere,sowewillpatientlygroperoundforit.WewillnowleavethedeadAmericanandproceedwithmynarrative.YoucanimaginethatIcouldhardlycomeawayfromtheAmazonwithoutprobingdeeperintothematter.Therewereindicationsastothedirectionfromwhichthedeadtravelerhadcome.Indianlegendswouldalonehavebeenmyguide,forIfoundthatrumorsofastrangelandwerecommonamongalltheriverinetribes.Youhaveheard,nodoubt,ofCurupuri?" "Never." "Curupuriisthespiritofthewoods,somethingterrible,somethingmalevolent,somethingtobeavoided.Nonecandescribeitsshapeornature,butitisawordofterroralongtheAmazon.NowalltribesagreeastothedirectioninwhichCurupurilives.ItwasthesamedirectionfromwhichtheAmericanhadcome.Somethingterriblelaythatway.Itwasmybusinesstofindoutwhatitwas." "Whatdidyoudo?"Myflippancywasallgone.Thismassivemancompelledone'sattentionandrespect. "Iovercametheextremereluctanceofthenatives—areluctancewhichextendseventotalkuponthesubject—andbyjudiciouspersuasionandgifts,aided,Iwilladmit,bysomethreatsofcoercion,Igottwoofthemtoactasguides.AftermanyadventureswhichIneednotdescribe,andaftertravelingadistancewhichIwillnotmention,inadirectionwhichIwithhold,wecameatlasttoatractofcountrywhichhasneverbeendescribed,nor,indeed,visitedsavebymyunfortunatepredecessor.Wouldyoukindlylookatthis?" Hehandedmeaphotograph—half-platesize. "Theunsatisfactoryappearanceofitisduetothefact,"saidhe,"thatondescendingtherivertheboatwasupsetandthecasewhichcontainedtheundevelopedfilmswasbroken,withdisastrousresults.Nearlyallofthemweretotallyruined—anirreparableloss.Thisisoneofthefewwhichpartiallyescaped.Thisexplanationofdeficienciesorabnormalitiesyouwillkindlyaccept.Therewastalkoffaking.Iamnotinamoodtoarguesuchapoint." Thephotographwascertainlyveryoff-colored.Anunkindcriticmighteasilyhavemisinterpretedthatdimsurface.Itwasadullgraylandscape,andasIgraduallydecipheredthedetailsofitIrealizedthatitrepresentedalongandenormouslyhighlineofcliffsexactlylikeanimmensecataractseeninthedistance,withasloping,tree-cladplainintheforeground. "Ibelieveitisthesameplaceasthepaintedpicture,"saidI. "Itisthesameplace,"theProfessoranswered."Ifoundtracesofthefellow'scamp.Nowlookatthis." Itwasanearerviewofthesamescene,thoughthephotographwasextremelydefective.Icoulddistinctlyseetheisolated,tree-crownedpinnacleofrockwhichwasdetachedfromthecrag. "Ihavenodoubtofitatall,"saidI. "Well,thatissomethinggained,"saidhe."Weprogress,dowenot?Now,willyoupleaselookatthetopofthatrockypinnacle?Doyouobservesomethingthere?" "Anenormoustree." "Butonthetree?" "Alargebird,"saidI. Hehandedmealens. "Yes,"Isaid,peeringthroughit,"alargebirdstandsonthetree.Itappearstohaveaconsiderablebeak.Ishouldsayitwasapelican." "Icannotcongratulateyouuponyoureyesight,"saidtheProfessor."Itisnotapelican,nor,indeed,isitabird.ItmayinterestyoutoknowthatIsucceededinshootingthatparticularspecimen.ItwastheonlyabsoluteproofofmyexperienceswhichIwasabletobringawaywithme." "Youhaveit,then?"Hereatlastwastangiblecorroboration. "Ihadit.Itwasunfortunatelylostwithsomuchelseinthesameboataccidentwhichruinedmyphotographs.Iclutchedatitasitdisappearedintheswirloftherapids,andpartofitswingwasleftinmyhand.Iwasinsensiblewhenwashedashore,butthemiserableremnantofmysuperbspecimenwasstillintactInowlayitbeforeyou." Fromadrawerheproducedwhatseemedtometobetheupperportionofthewingofalargebat.Itwasatleasttwofeetinlength,acurvedbone,withamembranousveilbeneathit. "Amonstrousbat!"Isuggested. "Nothingofthesort,"saidtheProfessor,severely."Living,asIdo,inaneducatedandscientificatmosphere,Icouldnothaveconceivedthatthefirstprinciplesofzoologyweresolittleknown.Isitpossiblethatyoudonotknowtheelementaryfactincomparativeanatomy,thatthewingofabirdisreallytheforearm,whilethewingofabatconsistsofthreeelongatedfingerswithmembranesbetween?Now,inthiscase,theboneiscertainlynottheforearm,andyoucanseeforyourselfthatthisisasinglemembranehanginguponasinglebone,andthereforethatitcannotbelongtoabat.Butifitisneitherbirdnorbat,whatisit?" Mysmallstockofknowledgewasexhausted. "Ireallydonotknow,"saidI. Heopenedthestandardworktowhichhehadalreadyreferredme. "Here,"saidhe,pointingtothepictureofanextraordinaryflyingmonster,"isanexcellentreproductionofthedimorphodon,orpterodactyl,aflyingreptileoftheJurassicperiod.Onthenextpageisadiagramofthemechanismofitswing.Kindlycompareitwiththespecimeninyourhand." AwaveofamazementpassedovermeasIlooked.Iwasconvinced.Therecouldbenogettingawayfromit.Thecumulativeproofwasoverwhelming.Thesketch,thephotographs,thenarrative,andnowtheactualspecimen—theevidencewascomplete.Isaidso—Isaidsowarmly,forIfeltthattheProfessorwasanill-usedman.Helean