CHAPTER IX "Who could have Foreseen it?"

Adreadfulthinghashappenedtous.Whocouldhaveforeseenit?Icannotforeseeanyendtoourtroubles.Itmaybethatwearecondemnedtospendourwholelivesinthisstrange,inaccessibleplace.IamstillsoconfusedthatIcanhardlythinkclearlyofthefactsofthepresentorofthechancesofthefuture.Tomyastoundedsensestheoneseemsmostterribleandtheotherasblackasnight. Nomenhaveeverfoundthemselvesinaworsepositionnoristhereanyuseindisclosingtoyouourexactgeographicalsituationandaskingourfriendsforareliefparty.Eveniftheycouldsendone,ourfatewillinallhumanprobabilitybedecidedlongbeforeitcouldarriveinSouthAmerica. Weare,intruth,asfarfromanyhumanaidasifwewereinthemoon.Ifwearetowinthrough,itisonlyourownqualitieswhichcansaveus.Ihaveascompanionsthreeremarkablemen,menofgreatbrain-powerandofunshakencourage.Thereliesouroneandonlyhope.ItisonlywhenIlookupontheuntroubledfacesofmycomradesthatIseesomeglimmerthroughthedarkness.OutwardlyItrustthatIappearasunconcernedasthey.InwardlyIamfilledwithapprehension. Letmegiveyou,withasmuchdetailasIcan,thesequenceofeventswhichhaveledustothiscatastrophe. WhenIfinishedmylastletterIstatedthatwewerewithinsevenmilesfromanenormouslineofruddycliffs,whichencircled,beyondalldoubt,theplateauofwhichProfessorChallengerspoke.Theirheight,asweapproachedthem,seemedtomeinsomeplacestobegreaterthanhehadstated—runningupinpartstoatleastathousandfeet—andtheywerecuriouslystriated,inamannerwhichis,Ibelieve,characteristicofbasalticupheavals.SomethingofthesortistobeseeninSalisburyCragsatEdinburgh.Thesummitshowedeverysignofaluxuriantvegetation,withbushesneartheedge,andfartherbackmanyhightrees.Therewasnoindicationofanylifethatwecouldsee. Thatnightwepitchedourcampimmediatelyunderthecliff—amostwildanddesolatespot.Thecragsaboveuswerenotmerelyperpendicular,butcurvedoutwardsatthetop,sothatascentwasoutofthequestion.ClosetouswasthehighthinpinnacleofrockwhichIbelieveImentionedearlierinthisnarrative.Itislikeabroadredchurchspire,thetopofitbeinglevelwiththeplateau,butagreatchasmgapingbetween.Onthesummitofittheregrewonehightree.Bothpinnacleandcliffwerecomparativelylow—somefiveorsixhundredfeet,Ishouldthink. "Itwasonthat,"saidProfessorChallenger,pointingtothistree,"thatthepterodactylwasperched.Iclimbedhalf-wayuptherockbeforeIshothim.Iaminclinedtothinkthatagoodmountaineerlikemyselfcouldascendtherocktothetop,thoughhewould,ofcourse,benonearertotheplateauwhenhehaddoneso." AsChallengerspokeofhispterodactylIglancedatProfessorSummerlee,andforthefirsttimeIseemedtoseesomesignsofadawningcredulityandrepentance.Therewasnosneeruponhisthinlips,but,onthecontrary,agray,drawnlookofexcitementandamazement.Challengersawit,too,andreveledinthefirsttasteofvictory. "Ofcourse,"saidhe,withhisclumsyandponderoussarcasm,"ProfessorSummerleewillunderstandthatwhenIspeakofapterodactylImeanastork—onlyitisthekindofstorkwhichhasnofeathers,aleatheryskin,membranouswings,andteethinitsjaws."Hegrinnedandblinkedandboweduntilhiscolleagueturnedandwalkedaway. Inthemorning,afterafrugalbreakfastofcoffeeandmanioc—wehadtobeeconomicalofourstores—weheldacouncilofwarastothebestmethodofascendingtotheplateauaboveus. ChallengerpresidedwithasolemnityasifheweretheLordChiefJusticeontheBench.Picturehimseateduponarock,hisabsurdboyishstrawhattiltedonthebackofhishead,hissuperciliouseyesdominatingusfromunderhisdroopinglids,hisgreatblackbeardwaggingasheslowlydefinedourpresentsituationandourfuturemovements. Beneathhimyoumighthaveseenthethreeofus—myself,sunburnt,young,andvigorousafterouropen-airtrampSummerlee,solemnbutstillcritical,behindhiseternalpipeLordJohn,askeenasarazor-edge,withhissupple,alertfigureleaninguponhisrifle,andhiseagereyesfixedeagerlyuponthespeaker.Behindusweregroupedthetwoswarthyhalf-breedsandthelittleknotofIndians,whileinfrontandaboveustoweredthosehuge,ruddyribsofrockswhichkeptusfromourgoal. "Ineednotsay,"saidourleader,"thatontheoccasionofmylastvisitIexhaustedeverymeansofclimbingthecliff,andwhereIfailedIdonotthinkthatanyoneelseislikelytosucceed,forIamsomethingofamountaineer.Ihadnoneoftheappliancesofarock-climberwithme,butIhavetakentheprecautiontobringthemnow.WiththeiraidIampositiveIcouldclimbthatdetachedpinnacletothesummitbutsolongasthemaincliffoverhangs,itisvaintoattemptascendingthat.Iwashurrieduponmylastvisitbytheapproachoftherainyseasonandbytheexhaustionofmysupplies.Theseconsiderationslimitedmytime,andIcanonlyclaimthatIhavesurveyedaboutsixmilesoftheclifftotheeastofus,findingnopossiblewayup.What,then,shallwenowdo?" "Thereseemstobeonlyonereasonablecourse,"saidProfessorSummerlee."Ifyouhaveexploredtheeast,weshouldtravelalongthebaseoftheclifftothewest,andseekforapracticablepointforourascent." "That'sit,"saidLordJohn."Theoddsarethatthisplateauisofnogreatsize,andweshalltravelroundituntilweeitherfindaneasywayupit,orcomebacktothepointfromwhichwestarted." "Ihavealreadyexplainedtoouryoungfriendhere,"saidChallenger(hehasawayofalludingtomeasifIwereaschoolchildtenyearsold),"thatitisquiteimpossiblethatthereshouldbeaneasywayupanywhere,forthesimplereasonthatiftherewerethesummitwouldnotbeisolated,andthoseconditionswouldnotobtainwhichhaveeffectedsosingularaninterferencewiththegenerallawsofsurvival.YetIadmitthattheremayverywellbeplaceswhereanexperthumanclimbermayreachthesummit,andyetacumbrousandheavyanimalbeunabletodescend.Itiscertainthatthereisapointwhereanascentispossible." "Howdoyouknowthat,sir?"askedSummerlee,sharply. "Becausemypredecessor,theAmericanMapleWhite,actuallymadesuchanascent.Howotherwisecouldhehaveseenthemonsterwhichhesketchedinhisnotebook?" "Thereyoureasonsomewhataheadoftheprovedfacts,"saidthestubbornSummerlee."Iadmityourplateau,becauseIhaveseenitbutIhavenotasyetsatisfiedmyselfthatitcontainsanyformoflifewhatever." "Whatyouadmit,sir,orwhatyoudonotadmit,isreallyofinconceivablysmallimportance.Iamgladtoperceivethattheplateauitselfhasactuallyobtrudeditselfuponyourintelligence."Heglancedupatit,andthen,toouramazement,hesprangfromhisrock,and,seizingSummerleebytheneck,hetiltedhisfaceintotheair."Nowsir!"heshouted,hoarsewithexcitement."DoIhelpyoutorealizethattheplateaucontainssomeanimallife?" Ihavesaidthatathickfringeofgreenoverhungtheedgeofthecliff.Outofthistherehademergedablack,glisteningobject.Asitcameslowlyforthandoverhungthechasm,wesawthatitwasaverylargesnakewithapeculiarflat,spade-likehead.Itwaveredandquiveredaboveusforaminute,themorningsungleaminguponitssleek,sinuouscoils.Thenitslowlydrewinwardsanddisappeared. SummerleehadbeensointerestedthathehadstoodunresistingwhileChallengertiltedhisheadintotheair.Nowheshookhiscolleagueoffandcamebacktohisdignity. "Ishouldbeglad,ProfessorChallenger,"saidhe,"ifyoucouldseeyourwaytomakeanyremarkswhichmayoccurtoyouwithoutseizingmebythechin.Eventheappearanceofaveryordinaryrockpythondoesnotappeartojustifysuchaliberty." "Butthereislifeupontheplateauallthesame,"hiscolleaguerepliedintriumph."Andnow,havingdemonstratedthisimportantconclusionsothatitiscleartoanyone,howeverprejudicedorobtuse,Iamofopinionthatwecannotdobetterthanbreakupourcampandtraveltowestwarduntilwefindsomemeansofascent." Thegroundatthefootofthecliffwasrockyandbrokensothatthegoingwasslowanddifficult.Suddenlywecame,however,uponsomethingwhichcheeredourhearts.Itwasthesiteofanoldencampment,withseveralemptyChicagomeattins,abottlelabeled"Brandy,"abrokentin-opener,andaquantityofothertravelers'debris.Acrumpled,disintegratednewspaperrevealeditselfastheChicagoDemocrat,thoughthedatehadbeenobliterated. "Notmine,"said