CHAPTER IX "Who could have Foreseen it?"

myblushesbynotsayingit."Hisbeardbristledexultantly,hischestwasthrownout,andhishandwasthrustintothefrontofhisjacket.So,inhisfancy,mayheseehimselfsometimes,gracingthevacantpedestalinTrafalgarSquare,andaddingonemoretothehorrorsoftheLondonstreets. "Eureka!"hecried,histeethshiningthroughhisbeard."Gentlemen,youmaycongratulatemeandwemaycongratulateeachother.Theproblemissolved." "Youhavefoundawayup?" "Iventuretothinkso." "Andwhere?" Foranswerhepointedtothespire-likepinnacleuponourright. Ourfaces—ormine,atleast—fellaswesurveyedit.Thatitcouldbeclimbedwehadourcompanion'sassurance.Butahorribleabysslaybetweenitandtheplateau. "Wecannevergetacross,"Igasped. "Wecanatleastallreachthesummit,"saidhe."WhenweareupImaybeabletoshowyouthattheresourcesofaninventivemindarenotyetexhausted." Afterbreakfastweunpackedthebundleinwhichourleaderhadbroughthisclimbingaccessories.Fromithetookacoilofthestrongestandlightestrope,ahundredandfiftyfeetinlength,withclimbingirons,clamps,andotherdevices.LordJohnwasanexperiencedmountaineer,andSummerleehaddonesomeroughclimbingatvarioustimes,sothatIwasreallythenoviceatrock-workofthepartybutmystrengthandactivitymayhavemadeupformywantofexperience. Itwasnotinrealityaverystifftask,thoughthereweremomentswhichmademyhairbristleuponmyhead.Thefirsthalfwasperfectlyeasy,butfromthereupwardsitbecamecontinuallysteeperuntil,forthelastfiftyfeet,wewereliterallyclingingwithourfingersandtoestotinyledgesandcrevicesintherock.Icouldnothaveaccomplishedit,norcouldSummerlee,ifChallengerhadnotgainedthesummit(itwasextraordinarytoseesuchactivityinsounwieldyacreature)andtherefixedtheroperoundthetrunkoftheconsiderabletreewhichgrewthere.Withthisasoursupport,weweresoonabletoscrambleupthejaggedwalluntilwefoundourselvesuponthesmallgrassyplatform,sometwenty-fivefeeteachway,whichformedthesummit. ThefirstimpressionwhichIreceivedwhenIhadrecoveredmybreathwasoftheextraordinaryviewoverthecountrywhichwehadtraversed.ThewholeBrazilianplainseemedtoliebeneathus,extendingawayandawayuntilitendedindimbluemistsuponthefarthestsky-line.Intheforegroundwasthelongslope,strewnwithrocksanddottedwithtree-fernsfartheroffinthemiddledistance,lookingoverthesaddle-backhill,Icouldjustseetheyellowandgreenmassofbamboosthroughwhichwehadpassedandthen,gradually,thevegetationincreaseduntilitformedthehugeforestwhichextendedasfarastheeyescouldreach,andforagoodtwothousandmilesbeyond. IwasstilldrinkinginthiswonderfulpanoramawhentheheavyhandoftheProfessorfelluponmyshoulder. "Thisway,myyoungfriend,"saidhe"vestigianullaretrorsum.Neverlookrearwards,butalwaystoourgloriousgoal." Theleveloftheplateau,whenIturned,wasexactlythatonwhichwestood,andthegreenbankofbushes,withoccasionaltrees,wassonearthatitwasdifficulttorealizehowinaccessibleitremained.Ataroughguessthegulfwasfortyfeetacross,but,sofarasIcouldsee,itmightaswellhavebeenfortymiles.Iplacedonearmroundthetrunkofthetreeandleanedovertheabyss.Fardownwerethesmalldarkfiguresofourservants,lookingupatus.Thewallwasabsolutelyprecipitous,aswasthatwhichfacedme. "Thisisindeedcurious,"saidthecreakingvoiceofProfessorSummerlee. Iturned,andfoundthathewasexaminingwithgreatinterestthetreetowhichIclung.Thatsmoothbarkandthosesmall,ribbedleavesseemedfamiliartomyeyes."Why,"Icried,"it'sabeech!" "Exactly,"saidSummerlee."Afellow-countrymaninafarland." "Notonlyafellow-countryman,mygoodsir,"saidChallenger,"butalso,ifImaybeallowedtoenlargeyoursimile,anallyofthefirstvalue.Thisbeechtreewillbeoursaviour." "ByGeorge!"criedLordJohn,"abridge!" "Exactly,myfriends,abridge!ItisnotfornothingthatIexpendedanhourlastnightinfocusingmyminduponthesituation.IhavesomerecollectionofonceremarkingtoouryoungfriendherethatG.E.C.isathisbestwhenhisbackistothewall.Lastnightyouwilladmitthatallourbacksweretothewall.Butwherewill-powerandintellectgotogether,thereisalwaysawayout.Adrawbridgehadtobefoundwhichcouldbedroppedacrosstheabyss.Beholdit!" Itwascertainlyabrilliantidea.Thetreewasagoodsixtyfeetinheight,andifitonlyfelltherightwayitwouldeasilycrossthechasm.Challengerhadslungthecampaxeoverhisshoulderwhenheascended.Nowhehandedittome. "Ouryoungfriendhasthethewsandsinews,"saidhe."Ithinkhewillbethemostusefulatthistask.Imustbeg,however,thatyouwillkindlyrefrainfromthinkingforyourself,andthatyouwilldoexactlywhatyouaretold." UnderhisdirectionIcutsuchgashesinthesidesofthetreesaswouldensurethatitshouldfallaswedesired.Ithadalreadyastrong,naturaltiltinthedirectionoftheplateau,sothatthematterwasnotdifficult.FinallyIsettoworkinearnestuponthetrunk,takingturnandturnwithLordJohn.Inalittleoveranhourtherewasaloudcrack,thetreeswayedforward,andthencrashedover,buryingitsbranchesamongthebushesonthefartherside.Theseveredtrunkrolledtotheveryedgeofourplatform,andforoneterriblesecondweallthoughtitwasover.Itbalanceditself,however,afewinchesfromtheedge,andtherewasourbridgetotheunknown. Allofus,withoutaword,shookhandswithProfessorChallenger,whoraisedhisstrawhatandboweddeeplytoeachinturn. "Iclaimthehonor,"saidhe,"tobethefirsttocrosstotheunknownland—afittingsubject,nodoubt,forsomefuturehistoricalpainting." HehadapproachedthebridgewhenLordJohnlaidhishanduponhiscoat. "Mydearchap,"saidhe,"Ireallycannotallowit." "Cannotallowit,sir!"Theheadwentbackandthebeardforward. "Whenitisamatterofscience,don'tyouknow,Ifollowyourleadbecauseyouarebywayofbein'amanofscience.Butit'suptoyoutofollowmewhenyoucomeintomydepartment." "Yourdepartment,sir?" "Weallhaveourprofessions,andsoldierin'ismine.Weare,accordin'tomyideas,invadin'anewcountry,whichmayormaynotbechock-fullofenemiesofsorts.Tobargeblindlyintoitforwantofalittlecommonsenseandpatienceisn'tmynotionofmanagement." Theremonstrancewastooreasonabletobedisregarded.Challengertossedhisheadandshruggedhisheavyshoulders. "Well,sir,whatdoyoupropose?" "ForallIknowtheremaybeatribeofcannibalswaitin'forlunch-timeamongthoseverybushes,"saidLordJohn,lookingacrossthebridge."It'sbettertolearnwisdombeforeyougetintoacookin'-potsowewillcontentourselveswithhopin'thatthereisnotroublewaitin'forus,andatthesametimewewillactasiftherewere.MaloneandIwillgodownagain,therefore,andwewillfetchupthefourrifles,togetherwithGomezandtheother.Onemancanthengoacrossandtherestwillcoverhimwithguns,untilheseesthatitissafeforthewholecrowdtocomealong." ChallengersatdownuponthecutstumpandgroanedhisimpatiencebutSummerleeandIwereofonemindthatLordJohnwasourleaderwhensuchpracticaldetailswereinquestion.Theclimbwasamoresimplethingnowthattheropedangleddownthefaceoftheworstpartoftheascent.Withinanhourwehadbroughtuptheriflesandashot-gun.Thehalf-breedshadascendedalso,andunderLordJohn'sorderstheyhadcarriedupabaleofprovisionsincaseourfirstexplorationshouldbealongone.Wehadeachbandoliersofcartridges. "Now,Challenger,ifyoureallyinsistuponbeingthefirstmanin,"saidLordJohn,wheneverypreparationwascomplete. "Iammuchindebtedtoyouforyourgraciouspermission,"saidtheangryProfessorforneverwasamansointolerantofeveryformofauthority."Sinceyouaregoodenoughtoallowit,Ishallmostcertainlytakeituponmyselftoactaspioneeruponthisoccasion." Seatinghimselfwithalegoverhangingtheabyssoneachside,andhishatchetslunguponhisback,Challengerhoppedhiswayacrossthetrunkandwassoonattheotherside.Heclamberedupandwavedhisarmsintheair. "Atlast!"hecried"atlast!" Igazedanxiouslyathim,withavagueexpectationthatsometerriblefatewoulddartathimfromthecurtainofgreenbehindhim.Butallwasquiet,savethatastrange,many-coloredbirdflewup