CHAPTER X "The most Wonderful Things have Happened"

Themostwonderfulthingshavehappenedandarecontinuallyhappeningtous.AllthepaperthatIpossessconsistsoffiveoldnote-booksandalotofscraps,andIhaveonlytheonestylographicpencilbutsolongasIcanmovemyhandIwillcontinuetosetdownourexperiencesandimpressions,for,sincewearetheonlymenofthewholehumanracetoseesuchthings,itisofenormousimportancethatIshouldrecordthemwhilsttheyarefreshinmymemoryandbeforethatfatewhichseemstobeconstantlyimpendingdoesactuallyovertakeus.WhetherZambocanatlasttaketheseletterstotheriver,orwhetherIshallmyselfinsomemiraculouswaycarrythembackwithme,or,finally,whethersomedaringexplorer,cominguponourtrackswiththeadvantage,perhaps,ofaperfectedmonoplane,shouldfindthisbundleofmanuscript,inanycaseIcanseethatwhatIamwritingisdestinedtoimmortalityasaclassicoftrueadventure. OnthemorningafterourbeingtrappedupontheplateaubythevillainousGomezwebegananewstageinourexperiences.Thefirstincidentinitwasnotsuchastogivemeaveryfavorableopinionoftheplacetowhichwehadwandered.AsIrousedmyselffromashortnapafterdayhaddawned,myeyesfelluponamostsingularappearanceuponmyownleg.Mytrouserhadslippedup,exposingafewinchesofmyskinabovemysock.Onthisthererestedalarge,purplishgrape.Astonishedatthesight,Ileanedforwardtopickitoff,when,tomyhorror,itburstbetweenmyfingerandthumb,squirtingbloodineverydirection.Mycryofdisgusthadbroughtthetwoprofessorstomyside. "Mostinteresting,"saidSummerlee,bendingovermyshin."Anenormousblood-tick,asyet,Ibelieve,unclassified." "Thefirst-fruitsofourlabors,"saidChallengerinhisbooming,pedanticfashion."WecannotdolessthancallitIxodesMaloni.Theverysmallinconvenienceofbeingbitten,myyoungfriend,cannot,Iamsure,weighwithyouasagainstthegloriousprivilegeofhavingyournameinscribedinthedeathlessrollofzoology.Unhappilyyouhavecrushedthisfinespecimenatthemomentofsatiation." "Filthyvermin!"Icried. ProfessorChallengerraisedhisgreateyebrowsinprotest,andplacedasoothingpawuponmyshoulder. "Youshouldcultivatethescientificeyeandthedetachedscientificmind,"saidhe."Toamanofphilosophictemperamentlikemyselftheblood-tick,withitslancet-likeproboscisanditsdistendingstomach,isasbeautifulaworkofNatureasthepeacockor,forthatmatter,theauroraborealis.Itpainsmetohearyouspeakofitinsounappreciativeafashion.Nodoubt,withduediligence,wecansecuresomeotherspecimen." "Therecanbenodoubtofthat,"saidSummerlee,grimly,"foronehasjustdisappearedbehindyourshirt-collar." Challengersprangintotheairbellowinglikeabull,andtorefranticallyathiscoatandshirttogetthemoff.SummerleeandIlaughedsothatwecouldhardlyhelphim.Atlastweexposedthatmonstroustorso(fifty-fourinches,bythetailor'stape).Hisbodywasallmattedwithblackhair,outofwhichjunglewepickedthewanderingtickbeforeithadbittenhim.Butthebushesroundwerefullofthehorriblepests,anditwasclearthatwemustshiftourcamp. Butfirstofallitwasnecessarytomakeourarrangementswiththefaithfulnegro,whoappearedpresentlyonthepinnaclewithanumberoftinsofcocoaandbiscuits,whichhetossedovertous.Ofthestoreswhichremainedbelowhewasorderedtoretainasmuchaswouldkeephimfortwomonths.TheIndiansweretohavetheremainderasarewardfortheirservicesandaspaymentfortakingourlettersbacktotheAmazon.Somehourslaterwesawtheminsinglefilefaroutupontheplain,eachwithabundleonhishead,makingtheirwaybackalongthepathwehadcome.Zambooccupiedourlittletentatthebaseofthepinnacle,andthereheremained,ouronelinkwiththeworldbelow. Andnowwehadtodecideuponourimmediatemovements.Weshiftedourpositionfromamongthetick-ladenbushesuntilwecametoasmallclearingthicklysurroundedbytreesuponallsides.Thereweresomeflatslabsofrockinthecenter,withanexcellentwellcloseby,andtherewesatincleanlycomfortwhilewemadeourfirstplansfortheinvasionofthisnewcountry.Birdswerecallingamongthefoliage—especiallyonewithapeculiarwhoopingcrywhichwasnewtous—butbeyondthesesoundstherewerenosignsoflife. Ourfirstcarewastomakesomesortoflistofourownstores,sothatwemightknowwhatwehadtorelyupon.WhatwiththethingswehadourselvesbroughtupandthosewhichZambohadsentacrossontherope,wewerefairlywellsupplied.Mostimportantofall,inviewofthedangerswhichmightsurroundus,wehadourfourriflesandonethousandthreehundredrounds,alsoashot-gun,butnotmorethanahundredandfiftymediumpelletcartridges.Inthematterofprovisionswehadenoughtolastforseveralweeks,withasufficiencyoftobaccoandafewscientificimplements,includingalargetelescopeandagoodfield-glass.Allthesethingswecollectedtogetherintheclearing,andasafirstprecaution,wecutdownwithourhatchetandknivesanumberofthornybushes,whichwepiledroundinacirclesomefifteenyardsindiameter.Thiswastobeourheadquartersforthetime—ourplaceofrefugeagainstsuddendangerandtheguard-houseforou