CHAPTER X "The most Wonderful Things have Happened"

rstores.FortChallenger,wecalledit. Itwasmiddaybeforewehadmadeourselvessecure,buttheheatwasnotoppressive,andthegeneralcharacteroftheplateau,bothinitstemperatureandinitsvegetation,wasalmosttemperate.Thebeech,theoak,andeventhebirchweretobefoundamongthetangleoftreeswhichgirtusin.Onehugegingkotree,toppingalltheothers,shotitsgreatlimbsandmaidenhairfoliageoverthefortwhichwehadconstructed.Initsshadewecontinuedourdiscussion,whileLordJohn,whohadquicklytakencommandinthehourofaction,gaveushisviews. "Solongasneithermannorbeasthasseenorheardus,wearesafe,"saidhe."Fromthetimetheyknowwearehereourtroublesbegin.Therearenosignsthattheyhavefoundusoutasyet.Soourgamesurelyistolielowforatimeandspyouttheland.Wewanttohaveagoodlookatourneighborsbeforewegetonvisitin'terms." "Butwemustadvance,"Iventuredtoremark. "Byallmeans,sonnymyboy!Wewilladvance.Butwithcommonsense.Wemustnevergosofarthatwecan'tgetbacktoourbase.Aboveall,wemustnever,unlessitislifeordeath,fireoffourguns." "ButYOUfiredyesterday,"saidSummerlee. "Well,itcouldn'tbehelped.However,thewindwasstrongandblewoutwards.Itisnotlikelythatthesoundcouldhavetraveledfarintotheplateau.Bytheway,whatshallwecallthisplace?Isupposeitisuptoustogiveitaname?" Therewereseveralsuggestions,moreorlesshappy,butChallenger'swasfinal. "Itcanonlyhaveonename,"saidhe."Itiscalledafterthepioneerwhodiscoveredit.ItisMapleWhiteLand." MapleWhiteLanditbecame,andsoitisnamedinthatchartwhichhasbecomemyspecialtask.Soitwill,Itrust,appearintheatlasofthefuture. ThepeacefulpenetrationofMapleWhiteLandwasthepressingsubjectbeforeus.Wehadtheevidenceofourowneyesthattheplacewasinhabitedbysomeunknowncreatures,andtherewasthatofMapleWhite'ssketch-booktoshowthatmoredreadfulandmoredangerousmonstersmightstillappear.Thattheremightalsoprovetobehumanoccupantsandthattheywereofamalevolentcharacterwassuggestedbytheskeletonimpaleduponthebamboos,whichcouldnothavegottherehaditnotbeendroppedfromabove.Oursituation,strandedwithoutpossibilityofescapeinsuchaland,wasclearlyfullofdanger,andourreasonsendorsedeverymeasureofcautionwhichLordJohn'sexperiencecouldsuggest.Yetitwassurelyimpossiblethatweshouldhaltontheedgeofthisworldofmysterywhenourverysoulsweretinglingwithimpatiencetopushforwardandtoplucktheheartfromit. Wethereforeblockedtheentrancetoourzarebabyfillingitupwithseveralthornybushes,andleftourcampwiththestoresentirelysurroundedbythisprotectinghedge.Wethenslowlyandcautiouslysetforthintotheunknown,followingthecourseofthelittlestreamwhichflowedfromourspring,asitshouldalwaysserveusasaguideonourreturn. Hardlyhadwestartedwhenwecameacrosssignsthattherewereindeedwondersawaitingus.Afterafewhundredyardsofthickforest,containingmanytreeswhichwerequiteunknowntome,butwhichSummerlee,whowasthebotanistoftheparty,recognizedasformsofconiferaandofcycadaceousplantswhichhavelongpassedawayintheworldbelow,weenteredaregionwherethestreamwidenedoutandformedaconsiderablebog.Highreedsofapeculiartypegrewthicklybeforeus,whichwerepronouncedtobeequisetacea,ormare's-tails,withtree-fernsscatteredamongstthem,allofthemswayinginabriskwind.SuddenlyLordJohn,whowaswalkingfirst,haltedwithupliftedhand. "Lookatthis!"saidhe."ByGeorge,thismustbethetrailofthefatherofallbirds!" Anenormousthree-toedtrackwasimprintedinthesoftmudbeforeus.Thecreature,whateveritwas,hadcrossedtheswampandhadpassedonintotheforest.Weallstoppedtoexaminethatmonstrousspoor.Ifitwereindeedabird—andwhatanimalcouldleavesuchamark?—itsfootwassomuchlargerthananostrich'sthatitsheightuponthesamescalemustbeenormous.LordJohnlookedeagerlyroundhimandslippedtwocartridgesintohiselephant-gun. "I'llstakemygoodnameasashikarree,"saidhe,"thatthetrackisafreshone.Thecreaturehasnotpassedtenminutes.Lookhowthewaterisstilloozingintothatdeeperprint!ByJove!See,hereisthemarkofalittleone!" Sureenough,smallertracksofthesamegeneralformwererunningparalleltothelargeones. "Butwhatdoyoumakeofthis?"criedProfessorSummerlee,triumphantly,pointingtowhatlookedlikethehugeprintofafive-fingeredhumanhandappearingamongthethree-toedmarks. "Wealden!"criedChallenger,inanecstasy."I'veseenthemintheWealdenclay.Itisacreaturewalkingerectuponthree-toedfeet,andoccasionallyputtingoneofitsfive-fingeredforepawsupontheground.Notabird,mydearRoxton—notabird." "Abeast?" "Noareptile—adinosaur.Nothingelsecouldhaveleftsuchatrack.TheypuzzledaworthySussexdoctorsomeninetyyearsagobutwhointheworldcouldhavehoped—hoped—tohaveseenasightlikethat?" Hiswordsdiedawayintoawhisper,andweallstoodinmotionlessamazement.Followingthetracks,wehadleftthemorassandpassedthroughascreenofbrushwoodandtrees.Beyon