CHAPTER X "The most Wonderful Things have Happened"

dwasanopenglade,andinthiswerefiveofthemostextraordinarycreaturesthatIhaveeverseen.Crouchingdownamongthebushes,weobservedthematourleisure. Therewere,asIsay,fiveofthem,twobeingadultsandthreeyoungones.Insizetheywereenormous.Eventhebabieswereasbigaselephants,whilethetwolargeoneswerefarbeyondallcreaturesIhaveeverseen.Theyhadslate-coloredskin,whichwasscaledlikealizard'sandshimmeredwherethesunshoneuponit.Allfiveweresittingup,balancingthemselvesupontheirbroad,powerfultailsandtheirhugethree-toedhind-feet,whilewiththeirsmallfive-fingeredfront-feettheypulleddownthebranchesuponwhichtheybrowsed.IdonotknowthatIcanbringtheirappearancehometoyoubetterthanbysayingthattheylookedlikemonstrouskangaroos,twentyfeetinlength,andwithskinslikeblackcrocodiles. Idonotknowhowlongwestayedmotionlessgazingatthismarvelousspectacle.Astrongwindblewtowardsusandwewerewellconcealed,sotherewasnochanceofdiscovery.Fromtimetotimethelittleonesplayedroundtheirparentsinunwieldygambols,thegreatbeastsboundingintotheairandfallingwithdullthudsupontheearth.Thestrengthoftheparentsseemedtobelimitless,foroneofthem,havingsomedifficultyinreachingabunchoffoliagewhichgrewuponaconsiderable-sizedtree,puthisfore-legsroundthetrunkandtoreitdownasifithadbeenasapling.Theactionseemed,asIthought,toshownotonlythegreatdevelopmentofitsmuscles,butalsothesmalloneofitsbrain,forthewholeweightcamecrashingdownuponthetopofit,anditutteredaseriesofshrillyelpstoshowthat,bigasitwas,therewasalimittowhatitcouldendure.Theincidentmadeitthink,apparently,thattheneighborhoodwasdangerous,foritslowlylurchedoffthroughthewood,followedbyitsmateanditsthreeenormousinfants.Wesawtheshimmeringslatygleamoftheirskinsbetweenthetree-trunks,andtheirheadsundulatinghighabovethebrush-wood.Thentheyvanishedfromoursight. Ilookedatmycomrades.LordJohnwasstandingatgazewithhisfingeronthetriggerofhiselephant-gun,hiseagerhunter'ssoulshiningfromhisfierceeyes.WhatwouldhenotgiveforonesuchheadtoplacebetweenthetwocrossedoarsabovethemantelpieceinhissnuggeryattheAlbany!Andyethisreasonheldhimin,forallourexplorationofthewondersofthisunknownlanddependeduponourpresencebeingconcealedfromitsinhabitants.Thetwoprofessorswereinsilentecstasy.Intheirexcitementtheyhadunconsciouslyseizedeachotherbythehand,andstoodliketwolittlechildreninthepresenceofamarvel,Challenger'scheeksbunchedupintoaseraphicsmile,andSummerlee'ssardonicfacesofteningforthemomentintowonderandreverence. "Nuncdimittis!"hecriedatlast."WhatwilltheysayinEnglandofthis?" "MydearSummerlee,IwilltellyouwithgreatconfidenceexactlywhattheywillsayinEngland,"saidChallenger."Theywillsaythatyouareaninfernalliarandascientificcharlatan,exactlyasyouandotherssaidofme." "Inthefaceofphotographs?" "Faked,Summerlee!Clumsilyfaked!" "Inthefaceofspecimens?" "Ah,therewemayhavethem!MaloneandhisfilthyFleetStreetcrewmaybeallyelpingourpraisesyet.Augustthetwenty-eighth—thedaywesawfiveliveiguanodonsinagladeofMapleWhiteLand.Putitdowninyourdiary,myyoungfriend,andsendittoyourrag." "Andbereadytogetthetoe-endoftheeditorialbootinreturn,"saidLordJohn."ThingslookabitdifferentfromthelatitudeofLondon,youngfellahmylad.There'smanyamanwhonevertellshisadventures,forhecan'thopetobebelieved.Who'stoblamethem?Forthiswillseemabitofadreamtoourselvesinamonthortwo.WHATdidyousaytheywere?" "Iguanodons,"saidSummerlee."You'llfindtheirfootmarksallovertheHastingssands,inKent,andinSussex.TheSouthofEnglandwasalivewiththemwhentherewasplentyofgoodlushgreen-stufftokeepthemgoing.Conditionshavechanged,andthebeastsdied.Hereitseemsthattheconditionshavenotchanged,andthebeastshavelived." "Ifeverwegetoutofthisalive,Imusthaveaheadwithme,"saidLordJohn."Lord,howsomeofthatSomaliland-Ugandacrowdwouldturnabeautifulpea-greeniftheysawit!Idon'tknowwhatyouchapsthink,butitstrikesmethatweareonmightythiniceallthistime." Ihadthesamefeelingofmysteryanddangeraroundus.Inthegloomofthetreesthereseemedaconstantmenaceandaswelookedupintotheirshadowyfoliagevagueterrorscreptintoone'sheart.Itistruethatthesemonstrouscreatureswhichwehadseenwerelumbering,inoffensivebruteswhichwereunlikelytohurtanyone,butinthisworldofwonderswhatothersurvivalsmighttherenotbe—whatfierce,activehorrorsreadytopounceuponusfromtheirlairamongtherocksorbrushwood?Iknewlittleofprehistoriclife,butIhadaclearremembranceofonebookwhichIhadreadinwhichitspokeofcreatureswhowouldliveuponourlionsandtigersasacatlivesuponmice.WhatifthesealsoweretobefoundinthewoodsofMapleWhiteLand! Itwasdestinedthatonthisverymorning—ourfirstinthenewcountry—weweretofindoutwhatstrangehazardslayaroundus.Itwasaloathsomeadventure,andoneofwhichIhatetothin