CHAPTER XI "For once I was the Hero"

ldn'tfacethefire,"saidLordJohn,laughing,ashecamebackandthrewhisbranchamongthefaggots. "Youshouldnothavetakensucharisk!"weallcried. "Therewasnothin'elsetobedone.Ifhehadgotamongusweshouldhaveshoteachotherintryin'todownhim.Ontheotherhand,ifwehadfiredthroughthehedgeandwoundedhimhewouldsoonhavebeenonthetopofus—tosaynothin'ofgivingourselvesaway.Onthewhole,Ithinkthatwearejollywelloutofit.Whatwashe,then?" Ourlearnedmenlookedateachotherwithsomehesitation. "Personally,Iamunabletoclassifythecreaturewithanycertainty,"saidSummerlee,lightinghispipefromthefire. "Inrefusingtocommityourselfyouarebutshowingaproperscientificreserve,"saidChallenger,withmassivecondescension."Iamnotmyselfpreparedtogofartherthantosayingeneraltermsthatwehavealmostcertainlybeenincontactto-nightwithsomeformofcarnivorousdinosaur.Ihavealreadyexpressedmyanticipationthatsomethingofthesortmightexistuponthisplateau." "Wehavetobearinmind,"remarkedSummerlee,"thattherearemanyprehistoricformswhichhavenevercomedowntous.Itwouldberashtosupposethatwecangiveanametoallthatwearelikelytomeet." "Exactly.Aroughclassificationmaybethebestthatwecanattempt.To-morrowsomefurtherevidencemayhelpustoanidentification.Meantimewecanonlyrenewourinterruptedslumbers." "Butnotwithoutasentinel,"saidLordJohn,withdecision."Wecan'taffordtotakechancesinacountrylikethis.Two-hourspellsinthefuture,foreachofus." "ThenI'lljustfinishmypipeinstartingthefirstone,"saidProfessorSummerleeandfromthattimeonwardswenevertrustedourselvesagainwithoutawatchman. Inthemorningitwasnotlongbeforewediscoveredthesourceofthehideousuproarwhichhadarousedusinthenight.Theiguanodongladewasthesceneofahorriblebutchery.Fromthepoolsofbloodandtheenormouslumpsoffleshscatteredineverydirectionoverthegreenswardweimaginedatfirstthatanumberofanimalshadbeenkilled,butonexaminingtheremainsmorecloselywediscoveredthatallthiscarnagecamefromoneoftheseunwieldymonsters,whichhadbeenliterallytorntopiecesbysomecreaturenotlarger,perhaps,butfarmoreferocious,thanitself. Ourtwoprofessorssatinabsorbedargument,examiningpieceafterpiece,whichshowedthemarksofsavageteethandofenormousclaws. "Ourjudgmentmuststillbeinabeyance,"saidProfessorChallenger,withahugeslabofwhitish-coloredfleshacrosshisknee."Theindicationswouldbeconsistentwiththepresenceofasaber-toothedtiger,suchasarestillfoundamongthebrecciaofourcavernsbutthecreatureactuallyseenwasundoubtedlyofalargerandmorereptiliancharacter.Personally,Ishouldpronounceforallosaurus." "Ormegalosaurus,"saidSummerlee. "Exactly.Anyoneofthelargercarnivorousdinosaurswouldmeetthecase.Amongthemaretobefoundallthemostterribletypesofanimallifethathaveevercursedtheearthorblessedamuseum."Helaughedsonorouslyathisownconceit,for,thoughhehadlittlesenseofhumor,thecrudestpleasantryfromhisownlipsmovedhimalwaystoroarsofappreciation. "Thelessnoisethebetter,"saidLordRoxton,curtly."Wedon'tknowwhoorwhatmaybenearus.Ifthisfellahcomesbackforhisbreakfastandcatchesusherewewon'thavesomuchtolaughat.Bytheway,whatisthismarkupontheiguanodon'shide?" Onthedull,scaly,slate-coloredskinsomewhereabovetheshoulder,therewasasingularblackcircleofsomesubstancewhichlookedlikeasphalt.Noneofuscouldsuggestwhatitmeant,thoughSummerleewasofopinionthathehadseensomethingsimilarupononeoftheyoungonestwodaysbefore.Challengersaidnothing,butlookedpompousandpuffy,asifhecouldifhewould,sothatfinallyLordJohnaskedhisopiniondirect. "Ifyourlordshipwillgraciouslypermitmetoopenmymouth,Ishallbehappytoexpressmysentiments,"saidhe,withelaboratesarcasm."Iamnotinthehabitofbeingtakentotaskinthefashionwhichseemstobecustomarywithyourlordship.Iwasnotawarethatitwasnecessarytoaskyourpermissionbeforesmilingataharmlesspleasantry." Itwasnotuntilhehadreceivedhisapologythatourtouchyfriendwouldsufferhimselftobeappeased.Whenatlasthisruffledfeelingswereatease,headdressedusatsomelengthfromhisseatuponafallentree,speaking,ashishabitwas,asifhewereimpartingmostpreciousinformationtoaclassofathousand. "Withregardtothemarking,"saidhe,"Iaminclinedtoagreewithmyfriendandcolleague,ProfessorSummerlee,thatthestainsarefromasphalt.Asthisplateauis,initsverynature,highlyvolcanic,andasasphaltisasubstancewhichoneassociateswithPlutonicforces,Icannotdoubtthatitexistsinthefreeliquidstate,andthatthecreaturesmayhavecomeincontactwithit.Amuchmoreimportantproblemisthequestionastotheexistenceofthecarnivorousmonsterwhichhasleftitstracesinthisglade.WeknowroughlythatthisplateauisnotlargerthananaverageEnglishcounty.Withinthisconfinedspaceacertainnumberofcreatures,mostlytypeswhichhavepassedawayintheworldbelow,havelivedtogetherforinnumerableyears.Now,itisverycleartomethatinsolongaperiodonewouldhaveexpectedthatthecarnivorouscreatures,multiplyingunchecked,wouldhaveexhaustedtheirfoodsupplyandhavebeencompelledtoeithermodifytheirflesh-eatinghabitsordieofhunger.Thisweseehasnotbeenso.Wecanonlyimagine,therefore,thatthebalanceofNatureispreservedbysomecheckwhichlimitsthenumbersoftheseferociouscreatures.Oneofthemanyinterestingproblems,therefore,whichawaitoursolutionistodiscoverwhatthatcheckmaybeandhowitoperates.Iventuretotrustthatwemayhavesomefutureopportunityforthecloserstudyofthecarnivorousdinosaurs." "AndI