CHAPTER XI "For once I was the Hero"

isplateauwhenitappearedtobeinaccessibleIthinkthatweshouldnowcalluponhimtousethesameingenuityingettingusbacktotheworldfromwhichwecame." IconfessthatasSummerleestatedhisviewitstruckmeasaltogetherreasonable.EvenChallengerwasaffectedbytheconsiderationthathisenemieswouldneverstandconfutediftheconfirmationofhisstatementsshouldneverreachthosewhohaddoubtedthem. "Theproblemofthedescentisatfirstsightaformidableone,"saidhe,"andyetIcannotdoubtthattheintellectcansolveit.IampreparedtoagreewithourcolleaguethataprotractedstayinMapleWhiteLandisatpresentinadvisable,andthatthequestionofourreturnwillsoonhavetobefaced.Iabsolutelyrefusetoleave,however,untilwehavemadeatleastasuperficialexaminationofthiscountry,andareabletotakebackwithussomethinginthenatureofachart." ProfessorSummerleegaveasnortofimpatience. "Wehavespenttwolongdaysinexploration,"saidhe,"andwearenowiserastotheactualgeographyoftheplacethanwhenwestarted.Itisclearthatitisallthicklywooded,anditwouldtakemonthstopenetrateitandtolearntherelationsofoneparttoanother.Ifthereweresomecentralpeakitwouldbedifferent,butitallslopesdownwards,sofaraswecansee.Thefartherwegothelesslikelyitisthatwewillgetanygeneralview." ItwasatthatmomentthatIhadmyinspiration.Myeyeschancedtolightupontheenormousgnarledtrunkofthegingkotreewhichcastitshugebranchesoverus.Surely,ifitsboleexceededthatofallothers,itsheightmustdothesame.Iftherimoftheplateauwasindeedthehighestpoint,thenwhyshouldthismightytreenotprovetobeawatchtowerwhichcommandedthewholecountry?Now,eversinceIranwildasaladinIrelandIhavebeenaboldandskilledtree-climber.Mycomradesmightbemymastersontherocks,butIknewthatIwouldbesupremeamongthosebranches.CouldIonlygetmylegsontothelowestofthegiantoff-shoots,thenitwouldbestrangeindeedifIcouldnotmakemywaytothetop.Mycomradesweredelightedatmyidea. "Ouryoungfriend,"saidChallenger,bunchinguptheredapplesofhischeeks,"iscapableofacrobaticexertionswhichwouldbeimpossibletoamanofamoresolid,thoughpossiblyofamorecommanding,appearance.Iapplaudhisresolution." "ByGeorge,youngfellah,you'veputyourhandonit!"saidLordJohn,clappingmeontheback."HowwenevercametothinkofitbeforeIcan'timagine!There'snotmorethananhourofdaylightleft,butifyoutakeyournotebookyoumaybeabletogetsomeroughsketchoftheplace.Ifweputthesethreeammunitioncasesunderthebranch,Iwillsoonhoistyouontoit." HestoodontheboxeswhileIfacedthetrunk,andwasgentlyraisingmewhenChallengersprangforwardandgavemesuchathrustwithhishugehandthathefairlyshotmeintothetree.Withbotharmsclaspingthebranch,IscrambledhardwithmyfeetuntilIhadworked,firstmybody,andthenmyknees,ontoit.Therewerethreeexcellentoff-shoots,likehugerungsofaladder,abovemyhead,andatangleofconvenientbranchesbeyond,sothatIclamberedonwardswithsuchspeedthatIsoonlostsightofthegroundandhadnothingbutfoliagebeneathme.NowandthenIencounteredacheck,andonceIhadtoshinupacreeperforeightortenfeet,butImadeexcellentprogress,andtheboomingofChallenger'svoiceseemedtobeagreatdistancebeneathme.Thetreewas,however,enormous,and,lookingupwards,Icouldseenothinningoftheleavesabovemyhead.Therewassomethick,bush-likeclumpwhichseemedtobeaparasiteuponabranchupwhichIwasswarming.Ileanedmyheadrounditinordertoseewhatwasbeyond,andInearlyfelloutofthetreeinmysurpriseandhorroratwhatIsaw. Afacewasgazingintomine—atthedistanceofonlyafootortwo.Thecreaturethatownedithadbeencrouchingbehindtheparasite,andhadlookedrounditatthesameinstantthatIdid.Itwasahumanface—oratleastitwasfarmorehumanthananymonkey'sthatIhaveeverseen.Itwaslong,whitish,andblotchedwithpimples,thenoseflattened,andthelowerjawprojecting,withabristleofcoarsewhiskersroundthechin.Theeyes,whichwereunderthickandheavybrows,werebestialandferocious,andasitopeneditsmouthtosnarlwhatsoundedlikeacurseatmeIobservedthatithadcurved,sharpcanineteeth.ForaninstantIreadhatredandmenaceintheevileyes.Then,asquickasaflash,cameanexpressionofoverpoweringfear.Therewasacrashofbrokenboughsasitdivedwildlydownintothetangleofgreen.Icaughtaglimpseofahairybodylikethatofareddishpig,andthenitwasgoneamidaswirlofleavesandbranches. "What'sthematter?"shoutedRoxtonfrombelow."Anythingwrongwithyou?" "Didyouseeit?"Icried,withmyarmsroundthebranchandallmynervestingling. "Weheardarow,asifyourfoothadslipped.Whatwasit?" Iwassoshockedatthesuddenandstrangeappearanceofthisape-manthatIhesitatedwhetherIshouldnotclimbdownagainandtellmyexperiencetomycompanions.ButIwasalreadysofarupthegreattreethatitseemedahumiliationtoreturnwithouthavingcarriedoutmymission. Afteralongpause,therefore,torecovermybreathandmycourage,Icontinuedmyascent.OnceIputmyweightuponarottenbranchandswungforafewsecondsbymyhands,butinthemainitwasalleasyclimbing.Graduallytheleavesthinnedaroundme,andIwasaware,fromthewinduponmyface,thatIhadtoppedallthetreesoftheforest.Iwasdetermined,however,nottolookaboutmebeforeIhadreachedtheveryhighestpoint,soIscrambledonuntilIhadgotsofarthatthetopmostbranchwasbendingbeneathmyweight.ThereIsettledintoaconvenientfork,and,balancingmyselfsecurely,Ifoundmyselflookingdownatamostwonderfulpanoramaofthisstrangecountryinwhichwefoundourselves. Thesunwasjustabovethewesternsky-line,andtheeveningwasaparticularlybrightandclearone,sothatthewholeextentofthepl