CHAPTER XI "For once I was the Hero"

ateauwasvisiblebeneathme.Itwas,asseenfromthisheight,ofanovalcontour,withabreadthofaboutthirtymilesandawidthoftwenty.Itsgeneralshapewasthatofashallowfunnel,allthesidesslopingdowntoaconsiderablelakeinthecenter.Thislakemayhavebeentenmilesincircumference,andlayverygreenandbeautifulintheeveninglight,withathickfringeofreedsatitsedges,andwithitssurfacebrokenbyseveralyellowsandbanks,whichgleamedgoldeninthemellowsunshine.Anumberoflongdarkobjects,whichweretoolargeforalligatorsandtoolongforcanoes,layupontheedgesofthesepatchesofsand.WithmyglassIcouldclearlyseethattheywerealive,butwhattheirnaturemightbeIcouldnotimagine. Fromthesideoftheplateauonwhichwewere,slopesofwoodland,withoccasionalglades,stretcheddownforfiveorsixmilestothecentrallake.Icouldseeatmyveryfeetthegladeoftheiguanodons,andfartheroffwasaroundopeninginthetreeswhichmarkedtheswampofthepterodactyls.Onthesidefacingme,however,theplateaupresentedaverydifferentaspect.Therethebasaltcliffsoftheoutsidewerereproducedupontheinside,forminganescarpmentabouttwohundredfeethigh,withawoodyslopebeneathit.Alongthebaseoftheseredcliffs,somedistanceabovetheground,Icouldseeanumberofdarkholesthroughtheglass,whichIconjecturedtobethemouthsofcaves.Attheopeningofoneofthesesomethingwhitewasshimmering,butIwasunabletomakeoutwhatitwas.IsatchartingthecountryuntilthesunhadsetanditwassodarkthatIcouldnolongerdistinguishdetails.ThenIclimbeddowntomycompanionswaitingformesoeagerlyatthebottomofthegreattree.ForonceIwastheherooftheexpedition.AloneIhadthoughtofit,andaloneIhaddoneitandherewasthechartwhichwouldsaveusamonth'sblindgropingamongunknowndangers.Eachofthemshookmesolemnlybythehand. ButbeforetheydiscussedthedetailsofmymapIhadtotellthemofmyencounterwiththeape-manamongthebranches. "Hehasbeenthereallthetime,"saidI. "Howdoyouknowthat?"askedLordJohn. "BecauseIhaveneverbeenwithoutthatfeelingthatsomethingmalevolentwaswatchingus.Imentionedittoyou,ProfessorChallenger." "Ouryoungfriendcertainlysaidsomethingofthekind.HeisalsotheoneamonguswhoisendowedwiththatCeltictemperamentwhichwouldmakehimsensitivetosuchimpressions." "Thewholetheoryoftelepathy——"beganSummerlee,fillinghispipe. "Istoovasttobenowdiscussed,"saidChallenger,withdecision."Tellme,now,"headded,withtheairofabishopaddressingaSunday-school,"didyouhappentoobservewhetherthecreaturecouldcrossitsthumboveritspalm?" "No,indeed." "Haditatail?" "No." "Wasthefootprehensile?" "Idonotthinkitcouldhavemadeoffsofastamongthebranchesifitcouldnotgetagripwithitsfeet." "InSouthAmericathereare,ifmymemoryservesme—youwillchecktheobservation,ProfessorSummerlee—somethirty-sixspeciesofmonkeys,buttheanthropoidapeisunknown.Itisclear,however,thatheexistsinthiscountry,andthatheisnotthehairy,gorilla-likevariety,whichisneverseenoutofAfricaortheEast."(Iwasinclinedtointerpolate,asIlookedathim,thatIhadseenhisfirstcousininKensington.)"Thisisawhiskeredandcolorlesstype,thelattercharacteristicpointingtothefactthathespendshisdaysinarborealseclusion.Thequestionwhichwehavetofaceiswhetherheapproachesmorecloselytotheapeortheman.Inthelattercase,hemaywellapproximatetowhatthevulgarhavecalledthe'missinglink.'Thesolutionofthisproblemisourimmediateduty." "Itisnothingofthesort,"saidSummerlee,abruptly."Nowthat,throughtheintelligenceandactivityofMr.Malone"(Icannothelpquotingthewords),"wehavegotourchart,ouroneandonlyimmediatedutyistogetourselvessafeandsoundoutofthisawfulplace." "Theflesh-potsofcivilization,"groanedChallenger. "Theink-potsofcivilization,sir.Itisourtasktoputonrecordwhatwehaveseen,andtoleavethefurtherexplorationtoothers.YouallagreedasmuchbeforeMr.Malonegotusthechart." "Well,"saidChallenger,"IadmitthatmymindwillbemoreateasewhenIamassuredthattheresultofourexpeditionhasbeenconveyedtoourfriends.HowwearetogetdownfromthisplaceIhavenotasyetanidea.Ihaveneveryetencounteredanyproblem,however,whichmyinventivebrainwasunabletosolve,andIpromiseyouthatto-morrowIwillturnmyattentiontothequestionofourdescent."Andsothematterwasallowedtorest. Butthatevening,bythelightofthefireandofasinglecandle,thefirstmapofthelostworldwaselaborated.EverydetailwhichIhadroughlynotedfrommywatch-towerwasdrawnoutinitsrelativeplace.Challenger'spencilhoveredoverthegreatblankwhichmarkedthelake. "Whatshallwecallit?"heasked. "Whyshouldyounottakethechanceofperpetuatingyourownname?"saidSummerlee,withhisusualtouchofacidity. "Itrust,sir,thatmynamewillhaveotherandmorepersonalclaimsuponposterity,"saidChallenger,severely."Anyignoramuscanhanddownhisworthlessmemorybyimposingituponamountainorariver.Ineednosuchmonument." Summerlee,withatwistedsmile,wasabouttomakesomefreshassaultwhenLordJohnhastenedtointervene. "It'suptoyou,youngfellah,tonamethelake,"saidhe."Yousawitfirst,and,byGeorge,ifyouchoosetoput'LakeMalone'onit,noonehasabetterright." "Byallmeans.Letouryoungfriendgiveitaname,"saidChallenger. "Then,"saidI,blushing,Idaresay,asIsaidit,"letitbenamedLakeGladys." "Don'tyouthinktheCentralLakewouldbemoredescriptive?"remarkedSummerlee. "IshouldpreferLakeGladys." Challengerlookedatmesympathetically,andshookhisgreatheadinmockdisapproval."Boyswillbeboys,"saidhe."LakeGladysletitbe."