CHAPTER XV "Our Eyes have seen Great Wonders"

hisgesturesthathewasgrievedforourthwartedwishes.Eversincetheircrowningtriumphwiththeape-mentheylookeduponusassupermen,whoborevictoryinthetubesofstrangeweapons,andtheybelievedthatsolongasweremainedwiththemgoodfortunewouldbetheirs.Alittlered-skinnedwifeandacaveofourownwerefreelyofferedtoeachofusifwewouldbutforgetourownpeopleanddwellforeverupontheplateau.Sofarallhadbeenkindly,howeverfarapartourdesiresmightbebutwefeltwellassuredthatouractualplansofadescentmustbekeptsecret,forwehadreasontofearthatatthelasttheymighttrytoholdusbyforce. Inspiteofthedangerfromdinosaurs(whichisnotgreatsaveatnight,for,asImayhavesaidbefore,theyaremostlynocturnalintheirhabits)Ihavetwiceinthelastthreeweeksbeenovertoouroldcampinordertoseeournegrowhostillkeptwatchandwardbelowthecliff.Myeyesstrainedeagerlyacrossthegreatplaininthehopeofseeingafaroffthehelpforwhichwehadprayed.Butthelongcactus-strewnlevelsstillstretchedaway,emptyandbare,tothedistantlineofthecane-brake. "Theywillsooncomenow,MassaMalone.BeforeanotherweekpassIndiancomebackandbringropeandfetchyoudown."SuchwasthecheerycryofourexcellentZambo. IhadonestrangeexperienceasIcamefromthissecondvisitwhichhadinvolvedmybeingawayforanightfrommycompanions.Iwasreturningalongthewell-rememberedroute,andhadreachedaspotwithinamileorsoofthemarshofthepterodactyls,whenIsawanextraordinaryobjectapproachingme.Itwasamanwhowalkedinsideaframeworkmadeofbentcanessothathewasenclosedonallsidesinabell-shapedcage.AsIdrewnearerIwasmoreamazedstilltoseethatitwasLordJohnRoxton.Whenhesawmeheslippedfromunderhiscuriousprotectionandcametowardsmelaughing,andyet,asIthought,withsomeconfusioninhismanner. "Well,youngfellah,"saidhe,"whowouldhavethoughtofmeetin'youuphere?" "Whatintheworldareyoudoing?"Iasked. "Visitin'myfriends,thepterodactyls,"saidhe. "Butwhy?" "Interestin'beasts,don'tyouthink?Butunsociable!Nastyrudewayswithstrangers,asyoumayremember.SoIriggedthisframeworkwhichkeepsthemfrombein'toopressin'intheirattentions." "Butwhatdoyouwantintheswamp?" Helookedatmewithaveryquestioningeye,andIreadhesitationinhisface. "Don'tyouthinkotherpeoplebesidesProfessorscanwanttoknowthings?"hesaidatlast."I'mstudyin'theprettydears.That'senoughforyou." "Nooffense,"saidI. Hisgood-humorreturnedandhelaughed. "Nooffense,youngfellah.I'mgoin'togetayoungdevilchickforChallenger.That'soneofmyjobs.No,Idon'twantyourcompany.I'msafeinthiscage,andyouarenot.Solong,andI'llbebackincampbynight-fall." HeturnedawayandIlefthimwanderingonthroughthewoodwithhisextraordinarycagearoundhim. IfLordJohn'sbehavioratthistimewasstrange,thatofChallengerwasmoreso.ImaysaythatheseemedtopossessanextraordinaryfascinationfortheIndianwomen,andthathealwayscarriedalargespreadingpalmbranchwithwhichhebeatthemoffasiftheywereflies,whentheirattentionsbecametoopressing.ToseehimwalkinglikeacomicoperaSultan,withthisbadgeofauthorityinhishand,hisblackbeardbristlinginfrontofhim,histoespointingateachstep,andatrainofwide-eyedIndiangirlsbehindhim,cladintheirslenderdraperyofbarkcloth,isoneofthemostgrotesqueofallthepictureswhichIwillcarrybackwithme.AstoSummerlee,hewasabsorbedintheinsectandbirdlifeoftheplateau,andspenthiswholetime(savethatconsiderableportionwhichwasdevotedtoabusingChallengerfornotgettingusoutofourdifficulties)incleaningandmountinghisspecimens. Challengerhadbeeninthehabitofwalkingoffbyhimselfeverymorningandreturningfromtimetotimewithlooksofportentoussolemnity,asonewhobearsthefullweightofagreatenterpriseuponhisshoulders.Oneday,palmbranchinhand,andhiscrowdofadoringdevoteesbehindhim,heledusdowntohishiddenwork-shopandtookusintothesecretofhisplans. Theplacewasasmallclearinginthecenterofapalmgrove.InthiswasoneofthoseboilingmudgeyserswhichIhavealreadydescribed.Arounditsedgewerescatteredanumberofleathernthongscutfromiguanodonhide,andalargecollapsedmembranewhichprovedtobethedriedandscrapedstomachofoneofthegreatfishlizardsfromthelake.Thishugesackhadbeensewnupatoneendandonlyasmallorificeleftattheother.Intothisopeningseveralbamboocaneshadbeeninsertedandtheotherendsofthesecaneswereincontactwithconicalclayfunnelswhichcollectedthegasbubblingupthroughthemudofthegeyser.SoontheflaccidorganbegantoslowlyexpandandshowsuchatendencytoupwardmovementsthatChallengerfastenedthecordswhichheldittothetrunksofthesurroundingtrees.Inhalfanhouragood-sizedgas-baghadbeenformed,andthejerkingandstraininguponthethongsshowedthatitwascapableofconsiderablelift.Challenger,likeagladfatherinthepresenceofhisfirst-born,stoodsmilingandstrokinghisbeard,insilent,self-satisfiedcontentashegazedatthecreationofhisbrain.ItwasSummerleewhofirstbrokethesilence. "Youdon'tmeanustogoupinthatthing,Challenger?"saidhe,inanacidvoice. "Imean,mydearSummerlee,togiveyousuchademonstrationofitspowersthatafterseeingityouwill,Iamsure,havenohesitationintrustingyourselftoit." "Youcanputitrightoutofyourheadnow,atonce,"saidSummerleewithdecision,"nothingonearthwouldinducemetocommitsuchafolly.LordJohn,Itrustthatyouwillnotcountenancesuchmadness?" "Doocedingenious,Icallit,"saidourpeer."I'dliketoseehowitworks." "Soyoushall,"saidChallenger."ForsomedaysIhaveexertedmywholebrainforceupontheproblemofhowweshalldescendfromthesecliffs.Wehavesatisfiedourselvesthatwecannotclimbdownandthatthereisnotunnel.Wearealsounabletoconstructanykindofbridgewhichmaytakeusbacktothepinnaclefromwhichwecame.HowthenshallIfindameanstoconveyus?Somelit