CHAPTER XV "Our Eyes have seen Great Wonders"

tletimeagoIhadremarkedtoouryoungfriendherethatfreehydrogenwasevolvedfromthegeyser.Theideaofaballoonnaturallyfollowed.Iwas,Iwilladmit,somewhatbaffledbythedifficultyofdiscoveringanenvelopetocontainthegas,butthecontemplationoftheimmenseentrailsofthesereptilessuppliedmewithasolutiontotheproblem.Beholdtheresult!" Heputonehandinthefrontofhisraggedjacketandpointedproudlywiththeother. Bythistimethegas-baghadswollentoagoodlyrotundityandwasjerkingstronglyuponitslashings. "Midsummermadness!"snortedSummerlee. LordJohnwasdelightedwiththewholeidea."Cleverolddear,ain'the?"hewhisperedtome,andthenloudertoChallenger."Whataboutacar?" "Thecarwillbemynextcare.Ihavealreadyplannedhowitistobemadeandattached.MeanwhileIwillsimplyshowyouhowcapablemyapparatusisofsupportingtheweightofeachofus." "Allofus,surely?" "No,itispartofmyplanthateachinturnshalldescendasinaparachute,andtheballoonbedrawnbackbymeanswhichIshallhavenodifficultyinperfecting.Ifitwillsupporttheweightofoneandlethimgentlydown,itwillhavedoneallthatisrequiredofit.Iwillnowshowyouitscapacityinthatdirection." Hebroughtoutalumpofbasaltofaconsiderablesize,constructedinthemiddlesothatacordcouldbeeasilyattachedtoit.Thiscordwastheonewhichwehadbroughtwithusontotheplateauafterwehaduseditforclimbingthepinnacle.Itwasoverahundredfeetlong,andthoughitwasthinitwasverystrong.Hehadpreparedasortofcollarofleatherwithmanystrapsdependingfromit.Thiscollarwasplacedoverthedomeoftheballoon,andthehangingthongsweregatheredtogetherbelow,sothatthepressureofanyweightwouldbediffusedoveraconsiderablesurface.Thenthelumpofbasaltwasfastenedtothethongs,andtheropewasallowedtohangfromtheendofit,beingpassedthreetimesroundtheProfessor'sarm. "Iwillnow,"saidChallenger,withasmileofpleasedanticipation,"demonstratethecarryingpowerofmyballoon."Ashesaidsohecutwithaknifethevariouslashingsthatheldit. Neverwasourexpeditioninmoreimminentdangerofcompleteannihilation.Theinflatedmembraneshotupwithfrightfulvelocityintotheair.InaninstantChallengerwaspulledoffhisfeetanddraggedafterit.IhadjusttimetothrowmyarmsroundhisascendingwaistwhenIwasmyselfwhippedupintotheair.LordJohnhadmewitharat-trapgriproundthelegs,butIfeltthathealsowascomingofftheground.ForamomentIhadavisionoffouradventurersfloatinglikeastringofsausagesoverthelandthattheyhadexplored.But,happily,therewerelimitstothestrainwhichtheropewouldstand,thoughnoneapparentlytotheliftingpowersofthisinfernalmachine.Therewasasharpcrack,andwewereinaheapuponthegroundwithcoilsofropealloverus.Whenwewereabletostaggertoourfeetwesawfaroffinthedeepblueskyonedarkspotwherethelumpofbasaltwasspeedinguponitsway. "Splendid!"criedtheundauntedChallenger,rubbinghisinjuredarm."Amostthoroughandsatisfactorydemonstration!Icouldnothaveanticipatedsuchasuccess.Withinaweek,gentlemen,Ipromisethatasecondballoonwillbeprepared,andthatyoucancountupontakinginsafetyandcomfortthefirststageofourhomewardjourney."SofarIhavewritteneachoftheforegoingeventsasitoccurred.NowIamroundingoffmynarrativefromtheoldcamp,whereZambohaswaitedsolong,withallourdifficultiesanddangersleftlikeadreambehindusuponthesummitofthosevastruddycragswhichtoweraboveourheads.Wehavedescendedinsafety,thoughinamostunexpectedfashion,andalliswellwithus.InsixweeksortwomonthsweshallbeinLondon,anditispossiblethatthislettermaynotreachyoumuchearlierthanwedoourselves.Alreadyourheartsyearnandourspiritsflytowardsthegreatmothercitywhichholdssomuchthatisdeartous. ItwasontheveryeveningofourperilousadventurewithChallenger'shome-madeballoonthatthechangecameinourfortunes.Ihavesaidthattheonepersonfromwhomwehadhadsomesignofsympathyinourattemptstogetawaywastheyoungchiefwhomwehadrescued.Healonehadnodesiretoholdusagainstourwillinastrangeland.Hehadtoldusasmuchbyhisexpressivelanguageofsigns.Thatevening,afterdusk,hecamedowntoourlittlecamp,handedme(forsomereasonhehadalwaysshownhisattentionstome,perhapsbecauseIwastheonewhowasnearesthisage)asmallrollofthebarkofatree,andthenpointingsolemnlyupattherowofcavesabovehim,hehadputhisfingertohislipsasasignofsecrecyandhadstolenbackagaintohispeople. Itooktheslipofbarktothefirelightandweexaminedittogether.Itwasaboutafootsquare,andontheinnersidetherewasasingulararrangementoflines,whichIherereproduce: Theywereneatlydoneincharcoaluponthewhitesurface,andlookedtomeatfirstsightlikesomesortofroughmusicalscore. "Whateveritis,Icanswearthatitisofimportancetous,"saidI."Icouldreadthatonhisfaceashegaveit." "Unlesswehavecomeuponaprimitivepracticaljoker,"Summerleesuggested,"whichIshouldthinkwouldbeoneofthemostelementarydevelopmentsofman." "Itisclearlysomesortofscript,"saidChallenger. "Lookslikeaguineapuzzlecompetition,"remarkedLordJohn,craninghisnecktohavealookatit.Thensuddenlyhestretchedouthishandandseizedthepuzzle. "ByGeorge!"hecried,"IbelieveI'vegotit.Theboyguessedrighttheveryfirsttime.Seehere!Howmanymarksareonthatpaper?Eighteen.Well,ifyoucometothinkofitthereareeighteencaveopeningsonthehill-sideaboveus." "Hepointeduptothecaveswhenhegaveittome,"saidI. "Well,thatsettlesit.Thisisachartofthecaves.What!Eighteenofthemallinarow,someshort,somedeep,somebranching,sameaswesawthem.It'samap,andhere'sacrossonit.What'sthecrossfor?Itisplacedtomarkonethatismuchdeeperthantheothers." "Onethatgoesthrough,"Icried. "Ibelieveouryoungfriendhasreadtheriddle,"saidChallenger."IfthecavedoesnotgothroughIdonotunderstandwhythisperson,whohasever