Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-02


"Quite So" said Challenger. al have felt
it to be sacrilege to divert a brain which IS
capable of the highest original research to
any lesser object. That is why have sternly
set my face against any proffered scholastic
appointment.
"For example?' asked Summerlee, with
a sheer; but Roxton fastened to change the
conversation.
a must say" said he, "that l think it
would be a mighty poor thing to go back to
London before l know a great deal more of
this place than l do at present.
IL could never dare to walk into the back
office of my paper and face old McArdle. =
said l. @He'd never forgive me for leaving
such unexhausted copy behind me. Besides,
SO far as | can see, it is not worth discussing;
since we can't get down, anyhow
"Our young friend makes up for many OBJ
vious mental lacnnG by some measure of
primitive commonsense,' remarked Chal-
lenger. "The interests of his deplorable pro-
fession are immaterial to us; but, as he OBJ
serves, we cannot get down in any case, so
it is waste of energy to discuss it..
at is a waste of energy to do anything
else growled Summarize, from behind his
pipe. "Let me remind you that we came
here upon a perfectly definite mission, in
trusted to us at the meeting of the Geological
Institute in London. That mission was to
test the truth of Professor Challenger's state
ments. Those statements, as am bound to
admit, we are now in a position to lndorse
Our ostensible work is therefore done. As
to the detail which remains to be worked out
upon this plateau, it is SO enormous that
only a large expedition with very special
equipment could hope to cope with it.
Should we attempt to do SO ourselves, the
only possible result must be that we shall
never return with the important contribu-
ton to science which we have already gained.
Professor Challenger devised means for get
ting us onto this plateau when it appeared
to be inaccessible. | think that we should
now call upon him to use the same ingenuity
in getting US back to the world from which
we came"
| confess that as Summarize stated his
view it struck me as altogether reasonable
Even Challenger was affected by the con-
sideration that his enemies would never
stand confuted if the confirmation of his
statements might never reach those who had
doubted them
1.-THE problem of the descent is at first
sight formidable one, said he, "and yet |
cannot doubt that the intellect can solve it.
am prepared to agree with our colleague
that protracted stay in Maple White Land
is at present inadvisable, and that the ques-
ton of our return will soon have to be faced.
absolutely refuse to leave, however, until
we have made at least superficial examina-
ton of this country and are able to take back
with us something in the nature of chart. >
Professor Summarize gave a snort of i'm
patience. ave have spent two long days in
exploration" said he, "and we are no wiser
as to the actual geography of the place than
when we started. 1t is clear that it is all
thickly wooded, and it would take months
to penetrate it and to learn the relations of
one part to another. If there were some CEN
trail peak, it would be different; but it all
slopes downward, SO far as we can see."
TT was at this moment that | had my in
spiration. My eyes CHANGED to light upon
the enormous gnarled trunk of the gingko
tree which cast its huge branches over u.s.
Surely if its bole exceeded that of all others,
its height must do the same. If the rim of
the plateau was indeed the highest point
then why should this mighty tree not prove
to be watch tower which commanded the
whole country? Now, ever since ran wild
as lad in Ireland, have been bold and
skilled tree climber. My comrades might
be my masters on the rocks; but | knew
that 1 should be supreme among those
branches. Could l only get my legs on the
lowest of the giant offshoots, then it would
be strange indeed if | could not make my