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

future, tor each OF us.
@Then I'll just finish my pipe in starting
the first one said Professor Summerlee;
and from that time onward we never trusted
ourselves again without a Waterman.
IN the morning it was not long before we
discovered the source of the hideous up
roar which had aroused us in the night. The
iguanodon glade was the scene of a horrible
butchery. From the pools of blood and the
enormous Jumps of flesh scattered in every
direction over the green Sward, we imagined
at first that number of animals had been
killed; but on examining the remains more
closely we discovered that all this carnage
came from one of these unwieldy monsters,
which had been literally torn to pieces by
some creature not larger, perhaps, but far
more ferocious than itself.
Our two professors sat in absorbed argu-
ment, examining piece after piece, which
showed the marks of savage teeth and of
enormous claws.
@Our Judgment must still be in abeyance,"
said Professor Challenger, with a huge slab
of whitish -colored flesh across his knee.
"The indications would be consistent with
the presence of a saber- toothed tiger, such
as are still found among the breccia of our
caverns; but the creature actually seen was
undoubtedly of a larger and more reptllian
character. Personally | should pronounce
| for AHOsduyns."
aOr Megalosanrus, said Summerlee
Exactly. Anyone of the larger carnivo-
rous dinosaurs would meet the case. Among
| them are to be found all the most terrible
types of animal life that have ever cursed
the earth or blessed a museum" He laughed
sonorously at his own conceit; for, though
he had little sense of humor, the crudest
pleasantly from his own lips moved him al
ways to roars of appreciation.
@The less noise the better said Lord
Roxton curtly 1--WE don't know who or
what may be near us. If this fellah comes
back for his breakfast and catches us here,
we won't have much to laugh at. By the
way, what is this mark upon the iguanodon'S
hide?"
ION the dull, scaly, slate-colored skin,
- somewhere above the shoulder, there
was singular black circle of some substance
which looked like asphalt. None of us could
suggest what it meant; though Summarize
was of the opinion that he had seen some
thing similar upon one of the youngsters two
days before. Challenger said nothing, but
looked pompous and puffy, as if he could if
he would; so that finally Lord Roxton asked
his opinion direct.
3If your Lordship will graciously permit
me to open my mouth, l shall be happy to
express my sentiments, said he with elabo-
rate sarcasm. II am not in the habit of be-
ing taken to task in the fashion which seems
to be customary with your Lordship. was
not aware that it was necessary to ask your
permission before smiling at a harmless
pleasantly
1t was not until he had received his apol-
ogy that our touchy friend would suffer him.
self to be appeased. When at last his ruffled
feelings were at rest, he addressed us at
some length from his seat upon fallen tree,
speaking, as his habit was, as if he were i'm
parting most precious information to class
of thousand
with regard to the marking" said he, Il
am inclined to agree with my friend and
colleague Professor Summarize that the
stains are from asphalt. As this plateau is
in its very nature highly volcanic, and as
asphalt is substance which one associates
with Plutonic forces, cannot doubt that it
exists in the free liquid state, and that the
creatures may have come In contact with it.
A much more important problem is the
question as to the existence of the carnivo-
rous monster which has left its traces in this
glade. We know roughly that this plateau
is not larger than an average English county.
Within this confined space certain number
of creatures, mostly types which have passed
away in the world below, have lived together