The Delta independent., 1916-08-11
CHAPTER XXI.
A Wonderful Demonstration.

""HE entrance of the four heroes
of the occasion was the signal
for a remarkable demonstra-
tion of welcome. the whole
audience rising and cheering for some
minutes. An acute observer might,
however, have detected some signs of
dissent amid the applause and gath
cred that the proceedings were likely
to become more lively than harmoni-
Gus. 1t may safely be prophesied, how
ever. that no one could have foreseen
the extraordinary turn which they
were actually to take.
'Of the appearance Of the four wan
derers little need be said. since their
photographs have for some time been
appearing in all the papers. They
bear few traces of the hardships which
they are said to have undergone. Pro
fessor Challenger's beard may be more
shaggy. Professor Summerlee's fea-
lures more ascetic, Lord John Roxton's
figure more gaunt. and all three may
be burned to darker tint than when
they left our shores. but each appear
ed to be in most excellent health. AS
to our own representative, the well
known athlete and international Rug
by football player. f. d. Malone. he
looks trained to hair, and as he
surveyed the crowd a smile of good
humored contentment pervaded his
honest but homely face" (AD right.
Mac. wait till get you aloneD
when quiet had been restored and
the audience resumed their seats after
the ovation which they had given to
the. travellers the chairman, the Duke
of Durham. addressed the meeting.
He would not he said, stand for more
than a moment between that vast as
sembly and the treat which lay before
them. 1t was not for him to anticipate
what Professor Summerlee, who was
the spokesman Of the committee. had
to say to them, but 1t was common ru-
NOR that their expedition had been
crowned by extraordinary success
(Applause)
Professor Summerlee's rising was
the signal for another extraordinary
outbreak of enthusiasm, which broke
out again at intervals throughout his
address. Having described the genesis
OF their Journey and paid handsome
tribute to his friend, Professor ChaI-
lenger. coupled with an apology for the
incredulity with which his assertions,
now fully indicated. had been receiv-
ed. he gave the actual course of their
journey. carefully Withholding such in
formation as would aid the public In
any attempt to locate this remarka BILE
plateau. Having described in general
terms their course from the main river
up to the time that they actually reach.
ed the base OF the cliffs. he enthralled
his hearers by his account OF the difH.
culties encountered by the expedition
In their repeated attempts to mount
them and finally described how they
succeeded In their desperate endeavo
"One had to pinch oneself to be sure
I, that one was awake as one heard this
sane and practical professor in cold
measured tones describing the mon
strous three eyed fish lizards and the
huge water snakes which inhabit an
enchanted sheet OF water. Next he
touched upon the Indians and upon the
extraordinary colony Of anthropoii
apes. which might be looked upon as
an advance upon the plthecanthropus
OF Java and as coming. therefore, near
er than any known form to that by
pothetical creation--the missing link
Finally he described. amid some mer
rimcnt. the ingenious but highly dan
gerOus aeronautic invention OF Pro
fessor Challenger and wound up I