Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-06-10
CHAPTER K.
summerleo No Longer skeptionI.

Ol TIE ufSL udl OIL our ClFCum-
navigation Of the plateau-a
great experience awaited us
and one which forever set at rest any
doubt which we could have had as to
the wonders so near us.
What occurred was this: Lord John
had shot an ajoutl, which is a small.
pigllke animal, and, half OF 1t having
been given to the Indians, we were
cooking the other half upon our fire.
There is a chill in the air after dark,
and we had all drawn close to the
blaze. The night was moOness, but
there were some stars, and one could
see for little distance across the
plain, Well, suddenly out of the dark
ness, out of the night, there swOOped
something with a swish like an aero
plane. The whole group Of us were
covered for an instant by canopy OF
e0thery wings and had a mOmen.
tary vision Of a long, snakelike neck,
a fierce red, greedy eye and a great
swapping beak filled, to my amaze
ment, with little, cleaning teeth. The
next instant it was gone--and so was
our dinner. A huge black shadow.
twenty feet across, skinned up into
the air For an instant the monster
wings blOtted out the stars, and then
1t vanished over the brow of the cliff
above us. We all sat in amazed silence
round the fire, like the heroes of Virgil
when the Harpies came down upon
them, 1t was Summerlee who was the
first to speak
professor Challenger said he, in a
solemn voice, which quayered with
emotion, 81 owe you an apology. Sir,
| am very much in the wrong, and |
beg that you will forget what is past"
It was handsomely said, and the two
men for the first time shook hands. So
much we have gained by this clear vi.
sion Of our first pterodactyl. 1t was
worth a stolen supper to bring two
such men together
On the sixth day we completed our
first circuit of the cliffs and found our.
selves back at the first camp beside the
Isolated pinnacle OF rock We were a
discOnsolate party, for nothing could
have been more minute than our in,
vestigatlon, and 1t was absolutely GER
tain that there was no single point
where the most active human being
could possibly hope to scale the cliff,
The place which Maple Whites chalk
marks had indicated as his own means
OF access was now entirely impassa.
BILE
What were we to do now? Our
stores Of provisions, supplemented by
our guns, were holding out well, but
the day must come when they would
need replenlshment. In couple of
months the rains might be expected
and we should be washed out OF our
camp. The rock was harder than mar.
BILE, anu any attempt at cutting path
for so great a height was more than
our time or resources would admit
No wonder that we looked gloomily at
each other that night and sought our
blankets with hardly word exchang.
ed. remember that as | dropped of
to sleep my last recollection was that
Challenger was squatting, like mon.
strous bullfrog, by the fire, his huge
head In his hands, sunk apparently in
the deepest thought and entirely Oh.
llyious to the good night which wish.
ed him.
But It was very different Challen.
ger who greeted us in the morning "a
Challenger with contentment and self
congratulation shining from his whole
person He faced MS as we assembled
for breakfast with deprecatlng false
modeSty In his eyes. as who should
say 81 know that | deserve all that
| you can say, hut | pray Won to spare
my blushes by not saying It." His
beard briSted cvulantly. his chest
was thrown ont and his hand was
thrust into the trout OF his Jacket So.
In his fancy, may he see himself some
times gracing the vacant pedestal In
Trafalgar square and adding one more
to the horrors OF the London streets.
Eureka" he cried, his teeth shining
through his beard, Gentlemen, you
may congratulate me and we may
congratulate each other, The problem
Is solved"
"You have found a way up"