The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-03-20


the iguanodons hide?''
On the dull, scaly, slate-colored
skin, somewhere above the shout
der. there was singular black cir
Gle of some substance which looked
like asphalt.
IF your lordship will graciously
permit me to open my mouth,
shall be happy to express my senti-
ments," said Challenger. with elab-
crate sarcasm. w
with regard to the marking"
said he, II am inclined to agree with
my friend and colleague, Professor
Summerlee. that the stains are from
asphalt. As this plateau is, in its
very nature, highly volcanic. and as
asphalt is substance which one as
sociates with Plutonic forces, 1 can
not doubt that it exists in the free
liquid state, and that the creatures
may have come in contact with IT..
II venture to trust that we may
have some future opportunity for
the closer study of the carnivorous
dinosaurs"
And l venture to trust we may
not, observed.
The Professor only raised his great
eyebrows. as the schoolmaster meets
the irrelevant observation Of the
naughty boy.
That morning we mapped out a
small portion of the plateau, avoid.
ing sthe swamp Of the pterodactyls,
and keeping to the east of our brook
instead of to the west. In that
direction the country was still thick.
ly wooded with so much under.
growth that our progress was very
slow.
have dwelt up to now upon the
terrors of Maple White Land; but
there was another side to the sub.
ject, for al that morning we wan.
dered among lovely flowers.
The honely English bee buzzed
everywhere around us. Many of
the trees under which we passed
hao their branches bowed down with
fruit some of which were OF
fam THAR sorts. while other varieties
were new. BY observing which OF
them were pecked by the birds we
avoided all danger of poison and
added delicious variety to our food
reserve. In the jungle which we
traversed were numerous hard.
trodden paths made by the wild
beasts, and in the more marshy
places we saw a profusion of strange
footmarks, including many Of the
iguanodon. Once in a grove we OBJ.
served several OF these , great
creatures grazing, and Lord John,
with his glass, was able to report
that they also were spotted with
asphalt, though in a differen. place
to the one which we had examined
In the morning. What this
phenomenon meant we could net
imagine.
We saw many small animals, such
as porcupines, a scaly ant-easS-
and a wild pig, piebald in color and
with long curved tusks, Once.
through a break in the trees, we
saw a clear shoulder of green hin
some distance away. and across this
a large dun-colored animal was
travelling at a considerable pace. 1t
passed to swiftly that we were un-
able to say what it was; butsif it
were a deer. as was claimed by
Lord John, 1t must have been as
large as those montrous Irish elk
which are still dug up from time
to time in the Dogs of my native
land.
Ever since the mysterious visit
which had been paid to our camp
we always returned to 1t with
some misgivings. However, on this
occasion we found everything in
order.
That evening we had grand dis.
cussion upon our present situation
and future plans. 1t was Summer.
lee who opened the debate. All day
he had been querulous in manner.
What we ought to be doing TO.
day tomorrow and all the time. {"
said he, lis finding some way out of
the trap into which we have fallen.
You are all turning your brains to-
ward getting into this country. I
say that we should be scheming how
to get out OF it."
II am surprised, SIR" doomed
Challenger, stroking his majestic
beard, that any man of science
should commit himself to so ignoble
la sentiment"
You must remember" said Sum-
merlee, sourly, that / have a large
class in London who are at present
at the mercy Of an extremely inef-
ficient locum tenens. This makes
my situation different from yours.
Professor Challenger, since, so far
as l know, you have never been en-.
trusted with any responsible educa-
tional work"
Quite So" said Challenger. II
have felt 1t to be a sacrilege to di.
vert brain which is capable Of the
highest original research to any
tlesser object. That is why 1 have
sterrily set my face against any prof.
fered scholastic appointment"
For example," asked Summerlee,
with o sheer; but Lord John has,
fond m Ohox ar