The Omaha morning bee., 1925-03-02
THE LOST WORLD
By SIR ARTHUR COMM DOYLE


| dizzy with .he shock. Challenger fell
and ae l stopped to pick him up
was again struck from behind and
dropped on the top of him. At the
same instant | heard the crash OF
Lord Johns elephant gun. and, look.
| ing up, saw one of the creatures with
a broken wing struggling upon the
ground, splitting and gurgling at us
with wideopened beak and blood.
| shot. goggled eyes, like some devil In
a medieval picture. Its comrades had
flown higher al the sudden sound, and
were circling above our heads
Now cried Lord John, "now, for
our livesl'
We staggered through the brush.
trees the harpies were on lis again.
Summerlee was knocked down. but
we tore him up and rushed among
the trunks. Once there we were safe,
for those huge wings had no space
foratheir sweep beneath the branches.
AS we limped homewards. sadly
mauled and discounted, We saw them
for a long time flying at a great
height against the deep blue sky
above our heads, soaring round and
round, no bigger than wood pigeons.
with their eyes no doubt still follow
ing our progress. At last, however.
as we reached the thicker woods they
gave up the chase, and we saw them
no more.
"A most interesting and eonyinc-
ing experience" said Challenger. as
we halted beside the brook and he
battered a swollen knee. I'VE are
exceptionally we'll informed as to the
habits of the enraged pterodaetyl."
Summerlee was wiping the blood
from a cut in his forehead. while
was tying up a nasty stab in the
muscle of the neck. Lord John had
the shoulder of his coat torn away,
but the creatures teeth had only
grazed the flesh.
ut Is worth noting" Challenger
continued, that our young friend
has received an undoubted stab, while
Lord Johns coat could only have
been torn by a bite. In my own case,
/ was beaten about the head by their
wings. so we have had a remarkable
exhibition Of their various methods
of offense"
1T has been touch and go for our
lives" said Lord John, gravely, land
sort of death than to be outed by
such filthy vermfn. / was sorry to
fire my rifle. but, by Jove. there was
no great choice.
I'VE should not be here IL you
hadn't" said /, with conviction.
1T may do no harm," said he.
Among these woods there must Re
| many loud cracks from splitting Or
fol urh tal, ha stte "a
the sound of gun. But now, II you
are of my opinion, we have had thrills
enough for one day. and had best get
back to the surgical box at the camp
for some carbolic. Who knows what
hideous jaws"
But surely no men ever had Just
such A day since the world began
Some fresh surprise was ever in store
for us. When. following the course
of our brook, we at last reached our
glade and saw the thorny barricade
Of our camp, we thought that our
adventures were at an end. But we
had something more to think of be-
fore we could rest. The gate of Fort
Challenger had been untouched. the
walls were unbroken, and vet 1t had
powerful creature in our absence. No
footmark showed trace of its nature
and only the overhanging branch of
| the enormous ginko tree suggested
how it might have come and gone;
| but of its malevolent strength there
was ample evidence in the condition
| of our stores. They were strewn at
random all over the ground. and one
af al
pieces so as to extract the contents.
A case of cartridges had been shat.
tered into matchwood,, and one of
the brass shells lay shredded into
pieces beside it, Again the feeling of
vague horror came upon our souls,
and We gazed round with frightened
eyes at the dark shadows which lay
around US, In all of which some fear.
some shape might be lurking. How
good 1t was when we We're hailed by
the voice of Zambo, and. going TO
the edge of the plateau. saw him sit
ting grinning at us upon the Top OF
the opposite pinnacle.
| All well. Massa Challenger. all
well.' he cried. ME stay here. No
fear. You always find me when you
want"
| His honest black face. and the Inn
| mense view before us. which carried
us halfway back to the affluent of the
Amazon, helped us to remember that
we really We're upon this earth in the
! twentieth century, and had not by
some magic been conveyed to some
raw planet in its earliest and widest
state. How difficult 1t was TO realize
that the violet line upon the far hori
zop was well adya need to that great
river upon which huge steamers ran
and folk talked of the small affairs
of life, while we. marooned amons
the creatures of bygone age, could
but gaze towards 1t and yearn for all
that 1t meant.
One other memory remains with me
of this wonderful day, and with II
I will close this letter. The two pro