The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-05-06
cHAprER IN conllnued

After breakfast NC unpagked the
sundle IN which our leader had
brought his climbing accessories
From Il he took coli Of the
strongest and lightrst rope. 100 feet
In length. with climbing irons,
clamps, and other devices, Lord
JGhn was an experienced mountains
Ger. and Summarize had done some
rough climbing az various times,
50 that / was really the novice az
rock work 81 tho party but my
strength and activity may have
made up Tor my want % expert
ence
II was not In reality a very stiif
task. tho there were moments
which made my hair bristle upon
my head. The first half was per
tectiy easy. but from there upwards
1t became continually sleeper until,
for the last 80 feet We were liter
ally clinging with our fingers and
toes 20 tiny hedges and crcNiees IN
the rock. l could not have accomp'
lished II, nor could Summarize. n
Challenger had not gained the sum.
init az was extraordinary 60 sec
such activity IN so unwieldly a
crcaturcl and there fixed the rope
round the trunk OF the considerable
tree which grew there, With this
as our support, we were soon able
60 scramble up the jaggcd wall I'M
III No found ourselves upon the
small grassy platform. some 20 feet
each way which formed the sum
init.
The first impression which | re.
eeived when had recovered my
breath was OF the extraordinary
view over tho country which We
had traversed. The whole Brazilian
plain seemed TO lie beneath MS,
extending away and away until II
ended in dim blue mists upon Tho
farthest skyline. In the foreground
was the long slope, strewn with
rocks and dotted with trec-terns'
father orr In tho middle distance,
looking over the saddlc.haek hill. l
could see the yellow and green
mass OF bamhoos thru which We
had passed: and then, gradually
the vegetation increased until Il
formed the huge forest which cS-
tended as far as the eyes could
reach. and for a good 1000 miles be.
yond.
= was still drinking In this won.
ders.l panorama when the heavy
hand OF the professor fell upon my
shoulder.
This way. my young friend. =
said he: ''yestigia nulla retrorsum.
Never look rcarwards. but always 10
our glorious goal.
The level OF the plateau. when
/ turned. was exactly that on which
we stood. and the green bank OF
bushes, with occasional trees, was
so near that II was difficult TO
-realize how inaccessible II remained.
AT a rough guess the gulf was 40
feet across, but. 30 far as / could
see. II might as well have been 40
miles. placed one arm round
the trunk OF the tree and leaned
over the abyss. Far down were
the small dark figures OF our ssrv.
ants. looking up at US. The wan
was absolutely precipItous. as was
that which faced me.
This Is indeed curious" said
the creaking voice OF Professor
Summarize.
4 turned. and found that hs, was
examining with great Interest the
tree to which / chung. That smooth
bark and those small. ribbed leaves
seemed familiar TO my eyes. why .
j cried. its a beechr'
'Exactly.' said summerlee. "a
feilow-countryman In "a far land +"
Not only a fellow-countryman.
my good SIR" said Challenger. but
also. II may be allowed 10 en-.
large your simile, an ally OF the
first value. This beech tree will be
our saviour"
BY George" cried Lord John,
"a bridge.
Exactly, my friends. a bridge!
II is not for nothing that 7 ex.
pended an hour last night in focus-
ing my mind upon the situation.
I have some recollection Of once
remarkinE to our young friend hero
that G.. +. C. is at his best when
his back Is to the wall. Last night
you will admit that all our backs
were to the wall. But where will
power and intellect 90 together.
there is always a way out. A
drawbridge had 10 be found which
could be dropped across the abyss.
.Behold IT,
II was certainly a brilliant Idea.
The tree was a good so feet in
height, and IL II only fell the right
way It would easily cross the
chasm. Challenger had swung the
camp axe over his shoulder when
ne assembled. Now he handed II to
me.