The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-03-03
HIS DRY, HALF-SARCASTIC MAN
NER IS WHOLLY UNINFLU-
ENCED BY ANY CHANGE IN HIS
SURROUNDINGS.
CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VII
Tomorrow We Disappear Into the
Unknown"
I will not bore those whom this
narrative may reach by an account
Of our luxurious voyage upon the
Eooth liner, nor will tell of our
week stay at Para (save that 1
should wish to acknowledge the
great Kindness of the Pedeira da
Pinta Company in helping us to
get together our equipment). I
will also allude very briefly to our
river journey, up a wide, slow-mov-
ing, clay tinted stream, in a steamer
which was little smaller than that
which carried us across the Allan
tic. Eventually we found ourselves
through the narrows of Obidos and
reached the town Of Manaos. Here
we were rescued from the limited
attractions Of the local inn by Mr..
Shortman, the representative OF the
British and Brazilian Trading Com
pany. In his hospital Fazenda we
spent our time until the day when
we were empowered to open the let
tr of instructions givn to us by
Professor Challenger. Before /
reach the surprising events of that
date would desire to give a clearer
sketch Of by comrade in this enter
prise, and of the associates whom
we had already gathered together
In South America. / speak freely,
and leave the Use of my material
to your own discretion, Mr.. Near
die, since it is through your hands
that this report must pass before
1t reaches the world.
The scientific attainments of
Professor Summerlee are too we'll
known for me to trouble to recapit-
ulate them. He is better equipped
for rough expedition of this sort
than one would imagine at first
sight. His tall, gaunt, string fig.
ures is insensible to fatigue. and
often wholly unsympathetic man.
ner is uninfiuenced by any change
in his surroundings. Though in
his sixty-sixth year, 1 have never
heard him express any dissatisfac-
ton at the occasional hardships
which we have had to encounter. I
had regarded his presence as an
incumbrance to the expedition. but
as matter Of fact, / am now well
convinced that his power of endur.
ance is as great as my own. In
temper he Is naturally acid and
skepcital. From the beginning he
has never concealed his belief that
Professor Challenger is an abso-
Lutte fraud, that we are all en-
barked upon an absurd wild-goose
chase and that we are likely to reap
nothing but disappointment and
danger in South America, and cor
responding ridicule in England.
Such are the views which, with
much passionate distortion of his
thin features and wagging Of his
thin, goat-like beard, he poured into
our ears all the way from South
ampton to. Manaos. Since landing
from the boat he has. obtained some
consolation from the beauty and va
riety Of the insect and bird life
around him, for Re is absolutely
whole hearted in his devotion to sci
ence. He spends his days fitting
through the woods with his shot
gun and butterfly net, and his eve
ming in mounting the many speci-
mons he has acquired. Among his
minor pecufiarities are that he is
careless as to his attire, unclean
in his person, exceedingly absent
minded in his habits, and addicted
to smoking short briar pipe,
which is seldom out of his mouth.
He has been upon several scientific
expeditions in his youth Che was
with Robertson in Papua), and the
life OF the camp and the canoe is
nothing fires hto him.
Lord John Roxton has some
points in common with Professor
Summerlee, and Others in which
they are the very antithethis to each
other. He is twenty, years younger,
but has something OF the same spare,
scraggy physlque.\ AS to his APP
pearance, I have, as / recollect. de-
scribed 1t in that portion of my mar
native which have left behind me
lin London. lie is exceedingly neat
and piim IN his ways. dresses al
ways with great care in white driil
| suits and high brown mosquito.
boots. and shaves at least once e.
naay Like most men OF action, he
Is iaeonic In speech. aiad sinks read