The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-03-09

CTdLenSer SiareQ ana DrlStIeu.
IT do it, Professor Summarize,
as leader Of this expedition"
IT am compelled to tell you, sir,
that do not recognize you in that
capacity"
Indeed Challenger bowed with
unwieldy sarcasm. Perhaps you
would define my exact position"
Eyes, sir. You are a man whose
veracity is upon trial, and this
committee is here to try 1t. You
walk. sir, with your judges"
Dear mel" said Challenger,
Seating himself on the side of one of
the canoes. I'm that case you will
OF course, go on your way, and
will follow at my leisure. II / am
not the leader you cannot expect me
to lead"
Thank heaven that there were
two sane men-Lord John Roxton
and myself-to prevent the petu-
lance and folly of our learned Pro.
fessors from sending us back
empty-handed to London. Such
arguing and pleading and explaining
before we could get them mollified
Then at last Summerlee, with his
sheer and his pipe, would move for
wards, and Challenger would come
rolling and grumbling after. BY
some good fortune we discovered
about this time that both our
Servants had the very poorest
opinion Of Dr. Illingworth of Edin-
burgh. Thence forward that was
our one safety. and every strained
situation was relieved by our in
Producing the name of the Scotch
zoologist, when both our Professors
would form a temporary alliance
and friendship in their detestsltion
and abuse of this common rival.
Advancing in single file along the
bank of the stream, we soon found
that 1t narrowed down to a mere
brook and finally that 1t lost itself
In great green morass of sponge
like MOSES, into which we sank up
to our knees. The place was hor-
ribly haunted by clouds of mos
quitoes.
On the second day after leaving
our canoes we found that the whole
character of the country changed.
Our road was persistently upward
and as we assembled the woods be-
came thinner and lost their tropical
luxuriance. We Travelled entirely by
compass. and once or twice there
We're differences of opinion between
Challenger and the two Indians
when, to quote the professors indig-
rant words, the whole party agreed
TO trust the fallacious instincts of
undeveloped savages rather than the
highest product of modern European
culture That we were justified in
doing so was shown upon the third
day, when Challenger admitted that
he recognized several landmarks OF
his former journey.
The road still assembled and we
crossed rock-studded slope which
took two days to traverse.
Occasional brooks with pebbly bot.
toms and fern-draped banks CUR
gled down the shallow gorges in
the hill, and offered good camping
grounds every evening on the banks
of some rock-studded pool, where
swarms Of little blue-backed
fish about the size and shane of
English trout, gave us delicious
supper.
On the ninth day after leaving
the canoes, having done, as I reck-
on, about hundred and twenty
miles. we began to emerge from the
trees which had grown smaller until
they were mere shrubs. Their place
was taken by an immense wilderness
of bamboo, which grew so thickly
that we could only penetrate it by
cutting a pathway with the ma.
chetes and billhooks of the Indians.
Just as night fell we cleared the
belt of bambooes and at once
formed our camp, exhausted by the
interminable day.
Early next morning we were again
| afoot, and found that the charac-
ter Of the country lad changed once
again. Behind us was the wall of
bamboo, as definite as IL 1t marked
the course Of a river. In front was
an open plain. sloping slightly up
ward and dotted with clumps of tree.
ferns. the whole curving before us
until 1t ended in a long, whale
backed ridge. This I'VE reached
sbout midday, only to find shallow
valley beyond, rising once again into
a gentle incline which led to low
rounded skyline. 1t was here.
while we crossed the first Of these
hills, that an incident occurred which
may or may not have been impor-
tant.
Professor Challenger, who with
the two local Indians, was in the
van Of the party, stopped suddenly
and pointed excitedly to the right.
AS he did so we saw. at the distance
OF mile or SO, something which
appeared to be huge gray bird flap
slowly up from the ground and skim
smoothly : Off, flying very low and
straight. until 1t was lost among the
tree-ferns.
did you see IT." cried Challenger
in exultation. Summarize, did you
see it,"
What do you claim that it was?'
he asked.
ITO the best of my belief, a pet
erodactyl"
Summerlee burst into derisive
laughter. "A peter-flddlesticks." said
he. ''It was stork, If ever saw
one"
Challenger was too furious to
speak. Lord John ..me abreast Of
me, however, and his face was more
grave than was his wont. He had
his Zeiss glasses In his hand.
II focused 1t before 1t got over
| the trees said he at won't ,,rday