Затерянный мир
For once I was the Hero
"Tellme,now,"headded,withtheairofabishopaddressingaSunday-school,"didyouhappentoobservewhetherthecreaturecouldcrossitsthumboveritspalm?"
"No,indeed."
"Haditatail?"
"No."
"Wasthefootprehensile?"
"Idonotthinkitcouldhavemadeoffsofastamongthebranchesifitcouldnotgetagripwithitsfeet."
"InSouthAmericathereare,ifmymemoryservesme—youwillchecktheobservation,ProfessorSummerlee—somethirty-sixspeciesofmonkeys,buttheanthropoidapeisunknown.Itisclear,however,thatheexistsinthiscountry,andthatheisnotthehairy,gorilla-likevariety,whichisneverseenoutofAfricaortheEast."(Iwasinclinedtointerpolate,asIlookedathim,thatIhadseenhisfirstcousininKensington.)"Thisisawhiskeredandcolorlesstype,thelattercharacteristicpointingtothefactthathespendshisdaysinarborealseclusion.Thequestionwhichwehavetofaceiswhetherheapproachesmorecloselytotheapeortheman.Inthelattercase,hemaywellapproximatetowhatthevulgarhavecalledthe‘missinglink.’Thesolutionofthisproblemisourimmediateduty."
"Itisnothingofthesort,"saidSummerlee,abruptly."Nowthat,throughtheintelligenceandactivityofMr.Malone"(Icannothelpquotingthewords),"wehavegotourchart,ouroneandonlyimmediatedutyistogetourselvessafeandsoundoutofthisawfulplace."
"Theflesh-potsofcivilization,"groanedChallenger.
