Затерянный мир
The Outlying Pickets of the New World
Forthreedayswemadeourwayupthistunnelofhazygreensunshine.Onthelongerstretchesonecouldhardlytellasonelookedaheadwherethedistantgreenwaterendedandthedistantgreenarchwaybegan.Thedeeppeaceofthisstrangewaterwaywasunbrokenbyanysignofman.
"NoIndianhere.Toomuchafraid.Curupuri,"saidGomez.
"Curupuriisthespiritofthewoods,"LordJohnexplained."It’sanameforanykindofdevil.Thepoorbeggarsthinkthatthereissomethingfearsomeinthisdirection,andthereforetheyavoidit."
Onthethirddayitbecameevidentthatourjourneyinthecanoescouldnotlastmuchlonger,forthestreamwasrapidlygrowingmoreshallow.Twiceinasmanyhourswestuckuponthebottom.Finallywepulledtheboatsupamongthebrushwoodandspentthenightonthebankoftheriver.InthemorningLordJohnandImadeourwayforacoupleofmilesthroughtheforest,keepingparallelwiththestream;butasitgrewevershallowerwereturnedandreported,whatProfessorChallengerhadalreadysuspected,thatwehadreachedthehighestpointtowhichthecanoescouldbebrought.Wedrewthemup,therefore,andconcealedthemamongthebushes,blazingatreewithouraxes,sothatweshouldfindthemagain.Thenwedistributedthevariousburdensamongus—guns,ammunition,food,atent,blankets,andtherest—and,shoulderingourpackages,wesetforthuponthemorelaboriousstageofourjourney.
Anunfortunatequarrelbetweenourpepper-potsmarkedtheoutsetofournewstage.Challengerhadfromthemomentofjoiningusissueddirectionstothewholeparty,muchtotheevidentdiscontentofSummerlee.Now,uponhisassigningsomedutytohisfellow-Professor(itwasonlythecarryingofananeroidbarometer),themattersuddenlycametoahead.
