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You don't imagine that he seriously believes all this nonsense about a change in the ether and a danger to the human race? Was ever such a cock-and-bull story in this life?" He sat like an old white raven, croaking and shaking with sardonic laughter. A wave of anger passed through me as I listened to Summerlee.
Suddenly he gave an exclamation of satisfaction and pointed to a single tree, which projected at a peculiar angle over the side of the stream. "What do you make of that?" he asked. "It is surely an Assai palm," said Summerlee. "Exactly. It was an Assai palm which I took for my landmark. The secret opening is half a mile onwards upon the other side of the river. There is no break in the trees.
"If the cave does not go through I do not understand why this person, who has every reason to mean us well, should have drawn our attention to it. But if it does go through and comes out at the corresponding point on the other side, we should not have more than a hundred feet to descend." "A hundred feet!" grumbled Summerlee. "Well, our rope is still more than a hundred feet long," I cried.
Instead of answering, Professor Challenger entered, shook hands with myself and Lord John, bowed with ponderous insolence to Professor Summerlee, and sank back into a basket-chair, which creaked and swayed beneath his weight. "Is all ready for your journey?" he asked. "We can start to-morrow." "Then so you shall.
"You must remember," said Summerlee, sourly, "that I have a large class in London who are at present at the mercy of an extremely inefficient locum tenens. This makes my situation different from yours, Professor Challenger, since, so far as I know, you have never been entrusted with any responsible educational work." "Quite so," said Challenger.
We ain't nervous folk, as you know well; but when it comes to makin' a week-end visit and finding you've run full butt into the Day of Judgment, it wants a bit of explainin'. What's the danger, and how much of it is there, and what are we goin' to do to meet it?" He stood, tall and strong, in the sunshine at the window, with his brown hand upon the shoulder of Summerlee.
"But the beast would certainly have a good sporting chance." Summerlee raised his hand. "Hush!" he cried. "Surely I hear something?" From the utter silence there emerged a deep, regular pat-pat. It was the tread of some animal the rhythm of soft but heavy pads placed cautiously upon the ground. It stole slowly round the camp, and then halted near our gateway.
"I mean, my dear Summerlee, to give you such a demonstration of its powers that after seeing it you will, I am sure, have no hesitation in trusting yourself to it." "You can put it right out of your head now, at once," said Summerlee with decision, "nothing on earth would induce me to commit such a folly. Lord John, I trust that you will not countenance such madness?"
And may I ask with what arguments the great and famous Professor Summerlee proceeded to demolish the humble individual who had ventured to express an opinion upon a matter of scientific possibility? Perhaps before he exterminates that unfortunate nonentity he will condescend to give some reasons for the adverse views which he has formed."
The brave little creature hurried away, and presently we heard the sizzling of a kettle. She was back soon with five steaming cups of cocoa upon a tray. "Drink these," said she. "You will feel so much better." And we did. Summerlee asked if he might light his pipe, and we all had cigarettes.
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