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The
sloping
wall
of
the
pit
was
not
difficult
for
an
active
man
to
climb
,
but
I
hesitated
long
before
I
trusted
myself
within
reach
of
the
dreadful
creature
which
had
so
nearly
destroyed
me
.
How
did
I
know
that
he
was
not
lurking
in
the
nearest
clump
of
bushes
,
waiting
for
my
reappearance
?
I
took
heart
,
however
,
as
I
recalled
a
conversation
between
Challenger
and
Summerlee
upon
the
habits
of
the
great
saurians
.
Both
were
agreed
that
the
monsters
were
practically
brainless
,
that
there
was
no
room
for
reason
in
their
tiny
cranial
cavities
,
and
that
if
they
have
disappeared
from
the
rest
of
the
world
it
was
assuredly
on
account
of
their
own
stupidity
,
which
made
it
impossible
for
them
to
adapt
themselves
to
changing
conditions
.
To
lie
in
wait
for
me
now
would
mean
that
the
creature
had
appreciated
what
had
happened
to
me
,
and
this
in
turn
would
argue
some
power
connecting
cause
and
effect
.
Surely
it
was
more
likely
that
a
brainless
creature
,
acting
solely
by
vague
predatory
instinct
,
would
give
up
the
chase
when
I
disappeared
,
and
,
after
a
pause
of
astonishment
,
would
wander
away
in
search
of
some
other
prey
?
I
clambered
to
the
edge
of
the
pit
and
looked
over
.
The
stars
were
fading
,
the
sky
was
whitening
,
and
the
cold
wind
of
morning
blew
pleasantly
upon
my
face
.
I
could
see
or
hear
nothing
of
my
enemy
.
Slowly
I
climbed
out
and
sat
for
a
while
upon
the
ground
,
ready
to
spring
back
into
my
refuge
if
any
danger
should
appear
.
Then
,
reassured
by
the
absolute
stillness
and
by
the
growing
light
,
I
took
my
courage
in
both
hands
and
stole
back
along
the
path
which
I
had
come
.
Some
distance
down
it
I
picked
up
my
gun
,
and
shortly
afterwards
struck
the
brook
which
was
my
guide
.
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So
,
with
many
a
frightened
backward
glance
,
I
made
for
home
.
And
suddenly
there
came
something
to
remind
me
of
my
absent
companions
.
In
the
clear
,
still
morning
air
there
sounded
far
away
the
sharp
,
hard
note
of
a
single
rifle-shot
.
I
paused
and
listened
,
but
there
was
nothing
more
.
For
a
moment
I
was
shocked
at
the
thought
that
some
sudden
danger
might
have
befallen
them
.
But
then
a
simpler
and
more
natural
explanation
came
to
my
mind
.
It
was
now
broad
daylight
.
No
doubt
my
absence
had
been
noticed
.
They
had
imagined
,
that
I
was
lost
in
the
woods
,
and
had
fired
this
shot
to
guide
me
home
.
It
is
true
that
we
had
made
a
strict
resolution
against
firing
,
but
if
it
seemed
to
them
that
I
might
be
in
danger
they
would
not
hesitate
.
It
was
for
me
now
to
hurry
on
as
fast
as
possible
,
and
so
to
reassure
them
.
I
was
weary
and
spent
,
so
my
progress
was
not
so
fast
as
I
wished
;
but
at
last
I
came
into
regions
which
I
knew
.
There
was
the
swamp
of
the
pterodactyls
upon
my
left
;
there
in
front
of
me
was
the
glade
of
the
iguanodons
.
Now
I
was
in
the
last
belt
of
trees
which
separated
me
from
Fort
Challenger
.
I
raised
my
voice
in
a
cheery
shout
to
allay
their
fears
.
No
answering
greeting
came
back
to
me
.
My
heart
sank
at
that
ominous
stillness
.
I
quickened
my
pace
into
a
run
.
The
zareba
rose
before
me
,
even
as
I
had
left
it
,
but
the
gate
was
open
.
I
rushed
in
.
In
the
cold
,
morning
light
it
was
a
fearful
sight
which
met
my
eyes
.
Our
effects
were
scattered
in
wild
confusion
over
the
ground
;
my
comrades
had
disappeared
,
and
close
to
the
smouldering
ashes
of
our
fire
the
grass
was
stained
crimson
with
a
hideous
pool
of
blood
.
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I
was
so
stunned
by
this
sudden
shock
that
for
a
time
I
must
have
nearly
lost
my
reason
.
I
have
a
vague
recollection
,
as
one
remembers
a
bad
dream
,
of
rushing
about
through
the
woods
all
round
the
empty
camp
,
calling
wildly
for
my
companions
.
No
answer
came
back
from
the
silent
shadows
.
The
horrible
thought
that
I
might
never
see
them
again
,
that
I
might
find
myself
abandoned
all
alone
in
that
dreadful
place
,
with
no
possible
way
of
descending
into
the
world
below
,
that
I
might
live
and
die
in
that
nightmare
country
,
drove
me
to
desperation
.
I
could
have
torn
my
hair
and
beaten
my
head
in
my
despair
.
Only
now
did
I
realize
how
I
had
learned
to
lean
upon
my
companions
,
upon
the
serene
self-confidence
of
Challenger
,
and
upon
the
masterful
,
humorous
coolness
of
Lord
John
Roxton
.
Without
them
I
was
like
a
child
in
the
dark
,
helpless
and
powerless
.
I
did
not
know
which
way
to
turn
or
what
I
should
do
first
.
After
a
period
,
during
which
I
sat
in
bewilderment
,
I
set
myself
to
try
and
discover
what
sudden
misfortune
could
have
befallen
my
companions
.
The
whole
disordered
appearance
of
the
camp
showed
that
there
had
been
some
sort
of
attack
,
and
the
rifle-shot
no
doubt
marked
the
time
when
it
had
occurred
.
That
there
should
have
been
only
one
shot
showed
that
it
had
been
all
over
in
an
instant
.
The
rifles
still
lay
upon
the
ground
,
and
one
of
them
--
Lord
John
's
--
had
the
empty
cartridge
in
the
breech
.
The
blankets
of
Challenger
and
of
Summerlee
beside
the
fire
suggested
that
they
had
been
asleep
at
the
time
.
The
cases
of
ammunition
and
of
food
were
scattered
about
in
a
wild
litter
,
together
with
our
unfortunate
cameras
and
plate-carriers
,
but
none
of
them
were
missing
.
On
the
other
hand
,
all
the
exposed
provisions
--
and
I
remembered
that
there
were
a
considerable
quantity
of
them
--
were
gone
.
They
were
animals
,
then
,
and
not
natives
,
who
had
made
the
inroad
,
for
surely
the
latter
would
have
left
nothing
behind
.