I was hurried upon my last visit by the approach of the rainy

season and by the exhaustion of my supplies. These considerations

limited my time, and I can only claim that I have surveyed about

six miles of the cliff to the east of us, finding no possible

way up. What, then, shall we now do?"

"There seems to be only one reasonable course," said Professor Summerlee.

"If you have explored the east, we should travel along the base of the

cliff to the west, and seek for a practicable point for our ascent."

"That's it," said Lord John. "The odds are that this plateau is of

no great size, and we shall travel round it until we either find an

easy way up it, or come back to the point from which we started."

"I have already explained to our young friend here," said

Challenger (he has a way of alluding to me as if I were a school

child ten years old), "that it is quite impossible that there

should be an easy way up anywhere, for the simple reason that if

there were the summit would not be isolated, and those conditions

would not obtain which have effected so singular an interference

with the general laws of survival. Yet I admit that there may

very well be places where an expert human climber may reach the

summit, and yet a cumbrous and heavy animal be unable to descend.

It is certain that there is a point where an ascent is possible."

"How do you know that, sir?" asked Summerlee, sharply.

"Because my predecessor, the American Maple White, actually made

such an ascent. How otherwise could he have seen the monster

which he sketched in his notebook?"

"There you reason somewhat ahead of the proved facts," said the

stubborn Summerlee. "I admit your plateau, because I have seen

it; but I have not as yet satisfied myself that it contains any

form of life whatever."

"What you admit, sir, or what you do not admit, is really of

inconceivably small importance. I am glad to perceive that the

plateau itself has actually obtruded itself upon your intelligence."

He glanced up at it, and then, to our amazement, he sprang from his

rock, and, seizing Summerlee by the neck, he tilted his face into

the air. "Now sir!" he shouted, hoarse with excitement. "Do I

help you to realize that the plateau contains some animal life?"

I have said that a thick fringe of green overhung the edge of the cliff.

Out of this there had emerged a black, glistening object. As it came

slowly forth and overhung the chasm, we saw that it was a very large

snake with a peculiar flat, spade-like head. It wavered and quivered

above us for a minute, the morning sun gleaming upon its sleek,

sinuous coils. Then it slowly drew inwards and disappeared.

Summerlee had been so interested that he had stood unresisting

while Challenger tilted his head into the air. Now he shook his

colleague off and came back to his dignity.

"I should be glad, Professor Challenger," said he, "if you could

see your way to make any remarks which may occur to you without

seizing me by the chin. Even the appearance of a very ordinary

rock python does not appear to justify such a liberty."

"But there is life upon the plateau all the same," his colleague

replied in triumph. "And now, having demonstrated this important

conclusion so that it is clear to anyone, however prejudiced or

obtuse, I am of opinion that we cannot do better than break up

our camp and travel to westward until we find some means of ascent."

The ground at the foot of the cliff was rocky and broken so that

the going was slow and difficult. Suddenly we came, however,

upon something which cheered our hearts. It was the site of an

old encampment, with several empty Chicago meat tins, a bottle

labeled "Brandy," a broken tin-opener, and a quantity of other

travelers' debris. A crumpled, disintegrated newspaper revealed