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Lost World, The (1925)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's
Stupendous Story of Adventure And Romance THE LOST WORLD In the office of the London Record Journal. I want your legal advice. Profesor Challenger threatens to sue my paper for doubting his yarn about live dinosaurs. I believe Challenger is insane! He nearly killed three reporters I sent to interview him today! Mr. McArdle, couldn't you send me on a dangerous assignment? All I need is an opportunity - Have you been interviewing Challenger, Malone? Don't apologize - hurry over to Zoological Hall and cover Challenger's lecture. Reporters are barred - but get in! There's Sir John Roxton - famous hunter and explorer. He's here to check up on Challenger's cock-and-bull story. Well, Malone, we're in for a lively session tonight. - the students are out in force to heckle old Challenger. Challenger has made himself a public laughing - stock by his tale about live dinosaurs! What can he hope to gain by such lies? The back country of the Amazon contains over fifty thousand miles of unexplored water-ways. Who can say what may be living in that jungle - as vast as all Europe? Reporters are barred- if I show my press pass I'll get kicked out. I wonder if you - Gladly - I'll take you in on my pass. That's profesor Summerlee, the eminent coleopterist. - owing to lack of proofs, this Society cannot sponsor Profesor Challenger's statements, but is glad to afford him this opportunity to state his case, and, we trust, clear his name. Bring on your mastodons! Bring on your mammoths! I will - if any of you spineless worms are brave enough to go back with me into the trackless jungles where these monsters live! I told you old Challenger is sincere! And I'm not here tonight to defend my statements - but to demand that a committee be formed to go back to the Lost World with me - I am sixty-seven years of age - but, because I think you are a liar and a fraud - I accept your challenge, sir! I'm neither a student nor a scientist - but I'd like to be counted in on this! My friend, Sir John Roxton! Accepted! Your record as a hunter of big game will add weight to your testimony - if we return! Professor Challenger, I'd like to go on this expedition! Probably the brain of a child - but the body of an athlete. Accepted. What is your name? Edward E. Malone - And your occupation? I- I'm a-a-er-a reporter, sir. London Record Journal. Take me home - I've had enough of this! Eleven Enmore Park, Kensington, West! Professor Challenger, I've got to go on this expedition! The girl I'm engaged to won't marry me until I've faced death or - This man attacked me! Do you give him in charge, sir? No. I was to blame. I intruded upon him. Now, sir, can't we talk this expedition over sanely? Sir John Roxton is a friend of mine- Why didn't you mention that before? Sit down! Austin! Tell Miss White I wish to see her at once! Have you shown Malone - the diary? Miss Paula White - daughter of poor Maple White - the unfortunate explorer whose notebook you hold in your hands. Miss White was her father's trained assistant. She will tell you why she came to me. I was in camp with jungle fever when my father went up to explore that terrible plateau. Carnivorous beast Allosaurus. Evidently already almost externet even lea for I saw few of they. A Living Brontosaurus. You mean that you actually saw living descendants of these monsters that are supposed to have been dead for millions of years? Yes, they were tremendous in size and ferocity. Our bearers were so terrified they deserted carrying me back to the coast - eaving my father marooned up there - with those beasts - He would go - in spite of what we had - seen. My husband promised to raise funds for a rescue party - but instead of getting people to help him, he throws them out of houses and things! Why, this is a great human interest story - And even if my paper was not convinced of the scientific value of your statements - it might finance a rescue party provided that the exclusive publication rights- If Sir John Roxton will go with me - I believe we can make my managing editor see this thing! I'm sure you know why I am going on this rescue party, Paula - don't you? RECORD EXPLORERS REACH LAS OUTPOST OF CIVILIZATION Record-Journal Party Searching for Lost Scientist to Make Way into Mystery World via Secret Rivers. MAY NOT BE HEARD FROM AGAIN FOR MONTHS It's a Brazilian sloth - they always walk head downward. See the baby clinging to her? Dear Mr. McArdle: It is three weeks since we sent back the canoes and tonight we are camping at the base of the great plateau upon which Maple White was marooned. Challenger has guided us to this spot, and proven that the Plateau is a fact - but we have no reason to believe that any monsters are roaming about up there. In fact, I don't think They're not cubs - but full grown "spectacle bears" - great camp followers. Paula says her father felled one of the trees on that pinnacle so that it dropped across the chasm and made a bridge. You can still see the stump of the old tree. In the morning we'll climb the pinnacle - and drop the other tree over. A Pterodactyl - proving definitely that the statements in poor Maple White's diary are true! A Brontosaurus - feeding merely on leaves. Perfectly harmless - unless it happens to step on us. Great guns! We can't get back! We're prisoners - exactly like Maple White! What are you thinking of, Paula - in this lost world of ours? I was thinking if my father were still alive - he would have seen our fire - and come to us. An Allosaurus - a meat-eater - the most vicious pest of the ancient world. Jocko will be mighty lonesome down here without Miss Paula. - he climbed that big rock this morning to get to her - he can't bear that girl out of his sight! I have an idea! After supper bring all those hammocks into the tent! Now that we've found these caves we could live here the rest of our lives - if we had some weapon capable of making a dent in a dinosaur! I am now inventing such a weapon. When I release the tree it will snap back with terrific force - --hurling the rock through the air- We'll work all night and make enough ladder to get you in the morning. Fine! But how in thunder do you expect to get it up to us? Bring Miss Paula to call Jocko - he'll climb anything to get to her! There's only a small cave above this - but your father must be somewhere on the plateau - it's impossible to get away! Do you mean we are to be here - always? What difference does it make where we are, Paula - so long as we are - together? But your engagement to - Gladys? Paula, dear, we're as cut off from the world and its obligations and promises as if we were on the moon. I'm going to ask Professor Summerlee to marry us. You know he used to be a minister. Go hunt up the professors - I have something to - tell Paula -. A lovely specimen! We'll stalk it and observe its habits! But this has been going on for hours - I'm afraid they're lost - If they get back we must be here to show them the way to the tunnel opening. It's their only hope of escape! The professors and Mr. Malone are safe - they'll be here in a minute or two! I certainly hope that mud holds! I'm Major Hibbard, of the Brazilian geodetic Survey. Yesterday I saw a cloud of smoke over the plateau - And we smoked out quite a rat, Major! I'd give my entrie personal fortune to get that beast to London - alive! I'll send for men to dredge out this stream - built a steel cage and a raft - and when the big rains come next month, we might float your "rat" out! Later - In London. Mr. Edward Malone, through whose efforts this expedition, was financed, is now superintending the unloading of the monster from the ship we chartered- The message I have been expecting has come! I'll inform you in a moment when and where the Brontosaurus will be on view! As we swung the cage out over the dock the cables broke- The fall smashed the cage - and it got out! It's running wild - the streets are in an uproar! My Brontosaurus has escaped! Keep off the streets, untill I recapture it! This is outrage - we've been hoaxed again - Challenger should be run out of town! That's Sir John Roxton - sportsman. |
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