[00:00.26] Chapter four.
[00:02.01] A bridge to the lost world.
[00:05.69] Seeing that pterodactyl was incredible.
[00:10.61] I couldn't help thinking of the headlines when I got back to London.
[00:16.56] Ace reporter sees living dinosaur.
[00:23.89] But what other creatures lived on top of the plateau?
[00:28.95] None of us could wait to find out.
[00:32.76] But how were we going to get up there?
[00:37.73] The next morning we left our camp and hiked around the plateau's base, trying to find a way up its mighty walls.
[00:48.19] Lord John was an experienced mountain climber.
[00:53.37] But even he shook his head and said, it can't be done.
[01:02.24] We were hacking through a grove of bamboo when I saw something white glinting in the grass.
[01:10.62] I knelt down to look.
[01:14.84] It's a skull, I cried, shuddering.
[01:19.96] I moved some grass aside.
[01:22.92] Here are more bones.
[01:26.93] The villagers cleared more space with their machetes.
[01:32.53] Then we saw a whole skeleton laid out at the foot of the cliffs.
[01:39.97] It's most certainly human, said Professor Summerly, who didn't seem at all upset by the grizzly sight.
[01:49.66] I expected Challenger to argue, but he simply said, my learned friend is right.
[01:58.47] Lord John knelt down to take a closer look.
[02:03.05] Poor fellow, he said.
[02:07.79] Every bone in his body is broken.
[02:14.22] He stared up the sheer plateau walls.
[02:19.62] It seems he fell or was pushed from the top.
[02:27.21] A hush fell over us.
[02:30.66] We all gazed at the top of the plateau.
[02:35.78] I felt a chill round my heart.
[02:39.98] If he was chucked off, I was thinking.
[02:46.29] Does that mean there are people up there?
[02:54.67] That unknown world above us suddenly seemed much more menacing.
[03:03.49] We walked back to camp in silence.
[03:07.94] The two villagers dropped behind us.
[03:11.64] They were muttering again and casting scared glances up at the plateau.
[03:20.13] But Challenger wasn't worried.
[03:23.42] He seemed more eager than ever to find a way up.
[03:29.26] He stomped along for a moment in silence, stroking his huge black beard in thought.
[03:37.34] Then he startled us by roaring, I've got it.
[03:43.75] Got what? asked Lord John in his calm, cool voice.
[03:50.86] Challenger's chest puffed out like a peacock.
[03:55.26] Gentlemen, he cried.
[04:00.52] You may congratulate me.
[04:04.91] I have solved our problem.
[04:11.77] We shall climb the Spire of rock.
[04:18.63] I stared up at the spire-shaped tower of rock.
[04:23.61] It stood next to the plateau.
[04:27.74] But there was a great gap between them and it was far too wide to jump.
[04:34.92] But what's the good of that? I asked.
[04:39.79] Even if we get to the top of the Spire, we still can't get to the plateau.
[04:47.74] Challenger gave me a condescending smile, as if to say, young man, do as you're told.
[04:56.08] Leave the thinking to greater minds.
[05:00.68] So, we climbed the Spire.
[05:04.91] The others had done more rock climbing than I had, but my youth and strength made up for my inexperience.
[05:15.12] Lord John scrambled up like a mountain goat.
[05:20.47] Even Challenger, that great bear of a man, surprised me by how nimble he was.
[05:29.33] Puffing and panting, I hauled myself onto the grassy summit.
[05:36.72] The two professors and Lord John were already there.
[05:41.63] The villagers were following us, urged on by Challenger's bullying roars.
[05:49.94] How interesting, said Professor Summerly.
[05:56.08] You'd hardly believe the old chap had just made that dangerous climb.
[06:01.66] He was already examining the tall tree that grew on the summit.
[06:07.88] I staggered to my feet.
[06:11.93] What a breathtaking view.
[06:18.76] A vast forested plane lay on all sides.
[06:24.76] It stretched to a misty blue horizon.
[06:32.54] A huge, heavy fist fell on my shoulder.
[06:38.01] It was Challenger.
[06:40.36] Have you guessed yet? he asked.
[06:46.15] How we shall cross to the plateau?
[06:50.45] I shook my head.
[06:53.57] My puzzled face made Challenger shout with laughter.
[06:59.83] But Lord John was sharper than me.
[07:03.33] He spotted it instantly.
[07:06.98] By George! he cried.
[07:12.21] The tree!
[07:14.87] We can use it for a bridge.
[07:20.93] Well done, bellowed Challenger, as if amazed that our inferior brains had at last caught up.
[07:30.38] We'll chop the tree down across the gap, and then we shall simply walk across.
[07:38.77] Why do you think I brought this axe all the way up?
[07:46.73] Lord John and I attacked the tree trunk, taking turns with the axe.
[07:53.62] Soon there was a loud crack.
[07:58.22] The tree began to sway.
[08:02.66] It's falling! cried Lord John.
[08:07.84] We leapt aside.
[08:12.05] But would it fall where we wanted?
[08:16.51] And would it reach the plateau?
[08:22.32] For one terrible second, I thought the whole tree would tumble into the chasm.
[08:32.11] But no.
[08:34.96] The topmost branches crashed down onto the other side.
[08:42.17] And there was our bridge to the lost world, ready and waiting.
[08:53.42] Challenger, of course, bustled to the front.
[08:58.00] I insist on being first over.
[09:03.77] Wait, said Lord John, unstrapping his rifle from his backpack.
[09:10.80] You know about science, but I know about exploring.
[09:19.35] I'll go first.
[09:22.92] Who knows what's waiting for us on the plateau?
[09:30.45] Our leader huffed and puffed.
[09:34.71] He hated taking orders of any kind.
[09:40.88] But there was something about Lord John's quiet authority that made even the great Challenger obey.
[09:51.38] Sir John strolled across, looking casual, as if he was walking in a London park.
[10:00.86] But my stomach was fluttering with excitement and fear.
[10:06.78] I couldn't help thinking of that broken skeleton.
[10:13.61] Challenger, of course, seemed to fear nothing.
[10:19.20] He practically skipped across that tree bridge.
[10:26.39] On the other side, he waved his arms in the air.
[10:31.88] At last, at last! he cried.
[10:40.69] Summerly followed, crawling across the bridge.
[10:45.94] I crawled too, my legs shaking.
[10:52.65] I glanced down once at the dizzying drop.
[10:58.26] But it made me feel so sick that I dared not look again.
[11:05.98] At last, all four of us were on the other side.
[11:12.07] Where are the villagers? grumbled Challenger.
[11:18.41] They should be up here by now.
[11:23.74] We had some food and other things in our backpacks, but the villagers were carrying most of our stores.
[11:34.21] Look! Summerly suddenly shouted.
[11:39.26] We all turned round to watch a strange colorful bird fly up from the grass.
[11:49.69] I believe it's a parrot, said Summerly.
[11:56.44] Challenger boomed, I disagree.
[12:02.09] Any fool can see it is a giant hummingbird.
[12:11.53] While they were arguing, from behind us came a terrifying crash.
[12:20.70] We all spun round at once, just in time to see the tree hurtling through space and the villagers scrambling down the side of the Spire of rock.
[12:34.39] The scoundrels! raged Challenger, shaking his fist.
[12:42.07] They've pushed our bridge into the chasm.
[12:47.13] Why did they do that?
[12:51.97] It seemed obvious to me.
[12:56.65] They'd been scared out of their wits with war drums, pterodactyls and the skeleton.
[13:05.37] They just wanted to go home.
[13:10.96] And they wanted to make sure we couldn't chase them and bring them back.
[13:17.64] What better way than to trap us on the plateau?
[13:23.55] There were no large trees near the edge to make a bridge back.
[13:29.22] No way down the sheer sides.
[13:33.25] I must admit, I felt very afraid.
[13:42.99] Trapped, I was thinking, trapped on this lost world with no hope of ever getting back.