the.lost.world-第40部分

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　　　　How　could　that　be？　Dark　blue　from　venous　blood？　Was　it　coldblooded？　No。　This　animal　moved　much　too　smoothly；　it　had　the　assurance　…　and　indifference　…　of　a　warm…blooded　creature。　Lizards　and　reptiles　always　seemed　to　be　paying　attention　to　the　temperature　of　their　surroundings。　This　creature　didn't　behave　that　way　at　all。　It　stood　in　the　shade；　and　lapped　up　the　cold　water；　indifferent　to　it　all。
　　　　She　looked　down　at　her　shirt；　saw　the　foamy　spittle　running　down　from　her　neck。　It　had　drooled　on　her。　She　touched　it　with　her　fingers。　It　was　warm。
　　　　It　was　warm…blooded；　all　right。
　　　　A　stegosaurus。
　　　　She　stared。
　　　　The　stegosaurus's　skin　had　a　pebbled　texture；　but　it　was　not　scaly；　like　a　reptile's。　It　was　more　like　the　skin　of　a　rhino；　she　thought。　Or　of　a　warthog。　Except　it　was　entirely　hairless；　without　the　bristles　of　a　pig。
　　　　The　stegosaurus　moved　slowly。　It　had　a　peaceful；　rather　stupid　air。　And　it　probably　was　stupid；　she　thought；　looking　again　at　the　head。　The　braincase　was　much　smaller　than　that　of　a　horse。　Very　small　for　the　body　weight。
　　　　She　got　to　her　feet；　and　groaned。　Her　body　ached。　Every　limb　and　muscle　was　sore。　Her　legs　trembled。　She　took　a　breath。
　　　　A　few　yards　away；　the　stegosaurus　paused；　glanced　at　her；　taking　in　her　new　upright　appearance。　When　she　did　not　move；　it　became　indifferent　once　again；　and　returned　to　drinking　from　the　river。
　　　　〃I'll　be　damned；〃　she　said。
　　　　She　looked　at　her　watch。　It　was　one…thirty　in　the　afternoon；　the　sun　still　high　overhead。　She　couldn't　use　the　sun　to　navigate；　and　the　afternoon　was　very　hot。　She　decided　she　had　better　start　walking；　and　try　and　find　Malcolm　and　Thorne。　Barefooted；　moving　stiffly；　her　muscles　aching；　she　headed　into　the　jungle；　away　from　the　river。

After　walking　half　an　hour；　she　was　very　thirsty；　but　she　had　trained　herself　to　go　without　water　for　long　periods　in　the　African　savannah。　She　continued　on；　indifferent　to　her　own　disfort。　As　she　approached　the　top　of　a　ridge；　she　came　to　a　game　trail；　a　wide　muddy　track　through　the　jungle。　It　was　easier　walking　along　the　trail；　and　she　had　been　following　it　for　about　fifteen　minutes　when　she　heard　an　excited　yelping　from　somewhere　ahead。　It　reminded　her　of　dogs；　and　she　proceeded　cautiously。
　　　　Moments　later；　there　was　a　crashing　sound　in　the　underbrush；　corning　from　several　directions　at　once；　and　suddenly　a　dark…green；　lizard…like　animal　about　four　feet　high　burst　through　the　foliage　at　terrific　speed；　shrieked；　and　leapt　over　her。　She　ducked　instinctively；　and　hardly　had　time　to　recover　before　a　second　animal　appeared　and　raced　past　her。　Within　instants；　a　whole　herd　of　animals　was　running　past　her　on　all　sides；　yelping　in　fear；　and　then　the　next　one　brushed　against　her　and　knocked　her　over。　She　fell　in　the　mud　as　other　animals　leapt　and　crashed　around　her。
　　　　A　few　feet　ahead　on　the　trail　she　saw　a　large　tree　with　low…hanging　branches。　She　acted　without　thinking；　jumping　to　her　feet；　grabbing　the　branch；　and　swinging　up。　She　reached　safety　just　as　a　new　dinosaur；　with　sharp…clawed　feet；　rushed　through　the　maid　beneath　her；　and　chased　after　the　fleeing　green　creatures。　As　this　animal　went　away　from　her；　she　glimpsed　a　dark　body；　six　feet　tall；　with　reddish　stripes　like　a　tiger。　Soon　after；　a　second　striped　animal　appeared；　then　a　third　…　a　pack　of　predators；　hissing　and　snarling；　as　they　pursued　the　green　dinosaurs。
　　　　From　her　years　in　the　field；　she　found　herself　automatically　counting　the　animals　that　rushed　past　her。　By　her　count；　there　were　ten　striped　predators；　and　that　immediately　piqued　her　interest。　It　made　no　sense；　she　thought。　As　soon　as　the　last　of　the　predators　was　gone；　she　dropped　down　to　the　ground　arid　hurried　to　follow　them。　It　occurred　to　hey　that　it　might　be　foolish　to　do　so；　but　her　curiosity　overcame　her。
　　　　She　chased　the　tiger…dinosaurs　up　a　hill；　but　even　before　she　reached　the　crest　she　could　tell　from　the　snarls　and　growls　that　they　had　already　brought　an　animal　down。　At　the　crest；　she　looked　down　on　their　kill。
　　　　But　it　was　like　no　kill　she　had　ever　seen　in　Africa。　On　the　Seronera　plain；　a　kill　site　had　its　own　organization　which　was　quite　predictable；　and　in　a　way　was　almost　stately。　The　biggest　predators；　lions　or　hyenas；　were　closest　to　the　carcass；　feeding　with　their　young。　Farther　out；　waiting　their　turn；　were　the　vultures　and　marabou　storks；　and　still　farther　out；　the　jackals　and　other　small　scavengers　circled　warily。　After　the　big　predators　finished；　the　smaller　animals　moved　in。　Different　animals　ate　different　parts　of　the　bodies：　the　hyenas　and　vultures　ate　bones；　the　jackals　nibbled　the　carcass　clean。　This　was　the　pattern　at　any　kill；　and　as　a　result　there　was　very　little　squabbling　or　fighting　around　the　food。
　　　　But　here；　she　saw　pandemonium　…　a　feeding　frenzy。　The　fallen　animal　was　thickly　covered　with　striped　predators；　all　furiously　ripping　the　flesh　of　the　carcass；　with　frequent　pauses　to　snarl　and　fight　with　each　other。　Their　fights　were　openly　vicious　…　one　predator　bit　the　adjacent　animal；　inflicting　a　deep　flank　wound。　Immediately；　several　other　predators　snapped　at　the　same　animal；　which　limped　away；　hissing　and　bleeding；　badly　wounded。　Once　at　the　periphery；　the　wounded　animal　retaliated　by　biting　the　tail　of　another　creature；　again　causing　a　serious　wound。
　　　　A　young　juvenile；　about　half　the　size　of　the　others；　kept　pushing　forward；　trying　to　get　at　a　bit　of　the　carcass；　but　the　adults　did　not　make　room　for　it。　Instead；　they　snarled　and　snapped　in　fury。　The　youngster　was　frequently　obliged　to　hop　back　nimbly；　keeping　its　distance　from　the　razor…sharp　fangs　of　the　grownups。　Harding　saw　no　infants　at　all。　This　was　a　society　of　vicious　adults。
　　　　As　she　watched　the　big　predators；　their　heads　and　bodies　smeared　in　blood；　she　noticed　the　crisscross　pattern　of　healed　scars　on　their　flanks　and　necks。　These　were　obviously　quick；　intelligent　animals；　yet　they　fought　continually。　Was　that　the　way　their　social　organization　had　evolved？　If　so；　it　was　a　rare　event。
　　　　Animals　of　many　species　fought　for　food；　territory；　and　sex；　but　these　fights　most　often　involved　display　and　ritual　aggression；　serious　Injury　seldom　occurred。　There　were　exceptions；　of　course。　When　male　hippos　fought　to　take　over　a　harem；　they　often　severely　wounded　other　males。　But　in　any　case；　nothing　matched　what　she　saw　now。
　　　　As　she　watched；　the　wounded　animal　at　the　edge　of　the　kill　slunk　forward　and　bit　another　adult；　which　snarled　and　leapt　at　it；　slashing　with　its　long　toe…claw。　In　a　flash；　the　injured　predator　was　eviscerated；　coils　of　pale　intestine　slipping　out　through　a　wide　gash。　The　animal　fell　howling　to　the　ground；　and　immediately　three　adults　turned　away　from　the　kill　and　jumped　onto　its　newly　fallen　body；　and　began　to　tear　the　animal's　flesh　with　rapacious　intensity。
　　　　Harding　closed　her　eyes；　and　turned　away。　This　was　a　different　world；　and　one　she　did　not　understand　at　all。　In　a　daze；　she　headed　back　down　the　bill；　moving　quietly；　carefully　away　from　the　kill。

Noise

The　Ford　Explorer　glided　quietly　forward　along　the　jungle　path。　They　were　following　a　game　trail　on　the　ridge　above　the　valley；　heading　down　toward　the　high　hide；　in　the　valley　below。
　　　　Thorne　drove。　He　said　to　Malcolm；　〃You　were　saying　earlier　that　you　knew　why　the　dinosaurs　became　extinct。。。。〃
　　　　〃Well；　I'm　pretty　sure　I　do；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃The　basic　situation　is　simple　enough。〃　He　shifted　in　his　seat。　〃Dinosaurs　arose　in　the　Triassic；　about　two　hundred　million　years　ago。　They　proliferated　throughout　the　Jurassic　and　the　Cretaceous　periods　that　followed。　They　were　the　dominant　life　form　on　this　planet　for　about　a　hundred　and　fifty　million　years　…　which　is　a　very　long　time。〃
　　　　〃Considering　we've　been　here　for　only　three　million；〃　Eddie　said。
　　　　〃Let's　not　put　on　airs；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Some　puny　apes　have　been　here　for　three　miIlion　years。　We　haven't。　Recognizable　human　beings　have　only　been　on　this　planet　for　thirty…five　thousand　years；〃　he　said。　〃That's　how　long　it's　been　since　our　ancestors　painted　caves　in　France　and　Spain；　drawing　pictures　of　game　to　invoke　success　in　the　hunt。　Thirty…five　thousand　years。　In　the　history　of　the　earth；　that's　nothing　at　all。　We've　just　arrived。〃
　　　　〃Okay。。。〃
　　　　〃And　of　course　even　thirty…five　thousand　years　ago；　we　were　already　making　species　extinct。　Cavemen　killed　so　much　game　that　animals　became　extinct　on　several　continents。　There　used　to　be　lions　and　tigers　in　Europe。　There　used　to　be　giraffes　and　rhinos　in　Los　Angeles。　Hell；　ten　thousand　years　ago；　the　ancestors　of　Native　Americans　hunted　the　woolly　mammoth　to　extinction。　This　is　nothing　new；　this　human　tendency　…　〃
　　　　〃Ian。'
　　　　〃Well；　it's　a　fact；　although　your　modern　airheads　think　it's　all　so　brand…new　…　〃
　　　　〃Ian。　You　were　talking　about　dinosaurs。〃
　　　　〃Right。　Dinosaurs。　Anyway；　during　a　hundred　and　fifty　million　years　on　this　planet；　dinosaurs　were　so　successful　that　by　the　Cretaceous　there　were　twenty…one　major　groups　of　them。　A　few　groups；　like　the　camarasaurs　and　fabrosaurs；　had　died　out。　But　the　overwhelming　majority　of　dinosaur　groups　were　still　active　throughout　the　Cretaceous。　And　then；　suddenly；　about　sixty…five　million　years　ago；　every　single　group　became　extinct。　And　only　the　birds　remained。　So。　The　question　is　…　What　was　that？〃
　　　　〃I　thought　you　knew；〃　Thorne　said。
　　　　〃No。　I　mean；　what　was　that　sound？　Did　you　hear　something？〃　〃No；〃　Thorne　said。
　　　　〃Stop　the　car；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　Thorne　stopped　the　car；　and　clicked　off　the　engine。　They　rolled　down　the　windows　and　felt　the　still；　midday　heat。　There　was　almost　no　breeze。　They　listened　for　a　while。
　　　　Thorne　shrugged。　〃I　don't　hear　anything。　What　did　you　think　you　…　〃
　　　　〃Sssh；〃　Malcolm　said。　He　cupped　his　hand　to　his　ear　and　put　his　head　out　the　window；　listening　intently。　After　a　moment；　he　came　back　in。　〃I　could　have　sworn　I　heard　an　engine。〃
　　　　〃An　engine？　You　mean　an　internal…bustion　engine？〃
　　　　〃Right。〃　He　pointed　to　the　east。　〃It　sounded　like　it　was　ing　from　over　there。〃
　　　　They　listened　again；　and　heard　nothing。
　　　　Thorne　shook　his　head。　〃I　can't　imagine　a　gas　engine　here；　Ian。　There's　no　gas　to　run　one。〃
　　　　The　radio　clicked。　〃Dr。　Malcolm？〃　It　was　Arby；　in　the　trailer