"I really know nothing about him," said I. "I only remember his namein connection with the police-court proceedings, for striking Blundell."
"I have a few notes for your guidance, Mr. Malone. I've had my eye onthe Professor for some little time." He took a paper from a drawer."Here is a summary of his record. I give it you briefly:--
"'Challenger, George Edward. Born: Largs, N. B., 1863. Educ.: LargsAcademy; Edinburgh University. British Museum Assistant, 1892.Assistant-Keeper of Comparative Anthropology Department, 1893.Resigned after acrimonious correspondence same year. Winner ofCrayston Medal for Zoological Research. Foreign Member of'--well,quite a lot of things, about two inches of small type--'Societe Belge,American Academy of Sciences, La Plata, etc., etc. Ex-PresidentPalaeontological Society. Section H, British Association'--so on, soon!--'Publications: "Some Observations Upon a Series of KalmuckSkulls"; "Outlines of Vertebrate Evolution"; and numerous papers,including "The underlying fallacy of Weissmannism," which caused heateddiscussion at the Zoological Congress of Vienna. Recreations: Walking,Alpine climbing. Address: Enmore Park, Kensington, W.'
"There, take it with you. I've nothing more for you to-night."
I pocketed the slip of paper.
"One moment, sir," I said, as I realized that it was a pink bald head,and not a red face, which was fronting me. "I am not very clear yetwhy I am to interview this gentleman. What has he done?"
The face flashed back again.
"Went to South America on a solitary expedeetion two years ago. Cameback last year. Had undoubtedly been to South America, but refused tosay exactly where. Began to tell his adventures in a vague way, butsomebody started to pick holes, and he just shut up like an oyster.Something wonderful happened--or the man's a champion liar, which isthe more probable supposeetion. Had some damaged photographs, said tobe fakes. Got so touchy that he assaults anyone who asks questions,and heaves reporters down the stairs. In my opinion he's just ahomicidal megalomaniac with a turn for science. That's your man, Mr.Malone. Now, off you run, and see what you can make of him. You'rebig enough to look after yourself. Anyway, you are all safe.Employers' Liability Act, you know."
A grinning red face turned once more into a pink oval, fringed withgingery fluff; the interview was at an end.
I walked across to the Savage Club, but instead of turning into it Ileaned upon the railings of Adelphi Terrace and gazed thoughtfully fora long time at the brown, oily river. I can always think most sanelyand clearly in the open air. I took out the list of ProfessorChallenger's exploits, and I read it over under the electric lamp.Then I had what I can only regard as an inspiration. As a Pressman, Ifelt sure from what I had been told that I could never hope to get intotouch with this cantankerous Professor. But these recriminations,twice mentioned in his skeleton biography, could only mean that he wasa fanatic in science. Was there not an exposed margin there upon whichhe might be accessible? I would try.
I entered the club. It was just after eleven, and the big room wasfairly full, though the rush had not yet set in. I noticed a tall,thin, angular man seated in an arm-chair by the fire. He turned as Idrew my chair up to him. It was the man of all others whom I shouldhave chosen--Tarp Henry, of the staff of Nature, a thin, dry, leatherycreature, who was full, to those who knew him, of kindly humanity. Iplunged instantly into my subject.
"What do you know of Professor Challenger?"
"Challenger?" He gathered his brows in scientific disapproval."Challenger was the man who came with some cock-and-bull story fromSouth America."
"What story?"
"Oh, it was rank nonsense about some queer animals he had discovered.I believe he has retracted since. Anyhow, he has suppressed it all.He gave an interview to Reuter's, and there was such a howl that he sawit wouldn't do. It was a discreditable business. There were one ortwo folk who were inclined to take him seriously, but he soon chokedthem off."
"How?"
"Well, by his insufferable rudeness and impossible behavior. There waspoor old Wadley, of the Zoological Institute. Wadley sent a message:'The President of the Zoological Institute presents his compliments toProfessor Challenger, and would take it as a personal favor if he woulddo them the honor to come to their next meeting.' The answer wasunprintable."
"You don't say?"
"Well, a bowdlerized version of it would run: 'Professor Challengerpresents his compliments to the President of the Zoological Institute,and would take it as a personal favor if he would go to the devil.'"
"Good Lord!"
"Yes, I expect that's what old W
adley said. I remember his wail at themeeting, which began: 'In fifty years experience of scientificintercourse----' It quite broke the old man up."
"Anything more about Challenger?"
"Well, I'm a bacteriologist, you know. I live in anine-hundred-diameter microscope. I can hardly claim to take seriousnotice of anything that I can see with my naked eye. I'm afrontiersman from the extreme edge of the Knowable, and I feel quiteout of place when I leave my study and come into touch with all yougreat, rough, hulking creatures. I'm too detached to talk scandal, andyet at scientific conversaziones I HAVE heard something of Challenger,for he is one of those men whom nobody can ignore. He's as clever asthey make 'em--a full-charged battery of force and vitality, but aquarrelsome, ill-conditioned faddist, and unscrupulous at that. He hadgone the length of faking some photographs over the South Americanbusiness."
"You say he is a faddist. What is his particular fad?"
"He has a thousand, but the latest is something about Weissmann andEvolution. He had a fearful row about it in Vienna, I believe."
"Can't you tell me the point?"
"Not at the moment, but a translation of the proceedings exists. Wehave it filed at the office. Would you care to come?"
"It's just what I want. I have to interview the fellow, and I needsome lead up to him. It's really awfully good of you to give me alift. I'll go with you now, if it is not too late."
Half an hour later I was seated in the newspaper office with a hugetome in front of me, which had been opened at the article "Weissmannversus Darwin," with the sub heading, "Spirited Protest at Vienna.Lively Proceedings." My scientific education having been somewhatneglected, I was unable to follow the whole argument, but it wasevident that the English Professor had handled his subject in a veryaggressive fashion, and had thoroughly annoyed his Continentalcolleagues. "Protests," "Uproar," and "General appeal to the Chairman"were three of the first brackets which caught my eye. Most of thematter might have been written in Chinese for any definite meaning thatit conveyed to my brain.