Beyond the Great South Wall, a classic romantic-adventure novel first published in 1901, combines an archaeological mystery with a cryptozoological horror, as the hero (and the girl) end up in the harsh environment of the Antarctic. Interesting story, good characterizations, certainly an outlandish plot, but overall a lot of fun. If you enjoyed Conan Doyle's The Lost World and other early adventure / lost race fiction, this story is worth a read.