On the Alert
"Now the next thing is to get boats," said Mr. Holton.
Senhor del Pereo announced that it would be possible to get them at
once, without having to have them constructed, and the explorers were
delighted.
He led them down to the river bank, where two large canoes were
aground. Each was about thirty-five feet long and capable of carrying
a ton and a half of cargo with ease. Mr. Holton and Mr. Lewis were
amazed.
"They are not native canoes," Mr. Lewis said, as he noted the deep,
full lines and high freeboard.
The Brazilian explained that they had been used by a party of British
hunters on the Purús River, and were purchased when the men were
through with them for a small sum.
"Got it all over Indian boats," remarked Bob, glancing farther down at
several that were moored.
The Indians had accompanied them to the boats, and now Senhor del
Pereo introduced the ones who were to be a part of the expedition.
There were six of them--three to attend to each boat. All were large,
strong fellows, capable of any kind of work required by the venture,
and the Brazilian assured the explorers that they could be relied
upon.
After attending to a few more matters with Senhor del Pereo, the party
set about loading their provisions and supplies in one of the boats;
the other was to be used as a storeplace for the specimens they would
collect.
Bob and Joe did a good share of the work. Then occasionally they would
take motion pictures.
When the last box was lifted up, Mr. Holton gave the sign, and, with
parting words with the Brazilian who had done so much for them, they
got in the foremost canoe and were paddled upstream by the crew. At
last they were off for the unknown.
"Now for the fun," smiled Joe, as he cranked the movie camera and
looked expectantly into the green depths of the bordering jungle.
"I suppose you're referring to hunting," said Mr. Lewis. "Well, we'll
do plenty of that a little later. But first we want to penetrate a
large distance from any outposts of civilization."
At the start, the river was rather wide, but it promised to narrow
later.
They glided swiftly on for perhaps three hours. Then Mr. Lewis
suggested that they stop for the noon meal. Meanwhile, the crew could
be resting.
The boats were brought to a stop at a large sand bank, and all climbed
out to stretch their legs after such a long journey in more or less
one position. Bob and Joe felt like running and shouting.
"Like to go in for a swim," said Bob, wiping the perspiration from his
streaming brow.
"So would everyone else," returned Mr. Lewis. "But with the alligators
and piranhas and other dangerous aquatic forms it's absurd even to
think of such a thing."
"Are they this close to the Purús?" asked Joe. "I thought they were
found deeper in the jungle."
Mr. Holton shook his head.
"Piranhas and alligators are very common all through this region," he
said.
Mr. Holton and Mr. Lewis got out a ration of food, while Bob and Joe
attended to minor tasks. Professor Bigelow looked after the plates and
utensils.
In a short time the meal was prepared, and all ate in quiet
contentment. The food tasted good after those three long hours of
constant traveling.
Bob and Joe glanced at the frowning jungle, which was but a short
distance away. It seemed to challenge the explorers to penetrate its
leafy depths, although in many places this was almost impossible.
"Quite a variety of trees," observed Bob, his eye scanning the edge.
"I suppose there are hundreds of different kinds."
"There are," answered Professor Bigelow. "All different kinds, from
mahogany to bacaba palms. Much of the wood is worthlessly soft and
useless, but mahogany and a few others are shipped to all parts of the
world. There would be a much greater amount sent out, though, if it
were all buoyant. The fact that many of the logs are not prevents them
from being floated downstream."
The explorers spent several minutes in the shade of a large tree,
talking and chatting merrily. Then the professor suggested that they
move on, and the others were more than glad to do so.
"You're right," Mr. Lewis told the professor. "We want to cover as
much ground as possible today."
The provisions were packed in the boat. They then boarded, to be
paddled upstream by the Indians.
There was plenty of room to move about, and the youths shifted their
positions frequently. Not because they grew tired of the scenery,
however, for at every yard there was something new to see.
Bright-colored flowers lined the banks, red-leafed bushes were common,
tall palms, grotesque vines, ferns, plants of all kinds that baffled
the boys. Occasionally they would pass dead branches covered with
living orchids. Then again there were trees that themselves had
flowers. Once they came to a tree over fifty feet high with wide,
spreading branches that were covered with yellow blossoms.
Often the river would bend sharply, making necessary utmost caution by
the crew. On one such occasion the explorers were engaged in
conversation when suddenly a loud splash from ahead made them look up.
Then, as they rounded the bend, they saw something that made them jump
to their feet and grasp their rifles.