Danger at Hand
"Quick! Let's get to the boats at once!" cried Mr. Holton. "It won't
do for them to find us here in the village."
The explorers hastened to the river bank with all the speed they could
put into their legs. Not until they were safe in the boats did they
draw a breath. Then they cast glances about the shore.
The shouting grew louder, and the next moment twenty-five or thirty
semi-naked Indians burst into the clearing and made for the huts. But
one that was evidently the chief called them back and pointed to the
river, where the explorers' canoes were moored.
"Now's the time to act," muttered Professor Bigelow, getting out of
the boat.
He strode up to within fifty feet of the Indians, throwing his hands
apart in a gesture of friendliness. Then he called out something that
the other whites did not understand.
Immediately there was a turmoil of excited chattering, in which the
chief took the biggest part. Then the latter called back to the
professor, who listened eagerly. In the end there was a smile on his
face.
"It's all right," he said to the explorers, beckoning them to come
ashore.
"Sure there's no danger?" asked Mr. Lewis.
"It will be safe. The chief welcomed us into the village."
Mr. Holton was the first one out of the boat, followed by Joe, Mr.
Lewis, and Bob. The crew trailed.
They did not think it wise to bring their rifles, for the Indians
might suspect them. But each had a revolver in his holster, and it was
Mr. Lewis who warned them to be on the lookout for any treachery.
Professor Bigelow waited for them to come nearer. Then he led the way
into the village.
For several minutes he carried on conversation with the chief and
seemed to have little or no trouble in understanding him. The Indian
regarded him soberly most of the time, but at several of the
professor's remarks he smiled broadly.
"The professor's building up a feeling of good will," grinned Bob, a
new glow of respect for the scientist coming over him.
"He'll manage those savages all right," said Mr. Holton, as he
recalled some of the encounters with savage people that had been told
of Professor Bigelow.
The conversation ended with an introduction of the other whites to the
Indians, and after a few more casual remarks Professor Bigelow
resolved to tell why they were there.
While the remainder of his party waited in ignorance of what was being
said, he related the details of the expedition: why it had been
organized, what its purposes were, and where it intended to explore.
All this he put in the simple language of the natives, and although it
was difficult to convey many ideas correctly, he succeeded admirably.
The chief's answer was that he and his people would furnish
information about their daily life, and, if the whites so desired,
they would also help in getting specimens. The big Indian stressed
the point that these were the first white people he had ever seen,
although several of the older members of the tribe had met a party of
them many years ago.
Professor Bigelow translated what had been said, and the naturalists
were joyous. They could gain many things by remaining here with these
simple people.
As soon as the novelty had worn off, the chief, whose name was Otari,
escorted the party to one big hut, where they were to remain at night
during their stay at the village.
"Plenty of room here," observed Joe, glancing about the thatched
walls.
"Yes," Bob agreed. "Not a bit crowded. It's one of the best dwellings
in the settlement."
Much room as there was, however, there were only a few pieces of
native furniture and implements. A large box-like table, assembled
with wooden pegs, stood in the middle of the room. Beneath it were
five or six clay pots and containers, each washed clean. In one corner
were two bows and arrows and a blow gun.
"They sure use poor taste in furnishing a house," grinned Bob. "But I
suppose for them it's sufficient."
Professor Bigelow thought it wise to bring in their belongings from
the boats, but the others were a bit dubious about the safety of them.
"We can leave the crew to guard them when we are away," he said. "I
don't think even that will be necessary, for I have a light, portable
safe that I take on all expeditions such as this."
He opened a large box and took out several flat pieces of metal. To
his friends' astonishment they were easily lifted, although they
looked to weigh seventy pounds each.
"They are magnalium," he explained. "About the lightest and strongest
metal there is."
There were lock clamps at the edges of each piece, and these were
fitted into each other. In a short time a large safe stood before
their eyes.
Bob gasped in astonishment.
"That's a new one on me," he confessed. "Never heard of anything like
it."
"It's also new to me," said Mr. Lewis. "I knew there were such safes,
but heretofore I have never seen one."
"But," hesitated Mr. Holton, "what kind of an explanation will we
give the Indians? It occurs to me that they would take this as a kind
of insult. Might get it in their heads that we thought they would
steal something."
"Restrain yourself from worrying about that," the professor consoled
him. "I've used this before many times. As an explanation, we'll
simply say that the safe is a place to store the belongings where we
can have them easily at hand. Then, too, it will prevent any of the
children from curiously straying into our hut to meddle with things.
I've never yet had any trouble."
The safe was large enough to hold the professor's typewriter, paper, a
few books, and various other essential objects. In addition, there was
room for rifles, ammunition, knives and preparations used in skinning,
and several other articles that it was best to lock up.
"It's just the thing," remarked Joe. "Now we can be sure that valuable
possessions will always be here when we get back from a hunting trip."
"I will probably spend most of my time in here writing and conversing
with the natives," Professor Bigelow said. "So when you are out you
can be doubly sure that things will be all right."
It was now about meal time, and the chief wanted to bring the
explorers dishes of native food, but they thanked him, saying that
they would use their own provisions.
"For my part I don't care for any of their delicacies," grinned Joe.
"You can never tell what you're getting."
"True enough," laughed Mr. Holton. "For that reason we'll stick to our
own grub."
After lunching bountifully, the explorers rested on the straw beds and
felt much better for it. When an hour had passed, Mr. Holton rose and
walked over to the supplies.
"Let's go out specimen-collecting," he suggested, getting out a rifle
and small shotgun.
Bob and Joe were on their feet in an instant, their faces radiant with
delight. At last had come a chance to explore the jungle, with its
many thrills, wonders, and tragedies. How they had longed for it!
"Can't get there any too soon for me," said Bob, grasping his rifle.
Mr. Lewis also agreed, and they started out toward the back of the
village, Bob and Joe in the lead.
There was a fairly well blazed trail at the edge of the last hut, and
the hunters resolved to follow it.
"Probably won't be much large game along this path, but there will
undoubtedly be others branching off from it," remarked Mr. Holton, as
he took the lead and plunged into the jungle.
That jungle interested the youths immensely, for the variety of
tropical vegetation was wide. Trees of all types grew one beside
another, their leaves coming in contact with each other. Many of the
trunks were encircled with parasitic vines, which, in many cases,
caused the trees to be stunted. All about on the ground were shrubs
and bushes and tall grass that hindered walking.
"Have to be careful here," warned Mr. Lewis, carefully avoiding a low
shrub studded with sharp-pointed thorns.
"Right," agreed Bob's father. "Keep a ready hand on your rifles, for
there are countless creatures that may be dangerous."
Although the jungle seemed thick at the start, it was nothing to what
they found it later on. Vegetation was certainly dense. Large clusters
of ferns barred the way, their enormous leaves suggesting forests of
prehistoric times. Gay flowers loomed up here and there, tempting the
hunters to stop and marvel at their beauty. Oddly shaped plants were
numerous, among them being a stalk that grew straight up for a
distance of perhaps ten feet, then spliced and fell to the ground in
several places.
Bob and Joe had expected much, but this was beyond any of their
anticipations. Nature was certainly bountiful in displaying her art in
these little-known places.
After a fifteen-minute hike they reached a region of thick bushes,
many of which bore sharp-pointed thorns that were far from pleasant to
encounter. Even with their heavy clothing, they emerged with torn
garments and with bruises that stung and pained severely. But the
unpleasantness was lost before the many tropical wonders that
presented themselves.
Suddenly a flock of white birds flew overhead, and Mr. Lewis and Bob
fired their shotguns together. At once four fell to the ground, amid
the terrible screeching of the others.
"Egrets," said Mr. Holton, upon examining the birds.
As the hunters moved on they added many other birds and small animals
to the collection. One of the most remarkable of the latter was a
large ant-bear, with a long, slender head that terminated into a
toothless mouth. The creature was about four feet long, with a bushy
tail protruding another two feet.
Bob and Joe did their part in the specimen-collecting, and they at
once won the recognition of their elders for their accurate shooting.
Bob was especially praised, for he was not far behind the men in
marksmanship.
The hunters had been out several hours when Mr. Lewis suggested that
they get back to the village.
"Professor Bigelow and the others may worry about us," he said. "In my
opinion we have been out long enough for the first time."
The others agreed, and they were about to retrace their footsteps when
Joe caught sight of something that turned his blood cold.