It was still dark when Rob awoke, and lay listening to the heavy
breathing of the other occupants of the boat. Then, turning over, he
settled himself down for another hour's sleep.
But the attempt was vain. He had had his night's rest--all for which
nature craved--and he now found that he might lie and twist and turn as
long as he liked without any effect whatever.
Under these circumstances he crept softly out and looked at the cool,
dark water lying beneath the huge leaves, some of which kept on moving
in a silent, secretive manner, as if the occupants of the lake were
trying to see what manner of thing the boat was, which lay so silent and
dark on the surface.
It had been terribly hot and stuffy under the awning, and the water
looked deliciously cool and tempting. There was a fascination about the
great, black leaves floating there, which seemed to invite the lad to
strip off the light flannels in which he had slept, to lower himself
gently over the side, and lie in and on and amongst them, with the cool
water bracing and invigorating him ready for the heat and toil of the
coming day.
It would be good, thought Rob. Just one plunge and a few strokes, and
then out and a brisk rub.
But there were the alligators and fish innumerable, nearly all of which
had been provided by nature with the sharpest of teeth.
He shuddered at the thought of how, as soon as his white body was seen
in the water, scores of voracious creatures might make a rush for him
and drag him down among the lily stems for a feast.
"Won't do," he muttered; "but what a pity it does seem!"
He sat watching the surface, and, as he saw how calm and still it was,
the longing for a bathe increased. It would, he felt, be so
refreshing--so delicious after the hot night and the sensations of
prickly heat. Surely he could get a quick plunge and back before
anything could attack him; and as he thought this the longing increased
tenfold, and plenty of arguments arose in favour of the attempt. There
were numbers of great fish and alligators, he knew, but they were not
obliged to be there now. Fish swam in shoals, and might be half a mile
away one hour though swarming at another.
"I've a good mind to," he thought, and as that thought came he softly
unfastened the collar of his flannel shirt.
But he went no farther, for common sense came to the front and pointed
out the folly of such a proceeding, after the warnings he had had of the
dangers of the river teeming as it did with fierce occupants.
"It will not do, I suppose," he muttered. "I should like to try it,
though."
He glanced around, but no one was stirring. The men forward were silent
beneath their blankets, and the occupants of the canvas cabin were all
sleeping heavily, as their breathing told plainly enough, so there was
no fear of interruption.
"I'll try it," said the lad, in an eager whisper.
"No. There is no one to help me if I wanted any. And yet is there
likely to be any danger? Most likely the alligators would swim away if
they saw me, and would be more frightened of me than I should be of
them. While as to the fish--Bah! I'm a coward, and nothing else. Dare
say the water's as cool as can be, while I'm as hot as any one could get
without being in a fever."
He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt above the elbow, and, leaning over
the side, thrust it down between the curves of two lily leaves which
overlapped.
"It is delightfully cool," he said to himself, and he thrust his arm
down farther, when his fingers came in contact with something rough,
which started away, making the water swirl in a tremendous eddy, and
caused the sudden abstraction of the lad's arm, but not so quickly that
he did not feel a sharp pang, and a tiny fish dropped from the skin on
to the bottom of the boat.
"The little wretch!" muttered Rob; and the lesson was sufficient. He
did not feel the slightest desire to tempt the cool water more, but
applied his lips to the little bite, which was bleeding freely, thinking
the while that if one of those savage little fish could produce such an
effect, what would be the result of an attack by a thousand.
Day was near at hand as Rob sat there, though it was still dark, and a
cold mist hung over the water; but the nocturnal creatures had gone to
rest, and here and there came a chirrup or long-drawn whistle to tell
that the birds were beginning to stir, instinctively knowing that before
long the sun would be up, sending light and heat to chase away the mists
of night. Now and then, too, there was a splash or a wallowing sound,
as of some great creature moving in the shallows, close up beneath where
the trees overhung the water, and the boy turned his head from place to
place, half in awe, half in eagerness to know what had made the sound.
But he could make out nothing that was more than twenty or thirty yards
from where the boat swung to her moorings; and, turning his head more
round, he sat thinking of the adventures of the previous day, and
wondered where the puma might be.
"It was a stupid thing to do to run right before that gun," he said to
himself; "but I hadn't time to think that Mr Brazier would fire, and I
didn't want the poor beast to be killed."
Rob sat thinking of how gentle and tame the great cat-like creature
seemed, and a curious sensation of sorrow came over him as he thought of
it crawling away into some shelter to die in agony from the effects of
the deadly wounds inflicted by Brazier's gun.
"And if I had not tumbled down," he said to himself, "it would have been
me instead;" and now he shuddered, for the full truth of his narrow
escape dawned upon him.
"It would have been horrid," he thought; "I never felt before how near
it was."
He leaned back and looked around at the misty darkness and then up at
the sky, where all at once a tiny patch began to glow and rapidly become
warmer, till it was of a vivid orange.
"Morning," said Rob half aloud; and feeling quite light-hearted at the
prospect of daylight and breakfast, he sat up and looked round him at
the positions, now dimly seen, of his companions, and was just thinking
of rousing up the men to see to the fire, when the latter took his
attention, and he turned to see if it was still glowing.
For some minutes he could not make out the exact spot where it had been
made. It was in a little natural clearing about twenty yards from the
bank, but the early morning was still too dark for him to make out
either bank or clearing, till all at once a faint puff of air swept over
the lake, and as it passed the boat, going toward the forest, there was
a faint glow, as of phosphorescence, trembling in one particular spot,
and he knew that it must be caused by the fanning of the embers.
That faint light was only visible for a few moments, then all was dark
again, but it was a transparent darkness, gradually growing clearer.
Then a tree seemed to start up on the scene, and a clump of bushes
nearer the fire. Soon after he could make out a great patch of feathery
green, and this had hardly grown clear enough for him to be certain what
it was, when something misty and undefined appeared to be moving along
the bank close to the tree to which the boat was tethered. The next
moment it melted away into the soft darkness.
"Fancy!" said Rob to himself. But directly after he knew it was not
fancy, for he could hear a peculiar scratching, rending sound, which put
him in mind of a cat tearing with its claws at the leg of a table.
And now as if by magic there was a soft warm glow diffused around, and,
to his surprise and delight, he saw again the object he had before
noticed, but no longer undefined. It was grey, and looked transparent,
but it was a warm-grey, and grew moment by moment less transparent,
gradually assuming the shape of his friend of the previous day, alive
and to all appearances uninjured, as, with its soft, elastic, cat-like
step and undulating body and tail, it walked slowly down to the edge of
the bank, and stood staring at Rob as if waiting for him to speak.
For a few moments the lad was silent and motionless, as he strove hard
to detect signs of injury upon the soft, coat of the puma, but nothing
was visible, and the animal remained as motionless as he, save that the
long tail writhed and curled about as a snake might if gently held by
its head.
The next minute Rob had decided what to do.
Creeping silently astern, he unfastened and paid out a good deal of the
line which held the boat to the grapnel. Then refastening it, he went
silently forward, and began to haul upon the other line, which was
secured to the tree ashore, thus bringing the boat's head close up to
the bank and within half a dozen yards of the puma, which stood watching
him till the boat touched the bank, when, without hesitation or fear of
consequences, Rob stepped ashore.
"Fine chance for him if he does mean to eat me!" thought Rob, with a
laugh. But the next moment he did feel startled, for the animal
suddenly crouched, gathered its hind legs beneath it, and he could see
them working as the agile creature prepared to spring.
Rob's heart beat heavily, and a cry rose to his lips, but was not
uttered, for he felt paralysed, and he would have proved to be an
unresisting victim had the puma's intentions been inimical. But the lad
soon knew that they were friendly, for the great bound the creature gave
landed it at his feet, where it immediately rolled over on to its side,
then turned upon its back, and with touches soft as those of a kitten
pulled at the boy's legs and feet, looking playfully up at him the
while.
"Why, you are a tame one," said Rob, with a sigh of relief. "There's no
danger in you whatever," and sinking on one knee, he patted and rubbed
the great soft head which was gently moved about in his hand.
So satisfactory was this to the puma that it rolled itself about on the
ground, pressed its head against Rob's knee, and finally turned over
once more, couched, laid its head against him, and gazed up in his eyes
as he placed his hand upon the soft browny-grey head.
"Well, there's no mistake about this," said Rob aloud; "you and I are
good friends, and you must be a tame one. The thing is, where is your
master?"
Rob had hardly uttered the word "tame" before the puma's eyes dilated,
and it uttered a low, deep growl, staring fiercely the while at the
boat.
Rob followed the direction of the animal's eyes, and saw that it was
watching Brazier, who had just stepped out from the canvas cabin,
holding a gun in his hand.
"Don't! don't do that!" cried Rob excitedly. "It's quite tame, Mr
Brazier. Look!"
He was about to bend down and caress the puma again; but as he turned it
was only to see its soft, tawny skin and outstretched tail as it made
one bound into the thick, low growth of bush and feathery grass, and it
was gone.
"Why, Rob," cried his leader, "how could you be so foolish as to go near
that savage beast?"
"But it isn't savage," said the lad eagerly; "it's as tame as any cat.
It must belong to some one near."
By this time Shaddy had heard the talking and risen, rather apologetic
for sleeping so long, and as soon as he had called up his men and sent
them ashore to see to the fire the case was laid before him.
"Nay, Master Rob," he said, "there's no one about here to tame lions.
It's a wild one sure enough. Dessay he never saw a man or boy before,
and he's a young one perhaps, and a bit kittenish. Wants to make
friends."
"Friends with a dangerous beast like that, man?" cried Brazier.
"Absurd!"
"Oh, they're not dangerous, sir; that is, not to man. I never heard of
a lion touching a man unless the man had shot at and hurt him. Then
they'll fight savagely for their lives. Dangerous to monkeys, or dogs,
or deer; but I'm not surprised at its taking to Master Rob here, and
don't see no call to fear."
"Well, of course your experience is greater than mine, Naylor," said
Brazier; "but I should have thought that at any moment the beast might
turn and rend him."
"No, sir; no, sir; no fear of that! I daresay the crittur would follow
him anywhere and be as friendly as a cat. The Indians never take any
notice of lions. It's the tigers they're a bit scared about. Lions
hate tigers too; and I've known 'em fight till they were both dying."
"Ah well, we need not discuss the matter, for the puma has gone."
"Thought you were going to shoot at it again, sir," said Rob in rather
an ill-used tone, for he was disappointed at the sudden interruption to
his friendly intercourse with the beautiful beast.
By this time Giovanni was out of the boat, and stared rather at the
account of the morning's adventure; but the announcement soon after that
the coffee was boiling changed the conversation, and for the time being
the puma was forgotten.
The great natural clearing at the edge of the lake and the opening out
of the river itself gave so much opportunity for Brazier to prosecute
his collecting that he at once decided upon staying in the
neighbourhood--certainly for that day, if not for one or two more, and
in consequence the fire was left smouldering, while the boat was forced
along close in shore, which was no easy task, on account of the dense
growth of lilies.
The heat was great, but forgotten in the excitement of collecting, and,
with the help of his young companions, Brazier kept on making additions
to his specimens, while Rob's great regret was that they were not
seeking birds and insects as well.
"Seems such a pity," he confided to Joe. "The orchids are very
beautiful when they are hanging down from the trees, with their petals
looking like the wings of insects and their colour all of such lovely
yellows and blues, but we shall only have the dried, bulb-like stems to
take back with us, and how do we know that they will ever flower again?"
"If properly dried, a great many of them will," said Brazier at that
moment.
Rob started.
"I didn't know you were listening, sir," he said.
"I was not listening, Rob, but you spoke so loudly, I could not help
hearing your words. I can quite understand your preference for the
brilliant-coloured and metallic-plumaged birds, and also for the lovely
insects which we keep seeing, but specimens of most of these have been
taken to Europe again and again, while I have already discovered at
least four orchids which I am sure are new."
"But if they do not revive," said Rob, "we shall have had all our
journey for nothing."
"But they will revive, my boy, you may depend upon that--at least, some
of them; and to my mind we shall have done a far greater thing in
carrying to England specimens of these gorgeous flowers to live and be
perpetuated in our hothouses, than in taking the dried mummies of bird
and insect, which, however beautiful, can never by any possibility live
again."
"I didn't think of that," said Rob apologetically.
"I suppose not. But there, be content to help me in my collecting; you
are getting plenty of adventure, and to my mind, even if we take back
nothing, we shall carry with us recollections of natural wonders that
will remain imprinted on our brains till the end of our days."
"He's quite right," thought Rob as he sat alone some time after; "but I
wish he wouldn't speak to me as if he were delivering a lecture. Of
course I shall help him and work hard, but I do get tired of the
flowers. They're beautiful enough on the trees, but as soon as they are
picked they begin to fade and wither away."
The conversation took place at the end of the lake, just where the river
issued in a narrow stream, walled in on either side by the trees as
before, and the intention was to cross this exit and go back by the
other side, round to the wide clearing where they had passed the
previous night.
Plans in unknown waters are more easily made than carried out.
They had halted for a short time at the foot of a majestic tree, one
evidently of great age, and draped from where its lower boughs almost
touched the water right to the crown with parasitic growth, much of
which consisted of the particular family of flowers Brazier had made his
expedition to collect.
Here several splendid specimens were cut from a huge drooping bough
which was held down by the men while the collector operated with a handy
little axe, bringing down as well insects innumerable, many of which
were of a stinging nature, and, to the dismay of both boys, first one
and then another brilliantly marked snake of some three feet long and
exceedingly slender.
These active little tree-climbers set to at once to find a hiding-place,
and at once it became the task of all the band to prevent this
unsatisfactory proceeding, no one present looking forward with
satisfaction to the prospect of having snakes as fellow-travellers,
especially poisonous ones. But they were soon hunted out and thrown by
means of a stick right away into the water, but not to drown, for they
took to it, swimming as actively and well as an eel.
"Why, that last fellow will reach one of those boughs and get back into
a tree again," cried Joe.
"If a fish does not treat him like a worm," said Rob; and he did not
feel at all hopeful about the little reptile's fate.
But the next minute he had to think of his own.
One minute the boat was being propelled gently through the still waters
amongst the great lily leaves; the next they were in sight of the exit,
and something appeared to give the boat a sudden jerk.
"Alligator?" asked Rob excitedly.
"Stream!" growled Shaddy, seizing an oar and rowing with all his might
just as they were being swept rapidly down the lower river, the trees
gliding by them and the men appearing to have no power whatever to check
the boat's way as it glided on faster and faster, leaving the open lake
the next minute quite out of sight.