Disaster Ahead
"What did you find out, Dad?" inquired Bob late that afternoon. Mr.
Holton had just returned from the railroad station of the Uganda
Railway.
His father smiled happily.
"There is a train leaving tomorrow morning," he said. "From all
accounts we'll be the only passengers on it."
"I don't mind that," came from Joe. "But, say, Mr. Holton, what does
the train look like?"
"You'll be surprised," smiled Mr. Lewis.
"Perhaps you'll tell us just where it will take us," said Bob.
"All the way to Lake Victoria," his father returned. "We'll spend a
day or so looking around there. Then we'll organize a safari and
plunge into the jungle."
There was a little time left before darkness would close over them.
Bob and Joe used it to further explore Mombasa and see its
inhabitants.
They found that the city was situated on an island several thousand
acres in extent. There was a channel that divided it from the
mainland, spanned by a causeway. In the old section of the city the
chums found many things of interest in the way of odd native huts,
curious carvings, and the native market. The new section contained a
number of attractive homes in which lived Europeans and Americans.
"And there seem to be representatives of all races here," remarked
Bob, when they returned to the hotel. "Whites, blacks, browns--all
colors."
"You're in for a surprise tonight," said Mr. Lewis, as the youths
retired.
"What is it?" asked Joe.
"Wait and see," smiled his father.
The "surprise" did not make itself known the first part of the night.
In fact, Bob and Joe forgot all about what Mr. Lewis had said so
soundly did they sleep.
But about two in the morning they were awakened by a hideous noise
which was unlike anything the youths had ever heard before. That it
was the call of some wild animal they did not doubt, but just what
creature could cry out in such tones they had not the slightest idea.
The noise was repeated again and again, always nearer. Finally Bob
jumped out of bed and bounded to the window.
"Of all things!" he cried, gazing out intently. "Joe, come
here--quick!"
Joe needed no urging. Like a flash he had joined his comrade.
"Why--it's a hyena!" he gasped. "And there's another--and another.
Gosh! They're right out in the middle of the street."
A brilliant moon made the animals easily visible. They were unusually
large specimens, that from all appearances could tear a man limb from
limb.
"I guess they're too cowardly to attack even a very small animal,"
remarked Bob. "But they sure look mean, don't they?"
"This must be the surprise Dad was talking about," said Joe, never
taking his eyes from the scene. "And it really is a surprise, too.
Who'd expect to see wild animals out in the main street of a town,
even in Africa?"
The chums could hardly tear themselves away from the window. The
whining, screaming hyenas were something that they had never seen
except behind bars, and they naturally looked out with great interest.
"Come on, Joe." Bob at last went back to bed. "We want to get a
little more sleep before morning. We'll have a lot to do tomorrow."
Shortly after daybreak Mr. Lewis appeared at the doorway.
"Come along, boys," he said, noting that they were awake. "The train
leaves in two hours."
They dressed as soon as possible and secured their breakfast. Then,
with their fathers, they went to the railroad station, carrying most
of their baggage.
As there was nearly an hour remaining, all four took a short walk
about the city, in search of anything unusual.
Before long they found themselves at the city fish market, which was a
colorful place displaying practically all kinds of sea food. There
were sharks, swordfish, crabs, crayfish, sardines, and many other
queer denizens of the near-by waters.
"Quite a market," mused Joe, as they moved back to the railroad
station. "Ought to be able to find anything you'd want there."
The train arrived at last, and the explorers lost no time in boarding.
They found the coach very comfortable, although it appeared rather
old.
"You were right, Howard. As yet we are the only passengers," observed
Mr. Lewis.
Before long the train started moving, slowly at first, picking up
speed later.
"We're off!" cried Joe, gazing out of the window with interest.
After a short stop at Kilindini they crossed the channel and passed
through luxuriant tropical vegetation--coconut palms, mangoes, and
countless other trees and plants.
"When do we see the herds of wild animals?" asked Bob, after an hour
had passed. "This is a game reserve, isn't it?"
His father nodded.
"We should see some before long now," he said. "But, of course, there
won't be any great numbers until we get farther along."
Soon the train left the coastal belt and reached a region of bush. For
several hours it sped through a monotonous country, at last coming to
the town of Voi.
From then on the journey was rather uninteresting, until the explorers
pulled into Makindu. Here they got off to spend the night.
Late the next morning the train resumed its journey, leaving the
region of bush behind and entering a vast plain.
Suddenly Mr. Holton sat up with a start.
"Look over there!" he exclaimed, pointing to something several hundred
yards away.
Bob and Joe looked.
"Why--it's a herd of zebras!" cried Bob, struck with amazement. "There
must be fifty of them."
"What do you know about that!" Joe was also gazing out with profound
interest. "They--over there! A herd of strange antelopes."
"They're impalla," pronounced his father. "Sleek, beautiful animals,
aren't they?"
As they went farther the explorers saw other kinds of game.
Bright-colored birds fluttered past; towering giraffes could often be
seen; hartebeests and other varieties of antelopes appeared
everywhere. Once a troop of impalla, upon hearing the locomotive
whistle, ran gracefully at right angles from the train.
"The world's greatest menagerie," murmured Mr. Lewis, speaking with
decision. "The British certainly have done a great good here. There is
nothing like this protectorate anywhere."
Half an hour later the train stopped at a small but attractive
station. Here the explorers got off to stretch their legs and look
around.
Bob and Joe happened to be near the locomotive when a voice made them
turn about. Looking up, they saw the engineer motioning to them.
"How would you like to see the wild beasts better?" he asked the
youths.
"Why--what do you mean?" inquired Joe wonderingly. "See them better?
How?"
"Easy enough," laughed the engineer. He climbed down from the
locomotive. "See that? It's a seat on the cowcatcher. If you like, you
and your dads, or whoever that was with you, can perch yourselves
there. It's every bit as safe as in the car."
"Say!" burst out Bob, delighted at such an opportunity. "That's just
what we'll do. There's plenty of room for all four of us, and no
danger of falling off. Thanks for telling us."
The boys found their fathers on the opposite side of the train.
"It's time Joe and I were springing a surprise on you," said Bob, with
a wink at his chum.
There was a quizzical look on the faces of the naturalists.
"Very well," smiled Mr. Lewis, his eyes twinkling. "What is your
surprise?"
"How would you like to see the wild beasts better?" asked Bob,
repeating the question asked by the engineer.
Mr. Holton answered on the moment.
"We'd like it so well that we intend to occupy the seat on the
cowcatcher of the engine," he said casually.
Bob groaned hopelessly.
"Good-bye surprise," he snorted. "Doggone it, Dad. You two are away
too wise for us. We ought to tell you something about the Amazon
jungle, I guess, instead of picking on Africa. We ought to be able to.
We were lost in it long enough."
"I get it," laughed Mr. Lewis. "You were going to tell us about the
wonderful possibilities for sightseeing while seated at the front of
the locomotive. Why didn't you keep still, Howard, and let them have
their fun?"
"Sorry," grinned Mr. Holton. "Next time I'll be as mum as a giraffe."
At a word from the engineer, the four explorers climbed up on the
cowcatcher and sat down on the wide seat, their hearts light as they
eagerly anticipated what was coming. As for Bob and Joe, it was the
most unusual opportunity they had ever been offered.
"What do you have there?" inquired Joe, trying to make out what his
friend held under his arm.
"A motion-picture camera," returned Bob, holding it in view. "I opened
the box and brought it out. We haven't taken any movies since we
started, you know."
"Glad you thought of it," Joe commended. "This is sure a swell chance
for rolling it off."
The sound of the locomotive's whistle made the explorers sit up in
eager anticipation.
It was a novel sensation to the youths--sitting on the cowcatcher of
the engine. As the latter picked up speed, they experienced a feeling
of real exhilaration. For seeing the shining rails slip by and
watching the scenery move toward them was most unusual indeed,
especially here in Africa.
The farther they went the more plentiful wild life became. On one
occasion Joe almost caught a bright red bird with his hands as it flew
across the path of the oncoming train. At another time a cat-like
animal darted across the track, almost under the wheels.
"That fellow had a narrow escape," breathed Bob, whose heart was
beating rapidly as he saw the near-tragedy.
Still later the boys and their fathers saw literally thousands of
beautiful Thompson's gazelles, gnus, ostriches, giraffes, hartebeests,
water bucks, and many other creatures.
"Such a sight!" said Bob, cranking the motion-picture camera
frequently. "Never saw----"
He stopped abruptly, and the reason was very apparent.
Not two hundred feet away, directly on the track, was a huge elephant,
which paid not the slightest attention to the oncoming train!