Waiting in Dread
"Above all, we must try to keep together," warned Mr. Holton, speaking
to the natives as well as the whites. "It might spell tragedy if any
of us should get lost from the rest."
The rain was falling almost in torrents, soon drenching the
adventurers thoroughly. Wet and miserable, they were haggard-looking
creatures as they stalked through the fastness of the forest.
Great flashes of uncanny lightning streaked across the sky. They were
followed by ear-splitting bursts of thunder, which resembled nothing
so much as the discharging of heavy cannon. Wind--violent, ruthless
wind--all but blew the explorers to the ground.
Their hearts beating rapidly, their breath coming in short gasps, they
rushed as fast as possible in a wild search for some shelter from the
elements. And all knew that they must find some place quickly; they
could never withstand the full fury of the storm very long.
As time passed, the sky grew still darker, until it was utterly
impossible to make out what was ahead. It was only when a violent
streak of eerie lightning would illuminate the sky that they could see
each other.
"This is terrible!" moaned Joe, struggling to brace himself against
the violent gale.
The sound of his voice was drowned out, however, in the uproar of the
elements. Nor could anyone else have been heard.
Bob clutched his friend's arm and held on firmly. They would stick
together through it all, he thought.
Suddenly the sky was lighted as brightly as day, and there followed a
terrific clap of ear-splitting thunder. It seemed so near that the
travelers jumped back instinctively.
Then they heard a great forest giant groan and creak and split at the
base. It was very near them, and, not being able to see it, they
feared that perhaps it would fall on them.
"Look out!" shouted Mr. Lewis, as lightning made the sky bright. "It's
coming down on us!"
Obeying the command at once, all turned and ran for their lives. It
was torture unthinkable, for in the twilight it was most difficult to
avoid stumbling over vines or running into trees. Still side by side,
Bob and Joe followed their elders desperately, until they thought the
danger was over.
Barely a few seconds later there was a terrific crash as the forest
giant fell to the ground. It literally shook the earth, so violently
did it strike.
"A narrow escape!" breathed Bob. "Wouldn't have been much left of us
if that had struck us."
The youths were a little to one side of the safari and were falling
behind. Realizing this, they hurried to catch up.
But just at that moment Bob's foot caught in a creeper, and he
sprawled to the ground before he could catch himself. When he fell he
took Joe with him, and together they rolled over on the wet carpet of
leaves and twigs.
"Hurry!" urged Joe, shouting to make himself heard. "The others are
far ahead of us."
He helped his friend to his feet and then started off toward where he
thought the safari should be. But Bob called him back.
"I--I can't make it, I guess," Bob said, wincing with pain. "Sprained
my ankle."
Joe bent over anxiously and felt of the injured foot.
"Isn't broken and doesn't seem to be dislocated," he said,
straightening up. "Can't you walk at all?"
Bob made a heroic attempt but could not move a single step.
"No use," he said. "Just have to wait a moment, I guess. Maybe--" he
stopped as a clap of thunder drowned out his voice--"it'll quit
hurting before long."
Joe shouted at the top of his voice to his father and Mr. Holton,
hoping that they would hear and stop. But it was useless. In that
uproar sound would not travel any distance to speak of.
He removed his revolver from its holster and pulled the trigger. But
no report followed. In some manner water had found its way to the
cartridges.
Still hoping that Bob would soon be able to walk, he waited, listening
to the pattering of the rain and the bursts of the thunder. If
possible, the hurricane raged even more furiously than before.
A little later Bob announced that he was able to walk. With his friend
he set off, slowly, of course, but surely.
But by now the chums had lost all sense of direction. They had not the
slightest notion of where they could find the safari. Perhaps, for all
they knew, it was moving in just an opposite direction.
Even when the surrounding forest was illuminated by streaks of
lightning the boys could not see far because of the trees.
"Looks like they're gone," mourned Bob.
"What'll we do?"
"Nothing that I know of, only keep on going. It seems to me that they
were traveling this way, but I'm not sure."
Blinded by the torrents of rain, bruised and cut by the countless
pointed thorns and brambles, the young explorers moved along
painfully, hoping against hope that they would meet up with their
elders or some of the blacks.
But luck was not with them that day. With every step they were
unknowingly moving farther into the depths of the unknown forest,
instead of following a set course.
"Looks like we're not going to find them," said Joe, panting for
breath. "But we won't stop now."
All the remainder of the afternoon the hurricane continued as
violently as before. Then very slowly it began to subside, although
the rain continued to fall. But at least the terrible gale was no
longer blowing, and this was what had bothered the chums most.
"But where are we?" asked Joe, looking about as the darkness gave way
to dim light.
The region they were in was one of the wildest they had yet seen.
Gnarled, twisted trees grew in profusion; deep gulches broke the
ground in a number of places; strange, odd plants, including huge
ferns, were everywhere. Once they caught sight of an unusually queer
animal slinking through the underbrush.
"Maybe we're miles and miles from the safari," said Bob in a voice of
hopelessness.
"I'm afraid of hostile natives," his chum put in. "It wouldn't be
funny to be captured and carried off into some unknown village."
The rain had stopped completely now, but darkness was beginning to
close over them. The friends dreaded the coming of night in that wild
country. Alone and unable to build a fire, they would be at the mercy
of savage jungle beasts.
"Suppose we stop here for the night," suggested Joe. "I'm all in after
fighting that hurricane."
At a little elevation the youths sat down on a rotting tree trunk,
glad of the chance to rest. They knew there was no use continuing the
search for the safari, for the night was not far off.
Bob had a few matches in a waterproofed case, but he knew it would be
useless to attempt to light a fire.
"Guess we'll have to stick it out without anything to eat tonight,"
he told his chum. "Then maybe tomorrow we'll find our dads and the
others."
Secretly the youths feared that for them tomorrow might not come. For
they were alone in the great African jungle and would be easy prey for
lions and other dangerous beasts. But both had their revolvers
strapped to their sides, and, although not nearly as powerful as
rifles, they might spell the difference between life and death.
Soon the short-lived twilight came, followed shortly by darkness. Then
the moon rose, and it was possible to see fairly well.
"I'll take the first watch," remarked Joe, an hour later. "You turn in
and sleep for three hours or so. Then you can stand guard."
Bob asked that he be given the first watch, but Joe would not listen.
Grudgingly Bob agreed to do as suggested and was soon fast asleep.
As the night wore on, Joe heard a distant yapping of jackals. He also
could make out the howls of hyenas and other animals. Then he heard
another sound, and he sat up with a start.
A low growl was issuing from behind a patch of jungle growth. It was
repeated again and again, always louder and more defiant.
Joe grasped his revolver thankfully and remained silent. If the
creature were dangerous, he could only hope that it would keep its
distance. The prospects of killing a lion or leopard with the
revolver, Joe knew, were very slight.
As the minutes passed, he was beginning to think that the animal had
retreated, when he suddenly became aware of stealthily moving feet.
They seemed to be padding slowly toward him.
An awful fear seized Joe. If some dangerous brute were stalking him,
intent upon prey, it might well be his end. But, the youth thought,
raising the revolver slowly, it wouldn't get him and Bob without being
at least wounded.
The seconds went by slowly, painfully. Then, horror-stricken, Joe made
out the huge body of a powerful leopard which was advancing toward
him.