A HURRICANE IN THE JUNGLE
On and on went the expedition. In the past many small towns and
villages had been visited where there were more or less white
people; but now they reached a territory where the blacks held
full sway, with--but this was rarely--a Christian missionary
among them.
At all of the places which were visited Cujo inquired about King
Susko and his people, and at last learned that the African had
passed to the southeast along the Kassai River, driving before him
several hundred head of cattle which he had picked up here and
there.
"Him steal dat cattle," explained Cujo, "but him don't say dat
stealin', him say um--um--"
"A tax on the people?" suggested Dick.
"Yes, um tax. But him big Vief."
"He must be, unless he gives the people some benefit for the tax
they are forced to pay," said Tom.
At one of the villages they leaned that there was another
American Party in that territory, one sent out by an Eastern
college to collect specimens of the flora of central Africa. It
was said that the party consisted of an elderly man and half a
dozen young fellows.
"I wouldn't mind meeting that crowd," said Sam. "They might
brighten up things a bit."
"Never mind; things will pick up when once we meet King Susko,"
said Dick. "But I would like to know where the crowd is from and
who is in it."
"It's not likely we would know them if they are from the East,"
said Sam. "Probably they hail from Yale or Harvard."
Two days later the storm which Cujo had predicted for some time
caught them while they were in the midst of an immense forest of
teak and rosewood. It was the middle of the afternoon, yet the
sky became as black as night, while from a distance came the low
rumble of thunder. There was a wind rushing high up in the air,
but as yet this had not come down any further than the treetops.
The birds of the jungle took up the alarm and filled the forest
with their discordant cries, and even the monkeys, which were now
numerous, sit up a jabber which would have been highly trying to
the nerves of a nervous person.
"Yes, we catch um," said Cujo, in reply to Dick's question. "Me
look for safe place too stay."
"You think the storm will be a heavy one?" asked Randolph Rover
anxiously.
"Werry heavy, massah; werry heavy," returned Cujo. "Come wid me,
all ob you," and he set off on a run.
All followed as quickly as they could, and soon found themselves
under a high mass of rocks overlooking the Kassai River. They had
hardly gained the shelter when the storm burst over their heads in
all of its wild fury.
"My, but this beats anything that I ever saw before!" cried Sam,
as the wind began to rush by them with ever-increasing velocity.
"Him blow big by-me-by," said Cujo with a sober face. "Him big
storm, dis."
"The air was full of a moanin' sound," to use Aleck's way of
expressing it. It came from a great distance and caused the
monkeys and birds to set up more of a noise than ever. The trees
were now swaying violently, and presently from a distance came a
crack like that of a big pistol.
"Was that a tree went down?" asked Randolph Rover, and Cujo
nodded. "It is a good thing, then, that we got out of the
forest."
"Big woods werry dangerous in heap storm like dis," answered the
African. "Tree come down, maybe kill um. Hark! now um comin'!"
He crouched down between two of the largest rocks and instinctively
the others followed suit. The "moanin" increased until, with a
roar and a rush, a regular tropical hurricane was upon them.
The blackness of the atmosphere was filled with flying tree
branches and scattered vines, while the birds, large and small,
swept past like chips on a swiftly flowing river, powerless to
save themselves in those fierce gusts.
"Keep down, for your lives!" shouted Randolph Rover; but the roar
of the elements drowned out his voice completely. However, nobody
thought of rising, and the tree limbs and vines passed harmlessly
over their heads.
The first rush of wind over, the rain began, to fall, at first in
drops as big as a quarter-dollar and then in a deluge which
speedily converted the hollows among the rocks into deep pools and
soaked everybody to his very skin. Soon the water was up to their
knees and pouring down into the river like a regular cataract.
"This is a soaker and no mistake," said Sam, during a brief lull
in the downpour. "Why, I never saw so much water come down in my
life."
"It's a hurricane," answered Randolph Rover, "It may keep on--"
He got no further, for at that instant a blinding flash of
lightning caused everybody to jump in alarm. Then came an
ear-splitting crack of thunder and up the river they saw a
magnificent baobab tree, which had reared its stately head over a
hundred feet high from the ground, come crashing down, split in
twain as by a Titan's ax. The blackened stump was left standing,
and soon--this burst into flames, to blaze away until another
downpour of rain put out the conflagration.
"My, but that dun been awful!" murmured Aleck with a shiver. "Ise
glad we didn't take no shelter under dat tree."
"Amen," said Tom. He had been on the point of making some joke
about the storm, but now the fun was knocked completely out of
him.
It rained for the rest of the day and all of the night, and for
once all hands felt thoroughly, miserable. Several times they
essayed to start a fire, by which to dry themselves and make
something hot to drink, but each time the rain put out the blaze.
What they had to eat was not only cold, but more or less
water-soaked, and it was not until the next noon that they managed to
cook a meal.
When at last the sun did come out, however, it shone, so Sam put
it, "with a vengeance." There was not a cloud left, and the
direct rays of the great orb of day caused a rapid evaporation of
the rain, so that the ground seemed to be covered with a sort of
mist. On every side could be seen the effects of the hurricane-broken
trees, washed-out places along the river, and dead birds
and small animals, including countless monkeys. The monkeys made
the boys' hearts ache, especially one big female, that was found
tightly clasping two little baby monkeys to her breast.
The storm had swollen the river to such an extent that they were
forced to leave the beaten track Cujo had been pursuing and take
to another trail which reached out to the southward. Here they
passed a small village occupied entirely by negroes, and Cujo
learned from them that King Susko had passed that way but five
days before. He had had no cattle with him, the majority of his
followers having taken another route. It was thought by some of
the natives that King Susko was bound for a mountain known as the
Hakiwaupi--or Ghost-of-Gold.
"The Ghost-of-Gold!" repeated Dick. "Can that be the mountain
father was searching for when he came to Africa?"
Inquiries from Cujo elicited the information that the mountain
mentioned was located about one hundred miles away, in the center
of an immense plain. It was said to be full of gold, but likewise
haunted by the ghost of a departed warrior known to the natives as
Gnu-ho-mumoli--Man-of-the-Gnu-eye.
"I reckon that ghost story, was started, by somebody who wanted,
to keep the wealth of che mountain to himself," observed Tom. "I
don't believe in ghosts, do you, Cujo?"
The tall African shrugged his ebony shoulders, "Maybe no ghost--but
if dare is, no want to see 'um," he said laconically.
Nevertheless he did not object to leading them in the direction of
the supposedly haunted mountain.
So far the natives had been more or less friendly, but now those
that were met said but little to Cujo, while scowls at the whites
were frequent. It was learned that the college party from the
East was in the vicinity.
"Perhaps they did something to offend the natives," observed
Randolph Rover. "As you can see, they are simple and childlike in
their ways, and as quickly offended on one hand as they are
pleased on the other. All of you must be careful in your
treatment of them, otherwise we may get into serious trouble."