THE RETURN TRIP. THE ORANG-OUTAN
Here they were on the banks of a broad stream, tired and hungry. The
experiences which they had gone through made the task of seeking
suitable shelter an easy one. An entire month of preparation had been
wasted. Aside from the lights which were seen on the fourth day on the
western shore, they had no more knowledge than when they started. It
seemed to be very discouraging.
But they were going home. This was the most comforting thought and it
made up for a great deal of the disappointments. There was real grief at
the loss of the boat. True, it could be recovered, but all this meant
time and hard work. It should be said, however, that at no time had
either of the boys ever found fault with the tasks that were allotted to
them.
In this fact the Professor found much comfort. It was a strong factor,
as he knew, in the lives of the boys. It required the highest sort of
courage to bear misfortune without complaining.
The camp for the night was soon made, and after a hearty meal all
retired for the night. Early in the morning the boys were at work, as
soon as the morning meal was finished, constructing a raft of sufficient
size to carry them across, and when the timbers had been securely lashed
and all their luggage placed aboard, the poles and primitive paddles
gave them a trying half hour to make the trip.
The stream was rather wide at this point, and it was believed to be near
the sea, and the suggestion was made to follow the stream down for an
hour, to ascertain whether the ocean would appear in view, and if not,
to take up the trail for the east.
In less than a half hour the sea was in sight. The course was then
directed east, but after traveling the entire forenoon through the most
difficult paths, it was decided to change the course to the south.
"If you recall, we took a more southerly course when we left the West
River on our overland trip, and found much better traveling."
The Professor's words recalled the incident, and the result was a change
to the southeast. This was now the sixth day after leaving home in the
No. 3. During the day at least twenty miles was made. Shortly before
night, George, who was in the lead, stopped, and then moved forward,
gazing at the ground intently.
Harry saw the movement and was at his side in an instant. "What is it?"
It was not necessary to continue his inquiry. Directly ahead was a
slightly cleared space, with a blackened space in the center, where a
fire undoubtedly had been made, and a few bones were still scattered
about as mute evidences of occupation.
The Professor looked at it a moment, and then smiled. "Don't you
remember our own camp fire?" This was the case. While they could not
remember the particular spot, they knew the old trail had been crossed,
and it was a comfortable, homelike feeling to come across the spot.
"Let us camp here again," said Harry, as he threw down his pack. On this
occasion they did not have the wagon and the yaks, but they had an ample
supply of food and there was no difficulty in making a fire.
Their first adventure came about noon of the seventh day. Plenty of
evidences of animals had been found, but they were not eager to hunt.
The trail for home had far more fascination than all the animals on the
island. It was the custom to stop at intervals for rest. During one of
these stops the cracking of bushes was heard, as though produced by a
cautious tread. The boys were alert at once and, with their guns in
hand, moved in the direction of the noises.
Not two hundred feet away was an immense bear, of the same species they
had shot near that place nine months before. The boys separated, as they
approached, under the guiding direction of the Professor, and when
within seventy-five feet, Harry asked whether or not he should shoot.
Bruin was slowly moving away, not directly ahead, but as though crossing
Harry's path. When the word was given, Harry took deliberate aim. George
reserved his shot, as advised. The moment the shot struck, the animal
turned, thus exposing a fair mark for George, who now fired. With a howl
at the second shot, the bear turned toward George, who immediately ran
to the right, and on the call of the Professor, circled to the right.
This brought the animal within range of the Professor's gun, and he
fired. It did not in the least check his pursuit of George, and the
Professor now became alarmed at his safety. Call after call was made to
advise him to turn to the right.
Harry followed as fast as he could run, and while keeping the animal in
sight, could not approach closely enough to get another shot. While
running, it occurred to him that he had not reloaded, and it would be
impossible to reload while running.
The Professor realized the situation, and immediately reloaded, and
calling after Harry, told him that he had a charged weapon. Harry heard,
but he was so excited and fearful for George that he could not decide
whether to stop or go on. He could see the bear, but George was not in
sight.
The Professor followed as rapidly as he could. Harry saw the bear
lumberingly cross a large fallen tree and pass on to the right, and
thinking George had taken that course, did not wait to go up to the
tree. Before the Professor reached Harry, who was now running at right
angles to the course of the Professor, George emerged from his place of
concealment behind the tree and laughed at the sport, which might have
had serious results but for the dead tree.
You may be sure no further effort was made to follow up the bear, and
they took up the search for their luggage, which had been left behind.
During all this hubbub, Angel had been left with the luggage, and he now
appeared along the trees, swinging from branch to branch, uttering the
most fearful shrieks and chattering, as he was in the habit of doing
when alarmed or excited.
"Something is after Angel; quick!" called out George, as Angel made his
way over to him. Harry grasped the loaded gun from the Professor and
started toward the direction from which the orang had come, but he
stopped suddenly after going several hundred feet.
"The bear has our things." The Professor and George came up, and there,
with his powerful claws and massive jaws, was Bruin, devouring their
best morsels and playing havoc with the packages that were piled
together.
The boys looked at the Professor, and he playfully answered the look by
saying, "We really don't want any bear meat to-day, do we?" George
thought it was a good joke on the hunters, but Harry was angered. "Let
us finish him. See him break that gun?"
The Professor was busy reloading Harry's gun, which he had exchanged
with him, and handed it to George. They approached, but not close enough
to venture a shot, when the animal deliberately turned away and darted
into the bush.
What was left of their luggage worth taking could easily be carried by
either of them. Practically all of the food was gone or ruined, and the
bear was recompensed for the little inconvenience by the two pounds or
more of sugar which was taken.
"Well, boys, everything has its compensations. We have nothing to carry,
and traveling will be easy for the rest of the trip. Let us take a good
laugh over the experience."
Harry was too much annoyed, first at the failure to hit the brute and
then at the mean trick in eating up and destroying their things while
they were trying to follow him. The Professor suggested that it would be
fun to visit Bruin's house that night when he came home and told his
family what a neat trick he had played on some hunters, and Harry
laughed, but it was an awfully forced effort.
When evening came they estimated that the distance still to be traveled
could not exceed thirty-five miles, and they were seeking a good spot
for the camp. The Professor was the first to make his appearance with a
small yellow pear, which he held up.
"What have you found now?" George inquired, as he came running forward
with a branch in his hand.
"Pears!" exclaimed Harry, as he took it from the Professor's hand.
"Not exactly a pear; but a fine fruit which we can use to good
advantage. It is the guava."
[Illustration: _Fig. 26. Guava._]
"What a beautiful white flower! I did not know that the guava had such a
delightful odor. In what way is it prepared and used?"
"You will see, by tasting it that the pulp is very aromatic and sweet.
Its principal use is for jellies and preserves, and the rind stewed with
milk makes an excellent marmalade."
"Have you found many of them?"
"There are several trees over there, and it seems to me that it is a
good place to put up for the night, and we can gather a quantity of
them."
Several trees were in sight, about 18 feet high, beautiful branching
specimens, and beneath one of them the camp was made for the night.
While they were seated the Professor noticed the branch which George had
brought. It was a stem about two feet long, with a lot of leaves on each
side, and at the juncture of the leaves with the stem were rows of what
appeared to be nuts. These were in the form of clusters.
He picked it up. "I thought I had made a good find in the guava, but
this is still better."
"The nuts around the stem are what attracted me, and my curiosity was
aroused."
"You took this from the coffee tree."
[Illustration: _Fig. 27. Coffee._]
"Is it the real coffee?"
"It is the genuine article. I have searched for it from time to time.
Let us go over and see the tree. We must cultivate its acquaintance."
They responded with alacrity. They were now going to have coffee. The
tree was fully twenty feet high, and the branches extended out
horizontally from all sides.
"Earlier in the season these nuts, as George called them, looked like
cherries."
"But where is the coffee?"
"Inside the berry. Each berry contains two seeds. You know how the
coffee berry looks. Let us open one of them. See, it is smaller than the
ordinary berries, as you know them, but the kind we know are cultivated,
which makes them larger, and fuller in appearance. These will make fine
coffee, however, and I think we shall have to divide our load with the
guavas."
"Where did coffee originally come from? Is it found in many places
throughout the world?"
"The plant is supposed to be a native of Arabia in Asia, and of
Abyssinia, in Africa. From Arabia it was carried to most of the tropical
countries, but many varieties have been found in the western hemisphere.
Even in Canada certain kinds of coffee plants are known. It is not,
therefore, a wholly tropical plant. The Abyssinian coffee has been known
from the earliest times."
"What is regarded as the best kind of coffee?"
"The best coffee of commerce is the Mocha, and next comes Java, and the
principal coffee center of the world is Brazil."
On the morning of the eighth day they were awake early, and the boys
began work on the berries. Angel took a hand in the proceedings, and as
soon as he discovered what the boys were after he volunteered to harvest
them. At this time the berries had somewhat hardened, and when Angel
knew what was wanted, his long dextrous fingers were able to strip off
more of the fruit in one stroke than the four hands of the boys. Harry
was on the lower limb, and as fast as he had stripped a supply, would
drop them into the outstretched cloth which the Professor and George
held.
Angel eyed this proceeding, for a time, and then imitated Harry. How did
he ever learn the art of picking coffee berries? The orang lives
principally on nuts and berries, and the instinct to gather these was a
natural one.
In an incredible short space of time fully a bushel had been taken off.
It was the original idea of the boys to cut off the limbs, but they had
seen none of the trees before this, and the Professor advised them to
pick the fruit itself. Without Angel's expert help it would have been a
long job.
With a load of guavas and another of coffee, the five guns, and a few of
the other relics of their ill-fated expedition, was sufficient for the
two days' journey still before them. That afternoon, while resting by
the side of a little stream that flowed to the north, the antics of
Angel attracted attention. He was usually so quiet that no notice was
taken of him.
He had two peculiar ways of making himself understood. One was a
gurgling sound, which indicated pleasure and contentment; and the other
a chatter, or half a shriek, when intensely excited or alarmed. But now
he did neither of these things. The sounds emitted could not well he
described.
The sounds were made while springing from branch to branch. When he had
attracted George's attention he ran forward, usually along the branches,
but close to the ground. George followed. Whenever he attempted to go
back to his comrades, Angel would come back, and in his most beseeching
way endeavor to induce George to follow. His actions were well
understood in this respect, because it will be remembered that he
directed the attention to the missing team, and afterwards rediscovered
the trail after it had been lost.
"Follow him, George, and we will bring the packages," was Harry's
suggestion.
It was not necessary for them to go far. Beyond, in some large trees,
were three immense orang-outans, intently gazing on the newcomer. George
ran back, crying out: "See the orang-outans in the trees! Isn't this the
place we captured Angel?"
Harry threw down the load and was by the side of George without a
moment's delay. "Where is Angel? I am afraid this is the last of the
little fellow." And Harry showed his grief. They saw Angel on his way to
the trees, and without waiting for an invitation, was up among the
branches, visiting his friends, and, probably, his parents.
All stood there awaiting the results breathlessly. Not a word was
spoken. Without hesitation he swung himself to the last limb, on which
the patriarch perched. Not a hand was lifted against him, but they
looked too astonished to speak, even if they could.
Angel went from one to the other. He petted them, as George had often
petted him. He knew what a caress meant, but his kin did not. It was too
much for George. "Come down, Angel; good boy; come down." And he said it
pathetically, too.
Not a hand was held out to him, nor did he get any sort of welcome, and
yet he had expected so much, from what he tried to tell George, while on
the way to his old home. It was too much for him. He heard that familiar
voice, and the call that was always a welcome one, and he slowly
descended the tree, not with that springy motion which characterized his
ascent, but hesitatingly and in measured swings.
He went up to George and leaned against him, and then they knew that
Angel intended to go home with them again. But they could not help
watching the effect of Angel's actions on the animals in the trees.
Ordinarily, they will quickly spring away from any intruders, as they do
not generally consider the trees high enough to give protection. Their
remarkable agility enables them to travel faster by the tree line than
man can follow on foot.
But now that Angel was again with the boys, all sense of fear seemed to
leave the three creatures in the trees. They looked down at the
proceedings, and as the boys passed by they sat in their specially
prepared seats, as though they knew the care which had been bestowed on
their offspring.
This little incident affected all more than it is possible to tell. The
animal was really a marvelous character. True, George had spent hours
and days in his education. He knew many of the words, and could execute
missions, and did many things to aid George in the work at home, and it
would have been a trial and a sorrow to miss him.
The next day would see them home again, and they could hardly restrain
themselves at the thought of it. What if some one should have visited
them while absent? Why might not the savages have found their abode?
These were questions ever uppermost in the minds of all.
Before noon they reached the Cataract River to the west of the forest.
This seemed like an old friend. And what was more: before they had gone
many miles, the Professor pointed to a clearing, and remarked: "Do you
remember this place?"
The boys looked about, as they moved forward. "I do not recollect the
place," was George's answer, but Harry now recalled the fight of the
bears, and the honey tree, and without saying a word he ran to the tree,
which was still lying there, and said one word, "Honey."
George now remembered, and Angel began to gurgle.