The Horrible Beast
The joy of Bob and Joe at seeing the naturalists was certainly great.
After those strenuous weeks in the mountains, the youths had been
growing anxious to be with their fathers and Mr. Wallace again. Now,
as they viewed the men waving at them from below they were overly
anxious to land.
There was a wide open place directly under them, and to this Karl sent
the monoplane. When finally it came to a stop, Bob and Joe dashed out
and ran to meet their fathers and the scientist from Chicago.
"Boys!" cried Mr. Holton, too joyful for words.
He and Joe's father and Mr. Wallace fairly ate the youths up in their
happiness at seeing them alive and well.
"You came through all right, I see," laughed Mr. Lewis, after the
first few remarks were over. "What kind of a time did you have? And
the treasure--did you find any?"
"Look," returned Joe and showed them the box of gold beads.
The men cried out in astonishment. Unlike Karl Sutman, they had
expected the youths to return without having found anything of value.
"You were successful, all right," observed Mr. Holton. "Tell us about
your adventures."
While the men listened intently, the boys related their experiences
from the time they had left Cuzco with Dr. Rander.
When at last they were finished, the naturalists shook their heads
gravely.
"It was all very interesting, but at the same time it was dangerous,"
said Bob's father solemnly. "Afterward we wished you fellows hadn't
gone."
"But they came through all right--and brought us a white condor at
that," beamed Mr. Lewis. "No doubt this is the only _condor real_
we'll see. We did shoot two of the more common kind, though."
"Did you get many specimens?" inquired Bob.
"Come and see for yourselves," smiled his father and led the way to
the naturalists' camp.
"Great Scott!" cried Joe, surprised at seeing such a vast number of
wild animals and birds. "This region must teem with all sorts of
animal life."
"It does," returned Mr. Wallace. "And that reminds me. We were going
out in search of a black 'spectacled' bear this afternoon. We'd like
to have you go with us, if you will."
"Will we?" cried Joe. "Does a cat miaow?"
The naturalists had everything in readiness for the bear hunt. They
had but to eat a lunch and then they would be ready to start the hunt.
Mr. Lewis had heard reports from natives that one of the huge animals
had been seen in a dense woodland beside the river. To this spot the
party went, rifles in readiness.
When they entered the jungle they were met with total surprise. Beside
an opening in the hillside was the bear, crouching low for a charge!
There was only a moment to act.
"Shoot!" cried Joe fearfully. His rifle had been dashed from his grasp
by a protruding tree bough.
Bob had taken a position a number of yards from the others. He had
intended to search another part of the jungle. The youth was holding
his gun in readiness now, looking for a chance to take aim.
Then he thought the time had come to fire, and pulled the trigger.
Bang! The rifle spoke, but the bear had suddenly turned, and the
bullet missed.
With a snort of rage the huge beast turned on Bob, showing its
terrible teeth savagely.
Bob saw the danger and was hurriedly trying to work the bolt on his
rifle. But unfortunately the mechanism had jammed.
Helpless, the youth would be at the mercy of those terrible teeth and
claws! Already he could imagine the horror of what would follow.
Bang! Bang! Two rifles barked, and each bullet found its mark. Another
shot and the huge bear fell dead, almost at Bob's feet.
"Whew!" gasped Karl Sutman, holding his smoking rifle. "Another narrow
escape to add to you fellows' already long list."
"We're piling 'em up thick and fast," said Bob. He could laugh, now
that the danger was over.
They made their way back to camp, after having cut off the great skin.
It was at once placed in preservative.
"One more prize specimen to add to our collection," said Mr. Wallace.
"I'm betting that Bob and Joe will prove a valuable asset to the
expedition during the next few weeks. They're both good shots, and
they have plenty of courage."
Indeed the youths tried to justify themselves of this tribute, and
were successful in doing so. During the eventful days that followed
they collected many specimens for the scientists, including about
every form of life they could see in this wild region. Often they made
long excursions into the adjoining mountains in search of new wild
creatures, and usually found them. Taking moving pictures also
occupied their time.
But although the naturalist party was meeting with success in its
search for fauna, the men did not wish to remain here too long, for
other duties at home prevented it. Especially was Mr. Wallace anxious
to get back to Chicago.
It was arranged one day that he and Bob and Joe go with Karl Sutman in
the monoplane back to the United States, preceding Mr. Holton and Mr.
Lewis, who would arrive later by steamship. The youths' fathers took
it on themselves to attend to getting the specimens on muleback to the
coast, where they would be loaded on the vessel.
The four leavetakers were given an affectionate farewell by Mr. Holton
and Mr. Lewis, who expressed hope that their sons and friends would
arrive in the United States without mishap.
On the way to the coast the air travelers stopped to see Dr. Rust and
others of the archæologist party. Bob informed them of the Inca
secrets he and his friend had found, and gave them the map he had made
of the region. The scientists' delight far exceeded the boys'
expectations. They literally mauled the youths in their intense
enthusiasm.
When the chums, Mr. Wallace, and Karl climbed into the cabin, the
scientists gave them a royal send-off, wishing them a safe journey.
And safe it proved to be. Karl's ability as a pilot was greatly
appreciated as they flew toward the United States, which they reached
without incident.
"Now to get home," said Bob, as he and Joe and Mr. Wallace hailed a
taxi. The naturalist intended to spend another day or so with the boys
before boarding a train to Chicago. Karl Sutman left them at the
airport, promising to get in touch with them within the next few days.
At their homes Bob and Joe and their friend were given a profound
welcome by Mrs. Holton and Mrs. Lewis, who were desirous of knowing
about their experience.
"We had a wonderful time," said Joe, as they all sat in the Lewis
living room. "And we met with adventures aplenty. There's nothing
quite like exploration, especially when you're looking for ancient
secrets."
* * * * * *
Transcriber's note:
The four books in this series have been transcribed in the same
manner. This means that in some books, table of contents and or/list
of series names have been added.
Except in cases of obvious typographical errors, archaic and
inconsistent spelling has been retained.