CHAPTER XV
IN THE COILS
"Ned, do you really think Tolpec is going to desert us?" asked Tom.
"Well, I don't know," was the slowly given reply. "It's a possibility,isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," broke in Professor Bumper. "But what if it is? We mightas well trust him, and if he proves true, as I believe he will, we'llbe so much better off. If he proves a traitor we'll only have lost afew days, for if he doesn't come back we can go on again in the way westarted."
"But that's just it!" complained Tom. "We don't want to lose any timewith that Beecher chap on our trail."
"I am not so very much concerned about him," remarked Professor Bumper,dryly.
"Why not?" snapped out Mr. Damon.
"Well, because I think he'll have just about as hard work locating thehidden city, and finding the idol of gold, as we'll have. In otherwords it will be an even thing, unless he gets too far ahead of us, orkeeps us back, and I don't believe he can do that now.
"So I thought it best to take a chance with this Indian. He wouldhardly have taken the trouble to come all the way back, and run therisks he did, just to delay us a few days. However, we'll soon know.Meanwhile, we'll take it easy and wait for the return of Tolpec and hisfriends."
Though none of them liked to admit it, Ned's words had caused his threefriends some anxiety, and though they busied themselves about the campthere was an air of waiting impatiently for something to occur. Andwaiting is about the hardest work there is.
But there was nothing for it but to wait, and it might be at least aweek, Professor Bumper said, before the Indian could return with aparty of porters and mules to move their baggage.
"Yes, Tolpec has not only to locate the settlement," Tom admitted, "buthe must persuade the natives to come back with him. He may havetrouble in that, especially if it is known that he has left Jacinto,who, I imagine, is a power among the tribes here."
But there were only two things left to do--wait and hope. Thetravelers did both. Four days passed and there was no sign of Tolpec.Eagerly, and not a little anxiously, they watched the jungle path alongwhich he had disappeared.
"Oh, come on!" exclaimed Tom one morning, when the day seemed a bitcooler than its predecessor. "Let's go for a hunt, or something! I'mtired of sitting around camp."
"Bless my watch hands! So am I!" cried Mr. Damon. "Let's all go for atrip. It will do us good."
"And perhaps I can get some specimens of interest," added ProfessorBumper, who, in addition to being an archaeologist, was something of anaturalist.
Accordingly, having made everything snug in camp, the party, Tom andNed equipped with electric rifles, and the professor with a butterflynet and specimen boxes, set forth. Mr. Damon said he would carry astout club as his weapon.
The jungle, as usual, was teeming with life, but as Ned and Tom did notwish to kill wantonly they refrained from shooting until later in theday. For once it was dead, game did not keep well in that hot climate,and needed to be cooked almost immediately.
"We'll try some shots on our back trip," said the young inventor.
Professor Bumper found plenty of his own particular kind of "game"which he caught in the net, transferring the specimens to the boxes hecarried. There were beautiful butterflies, moths and strange bugs inthe securing of which the scientist evinced great delight, though whenone beetle nipped him firmly and painfully on his thumb his involuntarycry of pain was as real as that of any other person.
"But I didn't let him get away," he said in triumph when he had droppedthe clawing insect into the cyanide bottle where death came painlessly."It is well worth a sore thumb."
They wandered on through the jungle, taking care not to get too farfrom their camp, for they did not want to lose their way, nor did theywant to be absent too long in case Tolpec and his native friends shouldreturn.
"Well, it's about time we shot something, I think," remarked Ned, whenthey had been out about two hours. "Let's try for some of these wildturkeys. They ought to go well roasted even if it isn't Thanksgiving."
"I'm with you," agreed Tom. "Let's see who has the best luck. Buttone down the charge in your rifle and use a smaller projectile, oryou'll have nothing but a bunch of feathers to show for your shot. Theguns are loaded for deer."
The change was made, and once more the two young men started off, alittle ahead of Professor Bumper and Mr. Damon. Tom and Ned had notgone far, however, before they heard a strange cry from Mr. Damon.
"Tom! Ned!" shouted the eccentric man, "Here's a monster after me! Comequick!"
"A tiger!" ejaculated Tom, as he began once more to change the chargein his rifle to a larger one, running back, meanwhile, in the directionof the sound of the voice.
There were really no tigers in Honduras, the jaguar being called atiger by the natives, while the cougar is called a lion. The presenceof these animals, often dangerous to man, had been indicated aroundcamp, and it was possible that one had been bold enough to attack Mr.Damon, not through hunger, but because of being cornered.
"Come on, Ned!" cried Tom. "He's in some sort of trouble!"
But when, a moment later, the young inventor burst through a fringe ofbushes and saw Mr. Damon standing in a little clearing, with upraisedclub, Tom could not repress a laugh.
"Kill it, Tom! Kill it!" begged the eccentric man. "Bless my insurancepolicy, but it's a terrible beast!"
And so it was, at first glance. For it was a giant iguana, one of themost repulsive-looking of the lizards. Not unlike an alligator inshape, with spikes on its head and tail, with a warty, squattyridge-encrusted body, a big pouch beneath its chin, and long-toedclaws, it was enough to strike terror into the heart of almost any one.Even the smaller ones look dangerous, and this one, which was aboutfive feet long, looked capable of attacking a man and injuring him. Asa matter of fact the iguanas are harmless, their shape and coloringbeing designed to protect them.
"Don't be afraid, Mr. Damon," called Tom, still laughing. "It won'thurt you!"
"I'm not so positive of that. It won't let me pass."
"Just take your club and poke it out of the way," the young inventoradvised. "It's only waiting to be shoved."
"Then you do it, Tom. Bless my looking glass, but I don't want to gonear it! If my wife could see me now she'd say it served me just right."
Mr. Damon was not a coward, but the giant iguana was not pleasant tolook at. Tom, with the butt of his rifle, gave it a gentle shove,whereupon the creature scurried off through the brush as though glad tomake its escape unscathed.
"I thought it was a new kind of alligator," said Mr. Damon with a sighof relief.
"Where is it?" asked Professor Bumper, coming up at this juncture. "Anew species of alligator? Let me see it!"
"It's too horrible," said Mr. Damon. "I never want to see one again.It was worse than a vampire bat!"
Notwithstanding this, when he heard that it was one of the largestsized iguanas ever seen, the professor started through the jungle afterit.
"We can't take it with us if we get it," Tom called after his friend.
"We might take the skin," answered the professor. "I have a standingorder for such things from one of the museums I represent. I'd like toget it. Then they are often eaten. We can have a change of diet, yousee."
"We'd better follow him," said Tom to Ned. "We'll have to let theturkeys go for a while. He may get into trouble. Come on."
Off they started through the jungle, trailing after the impetuousprofessor who was intent on capturing the iguana. The giant lizard'sprogress could be traced by the disturbance of the leaves andunderbrush, and the professor was following as closely as possible.
So fast did he go that Ned, Tom and Mr. Damon, following, lost sight ofhim several times, and Tom finally called:
"Wait a minute. We'll all be lost if you keep this up."
"I'll have him in another minute," answered the professor. "I canalmost reach him now. Then---- Oh!"
His
voice ended in a scream that seemed to be one of terror. So suddenwas the change that Tom and Ned, who were together, ahead of Mr. Damon,looked at one another in fear.
"What has happened?" whispered Ned, pausing.
"Don't stop to ask--come on!" shouted Tom.
At that instant again came the voice of the savant.
"Tom! Ned!" he gasped, rather than cried.
"I'm caught in the coils! Quick--quick if you would save me!"
"In the coils!" repeated Ned. "What does he mean? Can the giantiguana----"
Tom Swift did not stop to answer. With his electric rifle inreadiness, he leaped forward through the jungle.