Lost in the Wilds of Brazil

  CHAPTER X

  In the Heart of the Jungle

  "Now what?" asked Joe, as the party passed on down the gangplank.

  "Better get our belongings together first," said Mr. Lewis. "Then wecan make inquiries about the leaving of a boat that'll take us to ourdestination."

  "But what about finding a place to stay overnight?" asked theprofessor.

  "You needn't worry about that."

  All looked around, to see that Captain Crowell had moved up behindthem.

  "I heard what you said," he remarked. "And let me say that you arewelcome to your berths on the _Empire_ until we leave for New York.That may be tomorrow, or it may be the next day. Go on up and makeyourselves at home."

  The party accepted the invitation with warm thanks. Then they moved onup to the boat.

  "Pretty soft," smiled Bob, as they sat on deck. "We might have huntedfor hours before finding rooms."

  It was late that night when the party retired, but all slept well andawoke the next morning ready for any plans that might be made.

  After breakfast Mr. Lewis and Mr. Holton left for the dock, where theywould make inquiries about the leaving of a boat for farther upstream.Bob and Joe followed a road out of town to see the country.

  They hiked for perhaps two miles, looking sharply about. Then, asthere was not much new to see, they turned and went back to town,desirous of finding out what information, if any, their fathers hadgained about the leaving of a boat.

  By luck the boys met their fathers in the main street, and there weresmiles on the men's faces.

  "Pat us on the back," smiled Mr. Holton, so overjoyed that he couldhardly keep his composure.

  "What!" cried Bob. "You've found a boat so soon?"

  The naturalists nodded.

  "By chance we met the captain of a small freight vessel that happensto be going up the Purus to Acre, on the Bolivian frontier," said Mr.Holton. "Sheer luck, I calls it. Any other time it would have beennecessary to wait three or four weeks before finding such anopportunity. Of course we wouldn't have waited that long, though. Wewould have found it necessary to take two boats, one to Manaos, andone on up the Purus. But the way things are now--" he smiledbroadly--"we're all set for a pleasant voyage, with no stops till wereach our destination."

  "When does the boat leave?" inquired Joe.

  "In less than three hours," his father answered. "That means we'llhave to hurry and get packed."

  They walked on down the dock to the _Empire_ and found ProfessorBigelow in the library. He looked up smilingly and placed his bookback on the shelf.

  "What did you find?" he asked.

  Mr. Holton told of obtaining passage on the boat to the Purus, and theanthropologist was delighted beyond words. The delay was maddening tohim, even though he was able to keep his time occupied.

  It did not take the party long to get their possessions together, andafter locating Captain Crowell and thanking him for the use of theberths, they left for the newly chartered boat, which was anchoredfarther down the pier.

  "Small but staunch-looking," commented Bob, as they came to it.

  "Built on rather speedy lines, too," added Mr. Lewis.

  They lugged their baggage up on deck, to be met by the burly captain,who in his rough attire was a strange contrast to Captain Crowell. Hewas good-natured, however, and readily showed the explorers to theirsleeping quarters.

  "Hope you have a jolly voyage," he boomed, leaving for the cabin.

  "I told you boys wrong when I said we don't stop till we get to ourdestination," Mr. Holton corrected himself, as the party started outto the rail. "The boat stops at Manaos, but only for a couple ofhours. We'll have time to go about the city."

  A little later the boat's whistle sounded, and then came the faintchugging of the engines.

  "We're off!" cried Joe excitedly. "Off on the last stretch of ourjourney."

  Soon the waterfront of Macapa was left behind, and the _Selvas_, forthat was the vessel's name, steamed out to the middle of the mightyAmazon.

  The explorers did not move from deck until one of the crew announcedthat the noon meal was ready.

  "Wonder what we'll have to eat?" asked Joe, as they went into thedining room.

  "Probably salt pork and a few other dishes of cured food," returnedMr. Lewis, and he was right.

  "It's all right for a change, anyway," said Bob.

  The boys spent the remainder of that day in exploring the boat andwere impressed by everything they saw. Aside from the fact that it wasrather old, it was worthy of the great river on which it steamed.

  "Let's hear something about Manaos," Bob said to his father thatnight. "If we are to see it soon, I'd like to know what to expect."

  "It's a wonderful city," Mr. Holton replied. "Large stores, officebuildings, hotels. If what I've heard is correct, we will beastonished."

  And they _were_ astonished. In fact, when they pulled into the busyport, the boys' eyes almost popped from their heads. Even afterhearing about Manaos from their fathers, they could not believe thatthey would find anything like this away out in the heart of the vastwilderness.

  "Has a rather impressive skyline," observed Joe, gazing ahead at theoutlines of the hotels and office buildings.

  "Many of the structures are new," put in Professor Bigelow. "Thecity's growth has been rather rapid. But now," he went on, "suppose weget off the boat and take a short trip about town."

  The adventurers easily procured a map of the city. Then they boarded astreet car for a ride down the principal business street.

  "Modern is right," commented Bob, gazing out at the large buildings,hotels, theaters, and stores.

  They passed many points of interest, including the Theatre of Manaos,the many parks and gardens, schools and colleges, and monuments andstatues. And to cap all this, they spent several minutes in one of themost complete museums they had ever been in.

  "Truly a great city in the heart of the forest," said Mr. Holton, asthey prepared to board the boat for the continuation of the journey.

  They got to the _Selvas_ with barely five minutes to spare. Alreadythe crew were making ready for the long voyage that was to follow.

  Shortly later they were again in the midst of the forest, after havingleft Manaos behind.

  "I see we're not the only passengers on the boat," said ProfessorBigelow, glancing across at two men who sat near the stern.

  "Probably they're rubber gatherers who have a plantation fartherdown," was the opinion voiced by Mr. Lewis, and his guess was right,as they later found out when an acquaintance sprang up between theBrazilians and the Americans.

  That acquaintance was delightful and tended to relieve the monotony ofthe trip. The men, Acmio and Piemo by name, took a liking to theexplorers and told of many strange sights of the jungle. They knewnothing, however, of the region the expedition was going to penetrate.

  "I bet we won't find anything, either," said Joe. "No one seems tohave been far in the interior."

  At last the _Selvas_ came to the Purus River, and down this itsteamed.

  "Considerably narrower than the Amazon," observed Bob. "But at thatit's a good many rods across."

  "The Purus is noted for its crooked course," remarked ProfessorBigelow. "The sand bars occur with such regularity that the nativesreckon distances by counting the number of them."

  At this time of year the water was rather high, for the rainy seasonwas barely over.

  They steamed on for the greater part of that day before coming to asettlement, and this was small and crude. They did not stop, althoughseveral men came out to greet them.

  As they steamed farther, the river became more crooked. In fact it wasoften impossible to see more than three hundred feet ahead. And asthey penetrated deeper into the jungle, vegetation became more dense.Great clusters of bright-colored flowers lined the banks, tall treesshowed themselves above the other growth, parasitic vines woundthemselves around forest giants. Ferns, high grass, small bushes,oddly shaped stalks--all these caught the
eyes of the explorers.

  After a long journey they reached the mouth of the Tapaua, and at asmall town between the two rivers the boat stopped. Here theadventurers got off.

  It seemed strange to set foot on ground out here away fromcivilization. Why, it was almost like another world! For some time Boband Joe could not realize that they were now in the very heart of thegreat Amazon jungle.

  The captain of the _Selvas_ had given the party a letter ofrecommendation to a Brazilian who would be able to fit them out withboats and Indian crew. He lived at the edge of the town, and to thatplace they went, led by Mr. Holton.

  They found the man sitting idly in his thatched house. He was verytall and slender, but looked to be possessed of great strength.

  "You are Senhor del Pereo?" asked Mr. Holton in the native tongue.

  "_Si_," the man replied.

  Bob's father took out the letter and handed it to him.

  He read carefully for several moments. Then his face lighted.

  Sure he would help them. Anyone who was a friend of the captain was afriend of his. It would be easy to get a boat--or boats, for thatmatter--and he knew of several trustworthy Indians who would readilyact as guides. But he knew nothing about the distant country. Fewpeople did. It was a land of mystery.

  Mr. Holton translated to Bob and Joe. Then he again turned to theBrazilian.

  "You will lead us to the boats and guides now?"

  "Yes."

  They started out, the Brazilian in the van.

  He led them around the village to a large native hut, in front ofwhich sat several semi-naked Indians. They were on their feet in aninstant when they caught sight of Senhor del Pereo, and with friendlygreetings listened to what he had to say.

  For several minutes he conversed with them in their native tongue, andin the end they nodded in acceptance.

  "They will go," he said to the explorers. "They will be your guides inan unknown country."