Chapter XXI
Magnificent Country
There was a rocky hill not far away, and it was Joe who expressed adesire to go over and climb to the top.
"Fairly high," he remarked. "Ought to be able to get a good view ofthe surrounding territory."
"Yes," Bob agreed. "Maybe we can catch sight of an Indian village inthe distance. The unknown tribe! Be fine if we could be the ones tolocate it, wouldn't it?"
"Sure would. Professor Bigelow would be delighted beyond words. Thinkof the rumpus he'd kick up if we announced that we'd found the savageshe's been hunting."
It was a distance of less than a half-mile to the foot of the knoll,and the youths made it in a very few minutes. Then they began the taskof climbing the jagged side. There was little vegetation to hindertheir progress, although twisted vines and shrubs were rather numerouson the ground.
"The undergrowth offers footholds that we could not otherwise find,"said Bob. "Here's a place where it comes in handy, even though most ofthe time it's merely something to avoid."
At last, panting and perspiring, the youths reached the top of thehill and then turned to glance down below. Jungle, jungle, jungle!Nothing but heavily wooded country stretched before them. As far asthe eye could see the great tropical forest loomed up--in green,brown, red. It was as though all the world were covered with densevegetation. The boys turned about.
On the other side was the river, winding through gulches and hills andstretching out of sight in the distance. Opposite the hill were theboats, and under trees not far away were the explorers restingpeacefully in the shade.
It was a spectacular view, and Bob and Joe spent several minutes insilently gazing down.
"No evidence of human habitation anywhere around," remarked Bob,trying to single out a settlement somewhere in the distance.
In the vast, silent jungle sound travels far, and realizing this, theyouths shouted to the others, to let them know of their commandingposition.
"Now let's get down from here and tramp on through the forest," saidJoe, finding a foothold in the heavy soil.
It was necessary to exercise more care in descending, for the rockswere pointed and dangerous to step on. A safe place had to be felt outcautiously.
The youths reached the bottom in a very short time, however, andfollowed a narrow trail that wound out of sight.
"Be impossible to cut through this jungle if there were no trails ofany kind," said Bob, his keen eyes unable to penetrate the tangledmass of vegetation on either side of them.
"Not without a machete, anyway," nodded Joe. "Even then it would be ahard job."
The youths hiked on until they came to a small stream that emptiedinto the river. They sat down on the bank to take in theirsurroundings.
On the other side of the stream was a break in the ground thatindicated the presence of a gully--how steep, they did not know. Theyresolved to find out as soon as they had rested.
"Unless," said Joe, "we can't get across the creek. Never can tell howmany alligators and piranhas have migrated here from the river."
He picked up a stone and threw it with all his strength into the muddywater, hoping to arouse any life that might be lurking sluggishly outof sight. Once he thought he detected a slight ripple other than thatcaused by the stone but was not sure.
"Don't believe I care to wade it," backed out Bob. "Wouldn't feelfunny to have a toe nipped off by a piranha, or worse yet, to becarried into an alligator's lair. Suppose we throw a log across forsafety."
They spent several more minutes sitting on the bank in idleness. Atlast Joe got up and looked about the near-by jungle.
"No logs around here," he called to Bob, who had wandered along thebank.
Further search was not in vain. A small tree that had been uprooted bya hurricane lay in a patch of bushes not far away, and it was carriedto the stream and thrown across. Then the youths began carefullywalking along its narrow surface.
Bob reached the other side first, and he warned his friend to becareful. Joe was, and in a few moments also had crossed the log.
"Now let's see what's beyond that ravine," he said.
They walked over to the edge and then halted abruptly, awe-strickenand spellbound at the wonderful panorama that stretched out beforethem. They were standing at the brink of a two-hundred-foot canyon,which sloped down and back up to form a perfect U. At the very bottomwas a large grove of huge red flowers, which added not a little to thebeauty of the scene.
"Some view," breathed Joe, gazing far ahead at the distant jungle.
Bob nodded. "Bet we can see twenty miles or more," he said. "Andnothing but dense jungle."
The youths spent several more minutes in looking off into space. Theycould not tear themselves away from the wonderful view. It seemedalmost impossible to come suddenly upon such a gulch in a land thatseemed fairly level.
At last Bob shouldered his rifle as a signal to move on.
"Can't spend too much time here if we expect to do any moreexploring," he said, looking at his watch. "They'll expect us back inanother hour."
"Where'll we go next?"
"No difference to me. How about down the hill?"
They hiked down the gradual slope of the canyon, although the junglewas in places impenetrable.
When about halfway down, Joe stopped suddenly, his face an ashen gray,his limbs trembling. Bob's eyes opened wide, and he clutched his rifletightly.
The next moment there came a horrid hiss, and the thirty-foot anacondalunged forward.