CHAPTER III
IN CAMP ON TENSAS BAYOU
Darkness had fallen when the Pony Rider Boys party finally had pickedtheir way through the outer edge of the jungle, and, despite thedarkness, had continued on through the tropical growth, guidedunerringly by Billy Lilly to the site he had chosen for their camp.
"Billy must belong to the owl family," was Tad Butler's comment astheir guide rode confidently ahead, calling back directions to them.
Behind Lilly rode another and not unimportant member of the party.This was Ichabod. Ichabod was of the color of the night, black. Hehad been recommended by Major Clowney as a man who would be useful tothem. Ichabod was as solemn and dignified as an African tribalchief. In fact, he was an excellent understudy for Stacy Brown whenthe latter was in his most dignified mood.
Ichabod could cook, could make and break camp and, what was almost asuseful, he could handle the hunting dogs, and knew the canebrakefairly well, but Ichabod was afraid of snakes; that was his worstfailing. One afraid of snakes had better keep out of the canebrake.The dozen hunting dogs that Lilly had brought with him were in chargeof the colored man, who had handled them before and whom the dogsknew and liked.
"File left. Look out that you don't get into the water," called theguide. "Here we are. Make camp."
"I will go cut the firewood," said Tad.
"No, no," objected the guide. "I was speaking to Ichabod. You allremain on your horses until we get the fire going and I have beatenup the camp site."
"Why so?" questioned Butler.
"On account of the reptiles."
"Oh, fudge!" grunted Tad. The other boys laughed and slipped fromtheir saddles.
"I guess you don't know my boys," objected the Professor, who, not tobe outdone, descended from his saddle.
"As you wish. But remember, I am responsible for these young men,"answered Billy.
"We are responsible for ourselves, sir, and we are not exactlytenderfeet, Mr. Lilly," said Tad. "If you will show me some firewoodtrees I will do as I suggested, get wood for the campfire."
"Leave that to me. You will have plenty of opportunity to work afterwe get settled to our trails. You will break your neck if you go tofloundering about over the cypress knees."
The boys did not know what was meant by "cypress knees," and at thatmoment there were other matters to occupy their minds, so they didnot ask. The boys began working away at their packs, loosening thecinches, piling the packs on the ground in an orderly manner born oflong experience in the woods. They did not need a light to do thiswork. In fact, they could just as easily have pitched camp in thedarkness as in the light. In this instance they did not do so,knowing that Lilly had definite plans as to where and how the campshould be made.
They soon heard the sound of the guide's axe. Ichabod was humming tohimself, the dogs were barking and the horses neighing, while thePony Rider Boys were shouting jokes at one another.
"Where is that fat boy?" called Rector, not having heard Chunky'svoice during the last few minutes.
"I don't know. Stacy!" called the Professor.
Tad struck a match and holding it above his head glanced keenly abouthim. The light revealed Chunky sitting with his back against a tree,his head tilted back, mouth wide open, sound asleep. Tad had the fatboy by the collar instantly.
"Here, here! Whatcher want?" demanded Stacy rebelliously as he wasroughly jerked to his feet.
"Don't you know better than to lie down in a place like this?"demanded Tad.
"Why not?"
"You don't know what there may be about here. Didn't you hear theguide say there were reptiles here?"
"Re--reptiles?"
"Yes."
"Oh-h-h, wow!"
"If you must sleep, try it standing up. Get on your horse and take anap. That will be safer," advised Butler.
"I--I guess I don't want to go to sleep," stammered Stacy.
"I thought not. Here is some punk, if you want it, Mr. Lilly."
"How do you chance to have punk?"
"Oh, I frequently find it useful, especially in wet weather,"answered Tad.
"I have some of the same in my kit, but it isn't available just now.There, that's better," nodded Billy.
A little crackling flame had leaped up flinging flickering shadowsover the scene. The dogs were sitting about on their haunchesregarding the proceedings expectantly, knowing that supper time wouldsoon be at hand.
"Where shall we pitch your tent, Mr. Lilly?" asked Tad.
"I will take care of that. You may pitch your own if you wish. Youknow how and where better than I can tell you."
Tad did. He laid out the guide's tent so that the opening would betowards the fire, placing it as close to the fire as possible, almosttoo close it seemed.
"Why so close?" questioned Lilly, tugging at his long moustache.
"To catch some of the smoke from the campfire," replied Butler.
"For what?"
"To drive away mosquitoes. I hear there are a few here."
"You'll do," declared Lilly with an emphatic nod. "I guess you_have_ been in the woods before."
The tents were arranged in a semicircle close about the fire that wasnow blazing higher and higher.
"Is there any danger of firing the forest here, Mr. Lilly?" askedButler.
"No, not here. Everything is too damp. All this part of the forestis really a swamp. Wherever you find the cypress you will find moistground."
"But where is the canebrake?" questioned Ned.
"On the ridges, the higher ground."
"Near here?"
"Within a few paces," answered the guide. "I will fetch some of itin to show you after we have had our supper. I guess you boys mustbe hungry, eh?"
"Hungry?" cried Stacy. "No, just empty, that's all."
Ichabod was already at work getting the supper, and tempting odorsfilled the air, with Stacy Brown squatting down with the dogs,greedily watching the preparations for the evening meal. While thiswas being done, Lilly was trampling down the brush, slashing thethorn bushes with his long bush knife, clearing away, so far aspossible, all hiding places for trouble-hunting reptiles.
Smoking hot waffles were served to the hungry boys for supper. Thevoice of the fat boy under the influence of the waffles soon wasstilled, his cheeks were puffed out and his eyes were rollingexpressively. Chunky was very near to perfect happiness.
"The bayou is just back of the tents," warned Lilly. "Be carefulthat none of you falls into the water in the darkness. I should notadvise much roaming about in the night until after you have becomeaccustomed to this forest. You will find it far different from anyyou have ever visited before."
"I have observed as much," nodded the Professor. "But what are thosepeculiar formations that I see all about us?"
"Yes, I was wondering about them," said Tad.
"You mean the cypress knees?"
"Those long, crab-like formations standing up from the ground threeor four feet," said the Professor.
"They are the cypress knees. In reality they are a sort of root ofthe tree itself. They make great hiding places for all sorts ofreptiles and small animals, and they are the finest obstacles in theworld to fall over."
"I should think the horses would break their legs over them," saidTad.
"A horse unfamiliar with travel in the swamp would do so. But youwill find your animals very wise. They know the game down here,though up in the Rockies they undoubtedly would break their own necksand those of their riders as well."
"Every man and beast to his trade," observed the Professorreflectively.
Billy Lilly agreed with a long nod.
"Ichabod, bring in an armful of cane so the gentlemen may see it," hedirected.
The sticks that Ichabod fetched resembled bamboo more than anythingthe boys ever had seen. These canes they found to be hollow, havingno pith, being divided on the inside every few inches into sections.
"As I have already said," continued the
guide, "the canebrakestretches along slight rises of ground for miles and miles, forminga very striking feature. The canes stand so thickly that they crowdout other growths and make fine hiding places for wild animals andreptiles. They stand in what might be called ranks, each but a fewinches from its companion, extending to a height of fifteen or twentyfeet, straight and tall."
"They should make fine fishpoles," said Tad.
"They do. They are used for that purpose. The leaves commence abouttwo-thirds the height of the plant, and the peculiar feature of theleaves is that they seem to grow right out of the stalk."
"The cypress trees appear to be very tall here," said ProfessorZepplin.
"Yes, they are. They are said to be rivaled in size and height onlyby some of the red gums and white oaks. In towering majesty they arereally unsurpassed by any tree in the eastern forests. The redwoodsof the Sierras, of course, can't be beaten by anything else in thiscountry. There are thousands of acres of cypress and cane down here,and for a place in which to get lost the canebrake has no equal. Youdon't want to get lost in this forest, young gentlemen."
"We don't intend to," answered Rector.
"If we did it would not be the first time that we have lost our way,"laughed Tad.
"Yes, Tad and I got lost up in the Maine woods. I never had so muchfun in my life," piped Stacy. "But then there weren't any creepingthings up there. I guess I'll go to bed. I'm sleepy."
"It is time we all turned in," agreed the Professor.
But there was not much sleep for the Pony Rider Boys for a long time.The unfamiliar noises of this suffocating swamp, the buzzing of themosquitoes fighting to get into the tents, but driven back by thesmoke, kept sleep away also, except in the case of Stacy Brown whobegan snoring almost as soon as he touched his bed.
A weird hooting and yelling that seemed to come from every directionat once brought the boys to a sitting posture about an hour afterthey had turned in.
"Good gracious, what's that?" demanded Ned.
"I don't know," answered Tad. "It isn't like anything I ever heard.I guess it must be some kind of wild animal."
"Those are barred owls," called the guide from the adjoining tent."I thought their racket would wake you boys up. But you will getused to them."
"Do they howl all night?" asked Tad.
"Yes, usually, and sometimes in the day as well."
"I see our finish so far as sleep is concerned. But I am going tosleep just the same," growled Chunky.
Late in the night the campers succeeded in getting to sleep. Thefire died down and the mosquitoes at last reached their victims.Stacy was the first to be awakened by the pests. He slapped andgrowled, and growled and slapped; then after a time he got up quietly,piling the bundle of cane on the fire, and placing heavier wood ontop of that. Then, well satisfied with having done his duty, the fatboy went back to bed. But Stacy had laid the foundation for a lot oftrouble that would arouse the entire camp ere many more minutes hadpassed.
The trouble came with a bang, with a report that sounded as if thecamp had been blown up, accompanied by the yells of the boys as fireand burning sticks were hurled into the little tents.