The Forest of Mystery

  CHAPTER XII

  A Disappointing Announcement

  Much as Bob and Joe expected, Cecil Purl Stone did not put in hisappearance the remainder of that day. Nor did he appear in the cabinthe next. In fact, it was two days later that he was seen walking downthe promenade deck. Even then he was unusually pale and haggardlooking.

  At a suggestion from Joe the chums walked purposely up to the youngman.

  "How do you like the way the ship's rolling?" Joe asked him, with awink at Bob.

  "Oh, it's simply deplorable!" returned Cecil, rubbing his forehead."There certainly should be something done about it. Don't you know,I'm terribly afraid that if this continues much longer I shall becomeill again."

  "Ill? Were you ill?" inquired Bob, with an attempt at innocence.

  "Oh, it was horrible!" moaned Cecil Purl. "I declare I neverexperienced anything quite like it before. I do not see how I everescaped alive!"

  "But you've taken ocean voyages before, haven't you?" asked Joe.

  "I most certainly have, my dear chap. But, don't you know, I neverhave escaped that dreadful seasickness. Not even as much as once."

  "That's too bad," said Bob sympathetically. "But, then, some peoplearen't as lucky as others. It's a fortunate thing, though, that theweather has remained calm."

  "Will it last, though?" queried Joe, keeping an eye on Cecil PurlStone. "For all we know, there may come a violent storm tonight."

  "Gracious!" the slender young man gasped. "What should I ever do ifthat should happen? I believe I would surely go distracted."

  "He'd probably go to his suite," laughed Bob a little later.

  Contrary to Joe's remark, there were no signs of a storm that night.In fact, the weather was most delightful, and many of the passengersspent the time on deck, taking advantage of the cool night breeze. Boband Joe and their fathers were among those passengers.

  "There's nothing like the spell of the ocean," murmured Mr. Lewis, ashe sat staring up at the star-studded sky.

  "Wait till we get to the tropics," Bob's father reminded him. "Thiswon't be anything then."

  "Right you are, Mr. Holton," came from Joe. "But just where do we landin Africa? I know it's somewhere along the east coast, but theparticular city I don't know."

  "We'll pull into Mombasa," his father explained. "It's a place ofconsiderable importance and is the eastern terminal of the UgandaRailway. We won't stay there any longer than we can help. Howard and Iwould, however, like to look up an old friend whom we haven't seen forsome time. But as soon as we can we'll get started into the interior."

  "I suppose from what you said that we'll take a train as far aspossible. Right?" asked Bob.

  The naturalists nodded.

  "That railroad was made to order for us," said Mr. Lewis. "If itweren't there, it would mean a long and painful hike through a regionthat is unimportant to us."

  "Unimportant? Why?" inquired Joe.

  "Simply because we are not permitted to shoot any animal in theprotectorate," Mr. Holton explained. "You see, the English have madethis a sort of park for the benefit of those who wish to view wildcreatures in their natural habitat. For that reason--and also thereare others--we intend to penetrate deep into the Congo forests."

  Several days later the _Zanzibar_ steamed through the Strait ofGibraltar and passed into the Mediterranean, going so near the famoushuge rock that it was plainly visible in the thin morning air.

  "Isn't that a sight for your eyes, though!" remarked Bob, gazing aheadintently.

  "If it were night they would probably play searchlights on our boat,"said Joe.

  "What? Searchlights? What are you talking about?"

  "Dad told me that there are several forts at the rock," Joe explained,"and the authorities there have the searchlights to light up thestrait. In case of war, I suppose they would come in handy."

  As time passed, the ship steamed on through the Mediterranean, pastshores that were famous in ancient history. Although the _Zanzibar_had not yet entered the tropics, the heat was becoming unbearable, thechums and their fathers seeking the cool retreat of the swimming pool.

  Then one clear morning they were able to make out the form of alighthouse, and a little later they pulled into Port Said, at theMediterranean end of the Suez Canal.

  "Look out for the heat now," laughed Mr. Lewis, when they were againon their way.

  "Heat's no word for it," groaned Bob some time later, as he loosenedhis necktie. "It's torture."

  Hemmed in on both sides by two of the hottest deserts in the world,the Red Sea proved to be a veritable inferno. So hot was it that eventhe swimming pool did not offer a haven of refuge.

  "Here's hoping the Red Sea doesn't close in on us," laughed Joe. "Itdid on Pharaoh's men, you know, in Biblical times."

  "Guess there isn't any danger," came from Bob, fanning himselfvigorously. "We haven't anything but good intentions."

  Cecil Purl Stone also found the heat torturing.

  "Why don't you take off your coat?" asked Bob. "You'll smother todeath."

  "Mamma says I just must leave it on," was the reply. "There are ladieson the boat, you know."

  "Phooey!" muttered Joe, under his breath.

  At last the _Zanzibar_ emerged into the Indian Ocean, after havingsteamed through the Red Sea for six days.

  Once Bob and Joe were standing at the rail, watching the schools ofporpoises, the occasional flying fish, and the less frequent fins ofsharks, when they suddenly heard a stamping noise coming from aroundthe promenade deck. Wondering what was meant, they turned and waited.

  A moment later appeared Cecil Purl Stone, running awkwardly around thecorner.

  "Why, what's the matter?" questioned Joe, trying to refrain fromlaughing at sight of the slender young man.

  Cecil Stone groaned.

  "Oh, it is beastly!" he said, stopping for a moment to face the chums.

  "What?" demanded Bob. "Tell us about it."

  "That horrible captain just told me there may be a storm," heexplained, wiping the perspiration from his white face.

  "Storm? You don't say!" broke out Joe. "I---- Wait. Where are yougoing?"

  "I intend to go to bed without further delay," answered Cecilpromptly. "I tell you, I just can't stand that dreadful seasicknessany more. I'm going to have Mamma give me some medicine."

  The next instant he was gone.

  Bob and Joe wanted to laugh, but they had done so so often that theyrestrained themselves.

  "Not wishing him any bad luck, but a guy like that ought to beseasick," grunted Bob. "He's the worst I've ever seen."

  "But, say, Bob, he said the captain told him there might be a storm,didn't he? Do you suppose there'll be one?"

  "I can't see any signs of it," the other youth returned. "Who knowsbut that the captain was joking with Cecil? Perhaps he just wanted toget him worried. It's natural to pick on a sissy, you know."

  Whether Bob was right in his opinion they never knew. But, at anyrate, all the remainder of that day and the next passed without anyatmospheric disturbance.

  "Well, boys, we'll reach Mombasa tomorrow about noon," remarked Mr.Holton, moving with Joe's father up to where the chums were standing.

  "Hurray!" yelled Bob. "I've enjoyed this voyage, but I'll be glad toget to Africa."

  "Wonder where Cecil Purl will head for?" laughed Joe.

  "Probably straight to the best hotel in the city," answered Mr. Lewiswith a smile, for he also had been amused by Cecil's feminine traits.

  The next day Bob and Joe, together with their fathers, took places atthe rail, awaiting their arrival at Mombasa. Several other passengerswere already there, and still more came soon after.

  Eleven o'clock came. Eleven-thirty. Noon. But no Mombasa.

  "Wonder what's the trouble?" mused Bob, his keen eyes searching thehorizon. "We should be there by now."

  "True," answered his father. "But don't forget that a ship isn'texactly like a train. It is much harder to stick closely to timetables on an ocean voyage." br />
  Notwithstanding this, two o'clock rolled around without any sight ofthe city of their destination. Many of the passengers were beginningto worry, for they could not conceive of straying so far from theschedule.

  Even Mr. Holton and Mr. Lewis were starting to wonder. They remainedanxiously at the prow, straining their eyes to make out the outlinesof the city.

  Suddenly, when a heavy cloud lifted, Joe gave a cry of delight.

  "It's land!" he exclaimed, pointing far out over the water. "It won'tbe long now."

  Gradually the outlines of the shore line became more distinct, and atlast the passengers could make out luxurious tropical vegetation.

  "But where's Mombasa?" demanded Bob, scanning the landscape.

  "Looks like it isn't there," answered Mr. Lewis.

  "What do you mean, Dad?" Joe inquired.

  Mr. Lewis was at the point of making a reply when the captain of theship strode up, on his face a scowl.

  "It seems that there has been a slight mistake in our reckoning," hesaid. "We are seventy nautical miles to the north."