The Forest of Mystery

  CHAPTER XIII

  The Lost Scientist

  There was a buzz of muffled conversation among the passengers, andbefore anyone could ask anything further, the captain had disappearedinto the cabin.

  "This is a fine howdy-do," snorted Joe Lewis, peering out at theshoreline. "What do they take us for, a bunch of livestock?"

  "Jove!" exclaimed one of the passengers, looking up through his largeglasses. "The bally ship is a good half day's journey from Mombasa."

  "It's a horrible shame, that's what it is," came from Cecil PurlStone, who also was at the rail. "Here I am in perfect readiness tolook upon Mombasa, and this had to happen. I'm going straight to mysuite."

  "Wonder how it all happened?" inquired Bob.

  "That we don't know, Son." Mr. Holton's temper was also being tried."But now that it has happened, there's no way out, only to wait."

  "I took for granted the _Zanzibar's_ navigators were competent," saidMr. Lewis. "However, such things do happen occasionally."

  Although the naturalists and their sons were disappointed, there wasnothing they could do but wait. Just how much longer it would be,however, they did not know.

  To the vexation of all, the _Zanzibar_ steamed for the remainder ofthat afternoon and evening without sighting the city of itsdestination. It was not until eight o'clock that night that Mombasacould be outlined in the distance, and then, of course, only thelights could be seen.

  Bob and Joe, together with their fathers and many other passengers,stood at the prow of the ship, waiting for land to come up to meetthem.

  The broad beam of the vessel's searchlight illuminated the water aheadperfectly. At last the _Zanzibar_ was making directly for the harbor.

  "Not much to be seen at night," observed Joe. "But I guess we'll beable to look around in the morning."

  They watched interestedly as the ship moved slowly into the harbor.Aside from a few small ships and native dhows, there was no watertraffic in sight. Neither was the dock easily visible.

  "Suppose we turn in, boys," suggested Mr. Holton. "If we get to bedearly, we can be up early. And the sooner we put ashore and makearrangements for our exploration venture, the sooner we can be on ourway into the heart of Africa."

  The heart of Africa! Bob and Joe thrilled at mention of this. Oftenhad they longed for such a venture into the Dark Continent, but notuntil now had that longing been satisfied.

  The chums needed no urging to follow Mr. Holton's suggestion toretire, for they desired to be up early the next morning.

  "I don't know whether I can sleep or not, though," laughed Bob, as heand his friend walked to their stateroom. "I'm afraid I'll be thinkingtoo much about Africa. Think of it, Joe. We're here--in Africa!"

  "Not quite," Joe reminded him. "We're still on the _Zanzibar_, don'tforget."

  "Gosh! That's right. I almost forgot."

  The boys slept soundly, but because they had set their "mental alarmclocks," as Joe called it, they awoke before six in the morning.

  But if they considered themselves "early-birds," they were to throwaway the title promptly when they caught sight of their fathersstanding on deck with their baggage.

  "How in the dickens did you manage to get up so early?" demanded Joe."You must have got out of bed at four to have brought all that stuffout here."

  "We'll have a big day before us, boys," said Mr. Holton. "Let's leavethe ship at once."

  But before doing so the youths walked out to the rail to view theirsurroundings.

  The sight that met their eyes made them gasp, so different was it fromanything they had previously seen.

  Before them was the new port, which contained numerous docks,warehouses, and the like. To one side they saw the old harbor with itsnumerous native ships and boats. Beyond the waterfront were theprominent buildings of the city, while not far away was the oldPortuguese fort. Farther away was the bright green of endless tropicalvegetation.

  "So this is Africa," muttered Bob. "What do you think of it?"

  "Pleases me, all right," grinned Joe. "I'm longing to get into thejungle."

  "Come along, boys." It was Mr. Holton's voice. "Gather up your baggageand come back on deck. Do it as rapidly as you can."

  During the next ten minutes the youths worked furiously, attending tosuch things that they had not already packed. On their way down thehall they stopped at Cecil Stone's suite to have a parting word withthat young man. But apparently he had left, for no one answered theknock.

  "The last we'll see of him, maybe," remarked Bob, picking up the caseshe had been carrying.

  On deck, Bob and Joe found a large number of passengers amassed readyto move down the gangplank. There was an exchange of parting words,and the chums left with their fathers and made their way to a hotel,in which they had previously engaged rooms.

  "What's next?" inquired Joe, after they had had breakfast.

  "Ben and I want to look up an old friend," said Mr. Holton. "A Mr.George Seabury. He used to be a mighty hunter."

  "Used to be?" queried Bob. "What do you mean, Dad? Is he old orsomething?"

  "What I meant, Bob, is that several years ago he was charged by arhino and has not had full use of his legs since. He can walk, butdoesn't do it any too well. Suppose," he continued, "you and Joe comewith us. There's no question but that you'll like him at once."

  The youths were more than willing, and, led by their fathers, theywalked over to a section of the town that was inhabited only byEuropeans and Americans.

  At a rather attractive-looking house they stopped, and Mr. Lewisknocked on the door.

  The door was opened by a large, swarthy man of anywhere between fiftyand sixty. One glance at Mr. Lewis and Mr. Holton was enough.

  "By Jupiter!" he cried, overjoyed at sight of the naturalists. "Comein, you old rascals."

  Mr. Holton smiled and gave his friend an affectionate pat on the back.

  "But we've brought our sons with us this time," he said, indicatingBob and Joe. "George, meet Joe Lewis and Bob Holton. Boys, this is Mr.Seabury."

  There was a shaking of hands and general greeting, and in the end thechums felt perfectly at home.

  "Husky fellows," observed Mr. Seabury. "Look like they could take careof themselves, all right."

  "They certainly can," affirmed Mr. Lewis, and then outlined some ofthe boys' experiences in Brazil, the Sahara, and the Andes Mountains.

  Their host listened intently. By the time Mr. Lewis had finished helooked upon the boys with even more respect.

  But soon his brow wrinkled.

  "Africa is somewhat more dangerous than any of the places they havebeen," he said slowly. "There are evidences of that everywhere. Infact, there is evidence of it right here in this house."

  "Referring to yourself, perhaps," put in Mr. Lewis grimly.

  "Just that," Mr. Seabury returned. "Being charged by a rhino isanything but pleasant. Fortunately, I escaped, but the terrible beastput its mark on me for life."

  There were grim looks on the faces of everyone. Especially were Boband Joe touched, for they realized for the first time that Africa wasa land of tragedy.

  "Is there nothing that can be done? Will you always be lame?" inquiredMr. Holton.

  Mr. Seabury looked even more grave.

  "Medical science cannot help me," he said at last. "I'm afraid myhunting days are over." For several moments he retained the sameexpression. Then suddenly his face lightened, as though he hadresolved to forget the matter. "Just what fauna are you after thistime?" he asked the naturalists. "But first, before anything more issaid, I have something that I want to put before you."

  "What is it, a surprise?" smiled Mr. Lewis.

  "Well--you might call it that," was the response. "Here's the wholething: Over six months ago my brother Thomas went into the Congoregion to study the primitive tribes there. He was to come back inthree months. As yet he hasn't returned. I fear something has happenedto him."

  "That's too bad," said Mr. Lewis. "We'll make it a point to search forhim. J
ust where did he intend to go?"

  "It is a very remote region," Mr. Seabury told them. "Has been calledthe Forest of Mystery."

  "The Forest of Mystery!" repeated Mr. Holton. "I've heard of it. Inthe central Congo country, isn't it?"

  George Seabury nodded.

  "It is said to be full of unexplainable phenomena," he said. "Has beenfrequented by only a very few whites."

  Mr. Lewis brought his fist down on the arm of the chair.

  "That's the region we'll explore," he said, while Bob's father nodded."Have you any idea how to get there?"

  "No," their host responded. "But I know of two natives who have. Theylive in Mbarara. You men left from there on your last safari in thispart of Africa."

  "Yes," came from Mr. Holton. "But who are these two natives?"

  "One is named Noko and the other is Kaika----"

  "Kaika!" interrupted Joe's father. "Why, he was our head bearer on ourlast safari."

  "That so?" asked Mr. Seabury, somewhat surprised. "Well, he and Nokohave been to the Forest of Mystery and know how to get there."

  "Fine." Mr. Holton smiled happily. "That's the very place we'll setout for. And we'll certainly keep on the lookout for your brother."

  "You don't know how much it will mean to me if Thomas is found," saidMr. Seabury. "Of course, I am in no condition to go in search of him,and it would be next to impossible to engage some stranger to do it.So if you will keep on the watch for him, it will certainly easematters."

  "We'll be more than glad to do it," Mr. Lewis told him. "It will bestrange if we don't run across some trace of him."

  For the next hour they talked on indifferent matters. Then, with aparting word, the explorers left Mr. Seabury's house and went to thehotel.

  "Now what?" asked Joe.

  The answer was without hesitation.

  "We'll start into the unknown as soon as we possibly can," said Mr.Holton. "That is, of course, if we can get a train. It may be that wewill have to wait several days before one leaves."

  "Boy!" cried Joe, deeply touched. "Into the heart of Africa! I canhardly wait."