The Forest of Mystery

  CHAPTER XIX

  A Promise of a Thrill

  Not ten feet away, at the point where the trail branched, was a hugemound of earth that must have been at least thirty feet high. It wasconical in shape, gradually tapering up to a sharp point.

  "What do you call that?" asked Joe, staring in amazement at theformation.

  "If I'm not mistaken, it's an ant hill," Bob answered, moving closerto the mound of earth. Often Bob had heard of this phenomenon, butuntil now had not seen it.

  "A what? Ant hill? You don't mean to say that ants built that, doyou?"

  "I guess they did," returned Bob. "Dad says ants have been known toheap up the earth to a height of forty feet or more."

  "Of all things!" Joe could hardly believe what his chum said. "How dothey do it, anyway?"

  "More than I know. They're busy little creatures, though."

  The boys examined the ant hill with a great deal of curiosity. Itseemed almost incredible that ants could construct such a huge pieceof architecture. Why, it must have required the efforts of tens ofthousands of the little creatures!

  But although greatly interested, Bob and Joe did not spend too muchtime here, for they desired to explore a bit longer before returningto the safari.

  Everywhere they went they saw brilliantly colored birds, which oftenfluttered so near that the youths could almost touch them. Luxuriantflowers were also in abundance.

  The chums trekked on for a distance of perhaps a half mile, thenturned back toward the expedition. When they reached the clearing,they found Mr. Lewis and Mr. Holton ready to continue the journey.

  "See anything of interest, boys?" inquired the latter, signaling toNoko to lead the way.

  "Plenty," returned Joe. "An ant hill, for one thing. And was it awhopper! Must have been thirty feet if an inch."

  "That was only a taste," grinned Mr. Lewis, with a wink at Bob'sfather. "Howard and I have often seen them forty feet or more."

  As they penetrated deeper into the jungle, the vegetation becamedenser and consequently more difficult to pass through. Often the sunwas entirely hidden from view by the thick canopy of foliage above,and the explorers found themselves in a sort of twilight. At othertimes they would emerge from the leafy depths and make their way overwide plains under the fierce tropical sun.

  But despite many difficulties of the trail, the expedition made goodtime and by night had covered a good many miles. They camped beside anarrow, winding stream, which looked as if it were several yards deep.

  "Bet there's fish in there," remarked Joe, peering into the dark waterof the stream.

  Noko overheard the remark and understood.

  "Um big fish dare," the native said, his eyes following those of Joe."Dey good eat."

  "That's an idea," mused Bob. "Why not try our luck at fishing?"

  "Sure." Joe was more than willing.

  The youths got out their tackle and fashioned crude poles out of treebranches. Then, sitting a short distance apart on the bank, theywaited silently, while the naturalists looked on with interest.

  Suddenly, when it had been in the water but a few minutes, Joe's floatwas drawn completely under the water with such force that the polewas almost snatched out of the youth's hands.

  "Pull!" exclaimed Bob in a loud whisper.

  Joe obeyed, but found that to do this was harder than he hadanticipated. But with the aid of his chum the catch was drawn outeasily.

  All uttered startled exclamations at sight of it.

  "A tiger fish," pronounced Mr. Lewis. "Only a small one, though."

  "Small one?" cried Joe, wheeling about. "What are you talking about,Dad? Bet that fish weighs ten pounds!"

  "Maybe so," Mr. Lewis returned. "But it isn't uncommon to catch tigerfish that weigh as much as twenty pounds. In fact, Howard hooked onein the Zambezi River that tipped the scales at forty-two."

  "No!" Bob and Joe both looked up in amazement.

  "That's right," vouched Mr. Holton. "It was the biggest I've evercaught."

  During the next fifteen minutes Joe caught four more of the big fish,none, however, being as large as the first one. Then, using theknowledge gained on other exploration ventures, he dressed them andplaced them over the fire.

  "Doggone the luck!" growled Bob. "I didn't get a single bite. Thisbig bum here walks off with a whole river full."

  "Cheer up," consoled Mr. Holton. "You can at least share the eating ofthem."

  "Yeah," put in Joe. "You can take a whiff at them."

  The tiger fish proved good eating and were a welcome addition to theusual menu.

  "And now," began Mr. Lewis, stretching out to retire after two hoursof chatting, "we'd better get to sleep. Noko says we'll run into anative village tomorrow. That may delay us for a while."

  Shortly before noon of the next day the explorers heard a chorus ofshouts and yells, which came from around a bend, and they soon foundthemselves facing a large group of natives.

  Noko at once fell into conversation with the chief, with whom he waswell acquainted. They talked for several minutes, and in the end thechief motioned for the safari to follow him into the village.

  That village the two youths found very interesting. It was made up ofseveral rows of thatched huts, about which sat natives dozing orconversing. Apparently there was no work being done, the nativesprobably resting to escape the terrible heat of the sun.

  The chief escorted the safari to his own huge hut, where he asked thatthey remain for a while. The bearers were glad to do as requested, soas to get out of the fierce heat. And as Mr. Holton and Mr. Lewis werealso reluctant to continue the journey at this time of day, they alsoconsented.

  Both the naturalists had picked up a good knowledge of the nativelanguage on their frequent trips to Africa and so had no difficulty intaking part in the conversation. They translated occasionally to Boband Joe.

  During the course of the talk the chief mentioned something that wasof great interest to Mr. Lewis and Mr. Holton, and also to the chums.The section around the village was being made unsafe for hunting by ahuge, bad-tempered buffalo which would charge any of the natives onsight. One man had been killed and two others severely wounded by thebeast, and although numerous parties had set out to kill it, they hadso far been unsuccessful in doing so. For some reason the animal neverwould wander far from a certain spot near a stream. So dangerous wasthe buffalo that the villagers were afraid to go to the stream to getwater and had to follow a roundabout trail.

  When the chief had finished, Mr. Lewis spoke up at once.

  "We"--indicating Mr. Holton, the youths, and himself--"will make aspecial effort to kill that buffalo," he told the chief in the nativetongue. "We would like to kill the animal and take it back to our owncountry to show the people. Will you help us?"

  The head native was delighted. Certainly he would help. If the badanimal could be killed, he would be very grateful to the whites, andwould present them with several wild animal skins.

  "It is agreed, then," Mr. Holton said to the chief. "We will set outthis afternoon."

  "This is going to be good," mused Bob, giving his chum a nudge in theribs.