The Forest of Mystery

  CHAPTER XXVI

  Waiting in Dread

  "Above all, we must try to keep together," warned Mr. Holton, speakingto the natives as well as the whites. "It might spell tragedy if anyof us should get lost from the rest."

  The rain was falling almost in torrents, soon drenching theadventurers thoroughly. Wet and miserable, they were haggard-lookingcreatures as they stalked through the fastness of the forest.

  Great flashes of uncanny lightning streaked across the sky. They werefollowed by ear-splitting bursts of thunder, which resembled nothingso much as the discharging of heavy cannon. Wind--violent, ruthlesswind--all but blew the explorers to the ground.

  Their hearts beating rapidly, their breath coming in short gasps, theyrushed as fast as possible in a wild search for some shelter from theelements. And all knew that they must find some place quickly; theycould never withstand the full fury of the storm very long.

  As time passed, the sky grew still darker, until it was utterlyimpossible to make out what was ahead. It was only when a violentstreak of eerie lightning would illuminate the sky that they could seeeach other.

  "This is terrible!" moaned Joe, struggling to brace himself againstthe violent gale.

  The sound of his voice was drowned out, however, in the uproar of theelements. Nor could anyone else have been heard.

  Bob clutched his friend's arm and held on firmly. They would sticktogether through it all, he thought.

  Suddenly the sky was lighted as brightly as day, and there followed aterrific clap of ear-splitting thunder. It seemed so near that thetravelers jumped back instinctively.

  Then they heard a great forest giant groan and creak and split at thebase. It was very near them, and, not being able to see it, theyfeared that perhaps it would fall on them.

  "Look out!" shouted Mr. Lewis, as lightning made the sky bright. "It'scoming down on us!"

  Obeying the command at once, all turned and ran for their lives. Itwas torture unthinkable, for in the twilight it was most difficult toavoid stumbling over vines or running into trees. Still side by side,Bob and Joe followed their elders desperately, until they thought thedanger was over.

  Barely a few seconds later there was a terrific crash as the forestgiant fell to the ground. It literally shook the earth, so violentlydid it strike.

  "A narrow escape!" breathed Bob. "Wouldn't have been much left of usif that had struck us."

  The youths were a little to one side of the safari and were fallingbehind. Realizing this, they hurried to catch up.

  But just at that moment Bob's foot caught in a creeper, and hesprawled to the ground before he could catch himself. When he fell hetook Joe with him, and together they rolled over on the wet carpet ofleaves and twigs.

  "Hurry!" urged Joe, shouting to make himself heard. "The others arefar ahead of us."

  He helped his friend to his feet and then started off toward where hethought the safari should be. But Bob called him back.

  "I--I can't make it, I guess," Bob said, wincing with pain. "Sprainedmy ankle."

  Joe bent over anxiously and felt of the injured foot.

  "Isn't broken and doesn't seem to be dislocated," he said,straightening up. "Can't you walk at all?"

  Bob made a heroic attempt but could not move a single step.

  "No use," he said. "Just have to wait a moment, I guess. Maybe--" hestopped as a clap of thunder drowned out his voice--"it'll quithurting before long."

  Joe shouted at the top of his voice to his father and Mr. Holton,hoping that they would hear and stop. But it was useless. In thatuproar sound would not travel any distance to speak of.

  He removed his revolver from its holster and pulled the trigger. Butno report followed. In some manner water had found its way to thecartridges.

  Still hoping that Bob would soon be able to walk, he waited, listeningto the pattering of the rain and the bursts of the thunder. Ifpossible, the hurricane raged even more furiously than before.

  A little later Bob announced that he was able to walk. With his friendhe set off, slowly, of course, but surely.

  But by now the chums had lost all sense of direction. They had not theslightest notion of where they could find the safari. Perhaps, for allthey knew, it was moving in just an opposite direction.

  Even when the surrounding forest was illuminated by streaks oflightning the boys could not see far because of the trees.

  "Looks like they're gone," mourned Bob.

  "What'll we do?"

  "Nothing that I know of, only keep on going. It seems to me that theywere traveling this way, but I'm not sure."

  Blinded by the torrents of rain, bruised and cut by the countlesspointed thorns and brambles, the young explorers moved alongpainfully, hoping against hope that they would meet up with theirelders or some of the blacks.

  But luck was not with them that day. With every step they wereunknowingly moving farther into the depths of the unknown forest,instead of following a set course.

  "Looks like we're not going to find them," said Joe, panting forbreath. "But we won't stop now."

  All the remainder of the afternoon the hurricane continued asviolently as before. Then very slowly it began to subside, althoughthe rain continued to fall. But at least the terrible gale was nolonger blowing, and this was what had bothered the chums most.

  "But where are we?" asked Joe, looking about as the darkness gave wayto dim light.

  The region they were in was one of the wildest they had yet seen.Gnarled, twisted trees grew in profusion; deep gulches broke theground in a number of places; strange, odd plants, including hugeferns, were everywhere. Once they caught sight of an unusually queeranimal slinking through the underbrush.

  "Maybe we're miles and miles from the safari," said Bob in a voice ofhopelessness.

  "I'm afraid of hostile natives," his chum put in. "It wouldn't befunny to be captured and carried off into some unknown village."

  The rain had stopped completely now, but darkness was beginning toclose over them. The friends dreaded the coming of night in that wildcountry. Alone and unable to build a fire, they would be at the mercyof savage jungle beasts.

  "Suppose we stop here for the night," suggested Joe. "I'm all in afterfighting that hurricane."

  At a little elevation the youths sat down on a rotting tree trunk,glad of the chance to rest. They knew there was no use continuing thesearch for the safari, for the night was not far off.

  Bob had a few matches in a waterproofed case, but he knew it would beuseless to attempt to light a fire.

  "Guess we'll have to stick it out without anything to eat tonight,"he told his chum. "Then maybe tomorrow we'll find our dads and theothers."

  Secretly the youths feared that for them tomorrow might not come. Forthey were alone in the great African jungle and would be easy prey forlions and other dangerous beasts. But both had their revolversstrapped to their sides, and, although not nearly as powerful asrifles, they might spell the difference between life and death.

  Soon the short-lived twilight came, followed shortly by darkness. Thenthe moon rose, and it was possible to see fairly well.

  "I'll take the first watch," remarked Joe, an hour later. "You turn inand sleep for three hours or so. Then you can stand guard."

  Bob asked that he be given the first watch, but Joe would not listen.Grudgingly Bob agreed to do as suggested and was soon fast asleep.

  As the night wore on, Joe heard a distant yapping of jackals. He alsocould make out the howls of hyenas and other animals. Then he heardanother sound, and he sat up with a start.

  A low growl was issuing from behind a patch of jungle growth. It wasrepeated again and again, always louder and more defiant.

  Joe grasped his revolver thankfully and remained silent. If thecreature were dangerous, he could only hope that it would keep itsdistance. The prospects of killing a lion or leopard with therevolver, Joe knew, were very slight.

  As the minutes passed, he was beginning to think that the animal hadretreated, when he su
ddenly became aware of stealthily moving feet.They seemed to be padding slowly toward him.

  An awful fear seized Joe. If some dangerous brute were stalking him,intent upon prey, it might well be his end. But, the youth thought,raising the revolver slowly, it wouldn't get him and Bob without beingat least wounded.

  The seconds went by slowly, painfully. Then, horror-stricken, Joe madeout the huge body of a powerful leopard which was advancing towardhim.