CHAPTER VII
KILLING A MANATEE
"What was it?" cried Jerry.
"I don't know," answered Bob, who was almost too frightened to speak."I was dreaming one of you fellows was pulling me from bed by my footand I woke up to discover that some animal had me. I looked and sawsomething black! Then I yelled."
"Let's make an examination," suggested the professor. "Is your footmuch hurt?"
"A little," admitted Bob.
But an investigation showed that though his shoe was dented as if bythe marks of broad teeth, the leather had not been penetrated, and, ontaking off his shoe, Bob found his foot was only bruised.
"There are the tracks of where the beast came from the river," saidJerry, pointing to the unmistakable path of some large animal. It hadcome up the river bank, straight to the bed Bob had so carefully made.
"Must have been a crocodile," insisted Ned.
"There aren't any in Florida," said the professor. "The alligators arenot found in this region, either. Whatever it was Bob, you baited ityourself."
"How?"
"Why, when you pulled that grass you left a long trail of it from theriver bank right to the tent. The creature simply followed it up,eating as it went, and when it struck your bunk I suppose it thoughtit had quite a feast. I guess the taking hold of your foot was onlyaccidental."
"Maybe it was a sort of walking fish," suggested Jerry.
"I have an idea what it was," the professor answered.
"A snake?" asked Bob, and he turned paler than before.
"No, not a snake. I'll tell you in the morning. Better go to bed now.We'll light several more lanterns and I think they will keep away anyother creatures."
Bob declared he had had enough of his grass bed, so he got someblankets from the boat and stretched out under the tent between Ned andJerry, and as far as possible from the river.
"Whatever it was, it's not going to nab me again," he said, as he fellinto an uneasy slumber.
There were no further disturbances that night, and in the morning theboys gazed curiously at the broad path made by Bob's midnight visitor.
"Looks as though it was as big as a cow," said Jerry as he saw themarks.
"Maybe it was," remarked the professor.
"Don't see what cows would be doing in the river," observed Ned, butMr. Snodgrass only smiled.
"What's the program this morning?" asked Bob after breakfast had beendisposed of and the things packed back into the boat. "Where are wegoing, Jerry?"
"Let's keep right on down this river," suggested Ned. "It's a fineplace."
"Not for me!" exclaimed Bob. "At least if we do I'm going to sleep onthe boat. No more cows for mine."
"We're going to Titusville," declared Jerry. "Of course it would benice to voyage down this river, and, according to my guide book it'sa beautiful sail. But if we want to get to Lake Okeechobee we'll haveto change to rail transportation for a while and embark again on LakeTohopekaliga."
"I guess that will suit me as well," the professor announced. "I mustsoon begin to look for that rare butterfly. It is found in the regionof the lakes, and I may be fortunate enough to run across a specimenvery soon."
"How are you going to know it when you see it?" asked Ned.
"By its color, for one thing. It is pink, and has blue and gold wings.Then it feeds in a peculiar manner. It spreads its wings out whentaking nectar from a flower, and is frequently mistaken for a blossom.I hope I shall find several such butterflies."
"We'll help you look for them," offered Jerry, as he started the boat.
It was but a short run from the head of the Indian river, where thetravelers had entered, to Titusville, and, in order to enjoy theunusual scenery, Jerry ran the craft at slow speed. The boys watchedthe river as it stretched out before them, now narrowing and againwidening, while they puffed slowly past groves of palmetto trees thatthe orange growers depended on as a screen for their groves, whichmight otherwise be frosted by the cold winds from the Atlantic.
"Can't we go ashore and get some fruit?" asked Bob, when they hadtraveled some miles.
"I guess the owners would have no objection if we took some," saidthe professor. "I understand they always invite visitors to helpthemselves."
The boys decided to act on this suggestion, and soon the boat wasanchored at the shore and the four voyagers went inland until theyfound an orange grove. They met an overseer who invited them to gatherall they could eat.
"These are much better than the others we had," spoke Bob, biting intoa luscious fruit.
"He's getting to be quite an expert," declared Jerry.
Once more they boarded the boat and Jerry put it well out toward themiddle of the river which was very broad at this point.
"There, I guess I've had all the juice there is in that orange!"exclaimed Bob, as he tossed the mass of skin and pulp overboard. "Handme another, Ned."
As the orange which Bob threw away struck the water, there was a suddenrush as though some large creature had grabbed the pulp.
"What was that?" cried Bob, as he saw some big object swimming justbeneath the surface.
"Made enough fuss for a whale or shark," observed Ned.
"It was after the orange, but I guess it didn't like it, for it didn'teat it."
"Throw another in," suggested the professor. "We'll see what it is."
Jerry tossed some fruit overboard. There was a swirl in the river, anda mass of foam, just ahead of the _Dartaway_. The creature seemed toinspect the floating oranges, and then ignore them.
"Look out!" cried Ned suddenly. "It's coming this way, Jerry!"
Jerry saw something approaching the craft. He whirled the wheel over,and speeded up the engine, just in time to avoid whatever it was.
"That's an ugly beast," remarked Bob. "Mad, I guess, because we didn'tgive it something it liked to eat."
"Here it comes again!" yelled Ned, and this time the boys saw thecreature, just under the surface of the water, approaching the boat onthe port side.
"He's going to hit us!" yelled Bob. "Look out, Jerry!"
Jerry gave a glance over his shoulder. He saw the mass of water piledup in front of the on-rushing creature. He increased the speed ofthe boat, and endeavored to steer it out of the path of the animal,whatever it was. But the creature was not going to let the boatescape. It changed its course, and, an instant later, the _Dartaway_careened under a violent shock.
There was a splash, as of some heavy object striking the water.
"Bob's overboard!" yelled Ned, throwing his chum a cork ring, attachedto a rope. "He's going to ram us again, Jerry!"
There was great confusion on the _Dartaway_. Jerry had reversedthe engine, and was looking about to catch sight of Bob, who wasfloundering around in the water.
"There it comes!" shouted Ned.
Once more the creature was returning to the attack. But this time itdid not strike the boat. The reversing of the engine had brought thecraft to a stop, and it was beginning to go astern. This caused thecreature to shoot just across the bows.
"It's a seal!" yelled Jerry, who caught a passing glimpse of a bigbrown body just under the water. "Hand me a gun and I'll shoot it!"
By this time Bob had grasped the cork ring, and the professor, who hadhold of the rope, was pulling the boy aboard. Ned reached a rifle fromthe locker and passed it to Jerry, who had shut off the power so hewould not have to steer the boat.
"Can you see it?" cried Ned.
"He's coming at us again," replied Jerry.
"Shoot it in the head!" called the professor, not desisting from hiswork of rescuing Bob.
"You take a gun, Ned!" shouted Jerry. "I may miss!"
Ned secured another weapon, and hurried to the bow to stand besidehis chum. Both boys could see where the creature was by reason of thedisturbance in the water.
"I see its head!" spoke Ned in a whisper. "It's just like a seal."
He took as careful aim as he could, as also did Jerry. The two rifleswere discharged togethe
r, and as the bullets struck the water they sentup little jets of spray. Then followed a great commotion, and the riverin that vicinity was churned to foam.
"We must have hit him!" yelled Jerry.
"We sure did!" added Ned. "The water is red!"
The crimson color was spreading over the surface. The creature waslashing about evidently in a death struggle.
"Once more!" cried Ned, as he worked the lever of his repeating rifle,and Jerry followed his example. They fired again.
This time they could hear the thud of the bullets as they struck. Therewas a cessation of the beast's struggles, and the water grew quieter.
"Guess that finished him," observed Jerry, peering forward. "He's donefor."
"What was it?" asked Ned.
"Give me a hand here!" called the professor. "I want to lift Bob in."
The two marksmen turned from their inspection of the thing in the waterat the bow of the _Dartaway_ to assist in getting their chum aboard.
"Did you think you needed a bath, Chunky?" asked Ned.
"I--I got--one--whether--I needed it--or--or not," spluttered Bob, ashe got rid of the water in his eyes, nose, ears and mouth. "Give me ahand."
They helped him into the boat, dripping wet, but otherwise uninjured,as Bob was fat, and floated well, in spite of the handicap of hisclothes.
"What was it, a whale?" asked the wet one. "Did he put a hole in theboat?"
"Guess we're not much damaged," replied Jerry. "But I haven't yet seenwhat the thing was, unless it's a seal."
"There it is," observed Mr. Snodgrass, as he pointed to a big brownobject floating on the water. "It's a manatee or sea-cow. I didn'texpect to meet with any, as they are almost gone from this part of theworld."
"A manatee!" exclaimed Bob, in consternation. "It's a good thing Ididn't try to bring one to Andy Rush!"