CHAPTER XXIV. THE TRACKLESS JUNGLE.
As they slowly ascended the sluggish, though powerful current of themuddy Chagres, Mr. Raynor told them something about the object of theirexpedition. In the foothills of the Cordillero de Bando, a sort ofbackbone of mountains extending throughout the length of the Isthmus,many small rivers rise, some of which feed the Chagres and contribute toits floods. The largest of these, a stream known as the Rio Chepalto,was, in the rainy season, quite a formidable torrent. Mr. Mainwaring'sidea was to construct a dam or dig some sort of a connecting link whichwould divert the waters of the Chepalto in flood time into one of thesmall rivers that flowed seaward, thus further taming the Chagres.
The Gatun valley was soon left behind and the Chagres plunged into asteaming, luxuriant forest. Between banks overgrown in wild profusionwith every sort of tropical growth, its chocolate colored current flowedsilently along. In places, muddy bayous led off from the main stream andthese, the boys were told, were the haunts of crocodiles and alligators.
Everywhere amidst the luxuriant tangle on the banks were vivid splashesof color, scarlet, yellow, and blue. These were the flowers of a score ofvarieties of tropic shrubs and flowering bushes. They filled the air witha rank, sweet smell that was almost overpowering. From the tangle, too,there shot up majestic trees, from whose branches drooped long lianas, orcreepers, some of them thick as a man's thigh. Here was a clump ofbrilliantly green and feathery bamboo, there shot up a grove of coco-bolatrees, while once in a while, but this rarely, there loomed in sight agroup of the kings of the tropical forests--a majestic gathering oftowering mahogany trees.
There were also clumps of banana plants growing to a height of fifteen ortwenty feet, with immense broad leaves often six feet in length.Curiously enough, the banana bunches appeared to be hanging upside down.Beyond the fruit extended a stem like a snake, ending in a big blossomsomething like a red-brown water lily. There were occasional clumps ofcocoanut trees, too, at which Tubby looked with a strange mixture of aweand longing.
Occasionally, through all this brilliant jungle gaily colored parrots ora flock of screaming macaws would fly, alarmed by the chugging of thelaunch. In some of the bayous, pelicans or big blue herons stood likesentinels on one leg, watching the progress of the invaders. But,beautiful as it all was, the boys missed the songs of the woodland birdsin the north. Except for the shrieking of the parrots and macaws, or theoccasional sullen splash of some unseen creature plunging into the river,the vast forests that reached for miles all about them were silent.
Suddenly the launch came to a stop with a soft bump. The boys lookedrather alarmed. Had they collided with some huge creature that made itshome in the tepid waters of the Chagres? They were soon relieved of anyanxiety on that score.
"Well, we're aground at last," remarked Mr. Mainwaring in amatter-of-fact tone.
"You talk as if you had expected such a thing to happen," said Rob insome surprise.
"Yes indeed," rejoined the engineer, "in fact, I'm astonished that itdidn't happen before. The river is full of sand banks, and sometimes itis impossible to see the channel. I see you've got the engine stoppedalready. You had better reverse now and we'll soon get off again."
"I should think that it would be quicker to go through the forests,"remarked Rob, when without much trouble they "got going" again.
"It would be almost twice as quick, but nobody knows the paths but theIndians."
"Indians!" exclaimed Tubby. "Are there Indians here?"
He clutched his rifle with a determined look, for of course the boys hadbrought their weapons along.
"Yes indeed, plenty of them, but I guess we won't see any. They are theSan Blas tribe and so small as to be almost pigmies."
"I know, I've seen pictures of them," cried Rob. "They look somethinglike Japs only they've got big round heads and long, straight blackhair."
"That's it," rejoined Mr. Mainwaring; "they're harmless enough unlesstheir particular territory is invaded. No white man has ever penetratedfar into their country and come back to tell the tale. But they say thatback among the forests and mountains to which they alone know the way aredeposits of emerald and gold of priceless value."
"I should think somebody would form an expedition and raid the place,"said Tubby in a war-like manner.
"More easily said than done," Mr. Raynor struck in; "it's been tried, butfever and poisoned arrows wiped out all but a few poor, half-crazedwretches who struggled back to civilization more dead than alive."
"Do they ever come down to this part of the country?" asked Merritt.
"Only occasionally, when a hunting expedition has led them far afield,"rejoined Mr. Mainwaring. "This Rio Chepalto that we are going to try todiverge runs back into their country; but where it joins the Chagres isnot forbidden ground. Their territory begins higher up."
Suddenly there came another soft bump.
"Aground again!" cried Rob, stopping the engine. "Shall I reverse?"
"Yes; do so at once," was the order.
But this time the matter of getting off the sand bank was not so simple.The two tow ropes attached to the canoe became entangled in the paddlewheel as the _Pathfinder_ backed up, and they came to a stop. Aninvestigation showed that it might take some time to get it free. Tubbywas prompt in asking permission to go into the forest to see if hecouldn't bring down some game of some kind.
"You and Fred will have to go alone then," said Mr. Mainwaring, "anddon't go far from the river. We'll recall you by three blasts on thewhistle. Rob and Merritt will be needed to help us get untangled and towork the engine."
"Never mind, we'll bring back some game that will make their eyes bulge,"declared Tubby valiantly. "Come on, Fred."
"Wait till I shove the landing plank ashore," said Fred, catching hold ofa plank that was used for that purpose. The launch lay quite close to theshore and the plank, which was ten feet long, was of sufficient length toform a bridge.
"Never mind the plank," quoth Tubby, "I'll just step on this old log hereand----"
"Look out, boy!" came a sharp cry from Mr. Raynor.
But it was too late. Tubby had already stepped over the side of thelaunch. As his foot touched the log a surprising thing happened. What hadseemed a balk of old rotten timber gave a leap that threw Tubby into thewater, and at the same instant a vast pair of jaws, armed with doublerows of gleaming teeth, flashed wide open. The alligator--for that waswhat Tubby's "log" was--gave a menacing, hissing sound and a flourish ofits formidable tail.
The next instant a rifle cracked sharply. The creature gave a roar as abullet crashed down its open throat. Rob, seeing Tubby's peril, hadsnatched Fred's rifle from him and pumped a bullet into the monsterreptile where it would do the most good. He pumped the repeatingmechanism and two more bullets drove into the 'gator before it sank,crimsoning the muddy water. They saw no more of it and Mr. Mainwaringdeclared that Rob must have killed it.
Tubby, up to his waist in water, gasped as he beheld his narrow escapeand Rob's prompt action.
"Gee whiz! This is a funny country," he mumbled, after he had beenlectured for his carelessness. "Cocoanuts explode and old rotten logsturn into alligators."
On his promise to be careful and keep well within call, Tubby was allowedto go on shore with Fred and you may be sure he used the landing plankthis time. The two boys struck off straight into the jungle and then kepta course that lay parallel to the river bank. All at once Tubby gave aviolent exclamation and almost fell over backward. A lizard, but a lizardalmost as big as himself, had run through the jungle right in front ofhim.
"A Panama water-lizard," declared Fred, who had put in more time studyingthe country from books than had Tubby. "It's harmless."
"It doesn't look so," was Tubby's comment.
But a more thrilling encounter lay just ahead of them. Hanging from atree, and slowly swaying to and fro, was what looked like a beautifullymarked liana or hanging creeper.
"Oh, what a bea
uty," exclaimed Fred, stepping forward, but the nextinstant he recoiled with a yell of alarm.
The creeper had emitted a loud, angry hiss and then they saw that it wasno creeper at all, but a brilliantly colored snake, at least fifteen feetlong, that was swinging from a limb around which its tail was coiled.Tubby echoed Fred's yell of alarm and the next instant both boys took totheir heels in mad flight. The serpent had swiftly and silently begunwrithing its way to the ground.
"Run for your life!" cried Tubby wildly. "He's after us."
Stumbling over creepers, falling headlong, and then struggling to theirfeet again, and keeping on with their mad rush, the two terrified boysran for their lives. Behind them came a thrashing sound as the big snakemade its way after them.
In their alarm they lost all sense of direction or distance. All theyknew was that the big reptile was pursuing them, and they raced alongwithout considering anything but escaping from it. It never even occurredto them to open fire on it with their rifles.
How far they ran they had no idea. All they knew was that at last, when,from sheer exhaustion they paused, there was no sound of pursuit. Thevast woods were silent. All at once they had a fresh fright. This timefrom overhead. There was a mighty commotion in the tree-tops accompaniedby shrill barks and cries.
"Gracious, what's coming now?" gasped Tubby. "I wish we were back on thelaunch!"
But it was only a troop of white-faced, long-tailed monkeys swinging by,traveling along the tree-top high road at almost incredible speed. Theypaused as they saw the boys standing there below them. Gathering togetherthey began to chatter and make a terrible noise.
Then, making horrible grimaces and yelling angrily, they broke off sticksand began to pelt the two lads furiously with them. Suddenly Tubby raisedhis rifle and fired at them. Instantly they made off, shrieking at thetop of their voices and swinging from limb to limb by means of their longtails which they used as conveniently as hands.
The monkeys gone with their bewildering chatter, the boys began to lookabout them. They were standing in a spot where the undergrowth was not sodense, but they could see that they were in the depths of the forest. Asthey looked around them the same thought clutched uncomfortably hard atthe heart of each. How far had they come on their wild run to escape thegreat serpent? Also, in what direction had their retreat led them? Tubbywas the first to give these disquieting thoughts words.
"Where are we, Fred?"
"I--I don't know. Haven't you got your compass?"
"Yes, but I didn't take any bearings when we left the river."
"Let's strike out and try to get back. At any rate we'll hear the whistlebefore long."
"That's so. I forgot that. Better sit down here and wait till we hear it,then. No use wandering about, we might go in a wrong direction."
But had the boys known it, the launch whistle, not a very powerful one,was at that very minute blowing repeatedly for them. Their wild dash toescape from the huge snake had carried them far into the jungle.
They sat there for a long time, each busied with his own thoughts. Atlast Tubby rose.
"It's funny we don't hear that whistle, Fred," he said, "but I've beenthinking that maybe we ran further than we thought from that beast in thetree. Now I'm pretty sure the river lies that way," he pointed in adirectly opposite direction. "Let's strike out for it."
"All right," agreed Fred, whose face had begun to assume an alarmed look."S-s-s-s-say, Tubby, you don't think we're lost, do you?"
Tubby was quick to note the quaver in Fred's voice, and he bravely put ona careless air.
"Lost! Not a bit of it. Two Boy Scouts lost in a bit of timber like this?Not much. Come on, old chap, and we'll be laughing over our scare withinan hour's time."
But hour after hour went by and still the two lads, now thoroughlyscared, though neither had yet admitted it, plunged along through thejungle. At last when they reached a small open space, Fred could stand itno longer. He sank down on a fallen tree trunk and fairly gave way to hisfears.
"We're lost, Tubby," he moaned, "and it's no use going any further. Ican't, in fact. I'm dead tired out. What on earth shall we do?"
The fat boy looked at his comrade with alarmed eyes. It was plain thatFred was on the verge of a nervous collapse. Their position was badenough without that. And yet Tubby could find no words to comfort hiscompanion. What Fred had said was the truth; they were lost in thetrackless jungle, a terrifying situation indeed. From time to time duringtheir wanderings they had fired their rifles, hoping to hear someresponse, but none had come.
Tubby, however, had, whenever possible, marked the trail either bybarking or blazing a tree with his knife in Indian fashion, or by leavinggrass and stone signs in a manner familiar to all first-class Scouts.This was now the only crumb of comfort he could offer to Fred.
"Cheer up. Maybe they'll pick up the trail," he said as hopefully as hecould.
"But if they don't, we--gracious! Look there!"
Facing the two lost boys was a party of squat, copper-colored little menwith big round heads and straight black hair. They carried bows andarrows and spears. Their clothes consisted of old sacking, bits of cloth,anything in fact that would partially cover them. They evidently formed ahunting party, for some of them carried wild pigs and one or two had adeer slung on a branch between them. They had crept up quite silently andnow regarded the interlopers intently.
For an instant the two white boys stood stock-still, as if turned tostone. Then by a natural impulse, they turned and started to run. But aspear whizzed through the air after them, transfixing itself quivering ina tree just above their heads.
This brought them to a halt. Weapons they had none, for when they pausedthey had laid down their rifles and in their precipitate, startled flighthad forgotten to pick them up again.
Utterly unnerved by this added sheaf to their bundle of misfortunes, thetwo Boy Scouts stood facing the Indians who, they had no doubt, formed ahunting or scouting party sent out by the San Blas tribes that made theirhomes back in the mysterious recesses of the mountains where rose theheadwaters of the Chepalta.