CHAPTER III
THE DECISION
"Critch!" shouted Burt, unable to restrain his amazement. His parentslooked equally incredulous and Mr. Wallace explained with a smile.
"Yes, Howard Critchfield. You see, I'd like to bring back some skins andthings but I detest the beastly work of getting them off and puttingthem in shape. So when I found that Critch was no slouch at taxidermyand only needed the chance, it occurred to me to take him along. I sawhis father about it and proposed to pay all his expenses and a smallsalary. Mr. Critchfield came around after a little. He saw that it wouldbe a splendid education for the boy--would give him a knowledge of theworld and would develop him amazingly."
"Why didn't Critch tell me about it?" cried Burt indignantly.
"He didn't know!" laughed his uncle. "His father and I agreed that we'dlet him get safely through school without having other things to thinkof. Now look at the thing sensibly, you folks. We wouldn't be awaylonger than six months at most. Burt would be in far more danger in hiscanoe on the Kennebec than in a big steamer on the Congo."
"But after you leave the steamer? You can't shoot ivory from the boat, Ipresume," protested Mr. St. John.
"And what about snakes and savage tribes?" put in his wife.
"My dear Etta," replied the explorer patiently, "we will be near fewsavage tribes. I might almost say that there are none. As for snakes,I've seen only three deadly ones in all the years I've spent in Africa.After we leave the steamer, Tom, we'll get out of the jungles into thehighlands. Burt stands just as much chance of getting killed here asthere. An auto might run over him any day, a mad dog might bite him or achimney might fall on him!"
For all his anxiety Burt joined heartily in the laugh that went up athis uncle's concluding words. The laughter cleared the somewhat tensesituation, and the discussion was carried into the library. Burt saw,much to his relief, that his father was not absolutely opposed to thetrip, although his mother seemed anxious enough.
"Now give us your proposition, George," said his father as they settleddown around the table. "What's your definite idea about it?"
"Good! Now we're getting down to cases!" cried the explorer with a smileat his sister. "Burt, get us that large atlas over there." Burt had theatlas on the table in an instant. "Let's see--Africa--here we are. Getaround here, folks!" As he spoke Mr. Wallace pulled out a pencil andpointed to the mouth of the Congo River.
"Here's the mouth of the Congo, you see. Here we step aboard one of theState steamers. These are about like the steamers plying between NewYork and Boston. Following the Congo up and around for twelve hundredmiles, roughly speaking, we come to the Aruwimi river. Up this--and herewe are at Yambuya, the head of navigation on the Aruwimi. From herewe'll go on up by boat or launch for three or four hundred milesfarther, then strike off after elephants."
"But how do you get down there in the first place?" asked Mr. St. John,who seemed keenly interested.
"Any way you want to!" returned the explorer. "There are lines runningto Banana Point or Boma, the capital, from Antwerp, Lisbon, Bordeaux,Hamburg, or from England. We'll probably go from England though."
"My gracious!" said Burt's mother. "I had no idea that the Congo was sonear civilization as all that! Are there real launches away up there inthe heart of Africa?"
"Launches? Automobiles, probably!" laughed her husband.
"Of course," agreed Mr. Wallace. "There are motor trucks in service atseveral points. We could even take the trip by railroad if we wished,and we'll telegraph you direct when we reach there!"
"Well that's news to me!" declared Mr. St. John. "I thought that CentralAfrica was a blank wilderness filled with gorillas and savages. Seems tome I remember something about game laws in Roosevelt's book. How aboutthat?"
"There are stringent laws in Uganda and British East Africa," repliedMr. Wallace. "But I intend to depend on trade more than on shooting formy ivory. Now look at this Makua river that runs west, up north of theAruwimi. I'm not going to take any chances on being held up at Bomaafter getting out. There are several trading companies who'd be tickledto death to let me bring out a bunch of ivory and then rob me of it atthe last minute. So we're going right up to the Makua and down thatriver to the French Congo. I've got a mighty strong pull with the Frenchpeople ever since they made me a Commander of the Legion of Honor for mySahara explorations."
"I see." Burt's father gazed at the map reflectively then looked up witha sudden smile. "You say 'we' as if it was all settled, George!"
"Oh, I was talking about young Critchfield and myself," laughed theexplorer. "Come now, Etta, doesn't it sound a whole lot more reasonablethan it did at first?"
"Yes," admitted his sister. "I must say it does. Especially if it is allso civilized as you say."
"Now look here." Mr. Wallace bent over the map again and traced down theCongo to Stanley Falls. "A railroad runs from here over to the GreatLakes, at Mahagi on the Albert Nyanza. The Great Lakes are all connectedand have steamer lines on them, so that you can get on a train or boatat the west coast and travel right through to the east coast just likegoing from New York to Duluth. Get me?"
"Why," exclaimed Burt, "I thought you had to have porters and all that?Can you just hop on a train and shoot?"
"Not exactly," laughed his uncle. "When we leave the Aruwimi we'llprobably take a hundred bearers with us."
"Well, it's not a question that we can decide on the spur of themoment," announced Mrs. St. John. "We'll talk it over, George. Ifconditions are as you say, perhaps--"
"Hurray!" burst out her son excitedly. "You've got to give in, dad!Mother's on our side!" And Burt darted off to find his chum.
"The fact that you've won over Mr. Critchfield counts a good deal,"smiled Mr. St. John as the door slammed. "He's a solid, level-headedchap and, besides, I really think it might do Burt good."
Burt found his chum in a state of high excitement. Critch's father hadjust told him about Mr. Wallace's proposal and his own qualifiedconsent.
"I'll have to think it over some more," he had said. "It's too big torush into blindly. As it stands, however, I see no reason why youshouldn't go and make a little money, besides getting the trip."
Burt and Critch got an atlas and went over the route that Mr. Wallacehad traced. When Burt reported all that his uncle had said aboutcivilization in the Congo, Critch heaved a deep sigh.
"Seems 'most too good to be true," he said. "To think of us away overthere! I don't see where your uncle's going to clear up much coin,though. It must cost like smoke."
"So does ivory," grinned Burt. He was in high spirits now that thereactually seemed to be some hope of his taking the trip. "He ain'tworried about the money. Say, I'm mighty glad I've been learning French!It'll come in handy down there."
"You won't have any pleasure tour," put in Mr. Critchfield quietly. "Mr.Wallace means business. He told me he meant to leave the whole matterof skins and heads to you two chaps."
"Wonder what he wants them for?" speculated Burt. "Mebbe he's going tostart a museum."
"Hardly," laughed Mr. Critchfield. "He said he wanted to give them tosome Explorers' Club in New York. That means they'll have to be welldone, Howard. I want you to be a credit to him if he takes you on thistrip."
"I will." Howard nodded with confident air. "Just let me get a chance!How's the scholarship? Hear anything yet?"
"Got her cinched," replied Burt happily. "Well, guess I'll get back. Seeyou to-morrow!"
For the next week the question of the African trip was left undecided.When Burt had received his definite announcement of the scholarship,dependent on his next year's work, Mr. Wallace urged that the matter bebrought to a decision one way or the other. On the following Saturdayevening Mr. Critchfield and Howard arrived at the St. John residence andthe "Board of Directors went into executive session," as the explorerlaughingly said.
"There's one thing to be considered," announced Mr. Critchfield. "That'sthe length of your absence. Next year is Howard's last year in highschool an
d I wouldn't like his course to be smashed up." Mr. St. Johnnodded approval and all looked at Mr. Wallace expectantly.
"I anticipated that," he replied quietly. "I saw Mr. Garwood, thesuperintendent of schools, yesterday. I told him just what we wanted todo and asked him about Burt's scholarship. School will not begin tillthe twentieth of September. He said if you boys were back by Novemberand could make up a reasonable amount of work he'd make an exception inyour cases owing to your good records. I'm fairly confident that we'llbe back by November."
"I don't see how," interposed Mr. St. John. "I've been reading up onStanley's journeys in that country and--"
"Hold on!" laughed Mr. Wallace. "Please remember, Tom, that Stanley madehis trips in the eighties--nearly thirty-five years ago. Where it tookhim months to penetrate we can go in hours and days. This is the end ofJune. By the first of August we'll be steaming up the Congo. I don'tthink it'll take us two months to cross from the Aruwimi to the Makuaand reach French territories. In any case, I intend to return directfrom Loango, a port in the French Congo. We'll come down the river underthe French flag in a French steamer, turn the corner to Loango andthere'll be a steamer there waiting to bring us and our stuff direct toNew York. I'm almost sure we'll be back by November."
"Even if we aren't," put in Howard, "it'll only throw us out half asemester."
"Supposing they do miss connections, Critchfield," said Mr. St. John, "Iwouldn't worry. It is a great thing for the boys and perhaps an extrasix months in school won't do any harm. However, figure on gettingback."
"I guess it's up to you, Etta!" laughed Mr. Wallace. "What do you say?Yes or no?"
As Burt said afterward, "I came so near havin' heart failure for aminute that I could see the funeral procession." Mrs. St. Johnhesitated, her head on her hand. Then looking up, her eye met Burt's andshe smiled.
"Yes--"
"Hurray!" Critch joined Burt in a shout of delight, while the lattergave his mother a stout hug of gratitude.
"I don't know what we'll do here without you," she continued when freed."When will you start, George?"
"Since we have to be back by November," replied the explorer, "we'llleave here Monday morning and catch the _Carmania_ from New YorkTuesday. I'll wire to-night for accommodations."
"Monday!" cried Mr. St. John in amazement. "Why, there'll be no time toget the boys outfits or pack their trunks, or--"
"We don't want outfits or trunks, eh, Burt?" smiled Mr. Wallace. "Thecomfort of traveling, Tom, is to be able to take a suit case and lightout for anywhere on earth in an hour. That's what we'll do. Wear adecent suit of clothes, boys, and take a few changes of linen. We'llreach Liverpool Friday night and London on Saturday. We'll get theoutfits there, and if we hustle we can pick up one of the AfricanSteamship Company's steamers Tuesday or Wednesday."
"But your book?" asked Mrs. St. John. "Is that finished?"
"Bother the book!" ejaculated her brother impatiently. "I'll write thelast chapter to-night and if the publishers don't like it they canchange it around to suit themselves. I'm going to Africa and I'm goingto leave New York Tuesday morning rain or shine!"
"That's the way to talk!" shouted Burt, wildly excited. "Good for you,mother! I'll bring you back a lion skin for your den, dad!"
Had Burt been able to foresee just what lion skin he would bring backand what he would pass through before he got it he might not have beenso enthusiastic over the prospect of his African trip.