Chapter 77
"Wouldn't matter if it did," said Rodd. "You saw that one a little while ago, how it could swim."
"So, I did, sir; so I did," replied the man, who was as much interested as the naturalists of the party. "But there are such a lot of good things to see that one seems to shove the other out of your head. Now, what will that chap be doing there, slithering about over the water?
Out for a walk?"
"Trying to catch one of those bright little sunbirds, I suppose," said Rodd.
"No," said the doctor, who was watching the serpent through his gla.s.s.
"I should say that one is after birds' nests."
"Think of that!" cried Joe. "But he wouldn't blow the eggs, sir, would he, and make a string?"
"No, my man," said the doctor, smiling, "but swallow them, I should say, or the young birds that he might find in the nest. Why, Rodd, my boy, one wants three or four lives here, and then one wouldn't see half the wonders of this paradise. Here's world within world of wonder and beauty."
"Row away, my lads," said the Spaniard, who seemed to have only one object in life, and that the re-lighting of cigarettes.
"Ay, ay, sir!" cried the men, and they dipped their oars again.
Then on turning a bend of the stream there was a waft of warm wind to fan their cheeks, when the sailors forward stepped the mast, and hoisted the yard of the lug-sail, which filled out at once, the rowers laid in their dripping oars, which seemed to shed diamonds and pearls back into the stream, and away they glided among the glories of the low flat land, through which streams seemed to run like veins, forming a perfect maze of waterways, each if possible more beautiful than the other, while proving wonderfully similar in width and depth, so much so that at last, after winding round bend after bend of the last stream they had entered, the doctor turned suddenly to their guide and said--
"Why, captain, how are we going to find the way back again?"
The captain opened his eyes slightly and smiled, as he took a little compa.s.s from his pocket.
"With this," he said; "but--pah! I could find my way here with my eyes shut. Look; there's a good place for a fire, and the boys here can get plenty of good fish, if you have a line, for the men to cook."
At this suggestion Joe Cross handed the tiller to Rodd and made his way forward to the locker, from which he produced a couple of fis.h.i.+ng-lines.
The boat was run ash.o.r.e at a similar patch of sand to that where they had made their previous halt, and while some of the men were collecting dead wood from beneath the trees, there was a sudden rush, and something yellowish dropped with a thud from the nearest great fork, made four or five great bounds through the low bushes, and disappeared.
"Leopard," said the Spanish captain quietly. "Get out your gun, sir.
His mate will not be far away."
He had hardly spoken before another of the great cats leaped from bough to bough of the huge forest tree they had approached, and disappeared in turn, escaping unscathed.
"You are keeping your word, sir," said Rodd. The Spaniard smiled, and remained in his place, while Joe Cross and the lads paddled the boat out again to a spot the Spaniard pointed out, and there dropped the grapnel, before beginning to fish,
Long before the fire had burnt up enough for cooking purposes or the great kettle had boiled in the shade of the huge tree that had been chosen for kitchen, bites had become frequent, and fine carp-like fish, whose golden scales glittered in the light, were being hauled into the boat; but eager though the lads were, and full of enjoyment of their sport, it was hot out there in the sun, and arms were beginning to ache, while hunger a.s.serted itself more and more.
"I say, Morny," cried Rodd, "enough's as good as a feast."
"Yes, sir," cried Joe, "and we have got enough and the feast to come, for these look as if they'd be good. Shall we put ash.o.r.e?"
Rodd nodded a.s.sent, and soon after Joe and a couple of his mates had been busy with their knives on the sandy river bank, the unwonted sound made by a frying-pan arose from the fire, with the result that there was no doubt about the carp-like fish being good, and the _al fresco_ dinner proving a success.
The afternoon was wearing on when the preparations for a fresh start were made, the Spaniard promising the doctor that he would point out another good resting-place for the night before it was dark.
"All aboard!" cried Joe just then. "Why, look at that now! Well, there's plenty of fish left, Mr Rodd, and in this 'ere hot country we had better have it fresh."
"Why, I didn't expect to see them again, uncle," cried Rodd, and he pointed across the river to where the two blacks with their canoe had suddenly appeared, as if they had been in hiding and watching the cooking going on till it seemed to them that their time had come, when they lay there with their boat just as before, apparently waiting till the strangers had gone on.
"Do they mean to keep on following us like this, captain?" asked Rodd.
"_Quien sabe_?" he said. "It is a free country, and you will not mind?"
"Mind! No," cried Rodd. "But they will have to cook what are left for themselves. I say, uncle, can we trust them to put the fire out afterwards?"
"Oh yes, my lad. I suppose we must."
"That's right, Mr Rodd, sir. They'll take care not to fry themselves.
But here, cookie, don't you leave them our pan."
Once more as the boat swept round a bend a glimpse was caught of the two blacks, who had no hesitation now about paddling across to the deserted halting-place.
The Spaniard was as good as his word that evening in guiding them to another bivouac, and that night, feeling perfectly secure, the lads lay down to sleep, looking forward to another day of intense enjoyment in the wondrous labyrinth of Nature's beauties, far from feeling satisfied with what had gone before.
Three more days pa.s.sed, and halt after halt had been made at spots which always presented just the right facilities required, the Spaniard proving how great was his knowledge of the geography of the country through which they rowed or sailed, while the two blacks, who over and over again seemed to have disappeared, always turned up again ready for the departure of the travellers, who now took it as a matter of course to leave plenty of fish or flesh collected by the guns for the poor savages' support.
More than once the lads had made advances to these men, to try and get them to approach, but their shyness and suspicion were most marked, and they never came near till the departing boat was some distance off.
"Now," said the doctor, one evening, "I have been mentally marking down such birds and insects as I wish for us to collect, so to-morrow morning all this pleasure-seeking must come to an end, and we'll all work hard, shooting, skinning, and boxing a few b.u.t.terflies as well."
"What a pity!" said Rodd. "I should like to go on yet for weeks."
"So should I, Pickle, but we must get back to the schooner."
"And the brig," cried Morny eagerly.
"Yes, my lad," said the doctor, "and I am afraid the Count will think we have exceeded our time; but we shall be going steadily back from to-morrow morning, collecting as we go, and I am sure you will agree that we have had a grand excursion, everything having been most successful."
The following morning broke as gloriously fine as ever. The fire was crackling, and Joe Cross announced that it was not fish that morning, but fried bacon, and soon after the pleasant aromatic scent of the coffee was rising in the morning air as they took their seats in the shade of a great fig-like tree whose boughs seemed to be full of twittering and whistling love-birds gathered in a huge flock to feed upon the saccharine embedded seeds of the little fruit.
"Hullo!" said the doctor suddenly, turning to Rodd. "Where's the Don?"
"Having another cigarette somewhere, I suppose, uncle," said Rodd, laughing. "I thought he was along with you."
"No, my boy," replied Uncle Paul. "I thought he went with you this morning when you made the men row a little farther along the stream."
"That was only to take a last look upward and see what it was like farther on before we turned back; and it is so beautiful up there-- better than anything we have seen. I say, uncle, let's have another day."
"No, no, Rodd," cried Morny, catching him by the arm. "I couldn't bear it. We must go back now."
"Quite right, Morny, my boy," said the doctor quietly. "Yes, we have come to the end of our tether. Let's get back to the Count and Captain Chubb."
"Well, all right," said Rodd. "Never mind what I said, Morny, old chap.
I always was a pig when I was getting anything I liked. Let's have breakfast, and then--
"Huzza! We're homeward bound--ound--ound!
Huzza! We're homeward bound!"