“Gives salt-water milk, I guess,” grinned Tom, greatly relieved, however, to find that the blood-curdling noise was of animal and not human origin.
“That shows that you young chaps have a heap to learn,” chuckled2 Captain Sprowl. “The sea-cow don’t look no more like a cow than I do.”
“Ach, no! Der zee-cow iss der manatee,” put in the professor.
“That’s right, professor, and I guess we ain’t the first that’s been scared by their unholy howlings,” said the captain.
“Idt pelongs py der family Manitid?,” went on the professor, “undt is vun of der Herbiverous Cetacea.”
“In plain United States, it’s a sort of grass-eating fish,” explained the captain, “although it looks something like a big, clumsy seal. There must be a river some place about here, for they always live near the mouth of streams. I’ve seen ’em twenty feet long; but, in general, they run about twelve feet. Had one upset a canoe under me in Florida once; but there ain’t many left there now.”
“A river!” exclaimed Jack3. “Well, then, that unearthly racket means that we’ve found a place to land on, for a river will do just as well as dry land so far as we are concerned.”
“By the holy poker4! You’re right, lad,” declared the captain; “bear off a few points to the north there. That’s where that sea-going dairy ranch5 is located, to judge by the racket.”
Jack swung the air craft, as she now was, in the direction indicated. They flew above the densely6 growing tree tops for a short distance, and then they suddenly found themselves above the estuary7 of a fair-sized river. Sand-bars and small, marshy8 islands lay in every direction in the delta9, and as the shadow of the Wondership fell upon the land below, numerous large, dark-colored animals, looking like gigantic slugs, slipped off into the water with alarmed grunts11 and cries.
“There’s your sea-cows,” said the captain, waving an explanatory hand downward toward the vanishing forms.
Jack swung the Wondership in a long semi-circle, and then began to glide12 earthwards. The descending13 planes were set and the ship shot downward with great rapidity. They all clung on tightly, and in a few minutes, with a mighty14 splash, the Wondership was resting on the surface of the river, hemmed15 in by the dark tangle16 of jungle that grew down to the water’s edge on both sides. They could see the river winding17 its way seaward for some distance till a bend hid its further course.
On the bar outside the surf thundered and roared unceasingly. But on the shadowy river all was silent as a country graveyard18. A moist, steamy atmosphere enveloped19 them, strongly impregnated with the smell of rank vegetation and rotting timber.
The sun was getting low, and in the shadow of the great trees it was already twilight20.
As the Wondership alighted, Jack was compelled to start the propeller21 once more, for the current ran so swiftly that otherwise the craft would have been borne down stream upon one of the sandy islets from which the sea-cows had vanished.
The whirr of the great screw sounded oddly amidst the solemn hush22 of the evening, and the Wondership began to forge ahead. It glided23 slowly up stream against the muddy-colored torrent24 that was sweeping25 down. The travelers’ eyes were busy in the meantime, taking in every detail of the strange scene into which they had, literally26, dropped.
All at once the craft rose as though lifted from beneath and lurched so that Tom, who was standing27 up, was almost thrown out.
“Goodness! What’s that, an earthquake?” he gasped, gripping one of the stanchions that supported the gas-bag part of the craft.
“No, only one of those sea-cows that wished to pay his respects,” laughed Jack, as a blunt nose appeared for an instant above the turgid waters and gave a mighty grunt10.
“I hope the others will be less strenuous28 in their attentions,” declared Mr. Chadwick. “I think that fellow must have dented29 his nose.”
“I don’t care about his nose so long as he hasn’t damaged us,” declared Tom. “I’m going to shoot one of those fellows if I get a chance.”
“Are they good to eat?” Jack inquired of Captain Sprowl.
“Yes, the natives like ‘em,” was the reply. “I’ve eaten Maneater steaks myself, but they’re as tough as all Billy-get-up; however, as a novelty I suppose they’re all right, as the fellow said when they asked him to eat a dish of French snails30.”
Several bends of the river were made in this leisurely31 fashion. They had proceeded some five miles when Captain Sprowl drew attention to a lawn-like patch of ground sloping down to the river, which was hemmed in by dark-foliaged mahogany trees.
“Looks to me like that would make a pretty fair camping ground,” he said. “I don’t know how you all feel, but I know that, personally, some supper would go about as good as anything I can think of.”
This appealed to all of them, and Jack ran the craft in alongshore. The water was quite deep, even at the edge of the little natural clearing, due to the rapid course of the river which had eaten the bank away into a steep, precipitous ridge32. The craft was made fast, bow and stern, to two tree trunks, and they disembarked, carrying Judkins ashore33, despite his protests that he was quite able to walk.
Mr. Chadwick, who was somewhat of a doctor among his other accomplishments34, took a good look at the man’s injuries. He found that his ankle was badly crushed but not broken, and with care would get all right again. His wrist was more badly hurt, but with the help of the medicine chest which they had brought along, that, too, ought to yield to good treatment.
“Now there ain’t much more of daylight,” said Captain Sprowl, when they had disembarked, “and we want to get grub as soon as possible. I’ll fix up the camp while you boys scatter35 and get some wood.”
The boys hailed this opportunity to explore the forest about them with a whoop36 of joy. But as they were starting off, Captain Sprowl hailed them sharply.
“Take your rifles along.”
“What for? We can’t shoot down firewood, and we’ve got our pocket axes,” declared Tom.
“You take your rifles,” repeated the captain. “It’s not a good plan to go snooping about in this neck of the woods without firearms.”
“We might get some game anyhow,” said Jack, as he got his weapon out of the boat; and the others did the same, Dick helping38 himself to one of the spare stock, for they had brought several from the yacht.
This done, the lads set off into the jungle, promising39 to keep within call and come back as quickly as possible.
They struck off into the closely growing vegetation and almost immediately found use for their axes. Great lianas or creepers, as thick as a man’s thigh40, hung down like serpents from the taller trees, and numerous flowering shrubs41 and heavily scented42 bushes barred the way. It was hard work to find any growth that appeared suitable for firewood. Everything was too rank and green for the purpose; but at length they came to a clump43 of small trees that looked suitable.
“Now watch the Boy Lumberman!” cried Dick, swinging his axe37 with a vicious swoop44 at the trunk of one of the smaller ones.
The next minute he uttered an eloquent45 cry of “Ouch!”
The sharp steel had rebounded46 from the wood, hardly leaving a notch47 on it to show where it had struck. The axe handle, too, had “stung” Dick’s hands sharply.
“Well, by the tall timbers of Texas,” he exclaimed amazedly, “what do you know about that? Not a mark on this fellow, and I swung with all my might! They must be made of steel.”
“Something like it, I guess,” said Jack. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a clump of young iron-wood trees. I’ve read about them. The wood is so heavy that it won’t float, and too tough to cut.”
“No doubt of that,” said Dick with conviction.
Leaving the iron-wood trees, they made their way a little further into the twilight jungle, and before long found some trees that looked more promising. On testing, these were found to cut easily and soon all three axes were busy felling them and cutting them into lengths easy for transportation.
Jack, too, discovered some dead timber that would make good kindling48 wood. It was not long before each boy had a good pile of fuel at his feet.
“I guess that’s enough,” said Jack, calling a halt. “We’ll be getting back to camp. Hullo! what’s the trouble now?”
Through the woods had come a loud shout in a frightened, agitated49 voice.
“Another of those sea-cows,” ventured Dick, “or maybe a sea-bull.”
“No! Hark! It’s the professor!” shouted Jack, as another cry came to them.
“Ach du lieber! Help! Blitzen! Help!”
“Gracious, the professor is in serious trouble of some kind! Come on, boys, this way!” cried Jack, and he dashed off in the direction from which the frantic50 appeals had come, followed by the other two lads.
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1
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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densely
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| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
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estuary
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| n.河口，江口 | |
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marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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delta
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| n.（流的）角洲 | |
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grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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grunts
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的第三人称单数 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说； 石鲈 | |
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glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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graveyard
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| n.坟场 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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23
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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dented
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| v.使产生凹痕( dent的过去式和过去分词 )；损害；伤害；挫伤（信心、名誉等） | |
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snails
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| n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 ) | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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40
thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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41
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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42
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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43
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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44
swoop
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| n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击 | |
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45
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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46
rebounded
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| 弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效 | |
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47
notch
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| n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级 | |
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48
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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49
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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50
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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