In the morning, as soon as it began to grow light, Captain Sprowl and Jack1, who were on sentry2 duty, went down to the sandy beach where they expected to find the turtles’ eggs. The captain’s previous experiences in the tropics had instructed him how to look for these delicacies3. Nothing about the smooth sand showed where the eggs had been buried; that is, at first glance, but after a close scrutiny4 the captain found various places where the beach appeared to have been freshly disturbed. Digging into these areas with sharpened sticks, he and Jack soon uncovered numerous deposits of eggs; for the turtles of Brazil lay their eggs in big holes,—each one common to several of them,—filling them to within a short space of the top. The sand is carefully pushed back and the eggs left to hatch by the heat of the beach.
Returning to camp, they awakened5 the others. The boys would have liked to indulge in a swim in the river, but the captain warned them against doing any such thing as most of the Brazilian streams swarm6 with alligators7 and a kind of leech8, that when once affixed9 to the skin is very difficult to remove. So they all contented10 themselves with a good wash in the not over-clear water. The turtles’ eggs did not prove quite such a treat as the boys had been looking forward to. From reading books of adventure they had the idea that the eggs were great delicacies; but after trying them, they came to the conclusion that the authors who wrote of them with such enthusiasm could never have tasted them. They were strong, fishy-tasting and oily, although, no doubt, in a pinch they would have tasted well enough. Captain Sprowl told them that the natives did not eat them but utilized11 them in another way.
At certain times a whole tribe would repair to an island known to be used by the turtles for egg-depositing. The caches of eggs were then robbed and the entire mess dumped into a canoe. The mass was then trampled12 upon, and after a while an oil arose to the surface, which was skimmed off and placed in jars and used for cooking and other purposes.
After the morning meal they naturally fell to discussing plans. Judkins declared himself better; but it was still painful for him to move about. Captain Sprowl could not take an observation till noon, but by a rough calculation he reckoned that they were cast away on the Brazilian coast some five hundred miles to the south of civilization.
It was in the midst of the discussion of ways and means that the professor electrified14 them all by a sudden proposition. He had been silent for a long time, buried, apparently15, in deep thought. Mr. Chadwick had been asking Jack about how long it would be possible for them to fly on the gas-making supply they had on hand. The boy had replied that he figured they had enough on hand to carry them at least two weeks, allowing for evaporation16 and occasional intervals17 of land or water travel. Then it was that the professor spoke18.
“For how much vill you charter me your machine?” he asked.
They stared at him for a moment. The question appeared so utterly19 irrelevant20 to what they had been discussing.
“Ach! I mean vat13 I say,” repeated the savant. “Are you villing to hire your machine oudt for a trip of say ten days?”
“Why, I—I beg your pardon, but I don’t exactly understand,” said Jack, acting21 as spokesman for the rest.
“Zo! Perhaps I should ought to haf madt meinself more clear, hein?”
“Well, you did give us a bit of a jump,” declared Jack. “The idea of chartering a machine in the midst of a Brazilian jungle is rather startling when you spring it as quickly as all that.”
“Dot is mein vay,” said the professor quietly, “budt ledt me make meinself plain. You know der object off mein trip down here?”
“In a general way you have already explained it,” said Mr. Chadwick. “You are to collect specimens23 for a zo?logical society of Germany, and also to bring home a complete account of your exploration of the country.”
“Dot is righdt. Idt vos for dot I vos hoping to gedt you to make me some sordt of a ship dot vould navigate24 dese vaters. Budt now dings haf fallen oudt differently. Dose foolish mens on der yacht dink dot I come after treasure. Budt neverdeless dey bring der ship chust aboudt vere I vant to go pefore she is ge-wrecked. I suppose dot dey think dot after a vile26 dey make me tell vere der treasure iss,—hein?”
“I suppose they had some such plan,” rejoined Mr. Chadwick. “You told us that your papers had been ransacked27 soon after leaving Madeira and that in that way the men discovered your destination. After the mutiny, I suppose they decided28 to navigate the yacht to her original destination and then, by some means, make you guide them to the treasure. But of course the wreck25 changed all that.”
“Egzacly, mein friends. Now der point iss dis: I am here, chust aboudt vere I vant to be. I may neffer haf such a chance again to obtain vot I am in search of.”
“Treasure?” asked Dick, his eyes wide open.
The professor gave a sort of laugh, with a note of scorn in it.
“Nodt your idea of treasure,” he said; and then, becoming very serious, he pushed back his spectacles and poised29 a finger.
“You haf heardt of der mammoths,” he asked, “of der huge beasts dot roamed der earth when it vos young?”
They nodded and looked at him with interest. What could be coming next? That the professor was in deadly earnest, there was no doubt. His leathery cheeks were flushed with enthusiasm.
“Undt you dink dot de mammoths is all perished from der face of der eardt?” he went on catechisingly.
“Well, such is the general opinion of scientific men,” rejoined Mr. Chadwick.
“Den dey are wrong. Dot is, I hope to prove dot dey are wrong,” declared the professor. “I pelieve, undt der are many dot agree mit me, dot in parts of de globe der mammoth30 still exists. Dot is, certain forms of him. You haf ever heard of der Spanish naturalist31 Moreno?”
They shook their heads.
“Vell, Moreno heldt der same pelifs dot I undt many savants do. He fitted oudt an expedition in 1900 undt sought der mammoth in Patagonia.”
“Did he find it?” asked Jack breathlessly, prepared for anything.
“Nein. Budt he did findt, in a cave, a skull32 undt der skin off a mammoth. Der hair on dot skull vos fresh undt dere vos bloodt und skin on idt, showing dot idt hadt been freshly killed.”
They fairly gasped33 as they looked at the little German. There was no questioning the fact that he was quoting scientific facts. In his precise mind imagination had no place.
“Undt dot skin hadt been removed py human handts, not more dan a day pefore he foundt idt,” went on the professor. “How did he know? Dot skin vos turned insidt oudt undt rolled up!”
“Well?” said Mr. Chadwick.
“Vell, chentlemen, dot skin vos der skin of der chiant sloth34, der Megatherium. In past ages dey roamed the South American continent from end to end. Dey vos like der small sloths35 dot abound36 here; budt dey vos as big as elefants! Undt,” he paused impressively, “such creatures still exist.”
“Impossible!” declared Mr. Chadwick.
“Nodt at all, mein friendt. To show you how impossible der savants of Europe dink such a ding mighdt be, dey haf sendt me to find such a creature or proof positive dot dey still are living members of der animal kingdom. Dot vos de treasure I vos sendt to findt! A treasure dot dwarfs37 into insicnificance any mere38 tiamonts or goldt!”
“And you think that in some remote part of Brazil a living specimen22 of such an animal may be found?” demanded Mr. Chadwick, the only one of the party able to find words at the moment in the face of the professor’s astounding39 statements.
“I do not dink idt, I know idt,” declared the little man earnestly. “I do nodt know if I can secure a specimen. Even proof vill be pedder dan nuddings. But dot der Megatherium still lives undt roams der forest, I pelief as I pelief dot vee are here.”
“And where do you expect to find such an animal?” inquired Mr. Chadwick.
“Anyvere towardt der headvaters of der Amazon among der foothills off der Andes. If idt exists idt exists somevere in dot locality.”
“But the specimen you spoke of was found in Patagonia,” objected Jack. “Egzacly. Undt following Moreno’s death a secredt expedition vos sendt to obtain, if possible, a living specimen or proof dot der Megatherium existed. Dey were absent two years. Dere fundts hadt giffen oudt. Budt dey brought back data undt accounts giffen by Indians dot showed dot if der Megatherium existed, idt vos somevere in der solitudes40 of der upper Amazon. Undt now you know my mission undt vy I vant to charter your ship. Vot do you say?”
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1
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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2
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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delicacies
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| n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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5
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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6
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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7
alligators
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| n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 ) | |
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8
leech
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| n.水蛭，吸血鬼，榨取他人利益的人；vt.以水蛭吸血；vi.依附于别人 | |
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9
affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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10
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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utilized
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| v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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13
vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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14
electrified
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| v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋 | |
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15
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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evaporation
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| n.蒸发，消失 | |
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17
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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18
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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irrelevant
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| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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24
navigate
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| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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26
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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ransacked
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| v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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mammoth
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| n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的 | |
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naturalist
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| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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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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sloth
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| n.[动]树懒；懒惰，懒散 | |
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sloths
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| 懒散( sloth的名词复数 )； 懒惰； 树獭； （经济）停滞。 | |
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36
abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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37
dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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38
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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39
astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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40
solitudes
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| n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方 | |
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