“Tie this around the trunk of the tree,” he said. “When the ants hit it, it’ll keep ‘em back. It was like this that they used to put wool round trees to keep the caterpillars4 off, back home.”
“Do you think it will work?” asked Jack anxiously, for the situation was becoming critical. It seemed almost unthinkable that they could be in actual peril5 of their lives from creatures not much bigger than a good-sized bluebottle fly. And yet a jaguar6 would have been a less dangerous foe7 than these myriads9 of tiny creatures, with ten times a jaguar’s ferocity in their minute make-ups.
“Well, boy, if it don’t work, it’s all up with us,” declared the captain solemnly.
Aided by the professor, who at once saw the utility of the contrivance, Jack managed to tie the bandage of handkerchiefs around the tree-trunk.
“When it gets dry, douse10 it with some more of this stuff,” said the captain, handing down the bottle of chemicals.
With an eagerness that may be imagined Jack and the professor watched the first ants that swarmed11 up the barricade12 of handkerchiefs. They dropped like files of soldiers storming a fortress13 wall that bristles14 with machine guns. Thousands and thousands of them fell from the tree as they encountered the poison-soaked bandage; but still the swelling15 ranks behind pushed the vanguard on.
From time to time Jack moistened the bandage afresh, and after what appeared to be an eternity16 of waiting the ants began to slacken in their attack. By slow degrees they retreated till only the masses on the ground were left.
“Scatter some of the stuff among ‘em!” called Captain Sprowl.
Jack spattered the rest of the contents of the bottle over the still swarming17 myriads on the ground. Wherever it fell an immense patch of dead ants instantly appeared. But at last it was exhausted18. Luckily the ants appeared to be reforming for another march, and yet it was a long time before it was deemed safe to descend19. When they did so, a strange sight met their eyes. They had been imprisoned20 in the tree for not much more than two hours. Yet in that space of time the ants had literally21 cleaned the bones of the dead snake and wrought22 havoc23 with the carcasses of the pigs.
“Lucky thing you had that bottle along, professor,” remarked Captain Sprowl, soberly. He added nothing more. He did not need to. They could all supply the alternative for themselves.
A hasty return was made to the Wondership where they found everything as they had left it. A hurried meal was then eaten, and within half an hour they were once more on the wing.
All the afternoon they maintained steady flight toward the westward24, and that evening beheld25 a magnificent sunset. Great masses of gold, purple and scarlet26 cloud were piled up like dream palaces in the west. Beneath this Fata Morgana of surpassing brilliancy, lay a line of deeper purple, like the crest27 of an advancing billow.
“See that?” asked Mr. Chadwick, pointing out this darker line.
They all nodded.
“Well, take good notice of it, for that is our first sight of the Andes,” responded Jack’s father.
The words held a thrill. Somewhere in the foothills of that vast and historic range, if the professor’s theories were not all at fault, roamed a beast that had somehow survived the march of the ages. Over toward that sunset, too, had they but known it, strange, wild adventures awaited them. But no idea of what the future held was in the minds of Jack and Tom as they tramped off in search of wood for the evening fire, after the machine had been brought to earth in a stretch of rocky ground, bordered by a river on one side. On the other fell the sombre shades of the melancholy28 forests.
The boys made for the edge of the river where patches of small trees grew. Here they were more likely to find the firewood for which they were searching than amongst the towering forest giants.
The stream was a melancholy, slow-flowing, muddy water course. On the opposite bank grew mighty29 trees with a tangle30 of jungle about their roots, and with long pendant creepers trailing down into the chocolate-colored river. In the evening air a dank, unwholesome smell pervaded31 the atmosphere. Some gray herons flapped heavily up from the muddy banks as they approached, and an alligator32 slipped off a log and glided33 into the water.
What was their surprise, then, in this desolate34 spot, which they had good reason to suppose they were the first to invade since the beginning of time, when on the bank they perceived a large canoe. It was a clumsily-built dug-out of unusual size, and as the boys got closer to it they soon saw that it was long since it had been used. One side was rotted away and green slimy ooze35, gendered by the rank mud, had overgrown it from stem to stern.
Inside it was a big earthen jar, which might at one time have contained water or food, more probably the latter. A broken paddle was near it and another object which the boys did not investigate just then. For something else had attracted their attention.
This latter was the sight of several bones, undoubtedly36 human, that lay by the side of the mouldering37 canoe. Evidently the bones were all that remained of the navigators of the ill-fated craft; but whether they had met their death at the hands of a human enemy, or had fallen prey38 to a jaguar or alligator the boys were, of course, unable to decide.
“Ugh! This place gives me the shudders39,” exclaimed Jack, turning away. “Let’s get busy over that wood and go back.”
“Right you are; but let’s have a look at what else there is in the canoe first,” rejoined Tom.
“That’s so. We might as well look. After all, it may afford us a clew to the fate of the poor devils whose bones lie yonder,” replied Jack.
The bottom of the canoe was inch deep in slimy ooze, and out of the stuff the boys excavated40 a skin bag containing some hard objects and an odd little figure of a squatting41 man, with a hideously43 deformed44 face, fixed45 in a perpetual laugh. This little idol46, for such unquestionably the thing was, was about as ingenious a bit of hideousness47 as could be imagined. It was not more than a foot high, and was wrought out of greenish stone. It was carved in a squatting position with the legs tucked under a fat body, tailor-fashion.
But it was the face, tiny as it was, that sent a chill through the boys’ veins48. There was something diabolical49 in that frozen laugh. It was as if the miniature god was mocking all mankind with a grin of bitter irony50.
“Nice little thing to have about the house on the long winter evenings,” chuckled51 Tom. “Cheer a fellow up when he felt blue, wouldn’t it—not?”
“I suppose the folks it belonged to held it in enough veneration,” rejoined Jack, holding the hideous42 little figure up in the dying light. “Anyhow, the fact that it was in the canoe shows that those chaps must have been killed by an animal or a ‘gator. If natives had finished them off, they wouldn’t have left this thing in the canoe.”
“Unless they were scared of it,” commented Tom; “it’s enough to give anyone the shudders.”
“It’s not ornamental52 certainly; but it’ll make a bully53 souvenir of the trip. What’s in the bag, I wonder?”
“Don’t know, I’ve put it in my pocket. We’ll take a look at it when we get back to camp. Right now our job is to get busy with the axes. They’ll think we’ve run into more trouble if we don’t hurry up.”
Acting54 on Tom’s suggestion, they were soon making chips fly, and in a short time had wood enough for a cooking fire. The night was too warm for there to be any necessity of a bigger blaze; especially as they meant to resume their journey immediately after the evening meal.
There was so much to be discussed at supper that the boys did not have an opportunity to bring up the subject of their finds till afterward55. Then they told of their discoveries, and Jack proudly exhibited his idol. The professor pronounced it to be of ancient workmanship, perhaps the handiwork of some vanished race. Some hieroglyphics56 were inscribed57 on its base, but what they stood for the professor, although a man learned in such matters, was unable to decipher. He declared that the characters did not even approximate any known form of hieroglyphics.
“Well, anyhow, he’ll make a fine mascot58,” declared Jack; “we’ll call him Billikin and hang him in the front of the flying auto59 for good luck.”
This was hailed as a good idea, and amidst much laughter Mr. Billikin was secured to one of the forward stanchions of the Wondership.
“But say, how about that bag of yours?” demanded Jack of Tom as soon as the mascot had been triced up.
“Let’s have a look at it right now,” said Tom, pulling it from his pocket.
The pouch60 was made of some sort of skin. Mildew61 had all but obscured some markings on it that had apparently62 once stood out in brilliant colors. It was fringed and evidently had been wrought with much care. Tom shook it and the contents rattled63.
“Give you three guesses,” he cried.
“Bullets,” came from Dick.
“Reckon that’s right,” grunted64 the captain; “some of those chaps may have had an old muzzle65 loader.”
“Sounds like rocks,” was Jack’s guess, “roll them out, Tom.”
Standing66 close to the firelight, Tom opened the bag and shook its contents into his open palm. Six octagonal objects rolled out.
The next instant there was a simultaneous gasp67 from every member of the party.
“Diamonds!” shouted Captain Sprowl, the first to recover his breath.
“Yes, and such diamonds as are rarely seen,” cried Mr. Chadwick. “Why, Tom, lad, you’ve found a fortune!”
“Supposin’ they’re fakes like those colored gems68 we got in Yucatan?” said the practical Tom, holding up one of the stones so that the firelight was reflected from it in a myriad8 prismatic tints69. Its brilliance70 was fairly dazzling.
“If they’re fakes,” declared the captain solemnly, “I’ll tell you what I’ll do.”
“Well?” said Jack.
“I’ll eat ‘em without sass, by ginger71!” exploded the mariner72. “Boys, if them ain’t ‘gems of purest ray serene,’ as the poet says, you may call me a double, doll-goshed, Sauerkrauter!”
“Rather than call you any such names,” laughed Mr. Chadwick, “we’ll assume that they are veritable diamonds. Tom, congratulations; you’re a millionaire.”
“You mean we’re millionaires—or at any rate thousandaires,” retorted Tom. “You don’t suppose I’m going to hog73 them all, do you?”
“Vell, for my pardt, if I can findt idt a Megatherium, I vouldn’t exchange him for a bucketful of diamonts,” declared the professor.
“Well, at any rate, the stones will do us no good till we can return to civilization,” said Mr. Chadwick, decisively. “They’re of not so much good here as a tin of corned beef. And so, gentlemen, if you are ready we may as well be pressing on.”
“Suits me,” declared the captain, “but I’d suggest that one of us takes care of them gems. Mr. Chadwick, you take ‘em. If that boy keeps ‘em, he’ll be giving ‘em to an anaconda or something before we get through.”
“I guess you can take better care of them than I can at that, uncle,” said Tom, willingly handing over the bag to Mr. Chadwick, “although I don’t think there’s any chance of my getting mixed up with any more big snakes. I’ll keep too bright a lookout74 in future for that to happen.”
Mr. Chadwick placed the gems in a pocketed belt that he wore under his other garments and which he used for the safekeeping of his money and other valuables.
As the flying auto shot up from the ground and continued on its westerly course, there arose above the steady drone of the engine an odd, screaming sort of sound. At first the boys thought it proceeded from some defective75 bit of machinery76 or some part of the motor that was out of order. It was Dick’s sharp ears that traced the sound to its true source.
“It’s the wind rushing into old Billikin’s mouth,” he exclaimed.
“Hoo-oo-oo-oo-oo!” responded the idol, the purpose of whose open jaws77 now became apparent. Possibly the priests of the ancient idol used to swing him through the air, thus producing the queer sound that held a note of menace in its dreary78 wail79. As the ship rushed on faster through the night the voice of the idol became louder and more strident.
“Whoo-oo-oo-oo-oo?” it seemed to demand.
“Who, you grinning old Billikin?” cried Tom, gleefully. “Why, us, you howling monstrosity. You’re going to bring us luck, do you hear?”
The only reply to his outburst was the melancholy, banshee-like wail of the queer image.
“I dunno know about luck,” muttered the captain to himself; “all I know is that that blamed thing gives me the shivers.”
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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2
reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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3
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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caterpillars
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| n.毛虫( caterpillar的名词复数 )；履带 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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jaguar
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| n.美洲虎 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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douse
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| v.把…浸入水中，用水泼；n.泼洒 | |
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11
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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12
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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13
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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bristles
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| 短而硬的毛发，刷子毛( bristle的名词复数 ) | |
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15
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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16
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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17
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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18
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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19
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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20
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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25
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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26
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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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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pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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alligator
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| n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼) | |
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33
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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34
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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35
ooze
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| n.软泥，渗出物；vi.渗出，泄漏；vt.慢慢渗出，流露 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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mouldering
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| v.腐朽( moulder的现在分词 )；腐烂，崩塌 | |
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38
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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39
shudders
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| n.颤动，打颤，战栗( shudder的名词复数 )v.战栗( shudder的第三人称单数 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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40
excavated
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| v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
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41
squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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42
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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43
hideously
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| adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地 | |
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44
deformed
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| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
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45
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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46
idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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47
hideousness
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48
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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49
diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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50
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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51
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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53
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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54
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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55
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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56
hieroglyphics
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| n.pl.象形文字 | |
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57
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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58
mascot
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| n.福神，吉祥的东西 | |
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59
auto
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| n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车 | |
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60
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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61
mildew
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| n.发霉；v.（使）发霉 | |
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62
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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63
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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64
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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65
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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66
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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67
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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68
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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69
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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70
brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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71
ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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72
mariner
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| n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者 | |
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73
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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74
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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75
defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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76
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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77
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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78
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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79
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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