CHAPTER VI
Off for the Wilds of Brazil
"Well?"
It was Mr. Weslowe's voice after the scientists and their sons hadfinished reading the contract.
Mr. Holton nodded.
"It's all right," he declared. "Contains nothing whatever that wouldbe objectionable."
Mr. Lewis agreed.
"We'll leave the matter to the boys," he said. "They'll be the oneswho will have charge of taking the pictures. And let me say that youcan rely on them."
"You haven't said that we can go yet," remarked Bob. "How about ourmothers? Will they consent?"
"Yes," Mr. Lewis answered. "They finally agreed. We were planning tomake it a surprise later."
"What!" cried Bob, while Joe gasped in astonishment.
"Fine!" blurted out Joe, after he had regained his breath. "We don'tknow how to thank you enough. And I'll be more than glad to acceptthis offer to take the movies. Bob will, too, I'm sure."
"All right," Mr. Weslowe said. "Here's a pen. You men, as the ones incharge of the expedition, must sign here."
They did as directed, and then the representatives prepared to depart.
"The film, machine, and other equipment will be here inside of aweek," Mr. Duncan said. "And you'll find it as simple as weexplained."
Then they took their leave.
"A chance to make some money," said Mr. Lewis to the youths, as theyseated themselves on the porch awaiting the evening meal.
"Yes," said Bob. "And I know we'll find it interesting."
"What kind of a camera do you suppose they'll furnish?" Joe asked.
"Probably the small, simple kind that requires no tripod. All you dois press a button and the film is automatically exposed. But you'llhave to follow the instructions closely or the whole thing will be atotal failure. And to a certain extent, Mr. Holton and I will be heldresponsible."
Practically all of the next day was spent in the business districtpurchasing various articles to be used on the coming great adventure.In the evening when they returned home they were satisfied witheverything they had bought. Bob and Joe were especially delighted withthe new rifles that their fathers presented them, for they were of thevery latest design.
"I suppose they'll bring down anything," said Bob, in reference to theguns.
"Anything but elephants, rhinos, and the like that have extremelytough hides," his father answered. "You needn't fear them, though, forwe won't come across them in South America."
"What is considered the most dangerous game of that continent?" askedJoe.
"The jaguar, generally," was the response. "He sometimes attains alength of nearly six feet and is extremely powerful. He has been knownto attack a mustang, swim with it across a river, and place it in thethick bushes. Again he has been seen to open fish and heavy turtleswith his powerful claws."
"Poisonous snakes are also dangerous," said Mr. Lewis, "although theyseldom attack a man without first being disturbed."
"There's a remedy for every such bite, isn't there?" inquired Joe.
"Yes. That is, for nearly every one. The strange part of it is thatone antidote may be totally ineffective against one kind of poison,while it has effect on another. You see there are several types orclasses of venomous reptiles, and each has a different type of poison.Hence several antidotes have to be carried so as to take no chances."
"Anacondas are not poisonous, are they?" asked Joe.
"No," replied Mr. Holton. "They are constrictors, that kill theirvictims by crushing them to death. Another name for them is 'waterboa,' because they are found near a stream or mud hole. You boysprobably know that they are among the world's largest snakes, oftenbeing thirty feet in length and thicker than a man's leg. They arecapable of crushing an ox to death, and often tear up small trees bythe roots."
Joe shuddered.
"I don't think I'd care to meet one of them," he said. "Especiallysince I'm not an excellent shot like you and Dad."
"And Bob," added Mr. Lewis. Really Bob was not far behind thenaturalists in marksmanship.
After the preparations for the trip were fully completed, the youthsand their fathers rested, for the coming venture was to be a tiresomeone, and it was wholly unwise to use too much of their energy that wasto be so much needed later.
Meanwhile reconstruction work was being done on Mr. Lewis's garage,and the workmen promised to have the task completed in three days.
"Won't have to worry about that," Bob assured his chum's father. "Youcan just take it easy until the time comes to leave for Brazil."
Mr. Lewis nodded but found out later, as did Mr. Holton, that to restwas impossible, much as they would have liked to. Frequent trips tothe museum had to be made, visits to various libraries were necessary,and they found at last that a journey to Baltimore was inevitable. Asmight be expected, they were greatly fatigued when, although everymatter was settled, only two days remained before the long missioninto the unknown.
That afternoon Professor Bigelow, a noted anthropologist who was tobe a part of the expedition, arrived at Mr. Holton's home, where hewas to remain until the expedition would leave. He was a rather smallman, with heavy gray hair and a swarthy complexion that the boysrightly guessed was due to his many missions into strange lands tostudy primitive people. He at once took a great liking to the youths,and together they discussed many strange happenings, which theprofessor related in breath-taking tales. He told of adventures indarkest Africa, where many little-known clans of natives were studied.He thrilled his listeners with stories of narrow escapes from theDyaks of Borneo, of journeys into Ecuador to investigate the savagehead-shrinkers, into India, Mongolia, Venezuela, islands of the SouthSeas, and many other strange places. Yes, it was a great life--thatpursued by an anthropologist.
"Two more things I'd like to know," said Bob, the next afternoon."First, what food will we take along?"
"That is all arranged," his father replied. "A company in New Yorkpacked our provisions in light tin containers that are airtight andwill float on water. You don't need to worry about our having enough,for we took into consideration the possibility of a long, unexpecteddelay. What's your other question?"
"This: Where do we sail from, New York? And on what ship?"
Mr. Holton gasped in astonishment.
"What!" he cried. "You don't know that yet? I thought we discussedthat matter several days ago."
"If you did, I wasn't there," Bob returned, grinning. "We've been sobusy with preparations that I haven't given it a thought."
"All right, I'll tell you. We sail from New York on the steamer_Empire_, a vessel of ten thousand tons. It is scheduled to arrive inMacapa, which is several miles inland on the Amazon, in twelve days.Fairly good time, considering a stop at the West Indies."
At frequent intervals Mrs. Holton and Mrs. Lewis expressed the desirefor their sons to give up the thought of accompanying the expedition,but the boys did their best to convince their mothers that, whilethere were dangers attached, they were not as numerous as one mightthink.
"Come to think of it, you can't blame them, though," said Joe. "We'rerather inexperienced in the art of exploring."
"We'll come through all right," Bob assured him. "Oh! How I wish thetime would pass quicker!"
Despite Bob's desire, the great day of leaving took its time incoming. But when it did arrive, everyone was in readiness.
"Weather's cool and the sky's clear," observed Joe, as he and Boblugged their belongings out to the front porch of Bob's home, wherethe members of both households were to gather before the party wouldleave.
"Just the right temperature," declared Mr. Holton, who had moved up intime to hear his son's chum.
The train was to leave for New York at ten o'clock and the partybarely had time to get breakfast and prepare themselves and theirpossessions, which, by the way, included the motion-picture camerasand several thousand feet of film, sent ahead by the Neuman FilmCorporation.
Bob and Joe--and the others to a less degree--had studied
theinstructions on how to take motion pictures and felt that it would bean easy matter to carry them out.
Shortly after breakfast Mrs. Holton and Mrs. Lewis drove the familycars out in front, and the others carried out their belongings and gotinside.
"The last we'll see of good old Washington for several months tocome," sighed Joe, as he cast a final look at the homes they wereleaving behind.
There were tears in the eyes of Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Holton as theygave the youths and their fathers a warm farewell. Professor Bigelowalso took part in the leave-taking, for he was well liked by all.Bob's smaller brother and Joe's sister gave tender good-byes, and withone last adieu the adventurers made their way down the platform and tothe New York Limited.