CHAPTER VII.
CULEBRA
AT the Culebra station Mr. Andrews's train stopped. "Now, boys," hesaid, "it is nearly noon. We will see what we can get for dinner, andthen I shall have to leave you to yourselves for the rest of the day.I have considerable business to which I must attend. All I ask is thatyou keep out of danger and show up at supper-time. We shall sleep inthe car to-night and to-morrow go on our way to Colon."
"That will give us the whole afternoon to look about this place, and Ithink we can manage to see a lot in that time," said Harlan.
"I'm glad we're going to have some dinner first," said Vasco, "for I'mhungry."
"Come on, then," said Mr. Andrews, and he led the way to a large woodenshanty a few rods from the station. The building was dignified with thetitle of a "hotel," and served as a boarding-place for the Americanoverseers of the gangs of men at work in the Culebra cut. Here thethree sat down to a generous meal. There was not much style about it,but Mr. Andrews cared little for that, and certainly the boys were notfussy.
Dinner over, the boys were left to their own devices.
"I tell you what let's do," said Vasco. "We'll climb to the top ofCulebra Hill this afternoon. We can get a splendid view of the country,and we can certainly get back in time for supper."
"That suits me," said Harlan.
At once they started. From the level of the railway tracks, the climbat first was up the steep and slippery banks that had been made bythe steam-shovels. Many times the boys lost their foothold and slidbackward, only to renew the struggle and clamber upward once more.
As they got higher up their progress was hindered by the denseundergrowth of shrubs and vines, so that they were obliged to makemany a turn and twist in their path. In some places they could not getthrough the bushes, and had to tramp a long way around to gain a fewyards toward the summit.
Finally their perseverance was rewarded, and they stood upon the topof the great hill. Such a scene was spread before them as is seldomwitnessed. In the immediate foreground far below them they could seethe hundreds of men at work. They looked hardly larger than antsand not half so active. Here also they saw the labourers' camp,--acollection of rude shanties closely huddled together.
Looking farther out, the scene was more attractive. Down through thevalleys the rich-looking tropical foliage made a picture no artistcould reproduce, and even boyish spirits were subdued as Vasco andHarlan gazed about them. In the distance ridge upon ridge of hillsarose, adding grandeur to the magnificent view.
Awe-inspiring as was the handiwork of nature spread before them, tothese boys the great work which man was here undertaking seemed evenmore wonderful. The scores of steam-shovels in sight were scoopingup tons upon tons of earth every hour. Vasco could hardly believe itwhen Harlan told him that it would take years to complete the work ofcutting through the mountain. The great valleys in the locality wouldbe entirely filled with the earth, and thousands of car-loads were tobe hauled to Colon and dumped into the Atlantic.
Little did those early Spanish explorers and English buccaneers whotravelled over this country imagine that great ships--many times largerthan any they ever dreamed of--would be sailing through this mountain.
Vasco could hardly fancy such a thing now, but Harlan, with sublimeconfidence in American skill and force, had perfect faith in the earlycompletion of the Panama canal. Certainly here before him was splendidevidence of American purpose.
When the boys had become thoroughly rested after their hard climb,and had concluded that there were no more worlds to conquer in thisdirection, they began to think of returning to the camp. The decliningsun also reminded them that it was time to be on the move. Possibly,also, a vigorous appetite added to Vasco's zeal for the return journey.At any rate, he said to Harlan: "What do you say to a race to therailway station?"
This suggestion suited the American boy, and in a trice they wereoff,--running, jumping, sliding, tumbling, dodging, twisting, andturning in the race for the foot of the hill. There was just enoughdanger in it to add interest to the contest.
In the end Vasco won, though Harlan pressed him closely all the way.Several times, indeed, he seemed to gain the lead, his shrewdness andgood judgment proving nearly a match for the sturdy limbs and deepbreath of his opponent.
The race over, the boys wandered about watching the shiftinggravel-trains, the giant steam-shovels in operation, the hundreds ofmen at work, and toward the close of the day returned to the car.
Here they found Mr. Andrews, and with him went to supper. At an earlyhour thereafter they turned into their bunks in the "sleeping-car,"where, with nets protecting them from hungry mosquitos and otherinsects, they soundly slumbered through the night.
Early in the morning the three travellers were again on their way,for Mr. Andrews was anxious to get to Colon. They did not even go tothe "hotel" for breakfast, but ate some canned food which had beenbrought along in the "sleeper." Taking his meals on a railway trainwas a novelty for Vasco,--more so than a dinner in the finest Pullmandining-car would have been to Harlan. None the less, Harlan enjoyed thenovelty of the situation as much as his Panama friend.
Breakfast eaten, the boys devoted themselves to watching the sceneryalong the route. The forests through which they passed abounded in allsorts of bird and animal life.
As the train whirled along, the boys caught glimpses of wild turkeys,bright-coloured macaws and parrots, as well as of innumerable smallerbirds. Monkeys were seen darting about amidst the foliage. Once alsoa drove of peccaries was seen scuttling away through the undergrowth.These little animals resemble the Virginia wild hog in shape, and areblack in colour. The natives of Panama kill them for food.
The trees were innumerable in variety. Besides the ordinary oak, cedar,beech, and ash, were seen teak, rosewood, mahogany, and ebony inabundance. When they become more accessible, these will bring fortunesto their possessors.
Vasco called particular attention to the macaw-trees. He said theybore a very palatable fruit about the size of a pear, with a stringycovering and a stone in the centre. In old times the Indians werevery fond of it, and recklessly cut down thousands of trees for thesake of the fruit alone. They used the black and very hard wood forarrow-heads.
As the train rolled into Obispo, the travellers got their first glimpseof the Chagres River, which forms such an important link in theconstruction of the canal.