第20章

"I wonder if that is mahogany," remarked Mr.Damon, reaching over to touch it."Mahogany is one of the most valuable woods of Honduras, and if this is a log of that nature----"Bless my watch chain!" he suddenly cried.It's alive!"And the "log" was indeed so, for there was a sudden flash of white teeth, a long red opening showed, and then came a click as an immense alligator, having opened and closed his mouth, sank out of sight in a swirl of water.

Mr.Damon drew back so suddenly that he tilted the canoe, and the black paddlers looked around wonderingly.

"Alligator," explained Jacinto succinctly, in their tongue.

"Ugh!" they grunted."Bless my--bless my----" hesitated Mr.Damon, and for one of the very few times in his life his language failed him.

"Are there many of them hereabouts?" asked Ned, looking back at the swirl left by the saurian.

"Plenty," said the guide, with a shrug of his shoulders.He seemed to do as much talking that way, and with his hands, as he did in speech."The river is full of them.""Dangerous?" queried Tom.

"Don't go in swimming," was the significant advice."Wait, I'll show you," and he called up the canoe just behind.

In this canoe was a quantity of provisions.There was a chunk of meat among other things, a gristly piece, seeing which Mr.Damon had objected to its being brought along, but the guide had said it would do for fish bait.With a quick motion of his hand, as he sat in the awning- covered stern with Tom, Ned and the others, Jacinto sent the chunk of meat out into the muddy stream.

Hardly a second later there was a rushing in the water as though a submarine were about to come up.An ugly snout was raised, two rows of keen teeth snapped shut as a scissors- like jaw opened, and the meat was gone.

"See!" was the guide's remark, and something like a cold shiver of fear passed over the white members of the party."This water is not made in which to swim.Be careful!""We certainly shall," agreed Tom."They're fierce." "And always hungry," observed Jacinto grimly.

"And to think that I--that I nearly had my hand on it," murmured Mr.Damon."Ugh! Bless my eyeglasses!""The alligator nearly had your hand," said the guide."They can turn in the water like a flash, wherefore it is not wise to pat one on the tail lest it present its mouth instead."They paddled on up the river, the dusky Indians now and then breaking out into a chant that seemed to give their muscles new energy.The song, if song it was, passed from one boat to the other, and as the chant boomed forth the craft shot ahead more swiftly.

They made a landing about noon, and lunch was served.Tom and his friends were hungry in spite of the heat.Moreover, they were experienced travelers and had learned not to fret over inconveniences and discomforts.the Ind- ians ate by themselves, two acting as servants to Jacinto and the professor's party.

As is usual in traveling in the tropics, a halt was made during the heated middle of the day.Then, as the afternoon shadows were waning,the party again took to the canoes and paddled on up the river.

"Do you know of a good place to stop during the night?" asked Professor Bumper of Jacinto.

"Oh, yes; a most excellent place.It is where I always bring scientific parties I am guiding.You may rely on me."It was within an hour of dusk--none too much time to allow in which to pitch camp in the tropics, where night follows day suddenly--when a halt was called, as a turn of the river showed a little clearing on the edge of the forest-bound river.

"We stay here for the night," said Jacinto."It is a good place.""It looks picturesque enough," observed Mr.Damon."But it is rather wild.""We are a good distance from a settlement," agreed the guide."But one can not explore-- and find treasure in cities," and he shrugged his shoulders again.

"Find treasure? What do you mean?" asked Tom quickly."Do you think that we----?""Pardon, Senor," replied Jacinto softly."I meant no offense.I think that all you scientific parties will take treasure if you can find it.""We are looking for traces of the old Honduras civilization," put in Professor Bumper.

"And doubtless you will find it," was the somewhat too courteous answer of the guide."Make camp quickly!" he called to the Indians in their tongue."You must soon get under the nets or you will be eaten alive!" he told Tom."There are many mosquitoes here."The tents were set up, smudge fires built and supper quickly prepared.Dusk fell rapidly, and as Tom and Ned walked a little way down toward the river before turning in under the mosquito canopies, the young financial man said:

"Sort of lonesome and gloomy, isn't it, Tom?""Yes.But you didn't expect to find a moving picture show in the wilds of Honduras, did you?""No, and yet-- Look out! What's that?" suddenly cried Ned, as a great soft, black shadow seemed to sweep out of a clump of trees toward him.

Involuntarily he clutched Tom's arm and pointed, his face showing fear in the fast-gathering darkness.