The Wonder Island Boys: Exploring the Island Part 24

The Professor made no further objections. Reaching the South River the yaks were tethered, and taking advantage of the raft which they had used on the first trip, they were soon on the way into the forest. On this occasion they took a course to the right of their former exploits, the desire being to acquaint themselves, as much as possible, with the topography of the country toward the falls. Soon they came within sight of game, squirrels, woodchucks; and many familiar varieties of birds were seen on all sides.

What interested the boys most was an animal about three and a half feet long, and almost three feet high, which they saw at a distance.

"What is that, Professor?"

"It is a giant ant-eater, found in many parts of South America."

"What a big bushy tail he has."

"He uses that in a peculiar way. When he sleeps he lies on one side, rolls himself up so that his snout lies on his breast, places all his feet together, and covers himself with that bushy tail. As the hair of the tail resembles hay, or the surrounding dried gra.s.s, it is likely to be pa.s.sed by without being noticed."

"I wish we could get a shot at him."

"There is a fine pole," said Harry, whose keen interest was as great in that quarter as in the hunting.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 34. THE GIANT ANT-EATER_]

It was an exceptionally fine specimen of sh.e.l.l-bark hickory, and the base was nearly six inches in diameter, but it was as straight as a line, apparently, and it was fully thirty feet to the first limb.

"You couldn't get a better pole; but hickory is one of the heaviest woods, and being green, it will be a task to raise it. It weighs, dry, about 45 pounds per cubic foot."

"What is the weight of a cubic foot of water?"

"About sixty-four pounds."

"How much do you think that pole will weigh when it is trimmed up?"

The Professor, after carefully surveying the tree for a time, answered: "It will weigh fully 400 pounds, but I am in favor of taking it, as we know sh.e.l.l bark is a good American tree, and it is the kind of wood we usually select on account of its strength. I know it will resist any winds likely to come our way."

It was at once cut down, and on measuring was found to be 58 feet up to the branching top, at which point it was not less than two inches in diameter.

"Cut it off above the last crotch, as we shall want that part to attach the top pulley between."

Now that it was cut and trimmed, the problem was to convey it back to the river.

"Do you think we can induce the yaks to swim across the river?"

"That's a capital idea, Harry, let us go back and try it."

"While you are getting the animals I shall do some investigating," said the Professor.

The boys crossed the river and took the two-wheeled truck across. "It might be amusing to the Professor, if he found we had taken the truck across before we knew whether the yaks could be induced to go over."

Harry laughed at George, and answered: "How shall we manage it? We had better keep them yoked, I suppose."

After some urging, they were driven to the water, the boys having tied a rope to the yoke before they went into the river. To their great surprise and relief, the yaks made no objections, and immediately started out at a great rate for the opposite sh.o.r.e, and before they had gone twenty feet were swimming. The boys in the raft held on tightly and were drawn across without further trouble.

As they left the river for the trip, they distinctly heard a shot.

"I wonder what the Professor has shot? Did you hear him?" They listened intently. The shot appeared to come from a point considerably to the left of the place where the pole had been cut, but they paid little attention to that. After they had gone halfway another shot was heard, this time at a point which indicated that the Professor must be some distance away.

As antic.i.p.ated, the Professor was not in the location of the pole.

"I don't think the Professor expected us back so soon," was Harry's suggestion. "Let us rig up the pole and hitch the team, and by that time he may be back."

In less than a half hour this was done, ready for a start; still no signs of the Professor.

"I think we had better fire a shot to let him know we are here."

"Singular we didn't think of that before; here goes." Waiting fully a quarter of an hour after the shot, they were surprised at not hearing any response from him. "I wonder," continued Harry, "if he has met with some accident?"

"We heard it in this direction, didn't we? Don't let us waste any more time. Get the guns and ammunition. Hurry up; and let us take a spear; it may be useful."

Each boy took a spear, as a matter of precaution, and set out. At intervals the boys shouted, and after wandering about for fully a half hour, determined to try another shot. This was answered by a shot apparently from the direction of the team, and the boys turned about and hurriedly made their way back.

It happened that the boys had actually lost their way, and in the excitement all sense of direction. The Professor had made a complete circle and the boys in their wanderings had executed a complete loop within that circle, and were actually going back to the river instead of to the team.

"I can't understand this business," said George, in a despairing tone.

"We have traveled far enough to get back to the team twice over. Let's try another shot." It was answered by a shout from the Professor, close by, to their left, and when they appeared in sight he was seated on the log leisurely driving the yaks, laughing in a quiet way, and apparently not noticing the discomfiture of the boys.

"We thought you were lost," said George; "didn't you hear us firing?"

"How does it happen you are going in this direction?" was the Professor's quizzical remark, which he uttered with a faint suspicion of a smile. As the boys did not reply, he continued: "Did you expect to find the team at the river?"

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 35. CHART SHOWING HOW THE BOYS WERE LOST_]

Of course, they all had a good laugh at this, because the direction they were taking, and the position in which the Professor found them, were sufficient to indicate that they were really lost, and that he knew it.

"I felt satisfied," was his final remark, "that you had not a well-defined idea of your direction when you fired the last time, but you will learn in time how to keep your direction, and what is more, you will never again permit an excited condition of the mind to make you take a crooked path."

The boys looked wonderingly at the Professor.

"How," asked Harry, "does an excited mind make anyone take a crooked path?"

"When the mind is excited, it is, for the time, deranged, like soldiers, frequently on the field of battle, who are wounded, without having the least knowledge of it. The sense of direction is a well-developed trait in some people; in others, it does not exist at all. But in the case of either, the moment the mind is excited, it becomes abnormal; some lose the ability to judge distances, some are unable to talk, and others can't do anything but talk. All judgment for the time disappears. Now, take that person in a forest, and highly excite him, and he has absolutely no judgment of distance or direction, and is not in a good position to mark and follow a course with intelligence. I have spoken thus fully on the subject, in order to warn you, that under no circ.u.mstances should you ever set out on such a mission as you have with the least cloud of excitement. It is far better not to go at all."

It was a warning the boys never forgot.

CHAPTER XIV

THE RAISING OF THE FLAG AND ANGEL'S PART IN IT

On the return home that evening they were surprised to find Red Angel absent. Frequently he would go with them on their trips, but he was purposely left at home on this occasion. He had ample opportunity to roam at will during their absence, and had never strayed away.

"It is very singular he cannot be found. I searched the house, the shop, and the cattle range, and he is nowhere in sight."