Part 31 (1/2)

”I wouldn't mind meeting that crowd,” said Sam. ”They might brighten up things a bit.”

”Never mind; things will pick up when once we meet King Susko,”

said d.i.c.k. ”But I would like to know where the crowd is from and who is in it.”

”It's not likely we would know them if they are from the East,”

said Sam. ”Probably they hail from Yale or Harvard.”

Two days later the storm which Cujo had predicted for some time caught them while they were in the midst of an immense forest of teak and rosewood. It was the middle of the afternoon, yet the sky became as black as night, while from a distance came the low rumble of thunder. There was a wind rus.h.i.+ng high up in the air, but as yet this had not come down any further than the treetops.

The birds of the jungle took up the alarm and filled the forest with their discordant cries, and even the monkeys, which were now numerous, sit up a jabber which would have been highly trying to the nerves of a nervous person.

”Yes, we catch um,” said Cujo, in reply to d.i.c.k's question. ”Me look for safe place too stay.”

”You think the storm will be a heavy one?” asked Randolph Rover anxiously.

”Werry heavy, ma.s.sah; werry heavy,” returned Cujo. ”Come wid me, all ob you,” and he set off on a run.

All followed as quickly as they could, and soon found themselves under a high ma.s.s of rocks overlooking the Ka.s.sai River. They had hardly gained the shelter when the storm burst over their heads in all of its wild fury.

”My, but this beats anything that I ever saw before!” cried Sam, as the wind began to rush by them with ever-increasing velocity.

”Him blow big by-me-by,” said Cujo with a sober face. ”Him big storm, dis.”

”The air was full of a moanin' sound,” to use Aleck's way of expressing it. It came from a great distance and caused the monkeys and birds to set up more of a noise than ever. The trees were now swaying violently, and presently from a distance came a crack like that of a big pistol.

”Was that a tree went down?” asked Randolph Rover, and Cujo nodded. ”It is a good thing, then, that we got out of the forest.”

”Big woods werry dangerous in heap storm like dis,” answered the African. ”Tree come down, maybe kill um. Hark! now um comin'!”

He crouched down between two of the largest rocks and instinctively the others followed suit. The ”moanin” increased until, with a roar and a rush, a regular tropical hurricane was upon them.

The blackness of the atmosphere was filled with flying tree branches and scattered vines, while the birds, large and small, swept past like chips on a swiftly flowing river, powerless to save themselves in those fierce gusts.

”Keep down, for your lives!” shouted Randolph Rover; but the roar of the elements drowned out his voice completely. However, n.o.body thought of rising, and the tree limbs and vines pa.s.sed harmlessly over their heads.

The first rush of wind over, the rain began, to fall, at first in drops as big as a quarter-dollar and then in a deluge which speedily converted the hollows among the rocks into deep pools and soaked everybody to his very skin. Soon the water was up to their knees and pouring down into the river like a regular cataract.

”This is a soaker and no mistake,” said Sam, during a brief lull in the downpour. ”Why, I never saw so much water come down in my life.”

”It's a hurricane,” answered Randolph Rover, ”It may keep on--”

He got no further, for at that instant a blinding flash of lightning caused everybody to jump in alarm. Then came an ear-splitting crack of thunder and up the river they saw a magnificent baobab tree, which had reared its stately head over a hundred feet high from the ground, come cras.h.i.+ng down, split in twain as by a t.i.tan's ax. The blackened stump was left standing, and soon--this burst into flames, to blaze away until another downpour of rain put out the conflagration.

”My, but that dun been awful!” murmured Aleck with a s.h.i.+ver. ”Ise glad we didn't take no shelter under dat tree.”

”Amen,” said Tom. He had been on the point of making some joke about the storm, but now the fun was knocked completely out of him.

It rained for the rest of the day and all of the night, and for once all hands felt thoroughly, miserable. Several times they essayed to start a fire, by which to dry themselves and make something hot to drink, but each time the rain put out the blaze.

What they had to eat was not only cold, but more or less water-soaked, and it was not until the next noon that they managed to cook a meal.