Part 31 (1/2)
”I wouldn't hten up things a bit”
”NeverSusko,”
said dick ”But I would like to knohere the crowd is from and who is in it”
”It's not likely ould know them if they are from the East,”
said Sam ”Probably they hail from Yale or Harvard”
Two days later the storht them while they were in the midst of an immense forest of teak and rosewood It was the ht, while from a distance cah 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 nu to the nerves of a nervous person
”Yes, we catch um,” said Cujo, in reply to dick's question ”Me look for safe place too stay”
”You think the storm will be a heavy one?” asked Randolph Rover anxiously
”Werry heavy, massah; 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 the the Kassai 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 Sa velocity
”Hi storm, dis”
”The air was full of ait It careat distance and caused the monkeys and birds to set upviolently, and presently fro 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 uest rocks and instinctively the others followed suit The ”ular tropical hurricane was upon them
The blackness of the at tree branches and scattered vines, while the birds, large and s river, powerless to save theusts
”Keep down, for your lives!” shouted Randolph Rover; but the roar of the elements drowned out his voice co, and the tree limbs and vines passed 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 a 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 noa 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 ot no further, for at that instant a blinding flash of lightning caused everybody to ju crack of thunder and up the river they saw a nificent baobab tree, which had reared its stately head over a hundred feet high fro down, split in twain as by a titan's ax The blackened stu, and soon--this burst into flames, to blaze away until another downpour of rain put out the conflagration
”My, but that dun been awful!” lad we didn't take no shelter under dat tree”
”A some joke about the storm, but now the fun was knocked completely out of hiht, and for once all hands felt thoroughly, miserable Several times they essayed to start a fire, by which to dry the hot to drink, but each time the rain put out the blaze