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Rob Harlow's Adventures: A Story of the Grand Chaco, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 37. The Last Days |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN. THE LAST DAYS Food was served out, the men drank eagerly of the water passed to them, and poling, wading, and tracking with a rope, the boat began to ascend the rapid, while the long lake-like reach was left behind, a turn or two completely hiding the enemy from sight; and though twice over they heard their shouts and yells, the scare created by the explosion had been sufficient to make them give the party what Shaddy called "a wide berth." "How far have we to go up this river?" asked Brazier as the men toiled on, wading and tracking in a part that was one furious torrent, which threatened to swamp the boat. "Ah, that's what I can't tell you, sir," answered the old sailor. "I've only got notions, you see." "Notions, man?" "Yes, sir: that if we go right up to the head of this stream we can make a portage somewhere, and strike another, which will lead us down east, and so hit the Paraguay again." Rob laughed, and the man gave him an inquiring look. "Make a portage," he said, "and strike this stream and hit that? Not very plain English, Shaddy." "Then I don't know what is," growled the old sailor, who held up his hand and listened for a few moments. "Thought I heard 'em coming up after us," he said. "Strikes me, Mr Rob, that you'd better have another of them powder tins ready, so that we could contrive to let it off and startle 'em, if they come nigh. We've plenty of powder, and it's better than shooting the poor wretches, who don't know any better. They're used to seeing one thing kill another, and I suppose they think they ought to do the same, and we can't teach 'em any better." It was rapidly getting dark now, but they reached the top of the torrent, passing again into comparatively smooth water, along which the boat was rowed for some distance before a suitable spot was found for the night's shelter--a night full of anxiety, during which careful watch was kept. But day broke without there being any sign of the enemy, and as soon as a hurried meal had been despatched, at which they had to dispense with freshly made bread and tea, the men, too, with their mate, a new start was made, and another rapid ascended, after which for many miles the river wound, with plenty of deep water, through valley after valley. All this time they were on the alert for pursuing Indians, but by degrees they were able to feel confidently that they had journeyed beyond the territory occupied by the inimical people, and Brazier began his collecting once more, and the boys their fishing and shooting. "It's absurd, Rob," said Brazier one evening, when the crisp cool air told that they must during the past week have attained to far above the dense forest regions. "I could have filled this boat a dozen times over." "Yes," said Rob, peering hard at the stacks of dried and half-dried plants around them; "but you have got a great many." "A mere nothing, boy, as compared to what there is about us! Why, up here we are surrounded by quite a different growth of flowers and plants." "And the birds are different, too, and the insects, and fish, specially the latter," said Rob drily. "Indeed? I did not notice anything about the fish." "Good reason why," said Rob, laughing merrily: "there haven't been any to notice." Two days after, when they were in quite a desolate region, where the trees and shrubs were thin and poor, Shaddy came to Mr Brazier to announce that he and two of the men were going to leave them camped for a few hours, while they sought out the most likely course for their portage. "But surely it will be impossible to work the boat along overland," said Brazier. "We shall have to go back." "To meet the Indians, sir? No, that wouldn't do. Perhaps I'm wrong, but we're up here now where several streams begin, and if we can only find one, no matter how small, that flows to the east, we're all right." The men set off the next morning as soon as it was light, and the party in camp shot, collected, kept up the fire, and waited impatiently for the return of the little expedition, but waited in vain; and at last in alarm Rob and Joe set off in search of them, tramping till midday and stopping to rest by a fount which bubbled out of the earth and flowed away. After resting a while they started again to tramp here and there for hours in the beautiful region near the camp, to which they returned without having seen a sign of those they sought. It must have been toward morning that Rob, who was keeping watch, heard distant voices, and hailing, to his great delight heard an answer. Ten minutes later the guide and his two companions staggered up to the fire utterly exhausted, for they had finished their supply of food, and were worn-out with their exhausting tramp. "Well," said Mr Brazier, after the men had taken a good long rest, "have you found the river to which we are to take the boat?" "No, sir. I'm all wrong, and we shall have to go back. There isn't a stream runs toward the east anywhere near here." "That there is," cried Joe, "for we found one yesterday." "Eh? What? Where?" cried Shaddy, springing up, utterly forgetful of his weariness; and following the two lads, who warned him that the water was of no use for a boat, the fount was reached, and, after a very brief examination, Shaddy cried,-- "There, I'm growing old and worn-out. You two lads found directly what we three men, used to the country, couldn't see." "But this place is of no use!" cried Rob. "What?" "There are only a few inches of water." "Well, they'll help carry the boat, won't they? and the water flows our way." "But you can't get the boat along." "Eh? Eight of us, and not get that boat half a mile downhill? Wait a bit, my lad, and you'll see." The lads did see, for after three or four days' arduous labour expended in getting the boat up a long slope, she was guided into a great groove in the mountain side pieces of wood placed beneath her, and from that hour it was not a question of dragging, but of holding back the vessel, till the stream was struck far below its source. Here there was no smooth water to float her, but still, as Shaddy said, enough to help lift her over the shallows, with here and there a good stretch of deep channel, along which they floated merrily before there was any need for fresh toil. At the end of a couple of days several tiny streams had increased the body of water, and soon after they had rapids to descend, while at the end of another day so many had been the additions that the little river had grown to be of respectable size. It was all steady descent now till a lake was reached, across which an outlet was found leading exactly in the right direction, Shaddy declared. The river proved to be fairly smooth and deep, so that the work grew very light, and the only one on board who bemoaned their fate was Brazier, who had to pass endless specimens which he could not have for want of room. "If I'm right in my calculations, Mr Rob, sir," said the old sailor one morning, after many days' journey, "we shall hit the big river before to-night, and not very far from the falls." "What falls?" asked Rob. "The great cat'ract which comes down a big gorge, which hasn't been explored yet, and which we might as well try if Mr Brazier thinks good, for I should say there's a deal to be seen in a land like that, where no man has been as I've ever heered on." "I'll ask Mr Brazier, and hear what he says," said Rob. But the naturalist thought they had done enough for one trip. The guide was right, for as evening drew near a peculiar dull, heavy roar came to them on the wind, and this increased till it was felt to be prudent to moor the boat for the night. The next morning the roar which had been in their ears all night increased, and long before noon they had glided imperceptibly into the great river, which here rushed along so impetuously that much care was necessary in the navigation of their overladen craft. But the weather was calm, and the guide's knowledge of the management of a boat as near perfection as could be, so that in due course, after three or four more halts, they rowed one day close up among the shipping lying off the city from which they had started, and here, while waiting for an opportunity to take passage, with the great packages of plants they had prepared, they found time to make short expeditions up the river, one of which was to the mouth of the swift stream which swept off west through the great veil of trees, and from which they had struck out north and made quite a circuit through an unknown land. A month later Brazier and Rob were once more on board Captain Ossolo's great orange schooner, which, deeply laden as it was, found room for the specimens collected amidst so much peril and care. The hours and days flew swiftly now amid rest and ease, use making them pay little heed to the constant ether-like odour of the orange cargo. Then, after checks on sandbanks and hindrances from pamperos, Buenos Ayres was touched at, then Monte Video, with its busy port. Here there was a long halt before a passage could be taken east, and Rob and Brazier had plenty of opportunity for studying the slaughter of cattle, salting of hides, and to visit the home of the biscacho, that troublesome burrower of the pampas and layer of traps for unwary horsemen. At last the vessel by which they were to return was loaded up, and good-bye said to the worthy Italians, father and son, the former being warm in his thanks for the care taken of his boy. "What," cried old Shaddy as he stood on the deck of the great vessel the day they were to sail, "good-bye? Not a bit of it, Mr Rob, sir! All being well, if you and Mr Brazier don't run out to try and find a way up the gorge where the great falls rush down, I'm coming over to the old country to see you. But there, you'll be out our way again soon." "What did Naylor say?" asked Brazier that evening. "That he could take us to fresh places where you would find plants more worthy of your notice than those you found." "Ah! Yes," said Brazier thoughtfully as he watched the fading shore. "I should like to go again in spite of all we suffered. As for you, Rob, I suppose you would not care to go again?" "Not care to go again!" cried Rob; and his eyes grew dim as he half closed them and recalled to memory the great rivers, the glorious trees, and the many wonders of those untrodden lands. "I could go back now," he said, "and face all the fight again;" but even as the words left his lips other memories came floating through his brain, and from that hour his thoughts were directed eastward to his kindred and his native land. [THE END] _ |
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