Part 20 (1/2)

”There must be a lake on the other side of the bank,” said Brace eagerly.

”No,” replied the captain; ”only one of the creeks that run inland among the trees. Come, do you know what that is?”

”It sounds like an alligator splas.h.i.+ng about in shallow water,” replied Brace.

”You've hit it first time, squire. It's a big one las.h.i.+ng about with its tail to stun the fish so that they float up ready for his meal.

That's right, isn't it, Mr Briscoe?”

”Quite,” said the American. ”I've seen them doing it in the Mississippi swamps; but they were only small ones, five or six feet long. This one sounds as if it were a thumper.”

”Yes,” said Sir Humphrey, ”I suppose there are monsters in these waters.

Ah!” he continued, as the splas.h.i.+ng grew louder; ”that sounds like a warning to us not to think of bathing while we are up the river.”

”Bathing!” cried the captain. ”I should think not. You can't do it here, sir, for, besides alligators and different kinds of pike, these waters swarm with small fish that are always savagely hungry. The big ones are plentiful enough, but the little ones go in shoals and are as ready to attack as the others, and they have teeth like lancets, so take care.”

The splas.h.i.+ng ceased, and this seemed to be the signal for fresh sounds to arise both up and down the river and from the forest depths on either bank, till the night seemed to be alive with a strange chorus, which, as Brace and his companions listened, culminated in a tremendous crash, followed by a dead silence.

”Whatever is that?” whispered Brace.

”Big tree tumbled,” said Briscoe carelessly.

”But there is no wind--there was no lightning.”

”No,” said the American, ”but it had to tumble some time. You often hear that in the woods: they go on growing and growing for hundreds of years, and then they stop from old age and overgrowth, and begin to rot and rot, till all at once, night or day, the top's too heavy for the bottom, and down they come. We'll go and have a look at that one in the morning.”

CHAPTER TEN.

IN THE BLACK FOREST.

There was a fascination about that night scene which kept Brace and his brother on deck for hours trying to pierce the black darkness, and whenever they made up their minds that it was time to go down to their berths something was sure to happen in the mysterious forest depths or near at hand in the river.

One time it was a piercing cry as of someone in agony; at another a sneering, chuckling laugh taken up in a chorus as if by a mocking party of strange watchers, who, accustomed to the darkness, could see everything going on aboard the brig; whisperings; sounds of crawling creatures pa.s.sing over sticky mud and wallowing impatiently in their efforts to get along; peculiar angry barkings uttered by the alligators; and a dreadful rustling in the trees, which Brace felt certain must be caused by huge serpents winding in and out amongst the branches.

He suggested this to the captains who uttered a grunt.

”Very likely,” he said. ”They do creep about in that way after the monkeys. 'Tis their nature to. This is the sort of country for those gentlemen, both the dry ones and the wet ones.”

”I don't understand you,” said Brace. ”Oh, you mean the boas and the anacondas.”

”That's right, squire, and I daresay we shall see some tidy big ones.

Yes, that sounds like one working about. Ah! he struck at it and missed, I should say. Bit disappointing, for snakes like their suppers as well as other people, and I'm going down to have mine. Are you coming?”

”No,” said Brace decisively; ”I'm going to stay up here and listen.”

Sir Humphrey and Briscoe elected to do the same, and for another hour they listened, and watched the display made by the fireflies; while every now and then, as the muddy water trickled and seemed to whisper against the sides of the brig, the listeners were startled by some strange splash close by, which sounded to them as if the river swarmed with huge creatures which kept on swimming around and beneath the vessel, partly attracted by curiosity as to the new visitor to their habitat, partly resenting its presence by splas.h.i.+ng and beating the surface as they rose or dived.

”It's all very interesting,” said Briscoe at last, ”and I could stop here all night watching and listening; but we must have sleep, or we shall be no good to-morrow, so I'll say good night, gentlemen. If anything happens, my gun and rifle are both loaded, and I'll come on deck directly.”

”That's right,” said Brace sharply. ”But what can happen?”