CHAPTER XI
THE VAMPIRES
Tom Swift looked deliberately around. It was characteristic of himthat, though by nature he was prompt in action, he never acted sohurriedly as to obscure his judgment. So, though now Ned showed atrace of strange excitement, Tom was cool.
"What is it?" asked the young inventor. "What's the matter? What didyou think you saw, Ned; another alligator?"
"Alligator? Nonsense! Up on shore? I saw a black shadow, and I didn'tTHINK I saw it, either. I really did."
Tom laughed quietly.
"A shadow!" he exclaimed. "Since when were you afraid of shadows, Ned?"
"I'm not afraid of ordinary shadows," answered Ned, and in his voicethere was an uncertain tone. "I'm not afraid of my shadow or yours,Tom, or anybody's that I can see. But this wasn't any human shadow.It was as if a great big blob of wet darkness had been waved over yourhead."
"That's a queer explanation," Tom said in a low voice. "A great bigblob of wet darkness!"
"But that just describes it," went on Ned, looking up and around. "Itwas just as if you were in some dark room, and some one waved a wetvelvet cloak over your head--spooky like! It didn't make a sound, butthere was a smell as if a den of some wild beast was near here. Iremember that odor from the time we went hunting with your electricrifle in the jungle, and got near the den in the rocks where the tigerslived."
"Well, there is a wild beast smell all around here," admitted Tom,sniffing the air. "It's the alligators in the river I guess. You knowthey have an odor of musk."
"Do you mean to say you didn't feel that shadow flying over us justnow?" asked Ned.
"Well, I felt something sail through the air, but I took it to be a bigbird. I didn't pay much attention. To tell you the truth I wasthinking about Beecher--wondering when he would get here," added Tomquickly as if to forestall any question as to whether or not histhoughts had to do with Beecher in connection with Tom's affair of theheart.
"Well it wasn't a bird--at least not a regular bird," said Ned in a lowvoice, as once more he looked at the dark and gloomy jungle thatstretched back from the river and behind the little clearing where thecamp had been made.
"Come on!" cried Tom, in what he tried to make a cheerful voice. "Thisis getting on your nerves, Ned, and I didn't know you had any. Let'sgo back and turn in. I'm dog-tired and the mosquitoes are beginning tofind that we're here. Let's get under the nets. Then the blackshadows won't get you."
Not at all unwilling to leave so gloomy a scene, Ned, after a briefglance up and down the dark river, followed his chum. They foundProfessor Bumper and Mr. Damon in their tent, a separate one havingbeen set up for the two men adjoining that of the youths.
"Bless my fountain pen!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, as he caught sight of Tomand Ned in the flickering light of the smudge fire between the twocanvas shelters. "We were just wondering what had become of you."
"We were chasing shadows!" laughed Tom. "At least Ned was. But youlook cozy enough in there."
It did, indeed, look cheerful in contrast to the damp and dark jungleall about. Professor Bumper, being an experienced traveler, knew howto provide for such comforts as were possible. Folding cots had beenopened for himself, Mr. Damon and the guide to sleep on, others,similar, being set up in the tent where Tom and Ned were to sleep. Inthe middle of the tent the professor had made a table of his own andMr. Damon's suit cases, and on this placed a small dry battery electriclight. He was making some notes, doubtless for a future book. Jacintowas going about the camp, seeing that the Indians were at their duties,though most of them had gone directly to sleep after supper.
"Better get inside and under the nets," advised Professor Bumper to Tomand Ned. "The mosquitoes here are the worst I ever saw."
"We're beginning to believe that," returned Ned, who was unusuallyquiet. "Come on, Tom. I can't stand it any longer. I'm itching in adozen places now from their bites."
As Tom and Ned had no wish for a light, which would be sure to attractinsects, they entered their tent in the dark, and were soon stretchedout in comparative comfort. Tom was just on the edge of a deep sleepwhen he heard Ned murmur:
"I can't understand it!"
"What's that?" asked the young inventor.
"I say I can't understand it."
"Understand what?"
"That shadow. It was real and yet----"
"Oh, go to sleep!" advised Tom, and, turning over, he was soonbreathing heavily and regularly, indicating that he, at least, hadtaken his own advice.
Ned, too, finally succumbed to the overpowering weariness of the firstday of travel, and he, too, slept, though it was an uneasy slumber,disturbed by a feeling as though some one were holding a heavy blackquilt over his head, preventing him from breathing.
The feeling, sensation or dream--whatever it was--perhaps anightmare--became at last so real to Ned that he struggled himself intowakefulness. With an effort he sat up, uttering an inarticulate cry.To his surprise he was answered. Some one asked:
"What is the matter?"
"Who--who are you?" asked Ned quickly, trying to peer through thedarkness.
"This is Jacinto--your guide," was the soft answer. "I was walkingabout camp and, hearing you murmuring, I came to your tent. Isanything wrong?"
For a moment Ned did not answer. He listened and could tell by thecontinued heavy and regular breathing of his chum that Tom was stillasleep.
"Are you in our tent?" asked Ned, at length:
"Yes," answered Jacinto. "I came in to see what was the matter withyou. Are you ill?"
"No, of course not," said Ned, a bit shortly. "I--I had a bad dream,that was all. All right now."
"For that I am glad. Try to get all the sleep you can, for we muststart early to avoid the heat of the day," and there was the sound ofthe guide leaving and arranging the folds of the mosquito net behindhim to keep out the night-flying insects.
Once more Ned composed himself to sleep, and this time successfully,for he did not have any more unpleasant dreams. The quiet of thejungle settled down over the camp, at least the comparative quiet ofthe jungle, for there were always noises of some sort going on, fromthe fall of some rotten tree limb to the scream or growl of a wildbeast, while, now and again, from the river came the pig-like grunts ofthe alligators.
It was about two o'clock in the morning, as they ascertained later,when the whole camp--white travelers and all--was suddenly awakened bya wild scream. It seemed to come from one of the natives, who calledout a certain word ever and over again. To Tom and Ned it sounded like:
"Oshtoo! Oshtoo! Oshtoo!"
"What's the matter?" cried Professor Bumper.
"The vampires!" came the answering voice of Jacinto. "One of theIndians has been attacked by a big vampire bat! Look out, every one!It may be a raid by the dangerous creatures! Be careful!"
Notwithstanding this warning Ned stuck his head out of the tent. Thesame instant he was aware of a dark enfolding shadow passing over him,and, with a shudder of fear, he jumped back.
Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders; Or, The Underground Search for the Idol of Gold Page 11
