Boy Aviators in Africa; Or, an Aerial Ivory Trail
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CHAPTER IV
THE WITCH-DOCTOR
Bright and early the next day Frank and Harry were up and stirring,and the other members of the party were not long in joining them.The almost innumerable packing cases and chests containing theduffle, ammunition, armament and the sections of the Golden Eaglewere scattered about the little "compound" or garden of M.Desplaines' residence, having been brought ashore overnight by acrew of Kroomen. M. Desplaines appeared while the boys were stillcontemplating their outfit and wondering if it would be possible toaccommodate it all in the little flotilla which, it had beenarranged previously, was to take them up the river to the campingplace from which they were to strike out for the Ivory Mountain.
"I really almost envy your trip," he said, "although it will befraught with danger. Still you go well armed and provisioned, andfrom what I have heard of you, you are not the sort of boys to let afew obstacles upset you."
While they were still talking and waiting for breakfast to beannounced they were joined by a singular figure. It was that of awhite man in rather shabby ducks and crowned, as was M. Desplaines,with a huge, white pith helmet. Over one shoulder he carried agreen butterfly net and under one arm he had tucked a tin box.Round his waist was a leather belt from which hung, in addition to arevolver and cartridges, a glass bottle with a wide stopper with achloroformed sponge reposing in the bottom. It did not need theintroduction of the newcomer by M. Desplaines as Professor AjaxWiseman, to tell the boys that Dr. Wiseman was a naturalist.
"My dear professor, what are you doing here?" exclaimed M.Desplaines as soon as the introductions were over.
"I arrived this morning from Grand Bassam on a coasting schooner,"replied the professor, carefully setting down his tin box. "I havea remarkable specimen of the Gladiolus Gorgeosi in there," heremarked importantly. "I am contemplating a trip into the interiorvia the Bia River and came to you to see if you could arrangetransportation."
M. Desplaines looked at the boys.
"These young men have engaged the steam launch, to tow theirexpedition up the river," he said hesitatingly; "they are going on ahunting trip, into the interior, and have, I venture to say, one ofthe most complete outfits I have ever seen."
The naturalist looked wistfully at Frank.
"I suppose there would not be the least objection to my availingmyself of your assistance in getting up the river," he said,blinking behind his spectacles like an old bat who has unexpectedlyemerged into the sunlight. "I have only two canoes and as I carrymy own attendant I shall be no trouble."
"We shall be delighted to accommodate you," rejoined Frank heartily,"but I shall have to place one restriction on you. When we reachour destination we must part company as we have work to do of aconfidential nature. Our employer, Mr. Barr--"
"Old Luther Barr," burst out Professor Wiseman suddenly.
"Why, yes," rejoined Frank, rather taken aback, "you know him then?"
"I--I have heard of him," replied the other with a slight hesitancywhich was, however, so faint as to be hardly noticeable. The voiceof Madame Desplaines summoning them to breakfast broke off anyopportunity for further questions on a matter that plainly, for somestrange reason or other, seemed to have heartily interested--evendisturbed--the naturalist. Frank felt troubled for a moment at theidea of having let Professor Wiseman form a portion of their partyeven for a short distance. But he dismissed the idea almostinstantly. The queer expression that passed over ProfessorWiseman's face at the mention of the ivory trader's name might havesimply been due to astonishment at hearing it again. Still Frankdecided to keep an eye on Professor Wiseman.
The conversation at breakfast naturally enough dealt with the littleknown country the boys were to penetrate. Then it was for the firsttime that they heard mention of the mysterious tribe of the FlyingMen who were reported to be equipped with rudimentary wings--likethose of an undeveloped bat with which they managed to flit fromtree top to tree top like true flyers.
"Oh, come," laughed Billy, "I've heard of tailed men and whiteAfricans with red top-knots like Lathrop, but a race of winged menis coming it too strong."
"Laugh if you like," declared Professor Wiseman who had brought upthe subject, "but some time ago I articulated a skeleton brought meby an Arab slave trader and found extending from the shoulder bladetwo distinct bony frames which had in life apparently been coveredwith a thin fleshy substance of leathery like tenacity stretchingthence to the wrists. I asked the slave trader where he had foundthe skeleton," went on the savant, "and he told me he had comeacross it at the foot of a giant silk cotton tree in the Bambaracountry."
The boys exchanged glances. It was to the Bambara country--thecountry of the legendary Flying Men--that they were bound.
"Is any more known of this tribe?" inquired Frank.
"Very little except what you can pick up from the natives, which islittle enough," replied Professor Wiseman, "they seem to have adislike to speaking of the Flying Men--to whites at any rate. Ithink, too, they fear them. Report has it that they live incave-like holes in the side of a giant, black basalt cliff reachedby a subterranean river. They reach the ground by taking shortflights from the holes they live in and regain the cliff dwellingsby means of rope ladders formed of twisted creepers."
"Then they cannot fly upward?" asked Frank.
"It would seem not," replied the naturalist, "their wings only serveas gliders. Possibly once in the remote ages they could fly as wellas great birds but with the course of the ages and disuse theirwings have dwindled."
As may be imagined the idea that within a short time they were tobe in the country of the mysterious tribe caused a tremendous stiramong the boys and when after breakfast their strange friend of thenight before, Sikaso, appeared they at once overwhelmed him withquestions. But strangely enough Sikaso made no reply to their eagerqueries.
He shook his great bead and seemed to be embarrassed, if not by fearat any rate by reticence.
"In Misoto Mountains many strange Ju-jus (fetishes)," he said in anawed tone, "Misoto Mountains no good for white boys--white boys stayaway."
"Not much," chimed in Harry, "that's just where we are going."
"You go Misoto Mountain," said the giant black in an astonishedtone.
"That's what we are," exclaimed Lathrop.
The black gazed at the ground and drew a small circle on the dustwith his toe. In the center of it he made a cross.
"That my dukkeri (fate)," he said slowly, "you go, Sikaso he go too.I see it in the smoke."
"Saw it in the smoke?" repeated the amazed boys.
"In smoke of Ju-ju fire I see it written. I see five go, three comeback, in smoke too. I have spoken."
He stalked off as I suddenly as he had the night before and left theboys to gaze in a bewildered way after his huge figure as it swungdown the road.
"That fellow's the best disappearer I ever saw," said Billy Barnesat length.
"I wish he'd stop that stuff about 'five go three come back,"' saidLathrop, "it gets on your nerves."
"What could he have meant by seeing it in the smoke?" asked Harrybewilderedly.
"Just this," broke in a quiet voice behind them. It was ProfessorWiseman, who had glided up to them as silently as a cat. "It is acommon trick among the witch doctors--of whom our friend yonderseems to be one--to divine events by means of the smoke from a firebuilt to the accompaniment of special incantations."
"Well, that's cheerful," commented Billy, "but tell us, Professor,how often do they hit it right?"
"Nine times out of ten, young man," said Professor Wisemanimpressively fixing Billy with his gaze just as he would haveimpaled a bug or grasshopper, "and the tenth time they come so nearthe truth as to be uncomfortable."
"I have heard of such things, but I always put them down asimpossibilities," gasped Frank.
"Just travelers' tales," said Billy.
"There are many things for the young to learn in Africa," remarkedProfessor Wiseman coldly and gazing at Billy with s
quashingintentness; "the young do not believe many things merely becausethey are young--and foolish."
"Gee! that was a nailer for fair," said Billy afterward. "I felt asif the Doc was running a big blue pin through me and sticking me ona bit of cork."
That morning, as the start for the interior was not to be made tillthe next day, M. Desplaines asked the boys if they would care to trya little fishing at the foot of the famous Jumbari Falls which layon a branch of the Bari river a short distance from the town. Ofcourse the boys assented eagerly, but as it was found that onlyFrank and Harry were expert canoeists, it was agreed that the othersshould fish from the bank while the two young leaders trolled theirlines from a native built craft. This canoe was kept at the falls--towhich they tramped the two miles overland by a narrow trail.
The falls were a magnificent sight. From a dark red rock, fully twohundred feet in height, a great volume of water poured its roaringcurrent into a boiling pool below. The cliffs shot up sheer on allsides and were covered at the bottom with luxuriant green growthlike seaweed, while higher up, ferns, as big as rose-bushes at home,and trees of a hundred varieties clung wherever they could find aroot-hold. As the party arrived at the top of the ravine and gazeddown, the uproar of the water was so terrific as to render anyspeech inaudible. M. Desplaines, who led the party, pointed to ahole in the rocks and a second later vanished into it.
At first, consternation seized on the boys who thought that anaccident had happened, but seeing not hearing Professor Wiseman'sreassuring laugh and noticing him plunge after M. Desplaines, theboys rightly concluded that the aperture was a subterranean entranceto the foot of the falls. And so it proved. A steep flight ofsteps was cut in a deep cleft of the cliff down to the water's edge.A few minutes after they had begun the descent, the little party stoodon the brink of the whirling pool into which the mighty falls roaredtheir thousands of tons of water. Following M. Desplaines, theyadvanced down the stream to a point where a bend shut off like arock curtain the deafening uproar of the cascade. Here a canoe laymoored and Frank and Harry stepped into it and shoved off. Theirlines and other equipment they had in their pockets.
As they shoved out M. Desplaines shouted something that they did notcatch and pointed down the stream. How near the fact that theycould not hear his words was to come to costing them their livesneither of the boys guessed.