Rob Harlow's Adventures: A Story of the Grand Chaco

by George Manville Fenn

  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 ascendthe rapid, while the long lake-like reach was left behind, a turn or twocompletely hiding the enemy from sight; and though twice over they heardtheir shouts and yells, the scare created by the explosion had beensufficient to make them give the party what Shaddy called "a wideberth."

  "How far have we to go up this river?" asked Brazier as the men toiledon, wading and tracking in a part that was one furious torrent, whichthreatened to swamp the boat.

  "Ah, that's what I can't tell you, sir," answered the old sailor. "I'veonly got notions, you see."

  "Notions, man?"

  "Yes, sir: that if we go right up to the head of this stream we can makea 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? Notvery plain English, Shaddy."

  "Then I don't know what is," growled the old sailor, who held up hishand and listened for a few moments. "Thought I heard 'em coming upafter us," he said. "Strikes me, Mr Rob, that you'd better haveanother of them powder tins ready, so that we could contrive to let itoff and startle 'em, if they come nigh. We've plenty of powder, andit'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 thinkthey 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 thetorrent, passing again into comparatively smooth water, along which theboat was rowed for some distance before a suitable spot was found forthe night's shelter--a night full of anxiety, during which careful watchwas kept.

  But day broke without there being any sign of the enemy, and as soon asa hurried meal had been despatched, at which they had to dispense withfreshly made bread and tea, the men, too, with their mate, a new startwas made, and another rapid ascended, after which for many miles theriver wound, with plenty of deep water, through valley after valley.

  All this time they were on the alert for pursuing Indians, but bydegrees they were able to feel confidently that they had journeyedbeyond the territory occupied by the inimical people, and Brazier beganhis collecting once more, and the boys their fishing and shooting.

  "It's absurd, Rob," said Brazier one evening, when the crisp cool airtold that they must during the past week have attained to far above thedense forest regions. "I could have filled this boat a dozen timesover."

  "Yes," said Rob, peering hard at the stacks of dried and half-driedplants around them; "but you have got a great many."

  "A mere nothing, boy, as compared to what there is about us! Why, uphere we are surrounded by quite a different growth of flowers andplants."

  "And the birds are different, too, and the insects, and fish, speciallythe latter," said Rob drily.

  "Indeed? I did not notice anything about the fish."

  "Good reason why," said Rob, laughing merrily: "there haven't been anyto notice."

  Two days after, when they were in quite a desolate region, where thetrees and shrubs were thin and poor, Shaddy came to Mr Brazier toannounce that he and two of the men were going to leave them camped fora few hours, while they sought out the most likely course for theirportage.

  "But surely it will be impossible to work the boat along overland," saidBrazier. "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 onlyfind 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 partyin camp shot, collected, kept up the fire, and waited impatiently forthe return of the little expedition, but waited in vain; and at last inalarm Rob and Joe set off in search of them, tramping till midday andstopping to rest by a fount which bubbled out of the earth and flowedaway. After resting a while they started again to tramp here and therefor hours in the beautiful region near the camp, to which they returnedwithout having seen a sign of those they sought.

  It must have been toward morning that Rob, who was keeping watch, hearddistant voices, and hailing, to his great delight heard an answer.

  Ten minutes later the guide and his two companions staggered up to thefire utterly exhausted, for they had finished their supply of food, andwere 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 astream 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 ofhis weariness; and following the two lads, who warned him that the waterwas of no use for a boat, the fount was reached, and, after a very briefexamination, Shaddy cried,--

  "There, I'm growing old and worn-out. You two lads found directly whatwe 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 ourway."

  "But you can't get the boat along."

  "Eh? Eight of us, and not get that boat half a mile downhill? Wait abit, my lad, and you'll see."

  The lads did see, for after three or four days' arduous labour expendedin getting the boat up a long slope, she was guided into a great groovein the mountain side pieces of wood placed beneath her, and from thathour 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 goodstretch of deep channel, along which they floated merrily before therewas any need for fresh toil.

  At the end of a couple of days several tiny streams had increased thebody of water, and soon after they had rapids to descend, while at theend of another day so many had been the additions that the little riverhad grown to be of respectable size.

  It was all steady descent now till a lake was reached, across which anoutlet was found leading exactly in the right direction, Shaddydeclared. The river proved to be fairly smooth and deep, so that thework grew very light, and the only one on board who bemoaned their fatewas Brazier, who had to pass endless specimens which he could not havefor want of room.

  "If I'm right in my calculations, Mr Rob, sir," said the old sailor onemorning, after many days' journey, "we shall hit the big river beforeto-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 beenexplored 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 noman has been as I've ever heered on."

  "I'll ask Mr Brazier, and hear what he says," said Rob. But thenaturalist thought they had done enough for one trip.

  The guide was right, for as evening drew near a peculiar dull, heavyroar came to them on the wind, and this increased till it was felt to beprudent to moor the boat for the night. The next morning the roar whichhad been in their ears all night increased, and long before noon theyhad glided imperceptibly into the great river, which here rushed alongso impetuously that much care was necessary in the navigation of theiroverladen craft.

  But the weather was calm, and the guide's knowledge of the management ofa boat as near perfection as could be, so that in due course, afterthree or four more halts, they rowed one day close up among the shippinglying off the city from which they had started, and here, wh
ile waitingfor an opportunity to take passage, with the great packages of plantsthey had prepared, they found time to make short expeditions up theriver, one of which was to the mouth of the swift stream which swept offwest through the great veil of trees, and from which they had struck outnorth and made quite a circuit through an unknown land.

  A month later Brazier and Rob were once more on board Captain Ossolo'sgreat orange schooner, which, deeply laden as it was, found room for thespecimens collected amidst so much peril and care.

  The hours and days flew swiftly now amid rest and ease, use making thempay little heed to the constant ether-like odour of the orange cargo.Then, after checks on sandbanks and hindrances from pamperos, BuenosAyres was touched at, then Monte Video, with its busy port.

  Here there was a long halt before a passage could be taken east, and Roband Brazier had plenty of opportunity for studying the slaughter ofcattle, salting of hides, and to visit the home of the biscacho, thattroublesome burrower of the pampas and layer of traps for unwaryhorsemen.

  At last the vessel by which they were to return was loaded up, andgood-bye said to the worthy Italians, father and son, the former beingwarm in his thanks for the care taken of his boy.

  "What," cried old Shaddy as he stood on the deck of the great vessel theday they were to sail, "good-bye? Not a bit of it, Mr Rob, sir! Allbeing well, if you and Mr Brazier don't run out to try and find a wayup the gorge where the great falls rush down, I'm coming over to the oldcountry 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 moreworthy 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 halfclosed 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 hislips other memories came floating through his brain, and from that hourhis thoughts were directed eastward to his kindred and his native land.

  THE END.