pale tela Site tee ts 9 ie Bee Si reat eee bel neta ee fig eR RS Ee + ‘ erees : a P Seta Rye raat me. Reman Lwtr rhe k Apri se ped are Fae ewe air ie : F * i 2 Sow. s " prs i is r bee» , es Bee 7 ae Cad . ; + 4 >§ G-PI MRADES | ALONG THE ORINOCO | A / * eee cae ‘ - ae er g (mos f Prd Pad 3 Taran er keene! ; Og Spenser le Oo art { ~ Psp Jord “~ *t tee ro a : 3 < (aes a 2 & in ees Bx ey The object swung to and fro. THE MOVING PICTURE COMRADES ALONG THE ORINOCO FACING PERILS IN THE TROPICS BY ELMER TRACEY BARNES ay Cc THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY Chicago pre Ual CHG New York | ADE IN U. CONTENTS PAGE Down THERE IN PANAMA...... gD ree BMP TING GATT oc eae vs vce bc 21 In A VENEZUELA FOREST. ............-. 30 Tue Btow-Gun Birp HunTER........ 38 Wuen Tum Jacuar LEAPED.......... AT WHE GCANNIBAG IISH 6.) 6l4 66s 5 ee ae a 3D Tur TROUBLES OF BALLYHOO.......+.. 63 ~ Taxing Big CHANCES. .......000- SVeepkae DOSING His BEARINGS) 604100 cs eae Bk Tse LONE CAMP-FIRE........-.. Tee 90 SHOOTING AN ANACONDA.........0000¢ 98 =e MONKEY BRIDGE vii oe eee fon a 107 Tur Fright DowN THE ORINOCO...... 118 Trin UC AMBURH. 020 oie dace cdeces 12T Tuer SERPENTS IN THE SKY............ 134 FLYING BEFORE THE STORM........... 141 Wuart to Do IN AN EMERGENCY...... 149 Pee ALIIGATOR URAPs Soo. es ce. owas 158 ‘“‘NotHING BUT TROUBLE FOR Batuy- PEE eee ney od OV ELE OM ouc Onin 168 Svocess Aun ArouND—CovucLusion... 176 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES ALONG THE ORINOCO CHAPTER I DOWN THERE IN PANAMA ‘‘Tuis makes the fourth day, recollect, boys, since we said good-bye, and bon voyage to Cap- _tain Barnaby Shooks and his diving-boat, Argo- naut!?? “‘Yes, and they’ve passed all the way through the canal long before now. Barring accidents, they must be a whole day’s journey from Colon, and booming northeast through the Gulf of Mex- ico, bound for good old Baltimore.’’ **Shucks! that’s what I call hard Inck, fellows! We thought to take it easier waiting here at Pan- ama for that Hawaiian steamer due tomorrow, when we might have been well on our way home right now.’’ **But we all agreed, you remember, Ballyhoo, that life aboard a submarine crait got mighty monotonous. Besides, you kept bumping that 14 ‘THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES poor head of yours so often against the low eeil- ing in the cubbyhole of a saloon where we dined — that Jack and myself began to be afraid for a brains.’’ ‘Small loss if they had run out, Oscar. Aug = how, such a thing would have proved that I did — possess a few; and some folks I’ve known in old Melancton, where we all live, used to say they be- lieved my skull contained only a horrible vacuum.’’ _ **Besides,’’ continued the serious looking young | : fellow answering to the name of Jack, “‘we took — so many splendid motion pictures of submarine’ — life, away down at the bottom of the sea, that _ my supply of films had about run out; thoughfor =— that matter we found the second lot waiting for 1163 = here when we arrived.’’ These three enterprising young chaps were | eS : walking leisurely along a street in Panama while chattering at such a lively rate. As some of My readers may not fully understand the subject of their conversation, 1t seems advisable to intro- duce Oscar and his comrades before going gud va further. Oscar Farrar, Jack Anderson and “Ballyhoo”? = Jones, otherwise Jonathan Edwards Jones, were _ chums who had latterly seen a number of remark- able episodes, as have been set forth at length in the three preceding volumes of this Series, to — which the reader who desires to know the full par-_ ticulars is referred. They all lived in the town of Melancton, site. oe Se ae ix’ Js TK, 4G ALONG THE ORINOCO 15 ated in the Eastern part of the United States. Os- car’s guardian was named Doctor Felix Clements. The boy had been left quite a fortune, and as he showed a disposition to use due care in spending his money, he was allowed great latitude by the ge- nial old physician, whose one hope was that Oscar would eventually follow his own beloved profes- sion. ‘*Ballyhoo’’ Jones had come by his queer nick- name through being gifted with a high order of mimicry. His ability to imitate a whole menage- rie, as well as the barkers who shout at the en- trances to the side shows, soon caused his numer- ous boy friends to look upon him as associated im some way with a circus; so they commenced calling him ‘‘Barker,’’ and finally this changed into ‘‘Ballyhoo,”’ which in stroller language means the same thing. Jack Anderson was possessed of a single yearn- - ing, which was to produce such remarkable mo-. _ tion pictures of strange things seldom dreamed of by ordinary people, that they would create a sen- sation. His father had been an artist along simi- lar lines, and was lost for several years in the heart of Africa; but rescued in a most peculiar and thrilling manner by Oscar and his two chum S, as related in an earlier book.* ; Their latest project had been along remarkable ~ lines, since it took them aboard a submarine built _ ‘The Motion Picture Comrades through African ae Jungles. > Govieomcnes since asseng ere - rule carried on the Hawaiiai ‘steamers _ So here they were, spending the tim were around hot Panama, and taking in _ Jack had secured s 80 nan: ALONG THE ORINOCO 17 gan to yearn for the more bracing atmosphere of ‘their Northern home. hen something happened that lke magie changed all their plans, and brought the Motion Picture Comrades face to face with an alluring proposition that tempted them amazingly. As they sauntered up to the hotel that day they saw a strange face at the door. Ballyhoo had casually mentioned the fact that he understood a certain Professor Yardley had arrived on the steamer that morning, and expected to spend a number of months deep in the forests of Vene- gzuela searching for rare plants, especially along the orchid line. They immediately guessed that this gentleman must be the professor, for he wore glasses, and looked the part. To their surprise he smiled, and held out his hand. ‘“Which one of you boys happens to be Jack __Anderson?’’ he asked. ‘‘I know an uncle of yours in Washington very well, and heard considerable about the great stunts you and your two chums were pulling off in the line of remarkable motion pictures. When I learned that you were right here in Panama I told myself I would make your acquaintance, if I had to stay over another boat.’’ Of course that caused Jack and the other two. more or less satisfaction, for it is always nice to be appreciated; and especially when the one who says kind words has made a reputation in the world of science second to none. : So they all sat down in the reading room of 2—A.O 18 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES — the hotel, and, being coaxed to tell some of the things they had seen and endured since commenc- ing this business of picture taking, in due time the professor was put in possession of innumera- ble incidents. Ballyhoo in particular excelled all records in reeling off some of the queer things that had befallen them. m They liked Professor Yardley from the very start. He possessed a personality that drew peo- ple to him. Ballyhoo told himself before they had known the other ten minutes that he would like to spend a month in camp with a man whose wide knowledge of all animated nature afforded him such a foundation for relating interesting and thrilling incidents connected with his own life work. a In the midee of their chat the professor pean denly beckoned to a young man who had entered the place. S ‘‘T want you to know,”’ he told Oscar and the others, ‘‘my companion and fellow worker on this” expedition, Philip Jenks, a relative of one of the — greatest authorities on natural history and or-— nithology this country has ever produced. Philip, these fine young fellows are Oscar Farrar, Jack Anderson and—excuse me for taking liberties, but it comes so natural to say it—Ballyhoo Jones, the boys of whom I was telling you on the steamer.”” Young Jenks was undoubtedly greatly pleased — to know them, if his hearty handshake meant any- thing. On their part, the three chums realized that he was no common young fellow, but an ear-_ ALONG THE ORINOCO 19 ‘host student; and, if he had any of the famous _ Jenks’ blood in his veins, possessed of an over- _ powering ambition to equal his uncle’s SMa I as an authority on birds. ‘“You see, we make a very evenly balanced team,’’ Professor Yardley went on to say. ‘‘*I’m meaning to devote my whole time to plants, while Philip expects to search for several new and un- known species of feathered life, which it is sus- pected will be found deep in the forests of Vene- _guela. Professor Frank Chapman has spent much time studying bird life in this region, and the glowing reports he brought home with him have “been the main reason for our being dispatched on another expedition. ”’ This was all mighty interesting to the chums. They themselves had been through a certain © amount of experience along the line of venturing into almost unknown regions, and consequently could appreciate what lay before these two am- bitious scientific gentlemen. _ **Tt’s plain that you expect to-have a wonderful trip of it, Professor,’’ Oscar told the elder gen- tleman after they had listened to dozens of things the adventurous pair had laid out to do; in imagi- nation seeing them passing day after day up the _ rivers, with their weird tropical foliage, and past cas forests populated by strange animal denizens, un- til the picture thus painted looked very alluring. © **Yes,’’ added Jack, heaving a sigh; ‘‘some of these fine days I’m hoping I may have a chance to : - go on just such a cruise as that, and take pictures 20 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES — of the wonders of the tropical woods, just as we did in Africa. We thought when we got home from the Dark Continent we’d seen enough of that sort of Pune but I often look See on those days — with envy.’ Professor Yardley gave Philip Jenks a quick look and a smile. Then turning upon the three boys he went on to say deliberately: | ‘'Well, you’ll never have a better opportunity to gratify that longing than now; for we’d be de- lighted te have the three of you join our party!”?? _ CHAPTER II THE TEMPTING BAIT BatiyvHoo Jones caught his breath, while his eyes glistened with a suddenly aroused hope. Jack, too, stared as though he had received a shock; while Osear’s face betrayed the fact that the dea so suddenly held dangling like a prize be- fore them also gave him a certain amount of genu- ine pleasure. ‘Oscar, let’s say yes!’’ exclaimed Ballyhoo, with his customary impulsiveness. **Perhaps we could manage it,’’ Jack added; *fand, anyway, thank goodness that extra lot of ‘special films got here safe and sound. Only for that I would be left in the lurch.’’ “You see, Oscar,’’ ventured the professor, who had discovered long since that the Farrar boy was in reality the leader of the trio, whose opin- ion carried great weight, ‘‘both your chums seem to take kindly to my proposition. Please weigh it well, and if you can see your way clear to ac- eepting, Philip and myself will be simply de- lighted to have such jolly companions with us.’’ Oscar appeared willing at least to talk it over, and that opened the flood-gates of oratory. Both 21 22 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES the scientific gentlemen began again to tell of title fascinating things they anticipated running across, and what magnificent pictures Jack could secure that would pay him for the time and ex- pense a hundredfold. ‘‘Of course,’’ the young photographer went on to say, as though figuring it out how he expected to surmount what few obstacles might rise up to confront them, ‘‘I could send my submarine films through to the Company in charge of the captain of the steamer. That letter would make him our > friend, right enough, and he’d see that they got safely in the hands of the president. So that much needn’t stop us.’’ Osear laughed. | eee begins to look as’ though a majority i is” against me in the very start!’’ he exclaimed.. “But let’s go slow about this until we figure things out. We would have to cable to our folks what we were meaning to do, and also write the particulars so they’d know where we were. That much for a beginning. ”’ By now both Jack and Ballyhoo were growing enthusiastic; and it may be easily understood that the profedier and Philip Jenks egged them on whenever they saw an opportunity to put in a good word, or give a sly shove. ‘‘We expected to be gone several months when we started out this time,’’ Ballyhoo was saying, ‘Sand because our work with the old submersible wound up so much sooner than any of us thought possible is no reason why we have to put for home aoe aan. ALONG THE ORINOCO 23 ina big hurry. We’re entitled to a long vacation; and somehow I’ve always wanted to hunt a jaguar, and see what a tapir looked like. Oscar, is there any real good reason why we shouldn’t say yes?”’ Tf you put it at me that way, Ballyhoo, I’ve got to admit there isn’t,’’ the other told him. At that Ballyhoo jumped to his feet and acted as though ready to dance a hornpipe, only he sud- denly remembered where he was, and that his ac- tions might draw a crowd. Carried along with the tide, Oscar decided that there was no use trying to resist the temptation ‘by which they were beset. So he turned to Pro- fessor Yardley and held out his hand. : **If suitable arrangements can be made, so that _ we will not be crowding you too much, Professor, I don’t see why we shouldn’t go along with you, and see with our own eyes. some of the interesting sights you’ve been telling us about, since this ‘makes your fifth visit to South American wilds.’’ _ After dinner had been dispatched they talked matters over again, and many things were ar- ; ranged. The professor agreed to post the boys as to what they should lay in, with regard to sup- plies of clothing, and such comforts as are always carried by up-to-date parties venturing into a __ wilderness where stores are an unknown quan- tity. _ Fortunately the boys were bountifully sup- _ plied with funds, because they had found few Bee paper turiiticn for spending a great deal since leav-. 24 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES ing home. Indeed, the man of science gladly agreed to purchase the things they would need, and have them sent to the hotel to be packed that evening; for the small steamer upon which he and Philip Jenks meant to start for the Venezuela coast town was to leave Colon on the following day. ‘*We might as well start into this “baat with a rush,’’ laughed Oscar, ‘*When once you’ve de- cided to do a certain thing, what’s the use of mak- ing two bites to a cherry? I’m only fang Hine to see how easy it is to find excuses when ven ’ve set your heart on a thing.’’ ‘Everything goes!”” sang out Ballyhoo. ‘I’m meaning to lay in more ammunition for our re- peating rifle the first thing. You see, we didn’t really expect to make much use of firearms aboard a diving-boat, and so we fetched only a belt of car- tridges. But now the case is different, and I must look out we’ve got evenes to get us all the the we want for grub. ‘‘T carry a rifle with me,’’ said prokesene Yard- ley, ‘‘and Philip of course depends on his small- ‘bore double-barrel shotgun to get his bird speci- mens. But you are wise to lay in a stock of am- munition. It is sometimes greatly needed on these explorations into South American wilds, where even experienced travelers are likely to get tempo- rarily lost.”? Even talk like this did not have any dampening effect on the enthusiasm of the Motion Picture Comrades. Ballyhoo had a settled habit of never ALONG THE ORINOCO 25 worrying about the future so long as the present looked pleasant; and as for Jack, he was already beginning to see glorious visions of new worlds to conquer in the line of bewildering films that would be stamped with approval by a critical pub- lic. : They soon started forth to carry their plans through. Jack had his precious films seeurely wrapped so that they could stand much rough usage without being injured. He expected to hand them personally to the commander of the big American-Hawaiian steamer, which was really due at some time during the coming night, but would not start through the canal until noon of ~the following day. _ The cablegram was sent off, and letters would follow, fully explaining the reason for their abrupt change of programme. Doctor Clement would see that Jack’s folks and the Jones family were duly notified that lengthy letters were on the way, also how they were sending the under-the-sea sets of motion pictures. ‘ - All went like clock-work, as Ballyhoo remarked more than once. He was fairly bubbling with de- light over the prospect of seeing some big game again. When, however, Jack chanced to tell him that there was also a member of the boa constric- tor snake family known by the name of anaconda in South America, some of which were said te measure forty feet in length, the Jones boy gave a little gasp, and looked a trifle pale; for he had been a witness to the constricting power of such af gee tc Ser none oe ee 9 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES ee hideous reptiles, and carried the horrible picture in his mind to that day.* ‘“We had made arrangements for two long Ca- noes to take us up the river, with our luggage and camp followers,’’ the professor told them that evening at supper; ‘‘but it will be little trouble to engage another boat, with a crew of Indian row- ers. You see, we have quite an amount of stuff to carry along connected with our business. I ex- pect to secure a vast quantity of orchids and other rare plants to bring back; and Philip here will undoubtedly have stacks of birdskins, to be later on mounted for the National Museum at Wash- ington, by whom we are both sent out.’’ ‘‘So far as that goes,’’ said generous Oscar, ‘‘what’s to hinder us from engaging two extra ca- — noes for our share of the trip. The money part of it doesn’t cut any figure with us; and we want — to be comfortable. We had almost fifty in our party at one time out in Africa, because every — pound had to be carried on the heads of our por- ters.’’ = ‘‘T heard about those pictures just before leav-— ing Washington,’’ continued Professor Yardley, — ‘‘and fully meant seeing them, but a hurry call from the Department sent me off before the time appointed. I shall give myself the pleasure of — looking them up as soon as I get back home. And certainly I shall enjoy them ten times more after ‘The Motion Picture Comrades through African Jungles *’ | _ ALONG THE ORINOCO 27 having the participants at my campfire for so many weeks.”’’ He had seen to every little detail necessary, and _ the things purchased having been delivered at the hotel, they meant to pack before retiring that night. Osear was struck with the exactness shown in all these little things. He afterwards discov- ered how a man of science, accustomed to risking his life in all sorts of queer corners of the globe, must of necessity learn to be thorough in every- thing he undertakes, no matter how trivial it may appear; for his very existence may depend on the reliability of a rope, or the material of which a paddle is composed. Very likely the boys did not sleep quite as sound as usual that night. It was not on account of the warmth of their big room, either, nor yet the fact that a few voracious mosquitoes had managed to gain access to the apartment through a hole in the window screen. The future that beckoned _ with rosy fingers possessed an attraction in its - very novelty that caused endless thoughts to pass in review through their brains, and this condition was not conducive to sleep. So morning found them. Jack quickly discov- ered that the big steamer had arrived, and _straightway, after an early breakfast, he and his chums posted off to get aboard and meet the cap- tain. This courteous gentleman, upon learning from Jack’s letter just who and what they were, accorded them an interview, and asked nearly a thousand questions concerning their previous ad- ol ae x “know how such young. = aoe =o Osear SS care of the package. or ae Jack | S iahda: and assured the anxious phe tograpl - they would be plates in the pn ts. “ness. oa | eee It was. atiueh that the sal trading ts amer | “which they had taken sag qtenye: Colon on the | ee le ihe main part of the ig im 1 Coto se 3 ey ALONG THE ORINOCO 29. on the previous season when returning home after _ six months in Peru among the lofty Andes. Ali went well, and they reached Colon in safety. On the following morning they saw their posses- sions put aboard the steamer, and along toward _ ten o’cloek the coasting vessel was well on her “way, bearing the expedition toward their intended destinatien. CHAPTER III _IN A VENEZUELA FOREST Two weeks later those whom we saw meet so strangely in Panama might have been discovered far up a river in Northern Venezuela, with quite a flotilla of queer-looking native boats, each manned by a number of lusty Indian rowers. Seated in the shade under the awnings that kept off the sun’s heated rays were the three boys and their new friends, Professor Yardley and Philip Jenks. : They had met with the customary number of de- lays, but thanks to the patience and untiring abil- ity of the veteran organizer of exploring expe- ditions all troubles of this nature had at length been brushed aside; and finally the start was made. They were now almost a week on the way, and rapidly getting into a most interesting secu of the country. : When they learned they were heading ae the : country of the famous Orinoco River, that drains such an enormous territory, and that they did not expect to have to make a ‘‘carry’’ with their boats and cargoes, the boys were at a loss to nua stand it. | ges 30 ee. ALONG THE ORINOCO 31 ‘Why, how can that be,’’ Ballyhoo Jones had asked. ‘‘As near as I can remember from study- ing geography the great Orinoco empties into the Atlantic Ocean some three hundred miles or more to the east of here. I also know that it’s got lots _ of mouths, like the Nile, only more so, and they’re scattered over a whopping big country; but this ‘river we’re ascending from the sea right now can hardly be one of those.’’ | **In one way you’re right,’’ the professor had told him, ‘‘because at certain seasons of the year | this river flows normally northward into the sea; but during, and for a time after, the rainy season the whole country is partly overflowed, and at _ such a time one can paddle all the way from the Gulf to the Orinoco. In fact, this river flows both ways, paradoxical though that may seem.’’ Oscar remembered reading about such a thing, though never anticipating that he would see it for himself. They had already witnessed plenty of in- teresting sights, and Jack had even started to work with his camera, getting the flotilla, some of the camps, and certain stretches of the river that appealed to him as well worth the effort, show- ing what a rank growth of vegetation those humid South American wilds afforded. Each of the boys sported a real machete, which they meant to carry with them at all times. In- deed, except for the assistance of this long heavy knife used by Cubans, Malays and most people of the tropics, it would be utterly impossible for any - one to make his way through the tangled growth 32 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES of hanging vines and dense vegetation to be met with on every hand, so that a passage had often to be actually hewed out with lusty strokes right and — left. : Ballyhoo seemed to never tire of watching the dusky fellows use the oars. He was reminded, when night time found them making camp on the shore, of other similar scenes in connection with _ their African venture, when those happy-go-lucky blacks used to sit around and chant their weird songs that had such a wild monotone. Only these Indians did not sing, or appear merry at any time. They were a serious lot, and only induced to un- dertake the job that was offered because they needed the money, and the food was far better than they could ever hope to enjoy if they ae in their village hovels. As for Ballyhoo himself, he was the life of the camp. His spirits seemed to be at the boiling point every night, no matter how exhausting the day’s trip had been on account of the extreme heat and moisture. He would sing songs, dance in half a dozen ways, and perform antics that shamed the very monkeys they saw occasionally in the trees. It was the delight of the boy’s heart to mimic astonished simians, and get them to chattering with rage. Once he even infuriated an old gray- haired monkey up in a cocoanut tree close to the river brink so that the other bombarded him with green nuts, which Ballyhoo neatly dodged, and then gravely thanked the hairy thrower for send- ing at his head, as that was just what he wanted. Hive 7 é a ‘fa r : Tk ane i come, also tha punbers iid the pri- é ns ; but we who are accustomed to such things a con sane of the reward ene us if we are 1] cae ae had spent more or hate ae on so ae new chile of ain nor did he hesi- her Profesor ‘Chapman had recommended xy gf ys bs night? 8 rest, ae pri { t y On one occasion when they had h to make a longer run than usual a ashore in the gloom of evening, tl ey h - made camp than they found then sae ten million terrible ants fois " } any twilight or aye | i out of feent it seu as Giapss t Bat rah ee same there were play of ‘ strange noises, and the boys had to ask many 0 uestions before they could identify the species of bird or animal from which these proceeded. ed The huge ugly vampire bats gave Ballyhoo the ; most - uneasiness. Once he had awakened in the — dead of night, and by the light of the flickering _ nay camp fire discovered some weird shape fluttering ; - le the hammock — in which at the time he | hg oe ft chanced to be lying. Then his horrified eyes ‘is- covered that the creature was an enormous bat with ¢ a wide § sweep of wings, and that it was calmly en; aged i in sucking blood from one of his own bare - feet that had chanced to be exposed. 3a Iyh60 had eben a whoop and a jump that ) se ast frighte that he never pent: to Te without guarding against Naina of ae espe rence, And ‘many Stn A a alge aa all: ie Cae declared’ heey made fas think of ee > as he had seen the Evil One depictedincol- ( 8; and on that account alone he believed he was oing a good work i im decimating the numbers of ay me which iM called “blo ge od He (ae 36 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES — Jenks had discovered the presence of a bird in the vicinity that he was eager to possess; and as the main object of the whole enterprise was to accomplish just such ambitions, of course comfort or progress must not be aoe to enter into their considerations. So it came about that with the sun still a couple of hours high, the boats were, at a signal from the headman in charge, who took his orders direct from Professor Yardley, turned in toward the shore, where a likely spot seemed to invite their -serutiny. After it was settled that this would make an admirable camp, preparations looking to that end were next in order. Soon quite a bustling scene was being captured by Jack, busy turning the crank of his camera. The sunlight, falling on the picture, gave it a won- derfully pleasing aspect, and he did not believe he could ever improve on that opportunity to show how explorers in South American wilds clear the ground with \their machetes, get their tents — erected, spear fish in the river for supper, make ~ fires, and in numerous ways prove themselves _ equal to the occasion. Meanwhile Ballyhoo Jones had aecepted the ~ urgent invitation of Jenks to accompany him in a little turn around. The woods seemed somewhat — more open than usual, so that they might expect — to eover considerable territory before coming back. By always keeping the river on their left they would know which way to turn when niet to ‘ start for the ane again. a iis whimpering of monkey babies, the ¢ ] scolding of hairy mothers, or argumentative _ rs; odd grunts which may have proceeded | | some wandering tapir, though Ballyhoo was to see his first animal of this hog species, at t, in its native woods 5 the cries of various oe CHAPTER IV THE BLOW-GUN BIRD HUNTER Wuat Ballyhoo Jones saw thrilled him to the core. It was no monstrous snake waiting to cast its coils about an unsuspecting victim; nor yet a slinking jaguar endeavoring to pounce upon its intended dinner. Instead, the boy discovered a human figure creeping silently through the growth of tropical plants and vegetation, ever and anon stooping over, and constantly displaying a won- derful knowledge of wooderaft while passing: : along. It was a wild Indian, almost naked, and with long black hair that gave him a peculiarly fiendish s appearance. Apparently the native did not sus- pect the presence of whites nearby, being wholly engrossed with creeping closer wpon some object that he meant to bring down after ee own pe-— culiar fashion. ‘*See what he’s got in his hands,’’ whispered i Jenks in the other’s ear. Ballyhoo had already noticed the long reed-like : affair, bound securely with some species of na- ‘ tive cloth, as though to render it still more im- | 38 ALONG THE ORINOCO 39 pervious to the admittance of air, save at either end. It must have been all of five or six feet long, Ballyhoo reckoned. ‘SA blow-gun?’’ his lips framed, though never ‘a sound was emitted, probably in fear of being in- cautious, and attracting the attention of the wild Indian. Jenks just nodded his head, which satisfied the boy, who again glued his eyes on the form of the creeper, bent upon seeing what use he meant to make of his singular weapon. Ballyhoo had read of these things, and that the Indians of the Ori- noco, as well as along certain tributaries of the mighty Amazon, are wonderfully expert in send- ing out their little darts to a distance that would. seem almost impossible, and with incredible ac- curacy. | He found himself all in a shiver, not of fear, but rather expectancy. At the same time it did strike Ballyhoo that some accounts stated how these nomads of the dense South American for- ests were in the habit of dipping the tiny points of their arrows in some poison, which they se- cured from adders, or other deadly snakes. | ‘*Look beyond, and see what he’s after,’’ came again in a whisper in Ballyhoo’s ear. He had no trouble in seeing. Up there far above the ground in a lofty tree something gorgeous at- tracted his eye. It was a bird, and not of the com-. mon macaw or parokeet species, either, but with beautiful tail feathers that grew to an astonish- ing length. Ballyhoo guessed that if there were \ 40 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES Birds of Paradise in tiees forests between the — coast and the Orinoco, he was looking at one just then. It also struck him that young Jenks must nave some such glorious bird in mind when he started out on this very tramp around the river camp. And now to think that they should come upon a magnificent specimen, with a native creeping up — bent upon securing the bird for disposal to some Indian half-breed trader later on. Still Ballyhoo was pleased with the thought that now he should see for himself whether those wonderful stories he had read concerning the ex- pertness of these Indian hunters had any founda- tion in fact. And, strange as it may seem, he found himself wishing Oscar and Jack were only — there at his side, so that they too might be wit- nesses to the spectacle—perhaps with Jack turn- ~ ing his crank, and filming the Indian in the act of using his blow-gun. Now the hunter seemed to believe he had gained a position where the bird was within range, for they saw him thrust the long tube slowly upward until 1t was pointing directly toward that gay- plumaged object far above. Ballyhoo plainly detected the Indian’s cheeks puff out, just as a bugler might do when about to sound “‘taps’’ or the ‘‘reveille.’’ Then came an — odd sound. Ballyhoo could ou liken it to a frog popping into the pool, or a cow’s hoof ie out of the mud. He knew the dart had gone forth on ie pee. | | } Bre showed a landsitien to turn his donde ae ae on ee the ‘young naturalist started ce ] a ‘up both hands, palm outward, as he ed, Ballyhoo knew that this was the recog- — r d ‘‘peace sign’’ all over the wide world, and — a | ; in all piebaty there does not exist sh 42 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES signs both of fear and rage. They saw him bound back, and Ballyhoo had a chilly sensation sweep over him as he began to believe the wild looking figure meant to insert another dart in his blow- gun, this time perhaps one of the poisoned va- riety, kept for human enemies. Reasoning thus, Ballyhoo brought his rifle half- way up to his shoulder. The mere thought of shed- ding human blood was repulsive to the boy, though if forced to accept such a dreadful al- ternative he knew he must be brave, and ready to do his full duty. | How glad and relieved Ballyhoo felt when he saw that the native had suddenly changed his mind. His fears had evidently got the better of his temerity, for turning on his heel he fled like the wind. It was astonishing how cleverly he managed to pass in and out of great tangled masses of vegetation that would have blocked ie passage of any white man. They watched until he had quite wane in the . near distance. Then Jenks once more eagerly pushed ahead. ‘‘T must get that bird, above all things,’’ he told his companion. ‘‘It was the very species I started out hoping to run across; and to think — how strangely it comes into my possession. Well, T have made a supper from a fish which fell be- side me a full mile away from any water, and on looking up found that an eagle had chased an osprey fish-hawk and failed to clutch the descend- ing prize in time. So a scientist bird specimen ~ ALONG THE ORINOCO — 43 hunter learns to accept all kinds of favors grate- fully.’’ ‘*T’d like to have that arrow for my share in the hunt,’’ said Ballyhoo. ‘‘It’ll be a good thing to recall the adventure in days to come. And, say, didn’t he make a bull’s-eye shot, though? Why, it would have taxed the carrying qualities of your little scatter-gun to bring down that same bird, . but that dart went true to the mark.”’ They were compelled to hunt for a long pole before they could detach the dead bird from the top of the tall Spanish bayonet plant, Ballyhoo expressed his ardent admiration for the magnifi- cent plumage of the prize. **There are certainly some magnificent birds down here,’’ he observed as he stroked the richly colored feathers, ‘‘if only it wasn’t so terribly hot and sticky. Why, I’m in a bath half the time, what with the heat and atmosphere; and I have to keep vaselene in the barrel of my gun right along so as to prevent rust.’’ _ “*Well, I’m satisfied now,’’ remarked! Philip . Jenks; ‘‘that is, there’s no need of our keeping up the hunt. Perhaps it would be just as well for us to strike back to the river, and reach camp.’’ The way in which he shot a suggestive look in the quarter whence the wild Indian had last been seen excited Ballyhoo’s apprehension. **Do you mean he’s got companions over yon- der that he might fetch back with him, and make us prisoners?’’ he exclaimed, frowning. ‘‘That’d be anything but pleasant and comfortable. For 44 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES - all we know thesé fellows with the blow-guns may ) be regular cannibals. I don’t know for certain whether they have such people down here in the Orinoco country, but we heard of them in Africa; yes, and I saw one man they said had disposed of lots of his enemies; for, you see, they believe that all the best qualities of their victims will pass on to them after the ceremony is earried through. But if you say hike, let’s be starting, Philip.’’ ‘Wait a bit,’’ the other went on to say, as though a bright idea had come to him. ‘‘I’d like to try and let that Indian know that while I’ve eribbed his. bird, I don’t mean to rob him out- right.’’ ‘‘But however can you do that,’’ asked Bally- hoo, wonderingly, ‘‘when the fellow has ht out from here?’’ ‘*There’s a possible chance that he may come back again to search for our tracks and try to follow us,’’ answered the naturalist. ‘I know a way to catch his eye if that should happen.” — Ballyhoo, who was hardly to be reckoned an ex- pert woodsman himself, watched the actions of his companion with more or less interest. And, indeed, young Jenks went about carrying out his — little scheme with the confidence of one who knew what he was doing. First he looked around, and seeing some reeds growing close by whipped out his hunting knife and secured one of these. This he shortened to about five feet, and at the smaller end he also slit it down for several inches. A. ALONG THE ORINOCO ons After that he pressed the reed into the ground © until it was firmly attached, and slanting at an angle of about thirty degrees. Then, taking out a large silver coin issued by the Venezuela Govern- ~ ment, he inserted this in the slit. ‘*Well, now,’’ remarked Ballyhoo, his curiosity satisfied, ‘‘I call that a lovely way of showing our copper-colored friend that we’re no robbers. If he comes back here and sees that money he ought to call it square. It’s as much as he ever would have gotten for the bird from one of those native. piratical traders, I guess.’’ *“Anyhow,’’ laughed Philip, ‘‘my conscience is elear. JI never meant to rob the poor fellow, and whether he gets this coin or not, I’ve done my duty. Now let’s strike out on a bee-line for the camp.”’ | Having had several never-to-be-forgotten | ex- periences in getting lost in the forest, Ballyhoo had managed to keep a pretty accurate mental map of the surrounding country in his head. That is, he believed he knew which way the river lay, and once that was gained all that would be neces- sary in order to reach the camp would be to turn to the left, and press on. Jté chanced that young Jenks was better posted even than that, for he did not waste any time in striking for the river first. His judgment regard- ing localities proved so good that inside of ten minutes after leaving the waving wand with the silver bait gripped in the crotch they heard voices, and then distinctly caught the smoke of the fire. 46 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES So in the end they walked into camp, with Jenks proudly holding up the beautiful specimen he had secured, showing by his looks that one of the ardent ambitions of his venture had been fulfilled. CHAPTER V WHEN THE JAGUAR LEAPED **T CONGRATULATE you, Philip,’’ called out Pro- fessor Yardley, as he advanced to take a look at the prize at close quarters, and almost immedi- ately added in apparent astonishment: ‘‘but what’s this I see sticking from the side of your bird. Since when have you taken to the blow- gun, my son?’’ Of course at this both Oscar and Jack pressed up. They saw from the expression on Ballyhoo’s face there was a story back of it.. This was soon told, and when Jack learned how the others had actually crouched there watching the Indian with his native weapon bring down the gloriously _ plumaged bird from a high tree, he shook his head, and was heard to say: ‘‘Hard luck! What wouldn’t I have given to _ have been there,’’ and of course they knew full well he meant with his camera, so as to secure a fine motion picture of the slaying of the feath- ered prize. Professor Yardley looked a little grave. | ‘*T hope it will blow over, and nothing evil come a. i 5 ad, RE VE aay We eee, . Pas W +) oe ~ Putte. 48 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES of it,’’ he went on to say; ‘‘but some of these Gr. noco Indian tribes are savage and unreasonable people. They hate the whites like poison, and ~ have little or nothing to do with them, selling what plumage they pick up to half-breed traders, and living as far away from the settlements on _ the Suata River as they can.’’ “Tt was unfortunate,’’ admitted young Jenks, ‘‘but I did the best I could to prove that we wanted to deal honestly by him. If he does find that silver, he may understand.’’ ‘“Well, there’s no use crying over spilled milk,’’ said the scientist, making the best of a bad bar- gain, as his class generally do. ‘*We must ex- ercise more care after this as we pass along the river; and when camping always keep a ee Ate ae the entire night.’”’ _ Nothing more was said just then, but the three boys felt as though some sort of shadow hung over their heads. Ballyhoo thought it made things seem a bit more exciting, though neither of the others appeared to exactly like the idea. In Os- ear’s mind things were lively enough without their incurring the enmity of savage native tribes, who might resort. to all sorts of desperate tactics in order, to encompass their destruction. Sure enough, the professor did lay out a pro- gramme of preparedness that night as they sat around and chatted. No fire was needed to keep them warm, and so the blaze was allowed to die down after it had afforded them due satisfaction — along with the getting of supper. | bs : fon an fla: stump of a monster for- re il that had been shattered by a, bolt of site 5 ie or Aironeh accident. ; : on he « came up to where the other hae , oe Didlorioasly. iter him. aver saw such easy fishing in all my life,? > he ‘niu ep enty. “All you have to 50 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES hook, and take off the fish. Now we can have a great mess of the same for breakfast. I hope, — sir, they’re of an edible kind, and that all my hard work hasn’t been wasted.”’ The professor thereupon told him he had par- taken of that same species of fish many times in — the past, and assured Ballyhoo they would be found equal to bass, with less bones in the bargain. ‘‘Now sit down here, Ballyhoo,’’ said Oscar, ‘‘and hear what we’ve been arranging. It’s ab- solutely necessary that we keep watch and watch through the night, to guard against any of those natives slipping in on us. Each will have an hour — and a half on duty, and arouse his successor, — when he’s done his bit, and ean then sleep out the balance of the night.”’ ‘ Oscar ay fests | he felt, at least had a way of Pees for expressing his feelings. This was Tee n b i vanes the bee 8 hand, and kissing it sev- Hate pale t he’ S Sines you may later on ane yecome pest oi man. “And ‘ ae | 62 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES to be a bigger man than myself in the minds of these Indians. They already look on you as a white wizard, and you know what that means. Like our North American Indians, they reverence © their ‘medicine-man’ down here, and he’s usually the same sort of a big fraud, trying to frighten the evil spirit of sickness away by making all sorts of queer noises, and with incantations.’’ And sometimes after that, when Ballyhoo felt like being humorous, he would address Osear as the ‘‘Big Medicine,’ the ‘‘Man who Talks with his Fingers, and drives the Bad Spirit away.’’ But it turned out that the work was well done, for the fish-bitten man never suffered eh more -— | than natural pain from his injuries. CHAPTER VII THE TROUBLES OF BALLYHOO Ir turned out that they were now getting in what the scientists of the expedition declared was the ‘*Promised Land’’ of enchantment, for both of them were beginning to find more and more specimens along the respective lines which they came after. Already Professor Yardley had collected quite a bunch of what he called rare plants, though to the boys they appeared to be nothing remarkable, except that in some instances they certainly ad- mired the rich, almost savage markings of the or- _ ehids which were found growing from crotches of trees, and making the air in the immediate vi- cinity almost sickening sweet with their strange exotic perfume. Philip Jenks too was gathering some varie- — ties of birds, the possession of which afforded him 2, vast amount of solid satisfaction. Here the boys were better able to understand and appreciate his feelings than in the case of the plant hunter; for some of these feathered creatures certainly 63 64 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES did present a bewildering appearance. They could imagine how splendid a showing they would — eventually make when properly mounted, and with a background in perfect agreement with the coun- try that claimed them for a habitat. Ballyhoo, however, was far from See True, he had something to his credit and took ex- ceeding great care of that jaguar pelt, which he — kept stretched out on a home-made set of sticks, se it would keep its shape while drying; nor did he allow it to lie in the hot rays of the sun, since Professor Yardley had told him it must dry only exposed to the air, and not to let the last rays of the sun get on it, The reason Ballyhoo felt uneasy was the fact that it kept him busy about half his time seratch- | ie ing. When a fellow itches all over from innumer- able bites from those venomous ants to mos- quitoes, and all sorts of other insects as well, he naturally Reson more or less nervous ane ugly. It was true back had given him a soothing: oint- ment with which he kept his whole person liber- — ally annointed, until he declared he felt like an ~ ‘‘Injun who was going on the warpath, and greased his hide so the enemy could not get a tight grip on him should they come to close quar- - ters.’’ 3 6T never in all my life saw so many varieties of blood-suckers as they have down here in this blasted country,’’ he would often say, as he wrig- — gled and squirmed and then dug at his calves furi- — ALONG THE ORINOCO 65 ously, against the protests of Oscar, who knew this only aggravated matters. ‘Well, they were pretty bad out there in Af- rica!’’ ventured Jack, but Ballyhoo instantly turned on him to say vindictively: *“Not a circumstance to what we’ve run across here, I tell you, Jack. Why, just stop and think of all the blood-thirsty wretches there are, from those whopping big vampire bats, down the line through fish, flesh and fowl, to the ants that will eat you alive if you give ’em half a chance. I’m going to keep a record of all the dreadful things that creep, crawl and fly around a camp here, just waiting to devour any poor fellow that hap- pens along.”’ Nevertheless, in spite of all his grumblings, _ which the others could pardon, for they knew Bal- lyhoo must suffer, he often threw this blanket aside, and was his old self, which meant the life of the party. _ “‘T’d give a heap,’’ he was heard to say one day as he looked longingly over the side of the boat at the water, ‘‘if I could only have a nice bath. But when I remember those cannibal fish, and hear a big ’gator splash nearby, or else think of what we’ve heard about those terrible electric eels that can give you an awful shock, why, I just make up my mind to forget all about being sanitary. No swim for me unless I find a nice little pond that hasn’t got rele leeches or other blood-suckers i in it? Jack was not sorry he had come, for he believed 5—A.O. >. 66 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES he was gradually accumulating a select stock of motion pictures that would well repay him for all his labor. As for Oscar, he never announced whether he regretted the step or not; but the chances were he felt satisfied. Seeing so novel a,country as the Orinoco region would be some- thing worth boasting about in future days, when — perhaps they had all fully grown, and were set- — tled down to their more staid life work, whatever ~ that might be. And now it came to pass that Ballpheo found | himself in another difficulty; for it did seem that ~ he could only keep out of trouble so long, and then had to tumble headlong into some sort of scrape that none of them had fore- ~ seen. | | : They were in camp at the time. A heavy wind had caused them to leave the river unusually early that day because of the difficulty in making head- way, the rowers being very nearly exhausted by - their efforts. ; At one time the professor had thought they — were about to have a heavy tropical storm come down upon them; and as they had passed through ~ several experiences along these lines they made — ample preparations to avoid being soaked _ through. It seemed, though, as if the wind had changed, for the clouds now looked much more broken. Ballyhoo had accompanied young Jenks again. It gave him something to do so as to work off a ae part of that nervous tension; and, besides, he was — ee “and 1 I’ve a good mind to take you | : Fin moet, Here’ s the river close ing and — ithe: aoe Ane ape ei 1 fs me ores lost here,’ ” as so nT RINE Epis? 68 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES - tle lesson, all right, and never again for me. Gimme what you want me to hand over to the pro- fessor, and I’ll be off.’’ Aecordingly he presently fed his back on Philip, who was already starting to creep toward that high tree with the dead top, where the envied — possessor of that big ivory bill kept up a rat- tat-too, as he knocked on wood to coax the hid- ing insects to peep out to see what was the mat- ter. a When Ballyhoo thus started for camp he never — dreamed that anything out of the ordinary would — happen to him. He meant to keep an eye on the > river, so that nothing could tempt him to wander away from its guiding care. If he came to a patch © of vegetation that barred further progress, he had his sharp-edged machete along, with which to hew — a path through the leafy barrier; though as a rule he preferred to go around, as it required less — waste of energy, and this meant have perviss on | such a terrible hot day. Once or twice the boy stopped to examine some- — thing that attracted his attention, for he had learned to keep his eyes about him at all times, — and observe such objects as seemed out of the ordi- t nary run. ae As yet he had failed to hear the report of Philip’s small-bore gun. Apparently, then, that — elusive bird with the ivory bill must have flown to — another tree, and tempted the ambitious vous | naturalist to chase after him. . ‘*Well, now,’’ Ballyhoo was saying to himself, ALONG THE ORINOCO 69 with something of a grin, ‘‘I hope he doesn’t go and get mixed in his bearings, and turn up lost. From all I’ve heard it wouldn’t be the nicest thing going to get wandering around in this awful wil- derness. I reckon it’d even be worse than stay- ing all night in a tree, with a pair of ferocious lions keeping guard below.’ * | _ Once he saw a peculiar track in the earth that interested him, as it was entirely strange to him. ‘Now. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that was made by a tapir,’’ Ballyhoo told himself. **1’7ll remember what it looks like so I can de- scribe it to the professor. He’ll be apt to know just what sort of a track one of those big hogs would make. And right here looks like a good place for snakes, so I’ll watch out.’’ 1 Serutinizing every hanging vine before trust- ing himself too near, he slowly kept on his way along. Once or twice he had little shocks when he fancied he could see some suggestive squirm- ing motion to one of those thick lianas; but a sec- ond and more comprehensive examination always relieved his mind. He may have gone something like a quarter of | the way to the camp from the spot where he parted company with Jenks, when again Ballyhoo stopped short. *‘Now, what under the sun was that queer “The Motion Picture Comrades through African Jungles. ’’ 10 | THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES noise?’? he muttered, glancing hastily around him. ‘‘I declare it sounded just like our old cat’s little bind kittens erying for dinner. And there it starts up again. I guess it must come from that bunch of brush ahead yonder, and I’ve got a good notion to take a look in.”’ | Had Ballyhoo been really wise, he would have immediately made a detour, and avoided that same bunch of brush as though it concealed a leper; but after all he was only an impulsive, and often thoughtless boy, acting upon the first inspiration © that surged into his mind. ' At least he advanced slowly and cautiously, holding his gun in readiness for instant work should anything warrant it. The queer eries con- tinued to well up, and further sonia ior Bally- hoo’s curiosity. ‘*“Must be kits, for a fact,’’ he said, ‘‘and mebbe belonging to one of those big tiger-cats m the bar- gain,”’ The thought sobered him, and he stood still for a minute, because there flashed into his mind a vivid picture of that jaguar he had seen drop into the boat, and madly attack the five occupants as though numbers never counted. ‘«Shucks! who’s afraid?’’ he presently told him- self, as he took a firmer grip on his rifle. ‘‘No harm just to take a peep at the little runts. I never saw baby tigers outside of a show, and I’d like to say I did. So here goes for a look, any- way!?? With that resolve the boy ane started slowly : ALONG THE ORINOCO 71 forward. louder and more insistent did those baby wailings arise, and Ballyhoo felt more dis- posed than ever to see what a jaguar’s cubs looked like. CHAPTER VII TAKING BIG CHANCES _ ‘“Wriw, I'll be jiggered if that doesn’t look cute, now. ‘Two of ’em, for a fact, and just like our kittens at home, only clumsier!’’ Ballyhoo was saying this as he thrust his head through some bushes and looked down on a couple — of objects that were sprawling there on what seemed to be a litter of dry leaves and rubbish. He made sure first of all to glance closely around, so as to be certain that the mother cat was not — in sight. The cubs were very young; in fact, they did not — seem to have their eyes fully open to the daylight. — Ballyhoo was very fond of all animals, and par- ticularly those that dwelt in the open. He could not resist the great temptation to say he had stroked the back of a jaguar cub, right there in its - lair. ‘‘Whoo! quit your spitting and snarling!’’ he muttered as his hand came in contact with the sleek back of the larger cub. ‘‘Did you ever see — anything to match that, I want to know. Why, the little chap never saw a human being in his life, 72 ALONG THE ORINOCO "3 and doesn’t know only by instinct that there are enemies in this old world, yet just see him strike up at me with his funny little paw, would you, while he snarks and spits just like our Puss does when a strange dog comes in the yard.’’ He persisted in patting the whelp of the jaguar. There was a sort of dreadful fascination, about it to Ballyhoo, although another boy might not have considered such an entertainment worth the risk. But Ballyhoo had seemingly forgotten all about the ferocity of the jaguar they had met on the river. True, he did keep a wary eye about him, | and held his gun in one hand, ready for business; but all the same he did not hasten away from so dangerous a spot, as a really wise boy would have done. _ Then a terrible temptation smote him. Bally: hoo never could fully and satisfactorily explain how he came to yield to it: He often declared he felt like a fool every time he remembered it, and wanted some one to kick him. But the tempter put it into his head to want to fetch one of those same cubs to the camp with him, just to show it to the other fellows. They | could then take it outside to the bush and leave it there, for its parent would of course easily find it again through that wonderful instinct of scent possessed by all wild animals. He shot another look around him. The coast seemed absolutely clear, and there was not a sign of any danger. 74 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES — Ballyhoo was one of those fellows who nearly always act on impulse, rather than obeying the cold dictates of reason. Allowing that thought to have dominion over him, he hurriedly snatched up one of the cubs, the larger at that, and tucked it — under his arm. The savage little atom struck wildly at ie oa - snarled something dreadful. Ballyhoo was half tempted to drop it. He began to wonder whether the mother could be approaching the spot, and so — hear the cries of her offspring, caleulated to tell her some enemy must be afoot. But Ballyhoo was also very stubborn. He hated to give up anything on which he had set his heart. So, turning, he backed out of the covert. | Once in the open, he started on a quick walk. As he went he kept turning his head this way and that, searching the bushes and tangled growth around him with his eager gaze. The fear in his heart was only kept down by pride; he told him- self that he would feel silly if he dropped the cub now, after making this start, and planning to show — it to Jack and Oscar. | So he kept on his way. The camp was any sO | distant but that he might expect to reach it before a great while. And that mother jaguar might be — far away, waiting in a crotch of a favorite tree to pounce on some animal below that would make a dinner for herself before she went back to feed her whelps. Several times he stopped to listen, thinking he had heard some sound nearby that to his heated ALONG THE ORINOCO 75 imagination took on all the alarming symbols of an avenging cry. Each time he sniffed, and even clung the more tightly to the squirming little body he had tucked under his left arm. ‘‘Stop your whimpering and complaining, can’t you?’’ he told his prisoner. ‘‘Nobody means to hurt you, silly little fool that you are. But then I suppose that’s only the wild animal instinct. Kiven a baby jaguar smells an enemy in a human being. Gee! I’m beginning to sweat like a work horse. I wonder is the camp much further now?”’ Then he perked up his ears again; for the third time he believed he had surely caught some sug- gestive sound that resembled the cry of a cat look- ing for its lost kitten. ‘*By ginger! I believe the old girlis after me!”’ Ballyhoo told himself, with just the faintest tremor in his voice, while his fingers tightened about his gun. | He glanced back of him, but quickly found that he had need of all his eyesight in another quarter, for he at once tripped, and came near sprawling flat. Nevertheless it might be noticed that he had now started into as much of a run as the tangled — growth by which he was confronted allowed. Strange to say, he still clung to the cub, such was his persistent nature. As his progress inereased, — and the sounds of pursuit became clearer, Bally- hoo would possibly change his mind about carry- ing the baby jaguar all the way to camp. ‘*But, then,’’ he reasoned, in his set way, ‘‘if wl fa A Mey Rae 76 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES things really get desperate, course I e’n drop the plagued thing. When the mother cat comes on it she’ll be satisfied, and not chase any further after — me. She’d better not, that’s all, if she knows — what’s good for her. I’d hate to kill the mother, and leave the cubs to starve to death, but then — they’re only Jaguars at the best, and killers of — other animals.’’ Ballyhoo could salve his elastic conscience in this fashion, but at the same time he soon began to wonder whether it was really wise for him to keep carrying that wretched little beast any fur- ther. It was struggling harder than ever now, as though it seemed to catch and recognize the cries of its parent not far distant. Some other animal sprang up ahead and rushed away. The sound of its passage gave Ballyhoo a — sudden sensation, as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured down his back. His breath too was beginning to come in pants, owing to the en- ergy he had to put forth in order to make for- ward progress. ) ‘‘Guess the game is up,’’ he muttered, angrily, for he did hate to give over any project, however — simple, on which he had set his heart. ‘‘I’ve either got to get rid of this eub or else kill its mammy. Well, all right, if you object to being made a show of I’ll have to say good-bye. But, anyway, I’ve had one in my hands, which 1s some- thing. 9 | He had not ened while saying this. Aten het utes, even seconds, were too precious to admit of ALONG THE ORINOCO 17 any such prodigal waste of time. Those strange eries were certainly getting close by now, and he might expect to see the enraged mother come leaping out of the bushes without much She er delay. So Ballyhoo dropped the cub. He did not throw it angrily down, but actually stopped to place it gently on the ground, which was after all a very | strange thing for a poy to do under the circum- stances. After that he gave a hurried look around, and then started off again. In fact, all this while in his haste the boy had taken very little heed as to which way he was going; to the right or left he had ducked, attracted more by some promising opening in the thick growth than any choice of di- rection. _ He had hardly managed to press on a score of paces when he heard a sound back of him that thrilled him to the core. It was the cry a cat might be expected to give utterance to on discov- ering a lost kitten. -Ballyhoo could not resist the temptation to look over his shoulder. He saw a flash of dun-colored © sides, and then there was an enormous jaguar standing over the spot where he had left the cub. So far as the boy could tell, the mother was. lick- ing the sleek coat of the baby. Of course her - wonderful scent would immediately tell her that a profane hand had lately held her offspring. Ballyhoo wondered if the insult would stir her blood to the fighting pitch, or whether, satisfied 78 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES —_ now that she had recovered her own, the animal would go back to her lair. pho Then to his alarm he saw her raise that head with the short ears and the glaring eyes. She was looking straight at him, it seemed. The boy’s blood ran cold. He jumped to the conclusion that — the beast meant to spring after him, bent on aveng- ing her wrongs. Ballyhoo was so impressed with this thought that he even started to run, as it happened there appeared a little opening before him. Perhaps when the jaguar saw that he was departing she — would’ hesitate to leave her cub unprotected \ again. All might have gone well but for an unexpected accident. In plunging forward so hurriedly Bal- lyhoo managed to rush straight into a series of hanging vines, and, as luck would have it, he caught his leg in a crotch, so that he was thrown heavily to the ground. The first thing that came into his mind was the terrible thought connected with one of those mon- strous anacondas the professor had been telling them about. Ballyhoo had once seen a black caught in the tightening folds of a boa constric- tor, and could realize the horror that must come over any one thus trapped. He had struck rather heavily, and was a little ; dazed, but the first thing he did was to throw up his hand and feel to see if his worst fears would be realized. When he made the discovery that it was after all only a nest of tenacious lianas, hang- ALONG THE ORINOCO 79 ing from the limb of a tree, into which he had rushed, at least his mind was relieved to a certain extent. Then another fact confronted him. It brought troubles of its own to cause the boy a renewal of his fears. Try as he would, he did not seem able to break away from the tenacious grip of those vines. In some strange fashion they had wound themselves about his leg, or rather his foot; and although he tugged desperately until there was danger of dislocating his ankle, it was without any appreciable result. 3 He was surely trapped, and with that savage jaguar only forty feet or so away, ready to spring and tear him to pieces. Ballyhoo then remem- bered about his rifle. It had been in his hand at the time he took that nasty header, but he cer- tainly did not have it now. The shock of his fall must have torn it from his grasp. He looked frantically about, hoping to see the faithful gun on which his very life might depend lying within easy reach. Then he could snatch it up, squirm around so as to face the enemy, and prepare to fight to the last. There was a grievous disappointment in store for Ballyhoo. True enough, his rifle was there in plain sight, but it had been hurled far enough away so that no matter how he strained his body he could not come within twenty inches of the end of the stock! Never in all his life had Ballyhoo Jones found himself in such a dreadful predicament as just 90 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES then; and if he could have been given an oppor. tunity to figure out what his feelings were, douhbt- less he would have bitterly repented of his rash act in meddling with that jaguar mother’s cubs. CHAPTER IX LOSING HIS BEARINGS ‘Lire a flash of light the boy had an inspiration. _ He had been tugging with might and main to get his foot free from that clinging vine, but always _in the one direction. The simplest way to break away would be to push his foot out in the same fashion that it had gone in! Ié took considerable nerve to ‘‘hack water’’ - when he knew that beast was crouching there so near at hand; for in doing so he was actually de- ies ereasing the distance between them; but with clenched teeth, and perhaps white cheeks in the bargain, Baliyhoo persisted. He held his breath while he worked, and oh! how eagerly did he strain his hearing so as to con- tinually catch that soft purring sound made by the jaguar. By this he understood she was still lick- ing the cub, as though contented to have it once more im her possession, even though the two- legged robber did lie groveling there on the ground. Then the boy felt his foot come free. He never 81 6—A.0. 82 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES experienced a sensation equal to the spasm of re- — lief that swept over him from head to toe on find- ing that he could once more control his move- ments. The first thing he did was to crawl for- ward with outstretched hands toward the spot where his gun lay. How good it felt to get hold of the weapon — again. It only showed what confidence one may put in such a means for defending life against sav- age attack. Ballyhoo no sooner had it in his pos- session than he turned, and still squatting there on his knees covered the jaguar. oan But his finger did not press the trigger. He was trembling all over; the light was none foo ~ good in the spot where the beast could be seen; and, worst of all, he had some reason to suspect from certain sounds that reached his ear there might be another creature of the same species, pos- sibly her mate, hovering near. Accordingly the boy held his hand, and did not allow the temptation-to fire have dominion over him. For once he showed that he could be dis- ereet, and perhaps it was just as well. | He saw that she still bent over the whelp and © licked it soothingiy, doubtless also in her brute — fashion telling her offspring that the danger was — over, and everything all right. ? ‘‘Oh! I certainly do hope she is satisfied with — the fright she gave me,’’ Ballyhoo muttered, as he continued to keep arene with his rifle ready | for instant use, ‘‘and clears out with her ugly lit- tle bunch of spitting, snarling cat-meat. She ~ ALONG THE ORINOCO 83 - ought to understand that I’m out of the running, - and don’t mean her any harm.’’ A brief time passed, but the minutes seemed like hours to the anxious boy. Then, greatly to his relief, he discovered that the mother jaguar had caught hold of the cub by the loose skin about its neck, just as many a time he had seen the pet cat at home carry her kittens back after they had been dispossessed oe a closet in the kitchen. **Bully for you, old lady!’’ whispered Ballyhoo, not wishing to speak out louder lest he annoy the beast, and cause her to change her mind. ‘‘I hope you go about your own business, and leave me alone. I’ve had all the fun with a jaguar cub I’m hankering after today, thank you.’’ To Ballyhoo’s surprise, after leaving the spot, the animal seemed to circle partly around him. He was puzzled to account for this fact, and it an- ‘noyed him too. **Now I wonder why she does that? ? Ballyhoo asked himself. ‘‘Surely she knows the way back to where that other cub was left when she took after me, so she couldn’t be lost in her bearings. I guess she must know of another and better den than the one I ran on, and is making for that. But, hang the luck, she’s right in my-path when I start again for camp!’’ There was nothing apparently for him to do but make a detour. Ballyhoo accordingly bore off to one side, and cautiously advanced. His one thought just then was to give a wide berth to that eS Fa aa eS Se. a 9 Ss ee, Ae We te a oh ee oe af are ey ate AE Valin) ee aoe ae 84 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES section where he believed he was apt to again run across the jaguars. It was not long when he discovered that he: WAS ) passing through country where it was even more — difficult to navigate than any ground he had thus far encountered. A number of times, in order to — make any advance at all, he had to use his ma- chete in order to slash a gash through the matted growth by which he was confronted. Then on other occasions Ballyhoo, thinking diseretion the — better part of labor, chose to veer aside and go completed around the obstacle that was in his way. It was not so very surprising that under such conditions the boy beeame what he frankly called ‘‘rattled,’? In-so far as a definite knowledge con- — cerning the position of the camp was con- — cerned. ‘Huh! seems a bit like the same old story,” he said at one time, when stopping to wipe his wet — face with his big bandana handkerchief. ‘‘In fact, I’m feeling some of the well remembered sensa- tions of being adrift without a compass. Let’s a see, over there the sun-is certainly getting low ) down, and that must be West. Then North is over on my right, and Hast still further along. I’m dead sure of the cardinal points of the compass, if that was all I had to worry me; but where in the wide world does that camp lie, Bast, Nore or . West of here?’’ As usually happens, the more Ballyhoo tried to : s remember the greater became his Scary) obs ALONG THE ORINOCO 8 ideas. He went over the details as many as half _ a dozen times before he could seem to grip any- thing like the facts. And at that there was but - eold comfort in figuring it out. He made another start, and kept at it bravely for some time, but, as before, found himself con- fronted by many impassable thickets and over- — ' grown masses of vegetation that looked so much _ like harboring places for snakes that Ballyhoo did not have the nerve to cut his way through, and so he resumed his former policy of taking the easiest and safest route, which meant going around. This kept puzzling him as to where he was head- ing, and he had to stop again so as to get his bear- ings in hand. It would have been easy to tell where the West lay, if only his view happened to be less obstructed, for there must have been a great glow in the sky, with the sun setting. But so dense was the foliage overhead, and such the rank growth all about him, that he could rarely catch a glimpse of the heavens above, and had to make a sort of guess. Ballyhoo now began to get alarmed. He knew night was not far distant, and yet he failed to have the slightest idea where the camp lay, or how far away. He tried shouting, but received no answer to his salutes. He would have fired his gun a number of times, but prudence urged him to save all his shots, for there was no telling hew “badly he would need them before this adventure _ came to an end. | 86 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES ‘‘Welll’’? he exclaimed, with a half iene ae he had shouted and whistled and done all that lay in his power to attract attention without result, ‘*this is a nice kettle of fish, | must say.. You’ve gone and done it again, Ballyhoo Jones, seems like. I believe you could get lost in a wood-lot up home and then not half try. They’ll have to put a bell on you like we do with our old cow, so we can find her if she strays away. And how d’ye — suppose it’s going to feel going hungry ne eh??? Now that it was too late to remedy matters he was becoming more and more disgusted with his action in bothering about those silly little spitting eubs. If only he had left them alone, instead of bothering to carry one off, all this trouble might : have been avoided. ‘* Another time see to it you mind your own busi- ness, and don’t stick your nose where it isn’t wanted, Ballyhoo Jones,’’ he continued, after he had tripped and come near measuring his full length on the ground, for it was not so easy to de- tect those miserable vines now that grew so close to the earth, and served as traps for unwary feet. | | He began to realize that he could not keep this — up much longer. Apparently, then, he was — doomed to spend a night all alone in the Orinoco — wilderness, with its myriad of strange.creature in- habitants, from monkeys to tiger-cats and such. All at once Ballyhoo stopped, and half ‘threw 4 ALONG THE ORINOCO ~—_-—s87 his gun up to his shoulder. There came a crash- ing in the undergrowth as though some large or bulky animal might be dashing toward him. Following the sounds, he was just able to make out some clumsy-looking animal that seemed to be a cross between a domestic hog and a rhinoceros, such as he had seen in African wilds. It was for- tunately running. past, and evinced no intention of attacking him, a fact Ballyhoo discovered with no small degree of satisfaction. | ‘*Guess now that must have been one of those - tapirs the professor has been telling us about,”’’ he went on to say; for, like most persons who are lost, Ballyhoo liked to hear the sound of his own voice, for it helped to give him a fictitious confi- dence. ‘‘But then they’re not so very dangerous, I understand. Wonder now if I ought to have ‘tried to knock him over. If his flesh would taste as much like hog as his looks say, I might not have had to go supperless tonight. But shucks! my hindsight is always a heap better than my fore- sight; and I reckon I’ll have an empty stomach till morning comes, when I can shoot some game, and have a feast.”’ | | Another timet must have been some bird that seurried out of the lower branches of a tree, though the sudden sound again caused Ballyhoo’s heart to jump wildly. He was in a nervous con- dition after that shock when his foot caught in those vines. It was now rapidly growing dark, a fact the he ee ST ap eo a REIT A pe EAS Seat ae May ee Lee SERED ee ISBN it mittee ¢ ree oa er SO L ee Th ake e, Se oe e 3 88 YHE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES _ boy noted with increasing uneasiness. He eould people the gloom that was gathering around him with all manner of savage monsters ready to pounce down upon him. ‘‘Wow! what’s that up yonder??? he exclaimed, as he eaught sight of two luminous spots that must have been the eyes of some living things at first Ballyhoo believed he was up against another jag- tar, but just then a ‘‘whoo-00-00”’ in the near dis- tance explained that this must be the mate to the owl he was hearing off yonder. Nevertheless he made a little detour, net fancy- ing passing directly under the tree where he had seen those weird phosphorescent spots. When he ran into a large hanging vine Ballyhoo decided it was time to halt. “f ‘‘Why, that might just as well have been a whopper of a snake,’’ he told himself, after com- — ing to this conclusion. ‘‘It isn’t safe tramping around in these woods after nightfall. So I’d better eall a halt now’as later, after the mischief — is done.’’ Thus reasoning, he set about finding a place : where he might build a fire, for he was determined not to think of passing the night there without — something of this sort to protect him against al prowling wild beasts. ‘“‘One thing I’m glad to say,’’ he anes proudly, ‘‘which is that on this occasion I’m all fixed with plenty of matches. That other time, — when I got mixed in my bearings away over in Afriea, I had the misfortune to se stapes im- ; ALONG THE ORINOCO 89 _ portant things; which forced me to shin up a tree, - and stay there all night, with a whole army of lions walking around beneath, waiting for me te drop down like a ripe plum. But this seems about as good a place as I can find, so here goes for a blaze !’’ CHAPTER X THE LONE CAY-P-FIRE Ir certainly did improve things considerably after he had a little blaze started. Ballyhoo has- tened to add to it by throwing on some larger wood. As the night was anything but cool thus far, he understood that he would probably be par- boiled or roasted if he carried his plans out; but ———— ee Sl i eS eS TO ~even that was preferable to being devoured bY cod wild beasts. ‘‘T used to write in ie that ‘those who pee | by the sword will perish by the sword,’ ’’ Ballyhoo reminded himself, feelingly; ‘‘and mebbe now be- cause I’ve always been so fond of imitating all sorts of wild animals I’m doomed to make a meal — c for one of the four-legged creatures. Well, here goes for a second fire. If only I thought I could % get enough stuff together I’d make even a third one, so I could squat down in the triangle between them all, and be protected on every hand.’’ When he had both fires going the gloom seemed less terrible. In fact, Ballyhoo almost began to feel cheerful, and told himself that if only he had ~ some meat to toast on the end of sticks, with per-_ a 90 ALONG THE ORINOCO 91 haps a pot of coffee to wash it. down, he wouldn’t mind sticking it out all night there, backed up as he was with his faithful repeating rifle. _ But as he did not possess a scrap of food, this prospect was only in the nature of a dream. He hastened to put it out of his mind. There was little else to do save gather wood for his fires, and presently Ballyhoo devoted himself to that la- bor: with increased energy. The thought had come to him, what if beasts prowled around just outside the circle of light his fires made, how could he then expect to keep up his wood-gather- ing, when it might be unsafe for him to wander ten feet away from his base? The forest was no longer silent as when sunset saw him trudging through its dim aisles. All sorts of noises reigned, from the hum of insects to the calls of unknown pag tial: searching for their prey. Ballyhoo had reason to place that somewhere close at hand there must be a sort of slough, or small pond in the heart of a swampy stretch. The sounds that proceeded from this section exceeded all others in volume; some of them were of a mys- terious nature, too, sending a shiver over the boy, though he always laughed at himself for allowing this. He never went out after wood but what he clung to his gun, for he realized what a dreadful thing it would be if some animal sprang toward him while he was unarmed. Consequently, being thus hampered, he could only fetch a smal! quantity 92 ‘THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES - ee in at a time, which forced him to make numerous: | forays. Between times, after he had piled up ae a nice lot of fuel, he sat there in between his two fires, with his hands clasped about his knees, and his gun close beside him, reflecting. His thoughts turned back to his two ehums, Se ; ; then went much further afield: again Ballyhoowas in the home town, perhaps under his own roof en- joying a ‘‘dandy spread’’ at Thanksgiving time, with turkey, cranberry sauce, turnips, potatoes, | mince and pumpkin pie, and perhaps to wind up with ice cream. His mouth fairly watered at the thought, and he had to shut his teeth tightly to- gether to repress a groan as he compared his hun- gry condition with that roseate state. “‘Here, just quit bothering with thinking about A the impossible,’’ he told himself, while with one hand he rubbed his empty stomach. ‘*Serves you right, after playing the fool. Hope you get the — lesson pounded well into your head, and let well — enough alone after this. When you see a pretty little cub belonging to a wild animal just look the — other way, and go on about your own business. Oh! what’s that, I wonder?’’ Something was certainly moving close to the — ground. He craned his neck the better to look at it. Yes, and he remembered that he had just re-— cently come from that identical spot, so he knew there had not a short time before been ane a alive there. But undoubtedly something Was iy by Be ray yo) . - Sila toe She ed em moving, yes, and coming in a direct line for bina! “ ALONG THE ORINOCO ~ 93 _ **@ee whiz! I wonder could it be a jaguar, now, or one of those smaller cats they call ocelots?”’ _ Ballyhoo asked himself. ‘‘It looks pretty low _ down for that, but haven’t I seen how a eat can _ flatten itself when it wants to sneak on to the spar- row it’s marked for dinner?- Well, I’ll watch and see. At the worst, I can give the creature some- thing to startle him.’’ So he knelt there and kept busy watching. Closer still the queer object drew. The boy’s be- wilderment increased, for by now he had fully decided that it could not be any jaguar. Then in advancing it must have come to some obstacle that forced a little change in its course. At that moment, too, the nearer fire chose to send up a new burst of flame, and Ballyhoo gave a star- tled grunt. Well, I declare if it isn’t a great big alliga- tor!’’ he exclaimed, after making a discovery. ‘*Where in the wide world could he have sprung from? Oh! I forgot I’d settled it; there must be a lagoon of some sort over that way. Yes, and it’s full of great big crawlers in the bargain, I bet you. This one must have grown curious about all this fire business, and come up to see what it meant. ’’ The fact that he was in danger of being inun- - dated with a flood of savage and hungry saurians at any time during that long night did not serve to make Ballyhoo feel any happier. He knew that they liked human flesh, and remembered reading how in India in olden times mothers used to throw “94 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES the babies they didn’t want to the crocodiles of the sacred Ganges. ‘Hey! better turn tail, and go back to where you came from, old chap,’’ he sang out, hardly caring to waste one of his precious shots im try- ing to dispose of such a useless reptile. Taking up a clump of wood, he hurled it with — such splendid aim that it crashed against the head — of the crawling alligator, and caused the creature to immediately scurry back the same way it had © come. Ballyhoo felt as though he had achieved a great triumph with that lucky shot. ‘‘That comes from being a baseball pitcher,”’ he plumed himself by saying. ‘‘Only practice would allow a fellow to hit the alligator’s bull’s- _ eye like that. Didn’t I once get four prizes at the fair by plunking the nigger’s head with a base- © ball? But, say, I hope I won’t have to use up much of my fuel that way. They might play the game of drawing my fire till my ammunition got - low, and then rush the camp.’’ 3 As time passed on-he found, somewhat to his satisfaction, that no other alligators followed — after that leader. Possibly he scattered a warn- — ing abroad that it was dangerous to creep up too — near that dazzling light, for it was no sun, after — all. But from time to time Ballyhoo heard a loud — bellow from some old bull that reminded him of ~ the stock farms at home. He yawned, and stretched himself time and sik sili Tek ge PS again. It promised to be the longest night in his — whole experience, not excepting the one that al- = ba. ee yD Pe To, ALONG THE ORINOCO Y5 _ Ways came just before Christmas, and the day be- fore school would let out for the summer vacation. He wished those monkeys would quit chattering there among the trees, scolding their babies, and perhaps holding a council to consider the next day’s campaign in search of fresh nut trees. Then Ballyhoo had another bad shock. This _ time he felt sure he could not be mistaken, and _ that the object dangling there from the limb of a tree that stood at least fifteen feet from the _ ground swung to and fro with a rhythmie stroke that meant it was a living thing, and not a mere - thick vine. Yes, it was a snake, Ballyhoo was positive of — that! He had run across about every other sort of thing that lived in the Orinoco forest but an anaconda, and now he PEs he was staring straight at one. Perhaps some of that fierce Grae ee on the _ part of the monkey tribe had been caused by the presence of this same serpent in the vicinity, for the professor had told them how monkeys are deemed a choice bite by anacondas. The fire may have attracted the reptile, which made Ballyhoo wish he could do without a blaze, though of the two evils he felt he would rather face what he had to with light to see, rather than grope around in the gloom, and know enemies were nearby, but hidden from his view. No danger of his losing his senses in slumber, now: that he knew such a terrible foe menaced him. He got up on one knee, and arranged him- %¢ THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES ce Sat self so that he might steady one elbow in case he wished to take accurate aim. — Would the giant serpent finally grow weary of ’ dangling there, and waving its big head back and - forth? In such a case it was just as apt to drop to the ground and come gliding toward him. Were — snakes in dread of fire, just as all wild animals — seemed to be? For the life of him, Ballyhoo could ~ not remember, if he had ever known. Suppose, — then, he did snatch up a blazing brand and hurlit — with the same great luck that had attended his — effort with that root; was this action likely to be — taken as a polite invitation to decamp on the part — of the great anaconda, or would it fly into a rage — and come gliding straight at him? Pe Several times Ballyhoo let his cheek rest against 3 the stock of his gun. He was constantly covering _ that slowly moving head. me ‘“‘T bet you I could hit it as easy as anything, — just when it gets to the end of the swing,’’ he told — himself. ‘‘Ought I to make the try or not? Seems — like I have to choose between six of one and half ~ a dozen of the other. And if the old thing starts ~ over this Wee JL never can count on hitting it while = in motion.’ _ This decided him in the end, He was making a ‘i deliberate choice, and believed that in settling on — firing he was really taking the better chance. Ac-— cordingly he now prepared to shoot, not without % considerable uneasiness, it must be confessed; for — he dreaded the result of his daring in ease he lee : te dispatch the monster snake. 3 ALONG THE ORINOCO a gr _ “T’ve just got to do it, you see,’’ he assured him- ‘self, ‘so stop your shivering, Ballyhoo Jones, and Show what you’re made of. Guess you’ve shot a ‘heap of other things just as ferocious as any old anaconda can ever be. And you’ve got to hit that big head plum center, mind you. Then if he does come this way throw yourself flat on the ground, and p’r’aps he can’t get his folds around you so easy. They don’t bite, only squeeze. Now steady, boy, steady it is!’’ He believed his chance had come. With the trained eye of one who had shot swiftly-flying ducks on the wing, Ballyhoo pressed the trigger of his rifle just as the swinging head reached the end of its pitch to the right. There would be just a half second’s hold there, he knew from his ex- ‘perience in breaking clay targets, and hitting Swinging ones, before it started back again, and that is always the best time to do execution. The gun sounded sharp and clear. Ballyhoo in- stantly commenced working the mechanism so as to have another cartridge in the firing chamber should the first have failed in its mission, which he certainly hoped might not prove to be the case. CHAPTER XI SHOOTING AN ANACONDA ‘‘Gor him, that’s what I did!’ burst from the © boy’s lips, as glancing up after quickly placing his gun in condition for further use he saw a writh- — ing mass of coils threshing about on the ground ~ with terrific force. 4 Ballyhoo stared aghast at the thrilling spectacle ~ of that monster serpent displaying such frightful ~ energy inits convulsions. He knew his bullet must 7 have smashed the reptile’s head, and that what he now witnessed were the dying throes of his Beaty enemy. : Now the snapping folds had wrapped around a @ tree, and the boy could easily imagine how his own ~ poor ribs must have given way under such a tre- mendous pressure as the anaeonda displayed. He felt greatly pleased to know that it was an inani- mate object which was being treated to such an exhibition of furious force. . Ballyhoo was a little skeptical with regard to the ability of the serpent to do him any harm. He felt like stepping closer, and using another 98 ae its can rt bother me any inee? the boy. himself, with a sigh of relief. ‘“‘RightnowI 5 that the big chap is getting weaker and eke how about his mate, for I reckon Paice: ae kee: Ae creeping cats. Ugh! — sn’t much fun to find yourself alone in these y forests, with all these creepy things |, and that’s a fact.”’ | 7 "the minutes did drag. Pees suffered sin a Sometimes in his eagerness to discover — of « ee Hee almost believed — 100 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES __ as though they never would near the western hori- — zon. “ He was pretty well fagged out wher finally he — did discover that the first gleam of daylight was coming in the eastern heavens. How slowly it — progressed, only his impatient spirit could attest; — but in the end he began to be able to see objects around him again, which fact made him A = happy. : ‘“Whee! I'll never, never forget that awful = night, if I live to the age of Methuselah,’’ was what Ballyhoo told himself, as he stood up to stretch — and yawn for the twentieth time. He looked with a shudder toward the spot where the great anaconda had last been seen. Then he rubbed his eyes, for those huge folds were no longer wrapped around the tree. But immediately — afterwards he saw the snake extended upon the ground, where it had fallen in a last vain effort to crawl away; and there it was, stretched out at full length. eS Just then Ballyhoo became conscious of the fact that the monkeys were unusually vociferous. He could only see them passing from tree to tree, clinging to the branches, and chattering at a lively rate continually. 3 Be ‘‘Wonder what’s up,’”’ the boy was saying, for when alone in the wilds it is some comfort to hold a conversation with one’s self; ‘‘the Johnnies act as if they meant to hold a caucus, because they’ Te. all converging toward a common centre. Mus be a special court they’re expecting to convene, Sen Sia ee ee ALONG THE ORINOCO 101 try a eriminal offender, because Professor Yardley says they act a heap like human beings.’” He watched the assembling groups, and even ‘mimiced some of their cries, for this was just in Ballyhoo’s line, it must be remembered. **Mebbe they’re just curious about me,’’ he now remarked. ‘‘Never saw a two-legged creature with a white skin before, and they want to find out what the latest style in fashionably cut clothes is like.”’ He was chuckling over this humorous suggestion when all at once an idea broke in upon his mind. He noticed that some of the old monkeys seemed to be staring down in a solemn way, and trying to draw the attention of the younger fry to some- thing of deep interest. “Why, sure, it’s the old anaconda they’re gap- ing at,’’ Ballyhoo admitted. ‘‘They sense that the big snake is a dead one, and that it’s safe now to show him to the kids and baby monks. See how that old patriarch with the gray beard chatters and scolds, will you? I bet you he’s preaching a regular sermon right now, if only a fellow could understand monkey talk. Gee! the trees are full of the swinging critters. I wager there’s as many as fifty, if there’s one, and all just taking it out in looking. Not one dares drop down ‘and step up to touch the dead enemy. Even as it is they fear that he may be playing ’possum, just to coax them within reach.’’ -Ballyhoo began to realize that he was fearfully hungry. It seemed to him, once he allowed this 102 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES | fact to take possession of his mind, as though he were on the border of actual starvation. A boy with a healthy appetite, accustomed to devouring three square meals each and every day, when two of these were missed usually as a ‘‘gone’’ feeling - that makes him imagine his end must be near at hand. | **T wonder just how ine I could stand this??? he asked himself, in a mournful tone, and with a sad shake of his head. ‘‘Why, my stomach nearly rubs against my backbone right now, I’m so — empty. Course I can hunt for some sort of game, after I get started, and with plenty of matches I could make a fire to cook it.. Oh! what’s to hinder ~ me from knocking over one of those young monks, and cooking some meat? JI remember the profes- — sor telling us how he was saved from starving once by a meal of monkey flesh.’’ The idea fascinated him so much that he started looking around so as to pick out his vietim. There would be little treuble in doing that, for he could — see some of the simians squatting in various trees, and moving back and forth with the ut- most freedom, as though they never dreamed of danger proceeding from another ‘Species of bi- ped. : Ballyhoo even sighted along the barrel of his — rifle. His finger had commenced to feel for the — trigger, and that was all the further it got, for a mighty shudder passed over him, and down went the gun. , ‘‘Shucks! I just can’t do it!’? he exclaimed in ALONG THE ORINOCO 103 disgust. ‘‘Seems too much like shooting a human being. I’m not so hungry that I could turn canni- bal. Guess there must be birds I can get, or some- thing that would seem more in my line. Hope I never will come to eating a monkey.’’ ys So he continued to watch the hosts come and go, and listen to the din of their chattering, which reminded Ballyhoo of a certain convention of town _ gossips he had once seen on a local stage in his home town. He was only waiting for another half hour to pass so that the last of the shadows would- have departed from the forest. Somehow Bally-: hoo did not like to start his wanderings again until it was broad daylight, with the sun above the horizon, and insect and animal life were once more rampant. He wondered what his chums were thinking of his absence. Of course Philip Jenks had in due time returned to the camp, and when it was found that Ballyhoo had failed to turn up a search must have undoubtedly been’ commenced. *‘Yes, and Oscar as well as Jack,’’ he went on to say, reflectively, ‘‘would be able to tell from the tracks that I’d picked up that tiger cub, and been followed by the mother jaguar. Guess they’ll think I was a silly, and I won’t quarrel with them about that part of it. Course they’ll expect to start out, and give a look around for me this morning. Same old story of the babes in the’ woods; but anyhow, I’ve been able to look out for. myself.’’ He listened every now and then, hoping to satch 104. THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES —_ some distant shout, or it might be the feeble ; re- 4 port of a gun. How gladly would he answer such a signal, and wait for the rescuing party to tarn up. he heard the plain report of a gun. How the sound thrilled him through and through : Never in all his life could he ever haye discov-- ered so much music in the common everyday dis- — charge of a rifle or a shotgun. Then they were ~ looking for him, and that shot had been meant to tempt an answer, if he were within range of its — echoes. So Ballyhoo fired, and instantly all the ee So chattering ceased as if by magic, though the long- — tailed animals could be seen beating a ludicrous ~ retreat in every direction, as though in a panic, and under the helief that the terrible anaconda — might be responsible for that sudden crashing ree port. decided. Before that time passed he heard a seeoall aa this tame much closer. This he shies PprOme ly It had come finally that Ballyhoo was ready to ~ leave the place of his night’s encampment, and - strike out toward the east, under the belief that he must run upon the river in that quarter, when Then the boy sat down again to wait. “athens oe was no use trying to meet the coming reseue party os halfway, for in that thick growth they would be very apt to pass one another by. If he did not hear any further sign of them by half an © hour he could discharge his gun again, Halling, ALONG THE ORINOCO 105 and then waited again. Finally the sound of voices came to him, accompanied by the swish of a machete slashing a passage through the matted mass of vegetation. ‘‘Hey! Osear—Jack!’’ he shouted, cupping his hands to form a megaphone. **Ballyhoo, ahoy!’’ came a reassuring ery; *‘we’re on the way. Stay where you are!”’ **You bet I will,’’ the tired boy told himself, once more settling down to wait. To pass the time away he amused himself in - deciding on his menu for the jolly breakfast he anticipated devouring when he got back to camp again. He could almost imagine he smelled the bacon frying, and see the coffee bubbling in the pot; and now it did make him sigh and count the minutes. - But there, the boys were close at hand now. Ballyhoo began to wonder if thoughtful Jack might not have fetched something to eat along with him, under the suspicion that the wanderer would be almost ravenous for food. **T certainly hope he has,’’ Ballyhoo told. him- self, eagerly, ‘‘because I don’t see how I could ever hold out till we covered all that distance back to camp. Why, I’d drop over from sheer weak- ness before I’d gone halfway. Yes, I surely do hope Jack put some crackers and cheese in his pocket before he started out.’’ Well, there they came, and besides the two chums he saw Philip Jenks and the headman. of the Indian helpers. Ballyhoo waved his hat, and 106 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES gave a brave shout; but to tell the truth there were tears in his eyes that he tried to wink away. Those — faithful comrades certainly did look good to him, after passing such a miserable night there in the wilds of the Orinoco. | CHAPTER XII THE MONKEY BRIDGE Soon the others reached the spot, and were shaking hands with the wanderer. **Where’s the cub?’’ asked Oscar, looking as though he half expected to see a chubby young jaguar snugly nestling under Ballyhoo’s coat. : ‘Oh! You found out what a silly thing did, of course!’’ exploded the other turning red. ‘‘Well, I dropped the critter all right, and then had the mean luck to get caught fast in one of those dangling vines. Gee! I thought the mother cat would jump on my back, and with my gun ten feet away on the ground. But I did manage to squirm free, and fell on my gun; and after all the old lady concluded I wasn’t worth bothering with, so she went away, carrying her whelp by the scruff of the neck.’’ ‘*But what made you turn out, and go around, losing track of the river?’’ asked Oscar, which re- mark proved that they had certainly followed his trail. | | 107 108 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES = core ‘‘Oh! you see the jaguar mother had gone in the very direction I wanted to take,’? explained Ballyhoo, ‘‘and so I made up my mind I’d better cut stick and pass around. Well,’’ he added, with | a shrug of his shoulders, ‘‘of course I had to go and get all mixed up; but that was on account of = the many places where I had to go around. What’s =~ the use of trying to gloss it over? I just gotlost, and must have kept on going further and further away all the while. Then, when night began to come on, I coneluded I’d better camp.’’ | Z ‘‘T see you made two fires,’’ commented J ar 5 “Was that to scare wild beasts away, or were you cold??? ae ‘‘T did it to feel safe,’? admitted Ballyhoo, can- didly. ‘‘All sorts of things were likely to drop in on me. Once I saw a whopping big alligator come crawling up like he wanted to make a meal = of me. I shooed him off by hitting him on the snout with a chunk of wood. Guess theremustbe a lagoon over yonder. And there was something worse than that to come. Take a look over there, both of you!’ eo ' Of course Jack and Oscar were really startled 4 to see the enormous snake lying stretched out amidst the grass. They could easily under- ~~ stand that Ballyhoo had by means of his shot smashed that big head, and broniit about its See death. oe ‘‘Was it going to Back yout”? demanded J ae ae while Oscar started pacing off the leet of ee i Monster. oe i ALONG THE ORINOCO 109 **Well, it acted like it meant to,’’ came the re- ply. ‘‘And I made up my mind I had a better chance to hit its swinging head while it hung down from a tree than if it was crawling along the ground at me, so I shot. Then I sat here awake the livelong night, expecting its mate would show up, sooner or later.’’ ‘Twenty-three feet, and a little over,’’ an- nounced Oscar, triumphantly. ‘‘That surely is - some snake, Ballyhoo. And it’s a mighty good thing he.didn’t get a chance to throw those folds around you.’’ **But tell me, Jack, have you such a thing as a bite in your pocket, for I’m almost famished right now?’’ pleaded the prodigal chum. —_- It turned out that wise, thoughtful Jack had done just what Ballyhoo suspected, for he now drew forth a ‘‘snack,’’ which he had thrust into his pocket before quitting the camp. The hungry boy pounced on it, and commenced tearing huge fragments off as if he had not eaten a morsel in a whole week. Later on they started back again. Professor Yardley would be very anxious to know whether their hunt had met with any success; though pos- sibly the sound of the shots may have reached his ears, and conveyed something of the joyous truth. 7 In due time they arrived at the river bank. Ballyhoo lost not a single minute, but started get- — ting himself some breakfast. His tongue ran on while thus engaged, and he told his comrades all 110 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES about the ‘‘monkey school’’ he had seen convene there in the forest, with the elders pointing out to the attentive youngsters what their most terrible enemy, the scaly monster of an anaconda, looked © like. ‘‘Oh! you missed one of the biggest pictures a: going, Jack,’’ he told the photographer of the expedition, ‘‘when you failed to be on hand and catch that comical set. It would have brought the house down oer time, some of ’em did such ' ridiculous stunts.’ ‘*Let’s hope another chance may come along,’’ was Jack’s philosophical response; ‘‘but hold on, Ballyhoo, you’re starting to cook enough for ten men. 99 ‘“Well, I feel like ten men,’’ erinned the other, | © ‘Sas far as capacity goes.’’ 7 In the end he gorged himself until he could hardly breathe. ne a ‘‘Huh!’’ he grunted, ‘‘guess we didn’t save much by my missing two meals, after all. But I’m feeling prime now, and ready to go on when the professor says.the word.’’ Sitting in a canoe meant no exertion, which was a fortunate thing, because really Ballyhoo would. have been incapable of doing any walking after all that gorging. a ‘‘Better for me to be stuffing myself this way than stuffing that anaconda!’’ he ventured to say, with a little shudder, as he remembered the size of the reptile’s mouth when the jaws were ay a distended. ALONG THE ORINOCO 111 It became evident that they were now close to the junction of the smaller river with the broader Orinoco. Observations taken from time to time convinced the professor that the stream they had been ascending must really be one of the numer- ous outlets or mouths comprising the delta of the Orinoco, although this fact would always be sub- ject to doubt; for during the rainy season they understood that the current often set toward the river, as though it might be a branch or feeder. ‘*It’s one of the marvels of this land of many mysteries,’’ the professor said when talking over the matter with the others. ‘‘A river that flows both ways is something you could hardly expect to find outside of a fairy tale; yet here it is be- yond a doubt. By tonight I expect we’ll be look- ing on the Orinoco itself, and after that the land of the orchids will soon be reached.’’ His prophecy turned out true, and two days later he was revelling in such riches of plant life as he had hardly dreamed could exist. He se- cured dozens of the most exquisite orchids, of hues and shapes never before seen by the eye of an enthusiast. Already the plant hunter was more than satisfied with the fruits of his la- bors, and ready to call the expedition a huge suc- CeSS, : / Nor was he the only pleased one. Young Jenks too was securing a multitude of specimens of birds, many of which he believed might turn out to be as yet unclassified. If only he could carry ‘2 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES his prizes safely back to. Washington he ae that the whole scientific world would Becta. his enterprise. Si Then there was ambitious Jack. He too aa ‘been picking up wonderful bits of strikingly in- ~ teresting scenes, all characteristic of such a rich — tropical country as that bordering the Orinoco, “ Besides the scenery he succeeded in catching nu- merous other motion pictures of animal and bird ; life in that wonderful country. Perhaps the most remarkable thing that he was enabled to secure came one day as they were in camp at a point where quite a deep little stream - poured its flood into the wide river. They had heard a great chattering at some little distanee back, as though a colony of monkeys might be moving through the treetops. Profes- sor Yardley hazarded the opinion that they were moving from one section of country to another, where perhaps living promised to be easier for the families, the nut crop being more generous. ‘‘Tf you listen,’’ he went on to say shortly af- terwards, ‘‘you will find that they are coming this - way. Their usual method of travel is among the treetops, for they seldom move on the ground. And inside half an hour they’ll find themselves confronted by this small stream that they Sides have to cross.’ fe “But ean cians swim??? asked Ballyhoo. ‘for hew else could they gue ACTORS, a8 it? re far say.’’ ALONG THE ORINOCO 113 - ‘Wait and see,’’ the man of science told him; ‘fand I’d advise Jack here to make sure that ,he has a fresh roll of films in his camera, so he can immortalize the whole operation. Unless I miss my guess it will be well worth our waiting even ‘an hour or two to see.”’ Jack, impressed by these words, proceeded to get his camera adjusted and in readiness for im- mediate work. Ballyhoo thought he knew consid- erable about the ingenious ways ef monkeys in _ general, but for the life of him he could not guess how that entire colony, numbering perhaps fifty ~members old and young, meant to cross over the stream dryshod. ‘“There doesn’t seem to be any leaning tree that they could use for a bridge,’’ he finally - re- marked. _ **Oh! sometimes there are other bridges than those afforded by trees,’’ laughed the professor; ‘*and now watch what happens, for I can see some of the older monkeys have arrived.’’ The comical animals were doing a great deal of running up and down the trees, all the while scolding and chattering furiously. Fimally one stout chap dropped down from a limb high up at a certain place. He hung by his tail head down. Jack of course was already busily engaged turn- ing his crank, for he realized that the remarkable happening mentioned by Professor Yardley was about to take place. A second strong monkey dropped down, fastened his tail about the body of the first, and also hung $—A.O./ 114. THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES | suspended. Others succeeded until there was a chain of a dozen dangling there. ri ‘“Oh, look!’’ exclaimed Ballyhoo, trembling ‘with. aS eagerness, ‘‘they’re beginning to get a move on. Now they’re starting to swing out and back again like a pendulum to a clock. Why, what d’ye think of that !—they’re aiming to swing right across the ereek, and let. that lowest chap grab a limb Of that big tree over there.’ 8 Which it turned out was exactly what the evan - monkeys meant to do; and right there before the astonished boys ee completed their bridge. ~ Across this living arch the others now commenced, — to cross, mothers often carrying their babies on their backs, and presenting one of the most re- | markable sights ever beheld by mortal man. __ ‘‘T never would have believed it if Ihadn’t seen the thing with my own eyes!’’ Ballyhoo declared, | wild with delight. ‘‘Oh! just look.at some of the sly chaps in the living bridge, nipping at the feet — . of the others passing over. They’re as full of . mischief as an egg is of meat, for a fact. There, — ‘i that mother smacked one right in the face, and hear him jabber, will you? If he let go his hold, wouldn’t there be an awful splash, though?’? ‘‘No danger of that,’’ the professor told him. ~~ ‘They ‘Il hold like steel until the last of the colony is across.’ ac ‘“But how can the monkeys forming the living an chain get over?’’ demanded Ballyhoo. ie ‘That one over on this side will let go with his tail, when the chain will swing across. Oneortwo ALONG THE ORINOCO” —:15 may get wet, but those old chaps stationing them- selves down below mean to look after them, you can depend. They attend to every particular, and leave nothing to chance work.’’ This was the critical period, and the jabbering and screeching increased in vigor. Finally the end monkey allowed his tail to slip free from the limb to which it had clung so tenaciously despite the great strain. There was a downward swoop, and that individ- ual as well as the next two in the chain fell into the stream, where they struggled desperately, and with the assistance of many helpers presently managed to gain dry land. After that the whole troop went gaily off through the treetops, bound for some new forag- ing ground, which their spies had discovered, and which promised to supply them with an abundance © of nuts. **Did you get it all in, Jack?’’ asked Ballyhoo, solicitously, ‘‘because that’s going to turn out the | cream piece of the whole business, mark me. Why, _ people will nearly take a fit to see those monkeys carry on like a lot of clowns and acrobats.’’ — Jack assured him that so far as he knew he had secured the entire happening, and as the light was especially good he believed the picture would be a masterpiece. They continued on ise way, and that night again camped alongside the broad and mysteri- ous Orinoco. Far and near the banks of this stream were covered with a dense vegetation. 116. THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES Professor Yardley daily and almost hourly ran across new and delightful surprises in the shape _ ( of fauna that had never before been mentioned by any of those daring souls who, taking their lives — in their hands, had ventured to penetrate this ei fi - most untrodden wilderness. il Once they had actually come upon the sad ruins of what seemed to have been a lonely outpost of civilization. Some white man, possibly a Portu- guese planter who wanted to get away from the © society of all his fellows, for some reason or other, had built him a shack, and planted oranges as well as bananas near a grove of Brazil nut trees. Long — years ago he had died, and his shack was hidden - by the rank growth of vegetation. Still, the trav-_ elers were grateful for the oranges they managed ~ fo find on the old and uncared-for trees. The clearing had gone back to a state of nature again, ~ and only for those orange trees no one would - have dreamed that a gash had once been made in the wilderness. Desirous of resting and making the most of the riches which the neighborhood afforded inthe way of prizes for the collections of both the professor ‘i and young Jenks, they spent several days 1 in . camp es here. Then one afternoon, while the boys were ‘ne i) it easy, and secretly wishing it was time for start- ing on the return trip, the headman of the Indians came hurriedly into camp. When Ballyhoo saw how he ran to where the professor was sitting working at the most recent additions to his col- ALONG THE ORINOCO 117 lection of orchids, he seemed to sense some sort of sudden danger. And as he scrambled to his feet both Jack and Oscar, noticing his action, also _ eft their seats and stood erect. CHAPTER XIII THE FLIGHT DOWN THE ORINOCO ‘‘TrEeRB’s something gone crooked, that’s sure,’’ Ballyhoo said. ‘‘Notice how the old headman ie waves his hands, and how excited he looks. There, you can see some of the others are listen- _ ing now to what he’s saying, and they show signs — on of fear by the way they turn to look at the forest. — ae I wonder what’s going to happen?’’ ‘Well, the professor is beckoning to us, so we'll “ae soon know what’s up,’’ observed Jack, after which — A the three of them hurried to join the hao ey pie plorer. ‘‘We must get away from here in a hurry, — boys,’’ said Professor Yardley, gravely, asthetrio _ reached his side. ‘‘The one thing that I feared ‘most of all has happened. I had the boss guide and two of his men make trips about the country = while we stayed here, with an object in view. He brings me the startling news just now that there __ is a village of the natives not many miles away __ from us, just out of gunshot, I suppose, for upto __ the present they haven’t discovered ¢ our Pre en: but they know it now.’’ 118 ALONG THE ORINOCO 119 “Then it is an unfriendly tribe, you mean, sir?’’ remarked Oscar. **My man tells me the most bitter enemy of the whites in the whole region of the Orinoco,’’ re- plied the other, seriously. ‘‘When our guide spied on the native village he found the Indians greatly excited, and indulging in a war dance; for these natives down here, just like our own Indians up in the Northern Hemisphere, always go through a lot of gymnastics calculated to make them savage for fight, before they start out on the warpath.’’ ‘‘Then that means pack up and get, does u, sir?’’ continued Oscar. ‘*Without a minute’s delay,’’ he was told. ‘‘I’m worried because Philip happens to be off some-— where at this time. If he delays his return to camp an hour or two it may cost us all dear.’’ Being lads of action the three of them started to pack their possessions. The head man had ap- parently been given his orders, for he was al- ready driving his men to work. Just then, greatly to the delight of all, the familiar figure of young Philip Jenks came in sight. Of course he was amazed to see them all working so furiously, but upon being told what it meant, he, too, started in. He had more or less to do, in order to save his priceless collection of rare bird skins, most of which had been rubbed with arsenic to preserve them, and packed in the © _, smallest possible space, so as to take little room in the boat. | ‘‘Leave the tents,’’ said the professor, as one CES) hl Rae eUon Oe Be eee yesh led teed aegaag et as ¢ tae Ley 120 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES : \ of the boys was about to commence taking the es khaki canvas coverings down. “*Do you mean we will abandon them, sir? an asked Ballyhoo, astonished. ‘Yes, we can’t take the time to get them, or _ _ give them room in the boats,’’’ explained the gen- tleman. ‘‘They are beginning to leak in heavy rains, and are unreliable. Besides, I imagine they may deceive the savages, and make them think we’re still in camp here. ap hour saved in that way may be our salvation.’ The bundles were hastily thrust into the boats 'and stowed. By this time they had found the ne easiest possible way of packing their stuff, and everything had its place. ‘‘Allready?’’ asked Professor Yardley, looking — 4 x keenly about him to make sure that Het Te Wee: have been neglected or forgotten. Receiving an affirmative reply from all hare Wed he gave the signal, and immediately the boats shot out into the broad stream. It was only the part ~ of wisdom for them to cross over to the opposite side, though the professor did intimate that he —__ believed the enemy would come to the attack partly = in boats, and could thus follow the fugitives. Eagerly the boys turned their heads to look — a back and across the river as long as they could catch a glimpse of the two brown tents. They ~~ hardly liked the idea of leaving those comfortable —_— shelters behind them, knowing how greatly the tents would be missed if a storm came on; but __ apparently the professor had a good reason for — ALONG THE ORINOCO 121 doing this. If the fact of the tents being there gave the Indians to believe their intended prey still lay in the camp, the sacrifice might be well worth while. **Nothing doing so Cie commented Ballyhoo, after a bit, ‘‘and as we’re going to turn this fe ba here we’ll lose sight of the camp from now on.’ They saw no sign of any moving figures as long as they glimpsed the brown khaki tents. Then the bend was turned, and the boys no longer twisted their heads around, because there was ne further use. _ less than an hour later there came borne to their ears on the breeze that was blowing down- stream a significant series of savage cries. ‘The boys exchanged uneasy looks, and as usual it was Ballyhoo who first of all had his say. “‘They’ve found out that we flew the coop}? he remarked, with something of his usual humor, though perhaps this was partly assumed, for none of them could be feeling very well satisfied with the conditions just then. ‘‘Now I wonder if theyll want to come chasing along after us. We never harmed any of them, so why should they act ugly toward us?”’ **It may be,’’ said Professor Yardley, ‘‘that years ago some rascally Portuguese who were looking about this part of the country seareh- - ing for gold acted treacherously toward these people. Since that time, feeling that all whites must be of the same false stripe, they have hated the species. and the knowledge of our com- 122 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES. ing has made them wild for revenge. I am afraid they will try to overtake us, and bring ¢ on a gen- eral fight.’’ **Let’s hope,’’ ventured J ack, who fuaned for — the safety of his precious films about as much as he did for his own life, ‘‘that they rest satisfied with having, as they believe, chad us out of their © country.’’ ‘* Anyway,’’ added Ballyhoo, ‘‘ with night draw- ing on we ought to be able to give them the slip. Of course, if it comes to a real show-down, we’ve ~ got to fight. I’d hate the worst kind to shoot a poor Indian who doesn’t know any better than to — believe I mean to do him harm; but it might be Hobson’s choice, you know. If I got my back up ~ against a rock so I couldn’t run, with several In- dians rushing me with machetes that they meant — to use carving me all up, why, I’d have to shut my eyes and shoot—I mean that figuratively speaking, you understand.’’ He immediately commenced an investigation in connection with the amount of ammunition he chanced to have in his belt, and also in his pock- ets. The result seemed to give Ballyhoo more or — less gratification, for he nodded his head, and al- lowed a little grin to creep over his face, though that sign of amusement quickly disappeared ~ again. ‘“‘Do you mean to keep on running down thé | river after dark comes, sir?’’ asked Oscar, when: ae another half hour had passed. “‘T have been ata: to figure on what would be oF as ALONG THE ORINOCO 123 _ safest for us,’’ replied the professor, thoughtfully. ‘*The current is swift, and there are many ugly snags which, if we ran upon them in the night, would be apt to wreck our boats. I don’t believe it 1s wise to try such a course, unless we are abso- lutely compelled to go on.’’ The boys were not sorry to hear him say this, for they had been casting uneasy glances at the water, and wondering what terrible thing might happen to them in case of a spill. What with al- ligators, electric eels, savage fish that would at- tack them by scores and hundreds, as well as per- ~ haps other dangers just as real, the possibility of being thrown into the water was anything but cheerful. | *“here’s what looks like a good camp. ground, sir!’? called out Jack just then, and as it also seemed to appeal to the professor the order was given to land. Luckily there was a thick growth of rushes growing along the shore, in which the boats could easily be concealed. **Only make one track going in,’’ called out the professor; and guessing what his object must be the boys saw to it that the Indians handling the paddles so dextrously fell in single line. Then as they were in shallow water several of the latter, carrying out orders given by the sagac- ious headman, jumped overboard, and going back along their late course drew the reeds together again. Thus all trace of their having forced a passage through these was concealed. ‘ Pye std b 124. THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES Ballyhoo watched this being done with consid- erable interest, as in fact all of them did, not an- — ticipating meeting with such a plain display of — woodcraft down in a South American country. | ‘*It only goes to show,’’ Ballyhoo told Jack, on — drawing his attention to what was going on, ‘‘how > these savage people, no matter whether you find them in North America, Darkest Africa, the wilds of Australia, or right here along the wonderful — old Orinoco, all possess the same sense of strategy that they get from the fox and the hyena and the ~ jaguar—yes, and the kangaroo too, mebbe, for all I know.’’ | One thing all of them understood, which was — that there would be no cheery camp-fire lighted = that night. Until they had managed to get clear of the country looked upon as their hunting ~ ground by this particular tribe of Indians it ~ would be a most unwise thing to show a beacon — caleulated to draw attention to their resting = place. : They lay around there taking what comfort they could. Food had been distributed, so that no one poe a eee a = A : —— = Poly 7 ee ee D > = - ee ee ? : = - = ae Bt a Nee pe eg Saw Se ee a ge | Se a 1 ae ee a ee a ae - ee. ag ee ee be’ alee re Oe ee. as a sweet morsel. RS As the three boys, together with Philip Jenks wee and the man of science, had purposely “‘foregath- Ea Mem, went hungry. Of course this consisted for the q most part of stale crackers, cheese, and some dried = a meat which Ballyhoo loved to call’ ‘‘pemmican’? = just because he knew that the jerked venison of = the Wild West often went under that name, and } somehow he liked to roll the word over his alt sla ee : ALONG THE ORINOCO 125 ered’’ together, they were able to talk as they pleased, always remembering to modulate their voices so that their tones were hardly more than ‘whispers. **What do you think of our chances for getting » through without being discovered, sir?’’ Jack was asking. ‘‘They are about fifty-fifty, I should say,’’ came the far from reassuring reply. ‘‘We have taken all the precautions possible, but still in spite of everything we may be found out. These Indians are very crafty, and one of them may have seen - us coming along the river. But we’ll hope for the best, even while preparing for the worst.’’ ‘*And if we’re discovered, do we shoot to fetch down our game?’’ Ballyhoo demanded, trying to keep his voice firm, for he did not fancy having the others know that the prospect of such a thing appalled him. ‘“Only as a very last resort would I sanction anything like that,’’ said Professor Yardley. ‘‘I have a little plan that I mean to put into practice. It may work splendidly, and then again it is apt to prove an arrant failure, when we would be com- © pelled to depend on what execution we could do with our firearms, in order to insure our safety.’’ ‘*Would our men stand by us, do you think, sir?’’ asked Oscar, softly. * **T wonder what he’s going to do?’’ speculated _Ballyhoo, who couldn’t make even a guess to save him. **You’ll have to wait till he comes back, and then we’ll all know,’’ Oscar told the impatient one, though for that matter he was almost as anxious himself as Ballyhoo could be to hear the de- tails. Some little time elapsed. Possibly the profes- sor found it more or less difficult to discover just what he was looking for, since he dared not strike es 9—A.®. ea PER arena. at dues Tas Pn ¥ 130 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES — alight. He did have a small pocket electrie torch, — which he seldom used, since he wished to conserve the precious battery; and they finally began to — catch fugitive gleams from this light moving in zigzag lines, as he hunted through the cargo in one of the guarded hoats. Then presently they knew he was coming face ao It was too dark there under the trees to tell what — manner of bundle the savant might be carrying; — though evidently from the character of his prom- — ise 1¢ could not be along the line of his studies i in plant lore. ‘Strange as it happens, there are exactly four _ of them in all, one apiece for you, boys,’’ he told — them. ‘‘As for me, I expect to have my hands © fully occupied with other matters about the time : I'll call on you to break loose.”’ Ballyhoo gave evidence of his astonishment : when his fingers closed upon the object the gentle- man had placed in his keeping. ‘‘Why, as sure as shooting it feels just ike one of those long -tin horns we use on Hallowe’en night; and at our football games, so as to make — the worst lot of noise going T ? was what he ex- — claimed. “You’ve guessed it, Ballyhoo!’’ chuckled the professor, who seemed to be enjoying the affair as much as though he were renewing his youth. — ‘‘They are tin horns, and capable of emitting the most discordant sounds that ever grated on the © human tympanum. I expect you every one to blow ~ for all you are worth when I say the word. If ALONG THE ORINOCO | Poh the racket you can put up isn’t enough to chill the fighting blood in the veins of any Orinoco Indian that ever lived, I’m greatly mistaken. But all this noise is only intended to be an accompaniment; - there is something more than that I’m planning to produce.”’’ ‘“The plot thickens,’’ was all Ballyhoo whis- pered to himself; and it could be easily sur- mised that he was greatly pleased with the idea. **Tn nearly all cases,’’ continued the professor, ‘where the ignorance and superstition of natives is intended to be worked upon,-red fire, a handful of common fireworks, and possibly some phosphor- escent paint is calculated to do the job. I have all of them handy. They have served my purpose more than once in the past, and I hope will not. failusnow.” — **Please tell us just what we are to do, then, sir,’’ urged Jack, wondering if it could be at all possible to make any sort of picture of the show, and then regretfully deciding that such a thing Was against reason, much as he would have liked to try it. Accordingly the gentleman went into particu- Jars, and it could be seen from his precise way of - explaining even the minutest details how he had had'this queer scheme mapped out in his mind long before. Doubtless its contemplation, to be used in case of dire necessity, may have caused him no end of secret amusement, recalling as it did those early days in his own life, when he used to exert his 132 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES - powers as a stage magician to playfully hood- — wink a gaping audience. | ‘: First of all the Indian attendants were'to be kept out of sight, as well as all signs calculated — to betray the fact that the white invaders were — hiding at that spot. Then each of the boys was supplied with a hori and instructed how to use it on ene from the — professor. ‘When the time is ripe we’ll give these chae the scare of their lives, that’s dead sure,’’ Baliy- — hoo boasted, as he put his horn to his mouth to see how it felt. : ‘‘Be careful, Ballyhoo!’’ warned Jack, fearful lest the other might let out a trial blare that would ‘take the edge’’ off the entertainment. ‘‘Don’t give even a peep ahead of time. It might spoil the game, you know.’’ ‘‘Don’t be afraid, Jack, I didn’t mean to i my bugle, but just wanted to find if it fitted my lips. — Everything seems O.K. as far as I can see. Now let the Philistines come along, if they’re hanker- ing for a shock, that’s all.”’ | After that they fell silent for a time. It was really no time for talking unless an actual neces- sity arose. But lying there behind that thick screen of bushes the three boys and Philip Jenks continued to keep their ears busy listening for some sign of the approach of the enemy, and of course all the while hoping the peril might pass them by. : Professor Yardley had crept away, doubtless to — ALONG THE ORINOCO 133 give the last orders to his headman, who in turn would communicate it to the carriers, so that they might nof fall into a panic and flee madly when things reached the boiling state. CHAPTER XY; THE SERPENTS IN THE SKY ‘‘Listen to the night birds calling all around - us,’’ whispered Ballyhoo, in the ear of Oscar, some time afterwards. ‘“Those are not birds,’’ came the thrilling reply in the lowest of tones, with Oscar’s lips close to — his ear. ‘*They are signals made by some of these Indians. They must suspect that we’re around this region, and right now they are closing § in on us from several sides.’’ “f ‘*¥’m sure I heard a sound out on the river just then,’’ Jack added, also cautiously, ‘‘that may — have been a paddle striking the side of a dugout boat. So they’re coming down on us by water as — well!’ 2 Ballyhoo only let his breath pass. between his — lips in a sibilant hiss, but it was like the escape valve that allows steam to go forth when the boiler is overcharged. er The minutes passed, every one heavy with sus- ie pense. Those queer bird-like calls continued to rise, now here, again there, as though each hada | 134 ALONG THE ORINOCO - 4365 peculiar significance. Undoubtedly these untu- tored savages of the Orinoco wilds had a method of communication which was carried on by these natural sounds. So well imitated were the birds of the forest that many who considered them- selves fair woodsmen might have been deceived; though they may have come to the conclusion that the owls and night hawks, as well as other species of nocturnal birds, were unusually noisy on that particular occasion. *‘There’re getting closer all the time,’’ mut- tered the uneasy Ballyhoo. ‘‘I hope now the pro- fessor won’t leave the opening chorus go too ~ long.”? *‘Be ready!’’ warned Oscar, who had his tin horn close to his lips, and was in a condition to draw in a long, full breath at a second’s notice. Then all at once there sprang into existence a dazzling red light that shot a terrifying glow around the entire vicinity. That was the signal they had been expecting for some time. Ballyhoo thought it was long past overdue, since he had been burning with zeal to commence blowing his horn for some time now. Doubtless these boys had had more or less ex- - perience on election nights and similar occasions. They may also have belonged to the strong-lunged squad to whom the duty of creating a noise is given by the cheer captain at the annual football _ School games. At any rate they quickly proved _ that they were past masters in the art of getting 136 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES all the dismal sounds out of tin contraptions that could ever be imagined. When that awful chorus broke forth all other — noises of the night stopped short. In fact every — animal or bird within half a mile of that spot must have quaked with sudden fear, and either de- parted to safer regions or else cowered down on its perch or in its lair. Other things were happening at the same time, for the professor was a busy man. From the shelter of the bushes that screened him he must have put a match to one of those pieces of fire- works of which he had spoken, for there was a sudden roaring sound, a scattering of sparks, and then straight up into the air rosea fiery monster that vaulted toward the distant heavens. ite How the eyes of those terrified savages must have followed the course of that rocket as it eut— its fiery way aloft, made a graceful curve when it — attained the limit of its flight, and then burst forth — amass of magnificent red and blue balls, each of which commenced to zigzag downward as though held by a parachute, which was possibly the case. Nothing that the human mind could conceive would be more apt to frighten an ignorant Indian than such an exhibition of supreme power. ‘To his untutored mind this must be the incarnation of spiritual power; the Great Manitou was speaking through all this horrible din and these amazing flashing lights. bs Oscar wondered how it would succeed, but he ALONG THE ORINOCO 137 did not have to bother his mind for any great length of time. Already they could hear the pat- ter of hastily retreating footsteps. The Indians had commenced to run, and their departure lacked every element of caution that may have marked their secret coming. The flight soon became a panic. They could be heard dashing madly along, and it-might be set down as certain that once this eagerness to escape seized upon their hearts nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of their going. Many crashed into trees that were unseen in the general scram- ble. In the direction of the river the boys also heard much loud splashing, which seemed to indi- cate that those nearest the water had in their fright plunged recklessly in. Cries and screams coming from this quarter soon afterwards told that some of these adven- turous souls had been attacked by alligators, — or those savage fish which Ballyhoo held in such awe. Taken altogether it was a riot of noise and con- fusion such as the three Motion Picture Comrades had never experienced before. They were fully aroused, and felt their hearts pounding against their ribs with the excitement; but at the time none of them knew whether they were more in- clined to be filled with silent laughter on account - of the ludicrous nature of the affair, or feel com- passion for those unfortunates who were having such a rough time of it in the river. By degrees, however, all this noise was dying ~ 1388 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES. out. The boys themselves had stopped blowing their horns, partly because their breath was well nigh exhausted through persistent efforts for such a long space of time. The red fire too was dying out, though the professor had sent up another rocket, this time spitting forth a sheaf of writhing yellow serpents that must have added to the fears _ of the fleeing wretches, Gradually the sounds ceased. Those in the water — had perhaps been able to scramble ashore—at least the boys hoped so; while the runners on land had ~ managed to get to some distance, where they could come together again, and depart, to carry the fear- ful news back to their village. 3 It was certain that the night would be free from all further alarms. Nothing on earth could tempt any of those copper-colored natives to ap- proach that spot again; and in all likelihood it ~ would be shunned for many moons as a place of evil reputation. ‘ ‘“Well, it’s all over,’’ said Ballyhoo, with some- — thing bordering on a sigh, as if he had actually enjoyed the queer entertainment, tinged with dan- ger though it may have been. | ‘*1’m going to ask the professor to let me keep this horn to remember it by,’’ was what Jack remarked. ‘‘Oh! what a dandy picture this would have made, and how sorry I am it couldn’t be taken. It does seem to me as if some of the finest chances for stunning effects are lost by their hap- pening in the night time.’’ Ballyhoo had something else on his mind, and ALONG THE ORINOCO 139 as usual he considered it his duty to communicate the same to his companions. **Say, d’ye know I never dreamed when I used to hear our preacher read how those old worthies went round and round a hundred times, blowing their rams’ horns, ’till the noise made the walls of Jericho fall down, that the time’d come when I’d be doing something like that myself. It’s a bully good horn, too, and I’d like to keep it, Same as you, Jack. Say a good word for me to the professor, please, when you hold him up for yours.”’ _ **What’s all this about?’’ asked a voice, and then the four were joined by the man of science. **T hope you are not picking flaws in the little entertainment I got up in such a hurry, to start those poor wretches back home, where their wives were waiting for them? What did you think of it, boys?’’ If what they told him was any criterion by which their opinion might be gauged, the profes- sor had reason for being satisfied. He seemed to be almost as pleased as any of the boys, for every now and then he would laugh softly to himself when mention was made of some partieular fea- ture in the mad flight of the enemy. **One thing certain,’’ he finally remarked, seri- ously, ‘‘while the whole affair was of a nature to hardly reflect credit on a man of my supposed scientific attainments, at least it accomplished what it was intended for. And certainly it was much more humane to give those poor Indians a 140 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES little fright than to have opened on them with our murderous guns, and maimed many of them, per- haps killed others. I know I shall sleep easier tonight on account of my choice.’’ CHAPTER XVI FLYING BEFORE THE STORM Ir turned out that none of their native carriers had fled as a result of seeing those strange things, which however must have impressed them deeply. Nevertheless, as it afterwards proved, the head- man himself had found it difficult to restrain some of the more frightened among them. Doubtless they had buried their heads in the grass so as to shut out the terrible vision of that serpent speed- ing toward the heavens, to speak in thunder tones when on high, and scatter those fiery darts broad- cast. But it was all over now, and gradually they could gain the mastery over their fears, so a . sleep might be wooed. Nothing else happened during that never-to-be- forgotten night. All of them were glad to see the coming of dawn, when the voyage down the Ori- noco was to be resumed after breakfast. Since there was no longer the least danger from - savages, Ballyhoo rejoiced in the fact that they could have something ‘‘decent’’ to eat, as well as a cup of fragrant Java. 141 142 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES __ ‘‘T miss my coffee more than anything else,’’ he complained. ‘‘Seems like the day hasn’t been started right when I have to go without one cup of the berry juice.’’ Ss ‘*Shows what a slave to drink you’re getting — to be,’’ laughed Oscar. ‘‘ Better break away from such bad habits before it’s too late, Ballyhoo.’’ ‘Oh! I am—gradually,’’ smirked the other; ‘‘vyou remember I didn’t have a drop last night, — don’t you?’’ ma All the same every one of them enjoyed a hot breakfast, being blessed with good appetites. Then the boats were launched, and loaded as usual. ~ While all of them were of the opinion that they - would see nothing further of the hostile na- tives, still common discretion urged that they first of all cross to the other side of the wide river, and continue down near the further shore. — | ‘*We happen to know that their village is on © this side of the stream,’’ said the professor, while — they talked the matter over at breakfast; ‘‘and the chances are none of that tribe can be found across the Orimoco. These various tribes are as a rule at war with one another, and consequently never — roam far away from certain regions supposed to be their particular hunting grounds. When they feel fiercely disposed, and long to engage in war, - all they have to do is to invade the area belonging to some rival crowd, when the poisoned arrows and darts fly.’’ Once they started the men at the oars worked the boats across the stream. Naturally the boys ’ ALONG THE ORINOCO — 143 cast a few anxious glances back toward the shore they were just leaving. It looked very forbid- ding, with its heavy vegetation that overhung the water, and might for all they knew shelter some enemies bolder than their fellows. Ballyhoo entertained a peculiar aversion for those long blowguns, with which he had watched that Indian bring down a bird from the top of a lofty tree. -And if, as he had been told, they poisoned the tips of such darts as were to be used in warfare with fellow humans, it was not very pleasant to contemplate being struck by such a deadly missile. He breathed more easily when he figured that the boats had finally reached such a distance from the hostile shore that a successful shot with a _ blowgun would be out of the question. | ** And,’’ he admitted privately to himself, under his breath, ‘‘I’d be even happier if the old river was about five miles wide instead of a measly half.’’ : Once across they found that the conditions there did not differ to any appreciable extent from what they had been accustomed to. Pretty much the same class of thick tropical vegetation covered the shores, while trees in places overhung the water, in the branches of which the quick eye of the experienced plant hunter often detected mag- nificent specimens of orchids; while on his part Phil Jenks several times found opportunities for using his light shotgun in order to secure a rare bird he coveted. > de 144 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES The day proved to be an unusually scorching one. Under the shade afforded by the flimsy can- vas covers which were raised to partly protect them from the cruel burning heat of the sun the boys lay, and fairly panted as noon arrived. It was so unmercifully hot that even the professor, much as he wished to get out of this region now that his object had been attained, felt that they would be taking unnecessary chances if they tried — to keep on. ; ‘*We’ll go ashore, and spend a couple of hours resting,’’ he announced, presently, as he saw Bal- lyhoo mopping his face and neck with his once red bandanna. | ‘*Bully for that!’’ exclaimed that worthy, grin- ning; ‘‘it isn’t a very long time to knock around, — of course, but then I’ve always been told half a — loaf is better than no bread. Thank you kindly, Professor, for remembering that we might melt away if we kept on out in this glare.’’ : ‘Along about two o’clock,’’ continued the other, ‘‘there’s a likelihood of some relief, for I notice . clouds coming up over yonder.”’ . ‘“‘They look pretty black in the bargain,’’ ob- — served Jack. | ‘‘We’re just as likely to get a big storm after such a stunning hot day,’? prophesied Ballyhoo, — also looking carefully toward the horizon, where the bank of clouds could be plainly seen. There was no breeze stirring, or so faint a breath of air that it counted for nothing, so that even when they found themselves under the shade — ALONG THE ORINOCO 145 _of the trees it did not ieee so very comfortable, after all. - While they munched some lunch, and tried to take things as easy as possible, of course they { exchanged opinions on many subjects. _ **T hope now, Jack,’’ Ballyhoo at one time re- marked, as though more or less concerned over _the matter, ‘‘you’ve got that case of films wrapped up so it’ll be waterproof in case a ecloudburst . strikes us. I’d hate the worst kind to have anything happen now to ruin all your hard _ work.’’ - **You can make your mind easy on that score,’’ he was told. ‘‘I’m not one of those shiftless fel- _ lows who wait until the horse is stolen before they - lock the barn door. That box is said to be air and - moisture proof in itself. I had it made according _ to my own specifications, and have given it a good "test long ago. ‘Then, besides, I keep it well " wrapped in oilskins. It could float in a boat half filled with water, and in no way injure the con- tents.’’ **Glad to hear that,’’ laughed Ballyhoo, who _ possibly knew the facts before, but just wanted to get a *‘rise’’ out of Jack. _ When they once more entered the boats: and _ started on down the river the sun at times hid his _ seorching face behind masses of clouds. As yet, however, they could detect no 0 positive signs of the _ storm that brooded. : 7 only hope it holds off a couple of hours or 80,”’ the professor called out after Oscar had 146 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES drawn attention to the fact that the clouds were growing denser far down toward the horizon. “‘I say that because I’ve got a nice place picked out for our night camp, and one particularly adapted to a stormy period.”’ He would not enter into particulars, contenting himself with saying they would find out all about it sooner or later, if fortunate enough to get far enough along before compelled to land, either | through the breaking of the storm or the gathering of darkness. Knowing that the man of science was great on ‘‘nreparedness,’’ Oscar could easily understand - that he must have taken particular notice of the lay of the land on this side of the river while they were ascending; and made a mental note of cer- tain characteristics that might serve travelers well in an emergency. ~ : Ballyhoo, who was in the same boat with Jack at the time, confided some more of his griefs to the other. ‘‘Here’s where we’re going to miss those khaki tents the worst kind, I’m afraid,’’ he went on to say, disconsolately. ‘‘It’s true they were getting pretty rotten, and not much so far as looks went, being faded and old; but any port in a storm; and — lying under one of those canvas shelters would be a heap better than sticking it out in the open, with a gale whooping things up, and the rain 1 coming down like pitchforks.’’ ‘‘Oh! I don’t know about that,’’ J ack replied. ‘*TIn such a storm I’m afraid our tents would have — OS er ial | Mae b2 see i OE ee Me es 0 else broken away, ee gone ae: af a ~ At times he started Hee gave, 7 toa gasp as some unusiially ae as Sy yt ee Oe en ote en cae tinw ae 148 THE MOTION PICTURE oo trying at the same time to appear cool and col- lected, as if his nerves were not all on edge with apprehensions. ‘“The professor is getting anxious too,’’ said Jack. ‘‘He is looking closely at the shore right along now, and I only hope he begins to recognize that likely place for a camp he mentioned.”*” ‘Whew! I hope it’s going to turn out to be a cyclone cave,’’ Ballyhoo admitted, after a fero- cious burst of thunder that made the very atmos- phere seem to quiver, had gradually died away in short rumbles. Just then the professor was heard calling. __ ‘‘Here’s the place I was heading for, boys!’’ he told them; ‘‘make straight in, and run the boats tp on that little beach, which looks as if it had been formed especially for landing.”’ : Joyfully they obeyed when the order had heen’ given by the headman to. the native rowers; and | three minutes afterwards the boys leaped ashore, though with cramped limbs, on account of sitting ” for several hours. a . CHAPTER XVII WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY *‘Ger a hustle on, boys!’’ called Ballyhoo, as he bent over to seize upon his gun, wrapped in a waterproof case, and then his clothes-bag after- wards. There seemed need of considerable haste, be- cause the breaking out of the storm could not be long delayed. Jack had snatched up his camera, while Oscar looked after the box containing the films, both most precious packages in their esti- mation. Meanwhile Philip Jenks was thrusting his bun- dles of carefully preserved bird skins into the charge of some of the Indian attendants, who, drilled by the headman, knew just what was ex- pected of them at such a landing time. They started up the shore, following after the tall figure of the professor, who, bending forward as he advanced, seemed to be anxiously looking ahead of him. Then those still down on the beach heard his ery of delight. <¢ All right, boys; we’ve struck the spot I had in 149 ae} wer 150. THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES mind. Fetch your stuff up in a hurry, for you'll not have any too much time.’’ Accordingly they commenced climbing the bank. Once up there they soon located the shelter which Professor Yardley had had im mind when direct- ing their flight down the river. . A series of strange formations of rock ran along, just forty feet or so back of the elevated shore line. These must have struck the eye of the man of science as worthy of notice when passed in the daytime. He had also judged that as they formed a positive shelf, with plenty of room un- derneath, the cavities would make ideal shelters from a storm. And it was odd to find how useful this knowledge came in just when they were greatly in need of some cover for their per- sons and possessions, with’ a storm about to break. Crawling underneath the shelving r60u they soon deposited their burdens where by no possi- bility could any rain reach them, even though driven before a harsh wind. Some of the men came staggering up bearing heavy loads on their heads. Others, under the direction of the headman, who understood what damage such a gale might do to unprotected boats, were lifting the several heavy craft, and placing them safely far-up on the bank, also taking care that the should not lie broadside on to the river. All these necessary preparations were being car- | ried out swiftly, and with great care. None tog ri: ALONG THE ORINOCO ; 151 soon were they concluded, for hardly had the last boat been laid among the trees and bushes than a new sound came across the river to their ears. * ‘*Yisten to the wind, will you?’’ called out Bal- Tyhoo, for it was necessary to raise one’s voice now in order to be heard, because the thunder seemed almost constant, and other noises began to join in to make things ‘‘merry.’’ 3 **1’m glad for one,’’ said Jack, ‘‘that we’re not out there in the middle of the river right now.’’ ‘*Why, we’d founder, as sure as anything,’’ Bal- lyhoo affirmed. ‘‘But owing to the little turn of this roeky shelf here I don’t believe we’ll get a great deal of the wind in this place. Whee! there it strikes along the other shore. Now it’s racing across like wildfire. Hold your breath, boys, and listen to that row, will you?’’ Almost before he ceased speaking there was a wild swoop, and they heard a tree crash down not far away, before the first violence of the gale. From that time on speaking was almost impos- ‘sible. All they could do was to cower there, and shield themselves the best way possible with their blankets; for as usually happens no sooner had the rain commenced to descend in a perfect deluge than the atmosphere quickly became chilly. Ballyhoo could not help staring out, as though the wild spectacle possessed a peculiar fascina- tion for him, so that he could not tear his eyes ‘away. The lightning was really magnificent and 152 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES: appalling. It came in many different types, from the zigzag blaze that seemed to dart this way and > that before losing itself near the earth to a broad and terrible arrow that dropped directly down from the overhanging clouds, and sought some monarch of the forest, to shatter the same into fragments. | And such rain none of them had ever seen fall. It blotted out everything on the river, and even closer by; in fact, save for the intermittent flashes of lightning they could not see any object. Roar- ing torrents rushed past on every side, all head- ing toward the nearby river. Ballyhoo did not wonder that the Orinoco needed a dozen mouths, more or less, to let such floods seek an outlet to the sea, if rainfalls like this were of frequent oc- currence along the extensive watershed it drained. : The war of the elements kept up for a long time. ~ until it seemed as though they must become ex-— hausted through their own savage violence. ‘Then gradually the thunder lost some of its ear-splitting vigor, and the lightning came less frequently. — Encouraged by these signs, the boys began to pluck up hope, and believe the terrible gale was. wearing out. 2 They also realized that they would have to on in that night under the shelter of the rocky ledge, because everywhere else the earth must prove too” wet for any comfort. This did not promise a com- fortable time, because the ground was hard, but even Ballyhoo made no sina ute He oy ihe? _. ALONG THE ORINOCO 1538 he was well off, and that rocky shelf stood in the light of a good friend in his estimation. The thunder was hardly more than a loud growl finally; though an occasional outburst would come once in @ while, just to remind them of what they had missed. So passed another strange ex- _ perience that they were not likely to soon forget. The Indians had started a little blaze under the -rocks. They were not as comfortably clad as the whites, and the ponchos they owned had to serve as cloaks by day and blankets by night, so they could not be very heavy. The poor fellows had been shivering with the cold for some little time before they summoned energy enough to ap- ply at match to the dry stuff some of them had made out to fetch along before the rain began to fall. And that fiickering little blaze continued to rise _ and fall during the whole of the night. Somehow it seemed a bit of comfort, for Ballyhoo at least, _ because everything looked so dark and forbidding outside, the clouds continuing to dominate the heavens long after the storm had passed out of hearing. _ Again all of them were glad when morning broke. It seemed as though this might he getting to be a regular thing, with them; at least Bally- hoo considered that it was, in his particular case. Since that night when he sat between two camp fires and watched for the coming of jaguars, ana- condas, alligators, and all sorts of other ‘‘var- » gy 3 eon a 154 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES mints’’ which had their domain in the forest and swamps of the Orinoco country, the boy believed” he had hardly passed a single peaceful night. All of them felt pretty stiff and sore when they ‘began to crawl forth from under the rocky ledge; but there was some satisfaction when they con-~ templated the fact of possessing dry clothes, and that their packages too had escaped being soaked in that tropical downpour. It was no easy task to find suitable wood for a cooking fire, but then Ballyhoo had learned — how to cut into stumps, and secure the heart, which would be found perfectly dry, even after a week of rain; and this he now proceeded to do. ‘* At one time, Ballyhoo,’’ pee. Jack, while they were getting breakfast ready, “‘‘you spoke ~ of our being able to find some sort of shelter under one of these big trees, if it came to the worst; you remember that, don’t you? Well, just take a look over there, and say what you think about that now.”’ Ballyhoo did look and gave a startled — cry. ‘‘Why!’’ he exclaimed, ‘‘lightning must have — struck that monster tree, and shattered it all the way down. Only the wreck is left, a broken stump thirty feet high, and even that split nearly — in two. I remember when that must Have hap- — pened, for the flash nearly made me blind, and — the report was so awful the rocks trembled under me. Yes, I’m mighty glad now I didn’t have to ALONG THE ORINOCO 155 | carry out my plan. It would have been a crazy one, I own up.”’ **Anywhere but under a big tree in a thunder storm,’’ continued Jack, feeling that just then was the right time to impress such a valuable bit _ of advice on the rash comrade, when such a splen- did object lesson could be shown in the matter of the riven forest monarch. ‘‘I’d throw myself flat in a field, and take the ducking every time, rather than do that, or seek shelter in a hay barn. A hedge, or a rock that tilts over are all right, for they never attract the lightning.’’ **Oh! Ill be sure to remember, Jack,’’ the other promised; but it was always a question whether one so forgetful as Ballyhoo could keep anything in mind. As the boats had been carefully turned upside down they had not been lifted and carried away by the hurricane force of the wind. Consequently they were in good condition for launching,-and this duty was attended to by the headman and his numerous assistants, after which the cargoes were again stowed away, in the bows for the most part. . **T have just been figuring it out, boys,’’ an- nounced the professor over his third cup of strong coffee, of which he was excessively fond; ‘and I believe, if all goes well, we should some time this afternoon arrive at the point where we first struek the Orinoeo.’’ _ **Do we return the same way as we came, sir?’’ _ asked Jack. 156 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES — ‘‘That, too, I have been considering,’’ the gentle- man explained, ‘‘and on the whole decided it would be better to retrace our course. We know what | to expect on that stream, whereas if we continue to move down the Orinoco there may be hazards without number that will confront us. And see- ing that three among our party are particularly anxious to get back to civilization without any sort - of a spill, it seems to me we would show good sense by repeating.’’ In fact there was not a single dissenting vote . east, even the usually adventurous Ballyhoo hav- ing apparently seen enough trouble for some time to come. That was one of the finest days they saw on the entire cruise. It seemed as though the great storm must have cleared the air, for that sicken- ing heat was entirely missing now, and in its place — they had a fine bracing breeze that kept up the — entire day. Just as the head of the expedition had said, they — reached the junction of the two rivers a couple of hours before sundown. It was determined to go into camp then and there, since a good site of- fered, and they wished to spend just one more night within reach of where the mighty Orinoco — rolled its turgid current toward the distant ocean. As they were about landing Jack called out ex- eitedly: ‘‘Look, fellows, at that monster alligator just polling ready to plunge into the river. There © ALONG THE ORINOCO 15T he goes with a splash. He’s likely got a den under the bank, with one entrance far-down below the water.’ ‘*Tonight then is my chance to see how the In- dians catch these ’gators for their scaly hides,’’ said Ballyhoo, ‘‘because the headman promised to set a trap to show me.’’ SN Lily, A eT Re ee ee eg a a) Yan «| * 1 Poe »! CHAPTER XVIII THE ALLIGATOR TRAP “A trap for alligators, did you say?’’ exclaimed. Jack, with an immediate show of eagerness; ‘‘that sounds interesting. I wonder now if there would be anything in it for me.’’ **If you mean that you’d like to get a few snaps, try and find out from old Mr. Woo what he thinks. He’s seen how you work your magic box, and could give me a few pointers. And say, mebbe it might make a pretty nifty show that would cause the kids’ eyes to stick out when they saw the old saurian nabbed as neat as you please. Stay here, boys, and I’ll try and interview our headman.”? With that Ballyhoo slipped away and was soon seen making all manner of queer gestures with his hands and fingers, as well as motions with his head. It was quite a task to hold any lengthy conversation with the old Indian who acted as ‘boss of the outfit;’’ though he could talk fairly well on such subjects as concerned the ordinary matters connected with starting the day’s work, camping, and always the prime subject of “orth Ballyhoo had, however, been working indus- 158 3 | Wr, tec S isly ae the. BE ‘alisp, pe Welioved: te het inated a sort of ‘pidgin’? language which, _ vhen accompanied by the proper amountof shrugs nd smiles and nods oe be understood ay both on Se eae the speaker s eye, and could see. : ee Ups moved. Oh “aes your camera out of its sac ce ! it did all that while you were ee with — appen AK be on the ek Bide of the o s full ‘benefit.’ Ae ore 160 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES using up much of his precious film juniprowtably % though accidents would some times happen, as they de ‘‘in even the best regulated families.’? — | ‘The headman took a couple of his understrap-'| pers with him, perhaps because he thought they would help make the picture more realistic. Three \| Indians, with their picturesque attire, would be far better than merely a single native. Jack was of that opinion himself, and made no effort to cut — down the number on the score of unnecessary re | resentation. First the headman closely examined the shows : about the place where the big saurian had made — his plunge. It could be easily seen that he had a — favorite sunning spot, where he might detect any approaching peril, and be ready to take a dip, turning up in his slanting den, where it would be easy for him to remain until the coast was clear | again. | Nearly all alligators, as well as their first cou- ( sins the crecodiles, have their ‘‘dens’? with one | entrance far under the surface of the water, then a, slope upwards, and an exit hidden in some clump of bushes, back from the stream. Near this latter door the shrewd hunter after tiny ’gators looks to © rake in his prizes, to be afterwards, perhaps, ae as curios in Florida stores. 53 Having located the reptile’s ‘*house,’’ the heads : man signaled that he was ready to begin business; so Jack got busy with his crank, while Oscar and — Ballyhoo stood ready to render any assistance the — Indian might require ; mae see to bee meow) sr Seg stout hoon sapling growing cieenicnte He tested this, 162 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES tile’s body passing through the noose, the tr was pronounced set. When the ’gator, havi thrust himself partly through the noose, tried push on further, the chances were three out | four that he would jerk the bent sapling free fro confinement, with the result that the noose wou tighten, and the ’gator be raised a foot or two fro the ground. Here he would be helpless to effe his own release, and must swing and struggle ; midair until the setter of the trap came along 1 secure his prize. : After having managed the preliminaries of tl strange native way of capturing the wearer of ‘“corrugated sheet-iron armor,’’ as Ballyhoo ealle the thick, rough skin of the alligator, Jack reste on his laurels. Later on if luck came their wa he would like to get the prisoner dangling ther Then the illustration of a saurian creeping up ti ward the trap could easily be taken after the re] tile had been dispatched. It was perhaps along about three in the mon ing, as Ballyhoo decided after seeing the positior of the various planets in the heavens, that som one aroused the boy by a soft shake. Opening h: eyes he saw an Indian bending over him, and we for the moment startled, since he had been drean ing of those savage men whom they had frightene away by the use of the professor’s *‘magic.’’ — ‘‘Oh! it’s only you, Mr. Woo, is it?”’ muttere Ballyhoo; ‘‘what’s happened ?’’ ‘‘He eome trap,’’ the other told him, net withor a little streak of natural eaee: in is) voice. a says we've caught our ‘gator, 2. et eetynpo told ce hag come s ee Mr, Woo ” with oe £ ng i ; cipal role. ; ‘ Ses oe. ei ae hand _ Already the headmam, bearing & a tore ee them flocked. It ae a queer spectach ee Motion Picture Comrades looked upon. e mc ye ster peesen at least fourteen feet in ore Ly owher the boys arrived on the ene | was struggling furiously to release him “Whoo! what a terror!’ , acu , staring at the squirming ‘reptile. — ‘He: - the precaution to carry his gun with | : would indicate that Ballyhoo, did not: who. : that. frail rope. If the enraged ’ga oy break loose and attack them bi w n [ hould think you’d get something decent out the ee Jack!’’ he observed; while the head- — eta Ea ae ta” ily RU dha : 166 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES — ‘*T should think such a scene would prove vey’ interesting to everybody,’’ ventured the prof sor; ‘‘and especially to any boys in an audien I know that when I was a mere lad my eyes woul | have been as round as saucers if I’d ever had tip" chance to see such a thing. And I never cease marvel at the wonderful advance in photograpl iy! the present generation is experiencing. Old-tin still life scenes have lost all their interest for pe: ple since the coming of the motion pictures. The are one of the wonders of the twentieth century. In the morning it was found that the big ’gatc was still full of life. Under ordinary condition the boys would have surely disposed of the rey tile at once, or else let him go free again, for the did not believe in giving unnecessary sufferin; to any creature; but the case was different now for Jack wished to duplicate his work of midnight so as to protect himself against possible failure After that had been done the alligator was dis posed of by a shot from Ballyhoo’s gun; because he thought he would like to have that skin for the purpose of wearing a pair of slippers at some fu- ture date made from the hide. The obliging head- man performed the autopsy for him, and for many days that same hide was a source of more or less annoyanee to every one in camp.. But in the end Ballyhoo brought it triumphantly home with him. At present writing it is supposed to be in the hands of a tanner, who will return it ready for use. Ballyhoo apparently believes it to be al- ti most inexhaustible, to judge from the ea ALONG THE ORINOCO 167 promises of calling-card cases, traveling bags, slip- ers, and writing pads which he so generously neattered among his girl friends in Melancton. | All of which is, of course, away ahead of my story, for Ballyhoo was not yet out of the Orinoco forests at the time; and if he only knew it had a wumber of rather unpleasant experiences still to pass through before he could call himself safe. CHAPTER XIX ‘‘NOTHING BUT TROUBLE FOR BALLYHOO!’’ Once they left the great Orinoco behind the} the boys felt that they were well launched on t. return trip. They could now afford to revie some of the stirring happenings of the past, ar speculate on what might have befallen them ha the conditions been different. Especially did this refer to their narrow escay from being attacked by those rabid white mar haters whom the clever artifice of Professor Yare ley had frightened off. In their first camp after losing sight of the bi river the boys talked this all over, and decided tha they had much to be thankful for. ‘‘EXverything seems to have come our way,’ Osear told his chums. ‘‘The professor is delighte with his collection of plants; Philip Jenks ha: picked up twice as many rare specimens of bird; as he hoped to find; and as for our crowd, we’v certainly secured a mighty fine lot of pictures calculated to please the people we’re nore for.’’ ‘Phat’s right, ’? Jack hastened to declare, ¢ en +87: a ‘connected. mati a ‘Big Round-top,’ not only — Bs ne as the Bo egrnence went, but the daily dozen other ie that. Bp to now the general | = oe aes bret our Wild Animal Series of films a ee took out there in the heart of Africa,”’ 3 ee iy th me aa ye t= Aa ae tea gee Fx ‘ area Ts * 4 e De aT ae Hy 7 a tee ¢ Se Sn ree, 4 et 2 te Aare, easy J ri ae a 5 & “ay & bee os Yato de aa Fi ase ; 4 gh * eens, 2 5 Wire: S 4 Pal. Fad ‘“ a Ne a > Oe r ia Vaal ay rea A * ron oy Bes “Si . Pn ae 170 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES - ill-gotten hoard as many as six times, when I younger. I always dreamed of finding an of” cedar, brass-bound chest buried on a lonely sai le to the brim with diamonds and Spanish gold. Li} tle did I think that I’d really go hunting for bunch of that same Spanish gold, and in a moder} submarine diving-boat at that; yes, and find i) too.’’ With that Ballyhoo hurried over to the rive bank, where he had located a tree that hung fa out over the water, and perched on which he coulc fish to his heart’s content. | ‘‘Better be careful you don’t slip, Ballyhoo!’ called out Jack, a little while later, on noticing fo the first time where the other had located. ‘*Qh, shucks! nothing doing in that line!’’ the other boasted. ‘‘I’ve got an old stub ofa broken branch back of me to hold to. Did you see that last dandy chap I tossed ashore, Jack? Must have weighed all of three pounds, and a fighter from away back. These fish are gamey enough to he called bass, for all the water is so Inke-warm mostly. ’’ ‘‘They run down to the sea from time to time, T imagine,’’ explained the professor, ‘‘just as the trout do in many streams up in Canada and New- foundland. That appears to give them fresh life and vigor.’ Ballyhoo continued fishing, with more or less luck. It was perhaps a quarter of an hour after- wards that those in camp heard a tremendous a2 ; | |} ALONG THE ORINOCO 172 plash. Jack and Oscar did not have to be told jaat in spite of his brave words the unfortunate mallyhoo must have made some unexpected daove, and losing his balance, had fallen into the iver. | It was not so very deep where he had been fish- ing, and as Ballyhoo could swim of course the thances of his being drowned seemed nil; never- \heless all of them hastened toward the shore, per- jiaps to laugh, or it might be to extend a helping hand to the unfortunate. Ballyhoo himself was grinning as he turned to ook up at the row of faces. He could take a joke, sven when it happened to be upon himself, and loubtless the absurdity of the situation gi 0 him. Then like a flash his look changed. They saw him begin to jump up and down as though in sud- den agony. “Wow! quit that, can’t you? Oh! what’s hitting me that awful way? Jack, Oscar, somebody reach me out a hand, can’t you? Ouch! that was a fierce drive! It’s nearly killing me every time I feel it!?? _ **He’s been touched by an electric eel!’’ shouted the professor... ‘‘Don’t anybody jump in and try to help him, or you’ll only get in trouble your- selves. Here, reach out with that pole, Oscar. Let him take hold of that, and we’ll pull him ashore all right without trouble!’’ _ Ballyhoo seemed almost paralyzed, and inca- pable of stirring of his own volition, save that he a a drowning oe might ae a straw : They proceeded to draw him, aN ; Whither: the boy would let. oat a "dies as though he had received an additional the strange creature native to this regi of considerable uO Pe of as ce: ~ any other living hea Ree Sue ~ So poor Ballyhoo was finally hehned where he sank down almost exhausted F, ne : *y ing most forlorn. They could now work on hi _ without fear of ‘‘catching the tome a hoo himself expressed it later on, nee crazy. It’s a Pe scheme, boys; and pat it up to some institution when I get back , if Ir ever do.’ a en you must have been born under a lucky ane for you always do manage to crawl ‘Soa lie: ve b dieed, and good progress has en made eae were Here ye closer to hong he did not pretend to be much of a = , ‘and we ought to arrive at that small wn at : oe mouth of the river. There we must 174 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES That night was fated to be another which would be marked with white stones, on account of 1n- expected events coming to pass. No one was really to blame on this occasion, because it was only 3) chance that the thing happened. ’ They had found a very good spot for a camp, and congratulated themselves as the time came for retiring that there did not seem to be any prospect of another storm striking them; also the fact that in this part of the country, the headman had given them to understand such Indians as” they might run across would be found friendly, because they were of his own tribe. % Consequently all of them were in usually. fine spirits during the entire evening. Ballyhoo ha ie entirely recovered from his dose of electricity, and could now afford to join in the laugh whenever the” circumstance was recalled. He even wished Jack might have thought to snatch up his camera and | get him standing there, unable to take the first” step toward the bank unassisted. a ‘‘T’d just like to see how fiercely I did shake, 7% was the way Ballyhoo explained his odd wish. © ‘You can talk to me about the ague, but I war- — rant I had everything beat to a frazzle whenever — that silly old eel rubbed up against me, and let go a dose of his stored-up stuff.’’ @ Later on the camp became silent save for the : stentorian breathing of some sleeper who persisted — in lying on his back as he slumbered. The boys had rigged up the individual mosquito nets each - of them carried, for the little Lae soon worse q ALONG THE ORINOCO 175 than usual; and under these they were taking solid comfort. There was no warning given of what was com- ing. Jack heard a sudden yell, and on hastily sit- ting up, disentangling himself as best he could from his net, caught a strange heavy thumping that made him think of the old bull rhinoceros that - once charged them when over in the Dark Con- tinent. He was fumbling for his camera the first thing, because that was his most precious possession, when to his horror he heard Ballyhoo’s voice. It came from beyond the border of the camp, and di- rectly in line with those strange pounding sounds, Ballyhoo could, when he was excited, let out a roar that might be heard a mile or more; and plainly he must be in that condition now. *‘Help! help! he’s carrying me off! Oscar, Jack, hurry up and stop him, won’t you?’”’ was what came floating back to the ears of the aston- ished campers, all of whom were by this time on their feet. CHAPTER XX SUCCESS ALL AROUND—CONCLUSION Oscar was ducking back for his rifle. His first | horrified thought when he heard that despairing shout from Ballyhoo was that some wild beast like a jaguar had invaded the camp and earried the other off as his prey. Such things were not un- common over there in Africa, even as in India man-eating tigers often drag men and children away from their own homes. “*Tt must be that a tapir charged the oan he heard Professor calling; and although this re- __ lieved his mind somewhat, still Oscar groped — around until he had found not only his gun but that of Ballyhoo as well. ‘‘Get torches, some of you boys!”’ the profes- sor was ordering; and understanding what was ~ meant the headman thrust lighted brands into the hands of several of his men, also securing a burn- ing splinter ae wee for himself. ‘‘This way,’’ continued the man of science; “y can still hear the beast making off through the thick growth. If it is a tapir this will be the first time I ever knew one to rush a camp. It is most hae 176 | va nas at ide heels, while the “e ent waving their hae ina fantastic man ; saying, as he Racked ae a tree that Sania uaa dit: ‘And. if it was sad ine turn: your eyes up ny you'll sitio ae, vg came in a voice e that thrilled them. _ in i Ca it ile through extreme diffieulty.- by t below meee for 1 ve got to let Se Vo 178 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES _ at once, and commencing to feel of his person aiter — the manner of one who hardly knew whether his — ribs were sound or not. . ‘‘Huh!’’ grunted Ballyhoo, since none ine them seemed capable of saying anything, so preat was — their surprise, ‘‘guess I’m all serene, though I ~ did think one of my slats had been fractured when — I knocked up against a limb while riding on that — hog’s back!”’ \ ‘“What made you do that?’’ asked Jack. ‘‘Were ~ you dreaming you belonged to Barley’ s Circus, © and a champion bareback rider in the bargain?’’ Ballyhoo scratched his head. | ‘‘Say, it’s real hard for me to figure out just chow it did happen,’’ he admitted, with a dubious © shake of his head and a grimace that was comical. © ‘‘Let’s see if I can place things. I remember © dreaming that a whole herd of elephants was chas- 4 ing after me over in Africa. Then I sat up, and Le something was booming straight down toward the p camp, making a queer grunting noise, too, just like © we heard those big tuskers do when we watched the pond where they came to cool off.”’ i: ‘¢Yes, go on, Ballyhoo,’’ urged Oscar, when the | other paused as if to catch his breath. ‘Course I was a little rattled,’’? confessed the | other. ‘‘I scrambled up, and then started, only half awake, mind you, in the bargain, to climb es : branch of the tree that was just over my head. And while I was getting up along came that pe hog and brushed me right down on his back. The best I could do was to hold on like fun, and lot t ALONG THE ORINOCO 178 outa screech. Sure I thought at first it was a real elephant.’’ ‘*A most remarkable happening,” asserted the professor gravely. ‘‘It could not occur again, and was one chance out of ten thousand. You have had _ an extraordinary adventure, my son, believe me.’’ **Oh! that’s nothing,’’ Ballyhoo told him, cheer- ily; *‘1’m always stumbling into the most aston- ishing and ridiculous things anybody could imag- ine. That seems to be my luck, to strike the un- usual and the surprising. It’s a wonder I’m alive to tell the tale.’’ ‘*But how did you manage to get up in this tree?’’ asked Jack. **Oh! that was easy enough,’’ came the answer. **I knew right away none of you fellows could reach me out a helping hand as you often do, and that unless I wanted to be kidnapped altogether it was up to me to get busy. So the next time I felt a branch brush against me I just launched my- self-up, and stuck! But my arms were beginning to get tired, and I hated to drop, because I didn’t know how far it was to the ground till your lights came along.’’ “Well, if you’ve got your breath back again, Ballyhoo, suppose we return to the camp?’’ sug- gested the amused professor; who had turned his face aside several times in order to indulge in a broad smile, without hurting the boy’s feelings; though he should have known that Ballyhoo Jones was not the one to take offence at such a small thing as that. 180 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES ‘TI guess this just about caps the peer of queer things I’ve had drop in on me,”’ whined the boy, limping a little when making for the camp. ‘*T certainly hope it’s going to be the last, too, be- cause I’m beginning to get tired of furnishing all — the amusement for the crowd. I didn’t bargain to be the clown when I joined the organization, though always ready to do my share of any ele thing.’ ~ It was concluded that the tapir had not really i in| tended to harm the campers when it rushed through at such headlong speed. Something must have occurred to frighten the unwieldy beast, and in plunging forward it had unintentionally in- vaded the camp. Then when Ballyhoo dropped on its back this circumstance only added to its meee ror, and served to increase its speed. ee Outside of some unimportant scratches the bay ye had, with his customary good luck, come nia his singular experience unharmed. " ‘*But I’m glad, though,’’ he told Jack during . the following day, when they were talking across the dozen feet of water separating their boats, ‘‘that the darkness kept you from grabbing up your camera, and getting me hanging to that old - tapir’s back. I felt about like the daring boy that tries to stick on the back of a trick donkey at the circus; or the one that rides the greased pig at a county fair. I’m willing to try most anything once, but I draw the line at being kidnapped by big hog with a snout.’’ 4 .. The succeeding days and melts passed with- a ALONG THE ORINOCO | 18 out anything more of moment happening that would be worth a description. And, indeed, the boys had already encountered so many thrills that | all of them were:glad to have it so. There can - be such a thing as too much excitement to please even a boy’s adventure-loving heart. In due time the expedition reached the town near the mouth of the Venezuela river, where they - meant to stay until accommodations could be se- cured aboard some small trading boat, bound for one of the larger cities in touch with the outside world. Ae But Oscar, Jack and Ballyhoo Jones did not _ really return home as soon as they intended, and their further adventures are related in the next book of this series. THE END } ay : . B We tA. i | WBC, SCHOOL RECORD BOOKS Excelling In Completeness of Record Entries; Beauty of Decoration; Effectiveness of Cover Designs; Perfection of Mechanical Make-up. HAPPY SCHOOL MEMORIES For either high school or college use. Re 2 cans binding, 5% x 7% inches, tissue jacket, ari. ne Oxe ted fabric oid, vaeeetre date ee ad uminate adrico ssue wrapper, box Se ele ts ee 2.00 oa SCHOOL MEMORY BOOK Ideal for the school girl. Tinted stock, printed in two colors. 6 x 8% inches. Art binding, tissue wrapper, if boxed lie bine eB ottwse “aso. prelince diem. 8 hoo keels aca tn Illuminated fabricoid, with tissue jacket, handsome box CoCCEHOECOHO HREOC OSES HEH Hes. 3.00 h COMMENCEMENT DAYS A complete record for college years. Printed in two colors throughout, tinted stock. Blue silk binding, gold stamped, tissue pS ae jacket, boxed \.'..,.s0deaee cue ups cu cui cs Seeman IlNuminated fabricoid, with tissue wrapper, _ boxed seve c eens cee recceseseceesceccens SOO MY SCHOOL DAYS Designed for academic days. Beautifully produced in colors on tinted stock. Rose silk binding, stamped in gold, tissue jacket, boxed........$2-50 flluminated fabricoid, tissue wrapper, DOxed........ceeesecceos S00 i sé THE Motion Picture Boys Series By Elmer Tracey Barnes | The romance of Motion Pictures—how it is interwoven with America’s life to-day! When sturdy, stout-hearted lads determine to build their careers around Motion Pictures, . it needs just such an author as Elmer Tracey Barnes to record their ups and downs, for Adventure is their ever-constant companion. Likable heroes, rapid action and unusual settings for the stories—these are the things that make these five tales so intensely popular with a host of eager readers. FIVE TITLES 1 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES’ GREAT VENTURE 2 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES IN AFRICAN JUNGLES 3 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES ALONG THE ORINOCO 4 THE MOTION PICTURE COMRADES ABOARD A SUBMARINE 6 THH MOTION PICTURE COMRADES PRODUCING A SUCCESS Each volum® contains a frontispiece and carries a colored jacket. Price Der DOOk, POStPald .. 2. nieces ces acmes Sunt inere Pte 4 $0.50 The Saalfield Publishing Co. AKRON, OHIO THE BETTY BOOKS - By ALICE HALE BURNETT _ | or Girls 8 to 10 years old) Four very interesting stories, sate complete i in. itself, relating the many doings of Betty and her — friends. The characters are real girls and a Kappy, healthful tone lends the books additional spat) it Betty and Her Chums Amy and Louise visit Betty and the three girls mee) ant happy summer together. A picnic supper on the mountam- — top, at sunset, furnishes much Bia excitement for a large party of girls and boys. Betty’s Attic Theatre With the help of their friends, Betty, Amy and Leoee! give a play which is full of laughable mishaps. They have lots of fun getting ready for the great event Pane it is voted Eade a huge success. ) Betty’s Carnival The girls gave an affair for the benefit of the Fresh ae Fund, Decorated floats sent down the river and viewed by the audience seated on the shore. A lemonade and cake — booth also help to make the affair a most enjoyable one. Betty’s Orphans Betty and her two chums entertain three little orphans | ; at her country home. The city waifs find much to surprise and amuse them and to their great joy all of nae are = finally adopted in pleasant homes, esha 12mo. Illustrations in Color. 40c per volume, Postpatd F The Saalfield Publishing Co. Antes Ohio THE SRADEN BOOKS ‘FAR PAST THE FRONTIER.| The JAMES A. BRADEN ®'Swo Boy Pioneers” indicates the nature of this § a: it has to do with the days when the Ohio Valley and country were sparsely settled, Such a forte is a fund of interest to boys, especially when pete ge comet of stalwart young men who leave the Tlat to cig es and to incur untold dangers. * Strong, vigorous, healthy, manly.”—Seaitle Times. CONNECTICUT BOYS IN] THE WESTERN RESERVE| By JAMES A. BRADEN or once more sends his heroes toward the setting ute. The author “In all the glowing sty oc of has Rana as the youn pmgaecrs eck their | fortunes in the great, f erness of n Ohio, and Grentuatty achieve fair oa alt “though their etoerean: is hindered end Boenpcionen halted ‘by adventures innumerable. It is a lively, | wholesome tale, never dull, and absorbing in interest for boys who Sove the fabled life of the frontier.”—Chicago Tribune. |THE TRAIL of THE SENECA | By JAMES A. BRADEN In which we follow the romantic eareers of John Jerome and # @eturn Kingdom a little farther. These _two self-reliant boys are living peaceably in their cabin -on the Cuyahoga when an Indian warrior is found dead in the e Seneca accuses John of witchcraft. This means stake if he is captured. They decide that the Seneca’s is made to shield himself, and set out Pil prove itt. M then on the Ohio, comes to their aid, but ali their efforts §& prove futile and the lone cabin is found in ashes on their return. [CAPTIVES THREE| By JAMES A. BRADEN sale of frontier life, and how three children—two boys and to reach the settlements in a canoe, but are raecaren Pig fat jans, Ae oe ailing oe has been woven into a thrilling st BOUND IN CLOTHETTE, with frontis- $0. 30 piece and colored jacket; postpaid each ‘She Saalfield Publishing Co. _AKRON, OHIO AT A i THE FAIRY CHASER. “Telling of two boys who go into the vegetable and § flower-raising business instead of humdrum commercial pure § suits. The ters and situations are realistic.” a ee. i —PHILADELPHIA TELEGRAPH § LITTLE DAME TROT One of the most pleasing of juveniles, made pathetic | b by the strength with which the author pictures the central s figure, e little girl made miserable by her mother’s strict E adherence to a pet * method”? of training. |THE LITTLE WOMAN IN THE SPOUT “This pleasing story may have been developed from | H reni life, from real children, nd true a picture does it pore 9 h tcay of girlish life and sports.” ae Pe —GRAND RAPIDS HERALD | ROY AND ROSYROCKS A oer Christmas tale, fresh and natural in situa g@ j tions, thet will interest both boys and girls. | i It tells how two poor children anticipate thejoysofthe § f holiday, and bow beartily they enter into doing their past | oe i to make the day merry for themselves and others. - § Each of the above bound in Boards, 12mo - $0.60 } PEGGY -ALONE : The chronicles of the Happy-Go-Luckys, a crowd of @ 4 girls who did not depend upon riches for good times. \ This Plea = club was very stretchible as to membership. so they elected ! f Peggy-Alone from pity of her loneliness, eed from | @ governess, nurse and solicitous mother, she has the jolliest | summer of her life. CLOTH, 12mo, illustrated by Anna B. Craig - $1.00 a a BOORS SENT PREPAID ON RECEIPT OF PRICE | $ IMARY A. BYRNE'S BOOKS|) i G4e Saalfield Publishing | JAERON, OHIO : Co. SUMMER SNOW OTHER FAIRY PLAYS By GRACE RICHARDSON Finding there is a wide demand for plays which com- mend themselves to amateurs and to casts comprised large- ly of children, Miss Richardson, already well and widely known, has here given four plays which are unusually clever and fill this need. They call for but little stage set- ting, and ¢hat of the simplest kind, are suited to presenta- tion the year around, and can be effectively produced by, amateurs without difficulty. PUCK IN PETTICOATS By GRACE RICHARDSON Five plays about children, for children to play—Hansel and Gretel, The Wishing Well, The Ring of Salt, The Moon Dream, and Puck in Petticoats. Each is accompanied by stage directions, property plota and other helpful sugges- tions for acting. Some of the plays take but twenty min- utes, others as long as an hour to produce, and every one of the five are clever. CLOTH BINDING HANDY BOOK OF PLAYS FOR GIRLS By DOROTHY OCLEATHER ‘Not one of the six sparkling plays between these covers ealls for a male character, being designed for the use of casts of girls only. They are easily, effectively staged— just the sort that girls like to play and that enthusiastic e@udiences heartily enjoy. CLOTH BINDING. 600909 01066 00 Oe @ 0'9 Oe 0'0 $0.50 q One Hundred Flowers Shown in Their : Natural Colors Each one of the hundred pages in Flower Babies earries @ verse about children and flowers. The drawing on the ~ gaol pe out the flower idea, showing the blossoms in the — ul colors Nature gives them as they grow. There is so much genuine love in the way these verses and pictures speak that the book has won the warmest of , welcomes from the children. WHAT OTHERS THINK '*The idea of the book is good —to familiarize children with the common flowers.”— Mew York Globe. ** Its brilliancy of color would be sufficient tia attract the childish eye © were it not in its versified text amusing and clever.”’— Basen Pranserigt, Quarto, Bound in Boards, Every Page in Colors. Postpaid Price, $1.50 The Saalfield Publishing Co., Akron,Ohio | _ » i * tp) arte ine * a Perivesctere prerePaitte) + page blades Z 4 je teh fe) adn tes fr = eee hah fat Fieehe ¥ regs oF ard es Ring Tihs nase} ah be iy oe r bs by rH Fi as Pate if - +04, Py ~ re. Fa >: rote =; * ie) pgs Fae yeh sd tet ft i jar Fy por iss ee + ee al Shek $y: : « if ie ed See