FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  
Even the trees. They seem to watch and whisper and wait, and the news of our coming has been carried right away for miles. Shouldn't wonder if the trees were to close in and shut us up." "Oh, come, now; that's a bit too fanciful." They shifted their loads to relieve aching shoulders, and kept on through the unending avenues in another long spell of silence. "Reminds me of the reeds again," said Compton; "only this is worse." "By Jenkins! just imagine the blaze and the scorch if this forest caught afire like your reeds." "Couldn't--too damp. We've been tramping for two hours, and I have not seen a bird, or an animal, or a reptile; nothing but snails and ants. Don't see where the game comes in." "We're not after game; we're after cannibals." "By Jove! yes, I suppose we are--that is, if they are cannibals. I thought the species had died out." "It will be a long time before cannibalism dies out," said Mr. Hume, who was bringing up the rear, "particularly in those parts where the people find a difficulty in getting flesh-food; but, at the same time, scarcity of flesh-food does not always turn a tribe to cannibalism. What does happen is this--that people who live in a poor district become small In the Kalihari you find the bushmen, in the forest you find the pigmies." "Then the forest is poor in animals?" "It has its types, but I should say they must be very few. You see, animals want sun, And where would they find it here? No! what animals haunt the forest will not be found on the ground." "I see," said Compton, with a grin; "they fly." "I know," interposed Venning, triumphantly; "they live in the tree- tops." Compton looked up at the matted roof of leaves and branches. "Well, all I hope is that a tall giraffe will not fall through on top of me." "There is one thing that should give you comfort," said Venning, solemnly. "What is that?" "It would be the giraffe who would suffer." "Wait till I have got rid of these parcels, young 'un," said Compton. "Are you getting tired?" "Well, I am," said Venning--"tired and stuffy." "Glad to be back on the boat again--eh? Well, if it's any comfort to you, I'm tired too. Haven't got my land-legs yet." Mr. Hume cried a halt, to their great content, and though there were some hours yet to evening, he set them to work to make the camp. The work was the same they undertook each evening they were in the forest. First they cleared a circle about
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
forest
 

Compton

 

Venning

 
animals
 

evening

 

people

 

cannibalism

 

comfort

 

giraffe

 

cannibals


solemnly

 
leaves
 

branches

 
whisper
 
matted
 

ground

 

coming

 

looked

 

triumphantly

 

interposed


suffer

 

content

 

cleared

 

circle

 

undertook

 
parcels
 

stuffy

 

avenues

 

silence

 

Reminds


snails

 

unending

 
shoulders
 

aching

 

species

 

thought

 

suppose

 

reptile

 

Couldn

 

caught


scorch
 
Jenkins
 

animal

 

tramping

 

relieve

 
district
 

happen

 
Kalihari
 
imagine
 

carried