The Forest of Mystery Read online

  THE FOREST OF MYSTERY

  by

  JAMES FOSTER

  A. L. Burt Company, PublishersNew York Chicago

  Copyright, 1935, byA. L. Burt Company

  Printed in the United States of America

  * * * * * *

  THE EXPLORATION SERIES BY JAMES FOSTER LOST IN THE WILDS OF BRAZIL CAPTURED BY THE ARABS SECRETS OF THE ANDES THE FOREST OF MYSTERY

  * * * * * *

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE I The Chinaman 9 II A Grim Discovery 19 III Good News 29 IV Seeing the Sights 36 V A Welcome Announcement 43 VI The Business Card 50 VII The Thief Turns Up 59 VIII After the Specimens 70 IX Failure 79 X Off for Africa 86 XI An Amusing Acquaintance 96 XII A Disappointing Announcement 106 XIII The Lost Scientist 115 XIV Disaster Ahead 125 XV A Wonderful Sight 135 XVI Off for the Unknown 142 XVII Peril Ahead 151 XVIII The Terrible Crocodile 158 XIX A Promise of a Thrill 166 XX The Buffalo Charges 173 XXI Two Ferocious Specimens 183 XXII A Pitiful Sight 190 XXIII Moments of Horror 197 XXIV Into the Forest of Mystery 205 XXV The Fury of the Storm 214 XXVI Waiting in Dread 220 XXVII The White Pygmy Elephant 228 XXVIII Finding One Lost 235 XXIX Angry Natives 243 XXX An Old Mystery Is Cleared 249 Bibliography 254

  CHAPTER I

  The Chinaman

  Bang! _Crash!_

  "What was that?" Joe Lewis had turned suddenly, every nerve on edge.His eyes tried to penetrate the darkness of the San Francisco night.

  "Sounded like an automobile accident," came from Bob Holton. "Come on.Let's go around and see."

  The two chums dashed across the street and around the corner, hopingthat nothing tragic had taken place. They passed several people whowere hurrying to investigate the strange noise.

  Reaching the thoroughfare, the youths drew back with cries of alarm,for the sight before them was fearful and unpleasant.

  Lying on its top, wheels in the air, was a small automobile, which hadevidently crashed into a pole near by. All about was broken glass, andwater was still oozing from the radiator. The pole was dentedseverely, indicating that the car had probably been traveling rapidly.

  As Bob and Joe looked on spellbound, a smothered cry for help camefrom the automobile. It was repeated several times in rapidsuccession.

  With throbbing hearts, the boys ran over to the wreck, followed byseveral other people. In the darkness they could not see clearlyinside the car and could only guess who was calling for help. Anear-by street lamp, although bright did not illuminate the automobilesufficiently.

  "Let's get this door open," muttered Bob. "Hurry. There isn't any timeto lose."

  Working feverishly, the chums reached through the broken window andtugged at the door. It had been wrenched severely and refused to open.What made the task still more difficult was the fact that broken edgesof glass projected from the sides of the window.

  With a mighty effort, the youths managed to pull the door open,although they almost lost their balance from the sudden impact. Butnow they were greatly relieved. They had had an uneasy feeling thatperhaps the door would not yield.

  Without hesitation Bob reached into the car, caught hold of someone,and pulled him out. Then, after making sure that no one else was inthe car, he turned to the stranger.

  The youths were a bit surprised to see that he was a Chinaman, ashort, fat man of middle age. From all appearances he had not beeninjured in the accident. There was but one little scratch in the sideof his face.

  "You do velly well--get me out queek," he said to Bob gratefully. "Iwas fear I have to stay in machine long tlime."

  "What was the trouble?" asked Joe, edging closer to the overturnedautomobile as the crowd of spectators grew larger. "Did a wheel comeoff or something?"

  The little Chinaman laughed sheepishly.

  "Nothing like that," he said. "My machine here it was velly new, and Iwas not good enough dliver. It run loose and clash into this pole.Then it turn over."

  "It was just luck that you weren't hurt," said Bob grimly. "Not manycould have been in a smash-up like that and come out unharmed."

  At this moment a policeman stepped up to obtain the man's name andaddress and the details concerning the crash. While the Chinamantalked, the officer wrote in a small notebook, on which he turned aflashlight.

  "Don't you think you'd better see a doctor?" asked Joe, when theofficer had finished. "You might be hurt and not know it."

  The Chinaman shook his head.

  "Not hurt, no," he assured them. "I come thlough without a scratch, asfar as I know. But I velly much nervous."

  "No wonder," said Bob. "That wreck was enough to shake anybody'snerves."

  Bob and Joe remained at the scene for several minutes. Then, as theyrealized that it was nearly seven o'clock, they started to leave. Butat that moment the Chinaman called them back.

  "Before you go I want that you make me a promise," he said.

  The youths looked inquiringly.

  "I want that you promise you come to my shop tonight. Will you come?"

  The boys were not a little surprised. They wondered what the man'sobject was in asking them to visit him.

  "Yes," said Bob at last, knowing that his chum would also consent."We'll come. But where is it? And just when do you want us?"

  Bob wrote what the man told them on a piece of paper. The latter askedthat they be there at nine o'clock, although just why they could notguess.

  "What do you think of it?" asked Joe, as he and his friend walkedrapidly down the street.

  "I hardly know," was the reply. "Maybe he wants to reward us forgetting him out of the car."

  "But--that was nothing. Anyone would have done it. No, I'll bet he hassomething up his sleeve."

  "What would it be?" demanded Bob.

  "More than I know. We'll see before long. And, say, he wants us to bethere by nine o'clock, too. That doesn't give us much time. We'll haveto get back to the hotel and see our dads first. We've been gone along time, you know."

  "Maybe they can tell us how to get to this Chink's shop," suggestedBob. "Do you suppose it's in Chinatown?"

  "Where else would it be? Chinese here in San Francisco don't liveanywhere else, do they?"

  "Beyond me."

  The chums reached the corner and boarded a street car for the businessdistrict. They knew it would not be necessary to transfer, and sorelaxed in their seat.

  "San Francisco is a swell place, all right," remarked Joe, after ashort silence. "Sure has a lot of interesting things to see. TakeGolden Gate Park, for instance. It's one of the finest in thecountry."

  "You could get lost there," smiled Bob. "Why, it's as big as a smallcity. And full of interesting attractions. I'd like to spend a wholeday there some time. Won't have time on this visit, though."

  When they were well into the business district, the boys moved towardthe exit of the car. At a corner directly opposite the hotel at
whichthey were staying, they left the street car.

  Anxious to see their fathers, they went to the building without delay.In the elevator they were hurried to the tenth floor, where theirrooms were located.

  Mr. Holton and Mr. Lewis were waiting for them. The men had returnedearlier in the day and had remained inside to discuss businessmatters.

  "How do you like San Francisco by now?" inquired Bob's fatherquizzically. "Seen much of interest yet?"

  "Plenty," returned Joe. "Sure is a busy place, isn't it? We ought toknow. We've been about everywhere."

  "Took in the sights, did you?" asked Mr. Lewis. "Well, there are manyhere. Howard"--referring to Bob's father--"and I, however, haven'thad much time to look around. All our time has been occupied intalking with this Thompson, the man we came out here to see."

  Bob and Joe looked up with interest. All day they had wondered whatwould come of their fathers' conversation with Thompson. The latterwas a noted naturalist, who had just recently returned from Africa.There was a chance, the youths reasoned, that he could interest theirdads, who were themselves naturalists, in making an expedition to theDark Continent to collect specimens of animal life. And of thatexpedition, if there should be any, Bob and Joe hoped to be a part.

  "What did you find out?" inquired Bob anxiously. "Did he come acrossanything unusual in the way of animals and birds?"

  "Did he?" Mr. Holton smiled happily. "He shot several creatures thatwere previously unknown to civilized man."

  "It seems that Thompson's expedition penetrated a region that has beeninvaded by very few whites," explained Joe's father. "Oh, it was worththeir while, all right."

  "Sounds interesting," grinned Joe. "Go on."

  Mr. Holton looked up suddenly.

  "What do you mean, 'go on'?" he asked suspiciously.

  "Oh, nothing." Joe made an attempt to be casual.

  The naturalists chuckled.

  "Nothing, huh?" laughed Mr. Holton, who at the start had grasped thehidden meaning in Joe's words. "You weren't by any chance thinking ofanother expedition going to Africa, were you?"

  Joe started. He wondered how his chum's father had caught on soquickly.

  "You're a mind reader, if there ever was one," the youth grinned. "Buthow in the dickens did you get wise?"

  "You just told me," Mr. Holton answered whimsically. "I'm a mindreader."

  "Come out of it, Dad." Bob was becoming impatient. "Cut out thisstalling. Is there going to be an expedition to Africa?"

  "What do you think?"

  "How are we to know?" countered Bob. "We're not the head naturalists."

  "Listen to that, Howard," teased Mr. Lewis. "Not the _head_naturalists! It beats all how these young squirts get ideas in theirheads that they're actually scientists. Why, they----"

  "All right, we take it back." Bob was tiring of getting nowhere."Once more, is there going to be an expedition to Africa?"

  "Want to know, do you?" his father persisted. "What for?"

  "Oh-h, nothing! Come on, Joe. We might as well give it up as a badjob."

  The youths turned to leave for their room, but Mr. Lewis called themback.

  "I'll tell you," he said seriously. "We may go to Africa. There's achance that we will. But there is also a very big chance that wewon't. We just wanted to come out here and see this Thompson about thestrange animals he saw. Whether we go will depend on how the museumheads look at it. Now, are you satisfied?"

  "Sure," answered Bob with a smile. "When, if you decide to go, will weleave?"

  "There you go with that 'we' stuff," came from Mr. Holton. "Aren't youfellows taking a lot for granted?"

  "Oh, I don't know," returned Joe. "Judging from the past we're not.You will take Bob and me along, won't you? That is, of course, if yougo."

  "We can't say just now," his father returned. "It might be arranged.All that can be decided later."

  "Hurrah for Africa!" cried Bob with enthusiasm. "We'll----"

  He stopped quickly, as he happened to glance at a small clock that wason the dresser.

  "Past eight!" he cried. "Wow! We've got to be in Chinatown by nine!"