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THE ROVER BOYS IN THE JUNGLE
Or
Stirring Adventures in Africa
By Arthur M. Winfield
(Edward Stratemeyer)
INTRODUCTION
My dear boys:
This volume, "The Rover Boys in the jungle," is the third story of
the "Rover Boys Series," and while a complete tale in itself,
forms a companion story to "The Rover Boys at School" and "The
Rover Boys on the Ocean," which preceded it.
In the former volumes I told you much of the doings of Dick, Tom,
and Sam at Putnam Hall and during a remarkable chase on the
Atlantic Ocean. In the present story the scene is shifted from
the military academy, where the boys are cadets, to the wilds of
Africa, whither the lads with their uncle have gone to look for
Anderson Rover, the boys' father, who had disappeared many years
before. A remarkable message from the sea causes the party to
leave this country, and they journey to Africa, little dreaming of
all the stirring adventures which await them in the heart of the
Dark Continent. How they battle against their many perils, and
what the outcome of their remarkable search is, I will leave for
the pages that follow to explain.
In conclusion, let me state that I am extremely grateful for the
kind favor given the previous volumes of this series, and I
sincerely trust that the present tale merits a continuance of your
support.
Affectionately and sincerely yours,
EDWARD STRATEMEYER
November 10, 1899
THE ROVER BOYS IN THE JUNGLE
CHAPTER I
UNPLEASANT NEWS
"Back to Putnam Hall again, boys! Hurrah!"
"Yes, back again, Tom, and glad of it," returned Dick Rover. "I
can tell you, the academy is getting to be a regular second home."
"Right you are, Dick," came from Sam Rover, the youngest of the
three brothers. "I'd rather be here than up to the farm, even if
Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha are kind and considerate. The farm
is so slow -"
"While here we have our full share of adventures and more,"
finished Tom. "I wonder what will happen to us this term? The
other terms kept us mighty busy, didn't they?"
"I'm not looking for any more outside adventures," said Dick, with
a serious shake of his head. "Our enemies have been disposed of,
and I don't want, to hear of or see them again."
"Nor I -- but we'll hear of them, nevertheless, mark my words.
The Baxters won't leave us rest. They are a hard crowd, and Buddy
Girk is just as bad," finished Tom.
It was the opening of the spring term at Putnam Hall Military
Academy, and the three Rover boys had just come up from Cedarville
in the carryall, driven by Peleg Snuggers, the general-utility man
of the place. Their old chums, Frank Harrington, Fred Garrison,
Larry Colby, and a number of others, had already arrived, so the
boys did not lack for company. As they entered the spacious
building genial Captain Putnam greeted each with a hearty
handshake, and a pleasant word also came to them from George
Strong, the head assistant.
For the benefit of those who have not read the other books of this
series, entitled "The Rover Boys at School " and "The Rover Boys
on the Ocean," I would state that the Rover boys were three in
number, Dick being the oldest, Tom next, and Sam the youngest, as
already mentioned. Whether the boys were orphans or not was a
question which could not be answered. Upon the death of their
mother, their father, a rich mine owner and geological expert, had
left the boys in the care of his brother, Randolph Rover, an
eccentric gentleman who devoted his entire time to scientific
farming. Mr. Anderson Rover had then journeyed to the western
coast of Africa, hoping to locate some valuable gold mines in the
heart of the Dark Continent. He had plunged into the interior
with a number of natives, and that was the last heard of him,
although Mr. Randolph Rover had made diligent inquiries concerning
his whereabouts.
All of the boys were bright, fun-loving fellows, and to keep them
out of mischief Randolph Rover had sent them off to Putnam Hall, a
first class school, located some distance from Cedarville, a
pretty town on Lake Cayuga, in New York State. Here the lads had
made numerous friends and incidentally a number of enemies.
Of the friends several have already been named, and others will
come to the front as our story proceeds. Of the enemies the
principal ones were Arnold Baxter, a man who had tried, years
before, to defraud the boys' father out of a gold mine in the
West, and his son Dan, who had once been the bully of Putnam Hall.
Arnold Baxter's tool was a good-for-nothing scamp named Buddy
Girk, who had once robbed Dick of his watch. Both of these men
were now in jail charged with an important robbery in Albany, and
the Rover boys had aided in bringing the men to justice. Dan, the
bully, was also under arrest, charged with the abduction of Dom
Stanhope. Dom, who was Dick Rover's dearest friend, had been
carried off by the directions of Josiah Crabtree, a former teacher
of Putnam Hall, who wished to marry Mrs. Stanhope and thus get his
hands on the money the widow held in trust for her daughter, but
the abduction had been nipped in the bud and Josiah Crabtree had
fled, leaving Dan Baxter to shoulder the blame of the transaction.
How Dora was restored to her mother and what happened afterward,
old readers already know.
A winter had passed since the events narrated above, and before
and after the holidays the Rover boys had studied diligently, to
make up for the time lost on that never-to-be-forgotten ocean
chase. Their efforts had not been in vain, and each lad had been
promoted to the next higher class, much to Randolph Rover's satis-
faction and the joy of their tender-hearted Aunt Martha.
"The boys are all right, even if they do love to play pranks," was
Randolph Rover's comment, when he heard of the promotions. "I
trust they improve their time during the term to come."
"They are good boys, Randolph," returned Mr. Rover. "They would
not be real boys if they did not cut up once in a while. As to
their daring -- why, they simply take after their father. Poor
man. If only we knew, what had become of him."
"Yes, a great weight would be lifted from our shoulders, Martha,
if we knew that. But we do not know, and there seems to be no way
of finding out. I have written to the authorities at various
places in Africa until I know not whom to address next."
"He must be dead, otherwise he would write or come home, Randolph.
He was not one to keep us in the dark so long."
"I cannot believe my brother dead, and the boys will not believe
it either. Do you know what Dick said to me before he left for
school? He said, that if we didn't get word he was going to
Africa some day to hunt his father up."
"To Africa! What will that boy do in such a jungle, and among
such fierce natives? He will be killed!"
"Perhaps not. The boy is uncommonly shrewd, when it comes to
dealing with his enemies. Just look how nicely he and Tom and Sam
served Arnold Baxter and those others. It was wonderful doings --
for, boys."
"Yes, but they may not be so successful always, Randolph. I
should hate to see them run into any more, danger."
"So should I, my dear. But they will take care of themselves, I
feel that more and more every day," concluded Randolph Rover; and
there, for the time being, the subject was dropped.
"I wonder what has become of old Josiah Crabtree? " remarked Dick
Rover, as he and his brothers walked around the parade ground to
inspect several improvement which Captain Putnam had caused to be
made.
"I'm sure I can't guess," answered Tom.
"Like as not he became scared to death. I suppose you'll be
satisfied if he keeps away from Dora and her mother in the
future?"
"Yes; I never want to set eyes on him again, Tom. He worried the
widow half to death with his strange ways."
"I wonder how the Baxters feel to be locked up? " put in Sam. "I
know Arnold Baxter is used to it, but it's a new experience for
Dan."
"Dan is as bad as his father," broke in Larry Colby, who had
joined the brothers. "I was glad to hear that Mumps had turned
over a new leaf and cut the bully dead."
"Oh, so were all of us!" said Tom. "By the way, do you know where
Mumps is now? In the mining business, out West, acting as some
sort of a clerk."
"A spell in the West will take the nonsense out of him," came from
Dick. "It was a great pity he ever got under Dan Baxter's
influence I wonder how Arnold Baxter is getting along? He was
quite severely wounded, you know, during that tussle on the
yachts."
"He's about over that, so Frank Harrington says," replied Larry.
"I'll wager he is mighty bitter against you fellows for having put
him where he is."
"It was his own, fault, Larry. If a person is going to do wrong
he must take the consequences. Mr. Baxter might today be a fairly
well-to-do mine owner of the West and Dan might be a leading cadet
here. But instead they both threw themselves away -- and now they
must take what comes."
"My father used to say it took all kind of people to make a
world," went on Larry. "But I reckon we could do without the
Baxter and the Buddy Girk kind."
"And the Josiah Crabtree kind," added Sam. "Don't forget that
miserable sneak."
"Perhaps Crabtree has reformed, like Mumps."
"It wasn't in him to reform, Larry," came from Tom. "Oh, how I
detested him, with his slick, oily tongue! I wish they had caught
him and placed him where he deserved to be, with the Baxters."
"Yes, and then we could -" began Sam, when he stopped. "Hullo,
Frank, what are, you running so fast about?" he cried.
"Just got a letter from my father!" burst out Frank Harrington,
as he came up out of breath. "I knew you would want to hear the
news. Dan Baxter has escaped from jail and the authorities don't
know where to look for him."
CHAPTER II
NEWCOMERS AT THE ACADEMY
"Dan Baxter has escaped!" repeated Dick. "That is news indeed.
Does your father give my particulars?"
"He says it is reported that the jailer was sick and unable to
stop Dan."
"Humph! Then they must have had some sort of a row," put in Tom.
"Well, it does beat the nation how the Baxters do it. Don't you
remember how Arnold Baxter escaped from the hospital authorities
last year?"
"Those Baxters are as slick as you can make them," said Frank.
"I've been thinking if Dan would dare to show himself around
Putnam Hall."
"Not he!" cried Larry. "He'll travel as far can and as fast as he
can."
"Perhaps not," mused Dick. "I rather he will hang around and try to
help his father out of prison."
"That won't help him, for the authorities will be on strict guard
now. You know the stable door is always locked after the horse is
stolen."
At this there was a general laugh, and when it ended a loud roll
of a drum made the young cadets hurry to the front of the parade
ground.
"Fall in, Companies A and B!" came the command from the major of
the battalion, and the boys fell in. Dick was now a first
lieutenant, while Tom and Sam were first and second sergeants
respectively.
As soon as the companies were formed they were marched around the
Hall and to the messroom. Here they were kept standing in a long
fine while George Strong came to the front with half a dozen new
pupils.
"Young gentlemen, I will introduce to you several who will join
your ranks for this season," said the head assistant. Then he
began to name the half dozen. Among others they included a
round-faced German youth named Hans Mueller, and a tall, lank,
red-haired boy, of Irish descent who rejoiced in the name of Jim
Caven.
"I'll wager the Dutch boy is full of fun," whispered Sam to Tom.
"You can see it in his eyes."
"I don't like the looks of that Jim Caven," returned Tom. "He
looks like a worse sneak than Mumps ever was."
"I agree there. Perhaps we had better keep, our eyes open for
him."
Despite this talk, however, the newcomers were welcomed cordially,
and to the credit of the students be it said that each old cadet
did all in his power to make the new boys feel perfectly at home.
"Mine fadder vos von soldier py der Cherman army," said Hans
Mueller. "Dot's vy he sent me py a military academy ven we come
py dis country."
"Glad to know you intend to help us fight the Indians," answered
Tom innocently.
"Me fight der Indians? Vot you means py dot?" demanded Hans, his
light-blue eyes wide open with interest.
"Why, don't you know that we are here to learn how to fight
Indians?" went on Tom, with a side wink at those around him.
"No; I dink me dis vos von school only."
"So it is -- a school to learn how to shoot and scalp."
"Schalp! Vot's dot?"
"Cut an Indian's top-knot off with a knife, this way," and Tom
made an imaginary slash at Hans' golden locks.
"Ton't do dot!" stammered the German boy, falling back. "No, I
ton't vant to learn to schalp, noputty."
"But you are willing to fight the Indians, are you not?" put in
Sam. "We are all going to do that, you know."
"I ton't like dem Indians," sighed Hans. "I see me some of dem
vonde by a show in Chermany, und I vos afraid."
At this a laugh went up. How much further the joke would have
been carried it is impossible to say, but just then a bell rang
and the boys had to go into the classroom. But Tom remembered
about the Indians, as the others found out about a week later.
As the majority of the scholars had been to the Hall before, it
did not take long for matters to become settled, and in a few days
all of the boys felt thoroughly at home, that is, all but Jim
Caven, who went around with that same sneaking look on his face
that Tom had first noticed. He made but few friends, and those
only among the smaller boys who had plenty of pocket money to
spend. Caven rarely showed any money of his own.
With the coming of spring the cadets formed, as of old, several
football teams, and played several notches, including one with
their old rivals, the pupils of Pornell Academy. This game they
lost, by a score of four to five, which made the Pornellites feel
much better, they having lost every game in the past. (For the
doings of the Putnam Hall students previous to the arrival at that
institution of the Rover boys see, "The Putnam Hall Series," the
first volume of which is entitled, "The Putnam Hall Cadets." -
Publisher)
"Well, we can't expect to beat always," said Tom, who played
quarterback on the Putnam team. "We gave them a close brush."
"Yes, and we might have won if Larry hadn't slipped and sprained
his ankle," put in Sam. "Well, never mind; better luck next time.
We'll play them again next fall." Sam was right so far as a game
between the rival academies was concerned, but none of the Rover
boys were on hand to take part in the contest -- for reasons which
the chapter to follow will disclose.
With the football came kite-flying, and wonderful indeed were some
of the kites which the boys manufactured.
"I can tell you, if a fellow had time he could reduce kite-flying
to a regular science," said Dick.
"Oh, Dick, don't give us any more science!" cried Sam. "We get
enough of science from, Uncle Randolph, with his scientific
farming, fowl-raising, and the like. I would just as lief fly an
old-fashioned kite as anything."
"Dick is right, though," put in Fred Garrison. "Now you have a
big flat-kite there, three times larger than mine. Yet I'll wager
my little box kite will fly higher than your kite."
"Done!" cried Sam. "What shall the wager be?"
"Ice cream for the boys of our dormitory," answered Fred.
"All right, but how is a fellow to get the cream if he loses?"
"That's for him to find out, Sam. If I lose I'll sneak off to
Cedarville, as Dick did once, and buy what I need."
"Ice cream for our room it is," said. Frank.
"And mum's the word about the wager, or Captain Putnam will spoil
the whole affair if he gets wind of it."
"Make me stakeholder," grinned Tom. I'd just like to lay hands on
about two quarts of chocolate cream."
"There won't be any stakeholder," said Dick.
"But when is this kite-flying contest to come off?"
The matter was talked over, and it was decided to wait until the
next Saturday, which would be, as usual, a half-holiday. In the
meantime some of the other boys heard there was going to be a
contest, although they knew nothing of the wager made, and half a
dozen other matches were arranged.
Saturday proved to be cool and clear with a stiff breeze blowing
directly from the west. This being so, it was decided, in order
to get clear of the woods in front of the Hall, to hold the
contests on Baker's Plain, a level patch of ground some distance
to the westward.
The cadets were soon on the way, shouting and laughing merrily
over the sport promised. Only a few remained behind, including
Jim Caven, who gave as his excuse that he had a headache.
"I'm glad he is not with us," said Dick. "I declare, for some
reason, I can't bear to have him around."
"Nor I," returned Frank. "It's queer, but he gives me the shivers
whenever he comes near me."
"It's a wonder he came here at all. He doesn't belong in our
style of a crowd."
To reach Baker's Plain the cadets had to make a detour around a
high cliff which overlooked a rocky watercourse which flowed into
Cayuga Lake. They moved slowly, as nobody wished to damage his
kite, and it was after two o'clock before all hands were ready for
the first trial at kite-flying.
"Gracious, but it is blowing!" cried Tom.
"Sam, have you a good strong cord on your kite?"
"The strongest I could get," answered the youngest Rover. "I
guess it is stronger than what Fred has."
"My kite won't pull like yours," said Fred Garrison. "All ready?"
"Yes."
"Then up they go -- and may the best kite win!"
Soon a dozen kites of various kinds were soaring in the air, some
quite steadily and others darting angrily from side to side. One
went up with a swoop, to come down with a bang on the rocks, thus
knocking itself into a hundred pieces.
"Mine cracious, look at dot!" burst out Hans Mueller. "Mine
Gretchen kite vos busted up -- und I spent me feefteen cents on
him alreety!" and a roar went up.
"Never mind, Hans," said Dick. "You can help sail the Katydid.
She will pull strong enough for two, I am sure."
The Katydid was a wonderful affair of silver and gold which Dick
had constructed on ideas entirely his own. It went up slowly but
surely and proved to be as good a kite as the majority.
A number of girls living in the neighborhood, bad heard of the
kite-flying contests, and now they came up, Dora Stanhope with the
rest, accompanied by her two cousins, Grace and Nellie Laning. As
my old readers may guess, Dick was very attentive to Dora, and his
brothers were scarcely less so to the two Laning sisters.
"And how is your mother?" Dick asked of Dom, during the course of
their conversation.
"She is much better," replied Dora, "although she is still weak
from her sickness."
"Does she ever mention Josiah Crabtree?"
"She mentioned him once. She said that she had dreamed of him and
of you, Nick."
"Me? And what was the dream?"
"Oh - it was only a silly affair, Dick, not worth mentioning."
"But I would like to know what it was."
"Well, then, she dreamed that both of you were in a big forest and
he was about to attack you with a gun or a club, she couldn't tell
which. She awoke screaming and I ran to her side, and that is how
she told me of the dream."
CHAPTER III
AN OLD ENEMY TURNS UP
"That was certainly an odd dream," said Dick, after a short pause.
"I am sure I never want to meet Josiah Crabtree under such
circumstances."
"It was silly, Dick -- I'd forget it if I was you."
"And she never mentioned the man at any other time?"
"No. But I am certain she is glad he has left for parts unknown.
I never, never, want to see him again," and the girl shivered.
"Don't be alarmed, Dora; I don't think he will dare to show
himself," answered Dick, and on the sly gave her hand a tight
squeeze. They were warmer friends than ever since Dick had
rescued her from those who had abducted her.
The kite-flying was now in "full blast," as Sam expressed it, and
the boys had all they could do to keep the various lines from
becoming tangled up. His own kite and Fred's were side by side
and for a long time it looked as if neither would mount above the
other.
"Run her up, Fred! You can win if you try!" cried several of the
cadets.
"Play out a bit more, Sam; you haven't given your kite all the
slack she wants," said others. So the talk ran on, while each
contestant did the best to make his kite mount higher. In the
meantime the wind kept increasing in violence, making each kite
pull harder than ever.
"It's a dandy for flying," panted Tom, who was holding his kite
with all the strength he possessed. "Something must give way
soon," and something did give way. It was the string he was
holding, and as it snapped he went over on his back in such a
comical fashion that all, even to the girls, had to laugh.
"Torn! Tom! What a sight!" burst out Nellie Laning. "You should
have brought a stronger cord."
"If I had I'd a-gone up in the clouds," answered Tom ruefully.
"That's the last of that kite, I suppose; if I -"
"The string has caught on Sam's kite!" interrupted Grace Laning.
"Oh, my! See both of them going up!"
"Now you can win, Sam!" laughed Dora. "Fred, your flying is
nowhere now."
"He didn't calculate to fly one kite against two," answered Fred.
"Hold on, Sam, where are you going? The cliff is over in that
direction!" he yelled suddenly.
"I -- I know it!" came back the alarming answer. "But I can't
stop myself!"
"He can't stop himself!" repeated Dora.
"Oh, stop him somebody, before he goes over the cliff!"
"Let go of the line!" shouted Dick. "Don't go any closer to the
cliff!"
"I -- I can't let go! The line is fast around my wrist!" gasped
poor Sam. "Oh, dear, it's cutting me like a knife!"
"He's in a mess," came from Frank. "If he isn't careful he'll go
over the cliff, as sure as he's born!"
"Throw yourself down!" went on Dick, and, leaving his kite in Hans
Mueller's care, he ran after his brother.
By this time Sam had gained a few bushes which grew but a dozen
feet away from the edge of the cliff, that at this point was
nearly forty feet in height. With his right hand held a painful
prisoner, he clutched at the bushes with his left.
"I've got the bushes, but I can't hold on long!" he panted, as
Dick came close. "Help me, quick!"
Scarcely had the words left his mouth when the bushes came up by
the roots and poor Sam fell over on his side. Then came another
strong puff of wind, and he was dragged to the very edge of the
rocky ledge!
"I'm going!" he screamed, when, making a mighty leap, Dick caught
him by the foot.
"Catch the rock -- anything!" cried the older brother. "If you
don't you'll be killed!"
"Save me!" was all poor Sam could say. "Oh, Dick, don't let me go
over!"
"I'll do my best, Sam," was Dick's answer, and he held on like
grim death.
By this time half a dozen boys were running to the scene. Dora
Stanhope followed, and as she came up she pulled a tiny penknife
from her pocket.
"Can't I cut the line with this?" she asked, timidly, as she
pushed her way to Dick's side.
"Yes, Yes; cut it!" moaned Sam. "Oh, my wrist is almost cut in
two!"
Stooping low, Dora sawed away at the kite line, which was as taut
as a string on a bass fiddle. Suddenly there was a loud snap and
the cord parted. Sam and Dick fell back from the edge of the
cliff, while the entangled kites soared away for parts unknown.
"Thank Heaven you cut the line, Dora!" said Dick, who was the
first to recover from the excitement of the situation. He saw
that Dom was trembling like a leaf, and he hastened to her
support, but she pushed him away and pointed to Sam.
"Don't mind me -- I am all right, Dick," she said. "Go care for
poor Sam. See how his wrist is bleeding! Oh, how dreadful!"
"Here is my handkerchief; he had better bind it up with that,"
said Grace Laning, as she offered the article.
"We'll wash the wound first," put in Frank, and raced off for some
water. Soon he returned with his stiff hat full, and the cut on
Sam's wrist was tenderly washed by the Laning girls, who then
bound it up with the skill of a hospital surgeon.
The kite-flying continued for the balance of the afternoon. But
Sam and Dick had had enough of it, and, along with Tom, they took
a stroll along the lake front with Dora Stanhope and Grace and
Nellie. Of course both boys and girls talked a whole lot of
nonsense, yet all enjoyed the walk very much.
"This is the spot where they abducted me," shivered Dora, as they
came to the old boathouse. "Oh, what a dreadful time that was, to
be sure!"
"I don't believe our enemies will bother you any more, Dora," said
Dick. "It's not likely that old Crabtree Will try the same game
twice; and Mumps has really turned over a new leaf and gone to
work for a living."
"Yes, I was glad to hear that, for I don't believe he was such a
bad fellow at heart. He was under Dan Baxter's influence, just as
- as --"
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