Ken Ward in the Jungle (1998) by Zane Grey Read Free Book Online Page A

lashed out with its tail and disappeared.
    " Come out of there," called Ken to the boys. "We can't pull you up-stream."
    " Say, I don't want to step on one of those ugly brutes," protested Hal.
    " Look sharp, then. Come out."
    Above the rapid extended a quarter-mile stretch where Pepe could row, and beyond that another long rapid. When the boy s had waded up that it was only to come to another. It began to be hard work. But Ken kept the boys buckled down, and they made fair progress. They pulled up through eighteen rapids, and covered distance that Ken estimated to be about ten miles. The blue mountain loomed closer and higher, yet Ken began to have doubts of reaching Micas Falls that day.
    Moreover, as they ascended the stream, the rapids grew rougher.
    "It '11 be great coming down," panted Hal.
    Finally they reached a rapid which had long dinned in Ken's ears. All the water in the river rushed down on the right-hand side through a channel scarcely twenty feet wide. It was deep and swift. With the aid of ropes, and by dint of much hard wading and pulling, the boys got the boat up. A little farther on was another bothersome rapid. At last they came to a succession of falls, steps in the river, that barred farther advance up-stream.
    Here Ken climbed up on the bank, to find the country hilly and open, with patches of jungle and palm groves leading up to the mountains. Then he caught a glint of Micas Falls, and decided that it would be impossible to get there. He made what observation s he could, and returned to camp.
    " Boys, here's where we stop," said Ken. " It 'II be all down-stream now, and I'm glad."
    There was no doubt that the boys were equally glad. They made camp on a grassy bench above a foam - flecked pool. Ken left the others to get things in shape for supper, and, taking his camera, he hurried off to try to get a picture of Micas Falls. He found open places and by-paths through the brushy forest. He saw evidences of forest fire, and then knew what had ruined that part of the jungle. There were no birds. It was farther than he had estimated to the foothill he had marked, but, loath to give up, he kept on and finally reached a steep, thorny ascent. Going up he nearly suffocated with heat. He felt rewarded for his exertions when he saw Micas Falls glistening in the distance. It was like a string of green fans connected by silver ribbons. He remained there watching it while the sun set in the golden notch between the mountains.
    On the way back to camp he waded through a flat overgrown with coarse grass and bushes. Here he jumped a herd of deer, eight in number. These small, sleek, gray deer appeared tame, and if there had been sufficient light, Ken would have photographed them. It cost him an effort to decide not to fetch hi s rifle, but as he had meat enough in cam p there was nothing to do except let the deer go.
    When he got back to the river Pepe grinned at him, and, pointing to little red specks on his shirt, he said :
    " Pinilius."
    " Aha! the ticks !" exclaimed Ken.
    They were exceedingly small, not to be seen without close scrutiny. They could not be brushed off, so Ken began laboriously to pick them off. Pepe and George laughed, and Hal appeared to derive some sort of enjoyment from the incident.
    "Say, these ticks don't bother me any," declared Ken.
    Pepe grunted ; and George called out, " Just wait till you get the big fellows--the garrapatoes."
    It developed presently that the grass and bushes on the camp-site contained millions of the ticks. Ken found several of the larger ticks--almost the size of his little finger-nailbut he did not get bitten. Pepe and George, however, had no such good luck, as was manifested at different times. By the time they had cut down the bushes and carried in a stock of fire-wood, both were covered with the little pests. Hal found a spot where there appeared to be none, and here he stayed.
    Pepe and George had the bad habit of smoking, and Ken saw them burning the ticks off