Jules Verne (23 page)

For four days more the march toward the northeast was continued in the
same way. On the 16th of April the distance traversed from the coast
could not be estimated at less than one hundred miles. If Harris had
not gone astray—and he affirmed it without hesitation—the Farm of San
Felice was no more than twenty miles from the halting place of that
day. Before forty-eight hours the little troop then would have a
comfortable shelter where its members could at last repose from their
fatigues.

Meanwhile, though the plateau had been almost entirely crossed in its
middle part, not a native, not a wanderer had been encountered under
the immense forest.

More than once, without saying anything about it, Dick Sand regretted
being unable to go ashore on some other point of the coast. More to the
south, or more to the north, villages, hamlets, or plantations would
not have been lacking, and long before this Mrs. Weldon and her
companions would have found an asylum.

But, if the country seemed to be abandoned by man, animals showed
themselves more frequently during these last days. At times was heard a
kind of long, plaintive cry, that Harris attributed to some of those
large tardi-grades, habitual denizens of those vast wooded regions,
named "ais."

On that day, also, during the midday halt, a hissing passed through the
air, which made Mrs. Weldon very uneasy, because it was so strange.

"What is that?"' she asked, rising hastily.

"A serpent!" cried Dick Sand, who gun, in hand, threw himself before
Mrs. Weldon.

They might fear, in fact, that some reptile would glide among the
plants to the halting place. It would be nothing astonishing if it were
one of those enormous "sucurus," kinds of boas, which sometimes measure
forty feet in length.

But Harris reminded Dick Sand that the blacks were already following,
and he reassured Mrs. Weldon.

According to him, that hissing could not be produced by a "sucuru,"
because that serpent does not hiss; but he indicated the presence of
several inoffensive quadrupeds, rather numerous in that country.

"Be reassured, then," said he, "and make no movement which may frighten
those animals."

"But what are they?" asked Dick Sand, who made it like a law of
conscience to interrogate and make the American speak—who, however,
never required pressing before replying.

"They are antelopes, my young friend," replied Harris.

"Oh! how I should like to see them!" cried Jack.

"That is very difficult, my good little man," replied the American,
"very difficult."

"Perhaps we may try to approach than—those hissing antelopes?"
returned Dick Sand.

"Oh! you will not take three steps," replied the American, shaking his
head, "before the whole band will take flight. I beg of you, then, not
to trouble yourself."

But Dick Sand had his reasons for being curious. He wished to see, and,
gun in hand, he glided among the herbs. Immediately a dozen graceful
gazelles, with small, sharp horns, passed with the rapidity of a
water-spout. Their hair, bright red, looked like a cloud of fire under
the tall underwood of the forest.

"I had warned you," said Harris, when the novice returned to take his
place.

Those antelopes were so light of foot, that it had been truly
impossible to distinguish them; but it was not so with another troop of
animals which was signaled the same day. Those could be
seen—imperfectly, it is true—but their apparition led to a rather
singular discussion between Harris and some of his companions.

The little troop, about four o'clock in the afternoon, had stopped for
a moment near an opening in the woods, when three or four animals of
great height went out of a thicket a hundred steps off, and scampered
away at once with remarkable speed.

In spite of the American's recommendations, this time the novice,
having quickly shouldered his gun, fired at one of these animals. But
at the moment when the charge was going off, the weapon had been
rapidly turned aside by Harris, and Dick Sand, skilful as he was, had
missed his aim.

"No firing; no firing!" said the American.

"Ah, now, but those are giraffes!" cried Dick Sand, without otherwise
replying to Harris's observation.

"Giraffes!" repeated Jack, standing up on the horse's saddle. "Where
are they, the large beasts?"

"Giraffes!" replied Mrs. Weldon. "You are mistaken, my dear Dick. There
are no giraffes in America."

"Indeed," said Harris, who appeared rather surprised, "there cannot be
any giraffes in this country."

"What, then?" said Dick Sand.

"I really do not know what to think," replied Harris. "Have not your
eyes deceived you, my young friend, and are not those animals more
likely to be ostriches?"

"Ostriches!" repeated Dick Sand and Mrs. Weldon, looking at each other
in great surprise.

"Yes, only ostriches," repeated Harris.

"But ostriches are birds," returned Dick Sand, "and consequently they
have only two feet."

"Well," replied Harris, "I indeed thought I saw that those animals,
which have just made off so rapidly, were bipeds."

"Bipeds!" replied the novice.

"Indeed it seemed to me that I saw animals with four legs," then said
Mrs. Weldon.

"I also," added old Tom; then Bat, Acteon, and Austin confirmed those
words.

"Ostriches with four legs!" cried Harris, with a burst of laughter.
"That would be ridiculous!"

"So," returned Dick Sand, "we have believed they were giraffes, and not
ostriches."

"No, my young friend, no," said Harris. "You have certainly seen badly.
That is explained by the rapidity with which those animals have flown
away. Besides, it has happened more than once that hunters have been
deceived like you, and in the best faith in the world."

What the American said was very plausible. Between an ostrich of great
height and a giraffe of medium height, seen at a certain distance, it
is easy to make a mistake. If it were a question of a beak or a nose,
both are none the less joined to the end of a long neck turned
backward, and, strictly speaking, it may be said that an ostrich is
only a half giraffe. It only needs the hind legs. Then, this biped and
this quadruped, passing rapidly, on a sudden may, very properly, be
taken one for the other.

Besides, the best proof that Mrs. Weldon and the others were mistaken
was that there are no giraffes in America.

Dick Sand then made this reflection:

"But I believed that ostriches were not met with in the New World any
more than giraffes."

"Yes, my young friend," replied Harris; "and, indeed, South America
possesses a peculiar species. To this species belongs the 'nandon,'
which you have just seen."

Harris spoke the truth. The "nandon" is a long-legged bird, rather
common in the plains of South America, and its flesh, when it is young,
is good to eat.

This strong animal, whose height sometimes exceeds two meters, has a
straight beak; wings long, and formed of tufted feathers of a bluish
shade; feet formed of three claws, furnished with nails—which
essentially distinguishes it from the ostriches of Africa.

These very exact details were given by Harris, who appeared to be very
strongly posted on the manners of the "nandons."

Mrs. Weldon and her companions were obliged to acknowledge that they
had been deceived.

"Besides," added Harris, "possibly we may encounter another band of
these ostriches. Well, next time look better, and no longer allow
yourselves to takes birds for quadrupeds! But above all, my young
friend, do not forget my recommendations, and do not fire on any animal
whatsoever. We have no need of hunting to procure food, and no
detonation of a fire-arm must announce our presence in this forest."

Meanwhile Dick Sand remained pensive. Once more a doubt had just arisen
on his mind.

The next day, April 17th, the march was continued, and the American
affirmed that twenty-four hours would not pass before the little troop
should be installed at the Farm of San Felice.

"There, Mrs. Weldon," added he, "you will receive all the care
necessary to your position, and a few days' rest will quite restore
you. Perhaps you will not find at this farm the luxury to which you are
accustomed in your residence in San Francisco, but you will see that
our improved lands in the interior do not lack what is comfortable. We
are not absolutely savages."

"Mr. Harris," replied Mrs. Weldon, "if we have only thanks to offer you
for your generous resort, at least we shall offer them to you with all
our hearts. Yes! It is time for us to arrive there!"

"You are very much fatigued, Mrs. Weldon?"

"I, no matter!" replied Mrs. Weldon; "but I perceive that my little
Jack is gradually becoming exhausted! The fever begins to affect him at
certain hours!"

"Yes," replied Harris, "and although the climate of this plateau is
very healthful, it must be acknowledged that in March and April
intermittent fevers reign."

"Doubtless," then said Dick Sand, "but also Nature, who is always and
everywhere provident, has put the remedy near the evil!"

"And how is that, my young friend?" asked Harris, who did not seem to
understand.

"Are we not, then, in the region of the quinquinas?" replied Dick Sand.

"In fact," said Harris, "you are perfectly right. The trees which
furnish, the precious febrifuge bark are native here."

"I am even astonished," added Dick Sand, "that we have not yet seen a
single one."

"Ah! my young friend," replied Harris, "those trees are not easy to
distinguish. Though they are often of great height, though their leaves
are large, their flowers rosy and odoriferous, we do not discover them
easily. It is rarely that they grow in groups. They are rather
scattered through the forests, and the Indians who collect the
quinquina can only recognize them by their foliage, always green."

"Mr. Harris," said Mrs. Weldon, "if you see one of those trees you will
show it to me."

"Certainly, Mrs. Weldon, but at the farm you will find some sulphate of
quinine. That is worth still more to break the fever than the simple
bark of the tree."

Formerly, this bark was only reduced to powder, which bore the name of
"Jesuits' Powder," because, in 1649, the Jesuits of Rome received a
considerable quantity from their mission in America.

This last day of the journey passed without other incident. Evening
came and the halt was organized for the whole night as usual. Till then
it had not rained, but the weather was preparing to change, for a warm
mist rose from the soil and soon found a thick fog.

They were touching, in fact, on the rainy season. Fortunately, the next
day, a comfortable shelter would be hospitably offered to the little
troop. There were only a few hours to elapse.

Though, according to Harris, who could only establish his calculation
by the time which the journey had lasted, they could not be more than
six miles from the farm, the ordinary precautions were taken for the
night. Tom and his companions would watch one after the other. Dick
Sand insisted that nothing should be neglected in that respect. Less
than ever, would he depart from his habitual prudence, for a terrible
suspicion was incrusted in his mind; but he did not wish to say
anything yet.

The retiring to rest had been made at the feet of a group of large
trees. Fatigue aiding, Mrs. Weldon and hers were already asleep, when
they were awakened by a great cry.

"Eh! what's the matter?" asked Dick Sand, quickly, who was on his feet
first of all.

"It is I! it is I who have cried!" replied Cousin Benedict.

"And what is the matter with you?" asked Mrs. Weldon.

"I have just been bit!"

"By a serpent?" asked Mrs. Weldon, with alarm.

"No, no! It was not a serpent, but an insect," replied Cousin Benedict.
"Ah! I have it! I have it!"

"Well, crush your insect," said Harris, "and let us sleep, Mr.
Benedict!"

"Crush an insect!" cried Cousin Benedict. "Not so! I must see what it
is!"

"Some mosquito!" said Harris, shrugging his shoulders.

"No! It is a fly," replied Cousin Benedict, "and a fly which ought to
be very curious!"

Dick Sand had lit a little portable lantern, and he approached Cousin
Benedict.

"Divine goodness!" cried the latter. "Behold what consoles me for all
my deceptions! I have, then, at last made a discovery!"

The honest man was raving. He looked at his fly in triumph. He would
willingly kiss it.

"But what is it, then?" asked Mrs. Weldon.

"A dipter, cousin, a famous dipter!" And Cousin Benedict showed a fly
smaller than a bee, of a dull color, streaked with yellow on the lower
part of its body.

"And this fly is not venomous?" asked Mrs. Weldon.

"No, cousin, no; at least not for man. But for animals, for antelopes,
for buffaloes, even for elephants, it is another thing. Ah! adorable
insect!"

"At last," asked Dick Sand, "will you tell us, Mr. Benedict, what is
this fly?"

"This fly," replied the entomologist, "this fly that I hold between my
fingers, this fly—it is a
tsetse
! It is that famous dipter that is
the honor of a country, and, till now, no one has ever found a
tsetse
in America!"

Dick Sand did not dare to ask Cousin Benedict in what part of the world
this redoubtable
tsetse
was only to be met. And when his companions,
after this incident, had returned to their interrupted sleep, Dick
Sand, in spite of the fatigue which overwhelmed him, did not close his
eyes the whole night.

It was time to arrive. Extreme lassitude made it impossible for Mrs.
Weldon to continue any longer a journey made under such painful
conditions. Her little boy, crimson during the fits of fever, very pale
during the intermissions, was pitiable to see. His mother extremely
anxious, had not been willing to leave Jack even in the care of the
good Nan. She held him, half-lying, in her arms.