This part of the country was so thickly wooded that in many places the rays of the sun never reached the ground.
Poisonous serpents held carnival here, and the explorers had to be continually on the watch for them.
Just before sunset they came to a halt, weary from their first day's tramp.
Thus far they had not been molested by savages, though they had passed through the domain of more than one band.
If they had been a large, regular organized exploring party, they would have had no end of trouble, as they would then have visited black tribes, supposed to be friendly, and begged permission of them to proceed through the various kingdoms.
In this way their presence would become known to every tribe within fifty miles of them, no matter in what section they might be, as was the case with Stanley and other great explorers.
But our little party were in for it on their own hook, and asked permission from no one to travel on their way.
They would be all right so long as they were not intercepted by some roving band.
Jack Howard calculated that they were now in a section of country where no one had ever been before, save the natives and the villains they were following.
Prof. Drearland made a rather lengthy note of this, and seemed much pleased at his young friend's idea of it.