“We will do that, and some of us may be able to help you,” Barbara spoke up quickly, because she had made up her mind that when she was old enough she was going to be a nurse. The plan was adopted, and as the landing party was helped ashore, the two southern boys eyed the Flying Buddies with interest.
“Where is Professor Martin?” the Doctor inquired.
“He went off with a party of natives early this morning. They have been angry with him, so I guess he’s trying to square himself by giving them a feast and a holiday,” the older lad replied.
“That’s good. He’ll find that he will make much better progress if he is a little patient in his dealings with them,” said the doctor. “I suppose that is why you two lads are alone.”
“I don’t like the Prof. and don’t care about his parties, but the native children and their mothers, most of them, went along with the men. I guess they are going to hunt and have a great time, but I’d rather stay when you are due,” the younger lad answered frankly, and the doctor smiled.
“All ashore who are going ashore?” the engineer called. “Got the luggage?”
“Everything and everybody,” laughed Phyllis.
“Then we’re off.” The hawser was drawn in, looped about its own hook, the engine started again, and the launch went chug-chug-chugging back into the middle of the stream, the party on shore waved, and the Buddies waved back.
“Its great of you to think of taking us around,” said Bob.
“It occurred to me that you would get a better view of things, a more general one, if we went around the loop. By that I mean up a branch of the river and across into where the main stream turns. This water does more twisting around than you can shake a stick at, and when we first came down we had to do a lot of exploring before we knew that it was all one stream, not half a dozen. The pilots helped with that job. Any other way would have taken weeks, for the forest is so thick in most places that a man has to chop his way through. The site of our principal investigations is an island, really, and the bug-men seem to have found more specimens than they ever realized existed. I didn’t think much of the job when I got it, but I’m as interested as all the rest in what they have accomplished,” Howard went on pleasantly, and both boys thought he was splendid.