And so saying, the two boys flew into the dense forest.
They could see very little at first, because it seemed so dim, after the bright sunlight outside, but soon they made out great tree-trunks reaching up out of sight and lost in the thick foliage. Strange creepers twined through the branches of the trees, like never-ending serpents; masses of bright scarlet flowers showed here and there, and clusters of orchids shone from the green of the undergrowth.
To the eyes of the two adventurous boys, the forest seemed peopled with strange shapes; great arms shot up and twined round the shoulders of the trees; weird plant faces grinned up from the deep shadows, and all the trees and plants and creepers appeared to be struggling with each other to reach the air and sunshine above.
The hot, moist air was rank with the smell of decaying leaves, and Tibbs and Kiddiwee gasped for breath.
As they passed what seemed to be the limb of a tree, it suddenly coiled up and hissed in their faces, and they were terrified to find that it was a huge boa-constrictor.
This so frightened them, that they flew on rapidly, without noticing where they were going, till Kiddiwee said—
“I wonder where we are? ’Cause I ’spect we’re lost! I do.”
Tibbs turned pale, but he said bravely—
“We’ll find a way out, somehow. But it is a bit risky. And I can’t see a sign of Celia.”
While he paused to decide which way to fly, a flock of parrots flew past, screeching at the intruders. And they heard the roar of a lion from the undergrowth, awakened from his morning slumber by the parrots, and in a very angry mood.