A few whiffs from a bottle of ammonia the professor carried soon brought Jack’s color back.
“Do you feel better now?” asked Mark.
“I guess so. Yes, I’m all right,” replied Jack, struggling to his feet. “What happened? Feels as if I had been tied up with a lot of rope.”
“That’s about what you were,” Andy replied, “only it was the worst kind of rope I ever saw. Those snake-trees are terrible things. I’ve read of ’em, but I never saw one before. The book that told of them says they squeeze their victims to death just as a snake does. The only way to do is to make some smoke and fire at the bottom. This sort of kills the branches or makes them stupid and they let go. The trees are half animal, and awful things. I hope we don’t meet with any more.”
“Same here,” added Jack fervently, as he grasped Andy’s hand, and thanked him for saving his life.
“Do you think you can go on, or shall we return to the ship?” the professor asked.
“Oh I can trail along, if you move a little slowly,” Jack replied. “I’m a bit stiff, that’s all.”
So they resumed their journey. They had gone, perhaps, three miles when Washington, who was in the lead, suddenly stopped and called:
“Sounds like thunder.”
The others listened. Sure enough there was a dull rumble and roar audible. It seemed off to the left, but they could see no clouds in the sky, nor any signs of a storm.