贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > tom swift in the land of wonders(汤姆·史威夫特-奇境) >

第17章

tom swift in the land of wonders(汤姆·史威夫特-奇境)-第17章


按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




     〃Look out!〃 yelled Ned。       〃If it's a vampire it'll〃 

     〃It won't do anything to me!〃 shouted Tom; as he struck the creature; 

knocking   it   into   the   corner   of   the   tent   with   a   thud   that   told   it   must   be 

completely stunned; if not killed。       〃But what's it all about; anyhow?〃 Tom 

asked。 〃What's the row?〃 

    From without the tent came the Indian cries of: 

     〃Oshtoo!     Oshtoo!〃 

    Mingled with them were calls of Jacinto; partly in Spanish; partly in 

the Indian tongue and partly in English。 



                                             58 


… Page 59…

                        TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS 



     〃It is a raid by vampire bats!〃 was all Tom and Ned could distinguish。 

〃We   shall   have   to   light   fires   to   keep   them   away;   if   we   can   suc…   ceed。 

Every one grab up a club and strike hard!〃 

     〃Come   on!〃   cried   Tom;   getting   on   some   clothes   by   the   light   of   his 

gleaming electric light which he had set on his cot。 

     〃You're not going out there; are you?〃 asked Ned。 

     〃I certainly am! If there's a fight I want to be in it; bats or anything else。 

Here; you have a light like mine。           Flash it on; and hang it somewhere on 

yourself。     Then get a club and come on。            The lights will blind the bats; 

and we can see to hit 'em!〃 

     Tom's plan seemed to be a good one。              His lamp and Ned's had small 

hooks on them; so they could be carried in the upper coat pocket; showing 

a gleam of light and leaving the hands free for use。 

     Out of the tents rushed the young men to find Professor Bumper and 

Mr。 Damon before them。 The two men had clubs and were striking about 

in the half darkness; for now the Indians had set several fires aglow。                And 

in the gleams; constantly growing brighter as more fuel was piled on; the 

young inventor and his chum saw a weird sight。 

     Circling   and   wheeling   about   in   the   camp   clearing   were   many  of   the 

black shadowy forms that had caused Ned such alarm。                     Great bats they 

were; and a dangerous species; if Jacinto was to be believed。 

     The uncanny creatures flew in and out among the trees and tents; now 

swooping   low   near   the   Indians   or   the   travelers。    At   such   times   clubs 

would be used; often with the effect of killing or stunning the flying pests。 

For a time it seemed as if the bats would fairly overwhelm the camp; so 

many of them were there。          But the increasing lights; and the attacks made 

by the Indians and the white travelers turned the tide of battle; and; with 

silent   flappings   of   their   soft;   velvety   wings;   the   bats   flew   back   to   the 

jungle whence they had emerged。 

     〃We are safefor the present!〃 exclaimed Jacinto with a sigh of relief。 

     〃Do you think they will come back?〃 asked Tom。 

     〃They maythere is no telling。〃 

     〃Bless my speedometer!〃 cried Mr。 Damon; 〃If those beasts or birds 

whatever they are come back I'll go and hide in the river and take my 



                                               59 


… Page 60…

                        TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS 



chances with the alligators!〃 

     〃The   alligators   aren't   much   worse;〃   asserted   Jacinto   with   a   visible 

shiver。    〃These vampire bats sometimes depopulate a whole village。〃 

     〃Bless   my   shoe   laces!〃   cried   Mr。   Damon。      〃You   don't   mean   to   say 

that the creatures can eat up a whole village?〃 

     〃Not    quite。   Though      they   might    if  they   got  the  chance;〃    was   the 

answer   of   the   Spanish   guide。     〃These   vampire   bats   fly   from   place   to 

place in great swarms; and they are so large and blood…thirsty that a few of 

them can kill a horse or an ox in a short time by sucking its blood。                    So 

when the villagers find they are visited by a colony of these vampires they 

get out; taking their live stock with them; and stay in caves or in densely 

wooded places until the bats fly on。 Then the villagers come back。 

     〃It was only a small colony that visited us to… night or we would have 

had   more   trouble。     I   do   not   think   this   lot   will   come   back。 We   have 

killed too many of them;〃 and he looked about on the ground where many 

of the uncanny creatures were still twitching in the death struggle。 

     〃Come back again!〃 cried Mr。 Damon。                 〃Bless my skin! I hope not! 

I've had enough of bats and mosquitoes;〃 he added; as he slapped at his 

face and neck。 

     Indeed the party of whites were set upon by the night insects to such 

an extent that it was necessary to hurry back to the protection of the nets。 

     Tom and Ned kicked outside the bat the former had killed in their tent; 

and then both went back to their cots。            But it was some little time before 

they fell asleep。      And they did not have much time to rest; for an early 

start must be made to avoid the terrible heat of the middle of the day。 

     〃Whew!〃 whistled Ned; as he and Tom arose in the gray dawn of the 

morning when Jacinto announced the breakfast which the Indian cook had 

prepared。      〃That   was   some   night!   If   this   is   a   sample   of   the   wilds   of 

Honduras; give me the tameness of Shopton。〃 

     〃Oh;  we've  gone   through   with   worse   than   this;〃   laughed Tom。         〃It's 

all in the day's work。 We've only got started。           I guess we're a bit soft; Ned; 

though we had hard enough work in that tunnel…digging。〃 

     After    breakfast;   while    the  Indians    were   making     ready   the   canoes; 

Professor     Bumper;     who;    in  a  previous     visit  to  Central   America;     had 



                                               60 


… Page 61…

                        TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS 



become interested in the subject; made a brief examination of some of the 

dead bats。      They were exceptionally large; some almost as big as hawks。 

and were of the sub…family _Desmodidae_; the scientist said。 

     〃This is a true blood…sucking bat;〃 went on the professor。               〃This;〃 and 

he pointed to the nose…leaves; 〃is the sucking apparatus。                The bat makes 

an   opening   in   the   skin   with   its   sharp   teeth   and   proceeds   to   extract   the 

blood。     I can well believe two or three of them; attacking a steer or mule 

at once; could soon weaken it so the animal would die。〃 

     〃And a man; too?〃 asked Ned。 

     〃Well   a   man   has   hands   with   which   to   use   weapons;   but   a   helpless 

quadruped has not。 Though if a sufficient number of these bats attacked a 

man at the same time; he would have small chance to escape alive。                    Their 

bites; too; may be poisonous for all I know。〃 

     The Indians seemed glad to leave the 〃place of the bats;〃 as they called 

the   camp    site。   Jacinto   explained   that   the   Indians   believed     a   vampire 

could kill them  while they slept;  and they  were very  much   afraid of  the 

blood…sucking        bats。  There    were    many     other    species   in   the   tropics; 

Professor   Bumper   explained;   most   of   which   lived   on   fruit   or   on   insects 

they   caught。     The   blood…sucking   bats   were   comparatively   few;   and   the 

migratory sort fewer still。 

     〃Well;   we're   on   our   way   once   more;〃   remarked   Tom   as   again   they 

were in the canoes being paddled up the river。               〃How much longer does 

your water trip take; Professor?〃 

     〃I hardly know;〃 and Professor Bumper looked to Jacinto to answer。 

     〃We go two more days in the canoes;〃 the guide answered; 〃and then 

we shall find the mules waiting for us at a place called Hidjio。 From then 

on we travel by land untilwe

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的