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