Lost in the Wilds of Brazil. Foster James H.

with the others.

      “Boys, this is Mr. Weslowe, and this, Mr. Duncan, both of the Neuman Film Corporation. The young man on my left is Joe Lewis; on my right, Bob Holton, my son.”

      After a few casual remarks, Mr. Holton proceeded to tell why the representatives from the film corporation were there.

      “You see, they learned of our proposed expedition into the wilds of Brazil,” he explained, “and they have come to make a business proposition. Suppose one of you continues,” he ended, looking at the men, “for if these young men are to be a part of the expedition they should know about this.”

      “As you know, we are with the Neuman Film Corporation,” Mr. Weslowe explained. “Now this house is always on the lookout for an opportunity to take motion pictures of little-known places, and here is certainly an opportunity. Unexplored Brazil! Ah! What a chance!

      “The minute Neuman learned of this expedition they lost no time in sending us out here to make an offer – one that we sincerely trust you will take up.”

      He stopped to open his satchel and get out a folded paper. Then he continued:

      “We want you to take motion pictures of Brazil for our company. Will you do it?”

      For a few seconds no one answered. Then Mr. Lewis leaned forward.

      “Won’t it be difficult?” he asked.

      “On the contrary,” Mr. Duncan returned. “Very simple. Hardly anything to it. We’ll give you complete instructions and will not hold you strictly responsible for any lost film. In fact it nearly always happens that at least several score feet of film are lost on such an expedition, where wet and damp have so much to do with the success of the pictures taken.”

      “Of course,” said Mr. Weslowe, “we realize that yours will be an expedition for the good of science, not to take moving pictures. It is for this reason that we will willingly place the responsibility, which isn’t very much, in the hands of these young men here – your sons.

      “Now this will not mean,” he assured them, “that they must put in all their time for this cause. We only wish several scenes along the journey. For instance, you might start by taking a movie of Pará, or whatever other city you first reach. Then several hundred feet may be used along the mainstream of the Amazon, showing the gradual progress of the expedition. When you turn onto a less-known river, that’s when we want the real show to start. The country you’ll pass through will be wilder, and the pictures will be more interesting. But once again let me assure you that the apparatus we’ll furnish will be of the simplest design, and you need not worry about not meeting with success as far as that goes. And we’ll pay you well for your trouble. Here’s the contract. Read it over. See what you think of it.”

      He passed the paper to Mr. Holton, who shared the reading with Bob, Joe, and Mr. Lewis.

      CHAPTER VI

      Off for the Wilds of Brazil

      “WELL?”

      It was Mr. Weslowe’s voice after the scientists and their sons had finished reading the contract.

      Mr. Holton nodded.

      “It’s all right,” he declared. “Contains nothing whatever that would be objectionable.”

      Mr. Lewis agreed.

      “We’ll leave the matter to the boys,” he said. “They’ll be the ones who will have charge of taking the pictures. And let me say that you can rely on them.”

      “You haven’t said that we can go yet,” remarked Bob. “How about our mothers? Will they consent?”

      “Yes,” Mr. Lewis answered. “They finally agreed. We were planning to make it a surprise later.”

      “What!” cried Bob, while Joe gasped in astonishment.

      “Fine!” blurted out Joe, after he had regained his breath. “We don’t know how to thank you enough. And I’ll be more than glad to accept this offer to take the movies. Bob will, too, I’m sure.”

      “All right,” Mr. Weslowe said. “Here’s a pen. You men, as the ones in charge of the expedition, must sign here.”

      They did as directed, and then the representatives prepared to depart.

      “The film, machine, and other equipment will be here inside of a week,” Mr. Duncan said. “And you’ll find it as simple as we explained.”

      Then they took their leave.

      “A chance to make some money,” said Mr. Lewis to the youths, as they seated themselves on the porch awaiting the evening meal.

      “Yes,” said Bob. “And I know we’ll find it interesting.”

      “What kind of a camera do you suppose they’ll furnish?” Joe asked.

      “Probably the small, simple kind that requires no tripod. All you do is press a button and the film is automatically exposed. But you’ll have to follow the instructions closely or the whole thing will be a total failure. And to a certain extent, Mr. Holton and I will be held responsible.”

      Practically all of the next day was spent in the business district purchasing various articles to be used on the coming great adventure. In the evening when they returned home they were satisfied with everything they had bought. Bob and Joe were especially delighted with the new rifles that their fathers presented them, for they were of the very latest design.

      “I suppose they’ll bring down anything,” said Bob, in reference to the guns.

      “Anything but elephants, rhinos, and the like that have extremely tough hides,” his father answered. “You needn’t fear them, though, for we won’t come across them in South America.”

      “What is considered the most dangerous game of that continent?” asked Joe.

      “The jaguar, generally,” was the response. “He sometimes attains a length of nearly six feet and is extremely powerful. He has been known to attack a mustang, swim with it across a river, and place it in the thick bushes. Again he has been seen to open fish and heavy turtles with his powerful claws.”

      “Poisonous snakes are also dangerous,” said Mr. Lewis, “although they seldom attack a man without first being disturbed.”

      “There’s a remedy for every such bite, isn’t there?” inquired Joe.

      “Yes. That is, for nearly every one. The strange part of it is that one antidote may be totally ineffective against one kind of poison, while it has effect on another. You see there are several types or classes of venomous reptiles, and each has a different type of poison. Hence several antidotes have to be carried so as to take no chances.”

      “Anacondas are not poisonous, are they?” asked Joe.

      “No,” replied Mr. Holton. “They are constrictors, that kill their victims by crushing them to death. Another name for them is ‘water boa,’ because they are found near a stream or mud hole. You boys probably know that they are among the world’s largest snakes, often being thirty feet in length and thicker than a man’s leg. They are capable of crushing an ox to death, and often tear up small trees by the roots.”

      Joe shuddered.

      “I don’t think I’d care to meet one of them,” he said. “Especially since I’m not an excellent shot like you and Dad.”

      “And Bob,” added Mr. Lewis. Really Bob was not far behind the naturalists in marksmanship.

      After the preparations for the trip were fully completed, the youths and their fathers rested, for the coming venture was to be a tiresome one, and it was wholly unwise to use too much of their energy that was to be so much needed later.

      Meanwhile reconstruction work was being done on Mr. Lewis’s garage, and the workmen promised to have the task completed in three days.

      “Won’t have to worry about that,” Bob assured his chum’s father. “You can just take it easy until the time comes to leave