like the crack of a whip. His neck became tired from the effort of his head to stick to his body.
Hal heard the camel gargling as he went along. The gargling sounded as if the beast were trying to say ‘Jeremiah’. So Hal promptly named the animal Jeremiah.
Jeremiah had no bridle. When Vic wanted the animal to go to the right he laid hold of the cord and pulled the beast’s head to the right. Then the camel went where he pleased, anywhere except to the right. When Vic wished him to go to the left he pulled Jeremiah’s head in that direction and nine times out of ten the camel went to the right.
The camel did not need to see where he was going. He would plod calmly along while turning his head completely round to look at Vic with his great sorrowful eyes, or putting his head upside down beneath his body to bite at a fly.
Finding the cord unsatisfactory, Vic began to use his toes. To do this best, Vic took off his shoes. He wriggled his toes against the left side of the camel’s neck for a right turn, and on the right side for a left.
It didn’t work. Nothing worked. The animal went where he could get the best thistles and thorns.
Evidently Jeremiah did not need water. Vic could hear a great sloshing of bilge water below decks. Jeremiah’s water reserve pitched back and forth in his stomachs and occasionally some of it came bubbling up in his throat. He did not seem to worry about this in the least. No doubt he was proud of what he could do with water. He could store enough of it to last him for a week or ten days. He could store food as well, packing it in his humps in the form of fat. If the humps were high and hard, as Jeremiah’s were, it meant that the animal was well fed. At the end of a long journey of a month or so, with little food, a camel’s humps drooped like empty bags.
Finally Jeremiah remembered those delicious magazines. He turned about and went back to camp. Hal had the latest editions ready for him. This was a sort of dessert after the twigs, thorns and cactus. He gargled his thanks.
Vic slid down from his mount. Hal had some antiseptic ready for the bites on Vic’s shoulders. Vic complained, That dope hurts worse than the bites did.’
He went home to tell Jim and Harry how he had conquered the wild beast. They complimented him on his courage and skill.
Harry said, ‘I predict that the names Jeremiah and Vic Stone will go down in history. They will be remembered for all time.’
Vic said. That sounds good. Would you write it down.’
Harry wrote it and gave it to Vic
Vic said. ‘I’ll frame it.’
Chapter 17
Troubles of a Wild Boar
‘We were told to get a wild boar. Let’s hunt for one today.’
‘What are wild boars like?’ Roger asked.
They are very dangerous animals. A wild boar is a huge pig weighing six times as much as you. It has a very bad temper. You can’t depend upon it to be nice and polite. It hides in the bushes and when any other animal or man comes along it rushes out and kills.’
That doesn’t sound good. Can’t we just cross that off the list?’
‘Hardly. We were told to get it and we’ll get it.’
Hal was not aware that just outside the door Vic was listening.
How will we get him if he’s so savage?’ Roger asked.
‘I don’t know. Perhaps he’ll get us. We’ll take along the sleep-gun and a lasso and hope for the best.’
Vic went back to the barn-house and got his rifle.
‘Why the rifle?’ asked Jim. ‘You know shooting is forbidden.’
Vic laughed. ‘Nobody can tell me what to do or what not to do. The Hunts are going after a wild boar. If they find one they’re not going to get it, because I’ll shoot it first -just so they won’t succeed. They’re not going to get a wild boar today.’
‘Why don’t you let up on the Hunts? You’ll only get yourself in trouble.’
‘Me? I know what I’m doing. I’m good with a rifle.’
‘Are you? That’s news to me.’ said Jim. ‘I’ll get your bed ready.’
‘What’s this
Hal heard the camel gargling as he went along. The gargling sounded as if the beast were trying to say ‘Jeremiah’. So Hal promptly named the animal Jeremiah.
Jeremiah had no bridle. When Vic wanted the animal to go to the right he laid hold of the cord and pulled the beast’s head to the right. Then the camel went where he pleased, anywhere except to the right. When Vic wished him to go to the left he pulled Jeremiah’s head in that direction and nine times out of ten the camel went to the right.
The camel did not need to see where he was going. He would plod calmly along while turning his head completely round to look at Vic with his great sorrowful eyes, or putting his head upside down beneath his body to bite at a fly.
Finding the cord unsatisfactory, Vic began to use his toes. To do this best, Vic took off his shoes. He wriggled his toes against the left side of the camel’s neck for a right turn, and on the right side for a left.
It didn’t work. Nothing worked. The animal went where he could get the best thistles and thorns.
Evidently Jeremiah did not need water. Vic could hear a great sloshing of bilge water below decks. Jeremiah’s water reserve pitched back and forth in his stomachs and occasionally some of it came bubbling up in his throat. He did not seem to worry about this in the least. No doubt he was proud of what he could do with water. He could store enough of it to last him for a week or ten days. He could store food as well, packing it in his humps in the form of fat. If the humps were high and hard, as Jeremiah’s were, it meant that the animal was well fed. At the end of a long journey of a month or so, with little food, a camel’s humps drooped like empty bags.
Finally Jeremiah remembered those delicious magazines. He turned about and went back to camp. Hal had the latest editions ready for him. This was a sort of dessert after the twigs, thorns and cactus. He gargled his thanks.
Vic slid down from his mount. Hal had some antiseptic ready for the bites on Vic’s shoulders. Vic complained, That dope hurts worse than the bites did.’
He went home to tell Jim and Harry how he had conquered the wild beast. They complimented him on his courage and skill.
Harry said, ‘I predict that the names Jeremiah and Vic Stone will go down in history. They will be remembered for all time.’
Vic said. That sounds good. Would you write it down.’
Harry wrote it and gave it to Vic
Vic said. ‘I’ll frame it.’
Chapter 17
Troubles of a Wild Boar
‘We were told to get a wild boar. Let’s hunt for one today.’
‘What are wild boars like?’ Roger asked.
They are very dangerous animals. A wild boar is a huge pig weighing six times as much as you. It has a very bad temper. You can’t depend upon it to be nice and polite. It hides in the bushes and when any other animal or man comes along it rushes out and kills.’
That doesn’t sound good. Can’t we just cross that off the list?’
‘Hardly. We were told to get it and we’ll get it.’
Hal was not aware that just outside the door Vic was listening.
How will we get him if he’s so savage?’ Roger asked.
‘I don’t know. Perhaps he’ll get us. We’ll take along the sleep-gun and a lasso and hope for the best.’
Vic went back to the barn-house and got his rifle.
‘Why the rifle?’ asked Jim. ‘You know shooting is forbidden.’
Vic laughed. ‘Nobody can tell me what to do or what not to do. The Hunts are going after a wild boar. If they find one they’re not going to get it, because I’ll shoot it first -just so they won’t succeed. They’re not going to get a wild boar today.’
‘Why don’t you let up on the Hunts? You’ll only get yourself in trouble.’
‘Me? I know what I’m doing. I’m good with a rifle.’
‘Are you? That’s news to me.’ said Jim. ‘I’ll get your bed ready.’
‘What’s this
Similar Books
