The boys decided to act on this suggestion, and soon the boat was anchored at the shore and the four voyagers went inland until they found an orange grove. They met an overseer who invited them to gather all they could eat.
“These are much better than the others we had,” spoke Bob, biting into a luscious fruit.
“He’s getting to be quite an expert,” declared Jerry.
Once more they boarded the boat and Jerry put it well out toward the middle of the river which was very broad at this point.
“There, I guess I’ve had all the juice there is in that orange!” exclaimed Bob, as he tossed the mass of skin and pulp overboard. “Hand me another, Ned.”
As the orange which Bob threw away struck the water, there was a sudden rush as though some large creature had grabbed the pulp.
“What was that?” cried Bob, as he saw some big object swimming just beneath the surface.
“Made enough fuss for a whale or shark,” observed Ned.
“It was after the orange, but I guess it didn’t like it, for it didn’t eat it.”
“Throw another in,” suggested the professor. “We’ll see what it is.”
Jerry tossed some fruit overboard. There was a swirl in the river, and a mass of foam, just ahead of the _Dartaway_. The creature seemed to inspect the floating oranges, and then ignore them.
“Look out!” cried Ned suddenly. “It’s coming this way, Jerry!”
Jerry saw something approaching the craft. He whirled the wheel over, and speeded up the engine, just in time to avoid whatever it was.
“That’s an ugly beast,” remarked Bob. “Mad, I guess, because we didn’t give it something it liked to eat.”
“Here it comes again!” yelled Ned, and this time the boys saw the creature, just under the surface of the water, approaching the boat on the port side.
“He’s going to hit us!” yelled Bob. “Look out, Jerry!”
Jerry gave a glance over his shoulder. He saw the mass of water piled up in front of the on-rushing creature. He increased the speed of the boat, and endeavored to steer it out of the path of the animal, whatever it was. But the creature was not going to let the boat escape. It changed its course, and, an instant later, the _Dartaway_ careened under a violent shock.
There was a splash, as of some heavy object striking the water.
“Bob’s overboard!” yelled Ned, throwing his chum a cork ring, attached to a rope. “He’s going to ram us again, Jerry!”