Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 82: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CAPTIVES OF THE TEMPLE. Wing than I was with the professor’s niece. She was a very pretty girl— that went without argument. Just at that time, however, pretty girls found tittle place in my mind. But it was as- tonishing how soon Desklit managed to get himself into the good graces of the old professor. Desklit was a botanist and I was not. } would not have walked three blocks in New York to see the rarest orchid that ever bloomed. But Desklit loved these things, and it did not take the professor and his companions long to find it out. They conversed long and earnestly on their favorite topic, leav- ing me much to my own resources. I soon set Professor Wisdom down as a mild sort of crank. And to tell the truth there were moments when I saw the villages on the distant shore fade past us that I thought he wasn’t such a mild sort either. I wanted to land, engage passage to the coast, and report the accident and the treachery of Pence to my father. But here this obdurate old crank fe- fused absolutely to delay the progress of the Flora long enough to put me ashore. I wondered that he had even paused in his rush after a blooming or- chid to rescue us from a watery grave. But fret and fume as I might, the Flora went on, and Desklit enjoyed the thing immensely. He liked the pro- fessor and his chatter about Brazilian plants, and he liked the niece even better. There was nothing for me to do but resign myself to fate and accompany the crank expedition. We entered the Tapajos and I saw with regret the city of Santerem fade away in the distance as the swift white yacht glided on. There were- four spectacled cranks in the party, including Professor Wis- dom. There was Professor Turnbell, of the Royal College of Science, Twinkle of the London Geographical Society, and Mr. George Hebard, a gentleman of wealth, just then inter- 73 ested in the pursuit of happiness and orchids at one and the same time. I wondered how the young lady had happened to join the party, but soon learned that she was the professor’s ward and only living relative, and ac- companied him on al} his scientific journeys. Well, to tell the truth the trip up the Tapajos was very enjoyable. The Eng- lishmen were exceedingly hospitable, and, save for their obstinate insistence upon haste, were accommodating and kind. It was a queer lot to tackle the wilds of Brazil, for not one of the four had ever fired a nfle, and were blind to all sense of danger in their ridiculous un- dertaking. My closest companion on the j jour- ney was Mr. Hebard, who proved to be an amiable gentleman, learned on most things, but clean gone on the subject of the Great Royal Orchid, as were all his companions. “ You see,” he said one day as he and I sat on deck smoking, while Deskht and Miss Wisdom lolled under @ canopy a short distance away, “we never knew that this magnificent flower existed until about two months ago. An English explorer returned from Brazil with stortes of a handsome flower he had seen near the headwaters of the Tapajos, but not being a botan- ist he did not give ita name. The sub- ject was brought up at a meeting of the Royal Botanical Society, and _ the flower was named from his description. An expedition was at once fitted out to obtain some of these plants, for the value of one, #f transported safely to London, would be simply enormous. “The explorer unfortunately died of fever contracted in Para, and could not therefore accompany us. But he man- aged, before he died, to draw a rude map of the region, by the aid of which we expect to find the spot. There is some peculiarity of the soil there which produces a magnificent growth.” “ It is all new to me,” I rephied. ElOOO oe | Ss COM eco