Viewed from the sky, the rain forest looked like a vast, billowing ocean of green. The tree crowns bulged like cauliflower clumps. Here and there taller giants thrust above the canopy in lonely splendor. Pink and orange liana blossoms and the lighter-colored flowers of the trees themselves flecked the greenery.
“Doesn’t look as if you can make much of a ground survey from up here,” Bud remarked.
“At least we know what it’s like underneath,” Tom said.
Midway on the flight, the boys noticed that the green forest canopy was broken by a belt of treeless, blackish terrain. It stretched north and south in a threadlike scar across the jungle.
“There’s the swamp that stymied Burlow!” Tom exclaimed.
TALKING DRUMS 83
Hank and Creel came forward to the flight compartment as Tom swooped low to examine the queer gash. An updraft of hot air buffeted the plane. The swampy soil below seemed to be seething as if from some underground disturbance.
“What do you suppose is causing it?” Hank asked. “A volcanic break in the ground crust?”
Tom studied the terrain through binoculars. “Maybe-but it’s different from anything I’ve ever heard of.” Tom added to Creel, “How about you, Darcy? Any dope on the subject?”
Creel shook his head. “I’ve seen plenty of jungle swamps, but nothing like this.”
“Want to go down and investigate?” Bud queried Tom.
The young inventor was thoughtful for several moments. “No, I guess there’s no use wasting time on it right now, Bud,” he said at last. “Just from looking at it, I’d say Burlow is right-that gunk would never support a conventional roadbed.”