CHAPTER XIX

 The big peach

Jack soon recovered from his remarkable experience.  The terrible plant that had nearly eaten him alive was a mass of cut-up vegetable matter which attracted a swarm of insects.  Most of them were ants, but such large ones the boys had never seen before, and the professor said they exceeded in size anything he had read about.  Some of them were as large as big rats.  They bit off large pieces of the fallen plant and carried them to holes in the ground which were big enough for Washington to slip his foot into, and he wore a No. 11 shoe.

But the adventurers felt there were more important things for them to look at than ants, so they started away again, the professor telling them all to be careful and avoid accidents.

It was while they were strolling through a little glade, which they came upon unexpectedly, that Washington, who was in the lead called out: 

“Gracious goodness!  It must be Thanksgivin’!”

“Why so?” asked Jack.

“‘Cause here’s th’ remarkablest extraordinary and expansionist of a pumpkin that ever I laid eyes on!” the colored man cried.

They all hurried to where Washington had come to a halt.  There, on the ground in front of him, was a big round object, about the size of a hogshead.  It was yellow in color, and was not unlike the golden vegetable from which mothers make such delicious pies.

“I allers was fond of pumpkins,” said Washington, placing his hand on the thing, which was almost as tall as he was, “but I never thought I’d come across such a one as this.”

The professor and the two boys went closer to the monstrosity.  Mr. Henderson passed his hand over it and then, bending closer, smelled of it.

“That’s not a pumpkin!” he exclaimed.

“What is it then?” asked Washington.

“It’s a giant peach,” the inventor remarked.  “Can’t you see the fuzz, and smell it?  Of course it’s a peach.”

“Well I’ll be horn-swoggled!” cried Washington, leaning against the big fruit, which easily, supported him.

“Hurrah!” cried Jack, drawing his knife from his pocket and opening the largest blade.  “I always did like peaches.  Now I can have all I want,” and he drove the steel into the object, cutting off a big slice which he began to eat.

“It may be poisonous!” exclaimed Mark.

“Too late now,” responded Jack, the juice running down from his mouth.  “Taste’s good, anyhow.”

They all watched Jack while he devoured his slice of fruit.  Washington acted as if he expected his friend to topple over unconscious, but Jack showed no bad symptoms.

“You’d better all have some,” the boy said.  “It’s the best I ever tasted.”

Encouraged by Jack’s example, Mark thought he, too, would have some of the fruit.  He opened his knife and was about to take off some of the peach when suddenly the thing began to roll forward, almost upon him.