The Adventures of Jake Mathews: World Explorer

By S.G. Uhrich

Jake Mathews is an imagineer, master of the art of imagination. Together, along with his younger brothers and sister, they travel the world, exploring the jungles of South America, sailing the high seas, and even venturing out into the depths of space, all in the expanses of their own back yard. At the magical age of nine, he lets his fruitful imagination take them to places they could only have dreamed of, with many lessons learned along the way. But will their father keep them from embarking on their next great adventure? There are greater lessons to be learned for young Jake Mathews, world explorer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Happy Valley Bookstore
• Release date: Mar 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458110893

S.G. Uhrich

Stormy Uhrich was born in Colorado and raised in a small town in northwest Kansas, where his vivid childhood imaginations still inspire him to this day. He grew up during the space race, and the Apollo Space Program expanded his imagination into boundless realms. Inspired by such authors as Isaac Asimov, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clark, Stormy set his sights on becoming a Sci Fi writer and creator of his own Fantasy Worlds.As a teenager, his family moved to a small college town in Colorado, finding interests in music, art and of course, Star Trek.He has lived in Arizona for 30 years now, where his story interests have become grounded in character relationships and poetic explorations into matters of the heart.

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The Adventures of Jake Mathews:

World Explorer

S.G. Uhrich

Published by Happy Valley Bookstore at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 by S.G. Uhrich

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Chapter 1

It was early morning in the Amazon. The jungle brush was thick in these parts, heavily covered in dew, which fell upon the four great hunters in light sprinkles. Like prism beads, they reflected tiny rainbows as the sun glistened through the treetops, while the squawking of various tropical birds forewarned them of danger.

Behind the shadowy thickets, crouched and crawling low, their prey lurked, with hungry eyes watching their every move. He was Killer, the fierce, white-spotted panther, known throughout the forest jungle by each and every animal, known for his savage thirst for blood and known for his growling cries of anger. Feared by all that lived, he was, but not by these brave hunters, for they knew no fear, for they were the bravest in all the land.

Jake, the great explorer, summoned his pygmy tracker, Sara, to study the trail ahead. She, being closest to the ground at a mere three foot tall, was the designated tracker for this very reason. Sara was an expert tracker of cats. She studied the ground intently, sniffing the soil, then bringing a sample to her lips to taste it. Her face squinched slightly, as she pondered the separate elements in the soil sample, as if she weren’t quite sure of its origin.

Spit that out! Jake said in disgust. How many times do I have to tell you not to eat the dirt! Just show us which direction the panther tracks lead.

After considerable thought, Sara pointed off into the clearing. Kitty go that way. She said in broken english. Kitty go that way. she then repeated.

Scouts! Jake shouted. Check out the path ahead for signs of danger. Roger. Said Peter, the first scout. Wilco. Said Paul, the second. Who’s Wilco? Peter asked his brother Paul. Peter and Paul were twins and could never agree on anything, which made their many expeditions extremely infuriating for their leader, Jake.

Well, who’s Roger, Paul asked right back. I ain’t never heard of him neither! Would you two stop your bickering. Jake whispered. You’re gonna scare off the white-spotted panther. He’s rare and endangered, you know. It’s our mission to capture him and take him back to the wildlife preserve, so’s we can tag him and then set him free. Well, what’s the point of catching him, if we’re gonna set him free? Asked Paul. Yeah, What’s the point? Peter asked as well. It seemed the two would always agree on matters that disagreed with their leader, their older brother Jake. Why don’t we just tie him up and put him in a cage? Peter continued. Then we can perform medical experiments on him. Paul added. NO! exclaimed little Sara, their sister. Don’t hurt Kitty!

Then Jake tried to explain their mission to them once again, for the umpteenth time. Don’t you see. We put the tag on him so’s we can observe him and track his habitats.

What’s a habitat? Peter and Paul asked in unison. That’s where Kitty sleeps. answered their wise and bold little tracker.

That’s right, Sara. It’s where the panther lives and sleeps. Now can we please get back to work before he senses our trail. Jake put the issue to rest. We wouldn’t want him to jump us. He’ll pull you into the jungle and have you both for breakfast.

With that came an harmonious ‘oh’, as silence came upon the two bickering scouts.

Now go and check the trail ahead! Jake exclaimed in a whispered shout. Go see what dangers lie there.

OK. his scouts said one after the other, as they pushed one another into the clearing and began to search the open path.

Little did they know that Killer was waiting behind them in the bushes and was listening to all that had been going on. He was a shrewd beast, with a special taste for hunters, and it had been a very long time since he had satisfied that taste. He circled around the bush, as low as he could possibly crouch. He fancied