The Motor Boys in Strange Waters; or, Lost in a Floating Forest

by Clarence Young

  CHAPTER XXVII

  OTTIBY TO THE RESCUE

  For a moment following Jerry's announcement the girls did not know whatto say. The news startled them.

  "Do you mean to tell us that the passage by which we entered here fromLake Okeechobee is closed?" asked Nellie.

  "It seems to be," replied Jerry.

  "And the houseboat is gone?" asked Rose.

  "Where is it?" asked Ned. "You left it here and now it has disappeared!"

  "Poor father!" exclaimed Olivia. "What can have happened to him?" andshe looked at the startled countenances of her sisters.

  The girls were very much frightened, not only at the disappearance oftheir houseboat but because of the strange happening that had closedthe passage, and they were alarmed on account of their father.

  "What shall we do?" asked Rose. "Perhaps those wicked colored men orsome Seminole Indians have captured father."

  "Don't talk of such horrid things!" exclaimed Nellie. "We never shouldhave left him alone!"

  "The best thing you can do is to come to our camp," suggested Ned. "Wecan tell the professor what has happened and perhaps he can suggesta way out of it. Maybe the passage has become blocked by a mass offloating vegetation, or an island such as we are on."

  "Are you on a floating island?" asked Olivia.

  "Yes, a regular floating forest," answered Jerry. "I think you hadbetter come with us."

  There was nothing else to do, and the girls got into the motor boatwhile their small craft was towed by the _Dartaway_. In a short timethey arrived at the camp. The professor met them at the shore. He lookworried, and Ned asked:

  "Is anything the matter?"

  "Bob is out of his mind again," replied the scientist. "He seems muchworse. Did you bring a list of medicines? I find I shall need severalkinds."

  "The houseboat is gone," said Jerry.

  "Gone?" and the professor's face looked blank.

  "And poor, dear papa is gone with her," put in Rose.

  Jerry quickly explained what had happened and Ned spoke of his theory.

  "I believe you're right," agreed Uriah Snodgrass. "We are in strangewaters and things have happened that I never would dream of. But,girls, don't worry. I'm sure your father is all right. I wish I couldfind him, as I am worried about Bob, and I'm sure he would have thevery medicine I need to make the boy well."

  "Let me assist in nursing him," said Olivia. "It will help to take mymind off our troubles."

  "We'll aid you," added Rose and Nellie, and the three young ladieswent into the tent where Bob was tossing in the delirium of fever. Theprofessor was glad enough of their help and they at once bathed Bob'shead, face and arms in witch hazel which gave him some relief. Theyalso kept wet cloths on his brow to reduce the fever.

  "Now, boys, we've got a serious problem ahead of us," said Mr.Snodgrass as he beckoned Ned and Jerry to follow him out of earshotof the tent. "It seems that we are caught in a sort of trap. We're ona lake from which there appears to be no outlet, and it is constantlyfalling. In a little while there'll be no water in it and if we wantto get back home we'll have to walk."

  "But there must be an outlet or how does the water get out?" asked Ned.

  "I'm afraid the outlet is one that we can't use," replied thescientist. "I mean an underground one."

  "What's to be done?" inquired Jerry.

  "I have thought of a plan," Uriah Snodgrass continued, "but it is goingto be difficult for we have no tools for working."

  "What is it?" asked Jerry.

  "We might cut a channel through the obstruction that is blocking thepassage through which the girls came."

  "Or we might haul the boat overland," added Ned.

  "Providing the floating island which blocks the passage is not toogreat in extent," put in Jerry.

  This was a new phase of the matter. Clearly they could not dig a canalof any great length, with the primitive tools at their command. Norcould they haul the _Dartaway_ overland any long distance.

  "It looks as if we were up against it," said Jerry with a doleful sigh."We'll have to think of another plan."

  At that moment there was a cry from the tent and the professor hurriedto it, to find that Bob was struggling to leave his cot because of afever delusion that there was a big snake near him. The girls werefrightened and it required all Mr. Snodgrass's strength to hold Bobdown until the spell passed. After that Ned, Jerry or the professorremained on duty with one of the girls, caring for the patient.

  The camp was anything but a cheerful place. The girls wore anxiouslooks, and the two boys, in spite of their past experience in gettingout of serious difficulties, had lost some of their good spirits. Theprofessor did not give way to gloomy thoughts, but it was clear that hewas worried.

  In this way two days passed. Ned and Jerry took turns in cruising aboutin the _Dartaway_, looking for some means of egress from the lake,but none was to be seen. It was at the close of the second day thatJerry, returning in the motor boat, saw a small craft approaching theirisland, which was still drifting slowly.

  "It's a canoe," he said, as he made the _Dartaway_ fast and wadedashore to camp. "I hope it doesn't contain an advance guard of uglynegroes or Indians."

  Thinking it best to be on the safe side, Jerry quietly summoned theprofessor and Ned. They got their guns and waited on shore. The canoecontinued to approach. The three girls were in the tent with Bob.

  "There are two men in it," said Jerry.

  "Then I guess we can take care of them," remarked the professor.

  "If there aren't a lot more to follow," added Ned.

  On came the canoe. The two paddlers sent it forward at a swift pace.

  "They're Indians," observed Jerry a little later. "One of 'em looksjust like Ottiby."

  "It is Ottiby!" exclaimed the professor.

  This was confirmed a few minutes later, when the Seminole chief steppedashore, followed by another bronze-skinned individual.

  "Ugh!" grunted the chief. "Glad to see. This my son, Skamore."

  "We're glad to see you," replied the professor. "We're in a bad fix andperhaps you can help us, as you know a lot about these queer lakes."

  "Me help. Yo' help Ottiby, Ottiby help yo'," and with that the Indiansquatted down and began to smoke a pipe, which example his son followed.

  Waiting until the red-men had recovered from the exertion of theirpaddling, the professor told them of the plight of the party, and alsoof Bob's illness. He asked if Ottiby did not know of something that wasgood for fevers. The chief grunted and spoke to his son who, without aword, glided off into the woods.

  Then Ottiby began to talk. He said his son would search for a certainplant that the Indians used when they had fevers. As for the blockingof the passage, that was another matter. Ottiby said he and his sonhad come to the lake to fish. He knew of no outlet from it other thanthe two already described. One was impassable as it was blocked by thefalling of the water and the other was closed by a mass of land--averitable floating island. The Indian said he had reached the lake byan overland route; he and his son carrying their canoe.

  "But me help yo'," finished the Indian. "We go look at place inmornin'."

  Hardly had he spoken than his son came hurrying back through thebushes. His hands were empty, showing that his search for the plant hadbeen unsuccessful. But there was a queer look on his face. He spokesome words to his father, at which the old chief started.

  "What is the matter?" asked the professor.

  "Hurricane coming," was the answer. "Look out, or all blow 'way."

  As he spoke there sounded a deep moaning sound through the trees of thefloating forest.