CHAPTER IX
PREPARING FOR THE WORST
Upon making further inquiries Max learned that there was a trap in theroof, through which the girls had crept, with many fears andmisgivings, when the encroaching water within warned them that it wasno longer safe to stay there.
Looking through this he could see that the place was fully inundated.Chairs and table were floating, and even the ladder which the girls hadused was partly washed out of a window.
"Nothing much doing down there for us," Max informed Bandy-legs, whohad crept over to the hole in the roof along with him, in order tosatisfy his curiosity.
He had heard Max ask questions of the girls, and was deeply interestedin learning what the next step might chance to be. Bandy-legs wasstill secretly mourning the fact that they had been compelled to letall that wreckage of the bridge get away from them. It had served themso splendidly up to that time, and still thinking of the Crusoe affair,he could not help believing that it had been a big mistake not to haveat least made some effort to hold on to what they could.
"And to think," said Bandy-legs, sadly, "I've got the best sort of alife preserver at home you ever saw; but what good is it to me now?"
"But you can swim, all right," remarked Max.
"Oh! I wasn't thinking about myself that time, but what a fine thingit'd be to strap it around one of the girls right now. I say, Max,whatever are we agoin' to do with the three, if the old coop does takea notion to cut loose?"
"Not so loud, Bandy-legs," warned Max, with a little hiss, and acrooked finger. "We don't want them to know how tough things reallyare. If the worst does come we'll have to do what we can to keep themafloat; but I'm still hoping we may get some doors out that would bebetter than nothing, to hold on to in the water."
"I heard Bessie tell you that there was a clothesline hanging to a hookinside there, before the water came, and that it might be there yet ifnot washed away," Bandy-legs went on to remark.
"Yes, it wasn't very encouraging," Max informed him; "but I'm goinginside and see if I can find it."
"You'll want help with the doors, too, of course, Max?"
"And I know where to look for it when you're around, Bandy-legs,because you're one of the most accommodating fellows on earth," theother told him.
"I'm about as wet as can be, so it doesn't matter a whiff what happensto me from now on," remarked the other boy; "but if we have to do moreor less swimmin' while we're in there, Max, hadn't we better take ourshoes off? I never could do good work with the same on."
"That's what I'm meaning to do, Bandy-legs; and there's no need of ourwaiting around any longer, so here goes."
Saying which Max proceeded to remove his wet shoes and socks, rollinghis trouser legs up half way to his knees.
"What's all this mean?" asked Steve, crawling over to where the othertwo had gone; "looks like you had a scheme in mind."
He was quickly told what Max purposed doing.
"It doesn't seem like it'd amount to a great deal," he suggested.
"Huh! can you knock your coco and think up anything better, then; we'dsure be delighted to hear it," Bandy-legs told him; but Steve was notvery fertile when it came to planning things, and he shook his headsadly.
"Wish I could, that's right," he said; "I'd give a heap right now to beable to snap my fingers, and have a nice little, power-boat happenalong, so I could invite everybody to take a cruise with me. Butthere's no such good luck, And, Max, when you duck inside here, counton me to be along with you to do whatever I can."
"I knew you'd say that, Steve," observed the other, as though pleasedto hear such a hearty response to his mute appeal.
Then came the other two, wondering what the plan of campaign might be;for even Shack Beggs, finding himself so strangely thrown in with theseboys whom in the past he had hated and scorned; was already as deeplyinterested in the outcome as any of the chums might be; and Bandy-legsno longer frowned at his proximity, for he could not forget how it wasShack's strong hand that had helped him make a landing on the slopingroof just a short time before.
They dropped inside the house, and immediately found themselves up totheir necks in water. Max took his bearings, and was pleased todiscover that the coil of clothes line still hung from the hook, thewater not having disengaged it as yet. Somehow the small success offinding this seemed to give him renewed courage.
"Things are beginning to come our way, fellows!" he called out, as heheld the coil up above his head triumphantly.
"Hurray!" gurgled Toby, for it happened that just then he made a slip,and had a mouthful of muddy water come aboard, almost choking him.
"And here's this door swung loose," called out Steve, who had beenworking for several minutes, with the aid of Shack, to get the articlein question off its hinges.
"Wait till I tie one end of the line to it," Max told them, "and thenwe can push it out and let it float behind the house. There isn't somuch strength to the current there, on account of the eddies."
This was speedily done, and the floating door anchored, thanks to thefriendly offices of the clothes line.
"That might do to hold up one of the girls," remarked Bandy-legs.
"It will," put in Steve, quickly; "and pretty fairly at that, becauseBessie isn't so very heavy, you know."
Well, no one blamed Steve for pre-empting the first raft for the use ofBessie, because he had been chiefly instrumental in securing it.
"We ought to have two more, anyway," suggested Bandy-legs.
"And we'll get 'em, never fear," Steve assured him; "because there'sjust that many in sight. Here, Shack, give me another lift, will you?There isn't a fellow along got the strength in his arms you have, andthat's the truth."
Shack Beggs looked pleased. It must have been a novel sensation forhim to hear his praises sung by one of the chums of Max Hastings. Theyhad called down anything but blessings on his head for many moons, yes,years, on account of the way he had annoyed them.
It was no easy task removing those doors, what with having to wadearound in water almost up to their necks, so that at times they wereeven swimming. But it was no time to be squeamish, and every one ofthe boys meant business; so that in the end they had three doorsanchored back of the shaky building.
They looked only a poor apology for boats, and no wonder the girlsshuddered at the very idea of finding themselves afloat on the ragingflood, with only a bobbing door to buoy them up.
Max was plainly worried. He admired the spirit which both Bessie andMazie displayed when they declared that they would feel quite safe, ifonly the boys kept swimming alongside, to direct the floats toward theshore; at the same time he realized what tremendous difficulty theywould have to keep the doors from "turning turtle," for there were manycunning eddies in the flood, that would strive to baffle their bestefforts.
Besides, the girls would quickly find themselves wet through, andaltogether the prospect was a pitiable one. Again and again did Maxtry to conceive of a better plan. He even went prowling around downbelow again, hoping to make some little discovery that would turn outto be of benefit to the three girls; but when he once more rejoined theothers on the roof his face failed to announce any success.
Still Max did not allow himself to show signs of anything bordering ondespair. In the first place the boy was not built that way, and hadalways shown a decided disposition to hold out to the very last gasp,as every fellow should, no matter how fortune frowns down on him. Thenagain Max understood that his face and his manner were bound to beconsidered a barometer by the others; who would be sure to gauge theprospects for a safe landing by what they saw reflected in his demeanor.
For this reason, if no other, Max forced himself to smile once in awhile, and to assume a confident manner that he was far from feeling.
The question now seemed to be in connection with their leaving theirperch. Of course they were better off on the roof than could possiblybe the case once it had to be abandoned; but there was also thepossibility of a sudden
collapse on the part of the farm-house to betaken into consideration.
Max would not like to have this happen while the girls were stillcrouching on the shingled roof; because there could be no telling whatwould happen, once the building began to roll onward with the flood.All of them might be pitched headlong into the water, and it would be adifficult thing for them to save Mazie and the other two girls.Besides, the anchored doors might be lost, and though only makeshiftsfor boats, these were bound to be much better than nothing to help keepthe helpless ones afloat.
The water must be rising still; at least it seemed to be coming againstthe exposed side of the partly submerged building with greater energythan before, Max was certain. The waves would strike the wall, andleap upward as though eager to engulf those who were just beyond theirreach; so it seemed to the frightened girls at the time; though theirterror would undoubtedly have been much greater but for the presence,and the inspiring words uttered by the boys.
There seemed nothing else to be done but embark, dangerous though thatundertaking must prove. Max hated to announce this dictum to thegirls, for he could easily understand what a fresh source of alarm itmust cause to sweep over them. They had already gone through so much,calculated to inspire terror in their hearts, that any addition lookedlike rank cruelty; and yet what other solution could there be to theproblem?
Just then Max and his chums would have gladly given every cent they hadin the bank--and it was quite a goodly sum, for they had receivedrewards on account of certain services performed, as well as sold thepearls found in the fresh water mussels for a fine price--if they couldonly have been able to secure any kind of a boat capable oftransporting those helpless ones safely to land. At another time theywould have probably been more particular, and demanded a high-poweredmotor launch; or at the least one of those Cailie Outboard Motors toclamp on the stern of a rowboat; but right now it was a case of "mykingdom, not for a horse, but any sort of boat capable of floating."
Max heaved a sigh. He felt that he might as well wish to be givenwings with which to fly ashore, as a boat. What few there were alongthe Evergreen River under normal conditions must either have beenswamped in the sudden rising of the waters, or else be kept busysuccoring imperiled people who had been caught in their homes by theflood, and threatened with drowning.
Just then the sun peeped out from a rift in the clouds. Strange what aremarkable difference even a fugitive glimpse of the sun may have onpeople, after the king of the day has refused to shine for forty-eighthours, while the rains persist in descending.
Like magic everybody seemed to become more cheerful. Things lost someof their gloomy aspect; even the rushing water looked far less bleakand threatening when those slanting shafts of sunlight glinted acrossthe moving flood.
"Now, I take it that's a good sign!" said Steve, who persisted inremaining as near to Bessie as he could, in all reason, consideringthat he was dripping wet, and certainly could not look verypresentable; but fortunately Bessie had come to her senses now, and toher mind Steve never appeared to greater advantage, because she knew hewas doing all this on account of his friendship for her.
Really Steve did not know at what minute the calamity might swoop downupon them, and he wanted to be handy so that he could look afterBessie. Max would take care that Mazie Dunkirk did not suffer; and theother two chums had been privately told to attend to the lame child, sothat all were provided for.
"And I do believe there's going to be a rainbow over in the west!"exclaimed Bessie, showing considerable interest, which seemed a prettygood sign that hope was not lying altogether dead within her girlishheart.
"I'm glad of that," said Max; "not because it will help us any, but ifthe rain that was promised passes over, there'll be a chance of theflood going down sooner. In fact, I don't believe it's going to getmuch higher than it is now."
"You never can tell," Bandy-legs remarked, showing a strange lack ofproper caution, though Max tried to catch his eye, and would have givenhis foot a vigorous kick had he only been closer; "it all depends onwhether they got the rain up in the hills where most of the water thatflows down our old river comes from."
"Well, let's hope they didn't get any, then," said Max, quickly, as hesaw a slight look of new fear creeping across the faces of thelistening girls; "and on the whole I think we've got a heap to bethankful for. As long as we're here we'll see to it that the girls aretaken care of; and if we do have to go ashore, why, we can make aregular picnic out of it; and you fellows will have a chance to showhow much you know about camping in the woods without making anypreparations beforehand."
"I'd just like to do that same!" exclaimed Steve, bravely; "nothingwould please me better than to make a camp-fire, build a bark shelterfor the girls, forage through the surrounding country for something tocook, and prove to everybody's satisfaction that we knew our businessas amateur woodsmen. Don't you say the same, Bandy-legs and Toby?"
"I sure do," replied the former, with considerable fervor, as thepleasant times spent in former camps seemed to flash before his mind;"but what ails Toby here, fellers; he's going to have a fit if he don'tget out what's sticking in his throat! Look at him gasping for breath,would you? What's the matter, Toby; seen another sea serpent have you;or is it a hippopotamus this time; perhaps a twenty foot alligator.Here, give one of your whistles, and get a grip on yourself, Toby!"
And the stuttering boy, brought to his senses by the admonition of hischum, did actually pucker up his lips, emit a sharp little whistle, andthen working the muscles of his face as though trying to make agrimace, managed to utter just one word, which however thrilled thebalance of the shivering group through and through, for that word wasthe magical one:
"_Boat!_"
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