Part 16 (1/2)
CHAPTER XII
STUCK ON A SNAG
It was certainly a moment of intense anxiety, both for those on the launch and on the houseboat, and for the time being the fight between the two factions came to an end. A smash-up out there in that swiftly-flowing current might make it necessary for everybody to swim for his life.
”Can't you back the boat?” asked Sack Todd of Dan Baxter. ”We must get out somehow!”
Dan Baxter worked over the motor for a few seconds, and just as the houseboat swung closer started the launch backwards. All expected a crash, but it did not come.
”The _Dora_ is stuck!” called out d.i.c.k. ”We have hit something under water!”
The eldest Rover was right, and slowly the houseboat began to swing around. In the meantime the launch backed away, made a half-circle, and began to move again down the Mississippi.
”They are loose!” called out Sam.
”Yes, and we are fast,” answered Harold Bird. ”But I am rather glad we didn't run into the launch and smash her completely.”
The moving of the launch had caused the sunken tree trunk to turn partly over, and in this position two immense limbs caught the _Dora_ tightly so that, although the houseboat swung broadside to the current, she could get no further.
”They are getting away from us!” cried Tom, as the _Venus_ disappeared from view.
”Don't you dare to follow us any further,” called out a voice from the darkness. ”If you do, it will be at your peril!”
”It doesn't look as if we were going to follow them right away.”
grumbled Tom.
”Vos dose rascallions gone alretty?” questioned Hans, coming cautiously from the cabin.
”Yes.”
”Dot's goot!”
The lanterns were lowered over the side of the houseboat, and after several minutes of inspection our friends located the source of the trouble.
”If we had the power to back away from that tree we'd be all right,”
observed d.i.c.k. ”But as we haven't such power I do not know what we are going to do.”
”Maybe we'll have to wait until morning,” said Tom. ”Then some pa.s.sing boat can pull us away.”
”And in the meantime those rascals will have a good chance to outwit us,” said Sam, bitterly. ”It's a shame!”
”Let us try to get the sweeps between the tree limbs and the houseboat,”
suggested Harold Bird. ”Perhaps we can thus pry ourselves loose.”
All were willing to try the plan, and while the young Southerner took one sweep d.i.c.k took another, with Sam and Tom to help them.
It was no easy matter to get the sweeps into position, for there was danger of one or another slipping overboard. To protect themselves each of the workers wound a rope around his waist and made the end fast to a stanchion.