Part 2 (1/2)
”Don't you dare to shoot!” yelled the man, and lost no time in sliding from his seat and out of sight.
At that moment those on the houseboat felt a slight shock, and then the craft's headway was checked.
”What's up now?” cried d.i.c.k.
”We're aground, that's what's the matter,” muttered Captain Starr.
”Those rascals ought to suffer for this!”
In a moment more the big raft had pa.s.sed the houseboat. The latter now began to swing around with the current.
”I hope we are not stuck in the mud for good,” grumbled Fred Garrison.
”Look! look!” burst from Sam's lips. He was pointing to the raft.
”What's up now?” came from several of the others.
”Unless I am mistaken, Dan Baxter is on that raft.”
”Baxter!” exclaimed Tom.
”Yes.”
”Where?”
”He was sitting on that pile of boards in the rear. As soon as he saw me, he slid out of sight.”
”Are you sure it was Baxter?” questioned Songbird Powell.
”If it wasn't him, it was his double.”
”If it was Baxter, we ought to try to catch him,” suggested Fred.
”I don't see how we are going to catch anybody just now,” sighed d.i.c.k. ”We are stuck hard and fast.”
”Oh, d.i.c.k, are we really aground?” questioned Dora.
”We are that,” said Captain Starr.
”Is there any danger?” asked Nellie Laning, who had joined the others, accompanied by her sister Grace.
”No immediate danger, miss. It depends on whether we can get off or not.”
”We'll have to get off,” said Tom decidedly.
”Rub a dub dub!
We're stuck in the mud As hard as hard can be!
Shall we ever, Or shall we never, Set the houseboat free?” came softly from Songbird Powell.
”Great Caesar, that's a fine thing to make a rhyme about,” returned Sam reproachfully.
”Let's make Songbird wade out in the mud and shove us off,” suggested Tom, with a wink at his companions.