Part 9 (1/2)

”I reckon the dog has more sense than we have!” Alex. exclaimed.

”We'll have to take to the raft, all right, so here goes.”

”Wait for a bit of light!” urged Case. ”The moon will be out in a second.”

In the darkness which followed the boys could feel the water rising in the boat. The current was pressing the craft down against the timber raft, and the creaking of the hull proclaimed a badly wrecked boat.

”Say,” Case called out, ”one of you boys get out a light. We've got to make a jump right soon. This is some adventure! What?”

Jule reached for his electric, but Alex. caught his arm.

”There's a light on the Missouri bank,” he said, ”and it looks to me like the cabin windows of the _Rambler_ were sending it out. Lay low in the dark and drift with the raft!”

CHAPTER VIII

FACES AT THE WINDOW

”Look here, Red,” the outlaw who had been called Sam said, addressing the giant, as the _Rambler_ struck the half-submerged tree, ”we've got up against something hard!”

”We never should have put out into the river!” retorted Red. ”A few more b.u.mps like that, and to the fishes we go! Get a pole out, and see if you can push away from that consarned tree. Then we'll soon get to sh.o.r.e.”

Sam went into the cabin, where Clay sat, side by side with the bear cub, on a bunk.

”Where's your river pole?” he demanded. ”You must have something of the kind!”

”There's one in hooks at the side of the cabin,” replied the boy. ”If you'll cut this cord I'll help you get out of the current.”

Sam leered savagely at the boy for a moment, picked up the revolver which lay on the floor not far away, put it into a pocket, and then severed the cord.

”Mind you,” he said, as Clay sprang for the pole, ”if you try any tricks on us we'll chuck you to the fis.h.!.+”

Without paying much attention to the threat, Clay grasped the pole and ran to the prow, which was now entangled in a wilderness of branches springing from the bole of the tree the boat had struck. The boy's strength was insufficient, and Red came to his a.s.sistance. Both pried and pushed, but it seemed impossible to back the boat against the sweep of the current.

As if to make matters worse, a long timber lodged against the stern and added its weight to that of the motor boat and the running water.

Sam stood looking on with a cynical smile on his hard face.

”You never can do it,” he finally declared. ”We'll have to let the boat drift down in company with the tree. Just our luck to strike such a snag!”

”If that limb wasn't in the way,” Red a.s.serted, ”we could get the boat out. It binds on the side of the cabin.”

Clay hastened into the cabin and soon returned to the prow with an axe. Both men eyed him sharply as he came forward with the keen-edged implement.

”You know what I told you!” Sam shouted, stepping toward the boy.

”Let him alone!” commanded Red. ”I reckon the kid knows what he is about!”

”Now,” Clay explained, addressing the big fellow, who seemed more inclined to be friendly than his companion, ”if you'll stand ready with the pole, I'll get over on the trunk and cut that limb away. Then we can edge over to the sh.o.r.e.”

”Oh, yes!” sneered Sam. ”We let you off on the tree, and you go on down and call out the police at the first landing. Not for your uncle!”