Part 5 (1/2)
”The fellers they sez I da.s.sent cross over tuh t'other end uh the bridge; an' I allowed it could be done easy like,” he went on to say; ”what d'ye think 'bout me adoin' the same? Is she safe enough?”
”We wouldn't be here if we didn't think so,” Max told him; ”and I guess there isn't any more danger on the other side than in the middle.”
”T'anks!” Shack jerked out; and then as the bridge gave a little harder quiver than usual he looked frightened, and even clutched frenziedly at the railing.
Bandy-legs must have fancied that the other was reaching out to lay hands on him, for he immediately shouted:
”Keep back there! Don't you dare touch a finger to me, or I'll see that you go over the railing head-first! We're on to your sly tricks, Shack Beggs! You didn't come out here for nothing, I take it!”
Shack however had managed to overcome his sudden fear. He shot a black scowl in the direction of Bandy-legs, and then once more started to move along; but by now his timidity had over-mastered his valor, as was made manifest in the way he kept moving his hand along the railing, as though unwilling to try to stand alone.
Although they no longer had any reason to feel that the other meant them any ill turn, the four chums watched him curiously.
”I'd just like to be able to give the bridge a good shake,” Bandy-legs declared, ”to see him crumple up, and yell. Chances are it'd scare him out of a year's growth.”
”Huh! better not try any fool play like that,” suggested Steve; ”because there's too much tremble to the old thing right now to suit me. If Max only said the word I'd be willing to skip out of this, that's right.”
”S-s-s'pose we all did run for it,” remarked Toby, who had been silent a long time; ”wouldn't Shack come c-c-chasing after us like h-h-hot cakes, though?”
”We'll limit our stay to another five minutes, no more,” Max told them.
”I put it at that because I believe before then we'll be able to say whether that thing coming down the river is a raft with somebody aboard, or just a jumble of logs, and stuff set afloat by the high water.”
Apparently none of the others had up to then noticed what Max referred to, and consequently there was a craning, of necks, and a straining of eyes, until Steve was fain to call out ”rubber!” in his jocular way.
There was something in sight, far up the river. If they only had their field gla.s.s along with them it would be easy to tell the nature of the object; but lacking so useful an article they could only possess their souls in patience, and wait.
The seconds pa.s.sed, and all the while the current of the river was bringing that object closer to them. Max found himself wis.h.i.+ng it would hasten, for truth to tell he did not much like the way the bridge was trembling now. Instead of occasional vibrations it seemed to be a steady pull, as though the force of the flood had reached a point where it could not be much longer held back.
Some of those ash.o.r.e were shouting to them again, as though their fears had broken out once more, and they wished the boys would not persist in taking such great chances, even though in a good cause.
A minute had gone.
”Looks like a raft to me,” announced Bandy-legs, presently, and the others were inclined to agree with him that far.
”But is there any one aboard?” asked Max.
”I c'n see something there, but just what it might be I wouldn't like to say,” the boy with the eagle eye announced.
Still they lingered, although those heavings were gradually growing a trifle more p.r.o.nounced all the while. They must have shattered what little nerve Shack Beggs had remaining, for although he had not gone more than half way between the four chums and the further sh.o.r.e, he had turned around, and was now approaching them again. His face looked strangely ghastly, owing to his deadly fear; and the way in which Shack tried to force a grin upon it only made matters worse.
He had the appearance of one who was solemnly promising himself that if only he might be allowed to reach a haven of safety again he would never more be guilty of attempting such a silly act on account of a dare.
In fact, Shack was watching the chums eagerly every second of the time now. He depended on them to serve as his barometer. Should they make a sudden move toward the Carson side of the river he was in readiness to fairly fly along, in the hope of catching up with them.
Max turned his attention once more up the stream, and toward that approaching floating object. He wondered whether he was going to be called upon to once more make use of that friendly rope in rescuing some flood sufferer from peril.
After all Bandy-legs was not so sure about its being a raft. He began to hedge, and change his mind.
”Might be only a bunch of fence rails, and such stuff, that's got driven together in the flood, and is coming down on us in a heap,” he announced. Max had about come to the same conclusion himself, though hesitating to announce his opinion while the others seemed to have an entirely different idea about the thing.
”But do you see that dark object on it move any?” he asked Bandy-legs.