Part 12 (1/2)
And so they were Nowhere could they discover the oars, though they cla sea
”Well,” said Bobby, ”that's hard luck! I wonder if we can't et up on top and yell”
Fro they shouted and shouted, but Mrs Abel was in one tent, busied with her household affairs, and Skipper Ed and Abel were in the other tent, ear, and the breeze blew fro
”No use,” said Bobby at last, descending to the skiff ”I'll tell you e'll do We'll knock one of the seats out, split it, and et ashore It isn't far”
”It looks as though it's the only thing to do, unless ant to stay here for three or four hours,” agreed Ji out the seat ”I'”
”It's lucky I hung to the ax,” said Bobby, as he watched Ji the paddles
”There,” said Jith, ”they're pretty short paddles, but we'll have to et off of this”
But the tide was running out, and a very strong tide it proved, and the breeze fro tide, to have ood pair of oars no easy task All this they did not realize until they had paddled beyond the shelter of the iceberg, for they had drawn the boat up upon its lee side
They put all the energy they could muster into their effort, but the paddles were very short and very narrow, and work as they would they presently discovered that tide and ere ailit Island they were drifting seaward
”We can't reed Bobby ”We'll have to go back to the berg and wait for them to come for us”
But even that they could not accomplish Work as they would, the paddles proved hopelessly inefficient, and after an hour's desperate effort they realized that they were nearly as far to seaward froailit Island
”Well,” said Bobby, at length, ”we're in for it, and a fine fix it is”
”What are we going to do?” asked Ji”
”I wish that I had sory as the old bear ever was,” said Bobby, irrelevantly
”Well, so arier than the bear ever was, I'et to land,” broke in Jimmy with some irritation ”Why, Bobby, don't you realize what itto eat! We'll perish of thirst and hunger if we don't get to land! Unless a sea rises and swah ere drifting to the place I caood to worry,” said Bobby ”Maybe when the tide turns we can do so, and then with the tide in our favor ood hour yet before the tide turns, and two or three hours before sundown, and where'll we be then?” argued Jimmy, dejectedly ”I wish I could be like you, Bobby, and not worry over things the way I do”
”Well, just reet out of theour best that is all we can do, and worrying won't help us any I just feel like being thankful that you weren't killed and we're both here safe and sound, with an even chance that we'll get back ho, so, the time passed The land faded upon the horizon and was lost
Icebergs lay about them Once they were startled by the thunderous roar of ain the distance as it toppled and turned upon its side, and later they felt its swell Not far away a whale spouted
Finally the sun set, and the wind died, and for a little while the heavens and icebergs and sea were loriously painted with criray twilight of the North, and at last the stars, and night, and darkness, with the icebergs, white, spectral, and coldly ainst the distant sky, and the throbbing, restless sea, somber and black, around them
CHAPTER XIII
HOW THE ”GOOD AND SURE” BROUGHT TROUBLE