  “There he goes, and a good riddance!” announced Tip Lange, as after having been prodded and shouted at vigorously, the swimming animal doubtless came to the conclusion that he was not wanted, and began to make a straight line for the shore. “He manages to get along all right for one of his heft, I take it,” asserted Billy reflectively. “Which goes to show that because a fellow is stout it’s no reason he should be reckoned clumsy, nor yet slow.” This doubtless was a matter of more or less satisfaction to Billy, because he had often been “joshed” by his chums on account of his increasing waistline. They crossed over and back without discovering another case of “help wanted.” “Looks as if we had cleaned things up pretty tidily around here,” observed Tip Lange, with a touch of pride in his manner, “unless we choose to start in moving families’ belongings from their flooded houses. And as that would be too big an undertaking for us to go into, I guess we don’t care to make a beginning.” “Which way now, Hugh?” asked Billy. “Can we head back to town? I’m wondering how the other fellows are coming along with their share of the work, and whether we could help them out in any way.” “Yes; I’m going to make for the outlet of the valley,” the pilot told him. “We could run up in the rear of the town, but it’s better to go back as we came.” “And a good thing we can get out of this mess before night sets in,” Monkey remarked over his shoulder, for he was sprawled like a big toad in the bow, so that he might keep a lookout for any snags in their course, Hugh having delegated him for that duty. There was very little movement to the water in the flooded valley, except as the wind happened to blow, and just then it was almost calm. So the launch went cheerily on its way, as though with every rat-tat-tat explosion it rejoiced over the fact of having been instrumental in saving so many persons from all sorts of suffering, both mental and physical. Tip Lange seemed to be feeling especially fine. This was doubtless caused by the fact that things were working for the revival of the scout movement in Lawrence. He had been hearing some pretty handsome compliments of late from the mayor, and then Mr. Jasper, once the most disliked man in all Lawrence among scout circles on account of his well-known animosity toward the movement. How wonderfully had the atmosphere been cleared, and all because of the magnificent opportunity that had come along whereby the wearers of the much-abused khaki were given a chance to show what they were good for! “Talk about blessings in disguise,” Tip had to say, as he sat near Hugh and watched the other tinkering with the working motor, trying to improve its action by slight changes, “this flood may mean a whole lot of trouble to lots of folks, but it’s going to be the making of Lawrence Troop, believe me.” “Well, your worst enemy now is a booster,” replied Hugh, smiling to see how the great change in the conditions was affecting Tip, who seemed to be smiling most all the time now. “It’s easy to see that you’re going to have smooth sailing here. Put your shoulder to the wheel, Tip, and never again allow yourself to give up to despair. Try and believe the sun is shining back of the clouds, and that it’s always darkest just before dawn.” “Dawn has come for us, I reckon, Hugh, and we owe the most of it to——” “There, I don’t want to listen to any talk like that, Tip. At least keep it until I’m back home in Oakvale. Then if you fellows here think I can give you any good advice, or help you to build up your troop, write me.” “You’ll hear from us, never fear,” said the other significantly, as though even then he had some vague idea in his mind as to the way in which he and his brother scouts of Lawrence Troop ought to suitably thank these two strangers for all they had done toward starting the ball rolling again. “We’re close to the river, Hugh!” sang out Monkey Stallings, “and, gee whiz! how it does seem to be booming along out there! Some current, that, let me tell you. Do you think we could work up against it if we had to, Hugh?” “Oh, I reckon we could,” the pilot replied carelessly, “though it’d be slow work, and if the engine took a notion to give out we’d have to get our anchor overboard in a hurry to hold fast. But so far as we know there’s no need of our trying such a risky thing as that.” “Why, look there, boys, isn’t that a house floating along, and bobbing up and down like a cork? Now she turns one way and then another. Some poor family has lost their home up above. It’s too bad, and I only hope they all managed to get safe to the hills before the cabin went. Oh! what’s that clinging to the roof? Seems to me it moved then! Yes, as sure as anything it’s alive!” As the scout in the bow made this loud outcry, the others all strained their eyes to see. Even Hugh diverted his attention from the steering gear and the working motor to look. “It’s a boy!” declared Tip Lange, almost immediately. “And the poor fellow looks like he would soon be tumbled into the river when that cabin takes a notion to turn all the way over!” added Billy. “Oh! what can we do?” cried Monkey, his voice filled with pity. “Hugh, would you dare chase after that floating house and try to rescue the poor chap?” Hugh had to think quickly when the question was put up to him in that way. Naturally his first impulse would be to say “go,” because he felt keenly for the desperate situation of that boy who dared not leave his floating refuge. It might be because he could not swim, and that raging torrent was enough to give the best swimmer reason for holding back. Still, Hugh had also to remember that it would be risking four lives for one if he decided to make the try. “We’ll save him if we can,” he said finally, after looking everything in the face. “If the current is too swift to let us get back again to-night, why what’s to hinder our tying up to the bank and waiting? There’ll be another day coming.” “Yes, and scouts ought to know how to rustle for grub at some house they’d find ashore,” added Billy, who, it may be remembered, was especially fond of hearing the dinner bell ring, or catching some other camp summons that told of a waiting meal. “Full speed ahead!” sang out Monkey, evidently entering into the spirit of the occasion with his customary zeal. The floating cabin had a pretty good start of them, Hugh knew, but once the launch had reached the river, and turned down, they must speedily overcome this lead. He had no fears about not being able to overtake the runaway cabin, though when they presently started with the speeding current their progress was so swift that it almost made one dizzy to watch the shore line, so rapidly did it seem to glide past. “We’re catching up hand over fist!” announced Monkey enthusiastically, from his post in the bow; but he no longer held this alone, since both Tip and Billy were crowded in alongside. “And he’s still hanging on!” announced the Lawrence scout. “Good for him, whoever the little chap is. I like his grit!” “Huh! I kind of guess he can’t do much else but hang on with all his might,” commented Billy. “There, didn’t you see him wave his hand at us then?” “He’s discovered us, all right,” observed Monkey, “and like as not it gives him a new lot of strength to know we’re heading after him, poor kid.” “Don’t forget to watch out for snags,” warned Hugh, “because going at this rate, if we ever banged into a log, it would be all up with the launch. And perhaps we’d be glad to climb up on that cabin roof with the boy.” “Whew! I hope we don’t come to that yet a while, Hugh!” said Monkey. “I’m keeping a bright lookout for any floaters all the time. It isn’t near as bad as if we were breasting the current, you know. Then they’d hit us a savage smash, while now we’re all going the same way, only we’re beating everything else out of sight.” Billy, seeing the imperiled boy once more waving his hand, took it upon himself to give him a return salute with his campaign hat. At the same time he let out a vigorous shout in hopes of cheering the poor castaway. Already they had gone a mile or so below the flooded town, but they were rapidly overhauling the floating cabin. “We’ll get him, don’t you fear,” Billy was saying, half to himself, as though he may have been doubtful up to then. “That cabin is going to behave, and not act like a bucking broncho to toss him off, even if it does lurch and bog something scandalous. Give him a cheer, boys, to hearten him more. Now, altogether!” So they ran down alongside the cabin. They had discovered some time back that their conclusion about its being a half-grown boy who was clinging to the roof of the floating house was correct. He looked peaked and white, indeed, though it could be seen that he was beginning to pluck up new courage as he saw them drawing ever nearer. “How’ll we get him aboard without running too much risk, Hugh?” asked Billy. “First get your rope ready,” the pilot told him. “Have a loop in the end just as you did for Miss Maria. Then when I pull alongside throw it up to him. Once he gets that loop under his arms, and we can be sure of drawing him aboard even if he happened to make a slip and fall overboard.” “I like the scheme, Hugh,” was the only comment Billy made as he hurriedly took up the accommodating clothes line, at the end of which he found the same running noose that had played such a prominent part in the saving of the little old maid who had persisted in clinging to her perch in the tree. “Guess I can fling it all right, even if the room isn’t all I’d like,” Billy remarked as he arranged the coils the way he had seen some Western cowboys do many a time in a Wild West show. “Please back off, Tip, and get on my other side. And, Monkey, hold the push pole out of the way when you hold off from the cabin. All ready here, Hugh. Bring her closer, will you?” Hugh was calculating the distance. He wanted to succeed in their present undertaking because that boy’s life was just as valuable as any other they had saved during the momentous day. At the same time Hugh did not wish to make any blunder apt to cost them dear. Billy saw his chance, and giving the necessary toss sent the coils of rope across the roof of the teetering cabin. “Get hold of that rope, and slip the loop under your arms!” he called out as loud as he could, for the water was making a lot of noise as it swirled about the cabin and the launch, forming fierce eddies and little whirlpools. The boy was not so badly frightened now. He could do what he was told, they saw with considerable relief. Had it been otherwise one of the rescuing party, perhaps the agile Monkey Stallings, would have been compelled to clamber up to the roof and have accomplished the dangerous work in that way. “Now, pull the noose tight!” continued Billy, when he saw the boy had followed out his command. “Make your way toward this end of the roof, and be ready to jump when I say so. Don’t be afraid of falling in; we’ve got the rope tight, and can yank you out of the river as quick as a flash if you should miss. Steady now, and it’s going to be as easy as falling off a log.” In this fashion, then, did Billy coax the boy to crawl along the reeling roof of the cabin until he had reached the edge. Then, when the right second came, and the building was inclined toward them, he suddenly called out: “Jump, boy, jump!” The lad had faith enough to believe what Billy so confidently told him. He sprang without hesitation, struck the edge of the launch, and then several eager hands seized upon him before he could fall back into the water. And as Hugh backed away from the tumbling cabin he joined his chums in letting out a loud shout that relieved their pent-up feelings as nothing else could have done. |
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