At first he paid no heed6 to it, but turned restlessly in his slumber to compose himself more comfortably on the bunch of seaweed that served as his bed. Then the odor became stronger.
“Andy must be too near the fire, and is burning his shoes,” he thought in a sort of hazy7 way. “He ought to be more careful. I guess—”
Frank was wide-awake in a moment, for he heard some one exclaim aloud as if in pain.
“What’s that?” cried the lad, sitting up. The smell of burnt leather and rope was even more noticeable. Frank peered out of the shelter toward the campfire.
A strange sight met his eyes. There was Andy fast asleep, and there was the mysterious man, lying at full length on the sand, holding his rope-bound feet as near to the blaze as he dared. He was burning off the cords that bound his legs that he might be free, and it was the smell of charred rope and leather that had awakened8 Frank.
The explanation came to him in an instant. The man had seen Andy fall asleep. He had rolled from his shelter over and over on the sand and had gotten near enough to the blaze to nearly accomplish his purpose. Frank dashed out.
“Andy! Andy!” he called. “Wake up, our prisoner is trying to get away!”
The man, with a snarl9 of rage, tried to burst the ropes that still held his legs, but they were not yet burned enough to break. He had not risked loosening his hands in that way.
Frank, in another instant, was beside their prisoner. He had a spare piece of rope, and this he quickly passed about the man’s ankles, for fear some of the other strands10 had become weak.
“What’s the matter?” demanded Andy, rubbing his eyes and leaping up. “Did I fall asleep? Did he get away?”
“You were asleep all right,” replied Frank. “But he didn’t escape. I guess we’ll have to both watch after this.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” said the younger lad contritely11.
“That’s all right,” spoke12 Frank kindly13. “You couldn’t help it. We had no sleep last night. Now you get back where you came from,” he ordered the man.
“Aren’t you going to help me? I can’t walk.”
“Then roll in the same as you rolled out.”
There was no help for it, and the prisoner, muttering threats against the lads, was forced to roll over and over on the sand until he was back in his shelter. Thereafter Andy and Frank both stayed awake until morning came.
THEY RESUMED WORK ON THE RAFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER A HASTY BREAKFAST.
They resumed work on the raft immediately after a hasty breakfast. In order that their prisoner might be taken to the mainland, or out as far as they might go before a ship picked them up, they made a sort of platform, on which he could sit. They also improvised14 a mast on which they stretched a piece of canvas they found in the wrecked15 motor boat. By noon their rude vessel16 was completed.
“Now for the launching,” exclaimed Frank. “It’s nearly high tide, and if we can work it a little farther down the beach the tide will do the heaviest work for us. Then we’ll go aboard.”
“I’m not going on that thing!” snarled17 their prisoner.
“Yes, you are, if we have to carry you,” declared Frank.
“But I may be drowned. You ought to take off these ropes if you’re going to do such a foolhardy thing as to sail on that raft.”
“Not much!” exclaimed Frank determinedly18. “We’ve had enough of your tricks. You’ll go on that raft, and you’ll stay tied up.”
“But if I give you my promise?” whined19 the man, who seemed to have lost much of his bravado20.
“Nixy on your promises,” exclaimed Andy. “Come on, Frank, let’s work the raft down the shore a bit.”
It was not without much labor21 that the boys succeeded in getting the heavy mass of driftwood down where the tide would float it for them. The man watched them with a scowling22 face, occasionally muttering to himself.
“Better take something to eat along with us; hadn’t we?” asked Andy, when they were waiting for the rising tide.
“Sure,” assented23 Frank. “We may not be picked up until along toward night. And we’ll want water. Lucky we’ve got some empty cracker24 tins to carry it in.”
They put the food and water aboard, rigged up their rude sail, and then carried their prisoner aboard, as it would be awkward to handle him after the raft was afloat.
Meanwhile they had looked eagerly for any sign of an approaching sail, but had seen nothing.
“Well, I guess we can get aboard,” spoke Frank at length. “It’s been quite an adventure for us, and I’m glad it’s about over. Paul Gale25 will soon know who he is.”
“We’ll see,” sneered26 the man.
The raft was afloat. With their paddles the boys began to work it slowly from shore. The wind caught their small sail.
Suddenly Frank, who was seated ahead of his brother, uttered a cry.
“Sail ho! Sail ho!” he shouted.
“Where?” demanded Andy.
“Right over there and she’s headed this way,” said Frank, pointing. “It’s a big motor boat. I believe it’s coming to rescue us, Andy! Let’s wait a bit!”
Eagerly they looked to where a speedy craft was plowing27 over the waters of the great bay. Frantically28 they shouted and waved anything they could find until answering signals told them that theirs had been seen.
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1
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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2
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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3
charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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pungently
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| adv.苦痛地，尖锐地 | |
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6
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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7
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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8
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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9
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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10
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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11
contritely
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12
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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13
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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14
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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16
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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17
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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18
determinedly
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| adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地 | |
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19
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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20
bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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21
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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22
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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23
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
cracker
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| n.（无甜味的）薄脆饼干 | |
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25
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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26
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
plowing
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| v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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28
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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