Several of the boys, clutching for support, felt a thrill of apprehension2 run through them, as the storm-tossed motor boat, which shipped water at every lurch3, ploughed its way toward the Trailers.
Voices could scarcely be heard above the roaring wind. Dick Travers and Sam Randall bailed5 energetically, though they were thrown down with considerable force more than once. Little Tom Clifton, prey6 to a terror he could scarcely control, held on for dear life, while Dick Brandon, surprisingly calm and collected, stood by the engine, foreseeing that his services would be required.
The outline of the "Nimrod" became more distinct. She was tossing about like a chip, and her crew seemed to have become totally panic-stricken.
"Help!" again roared Nat, holding on with one hand, while with the other he grasped the megaphone. "We're almost full of water, and haven't a thing to bail4 with."
The "Pirates" looked anything but a brave lot, as they huddled7 together. Their faces were blanched8, and, drenched9 to the skin, they presented a sorry spectacle. The "Nimrod" seemed helpless, and at the mercy of every wave.
Bob Somers saw at a glance that they were, indeed, in a serious position, rendered far more so by their inability to act with any degree of calmness.
"Give us some buckets, if you have any, quick!" yelled Nat; "or our boat will be at the bottom of the lake in no time."
The thunder and lightning still continued with unabated force, while the deluge10 showed no signs of stopping. Wind and waves made the task of approaching the "Nimrod" an extremely difficult one. All of Bob's resourcefulness was needed, but he managed the "Rambler" skilfully11. Randall and Travers stood at the rail with a couple of buckets when, at imminent13 peril14 of crashing into the "Nimrod," the other boat passed close to windward.
John Hackett managed to seize one bucket, the other being successfully tossed on board.
"Start your motor and then go ahead, facing the storm!" shouted Bob, at the top of his voice.
"Don't go away!" yelled Kirk Talbot.
"All right, we'll stand by you."
A moment later, Nat Wingate was seen crouching15 down at the wheel. Amidst clouds of spray that dashed over him, he tugged16 first one way and then the other, but it did not appear that any move had been made to start the engine.
"Throw them a line," ordered Bob, quickly.
The boats, however, were drifting apart, and Sam Randall's first attempt was not successful. Again and again he tried. Bob Somers, in spite of the risk, came to his aid by stopping the "Rambler," and within a few minutes Nat Wingate was able to seize the rope that came flying through the air.
It was made fast, the motor again started, and the "Nimrod" gradually drawn17 around until its bow was pointed18 directly toward the oncoming waves.
The frantic19 energy with which its crew was working with the buckets would have been amusing under other circumstances. It soon became apparent that the situation was not going to grow any worse, but the boats were still plunging20 violently, and, at intervals21, large waves poured over the rails.
For fully12 fifteen minutes the storm continued in all its fury. Just as the rain began to slacken, and there was a lull23 in the heavy gusts24, John Hackett threw down his bucket and shouted to the Ramblers.
"Hello!" he cried. "If this old boat didn't swallow nearly half the lake, I'm wrong in my calculations."
The speaker looked as if his attempt at humor had caused him a pretty hard effort.
"It was all on account of the wheel getting jammed," added Nat, ruefully. "But for that, we wouldn't have been in such a mess."
The storm ended as suddenly as it began. Before the rain had entirely25 ceased, a patch of blue was seen in the west. Half an hour later, the sun was shining on a far-off bank of clouds, while the two boats were gently rising and falling on the rounded swells26.
The Ramblers suffered no ill effects from their wetting, thanks to the oilskin coats, but the others presented a sadly bedraggled spectacle.
"Did you ever hear of such mean luck?" growled27 Nat. "I wish I could interview the man who got up this steering28 gear."
"Little fishes, but I am wet!" exclaimed Kirk Talbot, with a doleful smile.
"We ought not to kick about that," protested Ted1 Pollock. "If Bob Somers hadn't come along you might be at the bottom of the lake and wetter than you are now. The way we got thrown around was about the worst that ever happened."
The two boats lay to. Bob and his companions set about putting things to rights. Swabs were brought out and before long the "Rambler" resumed its former spick and span appearance.
The members of the Nimrod Club were fully aware of the fact that a great service had been rendered them, and they all expressed their appreciation29 of it, Nat, however, sandwiching his remarks between numerous growls30 and complaints, while tinkering at his wheel with an enormous wrench31.
From odd scraps32 of conversation, the Ramblers managed to learn that their rivals had bought a box of canned goods in town, and that Nat, carrying it from one place to another, just as the storm broke, had slipped and let it drop. Nat tried to get his companions to stop talking, but they did not seem to realize the necessity for keeping the facts secret.
"Bump-bang!" exclaimed John Hackett, at length. "Maybe if it hadn't been for the wheel, Nat, that box would have gone clean through the bottom of the boat."
Nat Wingate, with a very red face, arose, holding a spoke33, which the wrench, instead of straightening, had broken off. Without a word, he started the motor, and it was presently seen that the "Nimrod" had been restored to a serviceable condition.
"Our friends don't seem to be in a pleasant humor, Chubby," remarked Bob, with a smile, as Nat was heard angrily explaining to Hackett that any more funny remarks would result in trouble.
"Those chaps are only good-natured when they have everything their own way," said Sam Randall, with a laugh.
The "Rambler," having been put in motion, was soon skirting the point of land. Upon rounding it, the entrance to a bay was disclosed, there being a fine stretch of beach along one side and a strip of woods beyond.
"Bob, don't you think that looks like a good place to camp?" suggested Sam Randall.
"Yes! We might as well tie up for the night," replied Bob.
A gentle hill began a short distance back from the water, and, after landing, the boys lost no time in climbing it. They found that a dense35 forest extended, with but few breaks, in all directions.
It seemed that the Trailers had kept a careful eye on their movements, for, upon returning to the boat, a familiar voice was heard.
"My little salts!" yelled Nat, as the "Nimrod" lazily slipped through the water of the bay. "Are you fellows going to stay in this place for the night?"
Bob answered in the affirmative, and the others, without having anything further to say, continued on their course.
"Guess they will camp close by. We can't lose 'em," observed Dave Brandon, when, after a short interval22, the "Nimrod" was seen turning in toward the shore about a quarter of a mile away.
The boys soon saw that in many respects the site was the best they had yet found. The top of the bank was comparatively free from underbrush, while a good deal of fallen timber was strewn around, showing the ravages36 that various storms had caused.
The ground was still wet in many places, but a spot which the warm afternoon sun had almost dried was finally discovered.
"This is the wildest region we have seen, fellows," observed Dave Brandon, with great satisfaction.
"It would look perfectly37 natural to see a bear or wildcat stalking through the woods," added Dick Travers, with a grin.
"Well, I hope none of them poke34 their ugly noses in our camp," ventured Tom Clifton, little apprehensively38.
"Say, fellows, let's pitch the tents to-night, for a change," suggested Bob Somers.
"Sure! Let us have the tents," broke in Dick, enthusiastically. "It's going to be a job making a fire all right; can't find a stick of dry wood," he announced a moment later.
"Find a cedar," said Bob, "or get some pieces of bark from the sheltered side of a tree. But first of all, boys, help me with the tents."
The two huge rolls of canvas were thereupon lugged39 ashore40, one of them being spread out on the spot selected for a camp. Bob and Dick, armed with hatchets41, then betook themselves to the woods in search of long poles. Of course they were not found without some difficulty. At length, ten, all neatly42 trimmed, were carried back to the shore.
"How are you going to do it, Bob?" asked Sam Randall, with interest.
"To find out, lend a hand," laughed the captain.
First, one of the poles, together with a long piece of rope, was laid upon the ground, and the canvas unrolled on top. While this was being done, Dick and Tom began to join a number of the stripped saplings in pairs, so that when spread apart, the upper portion of each formed a crutch43.
"Now," said Bob, "we will stick one at each end of the tent, then set the ridge44 pole in the fork."
"All right, Master of Ceremonies," returned Sam, smilingly; "up she goes."
When this had been done, the rope was tied to stakes at the front and rear of the tent.
"Now, just as soon as the canvas is pegged45 down along the sides, we'll have a shelter that would make old Bill Agnew open his eyes," declared Bob, with satisfaction.
"I should say so. It's great," agreed Dave, who paused a moment from his labor46 of building a fire; "going to pitch the other tent now?"
"Yes. But it is smaller, and won't take much time," responded Bob.
In the course of another half hour, the two tents stood side by side.
"Now we'll fix up the interior," said Bob.
Tom Clifton was dispatched to the woods for more material, returning in due course with a quantity of neatly trimmed branches, most of them rather short. Two were driven into the ground in the corner of each tent and cross pieces nailed on top.
"These will do to hang our things upon," said Bob.
Having had considerable practice, the boys soon had the beds in position.
By this time Dave Brandon, spurred on by a prodigious47 appetite, had dressed one of the ducks, pared a surprising number of potatoes, and thrown all into their biggest pot.
"Was I ever so hungry before?" sighed the poet laureate, as he looked longingly48 at the simmering pot.
The boys had worked hard, and all felt glad when preparations were completed.
"I only hope that nothing disturbs me to-night," observed Sam Randall, with a yawn.
"So do I," drawled Dave; "a lot of things have certainly happened in the last twenty-four hours. Oh ho, look at that dandy sunset."
The sinking sun, resting just above a line of purplish clouds, suffused49 a glow across the entire sky and lighted the tree tops with a mellow50 warmth. A broad band of color glistened51 and sparkled in the lake.
"Isn't that a fine sight, boys?" went on the poet; "wish I could paint it."
"Just at the present moment, the stuff in that pot interests me more," declared Dick Travers, with a laugh.
"Hello—that must be the Trailers."
The latter remark, which came from Tom Clifton, was caused by the report of a gun, then several others, at a point not far distant.
"Well, supper is ready, boys," announced Dave.
Sitting in front of the tents, the Ramblers enjoyed their meal as they rarely had, even under similar circumstances.
"If my appetite keeps up like this, I'm afraid my father will soon be ruined," observed young Travers, with comical gravity.
"If there is enough salt left, I'll cook a special stew53 for you. Want it?" asked Tom Clifton, kindly54.
But the Ramblers with singular unanimity55 declared that they could not think of putting him to so much trouble.
"Dave Brandon," began Sam Randall, suddenly, "as a self-appointed committee of one, I want to know if your great American poem is nearly finished."
"Yes, yes, read us a line or two; go ahead, Chubby," pleaded Dick.
The poet laureate gave a negative gesture. "Oh, no! Not yet, boys," he laughed. "Don't forget, too, that in becoming cook, I was fired from my proud position as chief poet."
"But now you are put back again," insisted Sam.
Dave, however, could not be persuaded, so Bob Somers, who had a good voice, came to his rescue by starting a song they all knew. Then stories were told until bedtime.
Before turning in, the one remaining duck was hung on a pole outside the tents.
The Ramblers were soon sleeping soundly. It was a typical summer night. The moon finally rose, but the sky was considerably56 overcast57. On the western horizon, an occasional gleam of lightning shone with a deep copper58 hue59.
Little Tommy Clifton, who occupied the smaller tent in company with Dave Brandon, was disturbed by a curious dream. He thought that a dragon, uttering a weird60 cry, had attempted to enter the tent. This caused him to awake with a start, cold chills creeping along his spine61.
The tent was partially62 open, and Tom stared at the view outside, mechanically taking in the shore and gray expanse of lake extending off to meet the sky.
A curious crackling of twigs63 drove all thoughts of sleep from the boy's mind, while a strange, vague terror took possession of him. Sitting bolt upright, he listened, undecided whether to awaken64 his companion or not.
With startling abruptness65, a low, rasping cry almost froze the blood in his veins66. Then a pair of blazing green eyes, but a few paces from the tent, brought his terror to a climax67. Tom Clifton gave a loud cry of alarm and struggled to his feet.
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1
ted
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| vt.翻晒，撒，撒开 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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lurch
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| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
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bail
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| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
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bailed
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| 保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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9
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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10
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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15
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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21
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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23
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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24
gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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27
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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30
growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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31
wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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32
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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33
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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34
poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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35
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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39
lugged
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| vt.用力拖拉（lug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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40
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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41
hatchets
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| n.短柄小斧( hatchet的名词复数 )；恶毒攻击；诽谤；休战 | |
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42
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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43
crutch
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| n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱 | |
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44
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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45
pegged
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| v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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46
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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47
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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48
longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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49
suffused
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| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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51
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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53
stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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54
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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55
unanimity
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| n.全体一致，一致同意 | |
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56
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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57
overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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58
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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59
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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60
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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61
spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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62
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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63
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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64
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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65
abruptness
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| n. 突然，唐突 | |
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66
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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67
climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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