“And—some—oars handy, too!” gasped Bumpus, already a little short of breath after all that riotous jolting while riding on the bouncing caisson.
While they were racing toward the spot the determined Frenchman was continuing to carry the contents of the abandoned caisson toward the water. He had to go a little distance each time, and this must have bothered him, for possibly he could not manage to empty the reservoir before the Uhlans arrived, which fact would break his heart.
Meanwhile, Giraffe, being the lightest of foot and most eager, had managed to reach the spot where the boat lay, partly visible in the weeds and rushes. Bumpus, trailing in the rear, listened with his heart almost in his throat, for he knew that the tall scout would immediately announce the condition of his find. Nor was he mistaken in the least with regard to this, for Giraffe had let out a whoop that had a ring of exultation in it.
“It’s all right, boys!” he shouted, “and here’s an oar and a push-pole all handy in the bargain. Now let’s get the old thing afloat!”
There was certainly no time to lose. Those hard-riding Uhlans must be bearing down on the spot with a swoop and apt to arrive within shooting distance before the boys could manage to make the opposite side of the stream.
Thad and Allan swooped down, and with Giraffe handling at least half the burden, they made a combined rush for the border of the river. Little did they care that their feet got wet, or that they stepped in almost to their knees in the endeavor to launch the boat.
With a great splash it dropped and floated! Giraffe was in the act of turning so as to speed back after the oar and pole when he discovered Bumpus tottering along, bearing them under his arm, while with the other hand he clutched his grip, as though he did not mean to let that get away from him if he could help it.
“Bully for you, Bumpus; you’re the goods, and a whole yard wide!” yelped the excited Giraffe, as he convoyed the fat chum to the end of the boat and almost lifted him aboard.
They embarked in a regular scramble. It was no time for ceremony. The danger was too menacing to allow of anything but actions based on intuition rather than careful figuring.
Thad seized the oar and commenced using it with desperate energy. Giraffe refused to relinquish the push-pole, although Allan had held out his hand for the same and gave every evidence of being ready to devote his surplus energy to the task of finding the bottom of the river.