“To go down the river, I imagine!” said Jack, joyfully. “My word, we shall soon get along if we use that raft!”
“But how did the men get here on it?” said Paul, puzzled. “They couldn’t float against the current, and it’s very strong here.”
“They probably crept up on the narrow rocky ledge that seems to run beside the river all the way,” said Jack. “But behind them each time they come, they must drag a raft like this, which they use to get themselves back quickly. I say, this is getting awfully exciting! We can take the raft for ourselves, and that will mean that we leave the robbers I saw just now far behind us, for they will have to walk along the ledge as we did, instead of using their boat. Come on — let’s try it!”
“I shouldn’t be surprised if it takes us right to the place where Ranni and Pilescu are prisoners,” said Paul. “Undo that leather thong, Mike, and let’s get into the funny boat.”
The boys untied the leather strip, and got into the hollow centre of the solid raft. It was absolutely unsinkable, made out of wood from a big tree, hollowed out carefully in the middle. The boys soon found out why the edges were bound so thickly and firmly with strips of leather!
They let the raft go free on the rushing stream. At once they floated into the dark tunnel from which Jack had seen the robbers come. The raft swung round and round as it went, and bumped hard against the rocky sides of the strange dark tunnel. The leather edges took off the worst jolts, but even so, the boys had to cling tightly to the raft to prevent themselves from being jerked overboard!
“This is the most exciting thing we’ve ever done!” shouted Jack, above the roar of the water. “Golly, aren’t we going fast! I hope we don’t come to a waterfall!”
Down they went on the rushing mountain river, down and down in the darkness. The raft rushed along as fast as a speed boat, and the three boys gasped for breath. Where did the river flow to?
In the Secret Forest
The raft rushed along, swinging and bobbing. Sometimes the water was smoother, and then the raft floated more slowly, but on the whole it rushed along at a terrific pace. Once the roof of the tunnel was so low that the boys had to crouch right down on the raft to prevent their heads being bumped hard against it.