“Probably it is, but we’ve got to get the Dartaway afloat now or never. We’ll have to take our chances on getting out of here.”
Before rolling the boat down into the receding water the awning was put up and a bunk gotten ready for Bob. Then he was carried down into it. He was too sick to know or care what was going on.
“Now for some hard work,” remarked Jerry, as he and Ned got ready to move the Dartaway.
They found it a difficult task. More than once they felt like giving up but they knew they must proceed if they were to have the use of their craft. It took them almost half a day to accomplish it. They used long branches of trees for levers and, inch by inch the motor boat was shoved astern until the propellor dipped once more into the lake.
“Almost done!” exclaimed Ned with a sigh.
“Yes, thank goodness,” echoed Jerry.
Half an hour more of work and the craft floated. The boys brought their camp stuff and packed it into the boat, striking the tent since they could no longer remain on shore so far away from the water. Fortunately the falling of the lake left exposed a hard shell beach instead of a lot of soft mud, or the boys would never have been able to make trips back and forth with their camping accessories.
“Now what?” asked Ned as they sat in the boat.
“We’ll have to wait here, or in this neighborhood, for the professor,” said Jerry. “He’s liable to come back at any minute.”
“If he comes back at all!”