“It does look bad,” admitted Jerry, in answer to Ned’s gloomy words. “But I guess he can take care of himself.”
“Those negroes are ugly customers,” said Ned. “I wish we could come across Mr. Seabury again. He might be able to suggest a plan.”
“I’m afraid we’ll not see him in a hurry. He can’t get to us and we can’t get to him with the river that connected the two lakes all dried up. I wonder what caused this sudden falling away of the water?”
“You’ve got me,” replied Ned. “I’ve puzzled over it until I can’t think straight. But let’s cruise about a bit. It’s hot and we may strike a breeze out on the lake. Perhaps we can find the outlet through which the water is all disappearing.”
To this plan Jerry agreed. It was much cooler with the boat swiftly in motion, and Bob seemed to feel easier. Now and then he would rouse up and ask some question, but, before his chums could answer he would again sink into the stupor of fever. The boat was sent in a wide circle of the lake. It was so large that it did not seem to have grown appreciably smaller when the chums looked at it some distance from shore. But once the beach was approached the appearance of rocks that had long been under water told the story.
“We don’t want to go very far away from where we were camped,” said Jerry. “It would be too bad if the professor should come back and not find us. We must keep within sight of where we were.”
They passed the afternoon cruising about in sight of where they had last seen Mr. Snodgrass. When it grew dark, lanterns were lighted and hung about the boat.
“He can see them from shore and hail us,” remarked Jerry.
“Hark!” cried Bob, suddenly sitting up in his bunk. “My mother is calling me! I’m coming!” he cried and began throwing off the light covering which Jerry had placed over him.