“We had better go a little farther,” continued the scientist. “Then if we do not discover something, we’ll camp for the night. In the morning we may have better luck.”
It was well along in the afternoon now and Jerry, who was at the wheel, speeded up the engine to send the craft ahead faster in order to cover as much of the lake as possible. But no explanation of the phenomenon rewarded the efforts of the travelers.
“That looks like a good place to camp,” said Jerry, pointing ahead to a clump of forest. The shores were of sloping gravel and the receding water has not left exposed a lot of mud. “We can’t do better than to put up there,” he added.
“Are we going ashore?” asked Ned.
“I think it will be wise,” replied Uriah Snodgrass. “Bob is restless in the narrow bunk and he needs a change.”
The sick boy had dozed off and took no part in the discussion.
The Dartaway was headed for the place Jerry had indicated, and in a short time the travelers were ashore with Ned and Jerry making camp and erecting the tent, while the professor looked after Bob. The boat was moored by a long rope some distance from shore as they did not want to find it aground in the morning in case the waters should continue to recede. They could wade out to it, as the shore was sloping.
Bob did seem a little better when placed on a comfortable cot in the tent. However, he took no interest in what was going on but lay with closed eyes, for the fever still burned in his veins in spite of the medicine administered by the professor.
“I must get something stronger for Bob,” he said. “If I was near a drug store I would have no trouble, but out here I’m afraid I can find nothing that will completely break the high fever. If I met our old Indian friend he might be able to suggest to me some vegetable remedy.”
“We’d better made everything doubly secure to-night,” remarked Jerry as they prepared to retire.