“Looks like her off there,” and Ned pointed to a speck on the lake. “I’m going to swim out to her.”
“Is it safe? There might be alligators or big snakes.”
“I’ve got to take a chance. We can never get away from here without the boat. You watch me and if you see anything that looks dangerous—why shoot.”
Ned waded out into the water until he got to his depth and then he began swimming. Jerry anxiously watched for a sight of some big reptile or saurian but his fears were groundless. In half an hour Ned had reached the floating object.
“I wonder if it’s the boat?” said Jerry to himself.
His question was answered a moment later for, over the surface of the lake sounded the explosions that told that Ned had started the engine of the Dartaway.
In a short time the boat was close in shore. Jerry waded out to her and then, in their recovered craft, the chums headed for camp, where they found the professor much delighted at their success.
To avoid a repetition of the floating away of the boat they tied her by a long rope to a tree close to the tent. Then, in much better spirits, they sat down to plan what next to do.
“I think we’d better all get into the boat and hunt for the outlet of this lake,” said Mr. Snodgrass. “There is no question but what the one leading into Lake Okeechobee is closed. There must be another or the water would not continue to fall. I believe that—”