The boys and the farmer set to work, and presently they had several rough planks taken from the sides of the hut. They had the horses drag these down to the water, and by hard work managed to get the planks under the flying machine. As the planks were of wood they aided in floating the affair.
"By jinks! I've got an idea!" suddenly cried Dick. "We'll want the machine on the other side of the river. Why not build a raft and float her over instead of bringing her ashore here? There is plenty of stuff in that old hut."
"That's the ticket!" answered Tom. "Hurrah for a life on the rolling deep!"
"It's a good idee," was the farmer's comment. "I was wonderin' how we'd git over with the contraption. You kin keep on shovin' planks an' logs under till she floats, an' tie them together with the ropes ye brung along. A good idee."
It was not until noon that they had the so-called raft built and the biplane fastened to it. The work had made them all hungry and they were glad that they had brought along a substantial lunch. They sat down in the shade of the woods to eat, washing the meal down with some water from a spring back of the old hut,—or rather of what was now left of the structure. While the boys ate they talked about Josiah Crabtree and Tad Sobber and the others who were their enemies.
"They'll surely try to do something," said Dick. "But what it will be I can't guess. We'll have to keep on guard."
"Who is going to go on the raft?" asked Sam. "It won't carry all of us."
"I'll pole it over," answered Dick. "The rest of you will have to go around by the ford."
"Don't you want any help?" asked Tom.
"No, I think I can do it alone. If two of us got on the raft it might sink too deep and get stuck on the rocks."