“That’s the idea,” approved Frank. “It’s about our only chance to save the raft, and if we don’t do it we may soon all be in the water trying to swim to shore.”
Matse called to the bearers who shoved their poles across the raft toward the boys, and watched eagerly while Bob set to work to develop his idea.
What he wanted was a paddle on the end of several poles lashed together. The poles were available, and the paddle blade was easily obtained by ripping off several heavy boards from a packing case. But hammer and stout nails were none. However, Bob got around that by tearing up many feet of stout creeper binding the logs of the raft at one end. Then he placed the boards between the ends of two poles and lashed them in place with the vine.
“Now for it,” he said, surveying his work dubiously. “It looks strong enough, but whether it will hold together is a question. However, here goes.”
The felled logs comprising the raft were in several layers, criss-crossing each other. In none of these layers had the logs been placed tightly together. Bob poked around until he found a succession of openings in the various layers of logs which were in line with each other, and then managed to push the paddle through and into the water. A little pressing apart of the logs and tearing of vines here and there enlarged the opening sufficiently to permit slanting the poles forward so far that the blade trailing at the rear became a genuinely effective sweep.
“Hurray,” yelled Bob, jubilantly, as the raft began to swing sluggishly but steadily toward shore. “Get some of those fellows to help hold this steady, Matse.”
Two of the bearers sprang with alacrity to positions on the two poles lashed together which constituted the handle of the sweep.
Bob stationed them in position to hold the paddle steady at an angle which swept the raft shoreward, for he was not using it as a sweep for propulsion but as steering oar.
Then he stood back to contemplate his work with a look of pride on his face.
“Well, I guess that’ll turn the trick if the paddle doesn’t break,” he said to Jack. “The tug of the water is tremendous.”