After their strenuous exertions, all were a trifle bewildered to find themselves thus suddenly shot into safety with no call to extend themselves further. The Kikuyus began chattering like magpies and, leaping into the shallow water, dragged the raft up until the forward end rested on the sand above the water line. As for the boys, they could only look at each other, each reading in the eyes of his friends unutterable relief at escape from that threat of a watery death.
Quite simply big Bob bent his head and closed his eyes. And the others did likewise. And from three profoundly grateful hearts there went up to the Divine Providence which guards poor mortals a prayer of gratitude no less sincere because unspoken.
CHAPTER XIV
RADIO BRIDGES THE GAP
It was not a large island, as islands go, being something less than half a mile in extent by a quarter of that in breadth. But it was densely wooded, and the underbrush was so thick as to make exploration difficult. Nevertheless, after securing the raft to the trunks of trees by means of stout creepers twisted and used as ropes, the boys pushed exploration of the island in order to determine whether there was some means of reaching the mainland from it.
That, however, would be difficult. At no place did either river bank approach the island closely. The likeliest chance appeared to be to cross to the left bank, that upon which was the main party, by means of a score of half-submerged rocks, between and over which the water boiled and foamed. These rocks lay between the forward end of the island and the shore.
“We might be able to leap from rock to rock in some cases, and in others to bridge the chasms with poles,” said Jack, considering the situation, as he and the two others, with Matse behind them, stood on the shore near these rocks.
“But then,” said Frank, “we’d have to abandon the raft.”
Jack nodded gloomily.
At one other point, another solution suggested itself. Near the upstream end of the island, on the side opposite that upon which they had landed, the mainland was less than one hundred yards away. And through this lesser channel the water, as they ascertained by tossing chips into the current, flowed less swiftly. A strong swimmer, heading upstream, probably would be able to make his way to the opposite shore before being swept down into the rapids below. He could carry a rope and, once such a connection was made, other ropes could be passed back and forth until a strong enough ferry was established to make it possible to transport the raft without danger of the ropes parting and letting it be carried down.
But where was rope to be obtained? Examination of the boxes revealed numbers were bound with short ends of rope. But all these tied together would not be of sufficient length to bridge the channel even once. And more than one rope, as experience had revealed, would be necessary to ensure safety.