“The high point won’t come until this water has had time to get into the river and swell it opposite this point,” Clay explained, “but we may as well sit up as to go to bed and lie awake thinking what a confounded numskull Alex is. Still,” he added, “we should have missed the little rascal. I’m strong for a medal for Captain Joe!”
It rained steadily all night, and when daylight came it was only a blur, for the clouds were heavy and low, and the rain seemed to fill all space. The river was up to the top of the levee, and the Rambler was pulling at the cable fastened to the cedar. The valley, so far as they could see, was a moving flood of yellowish water.
“If this keeps up until noon,” Clay said, “I’ll be inclined to take a jump at the rapids. What do you say, lads? Of course we’d have to take the wheels.
“I’m for it!” cried Alex and Case, in a breath. “Lead us to it!”
CHAPTER XVIII.—CASE MAKES A HIT WITH DOUGH.
“The river is running like a mill-race,” Case declared, at noon, as he looked over the surging mass to the east of the spot where the Rambler lay, “and the rain is stopping, so I don’t think it will get any higher. Shall we set the motors going and try to run down? I’m getting weary of staying here.”
“You may wish yourself back a good many times before we pass the rapids,” Alex said. “If you think it’s any fun to breast a strong current, just jump in there and try it. Then you’ll see!”
“I’m not curious about high currents,” grinned Case, taking a glass and looking down the river. The Rambler lay above the fringe of stunted bushes which had hidden the pool on their approach, and so the boy could look a long way down the stream.
“I can’t see a single rock sticking up,” he said, presently. “The current sets toward the other shore, and looks safe, but it is making an awful noise! It must be ten feet above yesterday’s mark. Let us get ready.”
“I’m for getting dinner first,” Alex interrupted “I don’t want to fill up on river water! We can fry some of the bear meat, and get up quite a meal in a short time. I like bear better in a stew, but we’ll have to be content with fried meat this time.”