"We couldn't get past them. It's neck or nothing," he said shortly.
The vessel whizzed along. The rumble of the train seemed to draw no nearer. Azito stood forward, but the pace was so great that in the darkness it was tremendously difficult to give the course. Suddenly there was a jolt and a jar. Azito shot forward on to the wind-screen; those who were seated were jostled violently against one another, and Will narrowly escaped a collision with the steering-wheel. After the momentary jerk the hydroplane rushed on, but only for a few seconds. Then the engine stopped dead, and the vessel was once more drifting at three knots down the stream.
[CHAPTER XIV--REPAIRS]
"What's happened?" asked Ruggles anxiously.
"We struck a snag: goodness knows what damage is done. We shall have to run into the bank and wait till morning. Can't see to do anything in the dark. Was there ever such beastly bad luck!"
"Well, you couldn't expect everything to go smoothly. You haven't had much to complain of so far."
"That's true; but just at this moment, when everything depended on our keeping ahead of the train! Listen to it. We must be close on the narrows, to judge by the row it's making."
"It's lucky we hadn't got any farther, then."
By this time Will had steered the vessel to the left bank, running under the overhanging branches of a large tree. Before it came to rest, Azito beat the bank with his pole to scare away any alligator that might lurk there.
"Water's coming in," said Will. "But I'm afraid that's not the worst. We can stop a leak, but we are done if there's anything seriously wrong with the engine. We haven't even got the yacht now."