He had not yet reached the dangerous part of the river, which was called the Rapids. This was the place where Joe Birch had been wrecked. He had some doubts about being able to pass with safety between the rocks, which here rose above the surface of the water.
But he was a bold, brave boy, and he was almost sure that, if any thing happened, he could swim ashore.
As he thought of the raft being dashed to pieces against a rock, he wondered what would become of poor pussy.
He did not want to drown her; so he decided to give her a fair chance to save her life in case of any accident. He opened the box, and pussy was glad enough to get out.
As she jumped from the box, Robert saw that she had made a sad mess of the provisions he had obtained for use on the island. She had scratched open the papers, and the gingerbread was broken into a hundred pieces. The cheese was all mashed up and ground in with the gingerbread, and the whole mass was well mixed with black hairs from the cat’s back.
Robert was so angry when he saw the wreck within the box, that he was tempted to throw pussy overboard for the mischief she had done. But the thought that it was not the cat’s fault saved her from a cold bath.
It was not of her own will that she had taken up her quarters in the box. She did not want to go in there, or stay there after she was in; and all the mischief had been done by her efforts to be free.
Pussy was even more astonished at the prospect around her than the dog, and she jumped from one end of the raft to the other a dozen times, seeking to find some way to escape. She was no sailor, on the one hand, and did not like her position in the midst of the waters. And she did not like the idea of wetting her soft black coat by swimming ashore, on the other hand.
When she found there was no way to get ashore without taking to the water, she took her stand next to Trip, and began to mew in a most sorrowful manner. The dog looked at her, and bow-wowed two or three times, as much as to say, “What are you afraid of, pussy? Don’t you see I’m not scared?”
Robert went to work upon the contents of the box, to save some of his food, if he could. The hatchet and the nails were covered with soft cheese, and it took him some time to put things in order again.