“Oh! what would we do if it rolled over, with those poor children inside?” Billy was saying, as though trying to get his wits centered on the critical situation, so that he might be quick to act in case such a dreadful emergency arose.
“Don’t mention it!” cried Tip Lange, who was looking rather peaked and white himself, if the truth must be told, though he tried very hard to force a smile smacking of confidence on his face.
“Can we make it, do you think, Hugh?” Billy continued. “Is the engine powerful enough to knock up against the old current here? It’s just like the sluiceway of a mill. It comes down through the street so fierce and wild.”
“Oh, no trouble about that part of it,” the pilot assured him. “What I have to look out for is to keep away from the lower side.”
“I see what you mean,” Monkey observed sagaciously. “If the building should go over it would be a bad thing for us to get caught. That’s why you want to keep away from the lower side, Hugh, I guess.”
Hugh did not bother answering. He had his hands full with managing the boat, for that current made its course rather erratic.
Gradually they were drawing around the end of the old building. Up in the window the children could be seen. They no longer waved white bits of rag to attract the attention of those in the launch. Instead, they acted as though alarmed, because it must have seemed to them that the rescue boat meant to pass by and leave them to the mercy of the raging flood.
Their cries were pitiful. Billy could not stand it, so he cupped his hands in order to make his voice carry above all the other sounds, and shouted words of encouragement.
“Don’t be afraid there, we’re not going to leave you! But it’s necessary for us to come around on the side of the house, don’t you see? Move around with us and get ready to come aboard. We’ll get you safe ashore all right!”
They must have understood from his words and encouraging signs what he meant, for their agonized cries ceased, though they continued to watch the progress of the launch with an eagerness that might easily be excused.