Billy exercised his knowledge of such things to start his blaze in a place where it would burn best with that wind prevailing. He interested some of the children in the task of dragging plenty of fuel forward, so that in a very short time he had a jolly blaze leaping upward.
It was wonderful what a difference that fire made in the feelings of those stranded people. Why, with the coming of its genial warmth and glow, the look of woful anxiety began to leave their faces. They gathered around, held out their hands to the fire, and even started talking hopefully concerning the future.
Those who had been standing in the water up to their waists, and whom the cool air had caused to shiver, now began to steam as they sat to the leeward of the fire, regardless of what smoke blew in their faces, so long as they could feel comfortable again.
Billy was not yet satisfied. It might start raining at any time, and unless some sort of temporary shelter were provided, these people would soon be wet to the skin.
Accordingly he showed the men how a scout would make a shelter out of boughs if he found himself overtaken by night in the woods. While this might not answer as well as a tent, at the same time, if properly made, it would shed most of the rain, and with the aid of the fire tend to keep them fairly comfortable until they knew what next to do.
Help would of course come from the good people who happened to live on the higher ground, and who might be depended on to see to it that these unfortunates at least did not starve. When the raging waters went down, and the river shrank back into its normal bed, they would once more take up the task of trying to restore their ruined homes in the great level valley, once so prosperous.
Much as the scouts would have liked to have stayed longer, so as to help still further, they felt that they owed it to other victims of the flood that they get busy again. These were only a small fraction of the valley sufferers, and could not expect to monopolize the time of those who had the launch, possibly the only power boat in all that vicinity.
From the way in which Hugh started off, Billy Worth determined that he must have some settled plan in his mind, although nothing had been spoken with regard to it.
He looked beyond the boat’s bow, and while far away he could see what seemed to be farm buildings, nothing in the way of a fluttering signal of distress caught his eye.
“Still Hugh knows what he’s doing, never fear,” Billy told himself, because he had had many a practical demonstration along these lines, and felt unlimited confidence in his superior.