“And let’s hope,” added Billy, sighing, “that there’ll be a hospitable farmer, or some sort of kind-hearted man with a house up on the hillside where we can beg a bite to eat.”
“There are all sorts of pots and pans and kitchen things aboard,” Monkey told them, “if only we can lay hold of anything to cook.”
“Leave that to me,” remarked Billy loftily, determination written on his face.
The landing was effected without any particular trouble, and with the cable they tied the launch up to the friendly tree, as well as made the boat fast astern.
Billy hardly waited for this to be done before he was off. Evidently he had discovered that they were close to the river road, at this point well elevated. Tip had told him that people lived here and there all along this thoroughfare, although very likely they could not get anywhere now, with the water so high, for in places the road must be covered ten feet or more with the flood.
The night began to creep around them, but there was no rain, for which all of them thought they had reason to be thankful.
Upon questioning the boy who had been taken off the floating cabin, Hugh learned just how it happened that he came there. He had been away from home when his folks must have fled because of the rising water. Coming back later he had not known what to do, but remained cowering in the home until the rising water caused him to take to the roof. And later on, when the current started the cabin downstream, there he was helpless, because he did not know the first thing about swimming.
“You’d have known that at any rate if you’d been a scout,” Hugh told him, always ready to plant the seed broadcast, “though that mightn’t have helped you much. It was lucky you stuck to the cabin. We’ll see that you get back with your folks all right, Tommy, never fear. I’m only wondering what your mother will be thinking when she misses you.”
“There comes Billy!” cried Monkey Stallings, excitedly. “Say, he looks as if he might be just loaded down with stuff. Chances are he found a deserted house, and made a raid on the pantry.”
“That’s where you’ve got another guess coming,” said Billy Worth, as he started to relieve himself of his numerous packages. “By the greatest good luck in the wide world I hit on the house of a gentleman named Judge Coffin. Seems that he’s been one of your best backers, Tip, here in Lawrence. When he heard what the scouts had been doing he told me the house was mine, and that I could have anything I wanted. Fact is, he loaded me down with good things; and he’s coming over here to eat dinner with us in an hour!”