It was true, and true beyond question. The lateral motion of the boat was now up-stream rather than down; and there was no longer difficulty in keeping the house over her square bow. Moreover, in the slack water the pace of the heavy craft seemed to increase. And again the Shark gave tidings:
“Say, fellows, I can see folks! They’re waiting for us—right by the edge of the road just below the house. Mr. Grant’s there—and there’s another man—and hurrah! Herman and the Trojan! They’re both on deck, so all our crowd’s accounted for! And oh, I say! There’s Mrs. Grant hustling down from the house and waving a shawl or something like all possessed!”
With such good news ringing in the ears of the crew, the big boat appeared fairly to jump forward. There was a mighty splashing along both sides, but what the paddlers lacked in art they made up in energy. From the shore came cries of welcome and eager query, but everybody on the punt was too busy to make reply. Then there was more splashing, as the Trojan and Herman, with Mr. Grant close behind them, dashed into the water to meet the voyagers. They caught the gunwale of the boat and dragged the craft forward till she grounded. And then the Shark laid hold upon Mr. Grant.
“There is an ice jam, isn’t there?” he demanded. “Big one, too?”
“Biggest ever heard of in these parts! Both bridges knocked off their piers and all tangled up with the ice. That’s what raised hob when the dams up-river began to go out, and let down all the water. Railroad’s sent for its wrecking crew, and it’s coming with dynamite to blow open a channel, and——”
The Shark was discourteous enough not to wait for the completion of the sentence. He turned triumphantly to his comrades in general and to Step in particular.
“Hear that, did you? Josh me about guessing, would you? Huh! I’ll guess again, and the guess is that the fellow who has the last laugh gets the best one. Huh!”
With that the Shark stepped ashore, avoided the outstretched arms of Mrs. Grant, and fell prey to the Trojan, who splashed out of the river as joyously as he had splashed into it. The Trojan and Herman had had a night of terrible anxiety, but had escaped any adventures such as had befallen the rest of the club. Maybe there was a touch of envy in the demands upon the Shark for his story—which, by the way, the Shark did not relate. Indeed, there was for a little too much confusion for anybody to offer a coherent narrative; and then Mrs. Grant was urging the party up the slope to the porch, and into the house, where open fires burned cheerily, and where there was a wonderfully delicious odor of boiling coffee and cooking viands.
The big house seemed to have an unlimited store of dry garments. Mrs. Grant brought them by the armful into the living-room, and made proclamation:
“Listen to me, everybody! You men folks can have this room to yourselves while Hannah and I dish up the breakfast. It’ll be ready for you the minute you’re all in dry things; and I reckon you’ll find enough to go around. Don’t mind looks or fit, and don’t stop to primp. And here’s a lot of good rough towels—you’ll need a rub-down to take out the chill. Don’t you keep me waiting, and I won’t keep you waiting, either!”