Afloat on the Flood, Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  ON THE TREMBLING BRIDGE

  Once more the four chums came together at a given point, filled with adesire to see with their own eyes the strange sights that weretranspiring continually all around them.

  The excitement constantly grew in volume, and everywhere groups of menand women, as well as children, could be seen discussing the latest news,or it might be industriously trying to save their possessions from thegreedy river.

  Many of the younger generation failed to realize the gravity of thesituation. All this bustle was in the nature of a picnic to them. Theyshouted, and called to one another, as they ran hither and thither,watching the unusual scenes. Many times they had to be warned of thedanger they ran when playing close to the swift current that was eddyingthrough the lower streets.

  Steve Dowdy was always eager to collect the latest news. He had morethan once declared that he meant to be a reporter when he grew up, for hepracticed the art of cross-questioning people whenever he had a chance;and Max, who had noticed how well he did this, more than once told him hewould make a good lawyer instead.

  When he joined the others they fully expected that he would havesomething new to tell them, nor were they mistaken.

  "Last word is that the railroad has gone out of commission," Steveannounced.

  "In the name of goodness, do you mean it's been washed away, where itruns along the river?" exclaimed Bandy-legs, his face showing more orless dismay.

  "Well, I don't know that it's as bad as that," Steve admitted; "but thewater's up so deep over the tracks that orders have been given to abandonall trains until there's a change."

  "Which I should think would be a wise thing to do," Max remarked;"because they couldn't tell but what they'd run into a gap, and a trainbe lost. Railroads have troubles enough without taking such risks."

  "But what if the river keeps booming along like this for a week?"suggested Bandy-legs, prone to imagine things much worse than they werein truth.

  "Not much danger of that," ventured Steve; "but even then why should itmatter to us if trains couldn't run?"

  "Huh! how long d'ye think the town of Carson could live without grub?"was what the other flung at him. "Every day the visible food supplywould keep on getting lower and lower, with everything going out andnothing coming in. And deliver me from running up against a regular_famine_. A feller has got to eat if he wants to live, don't he?"

  "You do, we know that, Bandy-legs, and so does Toby here," jeered Steve;"but it strikes me you forget the farmer community when you talk aboutour going hungry. A good many might be kept from coming into town withloads, but there'd be enough to keep things moving along. What's the usebothering about that; plenty of other things to keep you guessing. It'dease my mind a heap for instance if I just knew the girls had left thathouse of Asa French down below, and taken to higher ground. Can't helpthinking they might be foolish enough to try and stay there till thewater got so high all around that only a boat could be of any use, andthey mightn't have one. I even tried to see if I could borrow a boat ofany kind, but you couldn't right now, for love or money. Everybody'sholding on to what they've got."

  "W-w-well, when it's f-f-flooding like it is now, don't you reckon it'sthe right thing to keep an ark, if so be you g-g-got one? Where'd oldNoah a been if he'd allowed himself to be tempted to b-b-bargain for hisb-b-boat when the rain started to come down? Wish I had even a canoemyself; I'd feel easier a h-h-heap, let me tell you."

  Toby was beginning to take the thing very seriously. He seldom laughednow, and many of the rather pitiful sights he saw all around him made anindelible impression on his mind.

  "Worse luck we can't see all that's coming down the river," venturedSteve, presently. "The water's getting so high that it's hard to find aplace where you can look out over the whole valley. And I've fetched mycamera along, too, hoping to snatch off a few pictures to remember thisflood by. Tell you what, fellows, I've got a good notion to go out onthe bridge, and snap off some views."

  "Pretty risky!" suggested Max.

  "They're warning everybody to keep away from the bridge," addedBandy-legs, as he shook his head dubiously, yet seemed inclined to sidewith Steve; for like all boys, the spirit of daring and love foradventure lay strong within him.

  To the surprise of the others Toby piped up just then in a strain theyhad not imagined would appeal to him.

  "That's what the t-t-timid ones keep on saying," he observed; "but Id-d-don't think the old bridge'll get shaky till the current of ther-r-river really hits up against the roadway hard. Now, mebbe some ofyou've been awonderin' what made me fetch this coil of new clothes linealong, danglin' from my arm? W-w-want to k-k-know?"

  "To be sure we do, Toby, so rattle it off, won't you?" said Steve.

  "All r-r-right, I will," the accommodating Toby assured him. "Well, yous-s-see, there's so many hencoops afloatin' along seems like there mightbe a dog or a rooster settin' on top of one, and I thought if I had achance to get out on the b-b-bridge span I'd try and rope one of thesame. I've p-p-practiced throwing a lariat some, and I t-t-think I mightsnatch somethin' from a watery g-g-grave."

  The others laughed at the suggestion. In imagination they could see Tobytossing his noosed rope wildly out over the rushing waters, and only tomake many a miss.

  At the same time Steve chose to encourage him for reasons of his own.With Bandy-legs hesitating, if only he could get Toby to support hissuggestion, there was a pretty good chance that conservative Max wouldgive in to superior numbers.

  So Steve commenced to handle his little camera, which he had slung overhis shoulder with a stout strap.

  "The sun don't shine, but it's pretty light right now at one o'clock," hewent on to say, meaningly; "and I'm dead sure I could pick up some dandypictures of the river, and also of poor old Carson, flood-bound.Bandy-legs, how about you; won't you come along with Toby and me out onthe bridge?"

  The appeal proved to be the finishing stroke, since Bandy-legs had beenbalancing on the fence.

  "All right, Steve, count on me; and, Max, say you'll go along too, if allthe rest of us do," he hastened to say.

  Max laughed.

  "Do you know what you make me think of, you fellows?" he told them;"well, of the time Steve here went in swimming, when there was even asuspicion of ice along the edge of the pond. I can see him now, up tohis neck, nearly frozen stiff with the chill, and his teeth rattling inhis head as he tried to grin, and called out to the rest of us: 'Come onin, fellows; the water's fine!' But if my three chums are bent on takingrisks with that old bridge, I reckon I'll have to join the procession,and go out there along with you. Besides, I've been thinking that wemight have a chance to do some rescue work, because any old time somebodyis apt to come down the swollen river hanging to a floating log or aframe house. I'm surprised that it hasn't happened before now."

  "Well, come on, and don't let's stand around here talking so long," Steveurged, for he was nearly always in a great hurry, which fact had been themain cause for his school mates dubbing him "Touch-and-Go-Steve."

  As the four boys approached the bridge they must have felt more or lessqualms of nervous apprehension, because the prospect was appalling, withthe river up only a comparatively few feet below the centre of the span.But each hesitated to let his companions see that he felt timid in theleast; and assuming a carelessness that he was far from feeling, Stevewas the first to set foot on the approach to the bridge that spanned theEvergreen River.

  Several men called out to warn them that it was dangerous, but no onereally attempted to stop them from walking out. As the water was alreadycommencing to lap the roadway at the end, they had to pick their steps;but once out toward the middle it seemed as though confidence began toreturn.

  Pride kept all of the boys from allowing anything like a tremor to appearin their voices when they exchanged remarks. At the same time all ofthem felt the quivering of the structure, and could understand what amighty force was commencing to pluck at
its supports. When these wereundermined, if such a thing should happen, the whole affair would go witha rush, and they realized what that would mean.

  Steve immediately busied himself in snapping off several pictures, posinghis chums so that they would enter into his views of the flood as seenfrom the river bridge. In this interesting work he forgot the peril hewas running; while Max and Toby and Bandy-legs found plenty to do inlooking all around, and watching the strange spectacle of floating treesor logs wedge up against the bridge at various places until they began toform quite a barricade.

  "That's what will tell against the bridge more than anything else," Maxremarked, as he pointed to where a tree was being pressed by the rush ofthe water, so that it kept striking against the abutment on the sidetoward Carson. "When a certain quantity of floating stuff begins toexert all its push against the bridge it'll have to go. We've got tokeep our eyes open, boys, and be ready to skip out of here if we seeanother big tree coming down."

  "There's another hencoop, and, Toby, what do I see on the bridge but abig Plymouth Rock rooster!" exclaimed Bandy-legs, excitedly, "so Johnnyget your gun, or else your rope, and let's see what sort of a cowboy youc'n be."

  Toby ran along the upper side of the bridge, and with his rope coiledawaited a chance to let fly. The conditions were not as favorable as hemight have liked, for the railing seemed to be somewhat in the way; andan object moving swiftly toward him did not offer any great hope for hissuccess in casting the lariat; but when the proper time had arrived hebravely let fly.

  "Whoop! see it drop right over the old rooster would you?" yelledBandy-legs; "pull as quick as you can, Toby! Aw! you're slow as molassesin winter, and it just slipped over his back. And now he's running underthe bridge, and you won't have fricasseed chicken for supper to-night, asyou expected."

  "B-b-but you all saw how I d-d-dropped the n-n-noose right over him,didn't you? And that c-c-counts some. When I g-g-get the hang of thething I expect to do a heap b-b-better. Watch out for another hencoop,Bandy-legs, that's a good feller. I'm sure enjoying myself first-rate."

  "Well, looks to me like something coming along up there again," remarkedBandy-legs, who had splendid eyesight, and was sometimes called "EagleEye" by his comrades.

  "A dog this time, seems like," suggested Steve, carelessly. "I wondernow if I could get his picture when he comes closer? It'd be worthkeeping, just to show what sort of things you'll meet up with whenthere's a big flood on. I reckon I'll try it anyhow; no damage done if Imake a foozle."

  He hunted up a suitable place, where he thought the light would be mostserviceable, and then started to focus his camera on a spot which heselected; when the drifting piece of wreckage reached that position itwould be at the proper distance for effective work, and he could pressthe button with the belief that he had obtained a good picture.

  Max was intently looking up the river.

  All these things interested him, naturally, though deep down in his hearthe knew that they were taking big risks in remaining out on the bridgewhen others more sensible or less adventurous carefully refrained fromtrusting themselves to view the flood from so dangerous a standpoint.

  The three other boys heard Max give utterance to a startled exclamation.It was not his nature to betray excitement unless there was some verygood excuse for doing so, and consequently Steve turned his head to lookover his shoulder and ask: "What ails you, Max, old chum? The shakingdidn't feel any worse, did if? I'd hate some myself to go with the oldbridge, if she does take a notion to cut loose from her moorings, andhead down the valley; and, Max, if you reckon we'd better quit thismonkey business, and go ashore, why, I'll call it off, though I did wantto get this one picture the worst kind."

  "Wait!" said Max, quickly; "we couldn't go now, no matter how much wewanted to!"

  "Oh! why not?" exclaimed Bandy-legs, looking anxious, as he fancied hefelt a new and sickening swaying to the bridge; and unconsciously hegripped the railing while speaking, as though desirous of havingsomething substantial to hold on to.

  "Because, unless I'm away off in my guess," said Max, positively, "thatobject on that roof of a cabin you thought was a dog is a little child;and we've got to try our level best to save it when the wreckage getsdown to the bridge!"

  His words almost stunned the others. They stood and gazed at the swiftlyapproaching floating object as though unable to believe their very eyes;but soon Steve managed to find his voice, for he bellowed:

  "Max, it is, for a fact, a poor little abandoned child, crouching there,and like as not nearly frightened out of its life. Oh! I wonder what'sbecome of its mother and father? P'raps they've been drowned. Max, whatcan we do to save it? Think as fast as ever you did in all your life.I'd never get over it if we let that helpless child sweep under thebridge like that rooster did. It'd haunt me the rest of my days. Max,haven't you thought up a plan?"

  "Yes, and it's the only way we can have a chance," replied the other,quickly. "Here, let me have the noose end of your rope, Toby; I'm goingto slip it around under my arms. Then you three get hold, and I'll climbover the railing here, just where that cabin roof is going to pass under.Too bad that there's so much room, because it won't stick fast; so I mustdrop down on the roof and grab the child. Everything depends on how youcan get me up again. It's all got to be done like a flash, you see. Andif the rope holds, I'll do my part, I promise you."

  "Count on us, Max, and here's hoping you do get hold of the poor littlething!" said Steve, who had laid his camera aside, the better to use bothhands.

  They nerved themselves for the coming ordeal. Teeth were tightlyclenched, and every muscle summoned to do its full duty. Nor could theemergency be long delayed, because that drifting wreckage of a cabin wasapproaching them swiftly, borne on the wild current of the flood, and inanother ten seconds would have reached the middle of the span of thebridge!