CHAPTER X
AFLOAT ONCE MORE
How the boys wished they understood the mysterious clicking of dots anddashes that came over the wires, so they might interpret the messagewhich meant so much to them! They watched the agent as he wrote downthe words that he evolved from the sounds of the clicking instrument.Then, with what the boys thought was exasperating coolness, he clickedback something in answer, and slowly arose from his chair.
"Good news," he said. "It wasn't your boat that was smashed. It wassome rowboats being sent to a steamship company on Lake Okeechobee.Your boat was in the wreck, but was only scratched a bit. It will behere this afternoon."
"Hurrah!" yelled Jerry.
"That's the kind of news we like to hear!" exploded Ned.
"What a relief!" ejaculated Bob.
"Well, yo' uns seem quite pleased," remarked the agent. "Can I doanything else for yo'?"
"You've done more than enough, in locating our boat," said Jerry. "Isit on the way now?"
"The agent at Longwood says they're making up a freight train now tosend here. It's due shortly after one o'clock. Queer how things willget mixed up sometimes when there's a wreck. I'm glad it wasn't yo'boat. But yo' Northerners are always in such a hurry! By the way, wasthat Noddy fellow any relation of yours?"
"We know him," answered Jerry.
"I reckoned yo' uns must have, 'cause he was in the same kind of arush," the agent explained, as if proud of his discernment.
The boys went back to the hotel for breakfast, which even Bob hadforgone in order to get earlier news of the boat. Now, with feelingsgreatly relieved, they ate the morning meal.
"We might as well arrange for some one to cart the boat to the lake,"suggested Jerry as they arose from the table.
"Maybe we'd better look for a shop where we can have it repaired," putin Ned. "It may need a lot of attention."
"Hope not," spoke Jerry, though he thought Ned's idea a good one.
They found near the shores of Lake Tohopekaliga a boat builder, whoagreed to take charge of the _Dartaway_, do whatever was necessary andtransport it to the water for them. Then there was nothing to do but towait.
It seemed a long time until noon, and from then until one o'clock, whenthe freight was due, the boys thought the clocks had all gone on astrike. But at length, as they waited on the depot platform, they hearda shrill whistle.
"There she comes!" cried Ned. "Now to learn the worst."
"Or the best," remarked Jerry, who was of a more hopeful turn of mind.
"I see it!" exclaimed Bob, as the freight train passed them to draw upto the long platform. "Doesn't seem to be in such bad shape!"
The formalities of paying the freight and getting possession of thecraft was soon over. The cradle was left at the depot in readiness fortheir return after cruising about Lake Okeechobee, and the motor boatwas taken on a truck to the repair shop.
Carpenters were soon busy on the craft, and, though the boys wereanxious to get her into the water they had to wait over another night.This made them rather impatient but it just suited the professor, whofound many more forms of insect life than he had anticipated, and hewas kept busy capturing them, much to the astonishment of the citizensof the place, who voted him almost, if not completely, insane.
By the second morning of their stay in Kissimmee City the _Dartaway_was ready to be put into the water.
"Hurrah! She's afloat once more!" cried Ned, as he saw their craftmoored at the lake dock.
They waited until noon to allow the seams to soak up, and then, havingtaken on some fresh provisions, and succeeded in coaxing the professorfrom his search after a peculiar pink fly he had heard infested theregion, they were off.
It did not take them long to traverse Lake Tohopekaliga, which is asmall body of water. They caught some fine fish in it, and had dinneron shore. Through an artificial canal they reached Lake Hatchenana,and, crossing that, and again traversing a canal they emerged, latethat afternoon, upon Lake Kissimmee, the largest body of water betweenthem and Lake Okeechobee.
"This beats railroad travel," announced Ned, as he sat in the bows,steering. "No dust, no cinders, no smoke, no--"
"No smash-ups!" finished Bob. "We were lucky to get out of it as wedid."
"What's the program for to-night?" asked the professor of Jerry, whohad, in a measure, assumed charge of the trip.
"There's an island in the middle of this lake," he answered. "I wasthinking we might camp on it."
"I'm going to put up a net to prevent the manatees from getting at me,"announced Bob with a laugh.
"No danger of them here," spoke the professor. "But I think we'll needa net to keep away the gnats and mosquitoes."
This proved a correct surmise. When they landed on the island in thelake, which piece of land, as far as they could see, was deserted, theywere met with a swarm of winged pests that made life miserable.
"This is awful!" exclaimed Bob, slapping about with both hands at thecloud of insects about his head.
"I think I can do something to make it more bearable," Uriah Snodgrassannounced, as he began to delve among his possessions. "Here is achemical preparation, which, if you rub it on your hands and faces,will, I think, keep the mosquitoes and black flies away."
The boys gladly availed themselves of the stuff, and, after generousapplications, they found, that though the insects still hovered aboutthem, they were not bitten.
Preparations for supper were hastily made, and a fire built in theportable stove. A "smudge" was also made, to keep off most of themosquitoes and, after this, the travelers were more comfortable.
"It's warm enough to sleep in the open to-night," announced Jerry whenthe question of erecting the tent was raised. "No use getting it out,and we can start off so much earlier in the morning if we don't have itto bother with."
The other boys were willing, so, after lighting some lanterns, andclearing a place amid a clump of trees, the sleeping blankets werespread out there and the boys turned in.
The professor, as usual, remained up to arrange the specimens he hadcollected during the day, making entries in his book by the light of alantern suspended over a butter tub which he used as a table. He wasstill at this when the boys fell asleep.
Ned was dreaming that he was in swimming and that Bob and Jerry wassplashing water on him, when he awoke with a start, to find he wassoaking wet. It was pitch dark, and Ned, at first, did not know what tomake of it. It seemed as if some one was dashing a pail of water overhim as he lay on the ground.
"Here! Let up!" he cried.
"What's the matter?" asked Jerry, awaking at the same time. Then Bobadded his inquiry, and the professor, who had retired at midnight,called to the boys.
"It's raining cats and dogs!" cried Ned, scrambling to his feet. "I'mwet through. The lanterns are drowned out! We should have put up thetent!"
"Raining!" exclaimed Jerry. "I guess it's a cloud-burst from the wayI'm getting it!"
It was a drenching downpour, but otherwise the storm was not violent.It had begun to shower gently and from that had rapidly increased to atorrent of water dripping from the clouds.
"Light a lantern somebody!" called Ned. "Let's make for the boat! Wecan keep dry there!"
"My matches are all wet!" announced Jerry.
"So are mine!" added Bob.
"I have some dry ones!" the scientist called. "Wait a minute!"
They could hear him moving about in the darkness and rain, seeking fora sheltered place in which to strike a light. Suddenly the blacknesswas illuminated by a brilliant white glare. It shone full in the facesof the travelers, who, much startled, turned to see what it was. Theyheard some object strike the island near where their boat was moored,and then the light went out, making the blackness more intense thanbefore.