CHAPTER XIX
MAROONED
"Dare we take it out ourselves?" asked Grace.
"I don't see why not," replied Mollie. "I can run a motor car, Betty canmanage a motor boat, and this is sort of between them both. Of course wecan run it!"
"Will you promise to go slow?" asked Amy, timidly.
"Of course," agreed Betty. "Anyhow the ice is so soft that we can't getas much speed out of it as the boys did the other day."
The outdoor girls were grouped about the auto ice boat at the littledock near their cabin. The boys had gone off on a hunt, a rumor of abear having been seen about five miles off coming to them by a friendlylumberman.
The girls were discussing the advisability of going out for a littletrip in the queer craft that Will and his chums had made. For a weekpast the boys had run it at various times, taking the girls out ontrips, and explaining how the motor and notched wheel operated. Thegirls had even run it for short distances themselves, under thetutelage of the boys.
A week has passed since it was first run and, though it was voted "greatsport," the boys had rather tired of it, especially when the rumor ofthe bear reached them.
"Will said we could take it whenever we wanted to," spoke Grace, as shearranged some fur rugs in the cockpit. "But are you sure you can run it,Mollie--or Betty?"
"It's simple," replied Betty noncommittally. "It will do no harm totry."
"And it's easy to stop," said Mollie. "Even if we forget to shut off theengine, by pushing down on this handle, the wheel will be raised, andwon't cut into the ice. Then it will stop."
"Just as when you throw out the clutch on your auto," suggested Betty.
"Exactly. Come on girls. We'll go for a little run. There's nothing elseto do in camp."
The week had been rather a monotonous one, for the weather had turnedwarm, and the ice was not in good condition for skating. It was almosttoo soft for the boat, and the boys had rather given it up. But thegirls wanted to do something, and the auto ice craft offered them achance.
They had visited a hunters' camp a few days before, and seen some novelsights, though game was not as plentiful as the hunters had wished.
"Well, if we're going--let's go!" cried Betty in a jolly voice, as shebuttoned her sweater more closely about her, and saw that her cap fittedsnugly.
"You must expect to get some speed out of it," returned Amy. "Butremember you promised to go slow."
"We can't do much else--it's so soft," declared Mollie, digging the toeof her shoe into the surface of the ice.
"Well--let's mote!" exclaimed Grace. "I've got some chocolates, so thatif the wind does out----"
"Wind! You forget we don't use a sail," cried Betty with a laugh. "Wecan get home in a dead calm. So if that's your only excuse for bringingchocolates----"
"We might run out of gasoline," Grace interrupted. "I'll take them,anyway."
"That's right, angel child!" murmured Mollie, "and I'll help you eatthem," and she calmly appropriated the box Grace had produced, andselected some choice confections.
Just as the girls were about to leave, having shoved the ice boat outaway from the dock so as to get a good start, Mr. Franklin, the campcare-taker, who had been over to a distant section, came running down tothe dock.
"Do you think your father is back from his Western trip yet, Miss Ford?"he asked.
"Yes, I had a letter from home to-day, saying he would be home to-night.Why?"
"Well, those Jallows are acting mean again. They're cutting timber onland I'm sure belongs to your father, regardless of the strip indispute. I'm going to wire him to come up here. This thing ought to bestopped."
"Oh dear! More trouble!" sighed Grace. "Well, do as you think best, Mr.Franklin. I think you'll find papa home. Oh, I wish this was allsettled. I wonder why there are such people as the Jallows, anyhow?"
"Probably for the same reason that there are mosquitoes," said Betty."It's so we will appreciate nice people all the more. But don't worry,Grace."
"Are you girls going out in that boat?" asked Mr. Franklin as he startedback toward his cabin.
"Yes. Why shouldn't we?" inquired Mollie, for she saw a look of concernon his face.
"Well, you'll be all right if you stay around here, but the ice isbreaking up below and above you, on account of the thaw. It won't besafe to go too far, or you'll meet open water. Be on the lookout."
"We will," promised Betty. "We're only just going out for a practicespin by ourselves. It will surprise the boys."
She did not realize what a surprise she and her chums were to get beforelong.
After one or two ineffectual attempts the girls got the motor running.Then, looking to see that all was clear, Betty, who was at the helm,gave the word for Mollie to lower the toothed wheel, which engaging onthe ice, would move the craft.
At first there was only a shower of soft and rather watery ice. Thesurface was too "mushy" to enable the teeth to "bite."
"Harder! Push down harder!" directed Betty.
Mollie did so, and then, after hesitating a second as if uncertainwhether or not to go, the _Spider_ moved off, gradually acquiring speed.
"Oh, this is glorious!" cried Grace as she sat well forward and breathedin deep of the fresh air. "Betty--Mollie--you are wonderful!"
"Oh, it's easy to run," said Mollie, calmly. "I understand it now.Really, it's very simple."
The girls took turns steering, for the boat was not going very fast, onaccount of the condition of the ice. Once or twice there were boomingnoises, like the sound of distant cannon.
"What are those?" asked Amy, with a start.
"The ice cracking," explained Betty. "It isn't anything. It oftenhappens on a big surface, and we're on a wide part of the river now."
They went on for a mile or so, until Mollie suddenly clutched the arm ofBetty, and cried:
"Look--there's open water ahead!"
"That's right," agreed Betty, as she quickly shifted the helm. "We don'twant to plunge into that," for the water looked black and treacherous incontrast with the white ice about it.
They headed for their camp. The sound of the cracking ice becameoftener, and more than once Betty looked a bit apprehensively at Mollie.But they tried to conceal their growing uneasiness from Grace and Amy.
Suddenly there came a sharp report, louder than any that had gonebefore, and, involuntarily, Mollie raised the spiked wheel. The ice boatslowly lost headway.
"Don't stop! Don't stop!" cried Betty. "Keep on!"
"But it may be dangerous!"
"It will be more dangerous to stand still! Don't you know that a movingbody has a better chance over thin ice than one standing still? Keepgoing, Mollie, and head for shore!"
"Oh, I'm sure something is going to happen!" cried Amy.
"Nonsense, be quiet!" urged Betty. "Grace, give her a chocolate! Mollie,lower that wheel again."
Again the "propeller" engaged the ice, and the _Spider_ forged ahead.Grace looked back, and saw where a big crack had appeared. It wasconstantly widening.
Then came a thunderous report. The girls screamed, and Betty almost letgo of the tiller. Then she grasped it more tightly, for she saw, with ashudder of fear, that black water was now all around them.
"Stop! Stop!" cried Betty to Mollie. "Stop the boat! We're on a big cakeof ice and we're floating away! Stop it!"
In an instant Mollie had lifted the wheel, and in the next she had shutof the motor. The _Spider_ with the girl passengers was indeed maroonedon an immense cake of ice, while all about were other cakes, grindingand smashing over one another. The river was breaking up fast.