The Moving Picture Boys and the Flood/Chapter 24
CHAPTER XXIV
RISING WATERS
Others came running out of the tents—Mr. Robertson, Mr. Levinberg, Miss Shay—several other actors and actresses, and also the moving picture operators.
"Look—look!" cried Birdie, pointing to Blake. "Is it Blake, or am I dreaming?"
No one answered her for a moment. They were all too surprised. Then, looking back up the hill, the company of players saw Joe, Mr. Ringold and C. C. Piper.
"How did you get here?"
"Where did you come from?"
"Were you looking for us?"
These were some of the questions rapidly fired back and forth.
"Say!" cried Blake, at length. "Have you anything to eat? We're most starved—nothing but some pilot biscuits that we found in a tin."
"There!" cried Birdie Lee. "I knew we left those biscuits behind. We must have dropped them when we moved our camp. And I did so want them with the canned clam chowder."
"Clam chowder!" cried Joe. "Say, where is it? I'll eat the can itself!"
"But where did you come from? How did you get here?" asked Mr. Levinberg.
"Let's feed them first, and have explanations afterward," suggested Birdie Lee, as she clasped a hand each, of Blake and Joe. "Oh, we are so glad to see you!" she cried, impulsively.
"Just a word of explanation!" begged Mr. Ringold. "I can't understand this. How did you folks get here? We've been looking for you all along the river."
"We hoped somebody would come for us," said Miss Shay. "Have you a boat so you can take us to shore?"
"A boat? No!" cried Blake. "Our motor boat was hit by a raft and sunk, and then the raft hit this island and went to pieces. We're stranded. Haven't you folks a boat?"
"Not a boat," said Mr. Robertson, with a shake of his head. "We're marooned on the island."
"Come on! I'm sure they must be starved!" laughed Birdie Lee. "Feed them first, and talk afterward. At least we have plenty of food."
And, when the moving picture boys and their companions had made a hasty meal, explanations were made.
"We were caught in the flood, when we went to that first island," said Mr. Levinberg, "and carried down the river in our boat."
"And we thought surely we would be drowned," put in Miss Shay.
"But we weren't," resumed the chief actor. "Fortunately our boat was a large one, and we had plenty of food and supplies. We went out equipped for a long stay, you know, with tents that were to be used in some of the island scenes, and many other things. We had time to put most of these aboard the boat, before the flood came.
"Then we tried to get back to Hannibal, but the current was too much for us. So we decided to come on down, and trust to luck. But luck was against us, for our rudder broke, and we could not ship a new one. So we were carried on down, utterly unable to guide our boat.
"We tried to signal for help, but we were carried too far out to allow our signals or cries to be heard by persons in the towns we passed. Anyhow, I guess they had their own troubles. We met no other steamers, and all we could do was to come on with the flood.
"Finally we swashed into a house, and, house, boat and all, we landed on this island, and we've been here ever since," concluded the actor. "We've been hoping against hope that someone would come to our relief, for, though we still have considerable food, it will not last forever."
"But where is the boat in which you came here?" asked Mr. Ringold. "Can't you repair the rudder and use it."
"We haven't the boat now," said Birdie. "The high water carried it away one night, and the house too, though we saved some stuff from it."
"That's right," said Mr. Levinberg, "our boat slipped her cable, and went on down stream. Luckily we had all our supplies out of her.
"We landed at the end of the island where you struck," the actor went on. "We made a camp there, and then moved up here."
"And that's how we left behind the tin of pilot biscuit for clam chowder," said Birdie.
More and detailed explanations of the experiences of the two parties were exchanged, and then preparations were made for housing the four newcomers for the night. There was another tent that could be put up—one of several taken along to be used in the picture films—and with their own bedding our friends were made fairly comfortable.
"Say, but it seems good to eat once more!" remarked Joe, at supper that night. "Nothing but crackers and water—whew!"
"And 'possum!" added Blake, and he told of shooting that animal.
A fairly complete camping outfit had been brought along and saved by the picture players, and this did good service now. Of course the food was all of the canned variety, but even that was welcome in the emergency.
The day after the two parties were united proved bright and sunny, and Joe and Blake took a number of pictures of the players and the flood.
"But the river is still rising," reported Mr. Ringold, with a worried look, as he came back from a trip to the shore of the island. "If it covers this place"
"Where will we be?" asked Mr. Piper.
No one answered him.
And that the water might rise even high enough to completely cover the island seemed very possible, for, in spite of the brightness of the morning, it rained hard in the afternoon.
Inch by inch the waters rose. Faster and madder they swirled past the island on either side. Gradually the area of land grew smaller and smaller.
"We shall have to move the tents," said Mr. Ringold, on the second day. "We must go to the highest point possible."
It was hard work shifting camp in the rain, but it had to be done. Finally the white canvas houses were set up on the top of the knoll whence Blake had looked down to see their friends whom they sought.
And still the rain came down, and still the waters rose.
"Another day, at this rate, and it will be all over—except the swimming," said C. C., grimly.
"Can't we make a raft?" asked Blake. "We have an axe, and there are trees to be cut down."
"Good!" cried Mr. Ringold. "We should have thought of that before. We'll build a raft! On that we may float to safety."