Chapter XXII - The Everglade Camp

The Loon stood irresolute for a few seconds. He seemed to want to rush off into the dark woods again, and evidently expected the girls to follow him. But, though they were very anxious to effect the rescue of their friend Tom, and the other unknown, held in some distant camp, Betty and her chums would take no risks. Ma, sebbene fossero molto ansiosi di salvare il loro amico Tom e gli altri sconosciuti, detenuti in qualche campo lontano, Betty e i suoi compagni non volevano correre rischi.

"Come!" called the Little Captain to the simple-minded lad, "we will go for help, and soon be back here—if you can guide us." "Oh, yes, I know the way all over these parts—even in the Everglades." "Are there Everglades  here?" "Ci sono le Everglades qui?" asked Mollie, who had heard much of those strange, floating forests.

"A small patch," answered The Loon,"but not much like the real Everglades.It is a big swampy tract, and the camp is in there." "Una piccola zona", rispose il Loon, "ma non è molto simile alle vere Everglades: è un grande tratto paludoso, e il campo è lì dentro". "A turpentine camp?" asked Grace, filled with sudden hope.

"No, the bosses are getting out a certain kind of wood. Oh! but it is hard work. The wood is partly under water, and the bugs and mosquitoes and alligators are terrible. I ran away, for I couldn't stand it." "Poor fellow," murmured Amy. "Oh, to think of Tom Osborne and some other young fellow being there." "Just like my poor brother Will," agreed Grace. "Oh, I wonder if he could be the 'other one' he refers to! Listen," she went on to the simple youth eagerly, "I am going to describe a young man to you. I want you to tell me if he is like the one you once tried to rescue—the time you saved our boat," and she gave a close description of her brother. "Is the 'other one' like that?" she asked breathlessly.

The Loon shook his head.

"No," he said slowly, "not at all like that. He is very thin, this one, and he is lame." È molto magro, questo qui, ed è zoppo". "Oh dear!" half sobbed Grace. "I was beginning to have such hope!" "Never mind," consoled Betty. "We will find your brother yet. Come now, we are losing time. Come, Harry,"she said gently. "And the other one, too?" he asked eagerly. "I promised I would help him, and took his money; but I lost it." "Ho promesso di aiutarlo e ho preso i suoi soldi, ma li ho persi". "Yes, we will rescue him, too," said Betty. "Come now." The Loon was satisfied that his friend would be helped, so he sprang into the boat. Betty started the engine and then, with the powerful gas headlight aglow, she turned the wheel over to The Loon. Betty accese il motore e poi, con il potente faro a gas acceso, girò il volante verso il Loon.

However simple-minded the poor youth might be,however undecided and timid in the forest, he seemed to be a new person on the water. Per quanto il povero giovane potesse essere semplice, indeciso e timido nella foresta, sull'acqua sembrava una persona nuova. There was a self-reliance about him, a poise and a certain ability that he seemed to have acquired suddenly. C'era una sicurezza in lui, un portamento e una certa abilità che sembrava aver acquisito all'improvviso. Without a trace of hesitation he guided the boat through the winding course of the creek that flowed into the main stream. Senza alcuna esitazione, guidò la barca attraverso il corso tortuoso dell'insenatura che confluiva nel torrente principale.

Coming to the turn he took an entirely different direction from that followed by the girls.

"That's where we made our mistake! "exclaimed Mollie. The Loon did not respond—he was too busy peering ahead at the dark water, which was illuminated only for a comparatively short distance by the search light. Il Loon non rispose: era troppo impegnato a scrutare l'acqua scura, illuminata solo per una distanza relativamente breve dalla luce di ricerca.

"Suppose—suppose we hit—an alligator! "Supponiamo... supponiamo di colpire un alligatore! "voiced Grace. "Don't suppose at all," retorted Betty. "It's bad for the nerves." It was now so dark that the girls could not see just the course taken, and so could not know where it was they had made other mistakes. Era ormai così buio che le ragazze non riuscivano a vedere il percorso fatto e quindi non potevano sapere dove avevano commesso altri errori. But the darkness did not seem to bother The Loon. Ma l'oscurità non sembrava preoccupare il Loon. Like the bird whose name he bore he seemed able to see in the gloom as well as in the light. Come l'uccello di cui portava il nome, sembrava in grado di vedere sia nel buio che nella luce.

"Are we coming back with the men when they make the rescue?" "Torneremo con gli uomini quando faranno il salvataggio?". asked Grace.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Amy. "I'd be afraid." "I wouldn't!" declared Mollie. "I think we ought to come along." "Penso che dovremmo venire anche noi". "So do I!" added Grace. "That other one, of whom Harry spoke, may be my brother after all; even if it isn't a turpentine camp we are going to." "Quell'altro, di cui parlava Harry, potrebbe essere mio fratello, dopotutto; anche se non è un campo di trementina quello in cui stiamo andando". "It hardly seems possible," objected Betty. "The description is so different. And Will isn't lame." "No," responded Grace, in a low voice. "But, oh, how I wish we could rescue him!" "Ma, oh, come vorrei che potessimo salvarlo!". "Did this other young man—the one who gave you money—tell you his name?" "L'altro giovane, quello che ti ha dato i soldi, ti ha detto il suo nome?". asked Betty, determined to try again to bring some glimmer of memory to The Loon. chiese Betty, decisa a riprovare a portare qualche barlume di memoria al Loon.

"Yes," answered the simple-minded lad,"but I can't think of it. "Sì", rispose il ragazzo sempliciotto, "ma non riesco a pensarci. My mind isn't all there," he added cheerfully, as though it was something to be proud of. "It wasn't Will, was it?" asked Grace.

"No. The men called him Hippity-hop, 'cause he was lame, I guess. Gli uomini lo chiamavano Hippity-hop, perché era zoppo, credo. But maybe I could find your brother." "I wish someone could," murmured Grace,with a half sob. The Gem chugged on through the darkness,making turn after turn, twisting here and there in the water, The Loon seeming to know the channel perfectly. In a much shorter time than the girls had expected they made a turn that a few seconds later brought them out on a broad stream.

"Now I know where we are!" cried Betty. "This is the Mayfair river—our river;isn't it?" "Questo è il fiume Mayfair, il nostro fiume, non è vero?". "Yes," answered The Loon. "We shall soon be at your orange grove now." A few minutes later they saw a sudden glare of light and heard the firing of guns. Then they noticed boats here and there on the stream, each one containing several lanterns, while the occupants were shouting from time to time.

"Look! Look!" exclaimed Grace.

"Hush!" called Betty. "They are calling us!" The girls could distinguish their names being spoken.

"They're searching for us!" cried Mollie. "Here we are!" she shouted, and her voice carried to the searchers and as they saw the lights of the Gem the boats converged toward her.

Mr. Stonington and Mr. Hammond were in one, and Amy's "uncle" greeted her and the others with alarm in his tones. Il signor Stonington e il signor Hammond erano in uno di essi, e lo "zio" di Amy salutò lei e gli altri con toni allarmati. "What happened? Where were you? We have imagined all sorts of terrible things about you." "We got lost," explained Betty quickly,"and some men have captured Tom. They are holding him a prisoner in an Everglade camp. This young man can take us back there. Questo giovane può riportarci lì. We must rescue him," and they quickly filled in the other details of the story. Dobbiamo salvarlo", e rapidamente riempirono gli altri dettagli della storia. "Well, this beats all!" exclaimed Mr.Hammond. "Those timber men are getting worse and worse all the while.We'll have to teach them a lesson!" "Quegli uomini del legno stanno sempre peggio. Dovremo dargli una lezione!". "Will you rescue them?" asked The Loon.

"Surely, Harry," spoke the foreman, who knew the simple-minded lad. "We'll get right after the fellows. "Ci metteremo subito alle calcagna dei ragazzi. What do you say, Mr. Stonington?" "I say yes, of course." "And may we come?" asked Grace.

"My brother may be there." The two men did not answer for a moment. Then Mr.Hammond said in a low voice:

"Their launch would come in useful, and really there is not much danger in day light." "Il loro lancio sarebbe utile, e in realtà non c'è molto pericolo alla luce del giorno". "Very well," said Mr. Stonington. "I'll go along too." "Aren't you going to rescue them tonight?" asked The Loon.

"It would be impossible, Harry," said Mr.Hammond, gently. "They might escape in the darkness, and take your friend,and Tom, with them. We'll get ready to descend on their camp at day break. Ci prepareremo a scendere nel loro campo all'alba. That will be best." After some thought The Loon agreed to this, and those in the other searching boats, one or two of them being small launches, having been informed of the return of the girls, the whole flotilla went back to the orange grove. Dopo aver riflettuto un po', il Loon acconsentì e i membri delle altre imbarcazioni da ricerca, una o due delle quali erano piccole lance, essendo stati informati del ritorno delle ragazze, l'intera flottiglia tornò all'aranceto.

The Loon was given a place to sleep, and then the girls told more of their story. Mr. Stonington told how, becoming worried over the long stay of the young people, he had organized a searching party, getting more and more alarmed as the hours went by without the return of Betty and her chums. Il signor Stonington ha raccontato che, preoccupato per la lunga permanenza dei giovani, aveva organizzato una squadra di ricerca, sempre più allarmata man mano che passavano le ore senza che Betty e i suoi compagni facessero ritorno.

It was rather a restless night in Orangeade, and all were astir early, for they wanted to be at the Everglade camp by daylight. Fu una notte piuttosto agitata a Orangeade, e tutti si svegliarono presto, perché volevano essere al campo di Everglade prima della luce del giorno. Two extra launches besides the Gem made the trip, the others carrying a number of sturdy men headed by Mr. Hammond. Oltre alla Gemma, due altre lance fecero il viaggio, trasportando un certo numero di uomini robusti guidati dal signor Hammond. Mr. Stonington went with the girls, The Loon steering. Il signor Stonington è andato con le ragazze, il governo Loon.

By taking a little different course the boats were able to approach close to the camp in the forest fastness, and at a signal from The Loon all came to a stop. Prendendo una rotta leggermente diversa, le barche riuscirono ad avvicinarsi all'accampamento nella foresta e, a un segnale del Loon, si fermarono.

"We had better walk the rest of the way,"said the half-witted lad. "È meglio camminare per il resto della strada", disse il ragazzo mezzo scemo. "They may hear the boats." "Good idea," said Mr. Hammond. "Harry is smarter than any of us think." "Harry è più intelligente di quanto tutti noi pensiamo". A faint gleam of light was beginning to straggle through the trees when the party, with The Loon in the lead, set off to march to the Everglade camp. Un debole barlume di luce cominciava a filtrare tra gli alberi quando il gruppo, con Loon in testa, si mise in marcia verso l'accampamento di Everglade. There was a narrow trail, and Mr. Stonington insisted on the girls keeping to the rear.

Silent was the approach, and the only sounds heard were those made by the awakening denizens of the woods. L'avvicinamento fu silenzioso e gli unici suoni che si udirono furono quelli prodotti dagli abitanti del bosco che si risvegliavano. Presently those in front of the girls halted. Di lì a poco quelli davanti alle ragazze si fermarono. Word was whispered back along the line: Le voci si sussurravano lungo la linea:

"We're there!" "Ci siamo!" "Then don't you come any farther," said Mr. Stonington to Betty and the others. "Allora non andate oltre", disse il signor Stonington a Betty e agli altri. "There may be no trouble; but it's best to be on the safe side. We'll bring the rescued ones back here." Riporteremo qui quelli salvati". Wondering what would happen, and not a little alarmed, the girls waited. Chiedendosi cosa sarebbe successo e non poco allarmate, le ragazze aspettarono.