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The Outdoor Girls in Florida, by Laura Lee Hope, Chapter X - Doubtful Help

Chapter X - Doubtful Help

Betty's words caused her three chums to stare at her in wonder. Then, by glancing over the side of the boat themselves, they confirmed what she had said.

"A—a sand bar," faltered Grace, sinking back among some cushions that matched her dress wonderfully well. Mollie said later that Grace always tried to match something, even if it was only her chocolates.

"A plain, ordinary sand bar," repeated Betty. "One of the men at the dock warned me about them, and even told me how to locate them, by the peculiar ripple of the shallow water over them. But I forgot all about it. Oh dear!" "Well, it can't be so very bad," spoke Mollie, who was idly splashing the water with one hand. "We can't sink, that's a consolation." "Don't do that!" exclaimed Amy quickly. She had "cuddled" closer to Betty following the shock as the boat came to a stop on the concealed bar. "Don't do what?" asked Mollie wonderingly.

"Put your hand in the water. There may be alligators, you know. I think—I'm not sure—but I think I saw something like the head of one a moment ago." Mollie pulled in her hand so suddenly that she flirted a little shower of drops on all in the boat.

"Stop it! You mean thing!" cried Grace.

"Oh, I beg your pardon," spoke Mollie with elaborate politeness. "I didn't think your sailor suit would spot—mine doesn't." "It isn't that—no indeed. I meant Amy—for bringing up such a topic as alligators at this moment, when we can't move. And the ugly creatures always come out on a sand bar to sun themselves; don't they?" "Not on this sand bar," asserted Betty. "It's under water. If it had been out I should have seen it." "I'm sure I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Grace," said Amy humbly, "but really I did not think it was safe for Mollie to put her hand in the water." "Of course it wasn't, you dear!" soothed Mollie, patting Amy softly on the shoulder. "I wasn't thinking of what I was doing." "And I didn't mean anything, either," added Grace, thinking that perhaps she and Mollie had[84] not treated Amy with just the deference due a hostess, for Amy did figure in that role. "Oh, that's all right," said Amy with a smile that seemed always full of warm fellowship and feeling. "I know just how you feel." "Well, I feel wretched—there's no denying that," spoke Betty with a sigh. "To think that I should run you girls on a sand bar, almost on our first trip. Isn't it horrid?" "Well, we'll forgive her if she'll run us off again; won't we, girls?" asked Grace, searching among the cushions.

"Here it is," said Amy with another of her calm smiles, as she produced the box of candy for which Grace was evidently searching. "Thanks. Well, Betty, are you going to get forgiven?" "Which means am I going to get you off this bar? Well, I'm going to do my best. Wait until I take a look at the engine." "What's the matter with it?" asked Mollie quickly, a new cause for alarm dawning in her mind.

"Nothing, I hope," replied Betty. "But we ran on the bar so suddenly that it may be strained from its base." "Is it a baseball engine?" asked Grace languidly. She seemed to have recovered her composure now. Whether it was the fact of her chocolates being safe, or that there was no immediate danger of sinking, or that no alligators were in sight, was not made manifest, but she certainly seemed all right again.

"It's enough of a ball game to have a base, and to be obliged to hold it," said Betty with a smile, as she bent over the machinery, testing the bolts and nuts that held the motor to the bottom of the boat. "I guess it's all right," she added with a sigh of relief. "Now to see if it will operate. But first I think we'd better see if we can push ourselves off with the oars and boat hook," for Betty, knowing that the best of motors may not "mote" at times, carried a pair of long sweeps by which the Gem could laboriously be propelled in case of a break-down. There was also a long hooked pole, for landing purposes.

"Mollie, you take one of the oars, and I'll use the other," directed Betty, for she realized that she and the French girl were stronger than the others. "We'll let Grace and Amy use the hook. Then if we all push together we may get off without further trouble. If that won't answer, we'll try reversing the engine." The machinery had been shut down by Betty immediately following the sudden stop on the bar.

About the stranded craft swirled the muddy river. Bits of driftwood—logs and sticks—floated down, and sometimes there was seen what looked to be the long, knobby nose of an alligator, but the girls were not sure enough of this, and, truth to tell, they much preferred to think of the objects as black logs, or bits of wood. It was much more comforting.

"Are you all ready?" asked the Little Captain as she took her place on one side, well up in the bow, Mollie taking a similar position on the other side. Each held one of the long oars.

"All ready," answered Amy, who had taken up the boat hook. "Wait a minute," begged Grace, looking for something on which to cleanse her hands of the brown smudge of chocolate. "This candy is so sticky!" "There's the whole river to wash in," said Mollie. "'Water, water everywhere,' and not any solid enough to go ashore on," she concluded with a laugh. "I'll never dip my hands in this water—not until I can see bottom," declared Grace, finally selecting a bit of rag that Betty used to polish the brass work of the engine. "As if it would hurt to take hold of the boat hook with chocolate fingers," spoke Mollie a bit[87] sharply. "At any rate one could wash the pole without fear if its being nipped by an alligator." "Don't be silly," directed Grace with flashing eyes. "Well, don't eat so much candy then." "Come, girls, if we're going to get off the bar it's time we tried it," suggested Betty with a smile. She did not want the two tempers, that seemed often on the verge of striking fire, one from the other, to kindle now. There was enough of other trouble, she reasoned.

The oars and pole were thrust into the water ahead of the boat. Bottom was found within a few inches, showing how shallow was the stream over the bar. The prow of the Gem seemed to have buried itself deeply in it.

They pushed and pushed and pushed again, but the only noticeable effect was the bending of the slender pole of the boathook on which Grace and Amy were shoving with all their strength. The motor boat did not budge.

"Once more!" cried Betty.

"I think it moved a little." "I wish—I could—think so!" panted Mollie, as she shifted the position of her oar.

Again they all bent to the task, and Amy and Grace combining their strength on the pole caused it to bend more than ever.

"Stop!" cried Betty, in some alarm. "It will break, and I don't know where I can get another. We'd better try reversing the engine." She sat down in the cushioned cockpit, an example followed by the others. They were breathing rather hard, and presently Betty went into the cabin and came out with some iced orangeade that had been put aboard in a vacuum bottle to retain its coolness.

"Here," she invited, "let's refresh ourselves a bit. I can see that we are going to have trouble." "Trouble?" queried Amy, looking at her chums.

"Yes. We aren't going to get off as easily as I thought." "Do you think we'll ever get off?" asked Grace.

"Of course we will," declared Betty promptly. "I'll never wade or swim ashore—not with the river full of such nasty alligators!" announced Grace.

"Wait until you're asked," cried Mollie. "I'm sure we can get off when the motor is reversed." "The propeller seems to be in deep water," spoke Betty, taking an observation over the stern. "Come back here, girls, and sit down." "It's more comfortable here," objected Grace, languidly. "In fact, if it were not for the fact of being stranded I should like it here." The cockpit was covered by an awning which kept off the hot rays of the sun, and the cushions, as Grace said, were very comfortable.

"But I want to get all the weight possible in the stern," Betty insisted. "That will raise the bow." Understanding what was required of them, the girls moved aft, and perched on the flat, broad deck, while Betty went to start the motor and slip in the reverse clutch.

The engine seemed a bit averse to starting at first, and, for a few seconds, Betty feared that it had suffered some damage. But suddenly it began to hum and throb, gaining in momentum quickly, as it was running free. Betty slowed it down at the throttle, and then, looking aft to see that all was clear, she slipped in the clutch that reversed the propeller.

There was a smother of foam under the stern of the Gem , which trembled and throbbed with the vibration. Betty turned on more power, until finally the maximum, under the circumstances, was reached.

"Are we moving?" she called, anxiously, to her chums.

"Not an inch!" answered Mollie, leaning over to look at the surface of the water. "Not an inch." "We'll try it a little longer," said Betty. "Sometimes it takes a little while to pull loose from the sand." "Suppose some of us go up in the bow and push?" suggested Mollie. "That may help some." "Perhaps; and yet I want to keep the bow as light as possible, so it won't settle down any more in the sand." "I'll go," volunteered Mollie. "One can't make much difference. And I am not so very heavy." "All right," agreed Betty. With one of the oars Mollie pushed hard down into the holding sand, while Betty kept the motor going at full speed, reversed.

But the Gem seemed too fond of her new location to quit it speedily, and the girls, looking anxiously over the side, could see no change in their position.

"It doesn't seem to do any good," wailed Betty, hopelessly, as she slowed down the engine. The water about the craft was very muddy and thick now, caused by the propeller stirring up the bottom of the river.

"I guess we'll have to wade, or swim, ashore," said Amy, in what she meant to be a cheerful voice. "Never!" cried Grace.

"I'll stay here until someone comes for us. Say, we haven't called for help!" she exclaimed, with sudden thought. "We're not so far from either shore but what we could make ourselves heard, I think. Let's give a good call!" "That's so," agreed Mollie. "I never thought of that." The girls looked across to the distant shores. True enough, the banks were not far off—too far to wade or swim, perhaps, but as the day was calm and still their voices might possibly carry.

"There doesn't seem to be much of a population on either side," observed Betty, grimly. "Still there may be houses back from the shore, hidden by the trees. Now, all together." They raised their fresh young voices in a combined call that certainly must have carried to both shores. Then they waited, but nothing happened. Again they called, and again—several times.

"I'll give the first man who comes for us in a boat all the chocolates I have left," bribed Grace. No one appeared to accept.

Again they called, after a little rest, and a sipping of what remained of the orangeade. But to no purpose did their appeals for aid float across across the stretch of muddy water.

Once more Betty tried reversing the engine, and again the girls pushed with the oars and pole. The Gem remained fast on the sandy bar.

"I wonder how it would do if I got out and dug around the bow?" suggested Betty. "The water is shallow on the bar—hardly over my ankles." "Don't you do it!" cried Grace.

"Those horrid——" "Hark!" cried Mollie, with upraised hand, "I hear something." Through the stillness they could all note the regular staccato puffing of the exhaust of a gasoline motor. It drew nearer.

"It's a boat coming!" cried Betty.

A moment later a motor craft swung into view around an upper bend, coming swiftly down the river. But at the sight of it the girls gave a gasp, for it was filled with roughly dressed colored men, while in the stern sat a white man of even more villainous appearance than the blacks. And the boat was headed straight for the stranded Gem . Help was coming indeed, but it was of doubtful quality.

Chapter X - Doubtful Help

Betty's words caused her three chums to stare at her in wonder. Le parole di Betty fecero sì che i suoi tre compagni la guardassero stupiti. Then, by glancing over the side of the boat themselves, they confirmed what she had said.

"A—a sand bar," faltered Grace, sinking back among some cushions that matched her dress wonderfully well. "Una barra di sabbia", disse Grace, sprofondando tra alcuni cuscini che si intonavano meravigliosamente con il suo vestito. Mollie said later that Grace always tried to match something, even if it was only her chocolates.

"A plain, ordinary sand bar," repeated Betty. "Un semplice e comune banco di sabbia", ripeté Betty. "One of the men at the dock warned me about them, and even told me how to locate them, by the peculiar ripple of the shallow water over them. "Uno degli uomini al molo mi ha messo in guardia su di loro e mi ha anche detto come individuarli, grazie alla particolare increspatura dell'acqua bassa sopra di loro. But I forgot all about it. Oh dear!" "Well, it can't be so very bad," spoke Mollie, who was idly splashing the water with one hand. "Beh, non può essere così grave", disse Mollie, che stava oziosamente schizzando l'acqua con una mano. "We can't sink, that's a consolation." "Non possiamo affondare, questa è una consolazione". "Don't do that!" exclaimed Amy quickly. She had "cuddled" closer to Betty following the shock as the boat came to a stop on the concealed bar. Si era "accoccolata" più vicino a Betty dopo la scossa, mentre la barca si fermava sulla barra nascosta. "Don't do what?" asked Mollie wonderingly. chiese Mollie meravigliata.

"Put your hand in the water. There may be alligators, you know. Potrebbero esserci degli alligatori. I think—I'm not sure—but I think I saw something like the head of one a moment ago." Credo - non ne sono sicuro - ma credo di aver visto qualcosa di simile alla testa di uno di loro un momento fa". Mollie pulled in her hand so suddenly that she flirted a little shower of drops on all in the boat. Mollie tirò la mano così all'improvviso che fece cadere una piccola pioggia di gocce su tutti i presenti.

"Stop it! You mean thing!" Brutta bestia!" cried Grace.

"Oh, I beg your pardon," spoke Mollie with elaborate politeness. "I didn't think your sailor suit would spot—mine doesn't." "Non pensavo che la tua tuta da marinaio potesse smacchiare, la mia non lo fa". "It isn't that—no indeed. "Non è questo, anzi, no. I meant Amy—for bringing up such a topic as alligators at this moment, when we can't move. Mi riferivo ad Amy per aver sollevato un argomento come gli alligatori in questo momento, quando non possiamo muoverci. And the ugly creatures always come out on a sand bar to sun themselves; don't they?" "Not on this sand bar," asserted Betty. "It's under water. If it had been out I should have seen it." Se fosse stato fuori l'avrei visto". "I'm sure I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Grace," said Amy humbly, "but really I did not think it was safe for Mollie to put her hand in the water." "Sono sicura che non volevo metterti a disagio, Grace", disse Amy con umiltà, "ma in realtà non pensavo che fosse sicuro per Mollie mettere la mano in acqua". "Of course it wasn't, you dear!" soothed Mollie, patting Amy softly on the shoulder. tranquillizzò Mollie, dando una leggera pacca sulla spalla di Amy. "I wasn't thinking of what I was doing." "Non stavo pensando a quello che stavo facendo". "And I didn't mean anything, either," added Grace, thinking that perhaps she and Mollie had[84] not treated Amy with just the deference due a hostess, for Amy did figure in that role. "E nemmeno io intendevo nulla", aggiunse Grace, pensando che forse lei e Mollie non avevano trattato Amy con la giusta deferenza dovuta a una padrona di casa, perché Amy aveva davvero quel ruolo. "Oh, that's all right," said Amy with a smile that seemed always full of warm fellowship and feeling. "Oh, non c'è problema", disse Amy con un sorriso che sembrava sempre pieno di amicizia e sentimento. "I know just how you feel." "Well, I feel wretched—there's no denying that," spoke Betty with a sigh. "Beh, io mi sento miserabile, non si può negare", disse Betty con un sospiro. "To think that I should run you girls on a sand bar, almost on our first trip. "Pensare che vi ho fatto correre su un banco di sabbia, quasi al nostro primo viaggio. Isn't it horrid?" "Well, we'll forgive her if she'll run us off again; won't we, girls?" "Beh, la perdoneremo se ci farà scappare di nuovo; non è vero, ragazze?". asked Grace, searching among the cushions.

"Here it is," said Amy with another of her calm smiles, as she produced the box of candy for which Grace was evidently searching. "Eccola", disse Amy con un altro dei suoi sorrisi tranquilli, mentre produceva la scatola di caramelle che Grace stava evidentemente cercando. "Thanks. Well, Betty, are you going to get forgiven?" Ebbene, Betty, ti farai perdonare?". "Which means am I going to get you off this bar? "Che significa che ti porterò via da questo bar? Well, I'm going to do my best. Wait until I take a look at the engine." "What's the matter with it?" asked Mollie quickly, a new cause for alarm dawning in her mind. chiese rapidamente Mollie, vedendo sorgere nella sua mente un nuovo motivo di allarme.

"Nothing, I hope," replied Betty. "But we ran on the bar so suddenly that it may be strained from its base." "Ma abbiamo corso sulla barra così all'improvviso che potrebbe essere tesa dalla sua base". "Is it a baseball engine?" asked Grace languidly. chiese Grace languidamente. She seemed to have recovered her composure now. Sembrava aver recuperato la sua compostezza. Whether it was the fact of her chocolates being safe, or that there was no immediate danger of sinking, or that no alligators were in sight, was not made manifest, but she certainly seemed all right again. Non si sa se sia stato il fatto che i suoi cioccolatini erano al sicuro, o che non c'era un pericolo immediato di affondare, o che non c'erano alligatori in vista, ma di certo lei sembrava di nuovo a posto.

"It's enough of a ball game to have a base, and to be obliged to hold it," said Betty with a smile, as she bent over the machinery, testing the bolts and nuts that held the motor to the bottom of the boat. "È già un bel gioco avere una base ed essere obbligati a tenerla", disse Betty con un sorriso, mentre si chinava sul macchinario per testare i bulloni e i dadi che tenevano il motore sul fondo della barca. "I guess it's all right," she added with a sigh of relief. "Now to see if it will operate. "Ora bisogna vedere se funzionerà. But first I think we'd better see if we can push ourselves off with the oars and boat hook," for Betty, knowing that the best of motors may not "mote" at times, carried a pair of long sweeps by which the Gem could laboriously be propelled in case of a break-down. Ma prima credo sia meglio vedere se riusciamo a spingerci al largo con i remi e il gancio della barca", perché Betty, sapendo che anche il migliore dei motori a volte non può "muovere", portava con sé un paio di lunghe spazzole con le quali il Gem poteva essere faticosamente spinto in caso di guasto. There was also a long hooked pole, for landing purposes. C'era anche un lungo palo uncinato, per l'atterraggio.

"Mollie, you take one of the oars, and I'll use the other," directed Betty, for she realized that she and the French girl were stronger than the others. "We'll let Grace and Amy use the hook. Then if we all push together we may get off without further trouble. If that won't answer, we'll try reversing the engine." Se questo non risponde, proveremo a invertire il motore". The machinery had been shut down by Betty immediately following the sudden stop on the bar.

About the stranded craft swirled the muddy river. Intorno all'imbarcazione incagliata turbinava il fiume fangoso. Bits of driftwood—logs and sticks—floated down, and sometimes there was seen what looked to be the long, knobby nose of an alligator, but the girls were not sure enough of this, and, truth to tell, they much preferred to think of the objects as black logs, or bits of wood. Pezzi di legno alla deriva - tronchi e bastoni - galleggiavano verso il basso, e a volte si vedeva quello che sembrava essere il lungo naso nodoso di un alligatore, ma le ragazze non ne erano abbastanza sicure e, a dire il vero, preferivano di gran lunga pensare agli oggetti come tronchi neri o pezzi di legno. It was much more comforting.

"Are you all ready?" asked the Little Captain as she took her place on one side, well up in the bow, Mollie taking a similar position on the other side. Each held one of the long oars. Ognuno teneva uno dei lunghi remi.

"All ready," answered Amy, who had taken up the boat hook. "Wait a minute," begged Grace, looking for something on which to cleanse her hands of the brown smudge of chocolate. "Aspetta un attimo", implorò Grace, cercando qualcosa su cui pulire le mani dalla macchia marrone di cioccolato. "This candy is so sticky!" "Questa caramella è così appiccicosa!". "There's the whole river to wash in," said Mollie. "C'è tutto il fiume per lavarsi", disse Mollie. "'Water, water everywhere,' and not any solid enough to go ashore on," she concluded with a laugh. "I'll never dip my hands in this water—not until I can see bottom," declared Grace, finally selecting a bit of rag that Betty used to polish the brass work of the engine. "Non immergerò mai le mani in quest'acqua, finché non riuscirò a vedere il fondo", dichiarò Grace, scegliendo infine uno straccio che Betty usava per lucidare l'ottone del motore. "As if it would hurt to take hold of the boat hook with chocolate fingers," spoke Mollie a bit[87] sharply. "Come se facesse male afferrare il gancio della barca con le dita di cioccolato", disse Mollie un po' bruscamente[87]. "At any rate one could wash the pole without fear if its being nipped by an alligator." "Don't be silly," directed Grace with flashing eyes. "Well, don't eat so much candy then." "Come, girls, if we're going to get off the bar it's time we tried it," suggested Betty with a smile. "Su, ragazze, se vogliamo scendere dal bar è ora di provarci", suggerì Betty con un sorriso. She did not want the two tempers, that seemed often on the verge of striking fire, one from the other, to kindle now. Non voleva che i due temperamenti, che sembravano spesso sul punto di divampare l'uno dall'altro, si accendessero ora. There was enough of other trouble, she reasoned.

The oars and pole were thrust into the water ahead of the boat. I remi e la pertica furono spinti in acqua davanti alla barca. Bottom was found within a few inches, showing how shallow was the stream over the bar. Il fondo è stato trovato a pochi centimetri, a dimostrazione della scarsa profondità del torrente sopra la barra. The prow of the Gem seemed to have buried itself deeply in it. La prua della Gemma sembrava esservi profondamente interrata.

They pushed and pushed and pushed again, but the only noticeable effect was the bending of the slender pole of the boathook on which Grace and Amy were shoving with all their strength. Spinsero, spinsero e spinsero ancora, ma l'unico effetto apprezzabile fu il piegamento dell'esile palo del canotto su cui Grace e Amy spingevano con tutta la loro forza. The motor boat did not budge. La barca a motore non si è mossa.

"Once more!" cried Betty.

"I think it moved a little." "I wish—I could—think so!" "Vorrei-potrei-pensare che sia così!". panted Mollie, as she shifted the position of her oar. ansimò Mollie, spostando la posizione del remo.

Again they all bent to the task, and Amy and Grace combining their strength on the pole caused it to bend more than ever. Di nuovo tutte si piegarono al compito, e Amy e Grace unendo la loro forza sul palo lo fecero piegare più che mai.

"Stop!" cried Betty, in some alarm. gridò Betty, un po' allarmata. "It will break, and I don't know where I can get another. We'd better try reversing the engine." She sat down in the cushioned cockpit, an example followed by the others. Si sedette nell'abitacolo imbottito, seguendo l'esempio degli altri. They were breathing rather hard, and presently Betty went into the cabin and came out with some iced orangeade that had been put aboard in a vacuum bottle to retain its coolness.

"Here," she invited, "let's refresh ourselves a bit. "Ecco", ha invitato, "rinfreschiamoci un po'. I can see that we are going to have trouble." "Trouble?" queried Amy, looking at her chums.

"Yes. We aren't going to get off as easily as I thought." "Do you think we'll ever get off?" "Pensi che riusciremo mai a scendere?". asked Grace.

"Of course we will," declared Betty promptly. "I'll never wade or swim ashore—not with the river full of such nasty alligators!" "Non guaderò mai o nuoterò fino a riva, non con il fiume pieno di alligatori così cattivi!". announced Grace.

"Wait until you're asked," cried Mollie. "I'm sure we can get off when the motor is reversed." "The propeller seems to be in deep water," spoke Betty, taking an observation over the stern. "L'elica sembra essere in acqua profonda", disse Betty, osservando la poppa. "Come back here, girls, and sit down." "It's more comfortable here," objected Grace, languidly. "In fact, if it were not for the fact of being stranded I should like it here." "In effetti, se non fosse per il fatto di essere bloccati, mi piacerebbe stare qui". The cockpit was covered by an awning which kept off the hot rays of the sun, and the cushions, as Grace said, were very comfortable. Il pozzetto era coperto da un tendalino che teneva lontani i caldi raggi del sole e i cuscini, come ha detto Grace, erano molto comodi.

"But I want to get all the weight possible in the stern," Betty insisted. "Ma voglio mettere tutto il peso possibile a poppa", ha insistito Betty. "That will raise the bow." "Questo alzerà l'arco". Understanding what was required of them, the girls moved aft, and perched on the flat, broad deck, while Betty went to start the motor and slip in the reverse clutch. Comprendendo ciò che era loro richiesto, le ragazze si spostarono a poppa e si appollaiarono sull'ampio ponte piatto, mentre Betty andò ad avviare il motore e a inserire la frizione di retromarcia.

The engine seemed a bit averse to starting at first, and, for a few seconds, Betty feared that it had suffered some damage. All'inizio il motore sembrava un po' restio ad avviarsi e, per qualche secondo, Betty temette che avesse subito qualche danno. But suddenly it began to hum and throb, gaining in momentum quickly, as it was running free. Ma all'improvviso cominciò a ronzare e a pulsare, acquistando rapidamente slancio, mentre correva libero. Betty slowed it down at the throttle, and then, looking aft to see that all was clear, she slipped in the clutch that reversed the propeller. Betty rallentò l'acceleratore e poi, guardando a poppa per verificare che tutto fosse libero, inserì la frizione che invertiva l'elica.

There was a smother of foam under the stern of the Gem , which trembled and throbbed with the vibration. Sotto la poppa della Gemma c'era un mare di schiuma, che tremava e pulsava per le vibrazioni. Betty turned on more power, until finally the maximum, under the circumstances, was reached.

"Are we moving?" she called, anxiously, to her chums.

"Not an inch!" answered Mollie, leaning over to look at the surface of the water. "Not an inch." "We'll try it a little longer," said Betty. "Proveremo ancora un po'", disse Betty. "Sometimes it takes a little while to pull loose from the sand." "A volte ci vuole un po' di tempo per staccarsi dalla sabbia". "Suppose some of us go up in the bow and push?" "E se qualcuno di noi salisse a prua e spingesse?". suggested Mollie. "That may help some." "Perhaps; and yet I want to keep the bow as light as possible, so it won't settle down any more in the sand." "Forse; eppure voglio tenere la prua il più leggera possibile, in modo che non si depositi più nella sabbia". "I'll go," volunteered Mollie. "Vado io", si offrì Mollie. "One can't make much difference. And I am not so very heavy." "All right," agreed Betty. With one of the oars Mollie pushed hard down into the holding sand, while Betty kept the motor going at full speed, reversed.

But the Gem seemed too fond of her new location to quit it speedily, and the girls, looking anxiously over the side, could see no change in their position. Ma la Gemma sembrava troppo affezionata alla sua nuova posizione per abbandonarla in fretta, e le ragazze, guardando ansiosamente oltre la sponda, non vedevano alcun cambiamento nella loro posizione.

"It doesn't seem to do any good," wailed Betty, hopelessly, as she slowed down the engine. "Sembra che non serva a nulla", si lamentò Betty, senza speranza, mentre rallentava il motore. The water about the craft was very muddy and thick now, caused by the propeller stirring up the bottom of the river. L'acqua intorno all'imbarcazione era ora molto fangosa e densa, a causa dell'elica che smuoveva il fondo del fiume.

"I guess we'll have to wade, or swim, ashore," said Amy, in what she meant to be a cheerful voice. "Immagino che dovremo guadare, o nuotare, a riva", disse Amy, con una voce che voleva essere allegra. "Never!" cried Grace.

"I'll stay here until someone comes for us. Say, we haven't called for help!" she exclaimed, with sudden thought. "We're not so far from either shore but what we could make ourselves heard, I think. "Non siamo così lontani da nessuna delle due sponde, ma potremmo farci sentire, credo. Let's give a good call!" "That's so," agreed Mollie. "I never thought of that." The girls looked across to the distant shores. Le ragazze guardarono verso le coste lontane. True enough, the banks were not far off—too far to wade or swim, perhaps, but as the day was calm and still their voices might possibly carry. È vero, le rive non erano lontane - troppo lontane per guadare o nuotare, forse, ma dato che la giornata era calma e immobile, le loro voci avrebbero potuto farsi sentire.

"There doesn't seem to be much of a population on either side," observed Betty, grimly. "Non sembra che ci sia molta popolazione da entrambe le parti", osservò Betty, cupamente. "Still there may be houses back from the shore, hidden by the trees. "Potrebbero comunque esserci delle case dietro la riva, nascoste dagli alberi. Now, all together." They raised their fresh young voices in a combined call that certainly must have carried to both shores. Then they waited, but nothing happened. Again they called, and again—several times.

"I'll give the first man who comes for us in a boat all the chocolates I have left," bribed Grace. "Al primo uomo che verrà a prenderci in barca darò tutti i cioccolatini che mi sono rimasti", disse Grace. No one appeared to accept.

Again they called, after a little rest, and a sipping of what remained of the orangeade. But to no purpose did their appeals for aid float across across the stretch of muddy water. Ma a nulla valsero i loro appelli di aiuto che attraversarono il tratto di acqua fangosa.

Once more Betty tried reversing the engine, and again the girls pushed with the oars and pole. The Gem remained fast on the sandy bar.

"I wonder how it would do if I got out and dug around the bow?" "Mi chiedo come si comporterebbe se uscissi e scavassi intorno alla prua". suggested Betty. "The water is shallow on the bar—hardly over my ankles." "Don't you do it!" cried Grace.

"Those horrid——" "Hark!" "Hark!" cried Mollie, with upraised hand, "I hear something." gridò Mollie, con la mano alzata, "sento qualcosa". Through the stillness they could all note the regular staccato puffing of the exhaust of a gasoline motor. Nell'immobilità tutti potevano notare il regolare sbuffo staccato dello scarico di un motore a benzina. It drew nearer.

"It's a boat coming!" cried Betty.

A moment later a motor craft swung into view around an upper bend, coming swiftly down the river. Un attimo dopo, dietro un'ansa superiore, un'imbarcazione a motore si mise in vista, scendendo rapidamente lungo il fiume. But at the sight of it the girls gave a gasp, for it was filled with roughly dressed colored men, while in the stern sat a white man of even more villainous appearance than the blacks. Ma alla sua vista le ragazze ebbero un sussulto, perché era pieno di uomini di colore vestiti in modo rozzo, mentre a poppa sedeva un bianco dall'aspetto ancora più malvagio dei neri. And the boat was headed straight for the stranded Gem . Help was coming indeed, but it was of doubtful quality.