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"Just like an elevator or an electric car, there's always room for just one more," was the way he put it. Frank sat there, listening and thinking, for a couple of hours at least. There was no alarm. Once he thought he heard sounds such as might be made by the movement of a push-pole; but if so, the searching party failed to locate the anchored motor-boat in its new lodgings.
"I can't say that I see him now, for he's somewhere up in the thickest part of the bushy tree; but it must have been something more than a 'coon, because I actually saw the blaze of its eyes!" "Whew!" gasped Landy, looking as though he wanted to drop the push-pole on the spur of the moment; "get your gun, Lil Artha, why don't you?
"We ought to get her in closer before that happens, hadn't, we, fellows?" Step Hen wanted to know. "We've got to try that same, and right away!" declared Thad, as he stooped to once more; pick up a push-pole. "Here, you Step, Hen and Davy, take hold in our place, because you're fresh, and ought to do better work," Giraffe remarked, as he thrust his pole into the hands of the former.
"Guess I was mistaken that time!" said Lil Artha, without cracking a smile, although no doubt he must have been secretly chuckling at the way the handler of the push-pole had shown alacrity in getting out of range. So Landy, with a sheepish grin, managed to get on his feet again, and take the rescued pole from Toby's hands.
"And if they try it, we'll beat them off with the push-pole," declared Ruth. "Keep up your pluck, Helen. They will not really dare hurt us especially if they expect to get money for our release. And I'd like to know," added Ruth, with rather a bitter little laugh, "who will pay my ransom?" "I'll make father pay whatever they ask," whispered Helen.
I'll never forget what you looked like, dangling there on that push-pole, and trying to squirm your legs around it so as to climb up. Want to know what you made me think of, Landy?" "Go on and tell me," said the other, with a tremble in his voice, for he was by this time beginning to feel the effect of his immersion.
Lil Artha looked at Landy tumbling contentedly into the middle of the old skiff, and seemed on the point of saying something; then he shook his head and picked up the push-pole himself.
Perhaps in the end it would prove to be a case of the "last straw on the camel's back," and Lil Artha, casting discretion to the winds, would feel impelled to thrust the push-pole into the inexperienced hands of Landy Smith. He was evidently putting off the evil hour as long as he could, fearful of consequences. So noon came and found them well into the depths of Sassafras Swamp.
"Going to start the motor?" asked Bluff. "Certainly not! It's shallow here, and the push-pole will have to move us along." Saying which, Frank possessed himself of the useful article in question, without which no small boat ever cruises in Florida waters. "I hope we don't get mixed up, and run afoul of those chaps," breathed Will. "I've got them located, all right.
These were not hastily tossed aboard, but placed where they would be out of the way of the one who was using the long push-pole. "Thank goodneth we've got our camp hatchet along," remarked Ted, as he took his place, "tho even if we do lose or bweak our pole we can alwayth cut another one." "Yep, I never go intuh the swamp without my hatchet," asserted Johnny.
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