DAVE AND THE WATER SNAKE
"Help me, Captain Broadbeam!"
"What's the matter, Dave?"
"A water snake has me by the leg."
Before Dave could say more the water snake began to pull so fiercely
that the head of the young diver was forced under the water.
He struggled desperately, trying his best to get away.
But now the reptile swung the fore part of its body around and embraced
Dave's other leg, rendering the youth almost helpless.
The young diver kicked as hard as he could, but the reptile only clung
the closer.
Down went the youth, until he felt that he must be drowned or strangled
to death.
He was afraid to feel for the snake with his hands for fear of losing
control of those members also.
With a wild effort he arose almost to the surface, so that he could see
above him.
Whizz! It was a rope, thrown to him by Captain Broadbeam. It belonged
to the rowboat and the captain had been carrying it, thinking it might
be useful in one way or another.
The end of the rope just failed to reach Dave, but as soon as he saw it
the young diver did his best to get hold of the object.
His breath was fast leaving him when he managed to clutch the rope with
one hand. Then he drew it towards him and caught it with his other hand
also.
Captain Broadbeam was watching anxiously, and as soon as he felt the
rope tighten he began to haul in, slowly at first and then with might
and main.
Nearer to shore came Dave, dragging the horrible water snake behind
him. In vain the reptile tried to stay its progress. Then it thrashed
around and caught Dave at the neck.
In self-defense the youth had to take one hand and try to force the
water snake away. But this could not be done.
At last Dave could walk on the bottom, and then he struggled into shore
with all speed.
As he did this, Captain Broadbeam came to his assistance, and clutched
at the reptile.
But the water snake was out of its element on land, and in a trice it
loosened itself, dropped back into the ocean, and disappeared.
Dave was so exhausted he pitched headlong on the sand, where he lay,
panting for breath.
"Did he sting you?" queried the captain, anxiously.
"I don't think so," was the gasped-out reply. "But he came pretty close
to drowning me!"
"I reckon you won't go bathing again lad."
"Not for a million dollars!"
"That's the worst of bathing in unknown waters. You don't know what you
are going to run up against."
"I didn't imagine there were water snakes here."
After resting awhile, Dave dressed himself, and the pair went back to
the camp.
Dave was delighted to note that Bob was recovering rapidly and that Pat
Stoodles was also doing as well as could be expected.
"You want to be careful, Dave," said Bob. "We can't afford to lose you."
"And I don't want to be lost," answered the young diver, grimly.
"Have you seen anything of the savages?"
"Not a sign."
"They must wonder what has become of us."
"Perhaps they think we escaped to the ship."
"If we only had!"
"That is so, Bob, but we have got to make the best of it."
"And you can't see a sign of the ship anywhere?"
"Not the least bit of a sign."
"Too bad!" and the young engineer gave a deep sigh.
Slowly the hours dragged by. It was very warm, but there were signs of
a storm in the air.
Dave set to work to gather some firewood, thinking a good fire would
serve to keep them comfortable in case of a heavy rain.
"I shouldn't be surprised if we got a heavy one, when it does come,"
remarked Captain Broadbeam, as he gazed at the sky.
"Storms in the tropics are apt to prove severe," said Doctor Barrell.
Having collected the firewood, Dave went out with his bow and arrows to
see if he could bring down some more birds.
At first he moved but a short distance from the camp, but presently he
saw some extra fine birds at a distance and followed them toward the
north shore of the island.
He had just brought down one bird and was trying for a second when the
storm broke and the rain began to come down heavily.
"This is severe, and no mistake," he murmured. "Guess I'll have to find
shelter unless I want to get soaked."
Not far away were some tall rocks, backed up by a clump of bushes and
vines.
The young diver moved towards the rocks on the run. He was but a few
feet away when he saw an opening in front of him--a split in the rocks
of unknown depth.
He tried to step back to safety, but it was too late. His feet slipped
and down he went for several yards.
"Hullo, this won't do!" he cried. "I don't want to get into another
underground cave!"
He tried to climb up the rocks, but again his feet slipped and he went
down a yard or two more. This time he struck a solid flooring of rocks,
so to descend further was impossible.
"Thank fortune the hole isn't any deeper," he said half aloud.
The fall had shaken him up somewhat and for the minute he remained
where he was, trying to get back his breath.
He noticed that the rocks around him were all perfectly smooth, but did
not realize what this meant until he tried to crawl to the top of the
opening.
He could not get a hold anywhere, and as often as he got up a foot or
two, he slipped back again.
"Well, this is provoking, to say the least," he muttered. "How in the
world am I to get out of here?"
The rain was now pouring down steadily, and in a very few minutes he
was wet to the skin.
"If I had a rope or a pole I might get out," he reasoned. But he had
absolutely nothing with which to help himself.
A quarter of an hour went by and then to Dave's alarm he found the
water pouring into the hole steadily from a rivulet above. Soon the
water was up to his ankles and it arose steadily to his knees.
The storm was now on in all of its fury, and in the forest he could
hear the trees swaying and snapping under the pressure of the high wind
that was blowing.
Again he made an effort to crawl out of the opening. But the rocks
were now wet and slippery and afforded no foothold whatever.
The wind was increasing steadily until it blew a regular hurricane.
High overhead he saw some branches of trees sailing through the air.
"I hope those in camp are safe," he said to himself.
A little later came an extra heavy blast of wind. There followed a
great crashing, and in an instant a big tree fell directly over the
opening, cutting off much of the light above.
One of the tree branches pressed down on Dave's head, forcing him to a
sitting position in the hole.
"This is the worst yet!" he muttered, after he realized that he was not
harmed. "Now I am a regular prisoner. I can't move that tree, that's
sure!"
By the aid of the tree limb the young diver crawled upward until he
reached the trunk across the opening.
The branches were so thick he had to literally force his way along.
The opening was almost closed by the big tree trunk, but to one side
there were several loose rocks, and after an effort he succeeded in
shoving them into the hole and thus making a place through which he
crawled, although, not without great difficulty.
He was now free once more, and despite the fury of the elements set off
for the camp with all speed.
To travel was not easy, and often he had to make a detour in order to
avoid a fallen tree or a deep pool of water.
He was still a short distance from camp when there came another
terrific whirl of wind that sent tree limbs flying in all directions.
One struck Dave on the shoulder and hurled him flat.
"Phew! this is awful!" he muttered, and then stopped short, as a cry
from a distance reached his ears.
"Help! help!" came in Doctor Barrell's voice. "Help, or I shall be
killed!"