CAPTURED
Hampered by their shoes and clothing the boys could not make much
headway in the water. Fenn, who was not a very good swimmer, was the
last to strike out. Bart caught a glimpse of him, and saw the bag
settling down over his chum.
He turned and grabbed Fenn by the shoulder, pulling him out of the way
just as the silken folds settled down on top of the water.
"What's the matter? What has happened?" cried a voice through the
darkness, and the boys saw lights from a boat flashing in their faces.
Then they noticed a big barge looming up, and struck out for it.
"Throw us a line!" called Bart.
Aboard the boat men were running to and fro and calling to one another.
More lights flashed out and several figures appeared at the sides. Then
ropes splashed into the water.
Bart and Fenn each grabbed one and began to pull themselves aboard. Ned
and Frank were on the other side of the barge. There also, men had cast
cables into the river and their splash told the swimming boys there was
help at hand. They grabbed the lines, and soon all four were standing on
the deck of the craft.
"Well, where did you all come from?" asked a hearty voice and a big man,
his face almost concealed by a beard, that covered everything except his
eyes, strode forward.
"From the balloon," replied Ned.
"So that's what that big thing was that flopped down here, eh?" asked
the man. "Well, you had quite a time of it. Who are you, anyhow, airship
men?"
Ned told their names, and related how the balloon had broken away,
taking them with it.
"I guess it's valuable," he added. "Maybe if you took it aboard you
could get a reward."
"We've got something else to do besides saving balloons," the bearded
man replied. "Delayed our trip as it was, pulling you chaps from the
water, but I don't mind that. Let 'em send for their old gas bag if they
want it. Guess it won't run away."
"Are you the captain of this boat?" asked Bart, taking off his coat and
wringing some of the water out of it.
"That's what I am, Captain Needham, of the steam barge _Comet_. At
present under sealed orders," and he laughed.
"Where are we?" asked Frank.
"On the Still river, just above Dunkirk," replied the captain.
"How far is that from Darewell?" inquired Bart.
"Are you from Darewell?" asked Captain Needham quickly, and he looked
sharply at the boys who stood in a circle of light cast by several
lanterns.
"Yes. That's where we live," replied Bart.
"Well, you're about fifty miles from home."
"Which way are you going?" asked Frank, as the barge was anchored then,
and the boys had not had time to notice in which direction she was
headed.
"We're going up the river."
"Then I guess we'd better go ashore," remarked Ned. "We don't want to
get any further away from home. We must send word to our folks that
we're safe."
"Of course," spoke the captain. "It's going to be a little difficult
though. There's no telephone in Dunkirk, and you'll have to tramp five
miles to send a message. You'd better stay aboard until we get to
Flanders, that's the next town above. We'll be there by morning, and
you can wire from there."
"I think we'd better go ashore now and take our chances at getting a
message through to-night," Frank said. "Maybe we can hire a carriage in
Dunkirk."
"Well now, I hate to interfere with your plans," the captain said, "but
I'm behindhand now, and I can't stop to put you ashore. You'll have to
wait until morning."
"One of us could swim ashore and send a message," put in Ned. "We really
ought to send one."
"Well, go below to the engine room and get dried out first," the captain
advised. "The river is full of rocks here and it's a bad place to swim.
The banks are a mass of muck, like quick-sand, dangerous to venture
into. You get your clothes off and we'll soon have 'em dry. By that time
we'll be in a better place for swimming. Besides you must be hungry.
We're under way again."
As he spoke there was a throbbing to the barge that told the boys the
engine had been started. The anchor was hauled up and the boat again
started up the river. It was too dark to see more than the dim outline
of the big gas bag as it rested partly on shore and partly in the water.
"Yes, I guess drying-out wouldn't hurt us," Frank said. "But after that
we must get word to the folks if we have to walk ten miles."
"That's right," agreed his chums.
"Suit yourselves," the captain said. "Now come on with me and I'll fix
you up."
He led the way to the engine room, and turned the boys over to one of
the deck hands. The latter collected from the men some old garments the
boys could don while their own were drying. Their change consisted of
nothing but a jumper and a pair of overalls each, but it was warm in the
engine room and they did not mind. Their soaking clothing and shoes were
soon in the process of steaming dry on hot pipes.
"'All's well that ends well'" quoted Frank. "We certainly did have a
strenuous time of it for a while though."
"Wonder where this barge is going to?" said Ned. "It's a bigger one than
I ever saw on the river before. It's got a lot of machinery aboard,
too."
"That doesn't interest me so much as the question of when they have
supper," came from Bart. "I'm getting warm and dry and I begin to feel
my appetite coming back."
They were close to the big boiler where it was warm enough to almost
bake bread. As they were huddled there, getting the river chill out of
them, they heard somebody approaching down the passage that led to the
engine room.
"Hope it's someone to say supper is ready," spoke Fenn.
"Captain Needham says you are to--" a voice began and then it suddenly
stopped. The chums looked up and saw, in the glare from a lantern, a
youth staring at them.
"Sandy Merton!" exclaimed Ned.
At this the other boys pressed forward to get a look at the lad who had
acted so strangely of late. But Sandy did not give them a chance. He
turned and fairly ran from the engine room.
"Well of all the odd places we come across that chap this is the
queerest," spoke Ned. "What in the world can he be doing here?"
"Just what I was going to ask," Bart said. "It looks funny. We must ask
Captain Needham."
"Ah, boys, getting warmed through?" asked a voice, and Captain Needham
appeared a little later. "Well, you look pretty comfortable. Guess
you're ready for supper."
"You're a good guesser, sir," said Fenn with a laugh.
"Right this way then," the captain went on quickly, opening a small door
which led from the engine room. "I'll have something sent in here.
There's a table and some chairs. It's warm and you can dress in there
when your clothes are dry."
The boys went into the apartment he indicated. It was lighted by a small
hanging lamp. They sat down to the table, presenting a queer sight in
the overalls and jumpers several sizes too large for them. In a little
while a man came in with a big tray on which were plates of beef-stew,
cups of coffee and plenty of bread and butter.
"Sort of a pick-up meal," Captain Needham said, as he looked in on them
a little later, when they were in the midst of it. "Best we could do in
a hurry. We don't often have people drop in on us out of a balloon for
supper," and he laughed.
"Say, captain," began Ned. "Is that boy--"
"I'll be back in a little while," called the captain, as he closed the
door, leaving the chums alone.
"I was going to ask him about Sandy," added Ned.
"It'll keep," remarked Bart.
The boys finished their meal and felt better.
"I'd like to get into my clothes," remarked Fenn. "I want to see about
sending a message home. We must be out of the dangerous part of the
river now."
"Open the door and we'll go back to the engine room and see if they
aren't dry," suggested Frank.
Bart, who was nearest, turned the knob. The door did not open.
"Stuck, I guess," he said, and gave it a yank. It moved a bit, but only
enough to show that it was fastened in some way.
"Locked!" exclaimed Ned. "They've locked us in!"