UNDER FIRE ON THE RIVER
Later on the four boys made themselves as comfortable as the conditions
allowed, and tried to settle down for the night. Buster had carried out
his words, and managed to gather enough shavings to make a soft bed on
the floor, using his blanket to cover the same. Josh imitated his
example, but the others were satisfied to occupy their old places in the
boat.
None of them slept soundly, and for good reasons. The recent excitement
made such an impression on their minds that they could not for a long
time stop thinking about the visit of the mob.
Then again there was always the chance that some of the wilder spirits
might think they had been cheated out of some fun, and come back in the
small hours of the night to renew the trouble.
Several times, when some sound was heard that at another time would
hardly have been noticed, one or more of the seeming sleepers would
raise his head to listen, proving that sleep had been remote at the
time. Buster in particular was uneasy, and even after he managed to get
asleep Josh declared he tossed about and muttered to himself at a fierce
rate.
But, after all, their fears proved groundless. The townspeople had
accepted them at their face value, and did not mean to bother the
strangers again. No one came prowling around the boatshop during the
balance of the night; and with the arrival of dawn the boys were all up,
ready to cook breakfast and clear the shop so that the proprietor could
get busy.
They had a simple meal, only coffee, boiled eggs and buttered toast; but
every one ate all he wished, so there was no complaints coming.
Then came the owner of the boatyard and shop, who was greatly surprised
when he learned what had happened on the preceding night. He seemed
indignant at first, but calmed down when he heard how the mob had
changed from enemies into friends after finding that the boys were from
America.
He told Jack that he could give a surmise as to what had prompted the
attack. Strangely enough, it concerned that story of the four desperate
young Serbians who, according to accounts, were said to have started for
Vienna with the avowed intention of depriving Austria-Hungary of their
beloved old emperor, just as some other wild spirits had murdered the
heir apparent and his wife.
Apparently this story was believed by all who heard it. Those Serbians
were getting very bold of late, and nothing seemed to be beyond them.
They were also earning the mortal hatred of the Hungarians, Jack could
see.
When the assistant worker arrived the two of them began to overhaul the
engine of the powerboat. George stood around every minute of the time
and watched, as well as asked innumerable questions. The others,
however, made him promise not to offer to render the least assistance.
They knew George’s failings, and feared that if he once got to pottering
with that engine it was surely doomed.
Apparently the man knew his business thoroughly. Jack, after seeing how
he went at matters, felt sure the trouble would soon be located and
remedied, when they might go on their way rejoicing.
It was about ten o’clock when the engine was started up and responded
handsomely. Buster gave a whoop of delight, while Josh swung his hat
above his head, and the others also smiled in satisfaction.
“Everything is lovely and the goose hangs high!” Josh announced, as he
jumped up and chinned himself against a handy rafter of the low shed.
“We can all see that without your telling us, Josh,” George chuckled.
Of course, every one was in a fine humor now. Their stop had not proven
so serious after all, since they had only lost a few hours. As to the
sum asked by the machinist, that did not bother them at all, since there
was plenty more where that money came from.
As there was now nothing to delay them, they said good-by to their
friend of the boatyard and were soon moving down the river again,
delighted at their good fortune.
“Another odd experience, that’s all,” sang Josh, as they took their last
look back at the town on the point before turning another bend that
would hide it entirely from view.
“But at one time, I tell you, it promised to be pretty serious,” Buster
asserted. “We’ve got one asset, though, that never fails us.”
“What’s that?” asked George.
“The Stormways luck!” laughed the fat chum. “In fair weather and foul,
and through storm and stress it can always be depended on to bridge over
all difficulties and drag us out of every old mud-hole or swamp. If you
look back to our past career you’ll find that what I’m telling you is
nothing but the honest truth. It’s better to be born lucky than rich
any day.”
Jack only laughed at hearing this. He knew that luck alone is rather a
flimsy foundation to pin confidence on, and that there is something more
needed; but it was not for him to say as much. If his comrades believed
it all a matter of accident, they were welcome to the delusion.
Somehow they enjoyed the sensation of freedom more than ever on this
day. Perhaps that came from the unpleasant experience of the preceding
night, when they found themselves in danger from the angry mob.
It was not long before Josh broke out in song and amused himself for a
spell, entertaining his chums as well, for he had a pretty good voice.
When they were passing through a hilly region, with rather abrupt walls
on either shore, it was a peculiar experience that befell them.
“Somebody’s mocking you, Josh!” cried Buster indignantly, when they all
heard a voice distinctly repeat the last few words of the song Josh had
finished.
Jack smiled to see the other three look hastily around, for he guessed
the secret immediately.
“Try again, Josh, and see if he keeps it up,” he went on to say, and
when once more the same mocking call came back to them Josh began to
grow quite “huffy.”
“Think yourself smart, don’t you?” he shouted, shaking his fist toward
that point from whence it seemed the taunting voice hailed.
“Smart, don’t you!” came immediately back at him.
Then Buster must have seen a great light, for he gave a loud laugh.
“Say, don’t feel like hitting him, Josh, because it’s only an _echo_!”
he gurgled.
“Don’t you believe it!” snapped George. “No echo could ever repeat words
as plain as that.”
“Try it yourself and see, George,” advised Jack, and, realizing that he
was in a poor minority, George did give a shout, only to have it sent
back with an abruptness and energy that startled him.
The doubter was apparently convinced, though he kept saying that he
never would have believed it possible for an echo to repeat such things.
As they were speeding along with the current they quickly passed beyond
the magic range, and hence Buster received no answer when he shouted
lustily at the rocky hillside.
As they had lost so much time that morning, it was decided not to make
any stop at noon. They could manage on some cold lunch, and wait until
night came along to do their cooking.
They frequently saw other boats on the river. Many of these were clumsy
affairs and evidently owned by farmers, who were in the habit of getting
their produce to market in this way. Occasionally they passed a small
pleasure boat loaded with people, who, like most excursionists, waved
their hands and handkerchiefs at the four comely lads aboard the
chugging motorboat.
Seeing Jack, who had temporarily handed the wheel over to George,
examining his little chart of the river, procured in Vienna, Josh came
and dropped down beside him.
As usual, Josh bristled with interrogation points. He came of Yankee
ancestry and never could pick up enough information to satisfy himself.
There was always a yearning to “know” whenever Josh came around, and he
would go straight to the heart of the matter without any beating about
the bush.
“Making pretty good time, eh, Jack?” he went on to say as a prelude.
“Splendid, Josh, and I’m thinking that overhauling is going to pay us
fairly well in the end. It certainly has increased the speed capacity
of the boat by a mile an hour, according to my reckoning.”
“Bully for that!” ejaculated the other; “and provided we keep this same
pace up for five or six hours more, whereabouts do you think we might
stop over night?”
Jack must have been doing a little figuring along those same lines
himself, for as Josh leaned over he put the point of his lead pencil
close to a cross he had made on the chart further along.
“Providing all goes well, that’s about where we ought to fetch up on
this day’s run,” he told Josh.
“Looks like we might get to the Serbian border then by another night,
eh, Jack?”
“That’s possible, unless we have another accident, or get held up some
way or other. While we may figure as much as we please, it’s never wise
to count your chickens, Josh, before the eggs are hatched. There’s
always a big IF confronting us, because we’re doing this thing under
peculiar conditions, you know.”
“By that I suppose you mean the plagued old war that had to break out
just when we got well started on our way?” complained Josh.
From one subject he launched into another, until he had pumped Jack
dry--at least the other laughingly told him so as he scrambled to his
feet, after replacing his chart in his pocket, and went over to relieve
George.
The long afternoon was wearing away, and so far everything seemed to be
going on all right. Buster called attention to this fact every little
while, as though it occupied a prominent place in his mind.
He even allowed himself to remember that he had promised to try and
duplicate his fishing feat and supply the party with a change in
breakfast food.
“Josh,” he went on to say, “are you game to run another race this
evening with the balance of our grubs? They’ve kept alive all right, and
ought to be good for a mess of fine fish.”
“I’m your meal ticket,” cheerily announced the other. “Count me in the
game if the chance opens up; and I hope we have as good luck as that
other time. But say, there’s a queer looking boat away down the river
that I don’t seem to be able to make head or tail of. Somebody take a
look and tell me what you think.”
At that there was a general craning of necks. Then Buster announced his
opinion.
“Whatever she is, I think they’re anchored in the stream, because I
can’t see any movement at all.”
“But that looks like smoke coming from a stack of some sort,” George
observed, as he cupped both hands in order to shield his eyes from the
bright sunlight, in this way securing better results.
“Strikes me it’s a cheese box on a raft of some sort,” Josh gave as a
hazard.
“Why, Josh, that was the name the Confederates gave the Monitor in our
civil war, you know,” burst out Buster; “the single round turret was
built on a low deck just a little above the water, and I suppose it did
look like a cheese box, such as you can see in the grocery stores at
home.”
“Between you,” said Jack just then, “you’ve guessed it.”
“Do you mean it’s really and truly a monitor?” demanded George
skeptically.
“I’ve understood that Austria had a number of these river gunboats down
here, and I think they all mount pretty big guns, as well as being
armored,” Jack went on to say.
“But what use would they be?” queried George.
“Well, you must know that this eternal Balkan question is forever
bobbing up, and within a few years there have been two serious clashes
south of Austria. The first was between Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece
against Turkey. They knocked the Sultan’s forces out and took a lot of
territory away, which they divided. Then Bulgaria got a notion she could
lick the other two and seize more territory; but the shoe was on the
other foot, because she had to cry for quarter, and lost a good portion
of land that had come to her from Turkey. Ever since there has been bad
blood between them all, Rumania also.”
“But how does Austria come in with their petty quarrels?” continued
George.
“Do you remember the old fable of the lion and the bear fighting over
the game they had taken until they were exhausted, and then the sly fox
walking off with it? Well, Austria got hold of a monstrous slice of
territory in something the same way--Bosnia and Herzegovina. And there’s
a big scheme afoot, I believe, for the Teuton allies to take Serbia and
unite the German-speaking countries with Turkey.”
“Oh, I remember reading that Germany had eyes for Persia and all that
rich Eastern country,” admitted Josh.
“Well, they are figuring on great things out that way,” Jack continued.
“As for these river monitors, they are here to threaten little Serbia
with. You see, it’s unfortunate that the capital, Belgrade, lies
just across from Austrian heights, and always in reach of hostile
batteries.”
“Shucks! that was foolish of the Serbians,” said Josh disdainfully,
after the manner of one who knew it all. “Long ago they should have
moved their capital to Nisch, nearer the middle of the state. Then they
could defend it a heap better.”
As they approached closer to the singular craft anchored there near the
shore of the river the boys eyed it curiously. They could see many men
aboard, doubtless the crew. There was also an officer using a pair of
binoculars, for they could catch the gleam of the sunlight on the
glasses as he moved his hands.
Without the slightest warning, when they were almost opposite the
anchored monitor, there came a puff of smoke and a reverberating boom.
The boys saw the water splash high in the air about twenty feet in front
of their little boat, showing that it had not been blank shot after all.
Buster was at once in a panic. He really believed that in another moment
they might be the target for one of those big guns that could be seen
projecting from the movable turret aboard the monitor, and at that close
range the result must be the total annihilation of boat and passengers.