“More than queer,” responded Jerry in tired accents, for he was very weary. “This is serious, Ned. We’ll have to do something.”
“Better have something to eat first,” suggested Ned. “You’re played out. I’ll make some coffee.”
He lighted the fire and soon had some of the steaming beverage ready. He took some and so did Jerry. Then they looked at Bob. The poor chap was no better, but the boys were a little encouraged that he was no worse.
“Yes, but if the fever doesn’t break up soon he’ll--”
Jerry didn’t finish, and Ned did not ask him what he meant.
“The nitre is all gone,” went on Ned. “I don’t know what to give him now.”
“We’ll bathe him in witch hazel,” suggested Jerry. “That has alcohol in it, and I’ve heard that’s what they wash fever patients in. It may do him some good.”
Bob did seem a little more comfortable after Ned and Jerry had sponged him with the witch hazel, of which they had a large bottle. But the fever was soon raging again, and poor Bob tossed more restlessly than before, while he murmured in his delirium of ice water and other cooling drinks.
Morning came at last. As soon as it was light Jerry hurried down to the lake. What he saw caused him to cry out in surprise. The _Dartaway_ was now ten feet from the edge.
“There’s only thing to do!” exclaimed Jerry.
“We’ve got to get the boat into the deep water. Otherwise it will soon be so far away we can’t float her.”
“We’ll have to cut down some small trees for rollers and edge it along that way.”
Urged on by the seriousness of their plight, the two boys lost no time in getting to work. With small axes which formed a part of their camp accessories they chopped down several palmetto trees. They were of soft wood and easy to work. Ned and Jerry soon had several rollers made.
These were placed in position to slide the boat on them into the lake, which kept receding.
“How we going to get back into Lake Okeechobee,” asked Ned. “The connecting river must be dried up by this time.”
“Probably it is, but we’ve got to get the _Dartaway_ afloat now or never. We’ll have to take our chances on getting out of here.”
Before rolling the boat down into the receding water the awning was put up and a bunk gotten ready for Bob. Then he was carried down into it. He was too sick to know or care what was going on.