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Read Ebook: Wongo and the Wise Old Crow by Moon Carl Moon Grace
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Ebook has 83 lines and 2170 words, and 2 pages
"You mustn't go alone, Uncle Jabez," Ruth said mildly.
"Huh! why not?" snarled the old miller.
"Something might happen. If Ben can't go, I will take an oar."
He knew she was quite capable of handling the punt, even in the rapids, so he merely growled his acquiescence. At that moment Ruth discovered something.
"Why! the boat isn't empty!" she cried.
"You're right, Ruth! I see something in it," said Tom.
Uncle Jabez straightened up, holding the painter doubtfully.
He saw no reason for going after the drifting boat if it were manned. He could not claim the boat or claim salvage for it under such circumstances.
But the strange boat was drifting toward the rapids of the Lumano that began just below the mill. In the present state of the river this "white water," as lumbermen call it, was dangerous.
"Why, how foolish!" Helen cried. "Whoever is in that boat is lying in the bottom of it."
"And drifting right toward the middle of the river!" added her twin.
"Hurry up, Uncle Jabez!" urged Ruth. "We must go out there."
"What fur, I'd like to know?" demanded the miller sharply. "We ain't hired ter go out an' wake up every reckless fule that goes driftin' by."
"Of course not. But maybe he's not asleep," Ruth said quickly. "Maybe he's hurt. Maybe he has fainted. Why, a dozen things might have happened!"
"Uncle! we mustn't do that!" cried his niece. "We must go out in the punt and make sure all is right with that boat."
"Who says so?" demanded the miller.
"Of course we must. I'll go with you. Come, do! There is somebody in danger."
Ruth Fielding, as she spoke, leaped into the punt. Tom would have been glad to go with her, but she had motioned him back before he could speak. She was ashamed to have the miller so display the mean side of his nature before her friends.
Grumblingly he climbed into the heavy boat after her. Tom cast off and Ruth pushed the boat's nose upstream, then settled herself to one of the oars while Uncle Jabez took the other.
"Huh! they ain't anything in it for us," grumbled Mr. Potter as the punt slanted toward mid-stream.
MAGGIE
Ruth Fielding knew very well the treacherous current of the Lumano. She saw that the drifting boat with its single occupant was very near to the point where the fierce pull of the mid-stream current would seize it.
She made no reply, but in a few minutes they were near enough to the drifting boat for Ruth to glance over her shoulder and see into it. At once she uttered a little cry of pity.
"What now?" gruffly demanded Uncle Jabez.
"Oh, Uncle! It's a girl!" Ruth gasped.
This was a favorite complaint of his; but he pulled more vigorously, nevertheless, and the punt was quickly beside the drifting boat.
A girl in very commonplace garments--although she was not at all a commonplace looking girl--lay in the bottom of the boat. Her eyes were closed and she was very pale.
"She's fainted," Ruth whispered.
"Who in 'tarnation let a gal like that go out in a boat alone, and without airy oar?" demanded Uncle Jabez, crossly. "Here! hold steady. I'll take that painter and 'tach it to the boat. We'll tow her in. But lemme tell ye," added Uncle Jabez, decidedly, "somebody's got ter pay me fur my time, or else they don't git the boat back. She seems to be all right."
"Why, she isn't conscious!" cried Ruth.
"Huh!" grunted Uncle Jabez, "I mean the boat, not the gal."
Ruth always suspected that Uncle Jabez Potter made a pretense of being really worse than he was. When a little girl she had been almost afraid of her cross-grained relative--the only relative she had in the world.
But there were times when the ugly crust of the old man's character was rubbed off and his niece believed she saw the tru
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