Motor Boat Boys Down the Danube Part 12

The owner of the boatyard and shop was certainly very kind in allowing those who were perfect strangers to him to remain over night there. He must have seen by looking at the faces of the four boys that they were worthy of trust. It was not everybody whom he would grant such a favor to, and Jack told his chums they had reason to feel quite proud of the fact.

It was by this time getting quite dark. The man had lighted a lamp for them, which served to dispel the gloom in the shop's interior. Josh was already using the bellows in order to blow the dying fire into new life.

When the heat became noticeable he and Jack proceeded to warm up. By degrees they found that this steaming process dried their clothes admirably. Buster could tell them how efficient it had been in his own case, only that Buster was now impatient for them to get through, so he could have the red bed of coals for the purpose of cooking supper.

At the time the proprietor of the boatyard went away Jack had stepped outside the door with him. As he expected, he found that the shop faced on a street running close to the river itself.

As they had laid in plenty of provisions at Budapest, there was really no necessity for any of them to wander around the town. If the boys exhibited any curiosity in that respect, Jack meant to dampen their zeal by telling them there might be some danger of strangers being eyed with suspicion in these exciting days, and that it would be safest to stay at the shop.

Besides, there could be no telling just when the repairs would be finished, for, after all, the damage was apt to be slight; and in this event they would want to be on the move with as little delay as possible.

b.u.mpus was soon in his glory. It had indeed been a long while since they had enjoyed the privilege of preparing a meal over such a fine fire as the blacksmith forge afforded them. Besides, the glowing coals seemed so much nicer than ordinary smoking wood; as b.u.mpus said, it saved the cook's back considerable, in that he did not have to bend down so much.

They found something that answered for a table, and by the light of the lamp so kindly loaned by the owner they ate their supper. No matter what it consisted of, for there is no time to go into particulars--at least it had a "homey" taste to it, and brought back to their minds numerous other meals which had accompanied their various cruises down American rivers, through the Great Lakes, and among the islands of the Florida coast.

It seemed very quiet down by the river. If the town itself was booming with the spirit of war, the boys heard very little of it while they sat around chatting, after partaking of the meal b.u.mpus provided.

Once George sauntered over to the door that led to the street and looked out, but he did not venture forth. When he came back Josh, of course, wanted to know what he had heard.

"Oh, nothing much," the other replied with a yawn. "There's considerable noise up above, and perhaps some soldiers are getting ready to go away.

You know they make an awful lot of fuss over here when the boys are off for the war."

"So far as that goes, they do it everywhere," remarked Jack. "I remember plainly hearing my folks telling all that happened in our town in ninety-eight, when the war with Spain broke out. Of course, all of us were kids then, babies in fact, and we knew nothing about it; but I take it there were lots of exciting things happening day after day, as trains pa.s.sed through. One country doesn't differ a great deal from another, when you come to take notice."

"I hope you took pains to put up that stout bar again, George, after you shut the double doors?" remarked b.u.mpus. "Not that I expect we'll be troubled with unwelcome visitors in the shape of thieves while we're roosting here, but you know it's a heap nicer to know everything's lovely and the goose hangs high."

"Oh, don't borrow any trouble about that bar, Buster," George a.s.sured him. "Sure I put it back, just like I found it. I reckon the owner uses it when he's working in here behind closed doors and doesn't want to be disturbed. You know he locked the small door before going away. It's all right, Buster, so let your dear timid soul rest in peace."

"Oh, not that I'm afraid," a.s.serted the other indignantly; "honest, George, I only mentioned the matter as a simple precaution. Jack here might have done the same, given a little more time. You ought to know me better than that, George."

The boat lay tied up in the basin inside the shed. Back of it was a water gate, which had also been closed and fastened by the owner before departing. Surrounded as they were by all the tools of a boat repairer's trade, the boys felt as though they were in strange company. Possibly some of these same tools were built along different lines from what they might have found in the same sort of an establishment in the States.

For quite some time the four chums sat there and talked over various things of interest. Of course, these as a general rule had some connection with their own fortunes. Many questions were asked and answered, by one or another, as the case might be, although as a rule it was Jack to whom most of them were addressed. The whole scheme of a cruise down the Danube had originated with Jack, and for this reason, as well as others, the remaining three boys looked to him to find answers to the many puzzling enigmas that faced them.

Jack was fully qualified to a.s.sume this task, and it was seldom they were ever able to "stump" him with a twister.

So the time pa.s.sed on, and, judging from the repeated way in which some of the motorboat boys were yawning without even putting up a hand to hide the gap, it became evident that they could not remain awake much longer.

Indeed, Jack himself felt pretty drowsy, and was just about to propose that the meeting adjourn _sine die_, so that each could prepare his cot for the night, just as he saw fit, when something occurred to interfere with this peaceful scheme.

"Listen! Seems to me that hollerin's coming closer to us," exclaimed Josh.

"Sure it is," added George, which was pretty conclusive evidence pointing that way, because as a rule he would have questioned it before giving in.

"There's a crowd coming," said Jack quietly.

"More like an angry mob, it sounds to me," muttered Josh.

"Say, you don't think for a minute, do you," cried Buster, "that they know about us being hidden in this coop, and mean to interview the bunch, perhaps shoot us for Servian spies?"

"Oh, hardly as bad as that," Jack went on to say, seeking to calm the excited Buster; "they may pa.s.s by and never bother us at all. Perhaps some soldiers are going along to a place of meeting, where they expect to entrain for the front."

"Anyway, we'll soon know the worst," declared Josh, "because they're nearly up to the shop by now."

The shouts outside had an angry and insistent ring about them that Jack did not like. Then came a series of heavy and imperative knocks on the closed shop doors!

CHAPTER X

CLEVERLY DONE

"My stars! it's us they're after, fellows!" Buster was heard to gurgle, when the knocks ceased as suddenly as they had begun.

No one had to be told that, for they all knew it just as well as Buster.

George turned an anxious look on Josh; and then, perhaps unconsciously placing their hopes on their leader, both of them wheeled to face Jack.

"I knew we'd be sorry if ever we tried stopping over at one of these ratty little towns," muttered George.

"But there they start to knocking again!" exclaimed Josh. "If we don't do something, and pretty quick at that, they'll start to pulling this shanty down over our heads, even if it is made of stones."

Jack had to think fast. He knew Josh spoke the truth, and that so far as offering resistance went they were practically helpless against the mob.

He could easily imagine how in some manner suspicion had been excited against the four young strangers stopping over night at the river town.

One word would lead to another in these exciting times, until all sorts of extravagant surmises must result; and finally some bold spirit must have suggested that they proceed to the boathouse and drag the unknown parties out, to question, perhaps hang them.

So far as trying to escape was concerned, it seemed equally hopeless.

Besides the double door there was also the small one, which the proprietor had securely locked before leaving them. Both led to the street.

To be sure, there were the water gates, but to leave in that way must necessitate abandoning their motorboat, something the boys would be loth to do. Further than this, there was no small boat handy, even if they could manage to get it out on the river without being noticed and pursued.

As to attempting to swim off, that was impossible, since they could not make any headway with their clothes on, and leaving these behind was not to be considered for a minute.

So Jack quickly decided that the only thing left for them was to throw open the double doors and trust to their customary good luck to make friends with the clamorous mob without.

"I'm going to open up, fellows," he told the others. "You keep back of me, and say nothing unless I ask you to speak. Leave it all to me to manage."

"You just bet we will, Jack," a.s.sented Josh.

"I should say yes," Buster hastily added.

"It's a risky thing to do, Jack," remarked George, "but seems that we haven't got much of a choice. We're between the devil and the deep sea.

Go ahead, then, and let's see how our luck holds good."

Jack waited no longer. Indeed, it would have been dangerous to have held the clamorous crowd in waiting much longer, for their pounding on the door had a.s.sumed a more threatening phase, several having taken it upon themselves to pick up heavy stones, with which they started to beat the woodwork furiously, while all manner of loud cries arose.

Suddenly the double doors were swung wide open. The outcries ceased as if by magic. Jack, looking out, saw that fully fifty people stood in the moonlit street. Most of them were men and boys, though a sprinkling of women could also be seen.

They were typical Hungarians, just such people as one would expect to meet in a river town along the lower Danube. Some were flourishing what appeared to be clubs, and the whole aspect of the mob looked threatening indeed.