CHAPTER XI
UNDER FIRE ON THE RIVER
Later on the four boys made themselves as comfortable as the conditionsallowed, and tried to settle down for the night. Buster had carried outhis words, and managed to gather enough shavings to make a soft bed onthe floor, using his blanket to cover the same. Josh imitated hisexample, but the others were satisfied to occupy their old places in theboat.
None of them slept soundly, and for good reasons. The recent excitementmade such an impression on their minds that they could not for a longtime stop thinking about the visit of the mob.
Then again there was always the chance that some of the wilder spiritsmight think they had been cheated out of some fun, and come back in thesmall hours of the night to renew the trouble.
Several times, when some sound was heard that at another time wouldhardly have been noticed, one or more of the seeming sleepers wouldraise his head to listen, proving that sleep had been remote at thetime. Buster in particular was uneasy, and even after he managed to getasleep Josh declared he tossed about and muttered to himself at a fiercerate.
But, after all, their fears proved groundless. The townspeople hadaccepted them at their face value, and did not mean to bother thestrangers again. No one came prowling around the boatshop during thebalance 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 couldget busy.
They had a simple meal, only coffee, boiled eggs and buttered toast; butevery one ate all he wished, so there was no complaints coming.
Then came the owner of the boatyard and shop, who was greatly surprisedwhen he learned what had happened on the preceding night. He seemedindignant at first, but calmed down when he heard how the mob hadchanged from enemies into friends after finding that the boys were fromAmerica.
He told Jack that he could give a surmise as to what had prompted theattack. Strangely enough, it concerned that story of the four desperateyoung Serbians who, according to accounts, were said to have started forVienna with the avowed intention of depriving Austria-Hungary of theirbeloved old emperor, just as some other wild spirits had murdered theheir apparent and his wife.
Apparently this story was believed by all who heard it. Those Serbianswere getting very bold of late, and nothing seemed to be beyond them.They were also earning the mortal hatred of the Hungarians, Jack couldsee.
When the assistant worker arrived the two of them began to overhaul theengine of the powerboat. George stood around every minute of the timeand 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 potteringwith that engine it was surely doomed.
Apparently the man knew his business thoroughly. Jack, after seeing howhe went at matters, felt sure the trouble would soon be located andremedied, when they might go on their way rejoicing.
It was about ten o'clock when the engine was started up and respondedhandsomely. Buster gave a whoop of delight, while Josh swung his hatabove his head, and the others also smiled in satisfaction.
"Everything is lovely and the goose hangs high!" Josh announced, as hejumped 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 provenso serious after all, since they had only lost a few hours. As to thesum asked by the machinist, that did not bother them at all, since therewas plenty more where that money came from.
As there was now nothing to delay them, they said good-by to theirfriend 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 lastlook back at the town on the point before turning another bend thatwould hide it entirely from view.
"But at one time, I tell you, it promised to be pretty serious," Busterasserted. "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 overall difficulties and drag us out of every old mud-hole or swamp. If youlook back to our past career you'll find that what I'm telling you isnothing but the honest truth. It's better to be born lucky than richany day."
Jack only laughed at hearing this. He knew that luck alone is rather aflimsy foundation to pin confidence on, and that there is something moreneeded; but it was not for him to say as much. If his comrades believedit all a matter of accident, they were welcome to the delusion.
Somehow they enjoyed the sensation of freedom more than ever on thisday. Perhaps that came from the unpleasant experience of the precedingnight, when they found themselves in danger from the angry mob.
It was not long before Josh broke out in song and amused himself for aspell, entertaining his chums as well, for he had a pretty good voice.When they were passing through a hilly region, with rather abrupt wallson either shore, it was a peculiar experience that befell them.
"Somebody's mocking you, Josh!" cried Buster indignantly, when they allheard a voice distinctly repeat the last few words of the song Josh hadfinished.
Jack smiled to see the other three look hastily around, for he guessedthe secret immediately.
"Try again, Josh, and see if he keeps it up," he went on to say, andwhen once more the same mocking call came back to them Josh began togrow quite "huffy."
"Think yourself smart, don't you?" he shouted, shaking his fist towardthat 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 wordsas plain as that."
"Try it yourself and see, George," advised Jack, and, realizing that hewas in a poor minority, George did give a shout, only to have it sentback with an abruptness and energy that startled him.
The doubter was apparently convinced, though he kept saying that henever would have believed it possible for an echo to repeat such things.As they were speeding along with the current they quickly passed beyondthe magic range, and hence Buster received no answer when he shoutedlustily at the rocky hillside.
As they had lost so much time that morning, it was decided not to makeany stop at noon. They could manage on some cold lunch, and wait untilnight came along to do their cooking.
They frequently saw other boats on the river. Many of these were clumsyaffairs and evidently owned by farmers, who were in the habit of gettingtheir produce to market in this way. Occasionally they passed a smallpleasure boat loaded with people, who, like most excursionists, wavedtheir hands and handkerchiefs at the four comely lads aboard thechugging motorboat.
Seeing Jack, who had temporarily handed the wheel over to George,examining his little chart of the river, procured in Vienna, Josh cameand dropped down beside him.
As usual, Josh bristled with interrogation points. He came of Yankeeancestry and never could pick up enough information to satisfy himself.There was always a yearning to "know" whenever Josh came around, and hewould go straight to the heart of the matter without any beating aboutthe 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 usfairly well in the end. It certainly has increased the speed capacityof the boat by a mile an hour, according to my reckoning."
"Bully for that!" ejaculated the other; "and provided we keep this samepace up for five or six hours more, whereabouts do you think we mightstop over night?"
Jack must have been doing a little figuring along those same lineshimself, for as Josh leaned over he pu
t the point of his lead pencilclose to a cross he had made on the chart further along.
"Providing all goes well, that's about where we ought to fetch up onthis 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 someway or other. While we may figure as much as we please, it's never wiseto count your chickens, Josh, before the eggs are hatched. There'salways a big IF confronting us, because we're doing this thing underpeculiar conditions, you know."
"By that I suppose you mean the plagued old war that had to break outjust when we got well started on our way?" complained Josh.
From one subject he launched into another, until he had pumped Jackdry--at least the other laughingly told him so as he scrambled to hisfeet, after replacing his chart in his pocket, and went over to relieveGeorge.
The long afternoon was wearing away, and so far everything seemed to begoing on all right. Buster called attention to this fact every littlewhile, as though it occupied a prominent place in his mind.
He even allowed himself to remember that he had promised to try andduplicate his fishing feat and supply the party with a change inbreakfast food.
"Josh," he went on to say, "are you game to run another race thisevening with the balance of our grubs? They've kept alive all right, andought to be good for a mess of fine fish."
"I'm your meal ticket," cheerily announced the other. "Count me in thegame if the chance opens up; and I hope we have as good luck as thatother time. But say, there's a queer looking boat away down the riverthat I don't seem to be able to make head or tail of. Somebody take alook and tell me what you think."
At that there was a general craning of necks. Then Buster announced hisopinion.
"Whatever she is, I think they're anchored in the stream, because Ican't see any movement at all."
"But that looks like smoke coming from a stack of some sort," Georgeobserved, as he cupped both hands in order to shield his eyes from thebright sunlight, in this way securing better results.
"Strikes me it's a cheese box on a raft of some sort," Josh gave as ahazard.
"Why, Josh, that was the name the Confederates gave the Monitor in ourcivil war, you know," burst out Buster; "the single round turret wasbuilt on a low deck just a little above the water, and I suppose it didlook like a cheese box, such as you can see in the grocery stores athome."
"Between you," said Jack just then, "you've guessed it."
"Do you mean it's really and truly a monitor?" demanded Georgeskeptically.
"I've understood that Austria had a number of these river gunboats downhere, and I think they all mount pretty big guns, as well as beingarmored," Jack went on to say.
"But what use would they be?" queried George.
"Well, you must know that this eternal Balkan question is foreverbobbing up, and within a few years there have been two serious clashessouth of Austria. The first was between Bulgaria, Serbia and Greeceagainst Turkey. They knocked the Sultan's forces out and took a lot ofterritory away, which they divided. Then Bulgaria got a notion she couldlick the other two and seize more territory; but the shoe was on theother foot, because she had to cry for quarter, and lost a good portionof land that had come to her from Turkey. Ever since there has been badblood between them all, Rumania also."
"But how does Austria come in with their petty quarrels?" continuedGeorge.
"Do you remember the old fable of the lion and the bear fighting overthe game they had taken until they were exhausted, and then the sly foxwalking off with it? Well, Austria got hold of a monstrous slice ofterritory in something the same way--Bosnia and Herzegovina. And there'sa big scheme afoot, I believe, for the Teuton allies to take Serbia andunite the German-speaking countries with Turkey."
"Oh, I remember reading that Germany had eyes for Persia and all thatrich 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 Serbiawith. You see, it's unfortunate that the capital, Belgrade, liesjust across from Austrian heights, and always in reach of hostilebatteries."
"Shucks! that was foolish of the Serbians," said Josh disdainfully,after the manner of one who knew it all. "Long ago they should havemoved their capital to Nisch, nearer the middle of the state. Then theycould defend it a heap better."
As they approached closer to the singular craft anchored there near theshore of the river the boys eyed it curiously. They could see many menaboard, doubtless the crew. There was also an officer using a pair ofbinoculars, for they could catch the gleam of the sunlight on theglasses as he moved his hands.
Without the slightest warning, when they were almost opposite theanchored 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 frontof 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 momentthey might be the target for one of those big guns that could be seenprojecting from the movable turret aboard the monitor, and at that closerange the result must be the total annihilation of boat and passengers.