CHAPTER XXVIII
THE HURRICANE
The words of the Seminole chief's son were startling enough, and,coupled as they were with the strange sound of the wind, alarmed theboys and the professor.
"What's the matter?" asked Rose, coming to the tent flap as she heardthe commotion outside. It was the first time the girls were made awareof the presence of the Indians. The professor explained, asking theyoung ladies to remain cool as the danger might not be as great as theyfeared.
"Oh! What will become of papa?" cried Nellie. "His houseboat may bewrecked!"
"Maybe the chief knows something of the _Wanderer_," suggested Oliviato Mr. Snodgrass. "Ask him, please."
To the surprise of all the Indian chief said he had seen the houseboaton Lake Okeechobee on his way to Butterfly Lake. He described thelocation and this showed it had moved away from the blocked passage.Ottiby had not tried to enter Butterfly Lake through that waterway andso, was not aware that it was choked up.
"He has seen father's boat!" exclaimed Nellie. "Was he all right?"
"Him walk back and forth on deck quick," replied the Indian with asmile.
Never had the boys seen such a disturbance of the elements. The raincame down in sheets and the tent, made of double canvas as it was,leaked like a sieve. There was such power to the wind that, had thetent not been protected by the surrounding forest, it would have beenblown over.
The girls were very much frightened, and cowered down in a corner undersuch coverings as they could secure to keep the rain from leaking in onthem. Bob was protected with his chums' raincoats and, throughout thehurricane, kept murmuring in his delirium about pleasant sunshiny days.
At last the storm reached its height. The tent seemed fairly to liftloose from the guy ropes, but they were strong and well fastened, andthe fury of the wind was cheated. The thunder appeared to gather allits powers for a tremendous clap, following such a stroke of lightningthat it seemed as if the whole heavens were a mass of flame. Then withan increase in the fall of rain, which lasted for ten minutes andcompleted the drenching of everyone in the tent, the tropical outburstwas over.
Lanterns which had blown out were relighted and the flaps of the canvashouse opened. Ned and Jerry hurried out to wring some of the waterfrom their clothes, while the professor sent them to the motor boat,which had been covered with a heavy tarpaulin, for some dry clothes forBob. The lightning still flickered behind a mass of clouds in the eastand brought out in sharp outline the tops of the trees on the distantmainland. Jerry looked at them for a moment. Then he called out:
"Our island's floating away faster than before!"
It needed but a glance to show this. Because of the fury of thehurricane the floating forest had been torn loose from the temporaryanchorage on the bottom of the lake and was being swept along like aboat.
"I wish it would take us somewhere so's we could get off this lake,"remarked Bob, as he pulled the _Dartaway_ in and proceeded to get theclothes from the lockers.
In the morning they found themselves several miles from where they hadbeen the night before. The day was a fine one after the storm, and thegirls forgot their fright and the discomforts of wet clothes.
"Look!" cried Rose suddenly, pointing ahead. "There are the three deadtrees that marked where we left the houseboat."
"So they are," added Olivia. "Maybe this island will float over thereand we can see if the houseboat is waiting for us."
"But you forget the blocked passage," said Nellie.
The island, on which the party was, continued to move slower and sloweras the wind died out. Jerry, who was aiding Ned in the task of gettingbreakfast, went down to the shore of the floating island for a pail ofwater. He saw the three dead trees, and noted the girls looking at themand talking about what has happened since they went fishing. He alsosaw something else.
What it was caused him to drop his pail and set up a shout. Theprofessor and Ned, followed by Ottiby and his son, came running up tohim.
"What is it?" asked Ned.
"The passage!" cried Jerry. "See, it is clear now. The hurricane musthave blown the mass of trees and vegetation away and we can get intoLake Okeechobee now!"
"Then we can get back to papa on the houseboat!" exclaimed Olivia."Oh, girls, isn't it fine! The very storm we were so afraid of has doneus a favor!"
"I'll make sure of it," Jerry went on, as he and Ned got into the_Dartaway_. The girls insisted on going also, and soon the five werepuffing toward where could be seen a narrow stream leading fromButterfly Lake. In a short time they were up to it and Jerry's surmisewas found to be correct. The hurricane had blown the small floatingisland clear through the passage into Lake Okeechobee and that big bodyof water was now accessible from Butterfly Lake.
"There's the _Wanderer_!" exclaimed Olivia, pointing ahead, and theothers, looking, saw the houseboat moored at the entrance to thepassage. They also saw Mr. Seabury pacing the upper deck. At the sightof the motor boat he waved his hands and set up a shout of welcome.
"Father! Father! Here we are!" cried Nellie as Jerry sent the_Dartaway_ straight for the _Wanderer_.