gave a snort on the whistle as the tow came closer and closer.
“If he’ll just hold to the outside of the channel…” said Milly under her breath, “maybe he won’t tear us apart.…”
The children ran to Milly and clung to her as if she were Mama. Even Patsy was scared and looked to Milly.
“Can’t you do something?” she cried.
But there was nothing at all to be done. Nothing but to watch fascinated as the huge towboat scraped past and the great waves came rushing toward the defenseless houseboat.
When they hit, the houseboat was thrown heavily against the piling. All four children were thrown off their feet and went sprawling. Dishes and pans fell inside and furniture was knocked over. The next minute the houseboat was pushed so far out that two ropes broke, the one from the stern to the piling, and the towline from the cabin boat to the houseboat. The third rope from the bow to the piling still held and the houseboat swung round and round.
Out on the cabin boat, the chicken coop was knocked down, the door had burst open and the chickens were thrown out. Some landed on top of the cabin and others fell into the river.
The children scrambled to their feet unhurt, just in time to see the towboat make the turning off Kentucky Point Bar. All they could see was her wash, and then she cut behind the bank and was gone. It had all happened so quickly, they were stunned. Blackie was barking, but Dan was the first to speak.
“You mean old captain!” he cried, shaking his fist. “We got just as much right on this old river as you have. Why couldn’t you slow up? You just wanted to tear us to pieces!”
Then Patsy saw her chickens. “Oh look!” she cried. “My chickens! What can I do?” Before Milly could answer, Patsy saw the broken ropes. “Are we loose?” she cried, with fear in her eyes. “If we’re loose, the current will take us down river without Mama and Daddy!”
Dan and Bunny began to wail.
“I’ll try to find some rope,” said Milly, “to tie us up again. She looked around. “But how can I get to the cabin boat?”
The second johnboat, the one without a motor, was out on the river floating away. There was no way to get to the cabin boat, so she was helpless. The houseboat was swinging round and round, and soon the frayed rope that held it, snapped in two.
“The rope’s broken!” cried Patsy, clinging to Milly. “Now we’re goin’ down river for sure!” The little ones began to cry, and Blackie began to whine. Bunny ran inside and crept under the bed for safety. Dan crouched on the couch, his arms tight around the dog. The houseboat began to bounce around.
But Milly had no time to cry. She climbed up the “monkey pole” to look for rope on the catchall roof, but there was none there. Even if she found rope, she did not know how she could tie the houseboat up without a johnboat to take her to land. Up on the roof she found two long oars and brought them down.
“We’ll try to keep it close in, if we can.” She spoke quietly now to Patsy, handing her an oar. “We’ll do what we can till Daddy gets here. Even if we float a ways, it won’t hurt us any.
Daddy can come after us.”
Milly’s judgment was good, so Patsy did not question it. She took the oar and tried to help. The houseboat bobbled about on the river, but had not gone very far, when the johnboat with Mama and Daddy in it appeared. Oh, how good it was to see them again! Before the sacks of groceries were unloaded, the story of the mishap, had been told. Abe Foster was furious.
“If he’d a ripped us up or busted the hull open, he’d a had to pay damages,” Daddy said. “I’ve got as good a right here as the biggest towboat on the river. If there’s anyone a shantyboater hates, it’s one of them cocky towboat pilots!”
Daddy went straight to the cabin boat and soon the houseboat was tied up safe and sound again. Then he brought back the floating johnboat and was trying to rescue the chickens, when he
“If he’ll just hold to the outside of the channel…” said Milly under her breath, “maybe he won’t tear us apart.…”
The children ran to Milly and clung to her as if she were Mama. Even Patsy was scared and looked to Milly.
“Can’t you do something?” she cried.
But there was nothing at all to be done. Nothing but to watch fascinated as the huge towboat scraped past and the great waves came rushing toward the defenseless houseboat.
When they hit, the houseboat was thrown heavily against the piling. All four children were thrown off their feet and went sprawling. Dishes and pans fell inside and furniture was knocked over. The next minute the houseboat was pushed so far out that two ropes broke, the one from the stern to the piling, and the towline from the cabin boat to the houseboat. The third rope from the bow to the piling still held and the houseboat swung round and round.
Out on the cabin boat, the chicken coop was knocked down, the door had burst open and the chickens were thrown out. Some landed on top of the cabin and others fell into the river.
The children scrambled to their feet unhurt, just in time to see the towboat make the turning off Kentucky Point Bar. All they could see was her wash, and then she cut behind the bank and was gone. It had all happened so quickly, they were stunned. Blackie was barking, but Dan was the first to speak.
“You mean old captain!” he cried, shaking his fist. “We got just as much right on this old river as you have. Why couldn’t you slow up? You just wanted to tear us to pieces!”
Then Patsy saw her chickens. “Oh look!” she cried. “My chickens! What can I do?” Before Milly could answer, Patsy saw the broken ropes. “Are we loose?” she cried, with fear in her eyes. “If we’re loose, the current will take us down river without Mama and Daddy!”
Dan and Bunny began to wail.
“I’ll try to find some rope,” said Milly, “to tie us up again. She looked around. “But how can I get to the cabin boat?”
The second johnboat, the one without a motor, was out on the river floating away. There was no way to get to the cabin boat, so she was helpless. The houseboat was swinging round and round, and soon the frayed rope that held it, snapped in two.
“The rope’s broken!” cried Patsy, clinging to Milly. “Now we’re goin’ down river for sure!” The little ones began to cry, and Blackie began to whine. Bunny ran inside and crept under the bed for safety. Dan crouched on the couch, his arms tight around the dog. The houseboat began to bounce around.
But Milly had no time to cry. She climbed up the “monkey pole” to look for rope on the catchall roof, but there was none there. Even if she found rope, she did not know how she could tie the houseboat up without a johnboat to take her to land. Up on the roof she found two long oars and brought them down.
“We’ll try to keep it close in, if we can.” She spoke quietly now to Patsy, handing her an oar. “We’ll do what we can till Daddy gets here. Even if we float a ways, it won’t hurt us any.
Daddy can come after us.”
Milly’s judgment was good, so Patsy did not question it. She took the oar and tried to help. The houseboat bobbled about on the river, but had not gone very far, when the johnboat with Mama and Daddy in it appeared. Oh, how good it was to see them again! Before the sacks of groceries were unloaded, the story of the mishap, had been told. Abe Foster was furious.
“If he’d a ripped us up or busted the hull open, he’d a had to pay damages,” Daddy said. “I’ve got as good a right here as the biggest towboat on the river. If there’s anyone a shantyboater hates, it’s one of them cocky towboat pilots!”
Daddy went straight to the cabin boat and soon the houseboat was tied up safe and sound again. Then he brought back the floating johnboat and was trying to rescue the chickens, when he
Similar Books
