Motor Boat Boys Down the Danube; or, Four Chums Abroad

“Oh, don’t you fear about her, sir!” cried the boy enthusiastically. “She knows I’ve always been able to paddle my own canoe and find some way to get out of every sort of scrape. Please say that you will wash your hands of us and let us go about our business.”

“Very well, let it be just as you will have it, George. I do wash my hands of the whole business. You see, I have been young myself not very long back, and know what it means to a fellow to be terribly disappointed. Only promise me on your word of honor that you will not run any unnecessary risks in trying to pass Belgrade in the night time.”

Of course, George was only too glad to do this, and so they were allowed to go aboard the motorboat again, parting from the Austrian commander with mutual wishes for good luck.

George was about the happiest fellow going during the next hour. He seemed to be beaming with good nature.

“Did you ever hear of such a remarkable thing happening in all your life?” he demanded of Buster, whom he had cornered. “To think that, with the whole of this big country of Austria-Hungary to choose from, we should have picked out the Danube River for our cruise, and that just at the same time my second cousin with his warship should be stationed down here! Then again, remember how he fired a shot across our bows to bring us to, and, seeing my name on my passport, realized that we were actually blood relations!”

“It was queer, for a fact,” agreed Buster.

“Queer, you call it, do you, Buster?” cried George. “Why, I think it the most astonishing coincidence that ever happened. I’m sure none of us have even run across its equal. And then, what’s more, he let us proceed just because I was his cousin twice removed. Don’t forget that, Buster, will you, some time when you and Josh feel like giving me a dig or two? Oh, I’m of a little consequence once in a long time.”

“You’re of a whole lot of consequence plenty of times, George,” said Josh just then, “and we all acknowledge the corn; but for goodness’ sake please give us a change of tune now. We’ve been hearing about Cousin Stanislaus until even the swallows swinging past seem to be chirping the name; and I expect the fish will give it to us, too, if we catch any to-night.”

George looked a little hurt in his feelings at this thrust, but he subsided all the same, going off by himself where he could ponder upon the freaks of fortune that had thrown him in contact with this relative at the other side of the world, so to speak. From time to time he would smile as though his thoughts were pleasant ones; but none of the others interrupted his meditations.

The day drew near a close, and as they had really come up to Jack’s expectations it might be set down as possible that they would camp somewhere close by the place marked with a cross on the chart.

That would mean only one more day’s journey before they must find themselves in the vicinity of battle scenes, if, as they suspected, the Austrians had started to bombard Belgrade and were being answered shot for shot from their fortifications by the valiant Serbian gunners.

They were fortunate enough to find a particularly good camp site. It was in the midst of some trees that offered them all the comforts they could wish for. At the same time they had no reason to believe they were anywhere near a town, and the river in this spot looked quite lonely and deserted; at least there was no other war monitor in sight, from the deck of which their movements might be observed and deemed suspicious enough to warrant a visit of investigation.

As evening drew on they tied the boat securely and built a fire close by. Buster, as usual, insisted on taking charge of the cooking, while the rest lay around or gathered fuel for the fire.

It was while moving about with this latter purpose in view that Jack suddenly came upon a crouching figure in the brush. At his exclamation the unknown party struggled to his feet. Jack had been alarmed at first, not knowing but what there might be bandits in that vicinity. He quickly saw, however, that he had a peaked looking and very hungry fairly well grown boy to deal with.

Not wishing to let the other see that he had been startled, Jack immediately demanded to know who he was and why he was spying on them. The other made motions to let Jack understand he could not speak English. He then went on to say something in rapid tones, but it was all Greek to Jack.

However, from his appearance and the motions he made to his mouth, as well as showing how empty his stomach was, it was easy to judge that it was the smell of the cooking supper that had drawn him.

“Stay with us, then, and share our meal,” suggested Jack, mostly in pantomime; and evidently his gestures must have had a convincing way of their own, for the hungry boy immediately nodded his head, said something in a fervent tone, and, to Jack’s embarrassment, proceeded to kiss his hand violently.

“Hey, what’s all this going on here?” asked Josh, just then coming on the scene, no doubt attracted by the sound of a strange voice.

“Here’s a poor tramp of a boy who gives me to understand he’s half dead with hunger,” Jack went on to explain; “and as we can’t turn him away in that condition, we’ll have to let him stay to supper with us, I suppose.”

Josh, of course, was exceedingly surprised. He looked the strange boy over and saw that he undoubtedly had a hungry appearance.

“Sure we’ll share our supper with him, Jack,” he hastened to say, being one of those fellows who could never see any one suffer when he had a chance to offer assistance; “who knows but what we may be entertaining an angel unawares, like we read about. Tell him to come along up to the fire right away.”

Buster and George were also somewhat astonished at this increase to their number. Still the poor chap looked so woebegone that Buster immediately saw to it that an extra portion of food was prepared. George, too, did not have the heart to show his objecting nature. He thought this to be a real case of necessity.

The strange boy was fairly well grown, though slender. His face was dark and he had a mass of heavy black hair. His eyes were dazzlingly bright, and, although there was an uneasy look on his face, he could smile cheerily when he saw that any of them were looking at him.

Josh watched him from time to time, as though some notion had come into that shrewd head of his. Supper was getting along nicely when Jack saw Josh beckoning to him cautiously at a time the stranger happened to be looking another way.

Then Josh strolled off a short distance and seemed to be bending down, as if looking at something that interested him.

“What’s in the wind?” asked Jack softly, as he joined the other.

“I don’t know exactly, to tell you the truth, but I’m uneasy over something, and wanted to have a little chin with you,” came the reply.

“You’re suspicious, that’s what, Josh?”

“Oh, well, I admit as much,” replied the other. “You see, in these times we’ve got to be careful. Instead of an angel we may be entertaining one of the other kind.”

“Now get it out of your system, and tell me what you’re thinking about,” demanded Jack.

“First of all, he turns his head and looks every little while in a certain direction. I’ve got a good notion the boy must have friends hidden somewhere near by.”

“Yes, go on, Josh; what else?”

“Then, if you come to think of it, he doesn’t talk the same lingo as these Hungarian Magyars we’ve met. I’m not dead sure about it, but I’ve got a hunch he must be of another nationality. Well, what nation are we closest to below here? What but Serbia? Are you following me, Jack?”

“I am, so keep going,” the other informed him.

“You remember the story we were told by that polite Hungarian officer, about the four desperate Serbian youths who had sworn to have the life of the aged Austrian emperor – well, according to my notion, our guest is one of the batch; and his three tough cronies are hidden close by, waiting for some signal!”

CHAPTER XIII

THE BOY FROM SERBIA

Jack remained silent for a full minute after his companion had delivered himself of this startling statement. He was evidently thinking it over. Perhaps up to then Jack had not even suspected the tramp of being anything more than he seemed, a well-grown lad who was far away from home – and hungry.

Presently Jack spoke again, and from his manner it became apparent that he now shared in some degree the alarm that Josh seemed to be laboring under. Really, the conditions were suspicious enough to demand an investigation. They were next to unarmed, and if four desperate young fellows raided their camp they would find it difficult indeed to keep from losing everything they possessed, from boat to supplies.

“I hate to think that such a thing can be possible, Josh,” he said slowly, “but, as you were remarking, the circumstances force us to be on our guard. Before we start to eating supper, which must be nearly ready now, I’ll try and strike up a conversation with the fellow and learn something about him.”

“But how on earth can you do that, Jack, when neither of you seem able to understand one word of each other’s tongue?”

“Oh, leave that to me, Josh. There are ways, you know, even if I have to come to paper and pencil and use the picture writing of the Indians. What with signs and nods and looks we may get a fair understanding.”

“No harm trying, that’s a fact,” admitted Josh. “But I’ll watch my chance and put the others wise. Every one of us ought to have some sort of club handy so as to protect the camp and the boat if there’s going to be a raid.”

Apparently the more Josh considered the subject the stronger became his belief that he had hit the truth in making that guess. In his eyes the dark face of the young stranger now began to assume a threatening appearance, whereas before it had only seemed hungry and eager and almost sad.

Jack watched his opportunity and soon found a chance to drop down beside the stranger. He saw that there was intelligence in the face of the other. It could also be seen in his flashing eyes. If Jack had only been able to understand and speak the other’s language he felt sure he could induce him to tell his story.

He took out a pencil and a pad of paper and began to draw. As Jack was a master hand at this sort of thing, he quickly produced a sketch that represented four boys, all dressed alike, and in the costume which the young stranger wore.

This he held before the other, and then pointed to him as he nodded. After looking at the drawing intently the boy shook his head. It was evidently intended for a denial that he had three companions, but then Jack could hardly have expected him to admit it openly.

One thing sure, he did not seem to be alarmed, as though suspecting that his secret had been discovered; only puzzled.

As if governed by a sudden impulse, he motioned for the pencil and paper, just as Jack expected he would do, and in his turn began to draw something. When he handed the pad back it was seen that he had actually made a pretty accurate map of the enlarged Serbia of to-day; doubtless every schoolboy in that country was early taught to be able to do this, on account of the great pride the Serbian people took in their recent victories over Turkey and Bulgaria.

He had even written in bold letters the magical word “Serbia” across this map, as if determined to remove all doubt as to what it was meant for. Such frankness made Jack begin to believe that the other could not possibly be the desperate character Josh suspected; had he been, it would only have seemed natural for him to deny his nationality lest he be arrested and put in an Austrian dungeon.