Wish Willy High Pockets was here. He's the boy who
could show us how."
Payne looked at the span of slime between the banks.
"Do you think we'll be through if we get to the other bank?" he asked.
"Sure. This mess can't last forever. Hold on." Payne had stepped off
into the breast-high mud. "What are you going to do?"
"See if this shallow runs all the way across."
"No you don't! Chances are there's a break in it in the middle and
then you'd be all out of luck. I'll do the investigating."
"Stay right where you are; I'm boss." Payne was forcing his way out
from shore. Halfway across he stopped, panting and exhausted from the
task of driving through the clinging mud.
"No break?" called Higgins.
"No; solid so far."
"Then it's solid all the way across." Higgins leaped in and, profiting
by the trail broken in the mud, came swiftly up to where Roger stood,
took a desperate chance and fairly swam through the mud, and took the
lead.
"I'll break trail the rest of the way. Now--both together!"
Pushing, pulling, falling and floundering they thrust on. The mud grew
thicker, heavier, and each step in it now was an appalling effort. At
last Higgins came to a stop. They were twenty feet from the farther
bank and the mud had assumed the consistency of heavy clay.
Pages:
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102