"Whee! if one of those big sh.e.l.ls ever struck this chip of a boat there wouldn't be enough of her left for firewood," a.s.serted Josh. "So I say just as you do, Jack; we mustn't be too brash and take chances. We can't expect to fight the whole Austrian navy on the Danube. The word for us is diplomacy, remember that. We've got to play the Napoleon style of strategy if we hope to win out in this game."

Jack allowed the boat to continue on her course for some little time longer. He did not mean to take unnecessary chances, but at the same time the further they were down the river before night set in the better, since it would shorten the time they expected to be in the danger zone.

He kept a wary eye on the anch.o.r.ed monitor, for all of them could by this time plainly see that it was one of those strange looking vessels, believed by Austria to be just suited to the waters of the Danube for offense and defense.

When not employed in this fashion Jack was watching the near-by sh.o.r.e for a favorable landing spot. They could proceed to make a fire and act as though fully intending to spend the night there. If by accident they had visitors from the monitor early in the evening they could arrange it so that nothing suspicious would be seen.

The firing had now ceased for the time being, as though enough had been accomplished on either side for the day.

It was not long before they found themselves up against the bank. Jack had picked out a good landing place, for there were trees in plenty, under which they could make themselves comfortable.

"Do you think they have noticed us across there on board the monitor?"

Buster asked, as they stepped ash.o.r.e.

"It would be strange if they hadn't," Josh told him. "Of course, they can see all that goes on up and down the river, and we were in plain sight. Jack, did you expect they might have a pair of field gla.s.ses leveled on us, and was that why you had the brother and sister keep inside the cabin lately?"

"Well," replied the skipper, "I saw something flash over there while the sun was shining through that rift in the clouds, and I got the idea they might be using their binoculars. You see, if they should send over to interview us, and the two Serbians were absent from the camp, as we mean they shall be, what could we say if asked about them? That was why I wanted them to keep out of sight, while the four of us remained in full view."

Josh did not say anything further, but the look of admiration he gave Jack told what his thoughts were. In his mind the other could not be equalled when it came to covering the whole ground and laying out extensive plans, for Jack seemed to be able to grasp everything.

"We must keep a watch out on the river and try to be on our guard,"

continued the leader. "If they send a boat over here to investigate, we ought to know about it before the men have a chance to land and spy on our camp."

The boat was tied up, and Buster had already taken ash.o.r.e all he needed for the evening meal; while Josh was making a fire in the midst of some stones he had collected in a sort of cairn.

The day had ended in a dismal fashion for one starting out so bravely with blue skies and plenty of warm sunshine. Out over the water the haze was thickening, so that when George gave place to Josh later on it was next door to impossible to tell where the Austrian monitor was anch.o.r.ed.

"I've lined it up with this stone here and that tree out on the little point," George explained; "the boat lies almost directly with the two, so if you happen to see any light over there you'll know what it means, Josh," he told the other, as he gave up his post.

"As long as you could see the monitor, were there any signs of a boat leaving?" he asked; but George shook his head and told him he had seen nothing suspicious.

CHAPTER XVI

UNDER COVER OF NIGHT

Some time later, when George again relieved Josh at the outlook post, the latter came strolling up to the little fire to get his supper, of which he was in need, for Josh had a pretty healthy appet.i.te that seldom went back on him.

"One thing sure," he remarked, as he sat himself down and prepared to have Buster wait on him, "when you told me, Jack, to build this fire so it couldn't be easily seen from out on the river, you knew what you were talking about."

"Well," remarked the commodore simply, "my idea at the time was to avoid having the light noticed too easily by any one who happened to be on the water. Yes, and I hoped to keep the people on that monitor a mile and more away from wanting to pay us a visit too early in the night."

"It might break up our plans all right if they did come," agreed Josh, lifting his tincup to his lips and proceeding to let some of the fine coffee pa.s.s down his throat as a "bracer" or opening of ceremonies.

"As long as you stayed out there at the point, did you see or hear anything suspicious, Josh?" Buster wanted to know, when he handed the platter, heaped up with good things, to the late-comer.

"Never a sign all the time I stood sentry," came the reply, though Josh had a little difficulty in talking and eating at the same time. "But please let me take the edge off my ferocious appet.i.te before you throw any more questions at me, fellows. I'll be in a more angelic humor then, mebbe."

"Angelic--that's pretty rich for you, Josh," gurgled Buster; but, having enough sympathy for a hungry chum to know how Josh felt, he maintained a discreet silence after that.

Jack walked over to the near-by sh.o.r.e. He wanted to find out for himself how matters seemed to be going.

"h.e.l.lo! That you, Jack?" said a voice suddenly, when he found himself close to the brim of the river.

It had become so dark by this time, the moon not having as yet arisen behind the clouds, that seeing was next to impossible. George, however, had heard footsteps somewhere close by, and guessed who was coming.

"Yes, where are you, George? Oh, I see you, now that you move. That's the boat just beyond you, too. Everything lovely with you?"

"I heard something across the river that sounded as if it might be a boat being lowered that struck against the side of the monitor. Then there were voices, too. You know how queer sounds come across a mile or more of water, Jack?"

"Yes, of course I do. But if it was a boat being lowered we'll have to change our plans somewhat," Jack continued.

"By that you mean get away from here sooner?" queried the vidette.

"Just what I do, George."

"Suppose now it was a boat being put in the water that I heard, though I may have been mistaken; how long would it take them to row over here, do you think?" George asked next.

"That depends on how hard they handled the oars," said Jack. "It could hardly be less than half an hour at the best, I should say. You see, the monitor lies down-stream from here, so they'd have to first of all work against the strong current before crossing."

"Yes, and then again it might be they'd try to keep us from hearing them coming all they could, Jack, which would mean they couldn't put all their strength into the work."

"You've got the right idea, George; so we can have something like half an hour to get away in. It may turn out to be a false alarm after all, but we can't afford to take any chances."

"That's so," agreed the other briskly, for a wonder, never dreaming of offering any objection. "The sooner we're abroad on the river the better. Then again, before the old moon comes up behind the clouds, we'll have it pitch dark. That ought to help us a lot about slipping past without getting caught."

"Stay here, and keep on listening, George."

"Are you going back to get the rest of the crowd, Jack?"

"Yes. As soon as Josh has finished his supper we had better go aboard again and shove off," he was informed.

"But say, tell me how you expect to work it, please Jack, before you go."

"If you mean the boat, that's a simple thing," the skipper told him.

"You know we've got a strong push-pole that's a pretty good length?

Well, I took soundings as we came in toward the sh.o.r.e, and found that the river is fairly shallow around here. With that pole we can push out into the stream quite a little distance. Then we'll just lie low and let her float on the current."

"Well, now, I sort of expected that would be the programme," said George; "and I certainly agree with you there. Silence is our best a.s.set in a game like this. We'd feel pretty cheap and small after getting well started if all of a sudden some one called out of the darkness: 'Tag--you're it!'"

George, finding Jack had slipped away meanwhile, and that he was merely talking to empty s.p.a.ce, drew the line at wasting his breath in this manner, and relapsed into silence.

When Jack got back to the little fire he found that, short though the time had been, Josh had made rapid headway with his supper. The pannikin was already more than half empty, and that must be his third cup of coffee Buster was pouring out for him.

Everybody looked up as Jack came into camp.