That took about half of their number, or eight in all. The two detachments hurried away, conferring as to the best means for carrying out the part of Hugh's scheme entrusted to their charge.
One of the parties managed to get hold of a large rowboat in some fashion. It may have leaked to some extent, but scouts would know how to make temporary repairs, and with this boat they were in a position to move around and do considerable in the way of helping those who had been caught by the rising waters in the homes they had hesitated about deserting to the mercy of the flood.
The other boys were compelled to resort to a raft; but Teddy McQuade proved to be a clever manager, once his energies had been fully aroused; and he remembered where there would be plenty of just the kind of pine boards they would need for a dandy raft. Nails and a hatchet were procured, also some stout clothes lines to serve as a check should the current prove too strong for their clumsy means of passage along the main street that was now five feet deep in water.
Of course, Hugh did not intend to waste any time in seeing how these two detachments carried out their orders. He had other work to do. There were still nine of them remaining. These he divided up into three groups consisting of the same number of members. Tip Lange and Billy he kept along with him; for he had a plan in his mind that he meant to try and put into execution later on.
When the other six had also been dispatched to start on the work of accomplishing such things as they could find to do for the unfortunates, Hugh turned to Tip.
"How about that boat you said you could get for us, Tip?"
"Come right along, and I'll try and make good. I had a ride on the same only last summer, and if only we c'n get the owner's consent to loan her to us, we ought to be able to do a heap of rescue work. He's some cranky, though, and mightn't just like to let three boys handle the launch."
"Hello! that sounds cheery to me!" exclaimed Billy, who had not known anything about this before. "A motorboat would be able to get around in this flood all right, I should think, provided it kept away from that nasty current of the river. Lead us to the man who owns such a craft. That's kind of you, Tip."