It was the maddest ride any of them had ever
taken, and, as we know, they had been through some thrilling
experiences since they had first stood on the railroad station platform
at Maguez. Had they known it, they could have controlled the boat more
or less with the rough oar--the one with which Ralph had sounded the
depth of the river--but, of course, they were inexpert in the
management of such a craft. They could do nothing but keep still and
trust to luck to bring them safely out of their extraordinary
predicament.
After some ten minutes of this, the current seemed to slacken a little
and the walls narrowed. Jack stretched out a hand and, to his
astonishment, his fingers were swept along a rope stretched down the
side of the tunnel. This solved a problem he had been revolving in his
mind--namely, how did the Mexicans get their boat back after it had
delivered its cargo of arms? The explanation was now a simple one.
Evidently they hauled it back by the use of this rope. "It must have
been hard work, though," thought Jack.
Conversation was impossible in the confines of the tunnel which, in
places, was a mere tube in the rocks; the roar of the water was almost
deafening.
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