There was a big storm after midnight and the
rain poured down.We stayed inside the shelter
we had built and let the raft sail down the river.
Suddenly,by the light of the lightning,we saw
something in the middle of the river.It looked
like a house at first,but then we realized it
was a steamboat.It had hit a rock and was half
in and half out of the water.We were sailing
straight towards it.
"It looks as if it'll go under soon," Jim said,
after a couple of minutes.
"Let's go and take a look," I said.
"I don't want to board a sinking ship," said
Jim,but when I suggested that we might find
something useful on the boat,he agreed to go.
So we paddled over and climbed on to the
steamboat,keeping as quiet as mice.To our
astonishment,there was a light in one of the
cabins.Then we heard someone shout,"Oh
please boys,don't kill me!I won't tell anybody!"
A man's angry voice answered,"You're lying.
You said that last time.We're going to kill you."
When he heard these words,Jim panicked and
ran to the raft.But although I was frightened,
I also felt very curious,so I put my head round
the door.it was quite dark,but I could see a
man lying on the floor,tied up with rope.There
were two men standing over him.One was
short,with a beard.The other was tall and had
something in his hand that looked like a gun.
'I've had enough of you.I'm going to shoot
you now," this man said.He was obviously the
one who had threatened the man on
the floor.And it was a gun he had
in his hand.
"No,don't do that," said the short
man."Let's leave him here.The
steamboat will sink in a couple of
hours and he'll go down with it."
When he heard that,the frightened
man on the floor started crying."He
sounds as if he's going to die of fright!"
I thought."I have to find a way to
save him!"
I crawled along the deck,foundJim,
and told him what I had heard."We
must find their boat and take it away,
then they'll have to stay here," I said.
Jim looked terrified."I'm not staying
here," he said.But I persuaded him
to help me,and we found the men's
boat tied to the other side of the
steamboat.We climbed quietly in
and as we paddled away we heard
the two men shouting.By then we
were a safe distance away.But now
I began to feel bad about what we
had done.I didn't want all three men
to die.
