sleeve, and plunged his arm into the water over the stern. Not one but half a dozen lily stalks were jammed together, wedging the rudder. He broke some of them and then pulled the bits through between the rudder and the keel.
“Clear now,” he said, and put out the oars again. He rowed on, telling Susan not to steer too near to the reeds, where the lilies were, and yet not to go too far from the edge. The struggle with the lilies had taken time and it was getting darker and darker.
“I say,” said Susan, “it’s too dark to find the Amazon now. Hadn’t we better give it up and go back?”
“If we waited till the morning we should find her all right,” said Captain John.
“But what about Titty?” said Susan. “Besides, Amazon may not be here at all.”
“She must be somewhere in the river,” said John. “But I forgot about Titty. We’ll go back.”
He turned the Swallow round and went on rowing.
“It’s no good steering,” said Susan, “I can’t see where to go.”
John tugged sharply at one of his oars.
“More lilies,” he said.
He pulled Swallow out of the lilies and she ran her nose into reeds.
“Do keep a lookout, Roger,” said the mate.
“There’s nothing to look at,” said Roger, “until it’s too late.”