'Come on,' I said.
Jeannie nodded and I led the way, being a little less careful and going a little faster than I'd come. I could feel, almost hear, my heart thumping in my chest. Little trills of fear flashed in my stomach and along my arms and legs. I was trying to push down the panic that was washing over me. When we got to where the rowboat was, I helped Jeannie get in. Pearl jumped in after Jeannie. I tossed the coil of rope in and got in after it. With Jeannie in the stern and Pearl in the bow, I paddled us with my broken oar, downstream, away from the island.
Chapter 18
I wanted to go upstream, toward home. But I couldn't, against the current, with my one broken oar. I'd have to turn us around eventually, but right now panic was chasing me. All I could think of was to get us away from Luke and his bowie knife.
We stayed in the middle of the river, riding the current. Where the treetops didn't touch, the moonlight showed through and looked really nice reflecting on the surface of the river. It was quiet as it ever gets in the woods. The soft river sound. An occasional frog grunt. Now and then a night bird. And once, I heard a fox bark. Pearl stiffened and pricked her ears and stared at the fox bark for a long time. But no fox appeared and after a while she gave up on it.
'You came after me,' Jeannie said.
'Yep.'
She didn't say anything. The panic was slowly draining from me as we went downriver. I felt exhausted. And hungry. And thirsty.
'What's in the blanket roll?' I said.
'Some peanut butter,' Jeannie said. 'And some crackers, and I think a few bottles of Coke or something. I don't know if there's anything else.'
'Let's unroll it,' I said. 'And see.'
She did. It was the way she'd described it, plus a big box of Oreo cookies. I gave her my jackknife, and she made us a bunch of cracker and peanut butter sandwiches and handed me back my knife. We each drank a Coke with the crackers.
'Where'd you get the knife?' she said.
'My father gave it to me for my eighth birthday. He said it was a handy thing to carry.'
'And you've carried it ever since?'
'Yeah,' I said. 'Sure.'
'Are you scared?' she said.
'Yes.'
'Me too,' she said. 'You don't seem scared.'
'I'm trying not to let it run me,' I said.
'My father is so awful,' she said.
'Yes,' I said.
'When I said a??help' to you in the car, I was thinking maybe you'd get your father or one of your uncles.'
'Wish I had,' I said.
'Why didn't you?'
'No time,' I said. 'If I lost contact with you, I wouldn't have known where to look.'
She nodded.
'I think you are very brave,' she said.
