Motor Boat Boys Among the Florida Keys Part 21

"Perhaps waiting for us?" suggested Jack; but the smile on his face declared that he entertained different ideas about the stoppage.

"That may be," replied Herb, skeptically; "but the chances are he's bucking up against trouble again. Won't we all be pleased as Punch when he does get a motor that can motor without eternally breaking down?

There, Nick's waving his red bandana, which I take it means they've broken down."

And so it proved. A weak place had developed as usual, so that George would be compelled to spend an hour or two mending the same.

Herb generously offered to give him a tow; but this the proud spirit of George would not brook. It was bad enough having to suffer that ignominy when threatened with a storm, but when the gulf was smooth nothing could induce him to accept.

"You fellows go right along," George called out; "and I'll overtake you later."

But neither Jack nor Herb would think of such a thing. If a heavy wind chanced to come up while the _Wireless_ lay there, positively helpless, she would roll frightfully, and stand a chance of capsizing.

And so they simply hung around until the makeshift repairs had been completed, so that the speed boat could again proceed under her own power.

This lost them so much time that it was no longer possible to think of reaching the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River, and ascending as far as Meyers, that day. So they kept an eye out for a snug harbor, where they might pa.s.s the night.

The coast was not so desolate here as below. They had pa.s.sed the settlement of Naples; and here and there could see where shacks, or more pretentious buildings, told of the presence of fruit or truck growers.

Finally, toward the middle of the afternoon, coming upon just the place that would afford them a good camping ground, the three boats pulled in.

Jack had noticed that Jimmy was showing signs of growing excitement as they proceeded to anchor. The Irish boy had been using the marine gla.s.ses with more or less eagerness; and no sooner was the boat made secure than he broke out with:

"Excuse me, if ye plase, Jack darlint, but I've a most pressin'

engagement this minute. I do be sayin' me chanct to get aven with me rival."

He was even at the time throwing a number of things into the little d.i.n.ky, among others a section of rope. Nick, while not overhearing what was said, must have noticed the active preparations for a sudden campaign. His round, red face appeared over the side of the _Wireless_, as Jimmy pushed off and rowed furiously away.

"Now, what in the d.i.c.kens does all that mean, Jack?" he asked. "Is Jimmy going to make the trip to Meyers in that d.i.n.ky, or has he got an idea in his head he can bag something that will make me look like thirty cents?"

"I rather guess that's just the sort of bee he's got in his bonnet, Nick," laughed Jack, "and if you look out yonder, where that reef lies in shallow water, with the little waves breaking over it, you'll see what's started him going."

Nick hunted around until he found George's gla.s.ses, which he clapped to his eyes, to burst out with a cry of astonishment and chagrin.

"Say, it must be a big porpoise that's got stranded out there! My eye!

look at it kick up the water, would you? Oh! if Jimmy ever gets a rope around that thing, and tries to ride it ash.o.r.e, won't he be in a peck of trouble, though? But when Jimmy sets out to do anything, you just can't frighten him off; and, honest now, I believe he's bent on doing that same mad caper!"

CHAPTER XVIII.

JIMMY FORGES TO THE FRONT.

None of them could have any doubt about it; for was not the excited Jimmy making toward that same reef with all speed? Determined to wrest the laurels from his rival, if it could possibly be done, he had only too eagerly seized upon this fine chance to get in some strenuous work.

Looking beyond, they could see that the stranded porpoise, if the object out yonder really proved to be such a creature, still threshed the water and strove to break away from its place of captivity.

"What ails the bally thing?" grumbled the anxious Nick. "Why don't it back off, the same way it came on? That's the only way it could get into deep water. Did you ever see such a looney, trying to keep on shoving ahead, when all the while it gets in more shallow water?"

"Huh! seems to me there are others!" chuckled Josh; "jewfish, for instance, don't seem to have one bit more sense. Sometimes they get left on a shallow place, and kick like fun, while waiting for the tide to rise and help 'em off."

"Ah! let up on that, Josh; 'taint fair to take his side all the time,"

complained the fat boy, straining his eyes to follow the movement of his rival, now more than half way out to the reef.

"Well, we always stand up for the under dog; and just now Jimmy's in that position," continued Josh.

"Yes," spoke up George, encouragingly, "and when you get there, Nick, as you may sooner or later, you'll see how gladly we'll all give you our sympathy, eh, boys?"

Nick refused to be comforted by the prospect.

"Hey! Jack," he said, turning to the skipper of the _Tramp_, who seemed to be bending over his motor, as if about to turn his engine; for a sudden idea had come into his head, "is a porpoise a _real_ fish, now?"

"Whatever makes you ask that?" demanded Herb.

"Oh! I want to know, that's all," replied Nick, coolly. "That Jimmy tries to just throw his old net over anything that creeps, swims or walks, and call it a fish. He tried it on us with his blessed old alligator, you remember, fellers; then, when we wouldn't stand for that, don't you know how he tried to hook up one of the sea cows they call a manatee, and make us take that? Now he's after a porpoise; and if he keeps on he'd grab a hippopotamus, and try to bluff us at that.

Anything that goes in water answers for Jimmy."

"Well, if he gets a porpoise, he's got a fish without any reason to kick over the traces, Nick, and don't you forget that," George declared.

"Say, where you going, Jack?" demanded Nick, suspiciously.

"Why, I thought I'd better take a little spin out there, to keep an eye on Jimmy," replied the other.

"What for? You don't think of lending him a hand, I hope? Remember, the rules of the game knocks all that sort of thing on the head," Nick protested, vigorously.

"No danger of my forgetting," laughed Jack. "But I happened to think how bold Jimmy can be, and wondered if he mightn't get in trouble somehow."

"That's right, Jack," spoke up George, himself a very rash fellow on occasion; "it'd be just like him to hitch on to that porpoise, and help work him loose. Then we'd see our poor chum going out to sea like a railroad limited express. And Jack, if you'll allow me, I guess I'll drop in, and keep you company."

"Same here," declared Herb, crawling aboard, as he pulled the _Tramp_ close to the starboard quarter of the _Comfort_.

"Hey! wait for me, can't you!" exclaimed Nick, all excitement now.

"Who's got as much interest in this business as me, tell me that? I ought to be along to judge if he takes his fish in fair play, you know."

"Fair play!" jeered Josh, as he too slid into the other boat after Nick; "well, I like that, now, after the way you lugged that poor old weakened jewfish to camp. Any way Jimmy can grab his game will count; and you might as well make up your mind to it first as last, my boy."

"Oh! don't you get to bothering your head about me, Josh Purdue," Nick went on to say, stoutly; "I'm a true sport, and can take my medicine when I have to, as good as the next one. And I guess I don't give up easy, do I? But it ain't time for the shoutin' yet. Jimmy hasn't got his porpoise; and it mebbe don't weigh more'n two hundred and thirty pounds, either."

Leaving the other two boats anch.o.r.ed in quiet water, Jack headed the _Tramp_ for the reef, where the water was breaking softly over the submerged rocks; with the unfortunate porpoise floundering in a helpless manner, for the tide was almost at its lowest level.

Jimmy had by now arrived on the spot. He must have arranged his plan of campaign as he was rowing frantically out, for he lost no time in getting down to business.

Those who looked saw him push his way up to the reef after his usual bold fashion. If some water came aboard the little d.i.n.ky, Jimmy gave the circ.u.mstance no heed. All he could see was that struggling monster of the deep, and the happy opportunity that had been thrown in his way whereby he might cut his rival out of the lead he had held so long.

For that joyous conclusion Jimmy was ready to take all sorts of chances.

"Look at him, getting right up alongside the kicker!" exclaimed Nick, with an expression of amazement on his rosy face; for he could not help admiring the nerve exhibited by his rival, even though deep down in his heart he hoped the other might fail to land the prize.