Motor Boat Boys on the Great Lakes Part 9

"That was before I took notice of the horrible example we had along, of the living skeleton," retorted Nick. "After that I just made up my mind to remain nice and plump. Some people look best when they're fat, you know."

"There, he's thinking of Sallie again," remarked Josh.

"But we haven't seen a sign of the _Mermaid_," remarked George; "and I reckon she's left here for the Soo region ahead of us. But Herb, find some way to fasten the little rascal up for tonight, so he can't do any mischief. If his owner comes for him in the morning we'll give him a scare."

Herb managed to do this, although Nick declared he would be afraid to take a wink of sleep for fear of being choked, or something else as dreadful. All the same when his time came to give up sentry duty, no one heard so much as a "peep" from Nick again until daylight arrived.

It was arranged on the following morning that they should explore the island, in order to see its wonders and beauties, in two detachments, each consisting of three. Jack learned that bicycles could be hired close by, and mounted on these he and Herb and Josh made the grand rounds, allowing nothing to escape them.

Then after lunch the others took wheel and carried out the same programme, even to visiting the old blockhouse on the hill, and viewing the charming marine spectacle from the top of the little bluff.

As they gathered around late in the afternoon to compare notes, and discuss the various matters that interested them, Jack noted first of all that the shrewd little monkey, which had been dubbed Jocko, was still aboard the _Comfort_.

n.o.body had shown up to inquire about him. Nick was for going ash.o.r.e and spreading the news of the find far and wide; but the others refused to allow him. They really believed that Jocko had been sent aboard by his master to steal; and that this party was afraid to claim him now.

"If we have to take him along he'll give us lots of fun," remarked Jack.

"Yes, Buster is only thinking that there'd be one more mouth to feed, and that might cut his share of the rations down a peg," a.s.serted Josh.

"Now that's where you wrong me," declared the fat boy, solemnly. "If you insist on hearing what I was thinking about, I'll tell you. Suppose we should get stormbound somewhere up on the twisting St. Mary's river, or on the biggest fresh water lake in the world--why, you see we could always turn to Jocko, and make a good meal. I remember reading that monkeys were just prime."

"Oh! you cannibal!" cried the horrified Josh. "Why, that poor little innocent looks just like a baby."

"Yes," retorted Nick, "your mother showed me your picture when you were six months old, and there _is_ a close resemblance."

Night came on, and there was no claimant, so Jocko ate supper with the boys. He was already making good friends, and seemed very well satisfied with his new lot. Perhaps he missed the cuffing and beating he was accustomed to; but he could do without that very well; and the eating must have appealed to him strongly.

In the morning they left soon after breakfast. The day opened fair, and they knew there was a long trip before them if they hoped to cross the head of Lake Huron, and follow the winding channel of the St. Mary's river so as to reach Sault Ste. Marie by night.

Fortunately the breeze, what little there was, chanced to be in the north for a change. This allowed them to keep close to the southern sh.o.r.e of the peninsula for some hours, following its contour and avoiding the pounding that heavy seas always brought in their train.

Finally they entered the narrow strait between the mainland and big Drummond Island. Here the bustling port of Detour was pa.s.sed. Nick hinted about going ash.o.r.e and doing a little marketing; but Jack vetoed that proposition.

"Plenty of time to do all that after we get to the Soo tonight," he observed; and Nick knew there was no appeal from his decision.

"Is that Canada over yonder?" asked Josh, pointing to the island off their lee.

"No, Drummond belongs to Michigan," Jack replied. "Further on though, we'll strike St. Joseph's Island, and that is a part of Canada. So we'll all step ash.o.r.e just to say we've been outside the U. S. for once."

"And that Mud Lake you were telling us about is somewhere along there, ain't it?" Herb asked.

"We'll find it, I reckon," replied the commodore, drily.

They did, and had reason to remember it too. Sometimes the waterway bearing the outlet of Lake Superior to the lower lakes was very wide and imposing. Then again it would narrow until Nick expressed his firm conviction that they had taken the wrong channel, and would be stopped, and have to return over their course.

But Jack kept his charts before him as he led, and was positive he had made no mistake of that sort. Occasionally George would be unable to restrain his impetuous nature. At such times he would shoot ahead of the others, to make a little rush of perhaps a mile, and then slow up to await their coming, being always careful not to lose sight of his chums.

But alas, George did this prank just once too often. He heard Jack say some time before that they were pa.s.sing through Mud Lake, and must be careful; but thought this referred to getting lost in some side pa.s.sage that looked promising.

"Wait up at the head yonder; you're too slow for me!" he called out, as the _Wireless_ left the bunch, and cut through the water like an arrow shot from an archer's bow.

"Lookout!" warned Jack; but George who was quite confident concerning his own ability to manage his affairs, just waved a hand back, and continued to speed for all his racing boat was worth.

Jack was sitting there where he could manage the wheel and continue to study the chart spread in front of him, when he heard a wild whoop from Jimmie.

"Look! look yander!"

Jack was just in time to see poor Josh take a flying header into the water, when the speed boat came to an abrupt stop on a concealed mudbank.

The sound of the tremendous splash floated back to the ears of the others, causing Nick to roll over, and make the boat quiver with his riotous laughter; for that Josh should be the victim of this ridiculous accident gave the fat boy exceeding great joy.

CHAPTER IX

IN TERRIBLE PERIL

"Just what I expected!" exclaimed Jack, grimly.

"What was it?" demanded Herb; for at the moment it happened that the _Tramp_, being in front, obstructed the vision of those in the larger boat.

"Oh! tell me, was that really poor old clumsy Josh?" demanded Nick, poking his red face over the side of the _Comfort_. "I saw a pair of legs up in the air, and remembered some fellow down at Mackinac telling us what big frogs they found up here along the St. Mary's. The ba.s.s just love them, he said, and the bigger the frog the larger ba.s.s you get.

That one would take in a whale, I guess, eh?"

"It was Josh all right, for I can see George trying to get him with his boat hook right now," said Jack, hardly knowing whether to laugh, or feel provoked on account of the possible delay.

"But why did Josh jump? Was he practicing stunts?" Nick went on innocently.

"Well," replied the commodore, "I imagine George made him squat up in the extreme bow, to sing out if he saw a shallow place ahead. And evidently Josh was looking all around, for he failed to discover a mudbank that was just hidden under the surface of the water."

"But George found it," a.s.serted Herb.

"Trust George for findin' annything at all, at all," grinned Jimmie.

"Hope he didn't go to busting his old engine again. My! what a terrible time we did have with that cranky thing on the Mississippi," observed Nick; who had been on board the speed boat during that memorable cruise down to New Orleans, and hence pa.s.sed through an experience he would never, never forget.

"I hope not," echoed Jack. "Perhaps the worst is yet to come. Perhaps he ran on that old mudbank so hard, going at top speed as he was, that he won't find it an easy job to work off again."

"That might delay us, be the powers, so we wouldn't be able to pull into the ould Soo short of tomorry, bad cess till hasty George!" remarked Jimmie.

"Well," remarked Nick, with a contented sigh, "at the worst we've got Jocko, you remember, boys. Baked or stewed he'd make a meal for the crowd."

Meanwhile they were rapidly drawing closer to the stuck _Wireless_.

Apparently the skipper of the stranded craft had succeeded in dragging his crew out of the mire, for there was a dripping figure on the forward deck, sc.r.a.ping the mud away, and evidently more or less bubbling over with various remarks.

Jack cautioned Herb to slow down as they drew near.