LARRY PICKS UP SOME MORE POINTERS
Although the boys had left their stopping place that morning in
something of a hurry upon sighting the advancing posse of the sheriff,
it must not be supposed for one minute that they had forgotten all
about the treat they had been anticipating in the way of breakfast.
Larry had it firmly fixed in his mind; and as soon as he could coax
Tony to go ashore, the swamp boy and himself had opened the primitive
oven in which they had placed the noble turkey.
It was found done to a turn, cooked beautifully by the heat that had
been retained all through the night. Possibly the boys missed the
customary brown, outside appearance, such as they had always seen in a
fowl roasted in an ordinary oven; but for all that it was delicious.
Larry had gone into ecstasies when enjoying the meal; which was eaten
while on the way down the river; the coming of Barker and his following
having started the expedition suddenly.
And many times during that day had Larry referred to the great luck
that had befallen him during his grand hunt. He would never cease to
plume himself on having actually bagged that king bird of the American
forest, and which is usually so timid that only the most experienced
hunter can secure such a trophy.
"And," he would say, as he picked a drumstick at noon with the keenest
of relish, "our good luck didn't stop with my having bagged the
gobbler, either."
"That's a fact," Phil had remarked; "our coming on the spot had
considerable to do with this lunch we're making right now. Because,
only for that, it might be a funeral feast instead of a joy spread, eh,
Larry?"
"Well, that's just about right, Phil," the fat youth had replied,
turning just a shade paler than usual, although on account of his rosy
hue this fact could hardly be noticed, to tell the truth; "but I wasn't
thinking of that; and please don't mention it too often, for it's apt
to take my appetite away."
"Then tell us what you did mean?" demanded his chum.
"I was thinking first of all how fortunate for us that the delicious
odor of our cooking turk didn't ooze out from the oven," Larry went on.
"Oh! now I catch on to what's on your mind," laughed Phil. "You're
thinking of our colored friend, Pete Smith, the chap with the seven
piccaninnies?"
"That's what I am, Phil. What if he had caught the odor of that noble
bird in his half starved condition?"
"Whose--the bird's?" queried Phil, wickedly.
"Oh! no, you know I mean Pete," replied Larry, quite unruffled. "Don't
you suppose he'd have followed his nose, and discovered how we'd placed
the turkey away so neatly? And he'd have uncovered him, and run away
with the whole show. That would have not only cheated us out of our
breakfast and lunch; but have also lost us a chance for doing a noble
deed."
"Hear! hear! I see you're bringing your Boy Scout training down to
Florida with you, Larry. And I wager you never let a sun go down
without having done something to make a fellow critter happier. But
stop and think, it was only midnight when Pete gave us that call,
wasn't it?"
"Somewhere about that time, I guess; but why?" Larry asked.
"Don't you see," Phil went on positively; "the oven couldn't have more
than half done its work by then; so even if Pete had gobbled the
gobbler he'd have had to eat him partly cooked. Not that Pete would
have objected very much to that, for he was too near the starving point
to kick. Now, my opinion is, we had greater luck because we dug up our
breakfast as early as we did."
"How's that, Phil? What has the early bird got to do with the worm; or
the worm with the early bird, as it is in this case?"
"Why, you must remember that we had to quit in something of a hurry,"
laughed Phil. "If our turkey was still in the oven don't you suppose
those dogs would have nosed it out in a jiffy after they arrived? And
we couldn't turn back to claim our game. That posse would have feasted
on the fruits of your great hunt."
In spite of Larry's love for argument, based upon the fact that he
expected to some day become a lawyer like his father, he was compelled
to admit that in this case Phil had the best of it.
And so the bones of the turkey were polished off in the middle of the
day; with every one declaring that it had been a great treat. Larry
kept the two drumsticks as well as the wings of the gobbler. Possibly
he might many a time feel a queer little sensation creeping up and down
his spinal column as memory carried him back again to that slough,
where the treacherous black mud was slowly but surely sucking him down.
And now the sun was creeping closer and closer to the western horizon;
and they must soon come to a stop for the night; unless, as Phil rather
suspected, Tony had conceived some sort of wild idea as to influencing
them to keep right on, so that he could run them past the settlement of
the shingle-makers in the darkness.
Of course there was bound to be a moon, for it even now hung low in the
eastern heavens, being well on toward the full; and, as boys accustomed
to the woods well know, a full moon always rises above a level horizon
just at sunset. But clouds floated in patches across the sky, and it
might be they would obscure this heavenly luminary long enough for
Tony's purposes.
But Phil was equally determined not to let the swamp boy try to run
them past. He had come far to carry out his purpose; and could not
bring himself to believe that it might fail utterly. Much as he had
heard about the fierce nature of the giant, McGee, chief of the clan,
he had faith to believe that even such a rugged and almost savage
character might be subdued, if one went about it in the right way.
"We must be looking for a place to haul up, Tony," Phil finally said,
in his most determined tone.
The swamp boy looked almost heart-broken upon hearing him say this. He
gritted his teeth together, and frowned. Phil knew what must be
passing in his mind; and how poor Tony felt, that in obeying the wishes
of this new friend, he was acting as a decoy, to betray the son of the
hated Dr. Lancing into the hands of those who would treat him roughly.
Tony shook his head and sighed. Then, as if making up his mind that
there was no other course for him to pursue, he tried to smile
cheerfully. Perhaps he still hoped that if the worst came, he might
find another arrow in his quiver to use. Perhaps he relied somewhat on
the influence of his mother, she who had once been a school teacher in
a city, before she came to marry this chieftain of the McGee clan.
"Just as yuh say, Phil," he remarked, meekly. "If we have tuh tie up,
reckons as how it could be did 'round hyah as well as anywhar else.
Yuh see thar's swamp nigh everywhar 'bout, now--nothin' but cypress in
this part o' the kentry. So, when yuh say so, we'll get a hitch 'round
a tree, an' stop."
"Looks to be a likely place ahead there," remarked Larry, who had been
amusing himself with a pair of marine glasses Phil had brought along
with him; and which promised to be particularly useful, once the motor
boat reached the big waters of the gulf.
"Yep!" sang out Tony, who had such keen vision that he found no need of
glasses to assist him, "they's some land thar too, which makes it right
decent. If so be yuh feel that yuh must stop, Phil, that's a shore
good place."
And so they headed in for the landing selected, after navigating the
stream for a short time longer. The sun had not yet gone down, though
under the tall cypress trees, with their great clumps of gray hanging
Spanish moss that looked like trailing banners, it was even then
beginning to grow a little dusky.
Gently running alongside the bank, the Aurora came to a stop. Larry
with his rope was quickly ashore, and securing the cable to a
convenient tree. Then they let the motor boat swing around, so that
her prow headed up-stream; after which she was apt to lie easy all
night, with the current gurgling past, and singing the everlasting song
of the running water.
Larry was for going ashore and making a fire, but Tony begged him not
to.
"They find us soon enough, without hurryin' it 'long that way," he said.
"Oh! well," Larry replied, "I suppose we can use the bully little
kerosene gas cooker tonight. It's a howling success, according to my
mind; and I'm only wondering why you didn't get a second edition while
about it, Phil."
"Because it was new to me," replied his chum; "and while I'd heard a
heap about it, I thought I'd like to try the thing out first. But I
give you my word I'm going to have another as soon as I can send for
it. And never again shall I go into camp without one along. Think of
the rainy days when I've had to go hungry because all the wood was
soaked; when with such a treasure in the tent you could cook to your
heart's content."
"Then you give in to Tony, and say no fire ashore tonight?" asked Larry.
"Well, yes," was Phil's reply. "It's pretty warm anyhow to cook over a
blaze. And perhaps after all it might be better for me to drop into
the village of the McGee, of my own free will, rather than be taken
there, apparently against it."
Again Tony sighed. Perhaps he felt that there was small chance of
their passing that night so near the settlement of his people without
having unwelcome visitors. Perhaps he knew only too well how the mute
Barker must ere now have arrived among the shanties of the
shingle-makers with his astonishing news; and that many dugouts would
soon be scouring the river in search for the remarkable motor boat on
which he, Tony, seemed an honored guest.
"I wonder if I could catch any fish here?" remarked Larry, who could
not forget the success that had attended his previous efforts in the
"hook and pole" line.
"Plenty everywhere along here, I should guess," remarked Phil. "So
suppose you get busy, and see if you can't pull up a supper for the
crowd. Fact is, old chum, you're rapidly developing into a second
class scout. When you get back North you will know so much that
they'll just have to get you a medal to wear. And the marks on the
sleeve of your khaki jacket will about reach from your shoulder to your
elbow, you'll qualify for so much."
"Aw! quit jollying me, Phil," chuckled Larry, who nevertheless seemed
to enjoy the novel sensation of being complimented on his newly
acquired knowledge in the line of woodcraft.
He was soon busily engaged untangling his fishing line, while Tony went
ashore to hunt for grubs in old logs; and Phil employed himself
otherwise. From time to time the chums exchanged a few words, with
Phil taking Larry to task for persisting in calling his jointed bamboo
fishing rod a "pole!"
"That goes well enough with the country boy, who has only a long bamboo
pole, with the string tied at the end," he said, with the air of a
schoolmaster; "but after you reach the point where you use a split
bamboo jointed rod, and a fine rubber reel, it's about time you stepped
up a peg, and gave things their right name."
Larry promised to be more careful in the future.
"There, I've got the tangle all out," he said, with a sigh of relief;
"and here comes Tony with some bait. What is it you've got? Bully for
you, Tony! My! what a nice assortment of fat grubs. I just bet you
the bass will grab at 'em like hot cakes. And strange to say, I'm
actually feeling a little hungry myself at the thought of supper.
Well, here goes for business."
He went to the stern of the boat to cast out. Not just fancying the
way the boat happened to lie, Larry picked up the setting pole, and
started to push a little. In doing so he happened to thrust the pole
into the water. Perhaps he was only trying to see how deep the river
was at that point; at least he afterwards declared he had no other idea
than that.
Phil, occupied in the little task which he had laid out for himself,
paid no particular attention to Larry for several minutes. He was
suddenly startled by a shrill screech from his chum. This caused him
to leap quickly to his feet; and what he saw was enough to send a
thrill through his whole body.
In prodding about with the push pole Larry must have struck some object
lying at the bottom of the river, and the sudden appearance of this
unsuspected neighbor had given him a terrible shock. It was a
tremendous alligator that thrust his snout above the surface, just as
Larry, losing his balance, fell into the river with a great splash!