The most tremendous excitement reigned aboard every one of the three
anchored motor boats, when it was seen that the bright white light was
headed straight for them.
"He's going to smash us!" whooped Josh.
"Hey, hold off there, Clarence! Don't be a fool!" shouted George.
Herb and Nick could not find their voices at all, to make the least
sign; and there was a cause for their feeling more alarmed than any of
the rest. It happened that in arranging their anchorage the _Comfort_
came further out than either of the other boats. Hence, she was more in
direct line with the swiftly advancing speed boat than either the
_Wireless_ or the _Tramp_.
But if Nick could not use his tongue he certainly could use his limbs;
and the way he threw himself over to the port side of the roomy
_Comfort_ was worth seeing. There he crouched, hugging the railing, and
ready for a plunge overboard should the expected collision take place.
But just when it seemed as though the sharp prow, which they fully
believed must belong to the _Flash_, was about to cut through the stern
of the helpless _Comfort_, the hand at the wheel must have diverted her
course just a trifle, for she shot past like an arrow, almost grazing
the varnished side of the broad-beamed launch.
While that dazzling glow from the acetylene searchlight shone in their
faces, none of the boys could make out anything with certainty. On
comparing notes afterwards they were unable to declare whether the dim
figure at the wheel was Clarence or some other; though Nick did say he
heard a low chuckling laugh as the phantom boat passed, which he knew
was a favorite way of expressing pleasure on the part of the Macklin
boy.
"That was a close shave, sure!" remarked Jack, as coolly as he could.
They could hear the rapidly retreating rattle of the exhaust of the
"pirate boat," as some of them liked to call the other craft; but as it
was circling around the island, apparently, all other signs of its
presence had vanished.
"Too close for comfort!" gasped Herb.
"Listen to him joking at such a time!" remarked Josh, thinking Herb
meant to apply his remark to the name of the boat, when, truth to tell,
that was the last thing to occur to him.
"Believe me, fellows, I confess that I'm quivering like a leaf," said
Nick, "and it ain't cowardice, either. Brave men tremble after the
danger is over, cravens before. You noticed that I wasn't paralyzed with
fright, didn't you? I could think, and lay out a plan of escape. That
proves I wasn't really scared then."
"But," declared Herb, indignantly, "whatever did they mean doing that?
Why, if that sharp nose of the _Flash_ had ever banged into us, going
like she was, we'd have been cut in two! It's criminal, that's what,
fellows!"
"Oh!" Jack remarked, "to tell the truth, I don't think Clarence would be
such a fool to take such chances as that. In the first place he might
kill one of us. And then again, you know, his boat would be sure to
suffer, too, and might be wrecked."
"That sounds reasonable, Jack," admitted George; "but whatever do you
suppose tempted him to do that crazy thing?"
"Well, he might think it a good lark," was the reply. "And then again,
there may have been some other reason pushing him on, which we don't
know anything about as yet. I'm going to try and think out an
explanation, and if I hit a hot trail I'll tell you about it, boys."
"That means Jack's got an idea," said Nick.
"All right," spoke up Josh, instantly. "Don't think you're the only one
in the bunch who can have such things, Buster."
"But what if they circle around the island, and come down booming at us
again?" ventured the nervous Herb.
"I don't believe that will happen," Jack replied, seriously. "But if you
feel anxious, just pull further into the cove, Herb, and he couldn't
strike you then."
"I tell you what I'm going to do," declared the impulsive George. "I'm
on the first watch, and I want you to let me have that Marlin
scatter-gun of yours, Jack. If that fool bursts out from behind that
point again, and heads for us at full speed, I declare to goodness if I
don't bang away, and touch him up with bird-shot a few. He deserves such
a lesson."
"But why should Clarence want to scare us away from here?" asked Nick.
That was what Jack was himself wrestling with, and he waited to find out
if any of his mates put forth an answer; but they seemed to be unable to
grapple with the puzzle, for no one spoke.
"My boat is heading that way, and I'm going to light my glim. Then if he
tries his funny business again, I'll spot him in good time," George
remarked.
It was some time before the excitement died away. Even after those who
were entitled to sleep had lain down, they would raise their heads at
the least suspicious sound. Did a wavelet lap the adjacent beach, Nick
was sure to bob up and look about him in alarm. When an owl started to
call out "Whoo! whoo!" from a tree on the dark island, he sat up
instantly, and seemed almost ready to crawl over the side of the boat
into the water.
But nothing happened, and gradually silence fell upon the three anchored
boats. George and Jimmie gave way to Jack and Nick when several hours
had passed; and finally Herb and Josh wound up the night.
When morning came, the boys joked one another over their red eyes,
showing that, after all, none of them could have secured much comforting
sleep.
"I suppose we're going to pick up our mudhooks today and climb out of
this?" suggested Josh, as they were enjoying breakfast.
All of them looked at Jack, who smiled.
"Suppose we put it to a vote, fellows," he said. "All those in favor of
scuttling out of this, like dogs with their tails between their legs,
simply because certain parties want us to move, signify it by raising
their hands."
Not one went up; even Josh, who had seemed inclined that way, upon
ascertaining that Nick declined to show the white feather, allowed his
half raised hand to drop again.
"Contrary, no, raise their hands!"
And six of them went up like a shot.
"Do we vacate?" asked the fat boy, sarcastically, turning on Josh.
"Nixey. And the more they try to scare us off, the closer we stick.
Ain't it so, fellows?"
"Millions for defense, not one cent for tribute!" spoke up George,
grandly.
"Remember the old story of the battle between the wind and the sun,
don't you?" asked Herb, who was always bringing into play fables and
yarns he had soaked in during his younger days.
"No; what was that, Herb?" asked Jack.
"Why, they got into a dispute as to which of them was the stronger, and
decided to settle it on a traveler. So the wind began to blow harder and
harder; but the traveler just wrapped his cloak the tighter about him.
Then the sun started to try, and as it got hotter and hotter, first the
traveler unfastened his cloak, and then threw it off altogether. So the
bully old sun won out, after all."
"Hear! hear!" cried George; "that is a good illustration, Herb. You see,
fellows, he means that we ain't going to be chased away by hard knocks
and bluffing; but if some one would come and ask us politely to vacate,
and give us a good reason why we ought to move along, we'd do it
willingly. That's the Yankee policy."
"Then, as we're going to be here for another day, anyhow, suppose Jimmie
and me take a turn after the muskies?" suggested Nick.
"It's only fair you should have a chance," Jack observed; "but you can
see what risk there always is in one of the clumsy little punkin-seed
boats, when handling a big fish."
"You forget that I can swim like a duck, Jack!" observed Buster,
proudly.
"All the same," Jack went on, seriously, "you know you're not quite as
spry as some of us; and I hope you will keep that life preserver on all
the time. This water is deep, and the current makes it treacherous."
"Oh! I promise that, sure," Nick assented. "Between us, believe me, I
meant to carry that bally old cork life preserver along, anyway. Jimmie
might take a crab while rowing, and upset. There's no telling, you know.
All right, us for the grand sport today, Jimmie. And now, post us about
the place, Jack, and just how you do the business."
"Wouldn't I just give a cookie to see Buster fast to a hustler like I
had on yesterday," chuckled Herb.
"Well," remarked the fat boy, coolly, "it would do you good, I guess.
You'd know how to manage, after that, so as not to let a measly fish
upset your boat. It takes brains to be a successful fisherman, Herb,
real brains."
Jack went ashore again a little later, but none of the others seemed to
care to accompany him, being satisfied to lie around, taking things
easy, and talking of their future plans; for a new idea had been
broached which had to do with an extended cruise up through the great
lakes, rather than knock around here on the St. Lawrence for two full
months; and all of them were full of suppressed excitement over it.
If Jack made any further discoveries during the time he was on the
island, he did not think to take the others into his confidence when he
came back; but that may have been because just then a noisy little motor
boat was heading straight toward the cove, and every one was guessing
what new developments were about to be sprung upon them.