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 anchored 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 dinky, Jimmy gave the
circumstance 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.
"Sure he is!" laughed Josh. "Why, just keep your eye peeled, Nick, old
boy, and my word for it, you'll see our little chum climb right on the
back of that bucking broncho of the gulf, put a bridle in his mouth,
and ride him home!"
"Oh! rats! you can't get me to believe that!" Nick flashed back; and
yet, despite his brave words, he watched the actions of the Irish lad
with deep anxiety, as if believing that no one could tell what wonderful
things Jimmy might not attempt.
"Look there, would you!" he exclaimed, a few seconds later; "what under
the sun has Jimmy got now!"
"Seems to me like it's our ax!" declared George, with a harsh laugh.
"Ax!" snorted the indignant Nick; "d'ye mean to tell me he expects to
knock that poor porpoise on the head, just like they do steers at the
stockyards; and then claim he _caught_ him? Well, I like that, now!"
"It's all in the game, Nick," declared Herb, consolingly. "Remember, you
didn't use a fish hook and line to bag your big jewfish; just slung a
rope around his gills, and walked away with him through the shallow
water near the shore. I reckon even an ax might count, so long as he
keeps the fish, and brings him in!"
"Sho!" Nick went on, as though disgusted; "but just think of getting a
fish with such a tool, as if you were just chopping a tree!"
"Watch him, now, if you want to see how Jimmy goes at it; perhaps you
may be only too glad to do the same thing later on, when you want to
climb up and throw him off the first rung of the ladder," Herb remarked.
"Yes," said wise Josh, "it makes all the difference in the world what
position you hold when condemning practices. What looks bad to you,
seems fair and square to Jimmy right now."
"Wow! what a crack that was!" George exclaimed, as Jimmy brought down
the ax on the struggling fish.
"But he hasn't got him yet, anyway," muttered Nick, as they saw the
water whipped into foam around the little, wabbling dinky boat occupied
by Jimmy.
"He nearly took a header that time, let me tell you!" cried Herb.
"But he sticks to his job, all right!" laughed Jack. "See, he's aiming
to get in another crack, and there it goes. Whew! that was a stunner,
though!"
"A regular sockdolager!" avowed Josh, who was apparently enjoying the
circus first-rate.
"And it looks like it knocked the poor old porpoise out of the running,"
commented Herb.
"That's what it did!" George declared; "and there's Jimmy trying to get
a hitch with his rope around the thing's tail. He's gone and done it,
as sure as you live! See him stop to wave his hand at us; and he's got
the widest grin on his face you ever saw. Victory comes sweet after
having it rubbed in so long."
"Huh! how d'ye know the bally old porpoise is goin' to stand for more
than my jewfish?" Nick grumbled; though his face began to wear a look
that comes with chagrin and defeat; "and even if it does, that don't
wind things up. Ain't I got just as much chance to bag something bigger
before we haul up at New Orleans, tell me that, Josh Purdue?"
"Course you have, Nick, old top," declared Josh, who hoped to see the
rivalry kept up to the very last, since it was affording them all so
much fun; "and we'll back you for the boy who can do big stunts, once
you wake up to it; eh, fellers?"
Jimmy was now starting to row back toward where the two other motor
boats were at anchor. He made but slow progress of it, towing that now
quiet captured porpoise; but the rules of the game prevented the others
from giving him any sort of a lift.
Now and then the porpoise would get stranded in the shallow water, and
at such times Jimmy was put to his wits' ends to manage. But by slow
degrees he succeeded in accomplishing the object he had in view.
Of course the others did not wait for him, but ran back to where the
camp was to be made for the night. Josh was anxious to get ashore, and
start a fire; for all of them confessed to being hungry. Nick only made
one more remark on the way back, and that gave them an inkling of his
ruling passion.
"I say, Jack, do you know whether a porpoise is good to eat?" he asked.
Jack replied that he had never heard of any one eating one, though
perhaps the meat might appeal to certain appetites, like those of
Esquimaux, or the Indians of Alaska.
"I don't think we'll bother about it, however," Josh remarked, "because
we've got plenty besides."
Supper was well on the way when finally Jimmy landed, his beaming face
wet with honest perspiration, and filled with the pride that followed
his recent exploit.
They all came down to view his capture, and estimate the weight of the
porpoise. The opinion seemed to be that, while a small one, it must
weigh something close on to two hundred and fifty pounds; but Nick
declared he would have to demand the proof before giving in.