WHERE AMBITION LED.
True to his word, the generous Irish lad was the very first to grasp
Nick's blistered hand and congratulate him on his wonderful success.
"That's what comes of stick-at-it-tiveness," declared Herb, ponderously,
as he, too, gripped the fingers of the successful shark fisherman.
Nick was allowed to get the rifle, and wind up the career of the savage
sea monster. In the morning they estimated his weight, just as they had
done with others in the past. Everybody was satisfied to agree with that
first guess which Jack made, and call it four hundred. And they declared
that Nick was a wonder, in that with only the assistance of the falls,
he had dragged such a monster up on the beach.
The voyage was resumed that day, and for the better part of a week they
were put to it dodging storms, making outside runs when the fair weather
allowed of their braving the open gulf, and extricating themselves from
various unpleasant predicaments, when they managed to lose themselves in
what had promised to be a convenient cut-off, but which proved a trap
in the shape of shallow water, with many chances of the boats sticking
in the mud.
After Pensacola would come Mobile; and then the next place they expected
to reach would be their destination, New Orleans.
Each night as they figured on the time that still remained, a sense
of gloom would descend upon the camp, though Jack or else Jimmy soon
dissipated it by some joking remark, or it might be by bursting out into
ragtime song. But they had had such a glorious time since starting out
on this remarkable voyage that they viewed its approaching finish with a
feeling bordering on dismay.
Jimmy had now taken to being haunted by a desire to eclipse the great
feat of his stout rival. Though it did not seem that there might be one
chance in fifty of his succeeding in capturing a fish that would exceed
the weight of that monster shark, Jimmy had developed an industrious
trait.
Early and late his mind was set upon the game. Nick had generously
turned over his shark tackle to the other. He guaranteed that it was
sound, and capable of sustaining any strain.
So Jimmy would each night do just what the other had been engaged in
until recently; and the way he attended to that line was worthy of all
praise.
But, although hardly a night went by that he did not make some sort of
capture, his best effort fell far short of the necessary heft, and Nick
began to feel that the wager was as good as won. Nevertheless, he
watched all that Jimmy did with a certain amount of interest, not to say
anxiety, knowing that there is, according to the old saying, "many a
slip between the cup and the lip."
All of them were in the very best of health, and in this the voyage down
the coast, and around the end of Florida among the keys had done them
good. Even Josh seemed to have recovered from his spell of indigestion,
and was able to do his share of the eating.
How could it be otherwise, when they were living in the open air day and
night, drinking in the pure ozone all the while; with contented minds,
and plenty to appease the healthy demands of the inner man?
So one fine afternoon they headed up the wide bay leading to Pensacola,
expecting to get more home letters here. George had a wrinkle between
his eyes at times, but this was not on account of any anxiety in
connection with a girl he had left behind him, as some of the others
jokingly declared. The fact was, his new engine was giving him a little
trouble.
"Tell you what, George," Herb had said, when they had to stop an hour
for the other to do some work, in order to induce the motor to carry on
its part; "your old _Wireless_ is just a hoodoo, and that's what ails
you."
"Huh!" grunted George, in disgust, "I'm beginning to believe that way
myself, to be honest now. I've done everything a fellow could do, even
to installing a new and guaranteed motor; yet here the measly thing goes
back on me, just like the old one used to. Huh! it's just sickening,
that's what!"
"But you see, George," Josh remarked, with a wide grin, "the bally boat
wouldn't feel right at all if it went too smooth. Ever since you first
got her she's been accustomed to playing you tricks. Expect her to
reform all at once, and be as meek as Moses? Well, I guess not. Give her
time, George, plenty of time."
"Oh! she's got to see me through this cruise," declared the owner of the
cranky speed boat; "because I haven't got the money to buy another right
now. And no matter what the rest of you say, I've somehow always loved
this boat."
"Of course," observed Herb; "they always say that the bad child is
loved most by its parents, because they feel the greatest anxiety for
that one. But give me the steady old _Comfort_, that never keeps me
awake guessing what sort of trick it'll play next."
"Oh! that's all right," remarked George, indifferently; "everybody to
their taste. But I'd die in that tub, watching all the rest run circles
around me."
"Oh! hardly that," laughed Herb; "because, you see, once in a while
there's a little ripple of excitement comes breezing along, when some
fellow asks to be taken in tow!"
Of course, after that George had nothing further to say; for he could
look back to several instances that were full of humiliation to his
proud spirit, when necessity had forced him to accept of this friendly
aid on the part of his chums.
But they reached Pensacola finally in good shape. George hoped that
after all, as the others said, that one little trick on the part of his
engine might have only been a slip that would never occur again; though
his confidence was shaken, and he watched its working suspiciously after
that.
Letters from home greeted them at Pensacola; but no new developments
were contained in them, at least nothing positive. The strike had not
been settled, and there was warm talk of the town putting men to work
regardless of labor unions.
"And so little has been done," Jack remarked, after getting the
consensus of opinions from all the letters that had been read, "that I
can't see, for the life of me, how they're ever going to complete the
building this season. I understand that it was proposed to use the
biggest church in a pinch; but just as luck would have it, the heating
plant in that has gone all to pieces, so that the scholars would be apt
to freeze."
The boys looked at each other, and smiled. Perhaps they were, deep down
in their hearts, secretly hoping that the workers up there would keep on
quarreling, and the completion of the high school building be postponed
until the next summer. For boys give little thought concerning lost
opportunities in the way of learning. Besides, were they not getting the
finest lessons possible in the line of self reliance; and was not this
long cruise the best sort of education, when they had learned a thousand
things that could never be forgotten?
When they left Pensacola the weather appeared favorable; but at this
season of the year nothing can be taken for granted; so that the
experienced cruiser is accustomed to keeping a strict watch for signs of
storms.
They had need of caution about this time, since there arose a necessity
for considerable outside work, always dangerous in small boats, because
of shallow water near the shore, and an absence of suitable harbors in
which to seek shelter, should a sudden gale arise.
If all went well, they anticipated making it a one-night stop between
Pensacola and Mobile; and Jack thought he had the place for this camp
picked out on his coast chart, which he studied faithfully.
So, as this day moved along, they were putting the miles behind them at
a steady rate. George had no new trouble with his engine, though it was
noticed that he cut out some of his racing ahead of the others. Constant
friction from water will wear away granite in time; and the numerous and
long-continued troubles of George must be making an impression on his
usually buoyant spirits.
"Alabama, here we rest!" sang out Jack, about five in the afternoon, as
he pointed ahead to where a friendly island or key offered them the
shelter they craved.
"Oh! I'm so glad!" Nick was heard to say, and they could easily guess
why; for of course Nick must be ravenously hungry--he nearly always
was.
Accordingly they headed in, meaning to pass behind the end of the key
that jutted out like a human finger, offering an asylum to all small
craft that could gain the sheltered water behind.
It was just while they were slowing up, since caution had to be
exercised whenever they neared shoal waters, that Herb called out
excitedly:
"Oh! Jack, look out yonder; what in the dickens is that coming along,
and sticking out of the water?"
Of course every eye was instantly turned in the direction Herb was
pointing.
"It's a whale!" shouted Nick, almost falling overboard in his excitement,
as he discovered some dreadful looking black object rushing through the
water amid a sparkling mass of foam.
"A whale!" echoed Jimmy, dancing up and down excitedly; "Och! if I only
had a harpoon now, wouldn't it be just grand? A whale would knock the
spots out of the biggest shark that iver grew, so it would."
Jack had snatched up his marine glasses, and was leveling them at the
monster, back of which trailed that line of foam and bubbles. The
others, watching, saw him stare as though hardly able to believe his
eyes, and then laugh outright.
"Oh! there goes Jimmy in the dinky; and, would you believe it, he's got
a gun!" exclaimed Nick. "Nothing is too big to scare that boy, I do
believe. He'd just as soon tackle a whale as a sunfish. Call him back,
Jack, or he'll be drowned!"
Jack laid down the glasses, which had occupied his attention so much
that he had not observed the actions of his cruising mate.
"Here, you, Jimmy, come right back!" he called, though he could hardly
talk because of the desire to laugh.
"But howld on, Jack, darlint, didn't ye be afther sayin' anything that
swum was a fish; and if I get a whale ain't it fair play?" the other
replied, pausing in his labor of using the short oars belonging to the
_Tramp's_ tender.
"Sure, I did," answered Jack; "but that didn't mean you could go around
banging away at one of your Uncle Sam's submarines, out for a trial spin
from the Pensacola navy-yard. I guess you'd better come back now, before
you get in trouble; don't you?"