IN HOT PURSUIT
“It’s all off!” grunted Josh, evidently vastly disappointed by the
outcome of their adventure.
“Yes, they’ve given us the slip!” declared Jack, who was already trying
to think up some new plan whereby they might further harrass the bold
thieves who had thus far carried things all their own way.
“How’d you come to let ’em go?”
This from the panting Buster, and he really meant it, too, which was the
strangest part of it all; he had come rumbling along like an ice-wagon,
as Josh was accustomed to saying, swinging that long club of his in a
way that was as dangerous to friends as foes.
“Huh! let ’em!” Josh went on to say, mockingly. “I like that, now, sure
I do. As if we had anything to do with their skipping out. They were
ready to flew the coop when they heard us a-comin’, and only had to
start the engine. Jenks, here he got that fixed a little too soon. If
he’d only let her go till morning he’d not be minus a boat now, see?”
All of which was true, but nobody sucked any consolation out of it. When
a horse has been stolen, how little the unlucky owner cares when some
neighbors come along and show him how he might have avoided his loss;
what he thinks of most of all is the matter of getting the lost animal
back again into his barn.
And Jack was built that way. He seldom spent any time mourning over the
milk that was spilt; but immediately proceeded to try and remedy
conditions.
One thing sure, if ever they hoped to give these fellows any further
trouble, it would not be accomplished by sitting down, and trying to
discover why they could not have navigated that little patch of timber
faster; or pushed through at a more direct line, so as to have saved
that fatal angle.
The mill will never again grind with the water that is past--how
frequently Jack could remember hearing his teacher in school say that;
and he had often applied it to his own actions.
No, the robbers were done with that island, and had also abandoned their
own boat, for it could be seen tied up there, just ahead. If they were
to be met again it must be on the river.
That would mean a hot pursuit on the part of the motor boat boys; and
this was what Jack was turning over so quickly in his mind while he
stood there looking out after the disappearing craft.
“Oh! they left it after all!” exclaimed Algernon, as he too came up,
considerably the worse for wear, because of the frequent arguments he
had had with various unseen branches and logs and such things, in his
hasty run.
“He thinks that white boat is his,” exclaimed Josh, pointing as he
spoke, “but that’s all wrong, Algernon, and you’re off your trolley,
sure. They had one of the same color, if not as good a boat as yours;
and they’ve kindly left it for you, with their compliments. That was
about what he meant when he shouted across the water, you know.”
“Jack, what are you thinking about now?” demanded George, who knew from
the signs that the other was turning some sort of idea over in that
active mind of his.
“I was wondering whether we wanted to take another turn with these
fellows, that’s all,” replied Jack, immediately.
“But--they’ve cleared out, you know!” said Buster, blankly, as he looked
over the bright surface of the river, as though wondering however a
fellow was going to walk on the water.
“Well, haven’t we got boats to follow them with?” demanded Josh, who
was quicker-witted than his stout chum.
“And one of ’em a crack-a-jack for speed,” added George, proudly.
“When it’s going, you mean, George,” corrected Josh; at which sly thrust
the party indicated simply curled his lip, and disdained to reply.
“Well, whatever we decide to do, the sooner we settle the matter the
better,” remarked Jack, impatiently, something rather uncommon with him.
“Sure thing, because they’re putting up a hefty run of it right now, and
can do it right along with that boat,” added Josh.
“What speed can she make, Algernon?” queried George.
“Fifteen miles an hour when she’s run by one that knows how to handle
her; but by myself I could never beat eleven at the best,” came the
frank admission, which told just why he had hired the mechanician to
accompany him in his run down river in competition with another
“chappie” who also owned an expensive boat.
“Huh! I have had eighteen, and I think nearly twenty out of mine,” said
George, trying to seem as though he were not boasting, but simply
telling the plain truth, “and I think she could do that last, with the
current to help out. So you see we’d be apt to come up on those fellows
hand over fist. All of you could pile aboard the Wireless with me, and
given an hour or so, I reckon we’d bring up alongside your stolen
property, Algernon.”
At that there was a scornful outbreak from Buster.
“Glory, don’t I see this whole bunch aboard your Wireless, though? It’d
be a sight to make a feller weep, the way they’d have to sit in the
middle, and never so much as wink an eye for fear they’d turn the speed
boat upside-down. Excuse me from being in the party, George. I like your
boat all right--from a distance. If I had company I’d rather stay on
this blessed old island than get on the Wireless with such a crowd as
this. Please let me go with you, Herb, if I have to be taken along.”
“Sure we will,” said George, cheerfully, “and only too glad of the
chance. But if we’re going to do any chasing after that runaway it’s
time we made a start.”
“Then come on, everybody!” cried Jack, once more starting away on a run,
and this time following the beach down toward the lower end of the
island.
The whole eight of them were immediately in motion. As before, Buster
and Algernon quickly fell behind, though they persisted manfully, and
meant to come up before the boats could be poled out of the cove and the
start made.
Jack was even then and there fixing things in his mind, so that there
would be no confusion once they started. He decided that as Herb would
be hopelessly distanced by the other two boats, and could not be
depended on to assist in any way, if he started at all he should take
aboard as his crew Buster and Algernon; for they could not be expected
to prove of any great assistance, should matters come to a conflict of
any kind. In fact, Jack would feel more comfortable with the fat boy
missing, for Buster so often upset all calculations by some ill-advised
if well-meant play.
The others could be apportioned to the Tramp and the Wireless; with
three of them keeping Jack company, Jenks one of the number, as he
promised to be a valuable ally when the finish came around.
Running along the open beach was not anything so difficult as trying to
make progress through all that wild jungle; and in an exceedingly brief
space of time the familiar cove loomed up, with its attendant boats,
all tied up snugly to convenient trees, and in deep water at that, which
prevented any possibility of their getting aground by a sudden fall of
the river during the night, as sometimes happened.
Each skipper made directly for his own boat the moment he reached the
scene. It was no time to think of taking down the beloved khaki-colored
tent; if Herb did think it worth while to tag after the others, then
things on the island would have to look after themselves until such time
as the boys could return. And just when this would be, not even Jack
could so much as guess at this early stage in the expected chase.
Although doubtless more or less excited, neither George nor Jack seemed
apt to make a serious blunder in the start. They clambered aboard their
respective boats and meanwhile Jack was shouting directions:
“Andy, you go with George, while Josh and Jenks will come aboard here.
And be quick to cast off, and get the push poles handy, so we won’t be
wasting time. George, for once you’ve got to promise me on your honor
not to run ahead. There are only five of us, and we’ll need every hand
against such hard cases. Remember now, I’m expecting you to keep
alongside. The Tramp can overtake that boat all right, never fear.”
George said he would try and do just as the Commodore said. At the same
time they knew how great a disappointment it must be to the reckless
chap to have to give such a promise; for George was no coward, whatever
other shortcomings might be placed against him; and given half a chance
he would have readily hurled himself at the two fugitive burglars with
any sort of backing.
Everybody worked with the utmost haste.
Why, it seemed as though they had hardly gained a footing on the boats
before both hawsers were cast loose, and the push poles could be heard
splashing in the water.
The sound thrilled every one of them; for there may be times when even
such a simple thing as water splashing seems to give warning of serious
times coming. And with such desperate men as the two bank thieves to
overhaul and perhaps capture, surely Jack and his chums had a “a hard
nut to crack,” as Josh expressed it.
As soon as the first boat, which happened to be the Tramp, was well out
of the sheltered nook, Jack gave the crank a turn, and with a whirr the
engine started to working. He immediately took charge, for no one knew
so well as he how to get the best that was in that motor in action.
Jack was a bit nervous concerning the other boat. It was a toss-up as to
whether the machinery of the “freaky” Wireless could be made to start,
just when it was of the utmost importance, for George never knew a thing
about it, and always approached the subject with his heart in his mouth,
so to speak.
So all of them held their breath when they saw him get ready to give the
crank its customary whirl.
Then all at once there broke out the welcome sound of the explosions
that told them the story. Wireless stock went up fifty per cent just
then; Wireless was going to be good, and behave!
And so the two motor boats carrying the determined little band of
intended pursuers swung out upon the broad and heaving bosom of the
mighty Mississippi, and headed south.