CHAPTER XXX.
THE DISCOVERY.
THE day and night of rest, together with the shark oil, had workedwonders with the sore feet and, much to their delight, the little partyfound that they could travel once more without pain.
After the weary days in the dismal swamp, they rejoiced in the newcountry they had entered. A broad, white sand beach made walking easyand their eyes were delighted with the ever-changing landscape. Soonthey began to come upon signs of human habitation. Now a herd of cowsgrazing in placid contentment, and later, a little shack perched uponthe beach and tenanted by a lone hermit of a fisherman. From him, theylearned that they were within fifteen miles of the city of Tampa.
The captain purchased a package of tobacco from the hermit and was soonenjoying the first smoke he had had in many days.
The boys looked longingly at the fisherman's little sloop bobbing atanchor in the cove. They would have liked to have bargained for apassage to Tampa but they had too little money in their pockets toafford such a luxury.
It was nearly noon and the fisherman, with the ready hospitality of hiscalling, invited them to dinner, an invitation they were not slow toaccept.
The meal was simple, but the vegetables tasted delicious after theirsteady meat diet, and they reveled in the strong, hot, fragrant coffee.
They did not linger long after eating, for they were anxious to reachtheir journey's end.
When about five miles from the friendly fisherman's, Charley called ahalt.
"Listen, and see if you hear anything," he said. "I've been hearinga queer noise for the last ten minutes but maybe it's only myimaginations."
His companions stopped and listened.
"No, it isn't your imagination," the captain declared. "I can hear it,too--a kind of peculiar noise I can't describe."
"It sounds like the soft smacking of a thousand lips," Walter said. "Iwonder what it is."
"We will soon find out," Charley replied. "It seems to come fromsomewhere ahead."
As they advanced, the peculiar noise became more distinct. It grewsteadily in volume until at last they stood at what had once been themouth of a creek, but which was now closed up, at the entrance, by asmall mound of drifted sand, thus changing the former creek into asmall lake.
"My goodness! Look at it!" gasped Charley, weakly, pointing at theland-locked pond.
"Jumping Moses," swore the captain, the nearest approach to an oath heever permitted himself to use.
The peculiar noise came from the lake's surface. It was literallycovered with tiny, open, gaping mouths.
"Mullet," Charley said, in a hushed voice, "mullet, thousands of them,tens of thousands of them, penned up in there like rats in a trap."
"And we without a net or boat," lamented Walter, bitterly. "Just ourluck."
"Golly!" exclaimed Chris. "If we only had dese fish in Clearwater wewouldn't hab to worry 'bout money no more for awhile."
"They must have got caught in here during that gale," Charley pondered."The heavy sea drifted up the sand and closed up the entrance so theycould not get out into the gulf again. They can't live a great whilelonger in that small body of water. That great number must have aboutall the oxygen in the water exhausted by now. Their coming to thesurface to breathe proves that. They seldom do that surface breathing.Let's have a look at that pond and see what it's like."
A hasty examination showed them that the lagoon was shallow, not morethan three feet in the deepest places.
"Just an ideal place to catch them," Charley declared.
"Yes," agreed Walter, excitedly. "If we only had two or three nets wecould tie them together and drag them across the pond like a seine."
Charley shook his head, decidedly. "That bunch would tear your nets toshreds if you tried that plan. Why, boy, you don't comprehend how manyfish there are in that school."
"Well, I guess it's no use standing here looking at them any longer,"said Walter, morosely. "We can't do anything with them, so we might aswell be moving on."
"Yes, and moving fast too," Charley agreed, "but I have a hope that wecan do something with those fish. They are worth trying for, anyway. Itall depends on whether we can get to Clearwater and back again beforethey die, as they surely will as soon as all the air is gone from thewater. Come on, let's hurry."
As they hastened along at top speed, he explained his plan.
"The first thing is to get to Clearwater," he declared. "Get theRoberts boys and their launch and nets, and all the other boats andnets we can get together, then come back here as quick as we can getback. Of course, we will have to divide up with the Roberts but theyhave been good friends of ours and deserve it. There's enough fish topay all of us for the trouble if we find them still alive."
"Go your fastest, lad," said the old sailor, briefly, "you'll find usright at your heels."
And go fast Charley did. It called forth all the wind and strength ofhis three companions to keep up with him.
Just as night was falling, four tired, draggled-looking persons enteredthe ticket office of the Atlantic Coast Line in Tampa.
"When's the next train for Clearwater?" demanded one of the youths ofthe party, crisply.
"Just gone," answered the agent, briefly. "No more until morning."
"But we have got to get to Clearwater to-night," said the lad,desperately.
The agent noted the look of dismay on the four faces. "The Northernflier is due here in half an hour," he said, slowly. "She slows down abit for the curve. If it's a matter of life or death you might be ableto board her. I would not advise it, though. She does not slack downmuch at Clearwater and it would be pretty risky jumping off."
"Where's the best place to get on her?" asked the lad, briefly.
"Right down by the water tank. It's risky, though."
The lad thanked him, and the four hurried off for the water tank.
They boarded the train safely and stood on the platform hanging on tothe rails as the fast limited tore on in the darkness. They wouldhave liked to have entered one of the coaches and rested on thecushioned seats but they were afraid the conductor would insist uponcarrying them on to the next regular stop, a hundred miles beyond theirdestination.
It was but an hour's ride to the little town and the flyer barelyslackened speed as she thundered into it. As the lights of the stationflashed into view, they stepped down to the lowest step and jumped.
It was a fearful chance to take, but luck was with them. They landedin a bank of soft sand, and, although the breath was knocked out ofthem for a minute, they escaped unhurt except for Walter. He gained hisfeet, wincing with pain.
"I've twisted my ankle," he said. "Don't stop for me. I would only be ahindrance to you with this game foot. Go on. I'll hunt up a doctor andhave it tended to."
Charley hesitated. "I don't like to leave you this way, old fellow," hesaid.
"I don't like to be left, either," said his chum, grimly, "but youcan't do me any good by staying. Go on. Don't waste precious time."
Charley reluctantly obeyed.
Walter stood gamely watching them with a smile on his face until thethree were out of sight, then he hobbled for the main street, his facecontorted with pain. His injury was far more serious than he hadpretended. He was convinced that some bones in his foot were broken buthe had concealed his plight from his chums for he knew they would notleave him if they thought his injury at all serious.
Followed by the captain and Chris, Charley headed for the littlestation not far away. There were a few loungers on the platform andamongst them he was pleased to see one of the fish-boat captains whohad helped in the towing of the "North Wind."
"Is it you or your ghost?" he exclaimed, when Charley approached him."Everyone thought you and your friends were lost in that gale."
"If we are ghosts, we don't know it," Charley laughed. "Say, can wehire you and your launch for a couple of hours?"
"You can," said the fish captain, promptly. "Fishing is so poor now Ihave quit it for a while. Where do you wa
nt to go?"
"First over to the island where we used to stay, and then across to theRoberts camp, if they are at home."
"Oh, you'll find them there all right. Fishing is so poor, now, it doesnot pay to go out."
Charley pulled out a five-dollar bill, the only money he had in hispocket.
"Here's your pay in advance," he said. "We may want to hire you fortwo or three days, but I'll let you know about that a little later.Just now, we are in a hurry. Can you take us right off?"
"Right away," said the fisherman, pocketing the bill with satisfaction."My launch is tied up to the dock. Come on if you are ready."
In five minutes our little party was aboard the launch and headed forthe island.
"Reckon there ain't much use going there," the fisherman remarked, asthey sped along. "Someone has torn the cabin down and broken the dockyou built all to pieces."
Charley smiled. Evidently Hunter had been doing all he could todiscourage anyone else from occupying the island.
"We don't intend to live there, any more," he said. "I just want to goashore there for a minute."
As the launch drew in close to the shore, he had him stop the engineand as soon as the keel touched bottom, he jumped overboard and wadedashore, carrying the launch's lantern.
"Wait here for me. I'll be back in a minute," he directed.
Once up near the cabin, he was not long in finding what he was after.He and his companions had taken in over a hundred dollars in cash fromtheir sales of oysters and clams. It was too large a sum for themto risk carrying around in their pockets and they had not cared toleave it unguarded in the cabin while they were away fishing, so theyhad wisely put it in a glass jar and buried the jar in a safe place,keeping out only enough for pocket money.
The lad found their little treasure undisturbed and stuffing it intohis pockets he hurried back to the launch.
"Now head over for the Roberts camp," he commanded, as soon as heclimbed aboard.
The Boy Chums Cruising in Florida Waters Page 30