CHAPTER XXXI.
THE FISH.
"I HAVE rather a personal question to ask you, Captain Brown," Charleysaid, as the launch ploughed her way through the glowing water.
"Let's hear it," said the fisherman.
The lad hesitated. "It sounds rather impudent, but I want to know justhow good a friend you are to Hunter and his gang?"
"Can't say that I am a friend of his at all," answered the man,frankly. "There are quite a few of us fishermen who have no particularlove for him, but we all try to avoid trouble with him because he canmake things pretty costly for a man in a secret, underhand way whichleaves one nothing to grasp upon. I suspect you have found that out foryourselves."
"We have," admitted Charley, candidly. "It's a wonder to me, youfishermen, who do not like him, haven't got together and run him offbefore now."
"I expect it does look kind of queer to an outsider," replied the man,reflectively. "But it's natural enough when one gets to understandfishermen. You seldom find a fisherman but who has been more or lessof a roamer and adventurer. Their lives have made them self-reliant andtaught them the rather hard lesson that it don't pay to take up others'quarrels. Unconsciously, perhaps, their motto is 'leave me alone andI'll leave you alone.' They may really be in sympathy with a man,but they seldom will assist him in his disputes. That trait in themexplains why Hunter lasts so long. They simply will not combine againsthim."
"I see," said Charley, thoughtfully, "that puts the matter in a newlight to me. I had supposed they stood for Hunter and his ways becausethey approved of him and them."
"Not at all," said the other, warmly. "Most of the fishermen are prettygood fellows at heart, but 'hands off' is their policy."
"I am glad to learn that," Charley said, frankly. "I want to hire afew fishermen and their launches for a couple of days, but the work israther important, and I want only men who will work for the interestof the man who pays them and not play into the hands of someone likeHunter."
"The fishermen will be true to their employer's interests," declaredthe other, emphatically.
"Good," said the lad. "I am going to trust to your judgment. As soonas you land us at Roberts' dock, I want you to go back to Clearwaterand get four more launches with their skiffs and captains. Get thebest and most trustworthy men you can pick out. If you can be back withthem before midnight, it will mean five dollars extra for each of themand ten dollars extra for yourself. Bring plenty of gasoline for thelaunches, and provisions for two days for yourselves."
"I can get the men and boats all right," Captain Brown said,doubtfully, "but they will want ten dollars apiece per day, and notknowing you, they will want some money down."
Charley reached down into his pocket and pulled out the roll of billsat which the man gazed in amazement.
"Here's the first day's pay for each in advance," he said, counting outfifty dollars, "and remember there is five dollars extra apiece in thejob if they are all at the Roberts dock ready to start at midnight."
"We'll all be ready in two hours," Captain Brown declared. "Here we areat the dock. I won't stop. Just jump out and give me a shove off. Timeis worth money now," he grinned.
The three jumped out on the little pier, shoved the launch off, and itwas quickly lost in the darkness.
Charley grinned as he stood for a moment listening to the rapid poppingof the engine's exhaust.
"He's got that engine turning up as fast as it will go," he commented."He means to get that extra ten dollars, all right. Gee! but I've beenusing my nerve, spending money that belongs as much to the rest of youas it does to me."
"That's all right," approved Captain Westfield. "You are planning outthis thing. Spend the last penny if you want to. I believe in lettingone at a time run a thing. Others butting in only gum things up--a shipdon't work well under more than one captain."
The light was still burning in the Roberts boys' cabin and a tap at thedoor brought forth an invitation to come in.
When the three stepped into the lighted room they were greeted withexclamations of amazed pleasure.
"It's good to see you all are safe again," cried the husky Bill, as heshook hands with a heartiness that made them wince. "We were mourningyou as drowned. We did not believe your launch could have lasted outthat gale."
"She didn't," Captain Westfield said. "She went to pieces on shore agood many miles down the coast."
"Tough luck," said the big fisherman, sympathetically. "You fellows doseem to hit it rough. It's too blamed bad, that's what it is."
"I believe our luck is due to change pretty soon," Charley said, with asmile. "How are things coming with you now?"
"Couldn't be much worse," Bill stated, briefly. "Goodness only knowswhat's become of all the fish. We haven't wet a net since the gale.What we lack of being stone-broke isn't much. We have only got abouta hundred dollars in cash left but you are welcome to half of that. Iguess you are worse off than we are."
The three chums' hearts warmed with gratitude at the big fellow'sgenerous offer.
"We'll take the whole hundred, if you please," Charley said, calmly,"but not as a loan. We want you three as partners for a couple of daysand the hundred will go to pay expenses. Can you give us a cup ofcoffee? We haven't had a bite to eat since noon."
While the big fisherman rustled around fixing a lunch and making thecoffee, Charley told of their discovery.
"Whew, it sounds like finding money," Bill commented, when he hadfinished. "But we don't deserve any half share for just going withyou and helping you out. Just pay us the same as you do the otherfishermen."
"No," Charley said, and his two chums nodded vigorous approval of hiswords. "It isn't what you are going to do but what you have alreadydone that counts with us. You helped us out when we were friendless,and it is only just that you should share in our good fortune if wehave any. But we must not count our chickens before they are hatched.The fish may be all dead by the time we get there, or someone else mayhave found them--they were making noise enough to be heard a mile.
"Oh, we are making you no gift," he said, as Bill still protestedagainst an equal division. "We may need your help and we need yourmoney to pay off the launch men in case the trip is fruitless. It willtake more cash than we've got. Besides, there may be some fighting."
"Too bad we have got to have anyone in this but ourselves," Billobserved.
"We have got to have help," Charley declared, "and, really, I donot fear any trouble from those who go with us. They are taking nonets with them, (I figured your three nets would be all we could useto advantage in such a small place). They have no idea as to ourdestination or what we are after. When they get there they will realizethat it is too far away for them to come back, get their nets andreturn and do anything all tired out as they will be from the trip.Besides, I planned to offer them a bonus in money after we get there,provided they work good and hard."
"You've got a long head on you," Bill said, admiringly. "You'veevidently got it all planned out."
"I tried to plan so far as I could," Charley said, modestly. "Where Ifear trouble is when the fish begin to come into Clearwater. There willbe a stampede of the other fishermen on us then. Put all your guns andammunition in the launch. We may need them."
While the three were eating, the Roberts packed up groceries and rolledup blankets for the trip. These, and the rifles, they carried down tothe launch while the chums were finishing their coffee.
They were ready none too soon, for as the chums drained their cups,they caught the mingled popping of the coming launches.
It still lacked twenty minutes to midnight when the last launch camechurning up to the end of the little dock.
Charley counted out five dollars and handed it to each of the launchcaptains. "This is for being ahead of the time set. You'll each getyour ten dollars apiece at the close of each day. Now, if you are allready, we'll be off."
"Where are we going, Boss?" questioned one of the captains.
"I do not know the name of the plac
e," the lad replied, thoughtfully."Just follow our launch. We will lead the way."
In a few minutes the things were all stowed aboard and Bill startedup the engine. The launch leaped ahead and, with bow headed down thecoast, sped away in the darkness closely followed by the other boatscontaining four contented, but thoroughly mystified, captains.
As soon as they were fairly under way, our three chums stretched out onthe launch's cushioned seats for a nap. They were completely worn outby the eventful day and night.
At sunrise Charley was awakened by Bill.
"We've been running without a hitch all night," the big fishermaninformed him. "We must be getting near to your creek by now. We passedTampa over an hour ago."
Charley stood up and surveyed the shore-line. "I took a landmark beforeI left," he said. "There's a great, dead, pine tree standing up amongsta clump of palmettoes just to the south of the creek. I believe I cansee it ahead there a couple of miles."
At the end of ten minutes, he could make out the big, dead pine plainly.
He awakened his chums and the three sat tense and impatient waiting tosee if all their hopes and trouble had been in vain.
When within a few hundred yards of the creek, Charley could stand thesuspense no longer.
"Stop the engine," he requested, in a fever of impatience.
Bill threw off the battery switch. The four wondering captains trailingbehind followed his example and the throbbing of the engines ceased.
The lad stood up and listened intently. His quick ear could justdistinguish a faint, peculiar noise, like the soft smacking ofthousands of lips.
He sank back into his seat with a sigh of relief.
"It's all right," he exclaimed, delightedly. "I can hear them. Run inclose to shore and anchor."
The Boy Chums Cruising in Florida Waters Page 31