CHAPTER II.
THE WARNING RATTLE.
Jack Stormways was a quick-witted lad. He had proved this fact onnumerous occasions in the past, within the memory of his chums.
When anything sudden happened, while others might appear to bespellbound, and waste precious seconds in staring, Jack was veryapt to be on the jump, and _doing_.
So in the present instance, while it might appear more or less comical,seeing the fat boy crouched in that silly little boat belonging to the_Wireless_, and being dragged through the water at a most rapid rate bythe shark he had hooked, there was always an element of danger connectedwith the affair.
And so Jack, after taking that one look out over the water, sprangforward, and started dragging his anchor aboard with all possible speed.That done, he next applied himself to getting power on the boat, whichfortunately could be done with a simple turning over of the engine.
"Hello! are you going to chase the runaway with the _Tramp_?" criedHerb, who was in the act of climbing over the side into his tender, asthough meaning to put out in pursuit himself.
"Yes; jump aboard here, Herb; I might need help!" came the answer; and,accustomed to respecting Jack's judgment, the one addressed managed toclamber over the side of the _Tramp_ just as that craft started off.
Meanwhile Nick was going at a great rate, not in a direct line for theinlet, but following jerky, eccentric angles, as though the shark hardlyknew what to do, on feeling the contact with the point of the big hookat the end of the chain.
Several times the fat boy seemed on the point of creeping forward to getat the rope that was fastened to a cleat in the bow of the dinky. It wasGeorge who roared at him on such occasions.
"Keep still, Nick; sit down, can't you? You'll upset sure, if you don'tlie flat! Jack's coming out after you on the jump! Hey, look out there,Jimmy, or you'll get foul, too! Whew! what a race horse you've got fastto, Nick. If only you could land him, Jimmy's name would be Mud. Therehe goes again, heading for the bar! Look at the water shooting up oneither side of that dandy little boat, would you? And ain't Nick havingthe ride of his life, though? There he goes, crawling along up to thebow again. Perhaps he wants to cut loose; small blame to him if hedoes!"
Everybody was either laughing, or shouting advice to Nick, while thisexciting little drama was taking place.
Indeed, Nick himself seemed to be the only one who was not getting somemeasure of fun out of the affair. His usually red face looked pale, ashe managed to reach the squatty bow of the little boat. But when hefound that it was dragged down by the action of the fish, as well as hisown weight, he drew back again in alarm, for water had come rushingaboard.
Once the motor boat got started, of course it speedily came up with therunaway. Jack had given the wheel into the charge of Herb, who was fullycompetent to run things. This allowed the other an opportunity to doanything that offered, looking to the rescue of poor frightened Nick.
"Get me out of this, won't you, Jack? I don't like it one little bit,"pleaded the fat boy; and then, as some new freak on the part of theshark caused the dinky to lunge sideways in a fearful manner, he shoutedin new alarm: "Quit it, you ugly beast! Who wants to nab you now? Ipass, I tell you! Let go, and get out of this! Wow! look at him splashthe water, Jack, would you?"
"He wanted to take a look at you, that's all," Jack called out. "Don'tyou think you'd better cut loose, and let your hook go, Nick?"
"I ain't got any knife; it went overboard the first thing. Besides,"added the occupant of the dinky, who was now once more crouching in thestern, "if I go up there, the water just pours in. I'm sitting in itright now. Jack, can't you think of some way to make him leave mealone?"
"Perhaps I might," came the reply, as the skipper of the _Tramp_ dodgedback into the hunting cabin of his boat.
He almost immediately reappeared again, holding a rope in his hands.This he made fast to a cleat at the bow; and then, turning to Herb,asked him to bring the motor boat as close to the fleeing dinky aspossible.
Leaning down, Jack managed to get a peculiar sort of hitch around thetaut line; and a quick jerk seemed to secure his own rope, so that itwould not slip. His next action was to take a keen knife, and lay itsedge upon the line, close to the spot where it was fastened to thewobbling dinky.
Of course it instantly parted.
"Oh! that's too bad! Now I've lost my tackle!" cried Nick; although helooked vastly relieved at finding that he was no longer fast to thequeer sea horse.
Jack paid no further attention to the rescued chum. The fight was now tobe all between himself and the shark.
Quickly the line paid out, until there came a heavy jerk, and then oncemore it became taut.
"Bully! it's holding fine, Jack!" shouted Herb, who had watched to seethe result; for he doubted whether the connection, brought about undersuch difficulties, would be maintained.
"Now, gradually bring the boat to a full stop," said Jack, as he againreached back into the cabin, and drew out a rifle. "As soon as you'vegot him halted, begin to back up. That will drag him to the top, youunderstand; and I'll have a chance to pot the rascal."
"That's right," declared Herb, who could grasp a thing readily enough,even if slow to originate clever schemes himself.
Just as Jack had said, when the pull was being exerted in the otherdirection, the struggling monster was presently seen splashing at atremendous rate, though unable to resist the drawing powers of theten-horsepower engine.
Jack, crouching there, with one elbow resting on his knee, took as goodan aim as the conditions allowed. Then came the sharp report of thegun.
"Whoop! you hit him all right, that time, Jack!" shouted Herb; as thereensued a tremendous floundering at the end of the rope. "But he ain'tknocked out yet. Give him another dose of the same sort!"
Across the water came the cries of the others who were watching thisexciting scene. And loudest of all could be heard the voice of Nick, nowonce more in possession of his nerve.
"Give it to him, Jack! Pound the measly old pirate good and hard! Hewon't try that game again in a hurry, I tell you! Hey! Jimmy, you ain'tin it this time, with that little minnow of yours. Hurrah! that's thetime you poked him in the slats, Jack! Trust you for knowing how! Iguess he's a sure goner after that meal of cold lead."
Jack had fired a second time; and, just as the wildly excited Nick said,he seemed to have met with better success than on the former occasion.The trapped sea monster threshed the water still, but not in the sameviolent manner as before; and his fury seemed to be rapidly diminishingas the result of his wounds began to be felt.
"Now, stop her, Herb, and start ahead slowly!" Jack called out, hoveringover the spot where the line was fast to the cleat.
The boy at the wheel did as he was directed; and as the line becameslack Jack took it in, ready to hastily secure the same about anothercleat in case the dying shark developed a disposition to make a last maddash.
But evidently the big fish was "all in," and when they reached a pointnearly over where he lay, there were seen only a few spasmodic movementsto his body.
"Let's drag him near the other boats, so we can pull the old fellow upon that little beach," Jack suggested.
Ten minutes later, and the six boys were all ashore, laying hold of therope in order to drag the captured fish out.
"Say, he's some whopper, let me tell you!" exclaimed George, as, havingdrawn the shark high and dry, they all hastened to examine the capture.
Nick was dancing with joy, and his eyes fairly beamed as he stood besidethe great bulk, putting one foot up on it after the manner in which hehad seen noted hunters do, in pictures that told of their exploits whenhunting big game.
"Now, how about it, Jimmy?" he demanded, as Jack was cutting the stouthook from the jaw of the monster. "Think this is some punkins, don'tyou, now. Three hundred pounds, if it weighs an ounce. Have to hustlesome, let me tell you, my boy, if you ever expect to go a notch higherthan this."
"Arrah, come off, would you!" indignantly cr
ied Jimmy. "Sure, yewouldn't be claiming that ye took this same ould sea wolf, and inter itin the competition. I do be laving it to Jack here, if that's fair?"
"But I hooked it, you all saw that?" expostulated Nick.
"I don't know," remarked Herb, looking very serious; "I was underthe impression that the shark had got you, up to the time Jack camealong with his little gun, and tapped him on the head. How about it,Commodore? Can Nick enter any claim to having caught this prize?"
"Wait," said Jack, smiling; "let me read out the exact words of thewager. I've got a copy right here in my note book. Listen now, both ofyou. It reads like this: 'Each contestant shall have the liberty offishing as often as he pleases, and the fish may be taken in any sort ofmanner; the one stipulation being that the capture shall be undertakenby the contestant, _alone and unaided_; and that he must have possessionof the fish long enough to show the same, and have its weight eitherestimated or proven.'"
"That settles your goose, me bhoy!" croaked Jimmy, gleefully; "and I'mtop notch in the game up to the prisent moment. Do we get busy again,Nick, I say; or are ye satisfied to lit me claim first blood?"
"Well, it seems mighty small, that after grabbing that nice fellow, I'vegot to let the honors go for the day," remarked the fat boy. "And Iguess I've had quite enough excitement for once. I'm all soaked in thebargain; and it feels kind of cool, you see. So I won't fish any moreright now. But next time, just you look out for yourself, Jimmy. I'mafter you like hot cakes. Say, ain't we going to have that fish forsupper, boys?"
Nick was a voracious eater. He liked nothing in the world so much as toenjoy a glorious meal; and long after his chums were through, he oftensat there, finishing the dishes. On the other hand, lean, lanky Josh,while possessed of a knack for cooking all sorts of good things, had apoor appetite, and often merely nibbled at his food, to the wondermentand disgust of the fat boy.
"If you get to work and clean it," said Jack, "I think there ought to beplenty to go around. But you'll find that one-third of a channel bassis the head. As we had one before, we know it's worth eating, so pitchin, Nick. Since you lost your knife overboard, take mine here, and getbusy."
It pleased Jimmy to strut around near where his rival was occupiedwith his menial task, and make occasional remarks about "his prize,"calculated to rub salt in Nick's wounds. But after all, the fat boy wasgood-natured, and took things in a matter-of-fact way. Besides, he wasgrimly resolved that sooner or later, by hook or by crook, even if itwere a fish-hook, he would overcome this strong lead of his rival in therace for high honors.
As more or less fuel had been found ashore, and Josh expressed hisdesire to manage the supper, as head chef, it was found advisable tochange their plans. And so, assisted by many willing workers, the lankywonder started operations.
He was soon bustling around, looking very consequential. Nick hadmade him a _chef's_ cap out of a piece of white muslin, which he wasrequested to wear on all such occasions as this, when in charge ofaffairs about the cooking fire.
Nick himself was busy trying to mend some little contraption, purchasedon the street in Jacksonville, and which he had broken before he couldhave any fun with the same as originally intended.
Jack, stepping off from the _Tramp_, where he had gone to get some ofthe tinware needed for coffee and substantial food, was electrified tohear Josh give a whoop; and at the same instant his ears were assailedby a dreadful rattling noise that sounded for all the world like theangry buzz of a diamond-back rattlesnake.
"Thunder and Mars! Great Jerusalem! I'm struck in the leg!" bellowed thelengthy Josh, as he came tumbling back from the edge of the bushes,grabbing at his shin in a frantic manner.
Motor Boat Boys Among the Florida Keys; Or, The Struggle for the Leadership Page 2