CHAPTER XV.
THE BIRD ROOST.
"Sure, it's just like ye say, Jack!" exclaimed Jimmy, while they werehurrying toward the imperiled boat at full speed. "They do be throwin'wather out to beat bannigher. Josh has got a bucket and Herb handles abasin. Glory be! but this is a bad job all around!"
Jack was looking beyond the sinking boat.
"I think I can see a little bit of a shore just over there," he declared,"if only now we can drag the _Comfort_ there before she goes down. Youjump aboard with this bucket as soon as we get there. She looks lower inthe water already, but one more hand to toss it out may keep her afloatlong enough."
Jimmy was more than eager to lend all the assistance in his power. Nosooner had the _Tramp_ run alongside the other boat than he was over theside. Nick, too, had been given the same instructions by George, for hewas already laboring with might and main to reduce the amount of waterthat persisted in entering the big boat through the hole knocked in herbottom by a stump or a submerged log.
"Here, George, lay close alongside, and let's get fast to her!" Jackcalled out, realizing that heroic measures were all that would save theimperiled craft now.
Quickly they carried out the plan. Ropes were passed back and forth, sothat the _Comfort_ could not really sink, with two such staunch boatsbuoying her up.
"Now," continued Jack, when this had been accomplished, "start yourengine slowly and we'll try and beach her over yonder. By the greatestof good luck there's a small patch of ground in sight, different fromthese mud banks. Ready, George?"
"Yes," came the reply.
"Then go ahead!"
Jack held back until he heard the puttering of the _Wireless_ exhaust;then he also started his engine, and the three boats moved slowly andmajestically off, the _Comfort_ looking, as Josh expressed it, like awounded duck sustained by the wings of two companions.
Those aboard the sinking craft had to keep up their work in a franticmanner, if they did not want the boat to go down under them in midstream.Now and then one would make a bad shot, and spill the contents of bucketor basin over the forms of his fellow laborers. But although this mighthave seemed comical to Nick or Josh or Jimmy at another time, theyfailed to laugh now, even when struck full in the face by a deluge, andhalf choked.
Fortunately the other island, where the little patch of rising groundhad been discovered by Jack, was close at hand, so that in less than tenminutes they had arrived as near as they dared go.
"Now, I'm going to break loose and get behind," said Jack. "If I canshove her further in, it'll be all right, for then she won't sink anylower. In the morning we can get the block and tackle, and drag her outon skids."
The workers were encouraged to keep at it furiously for another minuteor two, while the _Tramp_ did the shoving part. Knowing just how to goabout it, Jack made a success of his part of the business.
"Hurrah!" gasped Nick, when the keel grated on the bottom, and the wearywater-casters could rest from their labors.
But there was a lot more to do. The bedding and stores that were aboardhad to be rescued, and placed where they might have a chance to dry. Ittook some little time to get all the stuff out; and then Jack hadanother idea.
"Perhaps I might shove her up still further, if you fellows wentashore," he suggested; which they declared to be a good thing.
"After all," said Jack, when he had actually succeeded in pushing thestranded _Comfort_ a foot or so further in, "what does it matter? We'llhave to make a couple of skids tomorrow, and get a purchase on some ofthe mangroves yonder; when we can yank her up, no matter where she is.And now I vote that we get ashore, and see about starting supper. I'm ashungry as a bear."
"Hear! hear!" applauded Nick. "And while I'm about it, I guess I hadought to change my shoes and socks, because I'm wet to the knees; factis, I'm pretty well soaked all over. Josh kept emptying his old pailover me right along. I guess I swallowed as much of the salt stuff as hegot over the side."
However, by the time night had set in, the boys were all feeling in abetter humor. Those who were wet had changed some of their things, anddried the rest beside the fire that was burning cheerily.
"What do you think of it, Jack?" asked Herbert, after the other had madeas good an examination of the hole in the bottom of the wrecked motorboat as the circumstances permitted.
"It's a clean hole, all right," was the response, "but I don't see anyreason why we can't patch it up to last until we get to a boat builder'syard."
"I'm right glad to hear you say that," continued the anxious skipper,"because, as you all know, I'm mighty fond of my boat, and would hatelike everything to have to abandon the poor old thing in this place. Sonow I can eat some supper with a touch of appetite."
At any rate it was pleasant to again stretch their legs, after beingconfined to the boats for several days. And Josh seemed to have enjoyedcooking a full meal once more for the crowd.
"Now, how about that roost; do you suppose we can find it from here?"George asked, when they were about through.
"If you still feel like going, I think it won't be a hard thing," Jackdeclared.
"Count me out, please," Nick remarked. "I don't believe I care enoughabout it; and, besides, somebody ought to stay here, to keep the firegoing, so you can tell where to come back."
"Huh! he's clean filled up to the top, that's what," remarked Josh; "andwhen Nick gets that way, you just can't coax him to budge an inch. ButI'm with you, boys."
It was presently decided that all the others would go in the threetenders. As Nick was given a shotgun, this time fully loaded, and readyfor business, he expressed himself as willing to stand guard.
"Anyhow," he observed, with a wide smile, "I don't reckon on having anybear for a visitor this time. He couldn't get on this island, could he,Jack?"
"Not in a thousand years," was the reassuring reply.
"And you can stay aboard the _Tramp_ until we come back," George went onto say. "Only don't let that fire go out a minute, or perhaps you'll beminus all your chums. A nice time you'd have here, all alone, wouldn'tyou? Why, you'd starve to death before long with that appetite of yours,Nick."
"Shucks! there ain't much danger of your getting lost while Jack'salong. If it depended on you, George, I'd be scared right bad now," thefat boy got back at him as the party moved away.
They took the lighted lantern with them, and expected to be verycautious how they managed, not wanting to lose their bearings in thedarkness. Jack had made a mental map of the vicinity, and behind that hecould find his way back to where the fire showed.
He led off, paddling with one of the oars, for when the little dinkyheld two these could not be used in the ordinary fashion.
And it was not very long before the others knew that again Jack hadshown more than ordinary skill, for they reached an island where, fromthe sounds, it was evident that the roost of the birds could be found.
Landing, they made their way over the exposed roots of mangroves andcypress trees, gradually drawing near the middle of the island. And herethey found what they sought.
Jack made several torches out of some wood he found, and when these werelighted they saw a sight that none of them would soon forget. Thousandsof birds were in the trees, many of them herons, ibis, cranes and waterturkeys.
For some time the boys looked at the spectacle. Then, tiring of it, aswell as objecting to the anything but pleasant odor of the roost, whichhad long been in use they imagined, they retreated again to the boats,after which the return trip was begun.
Nick had kept the fire going, and little trouble was experienced gettingback to where the larger craft awaited them.
The night passed quietly and with the morning they began to makepreparations looking to the repairing of the snagged _Comfort_.
Breakfast over, Jack set out with the ax, and Josh to help him, takingtwo of the small boats. When he found a couple of cypress trees that hethought would answer the purpose, over on Bird Island, as they had namedthe place of the roost, he cut
them down, and by hard work they towedthe intended skids to camp.
Here they were shaped, and placed in position. Then the block andtackle, which had been carried on board the roomy _Comfort_, werebrought into play.
Jack selected the strongest mangrove within line of the boat that was tobe hauled out, when fastening the tackle.
"Here you are, now, fellows!" he declared, when all was ready.
"Come along, everybody, and take a grip on the rope," invited Herb, whowas more than anxious to get busy at the job of patching the smashedsheathing of his boat, so they could continue their voyage.
Even Nick was made to lend the power of his muscles to the good work.
"If we could only get the full force of his weight, she'd come with arush," Josh had declared, though the fat boy only noticed the slur witha smile and a nod.
"Are you all ready to pull?" asked Jack, who, being master of ceremonies,had the leading position on the line.
"Sure we are; get busy, Jack, darlint!" sang out Jimmy.
"Then altogether now, and away we go!--one, two, three! She moved thattime, fellows, I tell you. Once more now, yo-heave-o! That was worthtalking about, and she jumped six inches. Again, and put every ounce ofmuscle into it! Now, then, up with her! Another turn! That's the way todo it, boys!" And Jack continued to encourage his mates to do theirlevel best until they had dragged the _Comfort_ up the skids to a pointwhere one could crawl underneath her exposed keel.
Motor Boat Boys Among the Florida Keys; Or, The Struggle for the Leadership Page 15