CHAPTER XVIII.
JIMMY FORGES TO THE FRONT.
None of them could have any doubt about it; for was not the excitedJimmy making toward that same reef with all speed? Determined to wrestthe laurels from his rival, if it could possibly be done, he had onlytoo eagerly seized upon this fine chance to get in some strenuous work.
Looking beyond, they could see that the stranded porpoise, if the objectout yonder really proved to be such a creature, still threshed the waterand strove to break away from its place of captivity.
"What ails the bally thing?" grumbled the anxious Nick. "Why don't itback off, the same way it came on? That's the only way it could get intodeep water. Did you ever see such a looney, trying to keep on shovingahead, when all the while it gets in more shallow water?"
"Huh! seems to me there are others!" chuckled Josh; "jewfish, forinstance, don't seem to have one bit more sense. Sometimes they get lefton a shallow place, and kick like fun, while waiting for the tide torise and help 'em off."
"Ah! let up on that, Josh; 'taint fair to take his side all the time,"complained the fat boy, straining his eyes to follow the movement of hisrival, now more than half way out to the reef.
"Well, we always stand up for the under dog; and just now Jimmy's inthat position," continued Josh.
"Yes," spoke up George, encouragingly, "and when you get there, Nick, asyou may sooner or later, you'll see how gladly we'll all give you oursympathy, eh, boys?"
Nick refused to be comforted by the prospect.
"Hey! Jack," he said, turning to the skipper of the _Tramp_, who seemedto be bending over his motor, as if about to turn his engine; for asudden idea had come into his head, "is a porpoise a _real_ fish, now?"
"Whatever makes you ask that?" demanded Herb.
"Oh! I want to know, that's all," replied Nick, coolly. "That Jimmytries to just throw his old net over anything that creeps, swims orwalks, and call it a fish. He tried it on us with his blessed oldalligator, you remember, fellers; then, when we wouldn't stand forthat, don't you know how he tried to hook up one of the sea cows theycall a manatee, and make us take that? Now he's after a porpoise; and ifhe keeps on he'd grab a hippopotamus, and try to bluff us at that.Anything that goes in water answers for Jimmy."
"Well, if he gets a porpoise, he's got a fish without any reason to kickover the traces, Nick, and don't you forget that," George declared.
"Say, where you going, Jack?" demanded Nick, suspiciously.
"Why, I thought I'd better take a little spin out there, to keep an eyeon Jimmy," replied the other.
"What for? You don't think of lending him a hand, I hope? Remember, therules of the game knocks all that sort of thing on the head," Nickprotested, vigorously.
"No danger of my forgetting," laughed Jack. "But I happened to think howbold Jimmy can be, and wondered if he mightn't get in trouble somehow."
"That's right, Jack," spoke up George, himself a very rash fellow onoccasion; "it'd be just like him to hitch on to that porpoise, and helpwork him loose. Then we'd see our poor chum going out to sea like arailroad limited express. And Jack, if you'll allow me, I guess I'lldrop in, and keep you company."
"Same here," declared Herb, crawling aboard, as he pulled the _Tramp_close to the starboard quarter of the _Comfort_.
"Hey! wait for me, can't you!" exclaimed Nick, all excitement now."Who's got as much interest in this business as me, tell me that? Iought to be along to judge if he takes his fish in fair play, you know."
"Fair play!" jeered Josh, as he too slid into the other boat after Nick;"well, I like that, now, after the way you lugged that poor old weakenedjewfish to camp. Any way Jimmy can grab his game will count; and youmight as well make up your mind to it first as last, my boy."
"Oh! don't you get to bothering your head about me, Josh Purdue," Nickwent on to say, stoutly; "I'm a true sport, and can take my medicinewhen I have to, as good as the next one. And I guess I don't give upeasy, do I? But it ain't time for the shoutin' yet. Jimmy hasn't got hisporpoise; and it mebbe don't weigh more'n two hundred and thirty pounds,either."
Leaving the other two boats anchored in quiet water, Jack headed the_Tramp_ for the reef, where the water was breaking softly over thesubmerged rocks; with the unfortunate porpoise floundering in a helplessmanner, for the tide was almost at its lowest level.
Jimmy had by now arrived on the spot. He must have arranged his plan ofcampaign as he was rowing frantically out, for he lost no time ingetting down to business.
Those who looked saw him push his way up to the reef after his usualbold fashion. If some water came aboard the little dinky, Jimmy gave thecircumstance no heed. All he could see was that struggling monster ofthe deep, and the happy opportunity that had been thrown in his waywhereby he might cut his rival out of the lead he had held so long.
For that joyous conclusion Jimmy was ready to take all sorts of chances.
"Look at him, getting right up alongside the kicker!" exclaimed Nick,with an expression of amazement on his rosy face; for he could not helpadmiring the nerve exhibited by his rival, even though deep down in hisheart he hoped the other might fail to land the prize.
"Sure he is!" laughed Josh. "Why, just keep your eye peeled, Nick, oldboy, and my word for it, you'll see our little chum climb right on theback of that bucking broncho of the gulf, put a bridle in his mouth,and ride him home!"
"Oh! rats! you can't get me to believe that!" Nick flashed back; andyet, despite his brave words, he watched the actions of the Irish ladwith deep anxiety, as if believing that no one could tell what wonderfulthings Jimmy might not attempt.
"Look there, would you!" he exclaimed, a few seconds later; "what underthe sun has Jimmy got now!"
"Seems to me like it's our ax!" declared George, with a harsh laugh.
"Ax!" snorted the indignant Nick; "d'ye mean to tell me he expects toknock that poor porpoise on the head, just like they do steers at thestockyards; and then claim he _caught_ him? Well, I like that, now!"
"It's all in the game, Nick," declared Herb, consolingly. "Remember, youdidn't use a fish hook and line to bag your big jewfish; just slung arope around his gills, and walked away with him through the shallowwater near the shore. I reckon even an ax might count, so long as hekeeps the fish, and brings him in!"
"Sho!" Nick went on, as though disgusted; "but just think of getting afish with such a tool, as if you were just chopping a tree!"
"Watch him, now, if you want to see how Jimmy goes at it; perhaps youmay be only too glad to do the same thing later on, when you want toclimb up and throw him off the first rung of the ladder," Herb remarked.
"Yes," said wise Josh, "it makes all the difference in the world whatposition you hold when condemning practices. What looks bad to you,seems fair and square to Jimmy right now."
"Wow! what a crack that was!" George exclaimed, as Jimmy brought downthe ax on the struggling fish.
"But he hasn't got him yet, anyway," muttered Nick, as they saw thewater whipped into foam around the little, wabbling dinky boat occupiedby Jimmy.
"He nearly took a header that time, let me tell you!" cried Herb.
"But he sticks to his job, all right!" laughed Jack. "See, he's aimingto get in another crack, and there it goes. Whew! that was a stunner,though!"
"A regular sockdolager!" avowed Josh, who was apparently enjoying thecircus first-rate.
"And it looks like it knocked the poor old porpoise out of the running,"commented Herb.
"That's what it did!" George declared; "and there's Jimmy trying to geta hitch with his rope around the thing's tail. He's gone and done it,as sure as you live! See him stop to wave his hand at us; and he's gotthe widest grin on his face you ever saw. Victory comes sweet afterhaving it rubbed in so long."
"Huh! how d'ye know the bally old porpoise is goin' to stand for morethan my jewfish?" Nick grumbled; though his face began to wear a lookthat comes with chagrin and defeat; "and even if it does, that don'twind things up. Ain't I got just as much chance to bag som
ething biggerbefore we haul up at New Orleans, tell me that, Josh Purdue?"
"Course you have, Nick, old top," declared Josh, who hoped to see therivalry kept up to the very last, since it was affording them all somuch fun; "and we'll back you for the boy who can do big stunts, onceyou wake up to it; eh, fellers?"
Jimmy was now starting to row back toward where the two other motorboats were at anchor. He made but slow progress of it, towing that nowquiet captured porpoise; but the rules of the game prevented the othersfrom giving him any sort of a lift.
Now and then the porpoise would get stranded in the shallow water, andat such times Jimmy was put to his wits' ends to manage. But by slowdegrees he succeeded in accomplishing the object he had in view.
Of course the others did not wait for him, but ran back to where thecamp was to be made for the night. Josh was anxious to get ashore, andstart a fire; for all of them confessed to being hungry. Nick only madeone more remark on the way back, and that gave them an inkling of hisruling passion.
"I say, Jack, do you know whether a porpoise is good to eat?" he asked.
Jack replied that he had never heard of any one eating one, thoughperhaps the meat might appeal to certain appetites, like those ofEsquimaux, or the Indians of Alaska.
"I don't think we'll bother about it, however," Josh remarked, "becausewe've got plenty besides."
Supper was well on the way when finally Jimmy landed, his beaming facewet with honest perspiration, and filled with the pride that followedhis recent exploit.
They all came down to view his capture, and estimate the weight of theporpoise. The opinion seemed to be that, while a small one, it mustweigh something close on to two hundred and fifty pounds; but Nickdeclared he would have to demand the proof before giving in.
Motor Boat Boys Among the Florida Keys; Or, The Struggle for the Leadership Page 18