CHAPTER XXIII.
WINDING UP THE VOYAGE--CONCLUSION.
Ambitious Jimmy evidently came to the conclusion that a Governmentsubmarine was rather larger game than he cared to tackle. Besides, fromthe riotous way in which his five chums were laughing, he must havebecome convinced that there would be sustained objections to allowinghim to count his prize, even did he bag such prey.
At any rate, he ceased rowing, and backed water, returning to the_Tramp_, with one of his characteristic wide grins decorating hisfreckled face. So the others never knew whether the wild Irish lad mighthave been playing a joke upon them, or really thought it was a whale,which he might as well try to take in.
The submarine had by this time vanished from sight, evidently testingher ability to remain under the surface of the water for a length oftime; as well as proceeding at a rapid clip when partly submerged. Butthe boys did not see anything of the strange craft again.
They made their camp that night, just as Jack had figured upon doing.And on the following day, by cleverly getting an early start, theypassed around grim Fort Morgan, sailing up Mobile Bay, where gallantFarragut earned his lasting laurels many years ago.
But, besides securing their letters, if there were any, they did notmean to remain long here. One day sufficed to show them all they caredto see of the quaint little city that has had such a history.
Truth to tell, all the boys were anxious as to what news might awaitthem when they reached New Orleans. That, of course, was to be thedeciding point. If nothing new developed, it was of course theirintention to hold to their original plan. This had been to ship thethree motor boats up the Mississippi by some packet, themselves takingpassage on a train, headed for home.
As they had previously made a voyage down the Father of Waters; andheading up against the fierce current was never to be thought of on thepart of such small craft, this was really the only thing they could do.
Apparently they had plenty of time to reach their destination onschedule, and yet none knew better than did Jack Stormways howexasperating delays often occur to hold motor boats up. There wasGeorge, for instance, with his unlucky speed boat, which might becomedisabled at a time when they would lose days towing him along; or itmight be storms would follow each other so fast that a necessary outsidepassage could not be attempted.
And so they decided, that first night out from Mobile, that if there wasany loafing to be done, they had better defer it until within a singleday's run of the Crescent City. When their minds were perfectly free,and they knew nothing was apt to interfere with their carefully laidplans, that would be the time to hang around, and rest up.
So day succeeded day, and they drew gradually closer to theirdestination. Jimmy began to look very doleful, or at least pretended tobe in the "dumps," as Josh called it. The wager would come to an endwhen they made the city on the lower Mississippi, no matter what theirfuture course was to be. And if he had not beaten that wonderful sharkrecord by then, the game was up.
Nick puffed himself out, and assumed airs. He felt that he had reallydone himself proud in bringing such a remarkable fish to land, alone andunaided. He even made out solemnly worded vouchers, which every one ofthe others was compelled to sign; and which in so many sentences toldthe actual story of his feat.
"You see," Nick explained, "a lot of people up in our town would call itjust a fish story, and let it go at that. And I want to prove it to mydad as well. He never dreams what a wonderful boy he's got. Guess theywon't laugh so much after this, because I happen to have a little extraflesh on my bones. That don't mean I'm lacking in muscle, does it? Ithink not. Haven't we got a shining example of the same in our great andnoble President today? Huh! a fellow can be stout, and yet some punkins,after all."
"And that little kodak picture I took will go a good way toward provingyour story, Nick," remarked Josh. "When they see you standing so nobly,with one foot on that _tre_menjous shark, it'd have to be a mightysuspicious feller that would doubt your word. And even Jimmy, here, yourworsted competitor, has signed your affidavy."
"Sure if I'm worsted, I'm wool, and a yarrd wide!" grinned the saidJimmy.
"By the way, I notice that Jimmy doesn't get busy any longer with thatshark line," remarked Herb, turning to the Irish lad with a questioninglook.
"Then he must have given it up as a bad job," said George.
"How about that, Jimmy; are you ready to crown Nick as the king pin ofthe bunch when it comes to bagging big fish? Shall we get the laurelwreath, and put it on his brow? Will you admit that you're cleanlybeaten at the game?"
Jack put the question direct, for he privately knew that Jimmy hadyielded the palm. The other jumped up, snatched his banjo from theground, and began to strum something that set the boys in a roar, andmade Nick blush with pleasure. For the tune was, "Lo, the ConqueringHero Comes."
"How long have we been in making this splendid run from Philadelphia?"Herb asked a little later, as Jack was jotting down some notes of theday's run in his logbook.
"Nearly three months, all told, counting our numerous stops," was thereply; "or it will be that when we get to New Orleans. December isnearly over now; Christmas has gone by, and the New Year only a few daysaway."
"Well, I haven't kept exact track, to tell the truth," Herb went on;"but I guessed it must be about that. Do you want to know how? Why, youremember that on our very first night out, the moon was just four daysold?"
"That's a fact," spoke up George; "for I can recollect noticing it up inthe western heavens, and wishing it would hurry along, so as to give usmore light nights."
"Well, this is about the dark of the moon now," added Herb, triumphantly.
"No use for Herb to ever own a watch again," laughed Josh. "He justprides himself on being able to tell the time of day by the sun; and nowhe's shown us how he can find out what day of the month it is by themoon. Pretty soon he'll be using the stars to tell his age, and when hecut his first tooth. Once you start in along that line, there's just nolimit to what you can do, I reckon, eh, Herb?"
"Well, all I can say, fellows," quoth Jack, as he slapped his logbookshut, and glanced around at the sunburned and healthy looking faces ofhis five good camp-mates, "is that we've surely had the time of ourlives on this dandy voyage; and no matter what happens next, we're nevergoing to forget the glorious runs our little fleet of motor boats havemade outside, and in, along the whole coast, from the frozen North tothe Sunny South!"
"Hear! hear!" shouted Josh, enthusiastically waving his hat above hishead.
"You never spoke truer words, Jack," remarked George, with deep feeling."It's sure been the happiest time of my whole life; or would have been,"he hastily added, while a slight frown broke over his face, "only forthe trouble that blessed old motor gave me every little while."
"But you're all right now, George, with the new engine aboard," condoledNick.
"Perhaps I am," replied the skeptical George; "but the proof of thepudding is in the eating of it. The new machine may go back on me yet."
"But, my goodness! you've had it, going on three weeks, and in all thattime she only shied once! What better do you want than that?" demandedHerb.
"Oh! well, you never can tell," replied the skipper of the _Wireless_.
"Fact is, fellers," Nick declared, "George has become so used to lookingfor sudden trouble to spring on him, that he can't think of anythingelse. He's all the time watching for a breakdown to happen."
"Three weeks ought to satisfy him that his new engine is all to thegood," remarked Josh, "but seems like it don't. Say, George makes methink of that Irishman who was always looking for trouble. He had beenemployed by the same railroad company forty-three years; but, gettingtoo old for the work, he was let go. When some of his friends, seeinghim look so doleful, took him to task, he shook his head and said, sayshe: 'It's not surprised at all I am; for ever since I began work hereI've known it wouldn't be a permanent job!'"
And so they laughed and joked as the time slipped away.
Of
course they did not intend passing around to the delta of the mightyMississippi, when there was a much more convenient way of reaching theCrescent City by passing through the straits called the Rigolets, andthus entering Lake Ponchartrain; from whence, by means of the canal, thecity could be gained.
It was on New Year's day, at about three in the afternoon, with a pipingcold wind streaming down from the frozen North, that the little motorboat flotilla came to a last stop in a quiet boatyard near the greatcity on the river, which had seen the windup of a previous voyage of theclub.
And, anxious as they were to hear from home, the six chums did notneglect to shake hands all around over the remarkably successfultermination of their long and adventurous trip down the Eastern coast,and among the keys of Florida.
If the news they received was what they expected it would be, theyintended to load the three boats on the first packet bound up the river,and then wend their way home by train.
Whether this plan was fated to be carried out or not, must be left toanother book. Having attained the goal for which they had striven sosplendidly; and with the bitter rivalry between Jimmy and Nick settledfor all time, we can safely leave our young friends at this point,wishing them all good luck in other voyages which they may undertake inthe near future.
THE END.
Motor Boat Boys Among the Florida Keys; Or, The Struggle for the Leadership Page 23