Motor Boat Boys on the Great Lakes; or, Exploring the Mystic Isle of Mackinac

by George Cary Eggleston

  CHAPTER XVII

  CAUGHT NAPPING

  Jack was shocked at the words and manner of the young fisherman. Hischums even half turned away in disgust, believing that their mission wasdoomed to failure. But Jack did not give up a thing so easily.

  "Wait," he said, quietly; "I don't believe you know, Andy. When did youhear from home last?"

  "Never once," gritted the other, morosely, showing that his wrongs hadeaten into his very soul. "Didn't want to, neither. Made up my mind Icud take care of myself. Done it too, all these years. Got money laidup; and goin' to be married in the fall."

  "Then you didn't know your mother was dead?" Jack went on.

  "Oh!" exclaimed Andy, starting, and showing signs of emotion. "I neverheard that Ma was gone! Yes, I'm sorry I didn't see her again. She wasnever so bitter as dad; but only weak like."

  Jack heard him sigh, and knew a start had been made.

  "Listen, Andy," he went on; "your father is subject to strokes. One ofthem will carry him off. It may be today, or tomorrow, but not a greatwhile can he stay here. He is bitterly sorry for what he did. He wantsto tell you so, to ask you to forgive him before he too dies."

  Andy's head fell on his broad chest, and Jack believed he saw his framequiver with some sort of gathering emotion.

  "He has made his will, and left you everything, Andy," he continued. "Ifyou are to be married, that will be your home. He begged us to find you,to tell you all this; and that if you would only come back to forgivehim, he would die happy. Won't you do that, Andy? Once he goes, thechance can never come to you again; and you're bound to feel mightysorry as the years go by."

  Nick nudged George, and whispered.

  "Did you ever hear the beat of that, George? Ain't our Jack the bornlawyer though? He ought to be in your dad's office, studying for thebar, that's what."

  "Hold your horses, Buster!" answered the one addressed, eagerly waitingto see what effect Jack's logic might have upon Andy.

  The struggle however was short. Presently the young fisherman glancedup; and as soon as he could see the look on his bronzed face Jack knewhis case was won.

  "I'll go back to the old man," he said, firmly. "I guess 'taint right heshud die and not have a chance to say what's on his mind. And thank yefor tellin' me."

  "But when will you go?" Jack continued. "There is need of haste, becausenobody can say just how long he may live."

  "A boat'll be along this arternoon, and we ship some barrels on her.Guess the boss'll let me off when he larns the reason," Andy replied.

  "If you like, I'll tell him the whole story?" Jack suggested.

  And this he did a little later. He found the boss full of sympathy,rough man as he seemed to be. And Andy readily received permission tobreak the contract he had made for the season.

  "Well, what's doing now?" queried Herb, as the bunch wandered around,observing the various interesting phases of the fishermen's business;for a boat was loading with barrels full of the catch, which were goingdirect to the Soo, from where they would be carried by express toChicago, or other distributing points.

  "Too late to go on today," said Jack. "Besides, I want to have a trywith some of the big speckled trout that they tell me lie around here.They take plenty, but have to throw them back, or eat them, as the lawdoes not allow any sale of trout. Think of a seven pounder on my rod."

  "Well, get at it then, Jack," laughed George. "You'll never be happytill you do hook a monster. We'll promise to help you eat him, allright; eh, fellows?"

  "All he can bring in, and then some," declared Nick; making his mouthmove in a suggestive way that caused his mates to laugh.

  "Be careful, Buster," warned Herb. "You know you said you meant to cutdown on your grub. Instead of losing, you're gaining weight every day.If you keep on like that, Rosie won't know you when we get back home."

  But Nick only grinned as he replied calmly: "Well, Rosie ain't the wholething. There are others, perhaps."

  "Listen to the traitor, would you?" exclaimed Josh. "Won't I tell onhim, though, when we get back? I bet he's thinking right now of thatcute little elephant, Sallie Bliss!"

  "All right," admitted Nick, brazenly. "Who's got a better right, tellme? And even you admit that she is cute. Just mind your own business,Josh Purdue. The fact is, you're just green with envy because of mynoble figure. Pity you couldn't have a little of my fat on your bones!"

  "Noble figure!" exclaimed Josh, pretending to be near a fainting spell."Shades of my ancestors, excuse me! I may be envious, but I ain'tconceited, like some people, and that's the truth."

  Jack left them in this sort of warm argument; but he knew that no matterwhat was said, Nick and Josh would not openly quarrel.

  He asked numerous questions as to the most likely spots for the bigtrout; and having secured some bait, started into business. While thusemployed he saw the steamer come along, and the boat loaded with barrelsgo out to meet her, as she stopped her engines.

  "There's Andy stepping aboard, carrying his grip," Jack said to himself."And I'm glad he proved so sensible. The old man will be wild to havehim again. Yes, it was a lucky day for him in more ways than one when westarted for his house to get a supply of butter, eggs and milk. Nickthought the luck was all on our side; but he can never see far beyondmeal time."

  As the afternoon grew on, and the steamer became hazy in the distance,Jack began to have some bites. And then came the thrilling moment whenhe found himself engaged with one of those famous monster speckledbeauties for which this region is noted, and specimens of which he hadseen in the breeding ponds of the Soo government fish hatchery.

  It was a glorious fight, never to be forgotten; and at last Jack had hisprize in his hands. Nor did the luck stop there. The fish were hungry,apparently; for in less than five minutes Number Two gave him even aharder struggle than the other victim; and in this case also Jack wonout.

  So they did have trout galore for supper; and even Nick was surfeitedfor once. All of the boys declared that they had never tasted anythingfiner than these big Lake Superior trout, freshly taken from the icywaters of the big reservoir, and cooked as only Josh Purdue could do it.

  "Yum! yum!" Nick went on, after being actually pressed in vain to haveanother helping; "I'd like to stay right here for a month. Seems to meI'd never get tired of that pink flesh trout. Don't ever want to hearmention of a Mississippi catfish again after this."

  "How about Canada kitties?" asked Herb, maliciously.

  Nick declined to answer. That was a subject on which his comrades knewhis mind full well; and he did not mean to argue it again.

  Mutely he pointed to the skin of the lynx which had fallen to his gun,mutilated a little, to be sure, by the charge of shot that had been themeans of its death; but worth its weight in silver to the fat Nimrod;and Herb closed up like a clam.

  In the morning they prepared to go on again; though Herb and Jackhad, when by themselves, seriously talked over the subject; and werebeginning to arrive at the conclusion that this tremendous fresh watersea was hardly the best cruising ground for such small craft as themotor boats; and that they would be wise to cut short their formerintention of reaching Duluth.

  "Better keep an eye out for dirty weather, boys!" the boss of the camphad observed, when shaking hands as they said good-bye.

  Nick could see no signs of anything ahead that looked like a storm; andhe was inclined to believe the other must be wrong in his guess.

  "Must be one of them old croakers we hear so much about," he remarked toHerb, as they went on along the coast of the Big Lake. "Always expectingthings to happen that don't come to pass. I don't see any storm, doyou?"

  "Not a sign," replied the skipper of the _Comfort_; who was anxiouslykeeping tabs on his engine, as though he had reason to fear a repetitionof the former trouble.

  But in the end it proved to be George who brought the little expeditionto a halt. After acting so splendidly in that fierce race with the_Flash_, lo and behold, the motor of the _Wireless_ broke down duringthe
early afternoon.

  They tinkered at it for an hour and more, Jack coming over to take ahand; but apparently little progress was made. Jack was worried. Theywere too far away from the fish camp to think of towing the disabledboat back; and a harbor did not offer within reaching distance beyond.

  The afternoon began to wane, and there seemed nothing for it but thatthe three motor boats should anchor just where they were, and pass thenight on the open water. All would be well if the weather remained fair,and no strong southerly wind arose during the night. Jack did not liketo think what might happen in case such a thing did come about.

  So as night came on they made things as snug as possible, ate supperaboard, and determined to keep up their courage, in the belief thatnothing would happen to alarm them.

  But about an hour after midnight Jack, being on the watch, was thrilledto hear a sudden and entirely unexpected boom of thunder.

  Instantly everybody was awake, and stirring; loud voices began to beheard, as the others thrust their heads out of the tarpaulin covers thatserved as boat tents when the crews slept aboard; and excitementreigned.

  The very thing that Jack had dreaded most of all seemed on the verge ofcoming about; since they were caught on the open lake at night, with astorm threatening.