CHAPTER XVIII.

JIMMY FORGES TO THE FRONT.

None of them could have any doubt about it; for was not the excited Jimmy making toward that same reef with all speed? Determined to wrest the laurels from his rival, if it could possibly be done, he had only too eagerly seized upon this fine chance to get in some strenuous work.

Looking beyond, they could see that the stranded porpoise, if the object out yonder really proved to be such a creature, still threshed the water and strove to break away from its place of captivity.

"What ails the bally thing?" grumbled the anxious Nick. "Why don't it back off, the same way it came on? That's the only way it could get into deep water. Did you ever see such a looney, trying to keep on shoving ahead, when all the while it gets in more shallow water?"

"Huh! seems to me there are others!" chuckled Josh; "jewfish, for instance, don't seem to have one bit more sense. Sometimes they get left on a shallow place, and kick like fun, while waiting for the tide to rise 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 his rival, now more than half way out to the reef.

"Well, we always stand up for the under dog; and just now Jimmy's in that position," continued Josh.

"Yes," spoke up George, encouragingly, "and when you get there, Nick, as you may sooner or later, you'll see how gladly we'll all give you our sympathy, eh, boys?"

Nick refused to be comforted by the prospect.

"Hey! Jack," he said, turning to the skipper of the _Tramp_, who seemed to be bending over his motor, as if about to turn his engine; for a sudden 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 Jimmy tries to just throw his old net over anything that creeps, swims or walks, and call it a fish. He tried it on us with his blessed old alligator, you remember, fellers; then, when we wouldn't stand for that, don't you know how he tried to hook up one of the sea cows they call a manatee, and make us take that? Now he's after a porpoise; and if he 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 kick over 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 eye on Jimmy," replied the other.

"What for? You don't think of lending him a hand, I hope? Remember, the rules of the game knocks all that sort of thing on the head," Nick protested, vigorously.

"No danger of my forgetting," laughed Jack. "But I happened to think how bold 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 on occasion; "it'd be just like him to hitch on to that porpoise, and help work him loose. Then we'd see our poor chum going out to sea like a railroad limited express. And Jack, if you'll allow me, I guess I'll drop 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? I ought 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 weakened jewfish to camp. Any way Jimmy can grab his game will count; and you might 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," Nick went on to say, stoutly; "I'm a true sport, and can take my medicine when I have to, as good as the next one. And I guess I don't give up easy, do I? But it ain't time for the shoutin' yet. Jimmy hasn't got his porpoise; 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 the submerged rocks; with the unfortunate porpoise floundering in a helpless manner, for the tide was almost at its lowest level.

Jimmy had by now arrived on the spot. He must have arranged his plan of campaign as he was rowing frantically out, for he lost no time in getting down to business.

Those who looked saw him push his way up to the reef after his usual bold fashion. If some water came aboard the little dinky, Jimmy gave the circumstance no heed. All he could see was that struggling monster of the deep, and the happy opportunity that had been thrown in his way whereby 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 help admiring the nerve exhibited by his rival, even though deep down in his heart he hoped the other might fail to land the prize.

"Sure he is!" laughed Josh. "Why, just keep your eye peeled, Nick, old boy, and my word for it, you'll see our little chum climb right on the back 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; and yet, despite his brave words, he watched the actions of the Irish lad with deep anxiety, as if believing that no one could tell what wonderful things Jimmy might not attempt.

"Look there, would you!" he exclaimed, a few seconds later; "what under the 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 to knock that poor porpoise on the head, just like they do steers at the stockyards; and then claim he _caught_ him? Well, I like that, now!"

"It's all in the game, Nick," declared Herb, consolingly. "Remember, you didn't use a fish hook and line to bag your big jewfish; just slung a rope around his gills, and walked away with him through the shallow water near the shore. I reckon even an ax might count, so long as he keeps the fish, and brings him in!"

"Sho!" Nick went on, as though disgusted; "but just think of getting a fish 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 you may be only too glad to do the same thing later on, when you want to climb 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 what position 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 down the ax on the struggling fish.

"But he hasn't got him yet, anyway," muttered Nick, as they saw the water whipped into foam around the little, wabbling dinky boat occupied by 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 aiming to get in another crack, and there it goes. Whew! that was a stunner, though!"

"A regular sockdolager!" avowed Josh, who was apparently enjoying the circus 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 get a 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 got the widest grin on his face you ever saw. Victory comes sweet after having it rubbed in so long."

"Huh! how d'ye know the bally old porpoise is goin' to stand for more than my jewfish?" Nick grumbled; though his face began to wear a look that comes with chagrin and defeat; "and even if it does, that don't wind things up. Ain't I got just as much chance to bag something bigger before we haul up at New Orleans, tell me that, Josh Purdue?"

"Course you have, Nick, old top," declared Josh, who hoped to see the rivalry kept up to the very last, since it was affording them all so much fun; "and we'll back you for the boy who can do big stunts, once you wake up to it; eh, fellers?"

Jimmy was now starting to row back toward where the two other motor boats were at anchor. He made but slow progress of it, towing that now quiet captured porpoise; but the rules of the game prevented the others from giving him any sort of a lift.

Now and then the porpoise would get stranded in the shallow water, and at such times Jimmy was put to his wits' ends to manage. But by slow degrees he succeeded in accomplishing the object he had in view.

Of course the others did not wait for him, but ran back to where the camp was to be made for the night. Josh was anxious to get ashore, and start a fire; for all of them confessed to being hungry. Nick only made one more remark on the way back, and that gave them an inkling of his ruling 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, though perhaps the meat might appeal to certain appetites, like those of Esquimaux, or the Indians of Alaska.

"I don't think we'll bother about it, however," Josh remarked, "because we've got plenty besides."

Supper was well on the way when finally Jimmy landed, his beaming face wet with honest perspiration, and filled with the pride that followed his recent exploit.

They all came down to view his capture, and estimate the weight of the porpoise. The opinion seemed to be that, while a small one, it must weigh something close on to two hundred and fifty pounds; but Nick declared he would have to demand the proof before giving in.