CHAPTER XXII.

WHERE AMBITION LED.

True to his word, the generous Irish lad was the very first to grasp Nick's blistered hand and congratulate him on his wonderful success.

"That's what comes of stick-at-it-tiveness," declared Herb, ponderously, as he, too, gripped the fingers of the successful shark fisherman.

Nick was allowed to get the rifle, and wind up the career of the savage sea monster. In the morning they estimated his weight, just as they had done with others in the past. Everybody was satisfied to agree with that first guess which Jack made, and call it four hundred. And they declared that Nick was a wonder, in that with only the assistance of the falls, he had dragged such a monster up on the beach.

The voyage was resumed that day, and for the better part of a week they were put to it dodging storms, making outside runs when the fair weather allowed of their braving the open gulf, and extricating themselves from various unpleasant predicaments, when they managed to lose themselves in what had promised to be a convenient cut-off, but which proved a trap in the shape of shallow water, with many chances of the boats sticking in the mud.

After Pensacola would come Mobile; and then the next place they expected to reach would be their destination, New Orleans.

Each night as they figured on the time that still remained, a sense of gloom would descend upon the camp, though Jack or else Jimmy soon dissipated it by some joking remark, or it might be by bursting out into ragtime song. But they had had such a glorious time since starting out on this remarkable voyage that they viewed its approaching finish with a feeling bordering on dismay.

Jimmy had now taken to being haunted by a desire to eclipse the great feat of his stout rival. Though it did not seem that there might be one chance in fifty of his succeeding in capturing a fish that would exceed the weight of that monster shark, Jimmy had developed an industrious trait.

Early and late his mind was set upon the game. Nick had generously turned over his shark tackle to the other. He guaranteed that it was sound, and capable of sustaining any strain.

So Jimmy would each night do just what the other had been engaged in until recently; and the way he attended to that line was worthy of all praise.

But, although hardly a night went by that he did not make some sort of capture, his best effort fell far short of the necessary heft, and Nick began to feel that the wager was as good as won. Nevertheless, he watched all that Jimmy did with a certain amount of interest, not to say anxiety, knowing that there is, according to the old saying, "many a slip between the cup and the lip."

All of them were in the very best of health, and in this the voyage down the coast, and around the end of Florida among the keys had done them good. Even Josh seemed to have recovered from his spell of indigestion, and was able to do his share of the eating.

How could it be otherwise, when they were living in the open air day and night, drinking in the pure ozone all the while; with contented minds, and plenty to appease the healthy demands of the inner man?

So one fine afternoon they headed up the wide bay leading to Pensacola, expecting to get more home letters here. George had a wrinkle between his eyes at times, but this was not on account of any anxiety in connection with a girl he had left behind him, as some of the others jokingly declared. The fact was, his new engine was giving him a little trouble.

"Tell you what, George," Herb had said, when they had to stop an hour for the other to do some work, in order to induce the motor to carry on its part; "your old _Wireless_ is just a hoodoo, and that's what ails you."

"Huh!" grunted George, in disgust, "I'm beginning to believe that way myself, to be honest now. I've done everything a fellow could do, even to installing a new and guaranteed motor; yet here the measly thing goes back on me, just like the old one used to. Huh! it's just sickening, that's what!"

"But you see, George," Josh remarked, with a wide grin, "the bally boat wouldn't feel right at all if it went too smooth. Ever since you first got her she's been accustomed to playing you tricks. Expect her to reform all at once, and be as meek as Moses? Well, I guess not. Give her time, George, plenty of time."

"Oh! she's got to see me through this cruise," declared the owner of the cranky speed boat; "because I haven't got the money to buy another right now. And no matter what the rest of you say, I've somehow always loved this boat."

"Of course," observed Herb; "they always say that the bad child is loved most by its parents, because they feel the greatest anxiety for that one. But give me the steady old _Comfort_, that never keeps me awake guessing what sort of trick it'll play next."

"Oh! that's all right," remarked George, indifferently; "everybody to their taste. But I'd die in that tub, watching all the rest run circles around me."

"Oh! hardly that," laughed Herb; "because, you see, once in a while there's a little ripple of excitement comes breezing along, when some fellow asks to be taken in tow!"

Of course, after that George had nothing further to say; for he could look back to several instances that were full of humiliation to his proud spirit, when necessity had forced him to accept of this friendly aid on the part of his chums.

But they reached Pensacola finally in good shape. George hoped that after all, as the others said, that one little trick on the part of his engine might have only been a slip that would never occur again; though his confidence was shaken, and he watched its working suspiciously after that.

Letters from home greeted them at Pensacola; but no new developments were contained in them, at least nothing positive. The strike had not been settled, and there was warm talk of the town putting men to work regardless of labor unions.

"And so little has been done," Jack remarked, after getting the consensus of opinions from all the letters that had been read, "that I can't see, for the life of me, how they're ever going to complete the building this season. I understand that it was proposed to use the biggest church in a pinch; but just as luck would have it, the heating plant in that has gone all to pieces, so that the scholars would be apt to freeze."

The boys looked at each other, and smiled. Perhaps they were, deep down in their hearts, secretly hoping that the workers up there would keep on quarreling, and the completion of the high school building be postponed until the next summer. For boys give little thought concerning lost opportunities in the way of learning. Besides, were they not getting the finest lessons possible in the line of self reliance; and was not this long cruise the best sort of education, when they had learned a thousand things that could never be forgotten?

When they left Pensacola the weather appeared favorable; but at this season of the year nothing can be taken for granted; so that the experienced cruiser is accustomed to keeping a strict watch for signs of storms.

They had need of caution about this time, since there arose a necessity for considerable outside work, always dangerous in small boats, because of shallow water near the shore, and an absence of suitable harbors in which to seek shelter, should a sudden gale arise.

If all went well, they anticipated making it a one-night stop between Pensacola and Mobile; and Jack thought he had the place for this camp picked out on his coast chart, which he studied faithfully.

So, as this day moved along, they were putting the miles behind them at a steady rate. George had no new trouble with his engine, though it was noticed that he cut out some of his racing ahead of the others. Constant friction from water will wear away granite in time; and the numerous and long-continued troubles of George must be making an impression on his usually buoyant spirits.

"Alabama, here we rest!" sang out Jack, about five in the afternoon, as he pointed ahead to where a friendly island or key offered them the shelter they craved.

"Oh! I'm so glad!" Nick was heard to say, and they could easily guess why; for of course Nick must be ravenously hungry--he nearly always was.

Accordingly they headed in, meaning to pass behind the end of the key that jutted out like a human finger, offering an asylum to all small craft that could gain the sheltered water behind.

It was just while they were slowing up, since caution had to be exercised whenever they neared shoal waters, that Herb called out excitedly:

"Oh! Jack, look out yonder; what in the dickens is that coming along, and sticking out of the water?"

Of course every eye was instantly turned in the direction Herb was pointing.

"It's a whale!" shouted Nick, almost falling overboard in his excitement, as he discovered some dreadful looking black object rushing through the water amid a sparkling mass of foam.

"A whale!" echoed Jimmy, dancing up and down excitedly; "Och! if I only had a harpoon now, wouldn't it be just grand? A whale would knock the spots out of the biggest shark that iver grew, so it would."

Jack had snatched up his marine glasses, and was leveling them at the monster, back of which trailed that line of foam and bubbles. The others, watching, saw him stare as though hardly able to believe his eyes, and then laugh outright.

"Oh! there goes Jimmy in the dinky; and, would you believe it, he's got a gun!" exclaimed Nick. "Nothing is too big to scare that boy, I do believe. He'd just as soon tackle a whale as a sunfish. Call him back, Jack, or he'll be drowned!"

Jack laid down the glasses, which had occupied his attention so much that he had not observed the actions of his cruising mate.

"Here, you, Jimmy, come right back!" he called, though he could hardly talk because of the desire to laugh.

"But howld on, Jack, darlint, didn't ye be afther sayin' anything that swum was a fish; and if I get a whale ain't it fair play?" the other replied, pausing in his labor of using the short oars belonging to the _Tramp's_ tender.

"Sure, I did," answered Jack; "but that didn't mean you could go around banging away at one of your Uncle Sam's submarines, out for a trial spin from the Pensacola navy-yard. I guess you'd better come back now, before you get in trouble; don't you?"