CHAPTER XVII
CAUGHT NAPPING
Jack was shocked at the words and manner of the young fisherman. His chums even half turned away in disgust, believing that their mission was doomed 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 you hear from home last?"
"Never once," gritted the other, morosely, showing that his wrongs had eaten into his very soul. "Didn"t want to, neither. Made up my mind I cud take care of myself. Done it too, all these years. Got money laid up; 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 never heard that Ma was gone! Yes, I"m sorry I didn"t see her again. She was never 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 of them will carry him off. It may be today, or tomorrow, but not a great while can he stay here. He is bitterly sorry for what he did. He wants to 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 frame quiver with some sort of gathering emotion.
"He has made his will, and left you everything, Andy," he continued. "If you 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 forgive him, he would die happy. Won"t you do that, Andy? Once he goes, the chance can never come to you again; and you"re bound to feel mighty sorry as the years go by."
Nick nudged George, and whispered.
"Did you ever hear the beat of that, George? Ain"t our Jack the born lawyer though? He ought to be in your dad"s office, studying for the bar, that"s what."
"Hold your horses, Buster!" answered the one addressed, eagerly waiting to see what effect Jack"s logic might have upon Andy.
The struggle however was short. Presently the young fisherman glanced up; and as soon as he could see the look on his bronzed face Jack knew his case was won.
"I"ll go back to the old man," he said, firmly. "I guess "taint right he shud die and not have a chance to say what"s on his mind. And thank ye for tellin" me."
"But when will you go?" Jack continued. "There is need of haste, because n.o.body 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 to break 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 going direct to the Soo, from where they would be carried by express to Chicago, or other distributing points.
"Too late to go on today," said Jack. "Besides, I want to have a try with 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 law does 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 happy till you do hook a monster. We"ll promise to help you eat him, all right; eh, fellows?"
"All he can bring in, and then some," declared Nick; making his mouth move in a suggestive way that caused his mates to laugh.
"Be careful, Buster," warned Herb. "You know you said you meant to cut down 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 whole thing. There are others, perhaps."
"Listen to the traitor, would you?" exclaimed Josh. "Won"t I tell on him, though, when we get back? I bet he"s thinking right now of that cute little elephant, Sallie Bliss!"
"All right," admitted Nick, brazenly. "Who"s got a better right, tell me? 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 my n.o.ble figure. Pity you couldn"t have a little of my fat on your bones!"
"n.o.ble figure!" exclaimed Josh, pretending to be near a fainting spell.
"Shades of my ancestors, excuse me! I may be envious, but I ain"t conceited, like some people, and that"s the truth."
Jack left them in this sort of warm argument; but he knew that no matter what was said, Nick and Josh would not openly quarrel.
He asked numerous questions as to the most likely spots for the big trout; and having secured some bait, started into business. While thus employed he saw the steamer come along, and the boat loaded with barrels go 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 have him again. Yes, it was a lucky day for him in more ways than one when we started for his house to get a supply of b.u.t.ter, eggs and milk. Nick thought the luck was all on our side; but he can never see far beyond meal 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 when he found himself engaged with one of those famous monster speckled beauties for which this region is noted, and specimens of which he had seen in the breeding ponds of the Soo government fish hatchery.
It was a glorious fight, never to be forgotten; and at last Jack had his prize 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 a harder struggle than the other victim; and in this case also Jack won out.
So they did have trout galore for supper; and even Nick was surfeited for once. All of the boys declared that they had never tasted anything finer than these big Lake Superior trout, freshly taken from the icy waters 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 have another helping; "I"d like to stay right here for a month. Seems to me I"d never get tired of that pink flesh trout. Don"t ever want to hear mention 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 knew his 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 the means 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 Jack had, when by themselves, seriously talked over the subject; and were beginning to arrive at the conclusion that this tremendous fresh water sea was hardly the best cruising ground for such small craft as the motor boats; and that they would be wise to cut short their former intention of reaching Duluth.
"Better keep an eye out for dirty weather, boys!" the boss of the camp had observed, when shaking hands as they said good-bye.
Nick could see no signs of anything ahead that looked like a storm; and he 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 to Herb, as they went on along the coast of the Big Lake. "Always expecting things to happen that don"t come to pa.s.s. I don"t see any storm, do you?"
"Not a sign," replied the skipper of the _Comfort_; who was anxiously keeping tabs on his engine, as though he had reason to fear a repet.i.tion of the former trouble.
But in the end it proved to be George who brought the little expedition to a halt. After acting so splendidly in that fierce race with the _Flash_, lo and behold, the motor of the _Wireless_ broke down during the early afternoon.
They tinkered at it for an hour and more, Jack coming over to take a hand; but apparently little progress was made. Jack was worried. They were too far away from the fish camp to think of towing the disabled boat back; and a harbor did not offer within reaching distance beyond.
The afternoon began to wane, and there seemed nothing for it but that the three motor boats should anchor just where they were, and pa.s.s the night 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 like to think what might happen in case such a thing did come about.