Jack was even then and there fixing things in his mind, so that there would be no confusion once they started. He decided that as Herb would be hopelessly distanced by the other two boats, and could not be depended on to a.s.sist in any way, if he started at all he should take aboard as his crew Buster and Algernon; for they could not be expected to prove of any great a.s.sistance, should matters come to a conflict of any kind. In fact, Jack would feel more comfortable with the fat boy missing, for Buster so often upset all calculations by some ill-advised if well-meant play.
The others could be apportioned to the Tramp and the Wireless; with three of them keeping Jack company, Jenks one of the number, as he promised to be a valuable ally when the finish came around.
Running along the open beach was not anything so difficult as trying to make progress through all that wild jungle; and in an exceedingly brief s.p.a.ce of time the familiar cove loomed up, with its attendant boats, all tied up snugly to convenient trees, and in deep water at that, which prevented any possibility of their getting aground by a sudden fall of the river during the night, as sometimes happened.
Each skipper made directly for his own boat the moment he reached the scene. It was no time to think of taking down the beloved khaki-colored tent; if Herb did think it worth while to tag after the others, then things on the island would have to look after themselves until such time as the boys could return. And just when this would be, not even Jack could so much as guess at this early stage in the expected chase.
Although doubtless more or less excited, neither George nor Jack seemed apt to make a serious blunder in the start. They clambered aboard their respective boats and meanwhile Jack was shouting directions:
"Andy, you go with George, while Josh and Jenks will come aboard here.
And be quick to cast off, and get the push poles handy, so we won"t be wasting time. George, for once you"ve got to promise me on your honor not to run ahead. There are only five of us, and we"ll need every hand against such hard cases. Remember now, I"m expecting you to keep alongside. The Tramp can overtake that boat all right, never fear."
George said he would try and do just as the Commodore said. At the same time they knew how great a disappointment it must be to the reckless chap to have to give such a promise; for George was no coward, whatever other shortcomings might be placed against him; and given half a chance he would have readily hurled himself at the two fugitive burglars with any sort of backing.
Everybody worked with the utmost haste.
Why, it seemed as though they had hardly gained a footing on the boats before both hawsers were cast loose, and the push poles could be heard splashing in the water.
The sound thrilled every one of them; for there may be times when even such a simple thing as water splashing seems to give warning of serious times coming. And with such desperate men as the two bank thieves to overhaul and perhaps capture, surely Jack and his chums had a "a hard nut to crack," as Josh expressed it.
As soon as the first boat, which happened to be the Tramp, was well out of the sheltered nook, Jack gave the crank a turn, and with a whirr the engine started to working. He immediately took charge, for no one knew so well as he how to get the best that was in that motor in action.
Jack was a bit nervous concerning the other boat. It was a toss-up as to whether the machinery of the "freaky" Wireless could be made to start, just when it was of the utmost importance, for George never knew a thing about it, and always approached the subject with his heart in his mouth, so to speak.
So all of them held their breath when they saw him get ready to give the crank its customary whirl.
Then all at once there broke out the welcome sound of the explosions that told them the story. Wireless stock went up fifty per cent just then; Wireless was going to be good, and behave!
And so the two motor boats carrying the determined little band of intended pursuers swung out upon the broad and heaving bosom of the mighty Mississippi, and headed south.
CHAPTER XVII
THE MOONLIGHT CHASE
Doubtless those boys would never be apt to forget that chase on the river, even though in times to come they might have a part in many other exciting scenes.
The moon was very bright at this hour, not a cloud dimming its l.u.s.tre; and upon the water objects could be seen for quite some distance away.
Although these might not be as distinct as in the daytime; still, if it was a moving boat, any one could recognize familiar features about it.
And should it happen to be a peculiar boat, or one that was painted snow white, surely they could tell it, once they chanced to come within a certain radius.
George was of course fidgety.
That old spirit of wanting to let loose, and shoot away at the very top of speed of which his high-powered motor was capable, must be gripping the boy, for it is hard to make one of his impulsive temperament act in reason.
But Jack was bound that both boats must keep in touch all the time, and that George should hold his "bucking broncho" engine, as Buster called it, in sufficiently to avoid leaving the Tramp behind.
There were lots of good reasons for this, too.
In the first place Jack knew only too well that on most occasions when George had had trouble with his engine, it was when he was playing all sorts of pranks with it, taking chances, in the hope of causing his boat to make a record for the cla.s.s to which it belonged. And if he were compelled to moderate his speed just a little, there would be a far better opportunity for him to keep right along to the finish.
Then again, this was no good-natured race intended to test the racing abilities of the two rival boats. Jack had always admitted frankly enough that if the Wireless only behaved herself, she was in a cla.s.s by herself, insofar as the other boats of the fleet were concerned. The only trouble was, that six times out of seven she insisted on "cutting up" just when George was congratulating himself that he had finally conquered that turbulent spirit.
They would, provided they caught up with the stolen Saunterer, find themselves pitted against a couple of bad men, who would not hesitate at anything in order to escape with their stolen plunder.
And that was the main reason why Jack had insisted upon George binding himself to an agreement to stay by the others, come what would. Why, he was that reckless, that, should he overtake the fugitive thieves, with only Andy back of him, chances were he would dash at them, and somebody was bound to get hurt, probably George himself.
Everything seemed to be going along nicely, after they had gotten well away from the island. Jack wondered whether Herb would insist on following after them in his slow boat, or stay by the camp. Perhaps finding that Buster and Algernon were both eager to get on the move, no matter if they could not hope to arrive in time to lend a helping hand, Herb might make the start.
"Josh, can you see the island still?" the skipper of the Tramp called out, for he was himself too busy watching how his machine worked to take his eyes off it; and then, again, what was the use, when he could get the information second-hand just as well.
"Yep, though it"s getting kind of faint now, Jack," came the reply. "You see, this here moonlight ain"t all it"s cracked up to be. I"ve proved it, too. "Nother feller"d me we made a wager that we could tell anybody half a mile away; then we went outside to prove it! My conscience!
there was a black thing in the country road just about sixty yards away; he said it looked like a bear, and I was just dead certain "twas a cow a-lyin" down. Well, we walked up to it, and what d"ye think, it was only an old stump after all."
"Look as close as you can, and tell me if you see anything of another boat coming out," Jack went on, as soon as he could work a few words in; for when Josh felt the inclination to tell one of his little stories, nothing in all creation could stop him, unless some one threw a lump of mud squarely into his open mouth, as once happened when he was in swimming; and even then, as soon as he had managed to get rid of it, he had gone on deliberately, "As I was a-sayin"----" and so on.
"Why," he went on to remark, dubiously, "I c"n see somethin" a-movin"
over there, somethin" dark, too, and just in the same place we came out of; but whether it"s a boat, say, Jack, don"t ask me to take my affidavy, for I won"t, that"s all."
"I won"t ask you, because I"m sure now it must be a boat, and of course Comfort, with the rest of the crowd aboard," remarked Jack.
"But shucks! everything"ll be over, even the shouting, when that tub comes along. What"s the use in Herb startin" at all, Jack?"
"He had that privilege," returned the skipper. "I didn"t just want to tell him he had ought to stay by the camp, to look after things. And besides, there"s our new friend, Algernon, of course he"ll be just as anxious as anything to know as soon as he can whether we"ve recovered his Saunterer or not. But I guess you don"t see anything of that moving thing, now, eh, Josh?"
"That"s right, she"s blotted out; and I could crack my eyes lookin"
without getting a peep," replied Josh, immediately he had looked again.
"All right, let"s forget all about Herb, and the rest from now on, because there"s little chance that they"ll have anything to do with the finish of the race. George is holding in pretty well, you see, Josh. He can put a crimp in that speed mania, when he wants to."
"But gee! listen to him growling, would you?" remarked the other, with a dry chuckle, for he dearly loved to see George held under Jack"s thumb, for the skipper of the Wireless was so boastful most of the time. "I pity poor old Andy havin" to play crew for such a bear with a sore head.
Wouldn"t surprise me a whit, Jack, if the Wireless man just found he couldn"t stand bein" held in, and let go for all he"s worth, shootin"
up ahead like fun."
"No, you"re way off there, Josh; you heard George give me his word; and no matter what other faults George may have, he never goes back on his promises. That"s his best point. I"d as soon take his word as lots of fellows" binding written agreement."
"Well, I guess that"s so, Jack," said Josh, slowly, for he wanted to be fair toward his impulsive chum; and in spite of his many faults, these comrades, tried and true, loved George Rollins; strange, but impulsive, hot-tempered people always make more and warmer friends than cold, calculating ones, no matter how much these latter show themselves to be honest and true.
For some little time they continued to shove along down the river, with both boats doing splendidly. Just how many miles an hour they were making Jack could not say positively; but he thought it must be in the neighborhood of fifteen.
George called out a number of times, and begged the other skipper to do something more than just crawl. It seemed to be a painful experience to the captain of the Wireless, and yet when he was taken to task later on for his impatience, and made to see how well his engine had behaved when not constantly meddled with, and pushed to its utmost limit, George candidly admitted that Jack"s plan was by long odds the best for all concerned, indeed, the only one they could have followed, under the circ.u.mstances.
They were certainly putting the miles behind them as they kept on flying down with the current. Jack had to figure it out, so as to see about what sort of a lead the fugitive white boat had on them.
He could give something of a guess as to about how many minutes had elapsed between the time the other craft had started past the lower end of the island, and that marking their own departure. That was not over ten minutes all told, he believed, though had any of the others been asked they would have said twice that because they were excited at the time, and seconds were drawn out doubly long.