CHAPTER XVII.
THE SHELTER BACK OF THE KEY.
"Oh! what happened?" Nick was heard to call out, in a tremulous voice.
"Get up and hustle! Show a leg here, or you'll be frozen in yourblanket!" George shouted, excitedly, for his canvas tent was wabblingin the wind like a thing possessed.
Of course, those in the other boats had little need to worry, sincetheir hunting cabins protected them in a great measure from the violenceof the gale. The neglect of George to have the same sort of contrivanceplaced on the _Wireless_, for fear lest it might reduce the great speedof the boat, always cost him dear when night came, or a storm howledabout their ears. One has to pay in some way or other for his whistle;and George was a "speed crank" without any doubt.
For a short time it was feared that the tent on the _Wireless_ wouldactually blow away. Half dressed, the pair aboard hung on with might andmain to save the canvas, Nick's teeth chattering tremendously as heshivered in the rapidly falling temperature.
It certainly did get cold in a hurry, too. Jack would never more smilewhen he heard old "crackers" tell about the terrors of a Norther. Why,in spite of the protection of the cabin walls, the bitter wind seemed topenetrate to their very marrow.
"Say, Jimmy, this is mighty tough on George and Nick," he remarked tohis boatmate, when the wind had passed its worst stage, but the coldseemed to be on the increase.
"It do be the same; and 'tis myself that feels bad for thim this blissedminute," the warm-hearted Irish lad answered, as he swung his arms backand forth to induce circulation, and bring a bit more comfort.
"Just as I feared, the growth ashore is too thin to fend off all thewind; and if this keeps up we'll have the meanest night we ever struck,"Jack continued.
Jimmy knew from the signs that the skipper had an idea. He was used toreading Jack by now.
"What can we be afther doing, I dunno, Jack darlint?" he remarked, orrather shouted; for it was simply impossible to hold a conversation inordinary tones as long as that howling wind kept shrieking through themangroves and cypress trees near by.
"Get ashore, and throw up some sort of protection, behind which we canmake our fire," Jack answered, readily enough.
"Hurroo! that's the ticket! Let's be afther getting to worrk right away.Sure, annything is betther than howldin' the fort aboard, and shakin'enough to loosen ivery timber in the hull of the dandy little _Tramp_."
Jimmy was always enthusiastic about everything he went about doing.Consequently, he started ashore immediately, with Jack trailing behind.
When George realized what his chums were doing, he made haste to jointhem, for he could not but understand that it was mostly on account ofthe unfortunates aboard the exposed _Wireless_ that the effort to builda fire was attempted.
Many hands make light work; and as there happened to be plenty of woodavailable near by, a fire was soon blazing. Then Nick, unable to holdaloof any longer, came waddling ashore, to offer his services, whennearly everything had been completed.
Jack had found a means of building a wind shield out of various things,and in the shelter of this they hovered, keeping the fire going attop-notch speed.
That night seemed endless to several in the party. They huddled around,swathed in blankets like Esquimaux, and trying to sleep, though Nickwas about the only fellow who managed to accomplish much in that line.
Fortunately it did not rain, which was rather an unusual thing, sincethese cold storms generally start out with a downpour, until the windshifts into the northwest, when it clears, and turns bitterly severe.
But morning came at last, when they could see to improve the situation.After Josh had cooked the breakfast--and he had plenty of help on thisoccasion, since every one wanted to cling to the fire as close aspossible--all felt better able to meet the situation.
"Nothing like a full stomach to make things look brighter," commentedNick, sighing, as he scraped the frying pan for the last remnant offried hominy.
The wind kept up all that day, so that the pilgrims found themselvesactually stormbound. Jack would have made a try for another harbor ofrefuge, only it was so very rough between their key and the main shorethat he doubted the ability of the speed-boat to make the passagewithout a spill; and surely a bird in the hand was better than two inthe bush. They could not be sure about improving on their quarters bygoing further.
Another thing influenced him to remain where they were. Gradually butsurely the wind was going down. The cold remained, but with a dyingbreeze it did not penetrate so much. It was decided that all of them butthe crew of the _Wireless_ should sleep aboard their boats on thisnight. George and Nick were made fairly comfortable by the fire back ofthe wind shield.
And as Jack had expected, during the night there came another shift ofthe wind. Following the natural course of the compass, it was in thenortheast when dawn arrived, and would soon work around to the east.For, strange to say, down in this country, during the winter season atleast, the southeast wind is the very finest that blows; whereas in mostother places it has a reputation for being just the meanest known.
All of them were so dead for sleep that the next night passed veryquickly. And when morning came the change in the temperature pleasedthem greatly.
"Let's get a move on, fellows," Jack said, after the customary attentionhad been given to taking care of the inner man. "We ought to make a bigdent in the distance separating us from Meyers today."
"And by the same token," piped up Jimmy, eagerly, "I'm afther hearin'that the fishing is mighty foine around this section."
"Huh!" grunted Nick, scornfully; "when you beat that record I've hungup, just wake me, and let me know. Time enough then to get a hustle on.Just now it's up to you, Jimmy, to do all the worrying. I'm going totake things easy after this."
"All right, me bhoy, just do that same, and by the pipers it's ye thatwill be hearin' a cowld, dull thud, which will be that record droppin'to the earth. Sure, it do be a long lane that has no turnin'; and sooneror later, belave me, 'twill be me day."
They made a brave start. George was quite elated with the splendid wayhis engine worked, and frowned whenever Nick made out to mention thathis word had been pledged about that change of motive power at Tampa.
Two hours later the inevitable came to pass.
"George has hauled up short, Jack!" Herb called out; for the _Comfort_was not a great distance behind the _Tramp_ at the time, with the otherboat, as usual, ahead.
"Perhaps waiting for us?" suggested Jack; but the smile on his facedeclared that he entertained different ideas about the stoppage.
"That may be," replied Herb, skeptically; "but the chances are he'sbucking up against trouble again. Won't we all be pleased as Punch whenhe does get a motor that can motor without eternally breaking down?There, Nick's waving his red bandana, which I take it means they'vebroken down."
And so it proved. A weak place had developed as usual, so that Georgewould be compelled to spend an hour or two mending the same.
Herb generously offered to give him a tow; but this the proud spirit ofGeorge would not brook. It was bad enough having to suffer that ignominywhen threatened with a storm, but when the gulf was smooth nothing couldinduce him to accept.
"You fellows go right along," George called out; "and I'll overtake youlater."
But neither Jack nor Herb would think of such a thing. If a heavy windchanced to come up while the _Wireless_ lay there, positively helpless,she would roll frightfully, and stand a chance of capsizing.
And so they simply hung around until the makeshift repairs had beencompleted, so that the speed boat could again proceed under her ownpower.
This lost them so much time that it was no longer possible to think ofreaching the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River, and ascending as far asMeyers, that day. So they kept an eye out for a snug harbor, where theymight pass the night.
The coast was not so desolate here as below. They had passed thesettlement of Naples; and here and there could see where shacks, or morepre
tentious buildings, told of the presence of fruit or truck growers.
Finally, toward the middle of the afternoon, coming upon just the placethat would afford them a good camping ground, the three boats pulled in.
Jack had noticed that Jimmy was showing signs of growing excitement asthey proceeded to anchor. The Irish boy had been using the marineglasses with more or less eagerness; and no sooner was the boat madesecure than he broke out with:
"Excuse me, if ye plase, Jack darlint, but I've a most pressin'engagement this minute. I do be sayin' me chanct to get aven with merival."
He was even at the time throwing a number of things into the littledinky, among others a section of rope. Nick, while not overhearingwhat was said, must have noticed the active preparations for a suddencampaign. His round, red face appeared over the side of the _Wireless_,as Jimmy pushed off and rowed furiously away.
"Now, what in the dickens does all that mean, Jack?" he asked. "Is Jimmygoing to make the trip to Meyers in that dinky, or has he got an idea inhis head he can bag something that will make me look like thirty cents?"
"I rather guess that's just the sort of bee he's got in his bonnet,Nick," laughed Jack, "and if you look out yonder, where that reef liesin shallow water, with the little waves breaking over it, you'll seewhat's started him going."
Nick hunted around until he found George's glasses, which he clapped tohis eyes, to burst out with a cry of astonishment and chagrin.
"Say, it must be a big porpoise that's got stranded out there! My eye!look at it kick up the water, would you? Oh! if Jimmy ever gets a ropearound that thing, and tries to ride it ashore, won't he be in a peck oftrouble, though? But when Jimmy sets out to do anything, you just can'tfrighten him off; and, honest now, I believe he's bent on doing thatsame mad caper!"