Motor Boat Boys on the Great Lakes Part 7

"Sit down, boys," said the farmer, pointing to two chairs, he himself reclining on a lounge. "You're wondering now why I wanted to see ye again. I'm beholdin' to you for the prompt a.s.sistance you gave me. But there's somethin' more'n that. Did ye say as how ye was bound for Lake Superior way soon?"

"Why, we are going as far as the Soo," Jack replied, readily; "and we may take a notion to prowl along the northern sh.o.r.e for a short distance. I've always heard a heap about the big speckled trout to be taken around the mouth of the Agawa river and other places there, and since we have the chance I thought I'd like to try to land a whopper, if so be the rest of the boys are willing to go."

"The Agawa!" repeated Mr. Fosd.i.c.k, eagerly. "I wonder if that might be the place now. 'Twas somewhere along that northern sh.o.r.e he said he saw my Andy."

"That was your son, I take it?" ventured Jack.

"Yes, my only boy or child. His mother died after he ran away, and I'm gettin' old now. I want Andy to come home; but try as I would, I never could get a line to him."

Then he went on to tell about his boy, and for a long time Jack and George had to listen to an account of Andy's childhood life. Gradually he came to the point where the highstrung boy had refused to be treated as a child any longer. A violent quarrel had followed, and Andy left home.

"I know now I was most to blame," said the old man, contritely; "and if only I could get word to my boy I'd beg him to come back to me. I want to see him again before I foller his mother across the great divide.

Just a week ago I had a letter from a party who told me he was sure he saw Andy in a fish camp up on Superior. He'd growed up, and the gentleman didn't have a chanct to speak with him; but afterward it struck him who the man was. If so be ye run across Andy, tell him I'm waitin' with my arms stretched out for him, won't ye, boys?"

"To be sure we will!" declared George, heartily, for he was considerably affected by the appearance of grief on the old man's face.

They soon afterward started to say goodnight, wis.h.i.+ng to get back to where the rest of the party sat around the camp fire.

"I forgot to tell ye," went on Mr. Fosd.i.c.k, as he followed them to the door, "as they was a young chap here t'other day as said he'd keep an eye out for Andy. And now that I think of it, he had a little motor boat too, like them you tell me about. And he said he 'spected to cruise around Superior a bit."

George and Jack exchanged glances.

"And was his name Clarence Macklin?" asked the latter, quickly.

"Just what it was," replied the farmer, waving them a farewell.

"Now, what do you think of that?" asked George, as they strode on. "Why, that fellow is bound to crop up all the time like a jack-in-the-box. We can't even start to do a poor heartbroken old father a good turn, but he gets his finger in the pie. But there's a bully chance for me to get another race with his piratical _Flash_, and that's some satisfaction;"

and Jack found himself compelled to laugh, realizing that George had his weakness just as well as Buster.

CHAPTER VII

TIED UP AT MACKINAC ISLAND

"All aboard!"

It was Nick who shouted this aloud on the following morning. They had arisen at dawn, and prepared a hasty breakfast. Josh had looked out for this on the preceding evening, for he had cooked a pot of grits, which being sliced while cold was fried in b.u.t.ter after being dipped in egg.

Only several fryingpans were needed for the job, on account of the extreme fondness Nick had for that particular dish. But long ago his comrades had learned to view such an a.s.sertion on the part of the fat boy with suspicion; because it was discovered that the present treat was _always_ the one Buster adored most.

The waves still seemed larger than might prove comfortable, but there was a fair chance of their going down later on in the day. Besides, George was gaining more confidence in his narrow boat, as he came to know it better; and he possessed something of a reckless spirit in addition.

"Ain't this just glorious!" exclaimed Nick, when they had gotten fully started, and pa.s.sing beyond the protecting point, felt the full force of the waves.

Not a voice was raised in dissent; even Josh, while looking a little anxious, refused to put up a complaint as the _Wireless_ ducked and bowed and slid along through the troubled waters like a "drunken duck,"

as Nick termed it aside to Herb.

But just as they had antic.i.p.ated, things improved as the day advanced.

The breeze grew lighter; and while it came over many miles of water, the sea was not threatening. Besides, there is such a thing as growing accustomed to such things. What in the beginning might excite apprehension, after a while would be accepted as the natural thing, and even looked upon with indifference.

They kept this up until after the noon hour, and splendid progress was made, so Jack declared. As he had been elected the commodore of the fleet, and kept tab of the charts, they always depended on what he said as being positive.

Finding a good opportunity to get ash.o.r.e about this time the boys accepted it by a unanimous vote. So many hours aboard small boats gives one a cramp, and under such conditions a chance to stretch is always acceptable.

Their stay was not long, for all of them were anxious to reach the beautiful island known as Mackinac by evening. So once more the fleet put out, and in a clump bucked into the northwest breeze and the sea.

They were now heading due northwest, and about three in the afternoon George declared he could see land dead ahead which he believed must be Bois Blanc Island.

"I reckon now you're just about right," said Jack, after he had consulted his map, and then in turn peeped through his marine gla.s.ses.

"For the way we head, there couldn't be any other land straight on. If that's so, fellows, we'll raise the hilly island just beyond pretty soon."

Before four they could get a sight of what seemed a little green gem set in the glittering sea of water.

"That's Mackinac, all right," observed George. "I can see white dots among the green, that stand for the houses. We're going to get there today, fellows. Told you so, Buster. Me for a juicy steak tonight then."

"Oh! don't mention it, please," gasped Nick. "You make my mouth fairly water. And if our boss cook would only suggest fried onions along with it, my cup of joy would be running over."

"Sure," called out Josh, "if you promise to peel the tear-getters. We need such a heap to satisfy that enormous appet.i.te of yours, not to mention some others I know, that I refuse to undertake the job."

"Oh! all right; count on me!" cried Nick, looking around as though anxious to begin work at once, a proceeding that George vetoed on the spot.

"I need my eyes to see how to steer, thank you, Buster," he declared.

"You just hold in your horses. Plenty of time. Besides, most of the onions are aboard the _Comfort_ along with Josh."

An hour later they were approaching the magic isle that has won a fame all its own as a picture of beauty seldom equalled, and never excelled--green with its gra.s.s and foliage, and with many snow white cottages and hotels showing through this dark background.

"Did you ever see anything like it?" asked Jack, as the three boats sped onward.

"Never," replied several of the others.

"I'm glad we'll soon be there!" declared Nick; but everybody knew without asking, that he was thinking about that beefsteak and onions, rather than the joy of reaching such a pretty sh.o.r.e.

"Look at the old blockhouse up on the hill!" remarked Herb.

"Yes, I've been reading up on this place, and history tells about some lively times around here during the War of 1812. Seems the British thought Mackinac a good place to have possession of. They sent out an expedition, and came ash.o.r.e in the night, surprising the little American garrison."

"That was tough," grunted Josh. "Like to hear things the other way.

Thought Americans never got taken by surprise."

"Oh! well," laughed Jack; "you want to read history again, my boy. But I notice a good many steamers around. I reckon most of those bound through to Chicago stop here, as well as the Lake Superior ones. There's a boat coming in full of people. The _Islander_ she's called. That must be the boat going over to the Snow Islands every day. There's another back of her, perhaps coming down from the Soo. Seems quite a lively place, fellows."

"You bet it is. We must take a run around the island tomorrow, before going on. Never do to pa.s.s this by, as we may not be here again in a hurry," Herb remarked.

Approaching the sh.o.r.e they began to look out a suitable place where the small boats might be tied up for the time they expected to remain. This was not easy to find, since they had to take care and not get in the way of any large craft that might be going out.

After all it was Nick who discovered the opening. Josh declared that the fat boy's vision was sharpened by the clamorous demands of his appet.i.te; but Nick, as usual, paid little attention to such slurs.