"h.e.l.lo! What ails Pudding? Look, fellows, the poor fellow's got an idea, and it seems so strange that he don't know what to do with it!" jeered Josh.

"Huh! don't I?" replied the fat boy, whose face had turned pale, and then rosy red. "You just wait and see. Perhaps you'll say it was an inspiration some fine day. And no use to josh me about it, for I ain't going to squeal one little bit. But, oh, my! I wonder if that could just be so! This is the second time it's give me a start. If Aleck only does what I asked him!"

He stuck to his word about saying no more; and although Josh kept on teasing him for quite some time, Nick kept his lips resolutely closed on that subject.

The balance of the day pa.s.sed away without anything happening that seemed out of the way. They saw nothing more of the mysterious dark boat; nor did any small craft come prowling around to have the occupants glower at them, as though begrudging them their pleasant anchorage just on the edge of that little cove.

Supper was a great success. Josh fairly outdid himself in cooking the fish, all of them going ash.o.r.e on the beach to where he had made a camp fire. And afterwards they sat around, telling stories, and singing many of their favorite school songs, until the hour grew late.

When they went aboard, the night was dark; for it seemed to cloud up at sundown almost every evening now. All of them were busily employed getting their blankets arranged for sleeping, and the two who were to keep first watch had even settled down comfortably in their places; when to their ears came the sudden rapid popping that would indicate the presence of a motor boat in the near vicinity.

"Oh! look, fellows!" exclaimed Nick, as from around the point a dazzling glow suddenly shone, bearing down rapidly straight toward them.

CHAPTER XII-YANKEE STUBBORNNESS

The most tremendous excitement reigned aboard every one of the three anch.o.r.ed motor boats, when it was seen that the bright white light was headed straight for them.

"He's going to smash us!" whooped Josh.

"Hey, hold off there, Clarence! Don't be a fool!" shouted George.

Herb and Nick could not find their voices at all, to make the least sign; and there was a cause for their feeling more alarmed than any of the rest. It happened that in arranging their anchorage the _Comfort_ came further out than either of the other boats. Hence, she was more in direct line with the swiftly advancing speed boat than either the _Wireless_ or the _Tramp_.

But if Nick could not use his tongue he certainly could use his limbs; and the way he threw himself over to the port side of the roomy _Comfort_ was worth seeing. There he crouched, hugging the railing, and ready for a plunge overboard should the expected collision take place.

But just when it seemed as though the sharp prow, which they fully believed must belong to the _Flash_, was about to cut through the stern of the helpless _Comfort_, the hand at the wheel must have diverted her course just a trifle, for she shot past like an arrow, almost grazing the varnished side of the broad-beamed launch.

While that dazzling glow from the acetylene searchlight shone in their faces, none of the boys could make out anything with certainty. On comparing notes afterwards they were unable to declare whether the dim figure at the wheel was Clarence or some other; though Nick did say he heard a low chuckling laugh as the phantom boat pa.s.sed, which he knew was a favorite way of expressing pleasure on the part of the Macklin boy.

"That was a close shave, sure!" remarked Jack, as coolly as he could.

They could hear the rapidly retreating rattle of the exhaust of the "pirate boat," as some of them liked to call the other craft; but as it was circling around the island, apparently, all other signs of its presence had vanished.

"Too close for comfort!" gasped Herb.

"Listen to him joking at such a time!" remarked Josh, thinking Herb meant to apply his remark to the name of the boat, when, truth to tell, that was the last thing to occur to him.

"Believe me, fellows, I confess that I'm quivering like a leaf," said Nick, "and it ain't cowardice, either. Brave men tremble after the danger is over, cravens before. You noticed that I wasn't paralyzed with fright, didn't you? I could think, and lay out a plan of escape. That proves I wasn't really scared then."

"But," declared Herb, indignantly, "whatever did they mean doing that?

Why, if that sharp nose of the _Flash_ had ever banged into us, going like she was, we'd have been cut in two! It's criminal, that's what, fellows!"

"Oh!" Jack remarked, "to tell the truth, I don't think Clarence would be such a fool to take such chances as that. In the first place he might kill one of us. And then again, you know, his boat would be sure to suffer, too, and might be wrecked."

"That sounds reasonable, Jack," admitted George; "but whatever do you suppose tempted him to do that crazy thing?"

"Well, he might think it a good lark," was the reply. "And then again, there may have been some other reason pushing him on, which we don't know anything about as yet. I'm going to try and think out an explanation, and if I hit a hot trail I'll tell you about it, boys."

"That means Jack's got an idea," said Nick.

"All right," spoke up Josh, instantly. "Don't think you're the only one in the bunch who can have such things, Buster."

"But what if they circle around the island, and come down booming at us again?" ventured the nervous Herb.

"I don't believe that will happen," Jack replied, seriously. "But if you feel anxious, just pull further into the cove, Herb, and he couldn't strike you then."

"I tell you what I'm going to do," declared the impulsive George. "I'm on the first watch, and I want you to let me have that Marlin scatter-gun of yours, Jack. If that fool bursts out from behind that point again, and heads for us at full speed, I declare to goodness if I don't bang away, and touch him up with bird-shot a few. He deserves such a lesson."

"But why should Clarence want to scare us away from here?" asked Nick.

That was what Jack was himself wrestling with, and he waited to find out if any of his mates put forth an answer; but they seemed to be unable to grapple with the puzzle, for no one spoke.

"My boat is heading that way, and I'm going to light my glim. Then if he tries his funny business again, I'll spot him in good time," George remarked.

It was some time before the excitement died away. Even after those who were ent.i.tled to sleep had lain down, they would raise their heads at the least suspicious sound. Did a wavelet lap the adjacent beach, Nick was sure to bob up and look about him in alarm. When an owl started to call out "Whoo! whoo!" from a tree on the dark island, he sat up instantly, and seemed almost ready to crawl over the side of the boat into the water.

But nothing happened, and gradually silence fell upon the three anch.o.r.ed boats. George and Jimmie gave way to Jack and Nick when several hours had pa.s.sed; and finally Herb and Josh wound up the night.

When morning came, the boys joked one another over their red eyes, showing that, after all, none of them could have secured much comforting sleep.

"I suppose we're going to pick up our mudhooks today and climb out of this?" suggested Josh, as they were enjoying breakfast.

All of them looked at Jack, who smiled.

"Suppose we put it to a vote, fellows," he said. "All those in favor of scuttling out of this, like dogs with their tails between their legs, simply because certain parties want us to move, signify it by raising their hands."

Not one went up; even Josh, who had seemed inclined that way, upon ascertaining that Nick declined to show the white feather, allowed his half raised hand to drop again.

"Contrary, no, raise their hands!"

And six of them went up like a shot.

"Do we vacate?" asked the fat boy, sarcastically, turning on Josh.

"Nixey. And the more they try to scare us off, the closer we stick.

Ain't it so, fellows?"

"Millions for defense, not one cent for tribute!" spoke up George, grandly.

"Remember the old story of the battle between the wind and the sun, don't you?" asked Herb, who was always bringing into play fables and yarns he had soaked in during his younger days.

"No; what was that, Herb?" asked Jack.

"Why, they got into a dispute as to which of them was the stronger, and decided to settle it on a traveler. So the wind began to blow harder and harder; but the traveler just wrapped his cloak the tighter about him.

Then the sun started to try, and as it got hotter and hotter, first the traveler unfastened his cloak, and then threw it off altogether. So the bully old sun won out, after all."