And he did.

As a rule Nick was a poor shot. Whether luck entered into it, or his fear that the big fish was meaning to climb in after him, stirred him to unusual exertions, Jack never knew; but as he leaped into the air, not twenty feet away, there was a tremendous bang close beside Jack, and he saw the muskalunge drop back into the water as though fairly riddled with shot.

Poor Nick also tumbled over backwards, and lay there grunting and rubbing his head; for he had in his excitement pulled both triggers at the same time, so that a double discharge had followed.

"D-d-did I g-get him, Jack?" gasped the fat boy.

"Deader than a door nail or Julius Caesar!" laughed the other, as he began to draw in the line hand over hand; for there was no longer any positive resistance from the object at the other end.

"Look out! Be careful, Jack," warned poor Nick, in fresh alarm. "You don't understand how treacherous one of these muskies can be. 'Twouldn't surprise me if he was playing 'possum right now. Throw him in the d.i.n.ky when he comes along. Let him bite a chunk out of that with his old teeth if he wants to. I wouldn't touch him for anything now."

"Oh! you'll enjoy a steak from the same old hooker tonight, never fear.

But he's dead as a herring, Buster. And what a monster! None of the rest of us are in it with you after this. I bet he weighs all of thirty-five pounds!"

By degrees, when he really saw that the big fish was dead, Nick recovered his courage; and by the time they drew up in the cove he was swelling with importance over the wonderful degree of success that had attended his maiden effort at capturing a muskalunge.

True, Josh was mean enough to elevate his eyebrows when Nick spoke of it that way, and hint that he had imagined that the shoe was on the other foot, in that the fish had captured Nick; but the other gave him a withering look as he said scornfully:

"Now, what d'ye know about that, fellows? This simple guy actually believes I was in earnest when I let that fine and dandy fish at the end of my line tow me for half a mile. Why, silly, didn't you take notice that I drove him like you might a horse? Didn't we come in a bee line for this very cove? Give me a little credit, won't you? Be fair and square. I know it's an effort for you, but when you're in the company of gentlemen you ought to brace up and try hard to act like one, Josh."

Of course that took all the wind out of Josh's sails; he could only sit there, mumbling to himself, shaking his head, and casting occasional looks toward Nick, as though inclined to give him the banner when it came to nerve.

Then came Jimmie, laboring furiously with his paddle, and excited because he did not know whatever could have become of his fisherman companion, whom last he saw flying off in a mysterious fashion, and yelling for help as though the ghost of the island had indeed laid hold of him; since Jimmie could not see what amazing power it was causing the d.i.n.ky to rush through the water five times as fast as he could urge his own craft.

CHAPTER XV-ANOTHER NIGHT

Of course the whole story had to be told over again for the benefit of Jimmie. The Irish lad found some little difficulty in swallowing Nick's bold a.s.sertion that he might have been setting up a little game for the amus.e.m.e.nt of his companions. He even went so far as to poke the defunct fish in the side with his finger and pretend to ask the captive if it were really so.

"But look here, Jack and Herb and George, let's have some lunch!"

finally remarked Josh, naming the three who had remained at home, with malice in his manner.

Nick fell into the trap, sprawling.

"Now, I like that!" he observed with a deeply injured expression on his red and fat face. "Just listen to him, would you? He cuts poor old Jimmie and me out of the call. Say, don't you think we ever eat?"

Josh pretended to be astonished, and threw up his hands to indicate as much.

"Eat?" he cried. "Well, what's to hinder you from getting out that big lunch you took away with you? We can spare you a cup of coffee to wash it down, I guess, hey, fellows?"

Then the two returned fishermen stared at each other.

"What are you talking about, Josh?" said Nick. "That little snack we carried off with us, is it? Oh! say, you don't count that, do you? Why, Jimmie and me, we got nippy about nine o'clock and punished that off.

Why, I'm just about starved right now, if you want to know it. Bring on your grub, unless you want to see me faint dead away."

Josh had had his little fun, and knew that it would do no good to draw it out any longer; so grumbling about the "rise in the cost of living,"

he proceeded to comply with the demand.

Of course there was enough; Josh had seen to that in the beginning.

Indeed, it would have been a highly dangerous proceeding for any one entrusted with the cooking arrangements of the party not to consider the enormous capacity of Nick and Jimmie, when laying out provisions for a meal.

Naturally enough the conversation soon took on an interesting color.

"How long are we going to stick right here in this cove?" Josh asked, as he sat curled up on a seat, enjoying a platter of Boston baked beans, with which some frizzled dried beef had been heated up.

"Yes," added Herb, "that's a subject we ought to consider. It's all very fine to be enjoying the fishing and the wonderful stunts of Buster at harnessing the finny tribes as horses; but you know, fellows, we came here to the St. Lawrence to cruise, not squat on our haunches. Jack, it's up to you. Tell us."

"I've been thinking right along that it must be getting rather monotonous to some of you," said Jack, slowly. "Only for the fact that we've been badgered by some unknown parties who want to chase us off, we'd have gone before now. But it does seem a shame to lose so much time in this way. Tell you what I propose, boys."

"Glad to hear it. Let's know!" several of the others cried in unison; for somehow what Jack thought right usually appealed to the rest; because in the past as a leader he had often been tried and never found wanting.

"All right," the other went on. "Suppose we put in just one more night here in this anchorage. Then some time tomorrow, no matter what happens, we'll pull out. How does that suit you, fellows?"

"I'm agreeable," George immediately replied.

"Suits me from the ground up," Herb put in.

Three others added their voices after the same fashion, so that in this amiable way the question was settled without the least friction.

"That means another night of guard duty," mused Nick; whereupon Josh burst out into a harsh laugh.

"Hear him, comrades all!" he remarked. "The poor fellow is worn out with his arduous work. No wonder he drops off into slumber-land when on duty.

He is so near a living skeleton that even a poor lone little minnow can pull him and his boat along by the mile. Some of us ought to volunteer to take Buster's place, and let him get about fifteen hours of sleep. He needs it."

Nick only grinned, not at all abashed.

"Fine!" he exclaimed. "Suppose you start the ball rolling then, Josh.

How long will you carry me on your stretch-half an hour? That would count for something. I think I might gain an ounce of flesh on the strength of that extra sleep."

"I think you would, all of it," said Josh. "The trouble with you, Buster, is that you take life too easy. That's why you get so fat. Just keep on and see where you land pretty soon. Remember Mr. Amos Spofford, will you, and take warning."

"Now, that's what I call a mean dig on your part, Josh," complained Nick. "Talk to me about the strenuous life; did you ever know anybody have a bigger job than I did today, landing that giant muskalunge? When I go in for anything I do it with my whole heart, don't I boys?"

"You sure do, Pudding," a.s.sented George, "and with your whole stomach, too."

Nick only gave him a reproachful look, as though it pained him to receive this unexpected blow in the house of his friends.

"Then it's settled we leave here tomorrow?" remarked Herb, meaning to cast oil on the troubled waters; for Herb was by nature a peacemaker.

"Unless something unexpected crops up that might hold us back," said Jack.

"What could do that?" asked Josh, uneasily, for he wanted to get away from the vicinity of the haunted island as speedily as possible.

"Oh! one of the engines might break down, for instance," laughed the other.