"That's right," Herb declared. "You remember about Scylla and Charybdis, the two fabled monsters that used to alarm the old chaps hundreds and hundreds of years ago; but which turned out to be a dangerous rock and a big sucker hole, called a whirlpool? That's what ails this old inlet, I guess. The currents suck hard; and these crackers along the coast think unseen hands are trying to drag them down."
"What I don't like about it," remarked Josh, "is the sharks."
"Oh! I see you have been reading about it, then," said Jack, quickly. "I didn't mean to say anything about those monsters."
"Then there are sharks around?" demanded George; while Nick turned a little pale as he leaned over the side of the speed boat and listened.
"Yes; all accounts agree on that score," Jack admitted. "But if we manage right, and take the inlet at the proper time, there's no reason why any of us should bother our heads about the scaly pirates of the sea."
"I only hope none of 'em butt up against the Wireless, that's all," grunted the skipper of the narrow boat.
"Gracious! do you think there's any chance of that?" asked Nick, looking as though he half felt like begging Herb to take him aboard at the crucial time, only that he hated to show the white feather.
"Oh! hardly," laughed Jack, desirous of cheering the other up.
"Still, it might be wise for Nick to keep under cover while we're making that same passage across," suggested Josh, wickedly.
"And just why me, any more than you?" demanded the fat boy, indignantly.