“Y—yes, I guess so,” replied Herb, a little dubiously, “but I’d be a heap happier if only you could forget that business about who leaked, and let out our secret to the enemy. You ding-dong about that thing morning, noon and night. And then you turn around to Mr. Amos, and fret your head off because you’re afraid some day you’re going to be as much of a whopper as he is.”
“Well,” grunted Nick, without even taking the trouble to poke his head out, “you know right well this is a world full of trouble, fellows. If it wasn’t for my worrying the way I do, just imagine how I’d be taking on flesh. I say, Josh, do you put the salt pork on first, and try it out, before dusting the fish in cracker crumbs and dropping it in the frying pan?”
It was not long before the appetizing odors that arose around the anchorage of the motor boat fleet announced that supper was well under way.
One thing pleased Nick; being the cook aboard the Comfort he was in a position to prepare a sufficient quantity to suit his generous ideas of what constituted a meal for a healthy person’s appetite; and consequently there was no complaint about short rations. But when, as was inevitably the case, the Comfort had to borrow from the other boats, the powerful effect of the fat boy’s appetite became very apparent.
“Say, Jack, did you have any particular reason in picking out this place for our next stop?” asked George presently.
“Why, yes, lots of them,” laughed the one addressed. “In the first place it was an extra big island, and situated near the Canadian shore, you see. Then again, the place looked kind of fishy, don’t you know; and I had an idea we might pick up some large muskies. From the fact that I did bring in a dandy, first start, it seems as if my guess hit the mark.”
“It sure did,” George went on. “But you don’t know anything out of the way about this heavily wooded island here, do you?”
“To be sure I don’t, since I couldn’t tell you right now what name it is known under,” answered Jack, who knew the other had some object back of his questions, for George always led up to things, and never took delight in springing a surprise on his chums, as most of the others would invariably do.
“I just wondered if you could know any reason for it, that’s all,” George said.
“Reason for what? Now you’ve got me guessing; and that’s probably just what you wanted to do,” observed Jack. “Speak up, and tell me what you’ve noticed.”