pool? 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.

"Well, the sight of such a bag of bones as me wouldn't be apt to stir
those man-eaters up to any extent; but if they caught a glimpse of such
a rolypoly morsel as you, Nick, it would set 'em wild."

"Oh! let up, won't you?" grumbled Nick. "This is too serious a subject
to make fun over. I don't just hanker to make a dinner for any old
shark, and don't you forget it, Josh Purdue."

They crossed the inlet at Chincoteague without the slightest trouble.
Beyond lay Wallop's Island, and their speed had to be considerably
reduced while navigating the tortuous and narrow channel lying between
that body of reedy land and the main shore.

Despite the wideawake work of the pilot in the _Tramp_, there was
always a liability of some boat charging upon an unseen mudbank; and
hence it was advisable to take things rather easy, so that in case of
such a disaster, it would be possible to pull off again, with the help
of the other boats.

Then came the next inlet, which was also crossed easily.

"Say, nothing hard about this," George called out, as they headed once
more down the bay toward Gargathy Inlet.

"Lots of things look harder than they turn out to be,"