rld, the expectation of
trouble proved to be of far greater proportions than the actual
experience. Why, they passed over without the slightest difficulty.
Even Nick shouted in great glee when the dreaded inlet was a thing of
the past, and he waved his fat hand disdainfully back toward it as they
sped away.

"It was dead easy, fellows!" he exclaimed. "Why, I just shut my eyes,
and counted twenty. Then, when I opened them again, we were across!"
and Nick hardly knew why his innocent confession of alarm was greeted
by such uproarious shouts.

"But the sharks were there, all roight, beca'se I saw the muttherin'
critters pokin' their ould fins out of the wather!" declared Jimmy.

"That's right, I saw the same," admitted Herb.

The next crossing would be at Ocracoke Inlet. And then beyond that
they would come to Portsmouth, where mail from home might be expected,
since they had laid out a regular plan whereby those so dear to their
boyish hearts--the home folks--could communicate with the wanderers.
And at each place Jack, or one of the others, left word to have all
delayed mail forwarded on.

"Sure we do be getting closer all the while to that same ould Beaufort,
where ye expect to discover the gintleman by the name of Van Arsdale
Spence," Jimmy was remarking, as the flotilla moved majestically on in
one-two-three order, the _Wireless_ leading for the time being.

"We ought to get there some time tomorrow," Jack answered. "Tonight
the plan is to camp on Cedar Island, and that is in Cove Sound, where
Beaufort is located."

"And then we'll know what the wonderful letter contains. It's bothered
me more'n a little to guess, even though I knowed right well I had no
business to think of it at all. But there's George pointing to
somethin' ahead."

"Yes, he sees the rough water of Ocracoke Inlet, and is falling back,"
laughed Jack, who was amused when the usually reckless skipper of the
speed boat developed a cautious vein.

George was learning something by slow degrees, and this might be set
down to be the truth of that old proverb to the effect that the race is
not always to the swift. Perhaps, if he ever had another boat built to
order, he would not sacrifice safety and comfort to the mad desire to
make fast time.

But Ocracoke proved no harder to negotiate than had Hatteras. Perhaps
it might be that experience was teaching the young motor boat cruisers
just how to manage their craft when passing these dang