that their supply of gas was growing alarmingly low. Indeed,
George had already been obliged to borrow from the _Comfort_, as that
craft had the largest reservoir and could spare a little.

"It's going to be a close shave to get us there," he remarked, as they
started.

"What if my tank goes empty again?" demanded George.

"I've been thinking of that," said Jack. "As a last resort then, we'll
make camp, empty all we've got into one tank, and that boat can go
after a new supply."

"That's the ticket!" cried Josh.

"It takes Jack to solve these maddening puzzles!" declared Nick, with a
look of affection in the direction of the chum who never failed them.

"But still, I have hopes we'll all pull through," Jack continued,
encouragingly.

"How'd it be for one of the boats to do the towing act?" suggested Herb.

"And that would mean the _Comfort_, because she's built more on the
lines of a tow boat than either of the others," remarked George. "I
enter a kick against anything of the kind. It's bad enough to be
humiliated that way when a fellow's motor goes back on him; but in calm
weather, and with the engine in the pink of condition, it just can't be
thought of for a minute."

"Hey! what you trying to do again; throw me overboard?" demanded Nick,
aggressively, as he floundered about when the _Wireless_ came to a
sudden and totally unexpected stop, just as George ceased speaking.

"His engine broke down again, that's what!" jeered Josh.

"Is that a fact, George?" asked Jack, provoked at the idea of delay.

"Oh! not quite so bad as that," replied George, peevishly; "I think I
know what happened. I forgot something, that's all. Perhaps I can
have it fixed in three shakes of a lamb's tail. You go on, and I'll
catch up easy enough."

"Don't you dare to do it, fellows!" cried Nick. "That might mean for
us to be marooned here a whole day, yes, mebbe a week. And most of the
grub is aboard that old _Comfort_, you see."

"We'll wait a while and see how it comes out," remarked Jack. "Do you
need any help, George?"

"Who, me? Not in the least. I tell you, I know what's ailing, and
I'll get it to going all right in five minutes," George answered,
stiffly, for the many freaks of his engine gave him unhappy spells; as
Josh once declared, it was like a certain girl he knew, in that "when
it was good, it was very, very good; and when it was bad, it was
hor-rid!"

However, for once George proved to be a truthful