ith a heap
from George; just think how the skipper has got to eat Buster's cooking
for a couple of weeks, maybe. I wonder if he'll ever live through it.
But perhaps Buster may improve, now that he just has to eat his own
messes."

"Sure, he's got his mamy's blissed cook book along," observed the
other, with one of his broad grins. "Didn't I say him studying it like
a gossoon?"

"Poor George! I wouldn't be in his shoes for a cooky. But turn around
again, Jimmie. I don't feel easy about this sort of cruising. That's
why I've cut off some of our speed, you notice. Safety is my play
first, and progress afterward."

"And a bully good motto, Jack, that always gets ye through all sorts of
scrapes, right side up wid care. Ugh! did ye say that floater we
passed? Sure it was a big tree, so it was. And av we'd slapped bang
agin the roots, what a juicy hole they'd have knocked in our shiny
side. Ye swerved just in the nick of time, Jacky, bye."

"Keep watching, and sing out if you see or hear anything."

Jack was keeping his hand on the alert, ready to reverse his engine at
even a second's warning. Then he could swerve, if it became necessary
to avoid some peril that suddenly loomed up ahead.

A train was moving slowly along ashore, and apparently groping its way,
if one could judge from the many signal whistles heard. This rumbling
sound was magnified in the fog until it seemed almost deafening at
times. It annoyed Jack, for he was straining his heading to catch
anything that came up the river.

Still, he had adopted all precautions that might occur to a careful
cruiser, and under the circumstances it seemed a bit silly to think of
halting in his progress down the stream.

Several hours passed thus, with both boys laboring under a constant
strain.

"Would ye moind tilling me the time, Jack, darlint?" asked the Irish
lad, still crouched in the bow as a lookout.

"Just twelve," replied the engineer, straightening up for a change, and
as customary, casting a glance ahead as well as on either side; for if
anything the atmosphere was just as thick as ever--indeed, Jimmie had
more than once referred to it contemptuously as "pea soup!"

"Arrah! would ye moind now if I got a bite of grub? I'm that impty I
suspect me stomach is glued till me backbone."

Jack laughingly gave his consent.

"I'll keep on double duty while you're about it," he remarked; "and
play the part of engineer and pilot. At the same time