Once more they were afloat.

“I’ve got some pleasant news for you, fellows,” said Frank, about an hour or so after they had lost sight of the settlement in the woods.

“Along what line?” asked Will.

“I think I can guess.  For some time I’ve been sniffing the air, and ready to declare that it had a whiff of salt in it!” exclaimed Jerry.

“And I could, in imagination, smell those fine fat oysters roasting,” said Bluff, smacking his lips in anticipation.

“You’re on, all right.  The gulf is close at hand.  Indeed, I’m adding a little speed just now, in the hope that we may be able to open it up before night,” remarked Frank.

“How about that bend, just below?  Somehow, it strikes me that once we round that something may be doing.  It’s just a sneaking notion, but you wait,” ventured Jerry.

Ten minutes later they swept around the bend in question, and a cry burst from every lip, for there, in the light of the declining sun, lay the great Mexican Gulf, stretching as far in the distance as the eye could see.

The river cruise was ended, and another kind of adventure lay before them.

CHAPTER XI

ALL THE COMFORTS OF SALT WATER

“Why are you slowing up, Frank?”

“Yes, just when we ought to make a grand burst of speed, too,” said Jerry.

“You forget that the sun is low, and evening close at hand,” replied Frank,

“Tell me about that, and what it has to do with us.  I’m a greeny when it comes to running a motor-boat.”

“Oh, the boat has little to do with it; but please remember that the Gulf of Mexico is a larger affair than Camalot Lake.  In fact, it means the ocean, with all that implies.  Suppose we were caught off-shore the very first night with no place to go?”

“That would be tough, for a fact.  I think I see what you mean, Frank.  We’ll anchor in the mouth of the river to-night—­is that it?” continued Jerry.

“Just what I wanted to say.  Then in the morning, after we have studied our gulf chart, we can lay out our day’s work, if the wind is favorable.”

“Wind!  Why, we can go whether it blows or not!” ejaculated Will, who had already taken a snapshot of the picture presented by the open water beyond the island in the mouth of the river.

“Particularly when not.  If anything of a south wind is on, the waves are apt to stagger such a little boat as this.”

Frank had kept his eyes about him while he talked.  He now brought the Jessamine alongside the bank at the most favorable spot he could see.

Jerry was ashore immediately.

“Make her additionally secure to-night,” said Frank.

“Why, what d’ye expect—­a hurricane?” And Will looked anxiously at the clear sky.

“Oh, I guess not; but you see we are now in the region of tides, and a change might swing us around, perhaps break the boat away from shore.  We’d feel nice if we woke up in the morning to find ourselves out of sight of land,” laughed Frank.