The Boy Chums in the Gulf of Mexico / or, On a Dangerous Cruise with the Greek Spongers

strange country. I am glad we came even i

lote River, a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico. His companions were a boy about his own age but of less robust appearance, a little negro lad with a good-humored intelligent face, and a middle-aged, hea

t, Walter Hazard, Captain Westfield and the Bahama lad, Chris, who lately returned from a perilous trip along the Atlantic beach sea

before that there was a sight like this in Florida. Here's a b

had de toothache in mah legs for most an hour, but I'se had to keep up wid you-alls.

ne end and gazed around with eager interest at the strange scene, unconscious of the curious glances bestowed upon them by a large, de

s, but all possessed of the same clear-cut features and straight noses. Singly and in groups of two and three, they hurried past, picturesque in their

me the confused jangle of foreign tongues. To the right of where the little party sat was a busy grocery store, its windows filled with strings of dried garlic, strange-looking cheeses, queer nuts and fruits and a multitude of eatables strange to American eyes. To the left of them was a tobacco factory, the whirling machines shredding up the huge brown leaves into hair-

y," remarked Charley West. "From their numbers, one would i

said Captain Westfield, wistfully. "I

I am hungry as a wolf and that food smells mighty

the bench shifted his

here?" he

re looking into the sponge busi

yes shifted uneasily away from the lad's level glance. The keen-witted boy was not favorably impress

h English and you would have a hard job making them understand what yo

y. "We don't understand a word of their lingo. I'l

obert, Captain Roberts," he volunteered when the little party we

into this sponge business a bit, but it's hard to pick out the proper course from

tain Roberts replied promptly. "I made eno

give us a few pointers. Is there as

ot anything unusual for a schooner's crew to clear up three or four thousand dol

id the Captain, modestly. "Do you reckon a perso

n tell you just how to lay it out to the best advantage, bu

ll-favored waiter and gave an or

ed upon the table. The boys could not determine the exact nature of the strange viands

eclared as he took another helping. "I don

ly-goat, fattened on a diet of tin cans. These fellows have the knack of fixing up such things so they can't recognize them themselves.

ed in a tangled maze of talk about schoo

cussion for their attention was partly d

another country," Walte

e," Charley replied. "Those fellows are staring at us

interested in the little party. They stared frequently at them and their new

said, carelessly. "There is a man who is not a Greek. That f

engaged in a heated discussion with the proprietor of the cafe and his heavy face was flushed with anger. As the boys gaze

ding you don't understand me," he shouted, as the smiling Greek shrugged his shoulders. "You know what I say. If you don't come up with the money by to-morrow night I'll close up this place and have you prosecuted for obtaining goods under false pretences.

boys and their companions. His glance swept swiftly over each member of the little p

e's a friend of mine over there," he said hurriedly

with a grim smile. He stopped beside the Capt

strangers?" he d