"Please don"t force yourself," Jimmy told him. "It"s a bad plan to eat when you don"t feel like it. And, by the same token, your loss will be our gain."
It was a good thing that the scouts could joke among themselves, even when facing desperate conditions. They had enough of gloom around them without allowing it to seize upon their spirits.
By this time their stock of food was getting down to such a low ebb that there was little choice when it came to preparing a meal. True, Jimmy would run over a long list of things that appealed especially to his clamorous appet.i.te; but after all was said and done, it might be noticed that each meal was very much a repet.i.tion of those that had gone before.
Indeed, even at that, no one would have complained of the sameness of their food, if only the supply looked more promising.
Jimmy, who helped get supper ready, heaved many a heavy sigh, as he figured that at this rate the larder would be bare by the next evening.
"And after that, what?" he went around asking every one; but they only laughed at his fears, and told him to remember that in the past luck always came their way when the skies looked darkest.
"Something will happen, see if it don"t," Frank observed, with a faith that had solid foundation; because they had just been talking of many occasions when circ.u.mstances had suddenly arisen to bring them a glorious success.
"And, anyhow, we"ll often look back to this hotel on the beach with a smile," was what Teddy observed, as he turned his head and glanced at the dilapidated cabin of the wrecked whaling vessel, seen by the fitful flashes of light from the fire, at which Francois was cooking supper.
"We"ll miss the mattress of hemlock browse to-night, I reckon," Ned hinted, as he looked down at the hard floor of the cabin.
"Look out for lame limbs to-morrow morning, then," Jack chuckled. "I expect to see a lot of limping cripples start out the first thing.
Sleeping on boards may be better than nothing, but it"s little rest I expect to get."
"I"ve heard of fellers sleepin" standin" up," Jimmy informed him.
"There"s that old veteran, Daddy Spellmire, who tells such yarns about the old days when he "fit in the war with Siegel." He says some of them were so dead tired that when they were marching they"d press close up together; and often he"s slept while moving his legs in a mechanical way, held up by his comrades all around."
"We might try that if everything else fails," said Frank.
Supper being ready they started in and enjoyed it. Boys are not p.r.o.ne to worry very much about the future. The present is enough in their estimation to look after. What might happen was for them to handle when it came to pa.s.s; only Jimmy, at times, liked to grumble and complain that he was not getting a square deal.
When they had finished eating, it was night. Though stars had peeped out here and there, it still looked somewhat gloomy, even if the mist was clearing away to seaward. The breeze had shifted around, so that with the incoming tide the waves ran far up on the beach now, and there was considerable of a roar in the air as these curled over and broke upon reaching shallow places.
Time was beginning to hang heavy on the hands of the five scouts. They missed the delightful surroundings which they had enjoyed while camping each night, during the time they were moving northward in the canoes. It was so different here in this dingy old cabin, when they would have enjoyed seeing the trees waving above their heads, and felt the springing turf underneath their bodies, as the time came to seek their blankets under the shelter of the khaki-colored waterproof tents, now alas, gone no doubt forever.
Frank, seeing that his chums were not feeling in a very merry mood as they tried to settle down as comfortably as they could, wandered outside to the sloping deck to talk with Francois, who had taken the Indian guide"s place on watch.
He had hardly been gone three minutes when they heard him coming down the companionway in great haste. Somehow, everyone of the others seemed to understand that the terrible stagnation was about to be broken up.
When Frank burst into the cabin his face told the story. He was bringing them news of some sort, for his eyes were glowing and his face flushed.
"What ails you, Frank?" asked Jack, as they scrambled to their feet.
"After all, it begins to look like we needn"t bother about how we"re going to sleep to-night, standing or sitting!" the newcomer announced, breathlessly.
"How is that?" asked Jimmy.
"Why, there are lights coming along the sh.o.r.e right now--lanterns I should say, at a rough guess," Frank went on; "chances are the miners have learned about our being aboard this old wreck, and mean to gather us in before morning!"
CHAPTER XIX.
THE BATTLE OF THE HULK.
There was an immediate rush for the guns, which had been placed in a corner of the cabin. From the actions of the scouts, it could be imagined that no one dreamed of giving in, without a desperate resistance.
"If we do have to stand "em off," declared Jimmy, as he examined his repeating rifle, in order to make sure that it was in condition for business; "sure we couldn"t ask for a better fort than this same old wreck. Seven of us, all told, and well armed at that, ought to be able to do the work. If they know what"s good for them, they"ll go mighty slow about trying to storm this place."
"Why," said Teddy, "it"d be pretty hard to climb up the sides anywhere, so all we have to do is to defend the break in the stern where we got aboard."
They all looked to Ned to find out what his opinion might be.
"I"m not thinking so much about the chances of keeping them out," the scout leader went on to say, "as what will happen afterwards."
"Do you mean when we try to leave here to-morrow, Ned?" questioned Frank.
"I mean that the chances are, after they"ve had a good try and find they can"t rush the wreck, with so many guns defending it, those men will start in to keep us in a state of siege."
"Holy smoke!" burst from Jimmy, as he looked horrified; "and us with only grub enough on hand for two skimpy meals. What under the sun will we do? No chance to knock over a caribou or a moose, and fill up the empty larder! Was there ever such hard luck?"
"Many times, Jimmy," replied Ned, "and we always managed to pull through, somehow or other. We will again, as sure as anything, even if I can"t tell you just how it"s going to happen. Besides a scarcity of food, we have to face a water famine, you must remember."
"With all the sea knockin" at our door, too," groaned Jimmy. "And think of the amount that"s been runnin" to waste off our deck all day. What a pity we didn"t think to find a cask, and fill the same when we had the chance. To tell you the truth, I"m getting more and more thirsty as I think of how we"ll suffer."
"Well, the men with the lanterns are coming right along all the time you fellows are talking here," Frank advised them.
"And our first duty is to get on deck, so as to be ready to repel boarders," Ned declared.
"Boarders!" echoed Jimmy, "well, I should say we ought to repel them, when right now we ain"t got enough food for our own family table."
They hurried out of the cabin, Ned making sure that the fire in the stove was so far extinguished that its light might not betray the fact of the wreck being peopled.
As soon as they arrived on deck they had no difficulty in discovering the approaching peril. Indeed, the moving lanterns were close by, and coming right along, as though those who were carrying them had arrived at the conclusion that the exploring party might have taken temporary refuge from the rain aboard the old wreck.
Doubtless its possibilities as a shelter were well known to them; and they could easily understand how the boys would eagerly welcome a chance to keep their jackets dry.
"There are three of the lanterns, Ned," Jack was saying, as all of them strained their eyes to see.
"Yes, and back of the same, I can get glimpses of other fellers walkin"
along at a smart clip," Jimmy announced.
"Yes, there must be nearly a dozen in that bunch," Frank gave as his opinion.
"Enough to give us two apiece all around," Jimmy told them, just as though he might be a very bloodthirsty individual, instead of a peace-loving scout, if let alone. "And it"d be a saving of ammunition, if we could fix things so that one bullet would do for both. Because I take it you mean to open fire, if so be they persist in tryin" to board with us, eh, Ned?"
"We have no other course open to us," replied the leader of the scouts, sadly; for he did not at all fancy being forced into a fight against his will. "But everybody, remember to be as careful as you can, and not shed blood unless there is nothing else to be done. Then aim to wound all you can. I"d hate to have to think I"d taken any man"s life, no matter how much he deserved it."
"H"m! mebbe that"s all right," grumbled Jimmy; "but when your back"s up agin the wall, and you got to do it, or go under yourself, what"s to hinder? We want to be let alone, and go our way. If they won"t agree, but try to knock us over, or make us prisoners, so they can keep us here month in and month out on a steady diet of fish and water why, for one, I ain"t agoin" to stand for it, you hear me. Ned, you tell that bad lot they"d better hold up if they know what"s good for "em; because I"ve got me gun ready, and there"s light enough for us to see where to aim."
The men with the lanterns had by this time come so close to the wreck lying half out on the beach, and with the incoming waves lapping the rest of the bulk, that another minute would have seen them starting to clamber aboard.