"Chances tend that way," was the replied Thad, "and anyhow, it"s better that we get all the supplies we have ash.o.r.e. Then if "we have to play Crusoe for a while we"ll have something to go on with."
"Our stock happens to be pretty low," remarked Allan; "and Giraffe was only this morning complaining that he didn"t get enough to eat, and that we"d better stop off somewhere to buy more bacon and bread and such things. Too bad we didn"t think of that when near Duluth, which place you wanted to avoid because of certain reasons."
They made the trip without accident. Then it was considered that about all had been taken from the stranded and half sunken cruiser that was worth salving.
Already was Giraffe hunting for some good place where they might find shelter, and start a fire; for while it had not rained as yet, strange to say, a flood was likely to come down at any moment, so long as the heavens remained as dark as they were still.
b.u.mpus was looking all around him. He did not wander away from the rest, because it seemed as though that mysterious island on which they had been cast might be inhabited by wild beasts of prey, for all they knew, ready to spring upon a nice, juicy morsel like him, and make a meal. That was one of the disadvantages in being plump, b.u.mpus always insisted, because envious eyes were won"t to fall upon him first of all.
About that time Giraffe hove in sight again, and from his happy manner it was evident that he had important news to communicate.
"Just shoulder your packs, fellows, and come with me," he hastened to tell them. "I"ve run across the boss place for us to keep under shelter; and there"s aplenty of nice dry wood handy, so we can lay in a supply before it rains. After all it strikes me that with our troubles we ought to be thankful things ain"t worse"n they are. With a fire a fellow can do nigh anything to make you feel good. Come on!"
CHAPTER XVII
ROBINSON CRUSOE, JR.
"There you are," said Giraffe, presently.
"Why, that shelf of rock looks just like it was meant to keep the rain off," declared Step Hen, delighted at the prospect.
"Hold on," b.u.mpus advised.
"What ails you now?" Giraffe wanted to know.
"Why, you see," the stout boy went on to say, "she looks kinder dark and gloomy under that same rock."
"But it won"t after I get a fire started; you see the night"s beginning to settle down already," Giraffe told him.
"How d"ye know there ain"t somethin" ahiding in there?" demanded b.u.mpus.
At that the lengthy scout laughed scornfully. "Oh! that"s the way the wind blows, does it? Well, you watch me eat your old wolf up. I"m hungry enough right now to eat anything, I reckon."
Few of them could remember when Giraffe was anything but starving, for he always had that appet.i.te of his along, and working overtime.
He immediately crawled under the ledge, for the shelf of rock was not high enough to admit of his standing erect.
"Seems to be all right," admitted b.u.mpus.
"Of course it is, though I kind o" think a wolf, if he showed good taste, would let me alone, and wait for you, b.u.mpus," Giraffe called back.
They hastened to deposit their burdens under the shelving rock.
"Now, Thad, don"t you think it"d be a good idea to have everybody hustle, and collect what fuel we could?" the fire-maker asked.
"As it"s apt to rain any, time now," answered the scout-master, "and we"ll be glad to have a fire all night, it seems as though we"d show our good sense by gathering wood while we have the chance."
"That"s the ticket! You hear Thad speaking, fellows, so get busy."
Giraffe showed them how by immediately starting in to collect such wood as lay conveniently at hand.
"Pile it up here, where it"ll keep dry, and we can get what we need from time to time," he told them.
Many hands make light work, and as the entire half dozen boys busied themselves like a pack of beavers, before long they had acc.u.mulated such a pile of good dry fuel as pleased Giraffe exceedingly.
"That"s what I call a hunky-dory lot of wood," he finally declared, when Thad had announced the they must surely have enough to see them through the night, "but better bring in a little more, boys, because you don"t know how fast the fire eats it up."
As for himself, Giraffe was now ready to get his cheery blaze started.
He actually wasted a match in doing this, muttering at the time that there was no use bothering with his fire-sticks, which would come in handy later, perhaps, when the stock of matches ran low.
Well, every boy admitted that things certainly did take on a rosier hue, once that fire began to crackle and send up sparks.
"That feels good, Giraffe," said b.u.mpus, holding his hands out toward the blaze.
"Sure it does," the fire maker went on to say, "and we"ll all feel better still after we get some grub inside. Thad, what are we going to have for supper?"
n.o.body started making fun of Giraffe now. They were all pretty sharp pushed, and could sympathize with the hungry one.
"Oh! look over our stock, and see what we"ve got," replied the scout-master. "Only go slow, and don"t cook too much, because n.o.body can tell how long we might have to stay here on this island, and we may have to come down to half rations yet."
His words struck a chill to some of their hearts.
Giraffe, however, refused to allow himself to be concerned.
"Oh! don"t worry, boys," he remarked, "we ain"t going to starve, even if we have to be marooned here two weeks before a vessel can be signaled.
Why, what use are the fishing lines to us if we can"t take lots of finny prizes? Then, if there"s ducks around, or anything else to shoot, ain"t we got a gun? And last of all, I reckon we"d find lots of mussels or fresh water clams in the sand at the end of the island where we landed."
Somehow, his hopeful spirit did a great deal to help buoy up the spirits of the other scouts.
Even b.u.mpus volunteered to a.s.sist in getting supper ready; indeed, there was no lack of cooks on this occasion, for every one seemed willing to lend a hand.
After all, youth is so hopeful, and filled with animal spirits, that it takes more than ordinary backsets to dishearten a parcel of healthy boys.
By the time the supper was done they were talking like magpies, and it would be difficult to imagine that these six happy-go-lucky fellows were now actual Crusoes of the great lake, their boat a wreck, and deliverance a very uncertain prospect of the future.
"That"s the very last of the bacon, ain"t it, Giraffe?" asked Step Hen, during the progress of the meal.
"Sorry to say it is," came the reply.
"And don"t it taste finer than ever, though?" b.u.mpus wanted to know.
"That"s always the way," laughed Thad.
"Yes," added Allan, "you never miss the water till the well runs dry.