CHAPTER XX.
A CALCULATION OF PROFIT AND LOSS.
When they arrived at camp Jack and Charley found every thing as they hadleft it, except that their prisoner was gone. Examination showed that hehad gnawed the rope with which he had been bound, and thus had sethimself free.
At first the boys were disposed to regard this as a mishap, but amoment's reflection convinced them of their error.
"Now that we know that Ned is safe," said Charley, "we have no use forthat rascal. We should have set him free in the morning at any rate."
"By the way," said Jack, "what do you make of Ned's performance?"
"I can't make it out at all," said Charley.
"He must have been cut off from camp by the squatters and forced totake refuge out there on the oyster reef."
"No, the squatters came from the other direction, don't you remember?And, besides, Ned didn't know there had been any of them about until wetold him."
"I'll explain all that for myself," said Ned from the outside, "ifyou'll be good enough to take down the gate log and let me in."
This was quickly done, and Ned entered, first pushing in the cast netwell filled with fish. As he straightened himself up a glad "hurrah!"came from both his companions, who saw in his hands a turtle weighing atleast twenty-five pounds.
"Hurrah! Now we shall have a taste of meat again. Where did you get thatfine fellow, Ned?"
"On the oyster reef," answered Ned; "that's how I came to be out there."
"Well, tell us all about it now."
"Oh, there isn't a great deal to tell. When I left camp, I went downalong the shore to the east and caught a few fish, but not many. Then Idetermined to try the other side of the camp. I strung my fish on alimber switch and came back, intending to leave them here before goingon; but as I passed I saw that the gate was closed, so I walked aroundwithout bothering you fellows, and went on toward the west. I fishedalong at one place and another, and finally I got to fishing in theshallow water between the oyster reef and the shore, where the mulletsseemed to be holding a public meeting or something of that sort. Thetide was low then, though it was coming in, and the oyster reef was outof water. Finding that my switches were full of fish, and being nearerthe reef than the shore, I thought I'd just take a look over the reef tosee if I could find a small turtle. I had seen one out there severaldays ago, and my mouth watered so for a piece of meat that the thoughtof turtle made me wild. So, swinging my strings of fish over my neck, Icrept about in the moonlight--for the moon showed a little through thetrees by that time,--and after a pretty thorough search I spied thisfellow scrambling along over the oyster bed. It seemed, from the slowprogress he made, that the shells hurt his bare feet as much as they didmine; but that was probably only in appearance, for when he saw mecreeping up on him he made better time, and if I hadn't been so bentupon having some meat for breakfast, he would have got away. As it was Iforgot my bare feet long enough to catch the gentleman. Then I tried togo ashore, but the tide had come up and I couldn't. That is to say, Icouldn't wade ashore, and to swim was to lose my turtle; so I made up mymind to stick it out till the tide turned. I had to stand in water up tomy waist at high tide, but I didn't mind that. I wasn't worried till Isaw the blaze here at camp, and heard you fellows yelling. I answered,but you stopped calling, so I supposed it was all right. I waited two orthree hours longer, till the blaze began to die down. Then you fellowsbegan calling again, and you came to me. You know the rest. I cameashore as soon after you left as the water would let me. Now tell me allabout matters here. Where's your prisoner?"
The boys soon recounted the adventures of the night.
"What is the measure of damage?" Ned asked when the story was ended.
"The hut is destroyed," said Charley; "and the tar," added Jack. "We canmake another hut in an hour, but the destruction of the tar just as wewere ready to use it is a more serious matter."
"Yes, it will delay us a couple of days longer with the boat," said Ned,"and that's a pity. Let's see, this is Wednesday morning--for it'snearly daybreak now. If this hadn't happened we might have got away fromhere by next Wednesday,--just four weeks from the day we came. Now,however, we shan't get away before the Friday or Saturday following."
"Well, that will be the appointed time," said Charley.
"The appointed time?" asked Ned, "what do you mean?"
"Why, don't you remember? You told Maum Sally we'd be gone a month, andshe warned you not to stay a day longer than that."
"Oh, yes, I forgot that! It will be curious, won't it, if we get awaySaturday? I hadn't the least thought of staying a week when we came."
"Nor I," said Jack. "If we had suspected what we were coming to we neverwould have come at all, I imagine."
"I don't know about that," said Charley, doubtfully. "We came foradventures, and we've had them, if I know what such things are. Andwe've really had a good deal of fun."
"That's true," said Ned; "we couldn't expect to sleep on feather beds,or to have much luxury of any kind on such an expedition. And, afterall, our little hardships haven't hurt us. My foot is about well now,and your dog-bite, Charley, is in a fair way to heal. So, if we get awaysafely we're all the better for the trip. It will all seem like fun whenwe get back to school and think about it."
"I dare say we've sharpened our wits a trifle too," said Jack. "We'velearned how to take care of ourselves in the woods, and we shall be agood deal quicker and sounder in our thinking for this experience."
"Well, it's clear that we are not sufficiently sharpened up yet," saidCharley, "or else some one of us would have seen before this preciselywhat the fire has done for us."
"What is it, Charley?"
"Why, every grain of rice that we had in the world was in the hut, andof course it is all burnt up."
"The mischief!" exclaimed Ned.
"That's a calamity," added Jack, "but we must get more to-day."
"Yes," said Ned, "if the squatters haven't gathered it all."
"Don't let us meet trouble half way," said Jack; "it will be time enoughto give up the rice when we find that we can't get it. Meantime, let'shave some turtle steak for breakfast. Then we'll see what is to bedone."
In spite of the lack of rice and all other substitutes for bread, theboys enjoyed the broiled turtle more than any thing they had eaten for afortnight at least.
After breakfast they "scouted" a little, to make sure that there werenone of the squatters on their side of the island. Then Charley climbeda tall tree, the plan being that he should watch for squatters while Nedand Jack should gather rice, so that they might not be surprised attheir work.
The rice had been cut, and very little remained of it; but here andthere a little clump of it was still standing in the grass and bushesaround the patch, and a hard morning's work enabled the boys to secureenough of these gleanings to last them for ten or twelve days.
The Wreck of the Red Bird: A Story of the Carolina Coast Page 21