Perk had also been doing a little side act of his own, and managed to put away a fair proportion of eatables. He was waiting as patiently as he could for Jack to start telling what he meant by the word “discoveries;” and hoping something entertaining might be forthcoming.
“I’m glad you saw fit to fetch that big flashlight, ditto the two extra dry batteries along, buddy,” observed Jack, finally; “because we’re going to find a good use for the same. I’ve entered a claim for a nice dry residence, which we can use while we’re in this region—rain or shine, cold or otherwise, it’s a sure enough jim-dandy cave!”
“Bully boy, Jack; I’m tickled pink to hear such good news; when do we move in, tell me?”
“Right away—that is, by the time darkness comes along, Perk; because it isn’t a great way off—a fissure in the big rock that looked sort of inviting to me; so I crept inside, with a splinter of dry wood that I could coax to burn. Couldn’t see all I’d have liked to, but enough to tell me the crack developed into a regular cavern, with a roof fully twenty feet up, and feeling a heap warmer than we found ourselves last night.”
“Whoopee! that sounds right fine to me, cully; I’m sure glad yeou hit sech a prize package fust shot. But I jest knowed yeou’d be adoin’ yeour stuff when I was a crawlin’ ’long daown there in the bottom land. I’m crazy to take a squint at aour new lodgin’; but I guess there aint no sech hurry.”
“Plenty of time for everything,” Jack assured him, still engaged in the pleasant task of feeding the furnace fires within. “We can have a great chin once we get settled; and Perk, I spent a full hour toting a lot of wood into that split in the wall.”
“Meanin’ as haow we kin even have a bully little fire—all the comforts o’ home, an’ nary a red cent to pay for rent, in the bargain. Ain’t we the lucky boys, though.”
“Listen! that’s a familiar sound I’m picking up, eh, what, Perk?”
“Sure is!” cried the other, showing signs of sudden excitement. “Some sorter airship headin’ thisaways. Must be that ole crate belongin’ to the boys daown in the valley; let’s git back to the cliff, an’ see what’s what, Jack.”