"No time to pack our trunks," grunted Jack disgustedly. "Left my baccy, and want a smoke bad."
"Wall, you shorely goes the limit a whole corralful for sheer, blisterin', hell-freezin' coolness. You'd light a seegyar whilst you were prospectin' the bottomless pit, Jack."
But Jack was watching the gathering birds.
"Union is strength," he said musingly. "Closed ranks defence against an open order attack. Let's tie the life-buoys together."
"Sech observations is plenty sagacious," commented Broncho approvingly, "an' I votes we acts tharon instanter. You bushwhack in here, Jim, between us two. This here hand has got to be played with care, if we-alls is goin' to avoid gettin' cold feet."
Jack and Broncho still had their bundles of rope-yarns and rovings thrust through their belts, and with these they soon lashed the life-buoys securely together in the form of a triangle.
"Now, let 'em all come!" cried Jim defiantly.
"They're shore makin' war medicine," observed Broncho; "but I ain't in no frenzied hurry to begin the battle. Let 'em sachey around an' take their time."
"Here comes a scout, boys," cried Jack, as a great, white-headed bird swooped gracefully towards them.