"Plenty of it in the sea," said Donovan. "Might boil down some of the salt water."
"If we only had a kettle to boil it in," Raed added.
"Well, there's the old tin dipper in the boat that we used to bail out the rain-water with," replied Don. "We could keep that boiling. Might boil away six or seven quarts by morning. That would give quite a pinch of salt."
"That's the idea!" said Kit. "Let's get it going as soon as we can. Wash it out, and dip it up two-thirds full of water, Don. I'll fix a way to set it over the fire."
Meanwhile Weymouth was frying another dozen of eggs.
"I think I can suggest a better way of evaporating the sea-water," remarked Raed as Donovan came up with the two-quart dipper of water. "You see that little hollow in the ledge just the other side of the fire: that will hold several pailfuls, probably. The fire on the rocks must make that warm: you see if it isn't, Wash."
I was on that side. The ledge for several yards from the blaze was beginning to get warmed up.
"We might brush that out clean," Raed continued, "and fill it with water. It will evaporate fast there, and leave its salt on the bottom of the hollow. We can move the fire along a little nearer to make the rocks hotter. I'm not sure that we could not make the water boil in there."
The place was brushed, and a dozen bumperfuls turned into the hollow, where it soon began to steam.
"That'll do it!" exclaimed Kit. "Never mind: we shall have salt by to-morrow!"