He and Buck took care of the cooking for that one meal and they had a big job on their hands. The two fires were used to cook beans and soup and warm up coffee and before long the fragrant smell of the food floated through the woods around them. Impatiently the boys awaited their meal.
“Seems like I never was so hungry before!” sighed Drummer, gazing at the big pot of cooking beans with wistful eyes.
“You drummed up a good appetite this afternoon, didn’t you?” someone asked, and the stout boy nodded.
They used a flat stump to cut the bread on and for a general table, finding that its location to the fires made it a handy natural object. Buck organized a number of the boys to go and bring pails of water so that they could be put on the fire as soon as the food was off, to heat for dish water.
“Do we have to wash dishes here?” was an innocent inquiry.
“Well, I want mine washed,” grinned Buck. “If you want to eat from yours without washing, why, go right ahead!”
“Who is going to wash them, Mr. Dalton?” a boy asked.
“We’ll have a volunteer gang tonight,” responded Buck, seeing to it that each boy had a pail. “After that, we’ll have regular squads to do the work. Go to it, boys.”
Ted had found that the supply truck was well filled and figuring even recklessly he was of the opinion that they would not soon have to renew their main supplies, though things such as butter and eggs and milk would have to be taken care of from day to day. Much care and thought had been taken by the leaders of the Boys’ Club in the selection of the goods, and Ted was pleased.
At length the supper was cooked, the beans lifted from the fire and the coffee pushed back to keep warm. “Come and get it!” called Buck, and they obeyed loyally and enthusiastically. Forming in a line they pushed their cups and plates toward Buck and Ted and for some minutes the two leaders were busy dishing and pouring. Within the circle of the fires the boys sat around, most of them silent as they applied themselves to the subject at hand.