“Nothing here!” he exclaimed, and walked into the cabin, followed immediately by Fred and Randy.
The place was in great disorder, showing that those aboard the steam yacht had evidently left in a hurry. Lockers stood wide open, much of the contents strewn in all directions. On the floor lay a number of dishes along with some knives, forks and spoons, evidently swept from the cabin table by the hurry of those who were escaping from the vessel or by the action of the storm. Around the cabin were a number of staterooms, some of the doors of which stood wide open, and here the same disorder prevailed.
“I suppose they didn’t have much time in which to leave,” was Jack’s comment. “They probably grabbed what they could lay hands on and ran for the boats.”
“I don’t see anything to eat around here!” exclaimed Fred. “Let’s find the cook’s galley.”
“Here’s some drinking water, anyhow,” came suddenly from Randy, as he caught sight of a cooler on a stand at the end of the cabin.
The cooler was almost full, and the three lads lost no time in getting all the water they wanted. Then they picked up a pitcher from the floor and filled this, and Fred took it to Andy and the lanky sailor.
“Gosh, that tastes like heaven!” said Ira Small, as he smacked his lips. “Now if I had a bite to eat, I think I’d feel like a new man.”
“You never know how good water is until you have to do without it,” remarked Andy.
Having assured themselves that there was no cook’s pantry attached to the cabin, the three boys came out on deck again, and then went on a hunt for the cook’s galley. This was soon located, and much to their satisfaction they came upon a quantity of food which made their eyes sparkle in anticipation. There were all sorts of canned goods, both fish and meats as well as vegetables, and in addition boxes of crackers, sides of bacon, and canisters of tea, coffee, cocoa, and also salt, sugar, rice and a great variety of other articles.
“We can’t cook anything on that stove—at least not the way it’s standing,” said Randy, pointing to the tilted-up kerosene stove of which the galley boasted.