"Suppose it is, what good will it do us?" asked Waring.
"Why, as the settlement can't be more than a dozen miles distant, if you have no objection, we might walk the rest of the way through the woods."
"If we could only get the boat afloat again, or make it sink out of sight; but there's the trouble. However, there's no use of crying for spilt milk. Can you propose nothing for us to do, Pat?"
"I propowses to wait till we get some more light, and then we'll take a luk at things."
"And in the meantime let us make ourselves as comfortable as the circumstances will permit," added Mr. Lander, philosophically.
It being a warm summer night, the whites suffered little or no personal inconvenience from their exposed situation. It was found that this portion of the island, at least, was covered with trees and rank undergrowth, which protected them from the night wind, slight as it was. To make matters in that respect sure, however, Mr. Lander proposed that a fire should be started, but when he found what a storm of objection he had raised, he said no more upon that subject.
There being nothing else for them to do, then, the whites withdrew within the trees, and seating themselves upon the ground, waited the advent of the moon, which from some unaccountable cause to them, was so long delayed.
CHAPTER VI.