For the moment, their terrible hunger made them almost like wild creatures. Almost, but not quite; for just then Benoni put out his nose and touched Carlota’s arm.
“Wait, brother. You must. It was Noni who saved our lives and he’s hungry as we. He shall eat before I do!”
“Not before, Carlota! Oh! not before! I—can—not—wait!”
Indeed, the boy’s voice had changed. At the mere odor of food his misery overcame him, for he had been awake much longer than his sister had and was, by that time, much nearer starvation. He frightened her, yet with infinite tenderness she drew his head upon her shoulder and with her free hand began to feed him. Bit by bit, morsel by morsel—though, at first, he snapped his teeth so greedily he almost bit her fingers—she put the bollos into his mouth, coaxing, the while:
“Eat it slowly, brother. Make it last a long, long time, same as when we have Christmas sweeties. Now, wait a moment, and I’ll give one to Benoni.”
“Not yet, Carlota! I’m first—another—just another!”
He did not know how few were the cakes she had put into the box when they left the schoolroom and supposed there were plenty for all. She ignored her own hunger and managed to keep back two for Benoni and was even able to smile over the greater carefulness in receiving them from her hand the animal showed than the boy had done.
“Look, Carlos. Benoni takes his cakes like a gentleman. He has—hasn’t bited—bitten—me once. He’s nicer mannered than you, I guess; yet, you poor dear, you never had to eat your dinner in a cave before, did you?”
“Another, sister?”
“Oh! dear! It’s too bad, but there isn’t not another single one. Not even the least bit of a crumb for I’ve felt all around the inside of the box to see. Never mind, when we get out we’ll find something more.”