“Still snowing?” queried Billy, as Bobby once more joined them.
“Snowing!” repeated the latter. “I should say so. Looks as if it didn’t intend to stop for the next year.”
“Well,” said Mouser, “if that’s the case, I’ll say we were lucky to find this old boat all right.”
“Lucky!” cried Bobby, not able altogether to keep the jubilation from his tone. “I’ll say lucky is no name for it.”
Feeling their way along, the light from the lantern, once out of its circle of illumination, seeming only to make the darkness more impenetrable, stumbling over rotting wood and other debris, the boys finally found a cabin that seemed to be in pretty fair condition. Here they decided to spend the night.
By the light of the lamp and with the help of a small oil stove—also extracted from Mooloo’s store—they managed to make out a dinner. And, after they had eaten, they were seized by an almost uncontrollable desire to search for the treasure at once. Further delay seemed out of the question.
And yet they knew that to show too much eagerness would be the surest way to arouse Mooloo’s suspicion. Then, too, it was getting late and, if the Eskimo’s prediction were right and there was a possibility of being snowed in for several days, there was no real hurry about the search.
It was rather an uncanny business, staying in that derelict ship during the wee small hours of the night, and the boys, keyed up with excitement as they were, thought they would not be able to sleep a wink.
But, worn out with the thrilling adventures of the day, they were soon unconscious of time and place and slept heavily until morning.
It was lucky for them that they soon found the opportunity they were impatiently watching for, when they might search for the treasure without being accompanied by Mooloo.