“I guess we all feel that way,” said Fred. “Even if there’s food in this place, though, it’s going to be an awfully hard thing to find it in such black darkness.”
“Darkness or no darkness, we’ll get it if it’s here,” replied Bobby, grimly. “Feel around and see if you can find anything that will break these boxes open. We’ll just have to keep at it until we do find some grub.”
The boys stumbled about in the pitchy darkness, but for a long time could not find a suitable tool. At length Mouser succeeded in discovering a loose top on a crate, and by all pulling together they managed to pry this loose. This gave them a lever with which they could lift the covers off other crates, and soon they were busily at work, although the pitch darkness and close air of the hold were great handicaps. The first two crates they opened yielded nothing that would be of service to them, but the third one proved more valuable.
“There’s cans of something in this one!” cried Fred, excitedly. “I only hope there’s something inside that’s fit to eat.”
“More likely it’s filled with white lead,” said Mouser, pessimistically.
“It doesn’t feel quite heavy enough for that,” replied Fred. “But now the question is, how are we going to get them open? Those crooks didn’t even leave me my jackknife, worse luck to them.”
“There’s some big nails in the cover of one of these crates,” said Bobby. “I’m going to have a try at the can with that,” and he forthwith fell to work with an energy that was ably assisted by a growing appetite. In a short time he had hacked an edge of the cover loose, and then gave a whoop of delight.
“It’s corn, fellows, or I don’t know anything,” he shouted. “Dig out a can apiece and go to it.”
They all “went to it” with a will, and they were soon eating their fill. Never had corn tasted so good before, and they each cleaned out a can without the least difficulty. There were dozens more in the crate, and they had little doubt that where there was one box full there would be others. Further exploration proved this to be the case, and they had soon unearthed several varieties of foodstuffs, so that they knew they would not have to fear starvation, no matter how long the voyage proved to be. They found some cans of tomatoes, which served to relieve their thirst.
“We seem to be provisioned for a cruise around the world,” remarked Billy. “If only it wasn’t so confoundedly dark, this wouldn’t be half bad. I feel like lying down and having a good long nap.”