“Ready in a jiffy, sir. Seems a pity, though, not to have our breakfast, first.”
“Why?” said Bracy sharply as he slung on his haversack.
“Such a nice lot o’ dry wood to make a fire, sir.”
“To make tea or coffee, or to boil eggs, my lad?” said Bracy.
“Think o’ that, now! I forgot, sir. Seemed to come nat’ral for me to get your breakfast ready, sir. Think o’ that.”
In two minutes Gedge was as ready as his officer, and he finished off by shaking and beating the fir-needles off his poshtin, and stroking his very short hair down first with one hand and then with the other, so as to look as respectable and smart as he could when going on what he called parade.
“Forward!” said Bracy suddenly. “We’ll halt at the edge of the forest, and have a good reconnoitre, though it is not light enough for us to see far.”
Bracy was quite right; for as they cautiously advanced to the open they could see very little but the tall pyramidal peaks here and there, one of which stood out more clearly than the others, and served as a familiar landmark by which to steer for that day’s journey, another which Bracy had noted on the previous evening being set down as to be somewhere about the end of their second day’s march; but it was not visible yet, a pile of clouds in its direction being all that could be seen.
“Right. Forward!” said Bracy as he finished his careful look round. “Two hours’ good walk in this cool air, and then breakfast. To-morrow we must begin to look out for anything that will serve for our future meals, and use our rifles.”
“Not try at any of the villages?”