The Carcajieu scanned the rocks alluded to. Hurled from the mountain crest in some horrible cataclysm, they had crashed together chaotically, and cheating moss and shrubs seemed to have knit them into a solid mass. In reality, though nothing but a wonder of balancing kept them in their arrangement. There was another discovery made by the lieutenant, that almost forced him to whoop for joy, and did force the whistling of a lively dance tune in an undertone.
When the bush work was formed, he went on usually to have the fires laid and the tents reared.
The captain was set up under the natural arch, in a most advantageous spot. Behind and on both sides the canvas was superfluous, for it was in the hollow of the rock.
Kidd was so delighted with this solid nook for his night's lodging, that he warmly thanked and congratulated his lieutenant, a surprising thing to "the boys," as they knew him to be chary of compliments. Joe bowed himself out of the flowers of speech in a modest way, and went and hid his blushes in his greenwood shanty.
Scarcely had Joe, about to essay his dangerous undertaking, left his ambush before he spied a shadow cross his path.
"Hist?" he demanded, putting his knife in readiness.
"Only me, the Drudge, master, coming to report," was the whispered reply of the youth Leon.
"Oh, that's all right. What have you been about, boy?"
"Carrying out your orders, lieutenant," continued he, approaching. "After lending the Foxface a hand to bandage up Lottery Paul, I pretended to forget the camphorated spirits, as you instructed me."
"Good boy! What next?"