“I caught some fine bass at the ford,” volunteered Nick. He paused rather wistfully for a few moments. Then with renewed requests about secrecy as to his book he slouched up the street. Connie did not speak to the other boys of Nick’s visit nor of the book the boy wanted.
The eventful Saturday came at last. With haversacks packed the night before, thirteen boys awaited the dawn with impatience. Before five o’clock the wrought-up scouts were off. In open order the squad was soon out of town.
With two stops for water at convenient wells the patrol reached the dusty lane leading to the caves of Round Rock River just before half past six. Once they were within the shade of the grove bordering the river bank at the cave, “Break ranks” was given and the perspiring young campaigners threw themselves on the grass. But boys rest quickly. At the first mention of breakfast the patrol was on its feet. The place was one used for picnics and tables were standing. When haversack contents were dumped on one of these, the table resembled a delicatessen shop.
Connie took charge at once and put aside what was needed for luncheon.
“Say,” protested Colly Craighead. “That ain’t fair. I’m hungry. I brought them baked beans for breakfast.”
“You’ll want ’em worse at noon,” answered Connie. “Go help make the fire. Duke,” he added, “fill that pan with water.”
At the last moment they had been compelled to borrow a stew pan to boil the frankfurters. And this had been Duke’s extra equipment. Each boy had also strung a tin cup on his belt, and Davy Cooke carried a teapot.
About seven o’clock the open-shirted, hatless gang gathered about a table covered with newspapers. Before each was a cup of tea with sugar but no cream, and the portion of food for each boy: four large frankfurters, hot and steaming to the point of bursting, three inch-thick slices of bread, half a dill pickle, two hard-boiled eggs, one doughnut and two cookies. In the center of the table were butter, pepper, salt, mustard and sugar. In ten minutes every scrap of food had disappeared. Colly again brought up the question of baked beans but he was instantly suppressed.
“One hour for restin’ or explorin’,” ordered Connie when haversacks had been repacked and stored in a heap and the pans washed. “But, remember, no swimmin’ until I give the word. Wart,” he added, “you’ll guard the haversacks.”
“Me?” exclaimed Wart in a shocked voice. “I brung a candle to explore the cave!”