The boys thanked the lieutenant for his offer, not even dreaming of the time when the words so casually spoken were to be made good.
“They about cleaned us out,” said Alex, glancing ruefully at the trampled greensward where the soldiers had eaten. “I don’t know what to do now! The tinned goods are about gone, and there aren’t any vegetables to speak of.”
“What’s the matter with falling back on the river?” asked Clay, getting out his fishing tackle with his one well arm. “We have taken many a fine meal from the river, and I don’t think it will go back on us now!”
“Who’ll catch the fish?” asked Jule. “I’m actually so hungry that my stomach is wishing my backbone good afternoon, and I don’t feel equal to the effort!”
“Suppose we get the Rambler off this mud bank first?” Thede suggested.
“That’s a good idea!” Alex cried out.
“Wonder we couldn’t have thought of that when we could have had the help of the soldiers!” grumbled Case.
“Kicker!” laughed Jule. “It will be an easy job to get the boat into the river again. She went against the bank with very little force, I take it.”
The lads who were not crippled worked together to such good purpose that the boat was soon in the water again. Not a thing was broken except the steering-gear and that was soon repaired.
“Now, about that fish?” Case said. “Who’s going to try for it? I might be one of the boys to make the effort.”