“No, Freddy,” I managed to say at last. “Miss Baldwin is all right. She’s back in the cave that I told you about.”
“Wow!” He fairly wilted with relief. “Say, if anything had happened to her I’d hike straight back to the yacht and blow a hole through Brack’s head the second I saw him.”
“The yacht?” I cried. “Do you mean to say the yacht is near at hand?”
“Right up at the end of the bay there,” was his casual reply. “Riordan ran ’er up right after you’d left that afternoon with the boss. Say, how long ago is that, Brains?”
“Two days ago, isn’t it?”
“Yah! You ain’t sure yourself, are you? It’s been long for you, too, eh? Seems about a month to me. An’ you been living in the cave! Say! Look at this.” He patted the sweater which he was wearing and which was swollen far out in front.
“Grub,” he said. “Come on; let’s beat it before anybody comes nosing around.”
“Pierce!” I said, “do you mean to say that you’ve got food—real, civilized food there?”
“Sure. I was on my way to the cave to feed you. Wait a second while I get my rifle.”
He dove back into the willows and reappeared bearing the rifle which I had taken from Barry.