"That wouldn't help me much," grunted Milton.
"What luck with the Ida?" Enoch turned to Agnew who, next to Jonas, took the greatest interest in ship repair and building.
"The forward compartment was pretty well smashed, but another hour's work in the morning will make the old girl as good as ever."
"She'll never be the boat the Na-che was," groaned Jonas mournfully from his fire. "What are we all going to do now, with just one boat?"
For a moment no one spoke, then Enoch said drily, "Well, Jonas, seeing that you and I don't really belong to the expedition anyhow and that we invited ourselves, I think it's up to us to walk."
There was a chorus of protests at this. But Enoch silenced the others by saying with great earnestness:
"Milton, you know I'm right, don't you?"
Milton, who had been saying nothing, now raised himself on his elbow.
"Two of you fellows will have to walk it; which two we'd better decide by lot. We're up against a rotten situation. It would be bad, even if I weren't hurt. But with a cripple on your hands, well—it's awful for you chaps! Simply awful!"
"With good luck, and no Survey work, how many days are we from the
Ferry?" asked Enoch.