"I'll overhaul the stores, so we'll know jes' what there is on board; but it won't do any harm for you boys to go fishin' now an' then, seein' that you can't do very much work in the engine-room."
Then he went into the fore-peak. Jim and Walter built a fire in the stove, which occupied fully half the space in the tiny galley, and Harry set about laying the forward-cabin table with the limited collection of crockery.
Joe came from the hot engine-room when the others were fully occupied. He had not really begun, his task, nor did he intend to do so until the next morning when some kind of a bench could be set up in the open air, although he had moved about very lively to keep the minds of his companions on something besides their own misfortunes.
It was not long before Bob finished taking account of the eatables, and on coming from the hold he reported:
"We've got fully half a barrel of flour, about twenty pounds of salt pork, twice as much beef, and two hams. There's coffee enough to last this crew four or five weeks, with canned milk to help it out. Two dozen tins of assorted vegetables, three bushels of potatoes, plenty of salt, pepper, molasses and vinegar. Pretty nigh a whole tub of butter, another of lard, and a barrel two-thirds full of ship's-biscuit. We sha'n't starve yet awhile; but it stands us in hand to do some fishin' an' huntin' before we leave this place—if we ever do."
"Now, don't talk that way, Bob," Joe said with a laugh. "I give you my word that the engine can be repaired, so of course we shall leave here."
"How much coal have you got?"
Joe's face darkened. The fuel supply was the only thing of which he had not thought, and he knew there was only such an amount on board as would serve to keep up steam about forty-eight hours.
"I don't suppose we've got enough for the run across," he said after a short pause; "but we can take on plenty of wood, or make our way into Nassau, where, by giving a distress note on the steamer, it will be possible to get all that may be needed. If we could only manage to patch the bow a little better I wouldn't feel worried about anything."
"That's jes' what I've made up my mind to do," Bob replied. "If you don't call on me too often, I reckon I can show a pretty decent job of carpentering by the time you're ready to make steam."