“Whar’s de water? Bymby somebody’s gwine ter want er drink, an’ den whar’ll de debbils be?”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Gil exclaimed, in dismay, and Jenkins added, quickly:
“We must try to lay in a stock to-night. I’ll run the risk of snoopin’ round a bit after dark, an’ it’ll be hard lines if I can’t bring in a little. At any rate, it’s better to be in the tunnel, where we’ve got a show for our lives, an’ be thirsty, than stay out here where all hands can be surrounded by daylight. If Andy won’t go with us I don’t see any other way than let him paddle his own canoe.”
The sailors decided in favor of the mate, and Gil and Nelse could do no less than agree with the more experienced and less timid portion of the party.
“We’ll go to the tunnel,” Gil decided, after a pause, “and if Andy wants to stay outside it can’t be helped.”
“I’se gwine ter look arter myself,” the cook replied, doggedly, and, without further conversation, he disappeared among the underbrush.
CHAPTER XXIII.
SECRET OF THE CAVE.
The cook hurried away so quickly that his companions had no time to persuade him to a different course, even provided they wished to do so, and when he was out of sight Jenkins said, as he took up the load of oysters which Andy brought:
“It won’t do any good for us to stay here talkin’ about what the old fool has done, for we must get under cover before it is too dark to admit of seeing our way through the woods. His pig-headedness may cost him his life, but we are not to blame. It only remains for us to take care of ourselves.”