“How do you count on doing that?” Gil asked. “You said they could do no end of mischief, even when hundreds of miles away?”
“I’se got de charm, honey, an’ I’se got de rockets. Ef we kin creep up on ’em once, I’ll start annudder fiery sarpent what’ll make de voudoos t’ink de las’ day hab cum.”
“If that could be done, we would have a chance to find out whether the pirates’ treasure is hidden near the old palm tree,” Nelse cried, excitedly.
“Now, honey, don’ you’se go ter speckerlatin’ erbout dat any mo’. It’s wha’s got us all in dis yere trubble, an we’se gwine ter keep clear ob it, ef I’se got a vote in de bizness.”
“There’s plenty of time to talk about that,” Jenkins interrupted. “The villains are here yet; it isn’t any sure thing they can be frightened away, and while they remain, we shan’t be able to do much of anything but keep ourselves out of sight.”
“Isn’t it about time we thought of eating something?” Nelse asked, suddenly. “Andy said he brought food from the yacht, and I would like to have a bite.”
“Take it all, honey, de ole man ain’ wantin’ any now,” and the cook unstrapped a well-filled haversack from his shoulders. “I’se had what’ll do me fur de nex’ four days.”
“We’ll make an equal division whether there is any chance of your growing hungry or not,” Gil said, as he began to distribute the food. “It is necessary that we husband it as much as possible, unless we can count on seeing father pretty soon.”
“He won’t be able to make this portion of the coast until the wind blows itself out,” the mate replied, “and I advise that we go on short rations to-day.”
This remark was hardly necessary, since the amount of provisions Andy had brought did not suffice to make one satisfactory meal for the party, and every crumb was devoured before the hunger of either was more than half satisfied.