“I’m going to bring the grub up here so we can eat together,” he said, “therefore you must help me. After breakfast I’ll try and clean up below, for if we reach port there’s no reason why we should look so slovenly.”
“Something should be done with the treasure before any strangers come aboard,” Vance added, thinking of the wealth in the cabin for almost the first time since the previous night shut down upon them so forbiddingly. “Where can we put it?”
“In the hold, well aft, an’ throw a lot of rope and canvas over it,” Ned replied promptly. “No one will fancy we’ve got treasure aboard.”
This satisfied Vance, more particularly since his companions proposed that he take full charge of the gold and silver, and ten minutes later a most appetizing breakfast was spread on the wheel-house locker.
With the assistance of his companions in the way of passing him the food, Ned was able to eat at the same time he performed his duties as helmsman, and the spirits of the little crew revived wonderfully when the meal had been concluded.
Ned was left alone while the other two went below, Roy to put things to rights generally, and Vance to hide the treasure in anticipation of visitors.
It seemed very much as if this particular breeze had come to stay until the yacht should reach port.
It no longer shifted so often, but held steadily from the same point, and with sufficient force to send the Zoe along at quite a respectable rate of speed.
As might have been expected, the waves still ran very high, but the little craft was showing herself to be a good sea-boat, even though disabled, and each instant the apparent cloud took on more the semblance of land.
Vance was the first to complete his work below, and he entered the wheel-house shortly before noon, saying as he did so: