"I dare say we can buy food at first, till they find us something to do for our meals," said I.
"How much money is there left?" asked Fred.
I put my hand into my pocket for the canvas bag—but it was gone!
There could be little doubt that the bad boy had picked my pocket at the gate, but I had a sense of guiltiness about it, for most of the money was Fred's. This catastrophe completely overwhelmed him, and he cried and grumbled till I was nearly at my wits' end. I could not stop him, though heavy steps were coming quite close to us.
"Sh! sh!" muttered I, "if you go on like that they'll certainly find us, and then we shall have managed all this for nothing, and might as well have gone back with old Rowe."
"Which wind and weather permitting, young gentlemen, you will," said a voice just above us, though we did not hear it.
"I wish we could," sobbed Fred, "only there's no money now. But I'm going to get out of this beastly hole any way."
"You're a nice fellow to tell me about your grandfather," said I, in desperate exasperation; "I don't believe you've the pluck for a common sailor, let alone a Great Discoverer."
"You've hit the right nail on the head there, Master Charles," said the voice.
"Fiddlesticks about my grandfather!" said Fred.