“Well we mustn’t give them the chance, that’s all,” Bob said, shaking his head.
“I think we’re unanimous on that point,” Rex broke in. “The only question seems to be how we’re going to help it.”
“We’ve got three good persuasive automatics, which will help some if it comes to a show down,” Bob declared. “I wish we had the rifle, but there’s no use worrying over that.”
“And there’s food enough here to stand a siege for two or three weeks if we have to,” Jack said slowly.
“Well it seems to me about the only thing we can do,” Rex said in a tone of resignation.
About eleven o’clock Stebbins awoke and Bob fed him some more of the gruel, and he seemed much stronger and inclined to talk.
“Better wait a little longer,” Bob continued. “You want to get your strength back as soon as you can, you know, and it will tire you to talk now.”
With a sigh, the man lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.
“He’ll be strong enough to tell us his story when he wakes up again and has had one more feed,” Bob whispered.
They prepared a good dinner, with the help of some trout which Jack got from a little brook a short distance up the lake. They had just finished cleaning up when Stebbins again opened his eyes and asked for food. As soon as he had finished eating, he declared that he was much stronger and insisted on talking.