“Just taking a morning stroll,” Jack laughed. “Did you save any breakfast for us?”
“Sure an’ I guess cookie’ll give yer some, but I thought sure ye’d gone an’ got inter some kind o’ fix agin, so I did.”
When they had finished telling him of their trip, Tom laughed long and loudly.
“Sure an’ who but ye’d iver have thought of it? I’d give a year of me life ter have seen thot guy when his jug went smash. Sure an’ it’s meself thot’s bettin’ thot he thought the devil was after him.”
Six of the crew were nearly an hour late at work that morning. Bob saw them crossing the clearing as he was coming from the mess house after he had finished his belated breakfast. Stepping back into the room he watched them from the half-closed door.
“They seem disappointed about something,” he said to Jack, who had joined him.
“I guess the party they were looking for failed to materialize,” Jack laughed as he watched them. “I wonder if those fellows could talk at all if their hands were tied behind their backs,” he added, laughing at their vigorous gesticulations.
“It would certainly be a serious handicap to them,” Bob declared, as he stepped outside the door. Before Jack had time to follow him, however, he dodged back again.
“Now for it,” he said, closing the door. “Who do you suppose is making us a call?”
“From your excitement I should guess it’s Big Ben himself,” Jack quickly replied.