It must have been well on to high noon at the time. The tired boys had been sleeping pretty much the whole morning away.
No wonder the thin member of the squad was surprised, for there was Buster Longfellow hurrying around as though the house had been afire. Nick could never accomplish anything worth while without a tremendous amount of spluttering; as all his mates knew only too well.
Wonderful to relate there was a pretty healthy odor of cooking in the air, that made Josh sniff approvingly; for of late his once poor appetite had grown to respectable proportions; and the thin boy could demolish his share of “grub” with the best of them.
Buster glanced around, and grinned.
“Oh! say, but I’m glad somebody else has had the good sense to wake up, and come out,” he began to say.
“Looks like you might be doing the breakfast stunt all by your lonely,” remarked Josh, coolly, as he started toward the edge of the water, no doubt intending to dash some of the same in his face, and thus refresh himself.
“I seemed to have had all the sleep I wanted,” continued Buster; “and after I waked up I lay there for a long time, wondering if anybody had started in to get breakfast; but I couldn’t get the first whiff of coffee.”
“That’s right, and an old habit of yours, I guess, Buster; always laying around waiting for the birds to come and put something in your mouth,” Josh flung over his shoulder, with all the scorn he could summon.
“Well, p’raps it is one of my faults,” admitted the fat boy, humbly enough; “we’ve all got our weaknesses, you know, Jack says, and you ain’t any exception, Josh. But I felt as empty as an old tomato can, and just couldn’t stand it any longer; so I crawled out, and I’m doin’ the best I know how to get breakfast. But of course it ain’t goin’ to equal what you’d be givin’ us, if you had hold here. Cookin’ is one of your best stunts, Josh; fact is, I never knew any feller that could come near you.”