“How long will that be?” inquired Fred.
“Not knowing, I cannot say. But on a day like this, which promises to be very clear and pleasant, there ought to be a good many boats passing.”
“I hope we’ll have better luck with them than we had with you,” said John.
“So do I,” responded the man, “and with all my heart. All I can say is this, that if you don’t get any one to take you away before six o’clock this afternoon I will stop here on my way back and take you aboard.”
“How are we going to get anything to eat?” asked John.
“I’m sure I don’t know,” said the man. “I will tell Mike to give you some sandwiches.”
“He has done that already,” said John. “Isn’t there some place where we can get something to eat?”
“I don’t know of any.”
“We thought perhaps that man you met out here might be living here and he or his wife would be willing to sell us some food.”
“What man are you talking about?” demanded the stranger, quickly turning to the boys as he spoke.