109“No danger,” jeered Teddy. “You haven’t ambition enough to make a move.”
“I haven’t had half sleep enough,” yawned Fred. “Why don’t you get up in the middle of the night and be done with it?”
“‘’Tis the voice of the sluggard, I hear him complain,’” quoted his brother. “I’d hate to be as lazy as this bunch of hoboes. If you don’t hurry, I’ll go out and find that chest of gold all by my lonesome.”
The mention of the gold had a magical effect. It acted like a dousing of cold water. In a moment the boys were on their feet and hurrying into their clothes.
“By ginger! I hadn’t had time to think of that,” remarked Bill, as he poured the water in his basin, “or you wouldn’t have needed a pillow to rout us out.”
“Dad has the coffee pot on already,” said Lester as a savory aroma came up the stairs. “Let’s get a wiggle on.”
The boys trooped down the stairs to find breakfast ready for them.
“We want to eat a plenty, fellows,” observed Lester, setting them the example. “We’ve got a long sail before us.”
The lads needed no urging and the way the food disappeared was almost miraculous.
“Now,” said Lester when the breakfast had been 110 finished, “you fellows go out and get the boat ready to start, while I get enough grub together to last a couple of days. We may not always have clams and bluefish just when we want them, and I’m not going to take any risks.”