"You shall hear it before long," added Harry.
"When you please; in the mean time I wish you joy of any good news!"
"But what are you about here, de Vaux? I thought we were to remain on the island till sun-set."
"So we shall; but it seems that fellow, Black Bob, has forgot the vegetables I ordered him to bring from Nantucket; we have discovered a house with something like a garden on the opposite point, and I am going to send Bob with the boy Sam on a foraging expedition; I dare say they will find potatoes and onions at least. That is the spot; do you see the apple-trees? With the glass I saw a woman moving about, and milk-pans drying in the sun."
"Why don't you send the boat?"
"Stryker hasn't come back yet, and there is wind enough to carry the Petrel over and back again in half an hour."
"Smith and I are going as commanding officers; and you will have a much better dinner for our exertions, no doubt," said Charlie.
"Holloa, there, Bob—Sam!—tumble on board; mind you bring all the garden-stuff they can spare. You Bob, see if you can pick up half you contrived to forget, sir, at Nantucket. You deserve to be made to swim across for it," said de Vaux.
"Never could swim a stroke in my born days, sir," muttered Black
Bob.
"There isn't much choice of sa'ace at Nantucket, anyway," added the boy Sam.