They ate sparingly of their store of food for breakfast; and then calculating that it must be once more daylight, they made their way towards the mouth of the cavern. They were not mistaken as to its being day, but how long the sun had risen they could not tell, as the sky was still thickly overcast with clouds.
The sea was washing, as before, heavily into the cavern, throwing up all sorts of articles, among which were a number of oranges, melons, and other fruits of a southern clime.
The melons were mostly broken, but they got hold of two unbroken, and very welcome they were. The oranges were mostly green, though a few had turned sufficiently red to be eaten.
“I would rather have had more substantial food,” observed Jack; “but I am glad enough to get these.”
“What’s that?” asked Bill, pointing to the opposite side of the cavern, where a creature was seen struggling in a hollow half filled with water.
Jack dashed across at the risk of being carried off by the receding sea; and, grasping a large fish, held it up as he rushed away to escape from the following wave, which came rolling in with a loud roar.
“Here’s a prize worth having,” he shouted. “Hurrah! we may spend another week here without fear of starving.”
He carried his prize well out of the reach of the water, and a knock on the head put an end to its struggles.
The lads piled up their various waifs, contemplating them with infinite satisfaction; but it was evident that what was their gain was somebody else’s loss.
“Some unfortunate ship has gone on shore, or else has thrown her cargo overboard,” observed Bill.