SUSPENSE.
How long they remained on the shore in an apathy of despair not one of
that party ever knew.
Jake was the first to arouse himself, and, understanding that work is
the best remedy for mental troubles, he said, with a great effort to
speak cheerily:
"See here, lads, this will never do if we want to get out of the scrape.
We've got to stay here till the other boats come along, and it is
necessary to make some preparations for living. The goods must be stowed
where they won't be destroyed, an' there's plenty to keep us busy for
the rest of this day."
"When do you think the other boats should arrive?" Neal asked.
Jake realized fully how slight were the chances that either of the
crafts would come to that exact spot, even if they were all afloat; but
he had no idea of adding to his companions' grief, therefore he
replied:
"It may be forty-eight hours. You see some or all of them might have put
out a sea anchor when it blew so hard, for they carried heavier loads
than we did, and while layin' still we hummed right along, consequently
its difficult tellin' when to expect 'em."
"Of course they are bound to land here?"
Jake hesitated only for an instant before he decided that under the
circumstances a lie was absolutely necessary, and then replied
positively:
"Of course. Where else would they come?"
"I was afraid there might have been some little difference in the
steering."
"We all were obliged to keep dead before the wind, therefore ought to
come out pretty nigh alike."
This reply appeared to satisfy Neal, and he set about cheering Teddy,
who finally arose to his feet and signified his willingness to do
whatever Jake should propose as necessary.
The engineer made many suggestions which he would not have thought of
had he been alone, or in the company of those who did not need such a
tonic.
All the goods were first carried from the beach to the edge of the thick
forest a hundred yards away, and over the collection was constructed a
shelter to protect it from the dew. The fragments of the boat were
carefully gathered up and deposited in the same place.
Then a quantity of such pieces of dead branches and decaying wood as
could be found near at hand was stacked close by the beach, to serve as
a signal in case a vessel or the boats should heave in sight.
When this had been done it was noon, and Jake set about preparing as
elaborate a meal as their store of provisions would permit, saying as he
summoned them to the repast:
"Now boys, I want you to fill yourselves up so's to be ready for hard
work in case anything is to be done when the others get here. Afterwards
we'll take a snooze, which is the proper thing to do at the middle of
the day in a hot climate, and then there must be some exploring, for we
want to find out if we are really on the island of Cuba."
The boys' hunger was very much greater than their grief, and without
further urging they did full justice to the meal, Teddy saying as he
helped himself to the third slice of preserved meat:
"It wouldn't be a bad idea for us to hunt a little while for something
in the shape of a vegetable, or we shall soon run short of provisions."
"It's the very plan I was thinking of. In these woods we should be able
to find many things that would help out on the bill of fare; but in case
that can't be done, you boys must turn hunters. It's mighty lucky you
have your guns and plenty of ammunition."
This last suggestion pleased the boys wonderfully and if Jake had not
insisted very strongly that they sleep during the hottest portion of the
day, both would have started into the forest without delay.
After lying down in the shade slumber came to their eyelids quickly, and
when he was convinced they were across the border of dreamland, Jake
arose softly, saying to himself as he stole up the shore:
"This goes ahead of any scrape I ever had the bad luck to fall into, an'
I'd give all I've got to know exactly where we are, for I'm certain it
ain't Cuba. If two days pass without our sightin' a sail I must fix up
some story to make the boys eager to tramp across the country. That'll
be better than stayin' here where, 'cordin' to my idea, there's mighty
small chance of our finding anybody who can help us."
He walked along the shore fully two miles; but there was no diversity of
scene. The coast strewn thickly with coral rocks, and backed by a dense
forest, was all that could be seen either above or below the place where
they landed.
Then Jake forced his way through the tangled undergrowth, experiencing
no slight difficulty in so doing, and the vegetation confirmed his
belief that the little craft had been carried by the wind to some land
further south than was at first supposed.
On the water not a sail was in sight, and when Jake returned to the
place where the rude shelter had been put up he was in even a more
despondent mood than Teddy and Neal had been.
"I s'pose we must wait here a couple of days to satisfy the boys the
other boats won't come, an' then it's a case of strikin' across the
country with good chance of wanderin' around until fever or wild animals
puts an end to it."
His companions were yet asleep, and he lay down beside them in order to
prevent any suspicion that he had been spying out the land.
Under other circumstances the monotonous roar of the surf would have
lulled him to rest; but now his anxiety was so great that, despite all
efforts, his eyes would persist in staying open very wide, and he spent
the remainder of the siesta trying in vain to decide what was best to
do.
Not until late in the afternoon did the boys awaken, and then Neal said
as he sprang to his feet:
"It won't do for us all to sleep again at the same time. If the boats
came in sight since we've been lying here it is very probable father
has missed us, for more than likely they would try for a better place to
land further up or down the coast."
"You needn't worry about that, lad. I've kept honest watch, and not so
much as the wing of a sea gull has appeared above the horizon."
Teddy, remembering what Jake had said about hunting, began to clean the
guns, for both had been thoroughly wetted during the landing, and Neal
walked slowly along as he looked out over the water intently.
Before going very far he saw the engineer's footprints on the sand, and
shouted excitedly:
"Some one has been here! Perhaps father arrived before we did."
"There's no such good luck," Jake replied. "While you fellows were
snoozing I went a long bit in that direction."
"Then it's only a waste of time for me to go over the same ground," and
Neal retraced his steps, adding when he gained Teddy's side, "I'll do my
share of that work."
"You spoke too late, for I have finished. Now let's see what can be done
in the way of hunting; a roasted bird will be a big improvement over
salt meat, and I count on finding plenty of game."
"All right, provided Jake is willing to stay here alone."
"What is to prevent me from joining the party?"
"Someone must remain in case the boats heave in sight," Neal replied in
a positive tone, and the engineer said carelessly:
"I didn't think of that; but it'll be all right, I'll keep my eyes
peeled," and he added to himself, "I wish he wasn't so certain about the
others coming, an' then the disappointment wouldn't be quite so great."
Jake cautioned the boys against going very far from the beach because of
the danger of getting lost in the forest, and as they disappeared among
the underbrush he threw himself upon the ground, unable longer to fight
against the despair which was rapidly overpowering him.
He understood perfectly well how great would be the danger in attempting
to make their way through the wooded portion of the country at this
season of the year, when fever germs lurked in every spot where stagnant
water was to be found, and knew at the same time how extremely difficult
it might be to find a place offering any more advantages than did the
narrow strip of sand on which they had been thrown.
"It wouldn't be quite as bad if I knew where we are," he said to
himself. "It can't be possible that we're on the coast of South America;
but if that should prove to be the case we'd make a pretty mess of it by
trying to cross."
Then came the thought that perhaps it would be better to travel up the
coast, and as to the advisability of this he studied a long while
without being able to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion.
Two hours were spent in this profitless speculation, and then the boys
returned, bringing with them two large hoccos, birds looking not unlike
wild turkeys.
"We shan't starve while such game as this is to be found," Neal cried
triumphantly. "I believe we might have shot a dozen by staying longer;
but there was no sense in doing so just for the sake of killing. It will
be a hard job to eat all this meat before it spoils."
"How far in did you go?" Jake asked, rising to his feet quickly and
trying to banish from his face the look of dejection, lest his
companions should suspect how desperate he believed the situation to be.
"Not more than half a mile," Teddy replied.
"What is the general appearance of the country?"
"The undergrowth is very dense in places, and above here, a little to
the right, we came upon what seems to be a swamp. It was there we found
these birds, and something else which is not quite so promising."
As he spoke Teddy pulled up his shirt sleeve, and pointed to several
black specks on his skin.
"They are ticks, or garrapatas, as the Spaniards call them," Jake
replied, as he opened his pocket knife. "The sooner you get rid of them
the better, for they will make what is likely to be a bad sore unless a
cordial invitation to leave is extended."
"Are you going to cut them out?" Teddy asked in alarm.
"Not exactly; but you won't get rid of the pests without considerable
pain, for they have the faculty of crawling under the skin mighty fast."
Jake set about the work in a methodical manner, causing Teddy to cry
aloud very often as the insects were pulled or dug from the flesh.
Then Neal was called upon to undergo the same operation, and not until
nearly an hour had passed were the hunters free from the painful pests.
It was now nearly sunset, and all hands set about preparing the hoccos
for roasting, by first plucking the fowls, removing the intestines, and
sticking them on a sharpened stake in front of the fire.
It was not an entirely satisfactory method of cooking, for while one
portion was done brown, another would be hardly warmed through; but, as
Teddy said, "it went a long way ahead of nothing," and all three worked
industriously, turning the game or piling on the fuel until, about an
hour after sunset, the task was completed.
By this time the castaways were decidedly hungry, and the half-cooked
fowls tasted better than had the most elaborate meals on board the Sea
Dream.