_Bruce and Bart on board the deserted Ship.--New Discoveries.--The
Cook’s Galley.--A sumptuous Repast.--Observations.--A Return
baffled.--Back again.--The Antelope.--The Ripple in the
Water.--Speculations.--The Sail to the Ship.--Puzzle about the lost
Ones.--Nearer and nearer.--Unexpected and astounding Welcome!_
THE state of mind and body in which Bruce and Bart found themselves
was of such a kind that the discovery of a well-stocked pantry and
store-room gave them more delight than they had known for a very long
time. They themselves were ravenously hungry; for the appetite which had
been quickened by their long fast had been sharpened by exercise, and
they also could not forget that their friends on board the Antelope
were depending upon this expedition as much as themselves. Under such
circumstances they looked around upon the well stocked shelves, and as,
one after another, they recognized well-known and favorite articles of
food, tears of joy started to their eyes.
Tea, and coffee, and sugar, and butter, and potted meats, and hams, and
pickles, and many other delicacies of a similar kind, showed that their
predecessors had not been indifferent to the pleasures of the table. In
taking leave they seemed to have been very modest in their requirements,
since they had taken away but little. As they continued their
researches, they found other articles which increased their delight.
There were a barrel of apples, boxes of raisins, drums of figs, bags of
nuts, bottles of raspberry vinegar and of lemon sirup, a demijohn full
of lime juice, and a delicious Cheshire cheese. Leaving the pantry and
going into another store-room, they saw numerous barrels, some of which
contained beef, and others pork. Opening another door, they looked in,
and saw a chamber lined with tin and filled with pilot bread.
“I say, Bruce,” said Bart, “let’s postpone any further searches now, and
get breakfast.”
“All right. What shall we have?”
“Well, I feel strongly inclined for some tea, broiled bacon, toasted
biscuit, and Welsh rarebit.”
“Why don’t you add a few other things?” said Bruce, with a laugh. “How
can we cook anything?”
“Why, in the cook’s galley.”
“But there isn’t any fuel.”
“Why, there’s a lot of coal in that front storeroom, and fagots of wood.
Didn’t you see them?”
“I didn’t notice.”
“Well, I did, and I’m going to make a fire.”
“Have you any matches?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you make the fire, and I’ll set the table.”
“O, no; don’t set the table here. Let’s eat on the quarter-deck. It’s
rather close in here.”
“Very well; I’ll gather the dishes and eatables.” Bart now went about
his task. Going into the store-room, he found the fuel, and carrying a
supply to the cook’s galley, he succeeded in a few minutes in producing
a roaring fire. Then he filled the kettle, and before long the water
began to boil.
By that time Bruce was ready with his part of the business. The teapot
was brought forward, and the tea set to draw. Then a few slices of
very superior ham were placed over the coals and broiled. While Bruce
attended to this, Bart soaked some pilot biscuit in water till they were
quite soft, after which he fried them in butter on the stove. He then
proceeded to try his hand at a Welsh rarebit. He cut up some thin slices
of cheese, added butter, and then allowed it all to liquefy over the
fire. Having accomplished this, the two adventurers conveyed their
things to the quarter-deck, and sat down to breakfast.
Even had they been less hungry they would have enjoyed that breakfast.
True, they had no milk in their tea, but they had long since grown
accustomed, on board the Antelope, to dispense with that. The tea was of
a very superior quality, the fried biscuit was most savory, the broiled
ham was a great success, and the Welsh rarebit was pronounced delicious.
Already they had turned occasional glances over the water, and had seen
the Antelope, lying apparently three or four miles away, in the same
place where they had left her. Now, after they had satisfied their
appetites, they began to look at her more closely, and to discuss the
time of their return. They felt anxious to go back as soon as possible,
but decided that they might as well postpone it until they were
thoroughly rested.
It was evident to the boys that the ship which they had boarded had
been deserted very hastily, and they thought that her company must have
boarded some other ship. In this way only could they account for the
numerous things which had been left behind. Among these was a very
good spy-glass. Bruce had seen this while preparing breakfast, and had
brought it on deck with the other things. As they now sat on the deck
after breakfast, they amused themselves for some time with looking at
the Antelope. They could see several figures on the deck, but could
not distinguish one from another. They tried to tell by watching
their movements who each one might be. A solitary figure, that stood
motionless at the stern, they were certain was Captain Corbet, while
another figure, which indulged in rather eccentric movements, seemed to
be Solomon. The rest could not be guessed at.
They had already found out the name of the ship. They saw it in many
places, on a row of buckets that hung in front of the cabin, on the
captain’s gig, on the cook’s galley; they saw it engraved on a brass
plate on the cabin door, on the capstan, and on the spy-glass; and this
name, which they thus saw in so many places, was,--