_Bailey’s Den.--The Fire.--The blazing Beacon.--Shell Fish.--Bailey
begins his Narrative.--Astonishing Disclosure.--Mutual Explanations.
--The Story of Bailey.--The Crank Ship.--Springing aleak.--The mutinous
Crew.--A Storm.--Taking to the Boats.--The Captain sticks to his
Ship.--Driving before the Wind.--Cast ashore.--How to kindle a
Fire.--Plans for the Future.--The Evening Repast.--The insatiable
Appetite of a half starved Man.--Asleep in Bailey’s Den._
AT length Bailey’s hunger seemed somewhat appeased. “I’m a thinkin,”
said he, “as how we’d better take these here victuals to some place
where it’ll be more under cover, and handy for us about tea time. If
you like, I’ll take them to my den.”
“But can’t we roll it farther up? This barrel’s too heavy to take any
distance.”
“Well, I don’ know but what you’re more’n half right. I didn’t think of
the bar’l. Leastways, we can put it further up, out of the reach of any
surf, and cover it with the sail.”
“We can take with us as much as we may be likely to want,” said Arthur.
“Wal,” said the man, “there ain’t no fear of anybody stealin the things
here; and as the wind ain’t likely to turn yet a while, I don’t s’pose
there’ll be any danger of surf.”
After a few further precautions, so as to secure the boat and the
contents from any possible harm, Bailey set off to show the boys his
“den.” They walked along the beach for about half a mile, and then
stopped at a place where a high rock jutted out. Behind this there was
a recess about twenty feet above the beach, formed by a fissure in the
rock. A huge mass overhead shut it in, and formed a sort of roof; while
the lower portion had been filled up by crumbled fragments. Over this
rough floor Bailey had spread spruce brush, ferns, and mosses, so that
it was soft enough to lie down on. The whole recess was about eight feet
deep, six feet wide, and six feet high. Immediately outside a fire was
burning, and from this came the smoke which had first attracted their
attention.
“I keep that there burnin,” said Bailey, “night and day, an I’ve kept
it a burnin for the last fortnight. There’s drift-wood enough along the
beach here, though every day I have to go further away to get it. Wal,
there’s wood enough on the island, if it comes to that, only ‘tain’t
easy gittin it up in the woods.”
The boys looked around with deep interest, and with varied feelings.
They saw outside, by the fire, heaps of shells, which seemed to have
been burned.
“Thar,” said Bailey, “them’s all I’ve had to eat, every bite, since I
landed here. They do to keep body and soul together, but they ain’t much
account. I’d give a bushel any day for one good biscuit. What I’ve jest
eat seems to have made a man of me.”