“There’s no need of taking more than we can lug comfortably,” Gil said, when the tide had covered the largest beds, “and now comes the question of how they may be carried to the place where we agreed to meet Jenkins.”
“I reckon my mate an’ me can rig up somethin’ that’ll answer for baskets,” one of the sailors replied, as he began gathering a quantity of vines, and in this labor Andy assisted without being especially requested so to do.
Under the skillful fingers of the three men the vines soon assumed shape, and the sun was yet above the horizon when five rude receptacles had been woven.
After these were filled with oysters it was found that each one had as much of a load as could comfortably be carried on his back, and, laden heavily, all hands started for the rendezvous, arriving there just as the mate returned, looking tired and disappointed.
“We’ve done our portion of the work,” Gil said, cheerily, “and what have you accomplished?”
“Nothin’, so far as a hidin’-place is concerned. It won’t do to go so far into the interior of the island that we stand a chance of gettin’ lost while tryin’ to find our way back to the beach, an’ I can’t find a spot where anything bigger than a rabbit could hide himself this side of the cave.”
“Yes, the whole crowd are near the entrance, an’ from the appearance of things they have got over the scare we gave ’em.”
“Thirty at the lowest calculation, without countin’ them as were hidin’ in the cave. All hands are loafin’ around the entrance, as if not carin’ whether we saw them or not, an’ I reckon they’ve sized us up mighty nigh right.”
“But what are we to do to-night?” Nelse asked, his voice betraying the uneasiness he felt.
“There is only one plan I can think of, which is to get into the tunnel we found.”
“Why, that would be putting ourselves directly in their power!” Nelse cried, and Andy looked at Jenkins as if fancying the mate had suddenly lost his reason.
“When it comes to dots, we are in their power already, and without much chance to defend ourselves, if they should surround us in this thick underbrush. There we could hold our own for a while, at any rate, because not more than one could attack us at a time, an’ our revolvers would keep ’em back a good many hours.”