The Lost Middy Part 56

"Of course. How else could the smugglers have landed all this stuff?"

"It must be at a spring tide then," said the middy.

"To be sure. When's the next?"

"I don't know," said the middy. "You do, of course?"

"Not I. You're a pretty sort of a sailor not to know when the next spring tide is."

"And you're a pretty sort of a fellow who lives by the sh.o.r.e and don't know. You seem to know nothing."

"Bother the spring tides," said Aleck, testily. "I know there are spring tides, and that sometimes you can walk dry-shod half way down our gully; but I can't tell the times. Tom Bodger would know."

"What, that wooden-legged sailor?"

"Yes."

"Then you'd better go and fetch him here."

"I wish I could," said Aleck, sadly. "What's the good of wishing?

Here, I'm hungry. Let's have something to eat."

"No, we mustn't do that," said Aleck. "We had better eat as little as we can so as to make the food last as long as possible."

"No, we hadn't," replied the middy, roughly. "We may just as well eat while we can. There's plenty to keep us alive; but if we can't get out we shan't be able to live all the same."

"Why?"

The middy was silent for a few moments before he could master himself sufficiently, the horror that he as a sailor foresaw not having been grasped by his sh.o.r.e-going companion.

"You haven't been to sea?" he said, at last, in quite a different tone.

"Only about in my boat."

"In sight of land, when you could put ash.o.r.e at any time."

"Yes; but what do you mean?"

"I mean, the first thing a sailor, thinks about is his supply of fresh water."

"To be sure," said Aleck. "I always take a little keg from our spring when I go for a long day's fishing."

"Pity you didn't bring it here," said the middy, dismally.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I want to know what we're going to do for water as soon as those bottles are empty?"

It was Aleck's turn to be silent now, and in turn he was some moments before he spoke.

"I never thought of that," he said, and he felt as if a cold chill was running through him, to give place to a hot feverish sensation, accompanied by thirst.

Then he recovered his boyish elasticity.

"Here," he cried, "never say die! I'm not going to give up like this.

Look here; we've got a spring at home where the water trickles out of a crack in the rock and flows down into a great stone tank like a well.

It only comes in drops, but it's always dropping, and so we have enough for our wants."

"Pity you didn't bring your tank here," said the middy. "What's the good of telling me that?"

"Because the cliff all along here for miles has places where the water trickles out, and I shouldn't be a bit surprised if we were to find that the smugglers have something in the shape of a tank here in this place.

They must have wanted water here, and they would be sure to have saved any that trickled in."

"Then you'd better find it," said the middy.

"Come along, then; let's search. This place is very big."

"You can if you like. I've had such a dose this morning, just when I felt I was going to get out, that I'm going to lie down and try to forget it."

"What! Go to sleep?" cried Aleck.

"Yes."

"That you're not. You're going to help me search the cavern."

"I'm not."

"You are," cried Aleck, firmly.

"Look here; do you want to make it a fight?"

"No, and you don't either. Come on; we'll light another candle and stick it upon a piece of stone or slate. Then we'll have a good hunt."

"Oh, very well," said the middy, rising. "Come on, then; but I'm sure we're only going to tire ourselves for nothing."

"Never mind, it will keep us from thinking."

There was no difficulty in picking up a flat piece of slate, and then a fresh candle was cut free from the bunch, its end melted, and stuck on to the stone, and then the lads looked at one another.

"Look here," said the middy; "I wish I wasn't such an awful beast."

Aleck laughed.

"You don't look one," he said.

"No, but I feel one. Fellows in trouble ought to be like brothers, and I keep on having fits of the grumps. Here, I mean to work with you now."

"I know you do," said Aleck, frankly, "but it's enough to make anyone feel savage."