Under the Ocean to the South Pole Part 23

Soon Mark had piled up a lot of smaller sh.e.l.ls.

"Help me gather some eggs now," said Jack, "and we'll put them in to boil. Then we'll invite the rest of the folks to breakfast."

The two boys soon uncovered from the sand a pile of the eggs, and in a little while they were steaming in the hot water. Then Jack arranged the sh.e.l.l-dishes on the sand. He went over to where the others were gloomily considering their plight.

"Breakfast is ready," he announced.

"This isn't any time for joking," spoke Professor Henderson, rather sternly.

"But I mean it," went on Jack. "Just come over and see. I'm not fooling you."

Wondering what he had done they all followed him.

"Welcome to Hotel Terra del Fuego!" cried Mark. "We haven't much of a variety, but what there is we can recommend."

He began to dip the eggs out of the water with a bit of sh.e.l.l and placed them on the improvised dishes.

"Everyone sit down," commanded Jack. "The bill of fare is ready."

They all joined in the short laugh that followed, and soon were seated in a circle about the beach-oven. The eggs proved to be very good, even though there was no pepper. The salt of the sea water they were boiled in was more than sufficient.

"Now if there was only bread in that ammunition bag Washington brought with the gun," said Andy, "we wouldn't want a better meal."

"He'p yo'se'f!" exclaimed the colored man with a grin as he extended a canvas bag that was tied to the stock of the electric gun.

The old hunter opened it and found it filled with ship biscuits.

"Well I am stumped!" he exclaimed.

"I grabbed up de wrong thing in my haste," Washington explained. "I thought I had de electrical lightning bullets, but I didn't. Howsomever de gun's got some in de chamber."

"It's a lucky mistake," commented the professor as he munched a biscuit and an egg. "Bullets are good but these are better, when one is hungry."

They managed to make a fairly good meal, so that even hungry Nellie was satisfied. The boys found a spring of fresh water up on sh.o.r.e, and this furnished something to drink, for which they were grateful.

They sat about on the beach, after the breakfast and discussed what they had better do. It was evident that an attempt to regain possession of the ship, with their small force and only one weapon, was out of the question.

"We've got to use strategy," said Andy. "If we could play some trick on the savages we might scare them away. Otherwise I don't see what we are to do."

"It's a bad state of affairs," replied professor Henderson. "Even if we got the ship we might find it so badly damaged that it would be impossible to run it. It is a terrible thing," and he heaved a deep sigh.

The hours pa.s.sed with no change in the situation. The savages remained in possession of the submarine, and did not seem inclined to quit the vessel. Most of them were inside, but quite a number paddled about the stranded craft in their canoes.

There was nothing for the adventurers to do but to await developments.

With no chance of attacking the force of natives, they might consider themselves lucky if the savages did not come ash.o.r.e to give battle.

The sun was high in the heavens when, in the shade of a big tree where they had all taken refuge from the heat, Nellie again announced that she was hungry.

"I guess the boys will have to provide another meal," said Mr.

Henderson.

Jack and Mark said they guessed they could find some more turtle eggs, and Washington volunteered to accompany them. As they were looking for a nest in the sand they saw one of the tortoises scurrying down to the ocean.

"Git her, quick!" cried the colored man. "Turn her ober on her back!"

The boys did so, though they did not know what Washington's object was.

The big animal lay bottom side up, vainly moving its flippers. In a few minutes Washington had killed the turtle and cut it out of the sh.e.l.l.

"Now we'll hab turtle soup!" he exclaimed.

Soon the fire was again blazing in the improvised stove, and a little later an appetizing smell filled the air. Washington had made the soup, and, in addition, had cooked a number of the turtle eggs.

Big clam sh.e.l.ls again served for dishes and a better meal than the breakfast was served.

"Now if we only had some dessert," spoke Mr. Henderson in a joking tone, "we wouldn't want much more. But I suppose dessert is out of the question."

Jack and Mark looked at each other and, without a word went off toward the woods. In a little while they came back, their arms filled with cocoanuts.

"How will these do for dessert?" asked Jack.

"Fine!" cried Mr. Henderson.

The fruit was broken open with stones and the delicious milk and soft pulp eaten with much relish. Then the adventurers stretched out beneath the trees and rested. The thoughts of each one were busy with plans for recovering the submarine, though no one seemed to be able to suggest any thing.

It was getting dusk, when, somewhat discouraged over the result of the visit of the savages, they were all seated on the beach. They were beginning to think again of something to eat when Andy Sudds, discovered the long black box which Washington had brought with him in his flight from the _Porpoise_, and dropped in a hollow.

"I suppose you've got something very fine in there, Washington?"

"I declare to goodness I don't know what dat air contraption am conglomerated with," said the colored man. "I jest grabbed it up and run."

The old hunter had, in the meanwhile, taken the cover off.

"What in the world have we struck," he exclaimed.

"Sky rockets!" cried Jack, with a glance at the contents of the box.

"Yes," said Professor Henderson. "I took some aboard in case we might have to signal for help on the water."

"Hurrah!" yelled Andy.

"What's the matter?" asked Jack.

"We'll use the sky rockets as weapons against the natives!" shouted the old hunter, capering about on the sand.

CHAPTER XIX