Chapter XXI.
THE ESCAPE TO THE SHORE.
To rouse themselves, hastily gather a few eatables, and make their wayashore had been the work of a very short time, though done with greatsoreness and much hobbling, after their cramped-up night in the boat.
They halted on the south side of a sheltering rock, where the sun wasbeginning to shine against the gray stone. Katy hated to confess it,but really she was very, very tired, and was quite willing to letAleck wrap her up in a thick blanket, and to lie quietly in a sunnynook of the rock while the boys set a fire crackling as near to her aswas safe, and began to heat water for coffee. The mill had beenforgotten, but Tug had a piece of buckskin in his overcoat pocket, andfolding the grains in this they crushed them between two stones, whichdid just as well as grinding them.
This done, the coffee-pot was filled and set upon the embers, and amoment later four cups were steaming with the hot, reviving liquid,and four tired hands were reaching towards the little heap of slicescut from the boiled ham which had been tossed into the boat the nightbefore, when leaving the ice-raft. It had required all of Rex'sstrength of mind to keep his paws off these tempting pieces for sometime past.
"Poor dog!" cried Jim; "we must give you something, if we are prettyshort. Pity there was no fish left for you."
"He can have my slice of ham," Katy said, with a faint smile. "I can'teat it, somehow."
"Better try to eat a little, sis," Aleck said, "because--"
"Don't you touch a mouthful!" exclaimed Tug, snatching the shavingfrom her hand and tossing it to the dog, which swallowed it at a gulp."Just you wait a minute! I ought to go and kick myself for notthinking of it before!" And with this puzzling remark he rushed offover the ice.
They saw him rummage about the cargo, and then start back, bringinghis gun and a small package.
"Thought it would be just as well to make sure of the gun," heremarked, as he rejoined them; "and here's something, Katy, you caneat, I guess!" It was a box containing two dozen preserved figs thathe opened, and handed to her. "I bought 'em just before we leftMonore," he said, "and clean forgot 'em till now--sure as I'm aDutchman!"
"Oh, give me one!" cried Jim.
"Jim Kincaid," said Tug, sternly, springing between the boy and Katy'shand, outstretched in generosity, "if you touch one of those figs I'llthump you well! I didn't bring them all this way for a lubber like youto eat!" And in spite of all the girl's protests, Tug would not toucha fig himself nor allow her to give one to anybody else.
Aleck grinned, and munched his tough morsel; Jim scowled, and gnawedat his shavings as though he enjoyed viciously tearing them intoshreds; Tug thought his beef was juicy and sweet, as he saw with whatgusto poor Katy ate her fruit; and as for Rex, he dug his teeth intothe tough remnant of the dried shank which had been given to him, asthough he never expected to see another meal.
Refreshed and strengthened by their breakfast, meagre as it was, theboys prepared to begin the work of bringing the cargo ashore, thoughthe weather was so cold that a thermometer would have marked nearlydown to zero.
Aleck forbade Katy to help, so she curled up beside the wall of rock,which acted as a sort of oven to hold the warmth, where presently shefell asleep, and the boys, when they returned with their firstsled-load of goods, were careful not to awaken her. So much had theirstock been reduced that they found a second trip would enable them tobring everything of consequence ashore by carrying pretty largearmfuls. They therefore distributed their loads as best they could,and started back from the abandoned boat, slipping and stumbling overthe rough ice and through the cutting wind.