The boys immediately recognized the force of the argument, as did both the sailors, but Andy was literally beside himself with impatience because such a scheme had been proposed.
“I’se done gone got enuff ob dis yere crowd,” he said, angrily. “When you cotch de old man runnin’ his nose inter de hornet’s nes’ jes’ tell him he’s makin’ a mighty big fool outer hisself. We’se bad enuff hyar widout makin’ it wuss.”
“But, Andy, it really seems to be the best thing we can do,” Gil said, persuasively. “It is as Mr. Jenkins says--we shall at least have a chance of defending ourselves there, and it’s only necessary to hold out until father gets back before the trouble will be at an end. Then we can show these scoundrels a trick or two at hunting which perhaps they won’t appreciate so well.”
“I ’preciate dis yere scrape, an’ ain’ gwine ter put my nose in any mo’,” the old fellow replied, doggedly. “Ef you is boun’ dar, go ahead, an’ Andy’ll kinder grub ’roun’ fur hisself.”
“But we mustn’t separate, you obstinate old man! Can’t you see that there’s a chance, with all this food, of holding our own a good many hours?”
“Whar’s de water? Bymby somebody’s gwine ter want er drink, an’ den whar’ll de debbils be?”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Gil exclaimed, in dismay, and Jenkins added, quickly:
“We must try to lay in a stock to-night. I’ll run the risk of snoopin’ round a bit after dark, an’ it’ll be hard lines if I can’t bring in a little. At any rate, it’s better to be in the tunnel, where we’ve got a show for our lives, an’ be thirsty, than stay out here where all hands can be surrounded by daylight. If Andy won’t go with us I don’t see any other way than let him paddle his own canoe.”
The sailors decided in favor of the mate, and Gil and Nelse could do no less than agree with the more experienced and less timid portion of the party.
“We’ll go to the tunnel,” Gil decided, after a pause, “and if Andy wants to stay outside it can’t be helped.”
“I’se gwine ter look arter myself,” the cook replied, doggedly, and, without further conversation, he disappeared among the underbrush.
The cook hurried away so quickly that his companions had no time to persuade him to a different course, even provided they wished to do so, and when he was out of sight Jenkins said, as he took up the load of oysters which Andy brought: