Brede had stretched himself lazily on the ground, and he and two or three others were smoking cigars, which one of their number had thought to bring. There was no sign of serious thought in his face, nor of genuine enjoyment. He felt that he had crossed the Rubicon of disobedience; he proposed now to indulge his vicious taste for rebellious freedom to the full.
It was Plumpy who called the company to attention by the remark, "I'm hungry. Isn't it about lunch-time?"
The few watches in the crowd were consulted, and it was discovered to be nearly noon. Every one was hungry, and every one said so. Then the question arose as to how, when, and where food was to be obtained.
Some one bethought him of a country store that he had once seen at a cross-road corner a little way down the main road, and it was resolved to go there. But who would buy the things to eat? This question led to the evident necessity of further plans, and Drake's fertile mind quickly conceived a way out of the difficulty.
"Now, boys," he said, "I'll tell you what we've got to do. Everybody's got to turn his pockets inside out, an' give all the money he's got to one fellow. I should say give it to Captain Brede,--he's the head man here,--an' let him be the treasurer, an' make the bargains an' buy the things for us all."
"But," suggested one, whose pockets were evidently not empty, "some'll be givin' twice as much as others, an' that won't be fair."
Drake was ready with an answer to the objection.
"Well," he said, "everybody gives all he's got, an' if he aint got anything, he don't give anything,--not now. An' when we get back, we'll figure up what it all cost, an' then every fellow's got to pay his share, an' you that pay more now'll get that much more back."
This plan met the approval of the company, and all hands were immediately plunged into their owners' pockets.
It was not a wealthy assemblage. There were forty-one boys in the company, and the sum of their riches, which consisted largely of pennies and fractional currency, was six dollars and fifty-four cents. Brede took the money, and the boys resumed their march. They went up to the highway, and turned toward the south. It was a good mile to the country store, and it was long past noon when they reached it. They were all tired, too, and very hungry.