“Ham and fried potatoes. How does that sound?” Uncle Charlie asked.
“Might as well open up a can of stewed tomatoes, too.”
The food, although roughly prepared, seemed delicious to all three. Uncle Charlie was a good cook. The potatoes were crisp and brown. The tomatoes, well, they were just stewed tomatoes. The Danish ham had a delicate flavor unlike any Biff had eaten before.
“It’s rather like the hams we have in Holland,” Derek said.
“Only two problems in connection with running this camp,” Uncle Charlie commented. “Air and water.”
“Air? I’ve never breathed such pure air,” Biff said.
“And how much more water do you want than the Caribbean Sea?” Derek chimed in.
“Ever tried drinking it?” Biff’s uncle chuckled. “Don’t. Fresh water, my lad, is what we need. And there are no springs or wells on these islands.”
“Well, we couldn’t find any fresher air,” Biff said. “You’ve got to admit that, Uncle Charlie.”
“Sure, Biff, sure. But what we want is compressed air. For the Scubas. Those air tanks only carry enough for an hour’s diving. I have one extra tank. We have enough compressed air for about two hours’ diving daily. I mean two hours for each of you. I don’t think there’s any compressed air in Le François. I know there is in Trinité.”
“Well, that’s not too far,” Biff said. “We’ll have to go in to Trinité every day. Air and water.”
“And fresh food, Biff,” Uncle Charlie added.
Derek had been silent during this discussion. Now he spoke:
“Mr. Keene, I have a plan I want to suggest.”
“Since we have to go in to Trinité every day, I think we ought to do our diving in the morning.”
“Then, around noon, we could go into Trinité. You and Biff could see about supplies. I’d like to spend my afternoons searching for my father. I’m more anxious to find him than to locate the pearl fishery.”
“We all are, Derek. And I think your plan’s a good one. We could even spend the night at the Sans Souci if we got any leads that would take more than one afternoon to follow.”
“That’s what I thought. Martinique’s not too big an island, but there are many wild, unsettled places on it. I have a feeling that if my father is still alive, he’s up in the hills somewhere.”
“Now, Derek, there’s no reason to believe your father’s not alive,” Biff said softly.