Part 23 (1/2)
”Don't , Ross,” said Teddy ”He's only envious because he can't rise to our heights He's like that fellow that Wordsworth tells us about:
”'A primrose by the river's bri rinned Bill, stubbornly holding his ground
”A hopeless case,” groaned Teddy ”If he heard a bobolink singing, he'd ask whether it was good to eat”
”What is this anyway?” laughed Fred ”It sounds like elocution day at Rally Hall”
”Talking about eats,” chi our stuff off the boat before it gets dark? Mark will have plenty of fish with hiht to be able to get up a nifty little supper”
”Count o of supplies on the _Sleuth_, and we'll all chip in together”
”The ine Mark doesn't have ht at least the old -up h his stomach,”
observed Teddy, ”and if we fill him up, he'll be all the more ready to loosen up and tell us all he knows”
”I e had a Chinaet him to make us a soup out of the shark's fins”
”We'll try it ourselves if we get hard up,” laughed Ross, ”but it seeot ourhim any further”
They waded out to the boats and ransacked the lockers, returning loaded with coffee and bacon and beans and eggs and jaht of which added a spur to their already lively appetites
”That looks like Mark's boat out there now,” observed Lester, as he straightened up and surveyed the sea
He pointed to a tiny catboat coait, and that seemed to be headed directly for that part of the beach where the boys stood
”At the rate he's co, he'll be here in fifteen minutes,” Lester announced asupper all ready when the oldhis tools, and it will give hi!” exclaiet many surprises--pleasant ones Iof his stomach,” added the ever practical Bill
The boys set to ith a zest, and five pairs of hands transforhted a fire in the rusty stove, Bill cut up soht water for the coffee fro, Teddy cleared the litter of odds and ends off the rough pine table and set out the eatables, while Lester fried the bacon, war, even down to salt and sugar, had core stock was not drawn upon for anything A fluffy omelet finished Lester's part of the work, and when Ross produced a big apple pie that his landlady had given hi, the boys stood off and viewed their handiith pride
”It makes one's mouth water,” said Teddy, who claimed to be an expert where food was concerned
”I can't wait,” declared Bill ”I wish Mark had wings”
”He doesn't need the out of the door, ”for here he co master of the house, who had rounded the point into the sheltered bay and was fast approaching the beach He had already noticed the two boats lying side by side and surmised that he had visitors He looked at the boys curiously and waved his hand to Lester in friendly fashi+on
Then his boat claiility for one so old, he did all that was necessary to lay it up snugly for the night
Then he clambered into a small rowboat that trailed at the stern, loosed the rope that held it and with a few deft pulls at the oars rowed in until he grounded on the beach The boys ran forward and drew the boat far up on the sands above the high water mark, while Lester shook hands with the newcomer
”How are you, Mark?” he said heartily