Chapter 5 - Page 2

in sufficient
store of both meat and drink for four; at the same time that the
supplemental twain thus provided for were but imaginary. And if it
came to the last dead pinch, of which we had no fear, however, I was
food for no man but Jarl.

Little time was lost in catering for our mess. Biscuit and salt beef
were our sole resource; and, thanks to the generosity of the
Areturion's owners, our ship's company had a plentiful supply. Casks
of both, with heads knocked out, were at the service of all. In bags
which we made for the purpose, a sufficiency of the biscuit was
readily stored away, and secreted in a corner of easy access. The
salt beef was more difficult to obtain; but, little by little,
we managed to smuggle out of the cask enough to answer our purpose.

As for water, most luckily a day or two previous several "breakers"
of it had been hoisted from below for the present use of the ship's
company.

These "breakers" are casks, long and slender, but very strong. Of
various diameters, they are made on purpose to stow into spaces
intervening between the immense butts in a ship's hold.

The largest we could find was selected, first carefully examining it
to detect any leak. On some pretense or other, we then rolled them
all over to that side of the vessel where our boat was suspended, the
selected breaker being placed in their middle.

Our compendious wardrobes were snugly packed into bundles and laid
aside for the present. And at last, by due caution, we had every
thing arranged preliminary to the final start. Let me say, though,
perhaps to the credit of Jarl, that whenever the most strategy was
necessary, he seemed ill at ease, and for the most part left the
matter to me. It was well that he did; for as it was, by his untimely
straight-forwardness, he once or twice came near spoiling every
thing. Indeed, on one occasion he was so unseasonably blunt, that
curiously enough, I had almost suspected him of taking that odd sort
of interest in one's welfare, which leads a philanthropist, all other
methods failing, to frustrate a project deemed bad; by pretending
clumsily to favor it. But no inuendoes; Jarl was a Viking, frank as
his fathers; though not so much of a bucanier.