Part 5 (1/2)
CHAPTER VI
A STARTLING ADVENTURE
During the conversation recorded none of the party had given ht to conditions outside Nohen he stepped to the door of the cabin, the ensign uttered a sharp cry of consternation
”What's the h Look there!” was the rejoinder
A dense white fog had co up, and now the derelict _Good Hope_ lay enwrapped in fleecy white clouds, thick and impenetrable
”Well, we'll have to wait here in the boat till this clears off,”
declared Bob; ”we could never find the _Seneca_ in this mess”
”That's the worst of it,” rejoined the lieutenant, ”there is no boat”
”No boat,” echoed Rob unco for us”
”No I gave orders for theover a destructive erous ation They have not returned, that is evident, or I would have been notified Boys, we are in a bad fix I don't kno fast this old hulk is drifting; but I ier, we shall fetch up a long way from the _Seneca's_ whereabouts”
”Can't they cruise about and find us?” asked Merritt rather piteously
He was not a lad to underestimate the real seriousness of their position on board the old hulk in the i in blanket-like wreaths everywhere about then declared that it would be impossible for the _Seneca_ to pick them up until the weather cleared, if then
”It would be risking the vessel to cruise about in this smother,” he said; ”why, she'd be as likely to strike the _Good Hope_ as not!”
Rob's face grew long, though he did his best to ot to picnic here till the fog clears off,” he said
”That's the case exactly, Rob,” was the officer's rejoinder
”But what are we going to picnic on?” inquired Tubby anxiously ”There's no food or water on board, and we haven't brought any”
”There you go again Always thinking of that precious tu won't hurt you”
”Huh, just because you look like a huht to be fat You're jealous, that's what you are,” was the indignant reply of the fat youth
Under other conditions there h and tu, there cah-gh!”
The long bellow sounded through the white, all-envelopingcompany of castaways