"What, Nellie?"
"I'd bring some stores away from the wreck and hide them in the cave.
If you did that, it might save us a good deal of trouble. For all we
know, that mate might try to take command and refuse to let us get
anything more from the ship."
"Do you think he'd do that while Captain Blossom was around?" came
from Grace.
"Oh, he might do anything when he is half full of liquor," answered
Tom. "I think Nellie is right. I'll talk it over with the others."
Tom lost no time in the matter, and Dick, Sam, and old Jerry agreed
that Nellie's idea was very good. Captain Blossom shrugged his
shoulders and looked ugly.
"Jack Lesher shall not take the command from me," he said. "If he
tries it, he'll find himself in the biggest kind of a row."
"But you must admit that there is grave danger," said Dick.
"Yes, I admit that."
"Then you are willing that we shall hide the stores?"
"If you want to."
"Won't you help us, Captain Blossom? Of course, we recognize the fact
that those things belong to you, since you remained on the ship up
to the time she struck the island."
This speech pleased the captain, and he said he would help them
willingly.
Without delay the two rowboats and the raft were called into commission,
and an hour later the men and boys were hard at work transferring
goods from the wreck to the beach in front of the cave. Five trips
were made back and forth, the boats and the raft bringing over each,
time as much as could be conveniently floated.
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