Agreeing to this arrangement, Bladud led his companions up the steep
face of a cliff until a projecting ledge was reached, which was just
wide enough to form a camping-ground with a perpendicular cliff at the
back, and with its other sides so precipitous as to render the approach
of enemies--whether two or four-legged--exceedingly difficult. By
piling a few stones at the head of the path by which it was reached,
they rendered it impossible for any one to approach without awakening
the sleepers.

Bladud then, using his sword as a hatchet, chipped off some pieces of
the plank, and directed his companions to cut away the wet parts of
these and reduce the dry parts to shavings.

They obeyed this order in silence, and wonderingly, for a fire seemed
useless, their encampment being well sheltered from the wind, and, as we
have said, the weather was warm. By means of a cord, a rude bow, and a
drill made of a piece of dry wood, their leader soon procured fire, and,
in a few minutes, a bright flame illumined their persons and the cliff
behind them.

As the shades of evening were falling by that time, the aspect of things
was much improved by the change.

"Now, comrades," said the prince, undoing the breast of his tunic, and
drawing from either side a flat mass of dark substance that resembled
old dried cow-hide, "we shall have supper, and then--to rest."

"Dried meat!" exclaimed little Maikar, his eyes--and indeed his whole
visage--blazing with delighted surprise.

"Right. Maikar. I knew that you would be hungry when we got ashore, so
I caught up two pieces of meat and stuffed them into my breast just as
we were leaving--one for Arkal and me; the other for you. It may not be
quite enough, perhaps, but will do, I hope, to keep you quiet till
morning."

"Nay, I shall content me with my fair share, it I may claim a share at
all of what I had no hand in procuring. It was wise of you to do this.
How came you to think of it?"

"To say truth, I can lay claim to neither wisdom nor forethought,"
answered the prince, dividing the food into equal portions. "The meat
chanced to be lying close to my hand as I was about to leap into the
sea. Had I seen it sooner, I would have advised all to take some in the
same way. There, now, set to and cook it. For myself, I feel so sleepy
that I'm half inclined to eat it raw."

The jerked or dried meat which had been thus opportunely brought away,
may be said to have been half cooked