ey discussed it from every point of
view, argued over it, pondered over it and were only brought to their
senses by a hint that it would have to be chopped up for firewood.

Then, when they reached the cache, there was another long pause for
discussion, the two sitting down to smoke whilst they talked it over.

It was not till she set to work pulling more stones away that they began
to get busy; then when once started they laboured like negroes. The
glimpse of the barrel end seemed to inflame them, but indeed they did
not want even that, for the business they had set their hands to had all
the fascination of treasure hunting mixed with the thrills of
house-breaking. Here was "stuff," plunder of some sort, who could tell
what?

An hour and a half of labour brought them sweating to the end of the
business and the presiding gulls saw exposed to the light of day two big
barrels, two long cases and an amount of canned meat and vegetables
enough to stock a small shop, also a harpoon of the old type and two
shovels placed by the long cases. Then after a rest of half an hour the
barrels were sampled. One contained flour, the other blankets and mens'
clothes, sweaters and coats and trousers. One of the long cases
contained kitchen utensils and tin cups and plates, also knives and
forks and spoons.

The other contained "comforts," tea and coffee and sugar in sealed tins,
some rolls of tobacco, drugs and a few surgical instruments. All the
equipment, in fact, necessary for an expedition of a dozen men for six
months. Not a drop of liquor.

Perhaps that was why the girl was more overjoyed by the details of the
find than the mariners.

Bompard openly expressed his mind.

"Not a bottle of wine or a drop of rum, swabs."

"Well, you've got some tobacco," said Cleo, "and there's tea and coffee
and cups and saucers, and a teapot--no coffeepot--well one can make
coffee in anything--" She was running over the stores in her mind,
standing, reviewing them with no thought of anything else and her soul
filled with a joy and satisfaction absolutely new.

Blankets! Tea! Coffee! and clothes--even mens' clothes if it came to the
worst. One might have fancied her to have fixed definitely in her mind
that she was to spend a very long time on the shores of Kerguelen and to
have accepted the terrible prospect with equanimity. It was not so. She
was living in the moment, so entirely in the moment that these things
were tremendous and vivid a