Upon this appeal Arthur and Tom at once laid open all their stores, producing biscuit, ham, potted meats, and all the other articles of food which comprised their sea stores. And the shipwrecked Bailey ate ravenously; ate, in fact, as though he would never be satisfied. “I ain’t had,” said he, as soon as he found time to speak in the intervals of eating,--“I ain’t had not to say a reg’lar meal for three weeks, which accounts for my present ravenosity, an hopin you’ll excuse it, young gents.” XXII. _Bailey’s Den.--The Fire.--The blazing Beacon.--Shell Fish.--Bailey begins his Narrative.--Astonishing Disclosure.--Mutual Explanations. --The Story of Bailey.--The Crank Ship.--Springing aleak.--The mutinous Crew.--A Storm.--Taking to the Boats.--The Captain sticks to his Ship.--Driving before the Wind.--Cast ashore.--How to kindle a Fire.--Plans for the Future.--The Evening Repast.--The insatiable Appetite of a half starved Man.--Asleep in Bailey’s Den._ AT length Bailey’s hunger seemed somewhat appeased. “I’m a thinkin,” said he, “as how we’d better take these here victuals to some place where it’ll be more under cover, and handy for us about tea time. If you like, I’ll take them to my den.” “But can’t we roll it farther up? This barrel’s too heavy to take any distance.” “Well, I don’ know but what you’re more’n half right. I didn’t think of the bar’l. Leastways, we can put it further up, out of the reach of any surf, and cover it with the sail.” “We can take with us as much as we may be likely to want,” said Arthur. “Wal,” said the man, “there ain’t no fear of anybody stealin the things here; and as the wind ain’t likely to turn yet a while, I don’t s’pose there’ll be any danger of surf.” After a few further precautions, so as to secure the boat and the contents from any possible harm, Bailey set off to show the boys his “den.” They walked along the beach for about half a mile, and then stopped at a place where a high rock jutted out. Behind this there was a recess about twenty feet above the beach, formed by a fissure in the rock. A huge mass overhead shut it in, and formed a sort of roof; while the lower portion had been filled up by crumbled fragments. Over this rough floor Bailey had spread spruce brush, ferns, and mosses, so that it was soft enough to lie down on. The whole recess was about eight feet deep, six feet wide, and six feet high. Immediately outside a fire was burning, and from this came the smoke which had first attracted their attention. “I keep that there burnin,” said Bailey, “night and day, an I’ve kept it a burnin for the last fortnight. There’s drift-wood enough along the beach here, though every day I have to go further away to get it. Wal, there’s wood enough on the island, if it comes to that, only ‘tain’t easy gittin it up in the woods.” The boys looked around with deep interest, and with varied feelings. They saw outside, by the fire, heaps of shells, which seemed to have been burned.