rve, especially two women and a child, after he has put us
here himself! He's _promised_ to bring us provisions! Given us his
word! To go back on it would be a violation of the law of the cache!
Why, the man has my schooner, and he hasn't paid for her yet! No, no,
Kayak. Kilbuck will come. . . . By God, he's _got_ to come!"

There was slow finality in Kayak Bill's answer.

"Boreland, he's waited too long. He _can't_ come. It's the thirteenth
o' November. No one can come to Kon Klayu now till the breakup o' the
winter. . . . The White Chief's staked the cards on us, son. We're up
against it."

PART III

CHAPTER XXV

ON RATIONS

After the great November storm was over, Ellen realized that her
problem--for the present--had been taken out of her hands. Even if the
pigeon were sent now, the White Chief would not risk bringing a
schooner to the Island of Kon Klayu; there was no boat built that could
make a landing on its reef-guarded shores during the winter season. It
was too late. They were marooned until spring at least. She would
keep the bird until then. Further than that she refused to think.

As she accepted the inevitable she felt a sense of peace settle upon
her, and with it came new strength. As Kayak had said they were up
against it, and knowing now what she had to fight, she was ready.

Her mind turned at once to the pitifully meager supply of provisions.
With all the shrewdness of a general preparing to withstand an
indeterminate siege, she planned her rations so that they might last
the longest period of time. If the party could exist until spring, a
cannery boat, a whaler, a ship of adventure, might call in and get
them, even though the White Chief did not come. Ellen made a mental
vow that they would live until spring.

On the fourteenth of November she made the entry in her log:

We have the following provisions on hand:
Flour--damaged--enough for eight months
Bacon, 1 slab
Dried onions, 1 pound
Beans, enough for five months if we have them once a week
Rice--damaged--for five months, once a week
Lemon Extract, 1 bottle
Salt and Pepper
Worcestershire sauce, 1 bottle
Dried bear meat
Bear fat, rancid
Rolled oats--mouldy--four months
Tea and Coffee
Three boxes candles
Two jars canned plums from mother's

That afternoon, on a pretense of his looking for pay-sand, she sent
Loll down on the beach, and, calling the others together,