Ten minutes after everybody was stretched out on a carpet of sea-weed.  Negoro himself thought he must rejoin the little troop and take his part of the repast, which was going to be made in common.  Doubtless he had not judged it proper to venture alone under the thick forest, through which the winding river made its way.

It was one o’clock in the afternoon.  The preserved meat, the biscuit, the sweet water, with the addition of a few drops of rum, of which Bat had saved a quarter cask, made the requisites for this repast.  But if Negoro took part in it, he did not at all mingle in the conversation, in which were discussed the measures demanded by the situation of the shipwrecked.  All the time, without appearing to do so, he listened to it, and doubtless profited by what he heard.

During this time Dingo, who had not been forgotten, watched outside the grotto.  They could be at ease.  No living being would show himself on the strand without the faithful animal giving the alarm.

Mrs. Weldon, holding her little Jack, half lying and almost asleep on her lap, began to speak.

“Dick, my friend,” said she, “in the name of all, I thank you for the devotion that you have shown us till now; but we do not consider you free yet.  You will be our guide on land, as you were our captain at sea.  We place every confidence in you.  Speak, then!  What must we do?”

Mrs. Weldon, old Nan, Tom and his companions, all had their eyes fixed on the young novice.  Negoro himself looked at him with a singular persistence.  Evidently, what Dick Sand was going to reply interested him very particularly.

Dick Sand reflected for a few moments.  Then: 

“Mrs. Weldon,” said he, “the important thing is to know, first, where we are.  I believe that our ship can only have made the land on that portion of the American sea-coast which forms the Peruvian shore.  The winds and currents must have carried her as far as that latitude.  But are we here in some southern province of Peru, that is to say on the least inhabited part which borders upon the pampas?  Maybe so.  I would even willingly believe it, seeing this beach so desolate, and, it must be, but little frequented.  In that case, we might be very far from the nearest town, which would be unfortunate.”

“Well, what is to be done?” repeated Mrs. Weldon.

“My advice,” replied Dick Sand, “would be not to leave this shelter till we know our situation.  To-morrow, after a night’s rest, two of us could go to discover it.  They would endeavor, without going too far, to meet some natives, to inform themselves from them, and return to the grotto.  It is not possible that, in a radius of ten or twelve miles, we find nobody.”

“To separate!” said Mrs. Weldon.

“That seems necessary to me,” replied the novice.  “If no information can be picked up, if, as is not impossible, the country is absolutely desolate, well, we shall consider some other way of extricating ourselves.”