At the very
same time, a few motions caused a heap of wood to catch fire and blaze
among the stones while a steady stream of blue-white smoke wavered up
toward the top of the cave and disappeared in the shadows. After this her
father showed her a little stream of water which must come from a spring
far back in the cave, and the current slipped noiselessly along one wall,
and dipped of sight again before it reached the entrance to the place. Here
she discovered a little bowl, made out of small stones nicely fitted
together, and allowing the water to pour over one edge and out at another
with a delicious purling--such crystal clear water that one actually wanted
to wash in it even if it was cold, and even if one had the many sore places
on fingers and nose and behind the ears.
Behold! no sooner did one turn from the washing of hands and face than the
table was miraculously spread upon the surface of a flat rock, with other
stones nearby to serve as chairs; and on the table steamed "pone," warmed
over; coffee with milk in it--coffee, which was so strictly banned at
home!--potatoes sliced to transparent thinness and fried to crisp brown at
the edges, and a great slab of meat that fairly shouted to the appetite.
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