Part 23 (1/2)

”It ain't half bad,” admitted Step Hen.

”But how about starting to sea in this blow?” asked Allan, quietly, after he and Thad had exchanged winks.

”Oh! hang the luck, I clean forgot all about that!” admitted the tall scout, his smile of triumph disappearing immediately.

”Whew! I should say we couldn't!” b.u.mpus hastened to add, showing that it was possible for a boy to change his opinion almost as speedily as a s.h.i.+ft of wind causes the weather vane to turn around, and point toward a new quarter.

”And,” added Thad, ”that will all have to be left to the morning, anyway. If we should find a half-way chance to do something along those lines, why, we'll gladly give Giraffe the credit for thinking up the scheme. But it's time we settled down for the night now; so let's fix our blankets and be as comfy as we can, even if we do expect to keep awake.”

”And don't you think it'd be a good plan, Thad,” suggested Step Hen, ”to always keep that gun in evidence? If we could make them believe we all of us carried the same kind of weapons, we'd be more apt to see sun-up without any trouble happening; and that's what I think.”

”Well, now, there's some meat in that idea of yours, Step Hen,” the scout-master told him; ”and it wouldn't be a bad scheme for those who have clubs, to carry them more or less this way under your arm, just as you would your gun if tramping, or on a hunt. In the firelight they may think that's what they are, and the effect will be worth something to us, as you say.”

All of the boys started to settling down. Policy might have told them that if they made themselves too comfortable the chances of their remaining awake were rather slim.

b.u.mpus was a lad of good resolutions. No doubt he meant to stay awake just as firmly as Thad himself could have done. But sleeping was one of the fat boy's weak points, and it was not long before he found himself nodding.

Twice he was jabbed in the leg with the point of a pin, once by Giraffe, and the second time by Davy; for the other boys, took his request literally, and doubtless enjoyed having the chance to ”do him a to favor.”

Each time he was thus punctured the fat scout would start up hurriedly, and open his mouth to give a yell, perhaps under the impression that he had been bitten by a snake, which reptiles he despised, and feared very much.

Discovering where he was in time, however, he had managed to hold his tongue, and muttered to himself that they ”needn't go it quite so strong,” as he ruefully rubbed his limb where the pin had entered.

After each sudden awakening b.u.mpus would sit sternly up straight, as though he had taken a solemn vow not to be caught napping again; but as the minutes dragged along he would begin to sink lower and lower again, for sleep was once more getting a firm grip upon him.

When the fat boy reeled for a third time Thad, who was watching operations with more or less amus.e.m.e.nt, noticed that neither Step Hen nor Davy offered to make any use of their pins; the truth being that both of them had meanwhile gone fast asleep, and hence there were all three in the same boat.

It happened that b.u.mpus managed to arouse himself presently with a start; as if a sudden consciousness had come upon him. Perhaps he imagined he felt another jab with a pin, and the sensation electrified him.

First he looked on one side and then on the other. When he discovered that his persecutors were both sound asleep, a wide grin came over the good-natured red face of the stout youth. Thad could see him industriously hunting along the lapels of his khaki jacket, as if for a weapon in the shape of a pin; and having secured what he wanted b.u.mpus carefully reached out both hands, one toward Step Hen and the other in the direction of Davy Jones.

Then, with a low squeal of delight, he gave an outward motion with each hand. There instantly broke forth a chorus of yells that could be heard above the noise of the breakers on the rocks, and the wind rattling the branches of the low oak trees.

”t.i.t for tat,” exclaimed. b.u.mpus; ”what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. After this we'll call it off, fellows, remember. It was give and take, and now the slate's wiped clean.”

Davy Jones and Step Hen, quite tired out from their exertions, slept peacefully, one on either side of b.u.mpus; while Giraffe dozed, and whenever he happened to arouse himself he would wave that hatchet vigorously, as if to call attention to the fact that he was ”on deck,”

and doing full duty.

The long night dragged on.

Once Thad had some good news to communicate.

”Clouds seem to be getting lighter,” he announced, pointing overhead.

”Yes,” added the other, ”and there's a sure enough break, I reckon, p'raps now we'll see something of that old moon before the peep of day comes.”

At any rate the fact of the khaki-clad denizens of the camp under the ledge being constantly on guard must have impressed itself upon the minds of the poachers, for they made no hostile move while darkness held sway.