Part 26 (2/2)
”I didn't see them,” persisted the lad.
”Then why did you tell us you did?”
”I didn't.”
Mr. Simms thrust his hands in his pockets and strode back and forth several times.
”Say, young man, did you see anything at all, except what your imagination furnished?”
Chunky nodded emphatically.
”What did you see?”
”Indians.”
”Oh, pshaw!” grunted Mr. Simms disgustedly.
”Indians?” interrupted Walter Perkins. ”Tell me about it?”
”I was asleep,” began Stacy.
”So that's the way you keep watch over our herd is it?” growled Luke. ”We were just about to organize a searching party to go after you, when we saw you coming.”
”I got tired. I sat down by a rook and--y-a-li--hum----”
”Ho-ho-ho--hum,” yawned the foreman.
Within half a minute the whole outfit was yawning lazily, all save Old Hicks, the cook, who with hands thrust into his trousers pockets stood peering at the fat boy out of the corners of his eyes.
”Stop that, d'ye hear!” snapped Ned Rector angrily. ”I'll duck you in that water hole, if you don't.”
”Just been ducked,” answered Stacy lazily. ”Got kicked in by a sheep.”
”What about the Indians?” asked Tad impatiently. ”I guess you dreamed you saw them.”
”No, I didn't. I went to sleep by the rock and when I woke up it was daylight. I yawned.”
”Of course you did,” jeered Ned. ”Wouldn't have been you if you hadn't yawned.”
”I was rubbing my eyes and trying to make up my mind where I was when--when----”
”When what?” urged Tad.
”When somebody said, 'How?'”
The sheepmen laughed.
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