Part 2 (1/2)
”Don't mind him. He's dreaming still. It's only his appet.i.te that's here at the table. The rest of him is in bed asleep,” jeered Ned Rector, with such a funny grimace that the boys laughed.
”Yes,” answered Tad, looking up, ”we ran around here in our pajamas until we found each other. Then we gave it up and went to bed.”
”But who was it?” insisted Walter.
”It was an--”
”Now, never mind, Chunky. You are supposed to be asleep,” admonished Ned, with a superior wave of his hand.
”I cannot say as to that,” answered Tad. ”I really don't think it amounted to so very much. Probably some prowler curious to know what sort of camp he had stumbled upon. I didn't lose any sleep over it after I got back to bed.”
”Neither did Chunky,” laughed Ned.
”Did you?” asked the fat boy sharply, turning the laugh on Ned.
”You remember what we were told in Springfield,” said Walter.
”What was that?” asked the Professor.
”That a band of robbers had been causing considerable excitement in the Ozarks for several months past.”
”Yes, you are right. I had forgotten that,” nodded Professor Zepplin.
”Stealing horses and other things.”
”Yes.”
”But it's all nonsense to think they would bother us,” objected Ned.
”We haven't anything that they would want.”
”No, nor do we want them,” replied Walter, with emphasis. ”I guess we had better sleep on our rifles to-night.”
”That will hardly be necessary,” smiled the Professor.
”How about Eagle-eye?” asked Ned. ”Didn't he hear anything?”
”Eagle-eye was away last night.”
”Oh, yes, that's so. I had forgotten that.”
”It might be a good idea to tell him about it,” suggested Tad, glancing over at the Professor.
Professor Zepplin nodded his head.
”Eagle-eye, will you come here, please?” called Tad.
The Shawnee, who had been pottering about the camp-fire, strode over to them with his almost noiseless tread, and squatted on the ground near the breakfast table.
”There was somebody here last night, Eagle-eye,” Tad informed him in an impressive voice.
The Shawnee nodded.