Part 14 (2/2)

He sat up, rubbing his eyes and blinking in the strong morning light.

”Whew! I'm stiff in every joint,” he mumbled. ”And sleepier than Stacy Brown ever thought of being.”

Ned pulled himself to his feet, yawning broadly.

”That's another bad habit I have learned from Chunky. I wonder if Tad's awake.”

Peering over the edge, Ned was unable to make out whether his companion down there were awake or sleeping. He hesitated to call, knowing that if Tad Butler were still asleep at that hour of the day it was because he was tired out and needed rest badly.

Ned strode over to Stacy's tent.

”Wake up,” he commanded, pinching one of the fat boy's big-toes.

”Get out,” mumbled Stacy sleepily, at the same time kicking viciously with the disturbed foot.

Thus encouraged, Ned pulled the other big-toe.

Chunky rose in his wrath, hurling the rubber pillow on which he had been sleeping full into the face of his tormentor.

Ned, caught off his balance, tumbled over in a heap, while Stacy crawled back under the blankets, very well satisfied with the result of his throw.

But he was left in peace only a moment. Ned recovered himself and returned to the charge. Over went the cot, with Stacy beneath it.

From the confusion of blankets emerged the red face of the fat boy.

Ned Rector thought it time to leave. He did so, with Stacy a close second and the rubber pillow brus.h.i.+ng Ned's cheek in transit.

There was no more sleep in the camp. Ned and Stacy's foot race continued until both were out of breath and thoroughly awake. Then they sat down, laughing, the color flaming in their cheeks and eyes sparkling with pleasurable excitement.

”I'll wake up Tad, I guess,” announced Ned after recovering his breath.

Going to edge of the cliff, he shouted loudly. But there was no answer to his summons. Then both boys added their voices to the effort, joined a few minutes later by the Professor and Walter Perkins.

They were unable to get any reply at all; nor was there the slightest movement or sign of life where Tad had last been seen.

”What can it mean?” they asked each other, all the laughter gone out of their faces now.

”It means,” said Ned, ”that Tad isn't there. Beyond that, I would not venture an opinion.”

”Maybe he's fallen into the stream during the night and drowned,”

suggested Chunky.

”We shall not even consider that as possible, nor do I believe it is,”

replied the Professor. Nevertheless, he was deeply concerned over the mysterious disappearance of the lad.

”If the Indian ever gets here with a rope, I'll go down there and see if I can find out anything,” said Ned.

”Not until all other means have been exhausted,” declared the Professor. ”We appear to have lost one boy, and I do not intend that we shall lose another.”

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