By the time they were ready to roll up in their blankets and try to get some sleep, the clothes hanging from various bushes were thoroughly dry; so that Bumpus could don the same. This released all the extra blankets with which he had been swathed, which was a matter of vital importance to their various owners.
The fire they expected to keep going more or less all through the night. Besides the comfort that it brought through the necessary heat, its bright glow did much to dissipate the gloom around them, and render their situation less cheerless.
Giraffe insisted on keeping his gun close at his side, for he said there could be no telling whether they were safe there or not. If the island did happen to be the hiding-place of some desperate criminal, who might think to steal a march on them as they slept, he wanted to be ready to repel boarders.
He even had Thad promise to give a certain signal should anything out of the way happen while they slept; just as though Thad would be awake all through the night, and know about the same.
But the long hours of darkness dragged on, and there was no alarm. Some of the boys slept through the entire night without arousing once; but there were others who felt more of the weight of responsibility resting upon them, and who frequently sat up to look around, or else got upon their feet, in order to put more wood on the camp fire.
Morning broke and found them apparently in just the same condition as when they had wrapped their blankets around them, and lay down with their feet toward the fire, hunter-fashion.
Thad was the first up, and when Allan awoke it was to see the patrol leader returning over the trail that led to the river bank.
It was easy to decide that the other must have been over to learn what his tally-stick had to tell about the condition of the flood.
“How about it, Thad; falling, I hope?” Allan asked, as he stretched himself, after getting on his feet.
“Yes, and rapidly into the bargain, just as we expected would be the case,” came the reply. “That rain could not have extended all the way up to the sources of the river, you see; and it will run out in a big hurry.”