“Just what was in my mind,” replied the leader of the patrol. “They must know that even men would have yelled, and shown all sorts of excitement, when bombarded in that way. But let ’em think what they please. I hope we’ll never cross their trail again.”
“Second the wish,” said Allan.
“That’s where I differ with you,” declared the aroused Giraffe, “I’d just like to pay the cowards back for that dirty trick; and I will, too, if the chance ever comes along.”
“I’m only bothering about one thing,” observed Step Hen.
“And what’s that?” Thad inquired.
“What if they run across our innocent chum, poor old Bumpus?” Step Hen went on to say, “Why, he’s so confiding, and so straight himself, that he couldn’t believe wrong of anybody. Why, they’d rob him of his gun, and everything else he had; and then turn him loose like that, in the big timber. Oh! I hope they just don’t find Bumpus before we get to him. It would be a shame!”
“Like taking candy from the baby,” added Giraffe.
“Well, let’s go to sleep again! We can talk it over in the morning,” suggested Thad.
“Don’t believe I c’n sleep another wink,” declared Step Hen.
But in spite of his gloomy prophecy, he did drop off again soon after stretching himself out on the ground, in the softest spot he could find; and knew nothing more until some one shook him. Looking up, Step Hen discovered that the dawn was stealing through the timber, and that Thad bent over him.