Fortunately the night was warm, so they suffered no discomfort by sleeping thus. No dew fell out there on the desert.
It was arranged that Diamond should stand guard first, while Frank came second, with Toots for the last guard toward morning.
They ate some of the hard bread and jerked beef and then threw themselves down, with their bicycles near at hand, so they could spring up and mount in a hurry if necessary.
Browning was the first to stretch himself on the ground, and he was snoring almost immediately. The others soon fell asleep.
The rim of a round, red moon was showing away to the eastward when Jack awoke Frank.
“How is it?” Merriwell asked. “Have you heard or seen anything suspicious?”
“Not a thing,” was the reply. “All is still as death out here—far too still. I don’t like it.”
“Well, it is not real jolly,” confessed Frank, with a light laugh; “but I don’t think we need to be worried about visitors; and that is one good thing.”
Jack was fast asleep in a short time.
Morning came, and Toots was the first to awaken. Dawn was breaking in the east as he sat up, rubbing his eyes and muttering: