He slept on for what seemed to be some hours and then a light struck quickly and fleetingly across his eyes. The flap of the tent was half open and he could look out, but there was no repetition of the incident. He was puzzled and sat up.
“Was that from the fires?” he wondered, poking his head out of the tent and glancing towards the two fireplaces.
It was not. Both fires had gone out and not a single spark glowed to show even where they had been. But there was no question in his mind as to whether there had been a light, for the thing had been very definite. He stepped out of the tent, unmindful of the cool, damp earth under his bare feet, and stood there in his pajamas, looking keenly around.
A wandering beam of light came from around the last tent, the tent in which Buck was sleeping, and Ted frowned. “Now, who the dickens can be prowling around with a lantern?” he wondered, starting forward. “I’m going to find out.”
CHAPTER VII
WEIRD SOUNDS
The faint shaft of light vanished as Ted made his way along the line of the silent tents and for a moment he almost doubted that he had seen it. His total glimpses had consisted of flashes and nothing more, and the fact spurred him on with greater curiosity. When he had first seen the light he thought it might have been one of the boys or even Buck prowling around, but the way the gleams came and went he began to doubt it seriously. Remembering the man whom he had previously seen, he became cautious as he stepped to the end of Buck’s tent and looked around.
He was not able to see a thing, for the darkness was so dense that it presented to him only a solid wall. His ears were listening keenly but he heard nothing. He supposed he had better look back of the tents, but this thought brought a problem. There was no use in doing that unless he took a lantern with him, and he might alarm the boys if he did so. The question was not an agreeable one.
A low hiss reached his ears, a sound which came from the tent. He thrust his head inside the flap.
“That you, Buck?”
An answering whisper came back to him. “Yes. What are you doing up?”