“Sour grapes!” remarked Ned with a laugh. “But I guess you’re right, Jerry. We can’t hit ’em, at any rate.”
They walked on for some distance farther and then, as it was getting dusk, returned to camp.
“I don’t believe I’ll have to have any one sing me to sleep to-night,” said Bob as he prepared for bed. “I’m dead tired. How about you, Ned?”
“I guess I can get along without a dose of soothing syrup.”
“I was thinking we’d better stand watch,” remarked Jerry.
“Why?” asked Ned.
“To tell you the truth I don’t like the idea of those colored men being in this neighborhood. Where there are three I think there are sure to be more. Of course they may be harmless enough, but I have an idea they are desperate men, and our camp and boat offers quite a temptation to them.”
“Oh, I don’t believe they’ll bother us,” said Bob. “Let’s get what sleep we can. Leave a lantern where we can light it in a hurry if we hear any suspicious noises.”
Ned sided with Bob, and Jerry, somewhat against his will, gave in to them. However, he determined to stay awake as long as he could. He also arranged some fishing lines about the camp so that if any intruders came in they would trip on them and bring down a collection of pots and pans which he arranged to fall at the slightest disturbance.
“That will do for a burglar alarm,” he said.