“Did you see anything of the professor?” asked Ned.
“No. Did you expect us to?” returned Bob, in some surprise.
“Oh, no. I only thought you might,” was the evasive reply.
They sat about after supper, listening to the chirp of the crickets, and a few early katydids. The darkness was slowly falling and the woods were becoming more gloomy and dismal. Now and then, off in the forest, there was a crashing sound, as some dead limb of a tree fell, or a decayed monarch of the forest crashed to the ground, unable longer to repel the inroads of time.
“Guess I’ll light up,” spoke Jerry, when they could no longer see each other’s faces as they sat on a bench in front of the cabin.
“Yes, the professor will be able to see where his camp is,” said Ned. “Won’t he be surprised when he finds us here, though?”
“Rather!” agreed Bob.
They waited, more and more impatiently as the hours passed. They went inside, for the mosquitoes and gnats made life miserable outside, especially after the lanterns were aglow.
Nine o’clock came, and it seemed like midnight.
“He won’t come now,” observed Bob, yawning sleepily. “He may stay out all night.”