The fire was allowed to die down, so that it might not set fire to any surrounding objects, and one after another the boys turned in. Hans was soon snoring, and presently Fred, Dick and Sam dropped asleep. For some reason Tom could not compose himself, and he turned restlessly from side to side.
“Guess I must have eaten too hearty a supper,” he murmured to himself. But at last he dozed off, to dream of college and a rousing game on the baseball field.
Dick slept for about an hour. Then, of a sudden, he awoke with a start. He felt a pain in his ankle.
“Wonder what’s the matter?” he murmured and sat up. As he did so a weird groan reached his ears. He listened intently, and soon the groan was repeated.
“Hi! what’s that?” he asked aloud. But no answer came to his question. Then came another groan, and now thoroughly alarmed, Dick leaped to his feet in the darkness.
CHAPTER XIV
THE HAPPENINGS OF A NIGHT
“What’s the matter?”
It was Sam who asked the question. Dick’s question had aroused him.
“That is what I want to know.”
“What woke you up?”