"I'm awfully sorry," said Tom.
"Sorry—for what?" asked the Doctor.
"Why, now that you've told us so much about the great ships, I want to hear more. I've at least a hundred questions to ask you."
"Very well," said the Doctor. "The winter will be long and we'll have abundant opportunities of evenings to ask and answer all the questions we please. But just now our business is to get to bed and to sleep, or rather that's the business of you other fellows. My business is to go out and relieve Jim Chenowith as our picket guard. So good night boys, and good, refreshing slumbers to you!"
With that the Doctor shouldered a gun, first carefully examining its cartridges, and strode out into the bitterly cold night to do his turn at guard duty. He had indeed made himself a boy among boys, and he had won all hearts.
CHAPTER XVII
Christmas in Camp Venture
As breakfast was in course of preparation the next morning, Ed brought a large dripping pan and set it in front of the fire.
"Now you fellows," he said, "who are broiling bacon on the points of sharpened sticks, will please let the fat from it drip into this pan, and you'll kindly do the same from now till Christmas."