Mr. Hampton slapped the big fellow on the back in kindly fashion, as Bob leaned forward, seated on the ground beside him.
“Forget it, Bob,” he said. “You have nothing with which to reproach yourself. Certainly you can have the first watch, if you want it. I expect the rest of us will be only too glad of the opportunity to turn in at once. As to there being any further danger, however, I very much doubt it. You boys have given Lupo a terrible blow. With four men killed and three prisoners, he must be short-handed. If he had only twelve or fourteen, as we believe, his number now is less than ours. The consequence is, that I cannot conceive of his attempting again to attack us here on the island. However, a watch must be kept, so go to it.”
Everybody agreeing with this program, Bob took the first watch and the rest scattered around the camp, under the spruces, and soon were sleeping soundly. When the time to change watches came, with nothing alarming having broken the calm, Bob waked MacDonald, and himself turned in. After that, he did not have even a disturbing dream and was disturbed by nothing until awakened by being shaken. He looked up and found Frank bending above him, his face alight with merriment.
“Hey, which of the Seven Sleepers are you?” demanded Frank.
Bob ignored the query, his mind leaping at once to the picture of Frank as he had last seen him. In his voice was a note of thankfulness at finding Frank thus carefree, as he said:
“How do you feel, old man?”
“Never better,” confessed Frank. “Sleep is certainly the right medicine, isn’t it?”
“Don’t I know it!”
Bob yawned luxuriously, and rubbed his eyes.
“Come on, Bob, let’s take a plunge in the channel. Just got up myself. It’ll wake us up, make us feel good. Everybody’s up now, and Dick fixing to get breakfast. He and Art and MacDonald are fishing. Mr. Hampton and Farnum are talking things over. And here comes Jack, just piled out of the feathers, too. The three of us can have a fine swim.”