They were all very hungry now, and so Tom shared out some biscuits he had brought with him, and after they had swallowed a little snow they all sat down to talk.
"I fear," said Tom, "we'll have to stay here all night. It will be good fun, won't it, girls?"
He knew it was anything but fun himself, but he spoke in that way to keep up the children's courage.
When Aralia said, "Yes," so did Pansy, but both looked very quiet.
Soon after this, to their great joy, in bounded Briton himself, and close behind him waddled Floss. It was clear to all that he had been helping Flossy along, for Flossy was still little more than a puppy; but, poor wee beauty, how glad she was to see them all again!
She crawled up to Pansy, and lay down on her back to be scratched, which was always Flossy's way of showing she was pleased.
Well, after they had all talked till they were tired, Tom said: "Now, girls, just you lie down to sleep. Frank, here is my ticker." He gave his cousin his watch as he spoke. "You have to do sentry for three hours. Then wake me up and I'll let you lie down. See, I'll put my rifle and belt, with fifty cartridges in it, beside you. Mind, that is only for show, because you're too little a boy to touch guns. Anybody want a little more snow? No? Very well."
So the girls curled up with Veevee and Floss, and Tom lay near. But Briton seemed to say: "No, I won't sleep; I'll lie and watch with Frank."
Frank was not sorry to have the dog beside him for it was terrible to feel all alone in such a dismal place.
Well, the night wore slowly on—one, two, three, four hours—and Frank was just looking at the rifle, and pretending to aim at something in the falling snow, when, all at once, Briton uttered a low warning growl and sprang to his feet.