“Won’t it be wonderful to see our party again?” asked Joe, deeply touched.
“Sure will,” Bob replied. “But we don’t want to be too sure that everything will turn out all right. Something else may turn up that’s not expected.”
After the feast the three sat in silence, watching the moon float silently and majestically over the great jungle.
At last Joe turned to put more fuel on the fire.
“Hadn’t some of us better turn in?” he asked. “We’ve had a tough time of it today and need rest.”
Bob agreed, and they set about arranging watches.
“I’ll be the first guard,” announced Joe. “You and the chief curl up by the fire and get some sleep. I’ll call you in a few hours. We’d better not disturb the Indian tonight.”
Thus it was arranged, and Joe sat idly beside the fire, his rifle near by.
His watch passed without incident, and at last he tapped Bob on the back. They changed positions, Joe retiring and Bob keeping a lookout for intruders.
Despite the fact that Bob had a strange feeling that something would happen, the night passed peacefully, although the youth was confident that wild animals were just beyond the zone of firelight.