All were agreed. Stacy already had gone to his tent, and now Tom and Hippy drew off their boots and stood them in the lean-to, after which they spread their blankets in their own tent and turned in, leaving Badger to sleep in the lean-to.
“Is that distant thunder that I hear?” asked Emma as the girls were snuggling down into their blankets.
“No. It is Stacy snoring,” answered Grace.
“Do we have to listen to that distressing noise all night?” complained Elfreda.
“Yes, unless you prefer to sleep somewhere else,” Nora informed her. “Once started, nothing short of a tornado can break up Stacy’s night-warbling.”
“Then I will go outside,” averred Elfreda, getting up with her blanket wrapped about her.
“Come back!” cried Grace laughingly. “It may rain and then you will get soaked.”
“So will Stacy Brown if he doesn’t stop. My nerves are on edge now, and if I have to listen to him all the rest of the night they will be shattered for life.”
Elfreda reluctantly returned to bed and, with both fingers stuffed into her ears to shut out the rasping sounds, she finally dropped off to sleep.
Tom Gray, however, unable to sleep, went out and rolled himself up in his blanket by the campfire. There he slept soundly.