He got up, lit a match, and found that Ben had been asleep an hour and a quarter in place of an hour.
“What’s the matter? Is it morning?” asked Ben drowsily when Albert shook him.
“No; but your time is out, and I want to take a nap. You remember you are to watch for the robber.”
“All right!” said Ben, now broad awake. “Did I sleep an hour?”
“An hour and a quarter.”
“Is that so? It doesn’t seem more than five minutes.”
“Do you think you can keep awake now, Ben?”
“Yes; I can keep awake till midnight. If he doesn’t come by that time he won’t come at all. Then we can sleep, both of us, with an easy mind.”
Ben had stipulated to sleep first because he felt that the attack would be more likely to come after half-past ten, when his vigil commenced, and he preferred to deal directly with the robber himself.
After Albert was asleep he got up and examined the gun to see if it was all right. Somehow he did not feel sleepy at all now. He rather hoped his acquaintance of the fields would come, for he was a boy who was fond of excitement and adventure.