“I think we put it out,” Bob finally announced. “It would be burning up in good shape by this time if we hadn’t.”
“Seems to be pretty quiet along the Potomac,” Jack said.
“Seems is right,” Bob returned. “But we must not let them have a chance to start another fire. We haven’t water enough left to put out a match, and if they get another one going it’s curtains for us.”
“Then they mustn’t start it, that’s all,” Rex said.
“I don’t believe they’ll try it while it is as light as it is now,” Bob declared. “They know that we can see them and they have a good deal of respect for their skins. It’s the time after the moon sets that’s worrying me. It’ll be mighty dark again along about two o’clock.”
“You think they’ll try it again?” Rex asked.
“I imagine it depends some on whether or not they got Kernertok. If they know that he has gone and they failed to get him, they of course know that he’s gone for help and they’ll be in a hurry to get us before he can get back. On the other hand, if they didn’t get him or don’t know that he’s left they’ll think that they have plenty of time. But, of course, it’s all guesswork on our part.”
But the intense darkness which he dreaded came even sooner than he had expected. It was shortly after twelve o’clock when the moon slipped behind a cloud, and it was only a short time until the rapidly gathering clouds had blotted out all the stars as well.
“No use trying to see out of these holes any longer,” Jack declared, as he crossed the room. “It’s as black as the ace of spades out there and getting darker every minute.”
“What can we do?” Rex asked. “I don’t fancy the thought of staying here and being burnt out.”