True to his promise, the little boy had placed a piece of dry wood—part of a box—near his bunk when he went to bed. This stick was to “hit a noise,” as Bert laughingly said. Freddie now reached down, felt on the floor until he found this wood, and then he slipped off the bunk and started toward the glowing fireplace.
But he had not taken more than three steps when he stumbled over something and fell down with a crash which awakened his mother who cried:
“What is it? Who is there? What has happened?”
CHAPTER VIII
THE STORM
Silence followed the noise of Freddie’s fall and his mother’s questions. But it was silence for only a moment. The commotion awakened Flossie, who caught hold of Nan, with whom she was sleeping, and called out:
“What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know, dear,” Nan answered quietly, for she did not want Flossie to be frightened. Indeed, Nan, as yet, knew nothing about which to be alarmed. True, there had been a noise, but that often happened at night, even at home.
Mr. Bobbsey, out in the car with Bert, also heard the sounds in the cabin, his wife’s voice having awakened him.
“I’m coming!” he cried, jumping out of the car. None of the campers had taken off their clothes.