“Verny, are we going to bed to-night?”
“You scouts will, but I will sit up all night.”
“Then we shall too, Verny. Not that we want to disobey you, but you must not ask us to do anything you would not do yourself,” said Julie.
“But you will grow drowsy later on, girls, and I want you to have as much rest as possible,” explained Mrs. Vernon.
“I’m sleepy now, Verny; if I only had a pillow I could be off in dreamland in a moment,” confessed Betty.
“Here—lean your head against my shoulder, Betsy,” said Julie, placing an arm about her sister.
But the dreams suddenly disappeared when a stealthy creeping of footsteps seemed to come from the doorway of the old hut. Every one gazed spell-bound at the open door, and Mrs. Vernon could just summon courage enough to say quite loudly:
“Is that you, Chief? Mr. Gilroy is in the small hut!”
She knew the sound of her voice would break the spell of fear that held them all. Then Mr. Gilroy’s voice came back:
“S-sh! It is me—myself!”