In due time all of the campers managed to get asleep, though, if they awakened during the night, it must have given them a queer feeling to realize that they were no longer surrounded by the familiar walls of their rooms at home, but had only a thin canvas covering between themselves and the star-studded heavens above.
Morning came.
The whinny of old Moses acted as reveille to arouse the trio inside the tent; possibly the animal was accustomed to having his breakfast at peep of day, and wanted to know why it was not forthcoming now.
First Toby, then Jack, and finally Steve came crawling forth, clad in their warm pajamas. They stretched, and went through certain gymnastic 21 feats calculated to limber up their cramped muscles. Then, as the fresh morning air began to make Toby in particular shiver, he plunged inside again to commence dressing.
“It really isn’t because I’m so ferocious for my breakfast, boys,” he hastened to explain, when the others followed him under the shelter; “but that air is pretty nippy, seems to me, and I don’t like too much of it when minus my clothes. Steve, how about you trying your hand at those bully flapjacks you’ve been boasting of being able to make ever since this camping trip was first planned?”
“Oh! I’m game, if you both say the word,” affirmed the other. “That’s why I just insisted on fetching that self-raising pancake flour along. What would a camp be like without an occasional mess of flapjacks?”
Later on, while Steve was making ready to carry out his job, Toby sought Jack, who was doing something inside the tent.
“Say, do you know, Jack,” he went on to remark, “I woke up some time in the night and couldn’t just make up my mind what it was roused me. Seemed like a clap of distant thunder; but when I peeped out under the canvas the stars were shining to beat the band. Did you happen to hear it too, Jack?”
“Just what I did, Toby,” returned the other, with a smile, “and as you say, it did sound like far-away thunder. I saw you peeking out, but 22 didn’t say anything, for old Steve was sleeping fine, and I didn’t want to wake him up. After you went off again I crept outside for an observation. It was around midnight then.”
“Course you could tell by the stars,” suggested Toby, eagerly. “I saw you taking their positions about the time we crept in for a snooze. I must learn how to tell the hour of the night by the heavens before we finish this camping trip. It must be a great stunt, I should think, Jack.”