Once Toby awakened the other two by talking. He fancied he had heard another of those strange booming sounds; but as Jack, who was a light sleeper, declared he had caught no such dull crash, it was determined that Toby must have been dreaming.
So morning found them.
Toby being the first to crawl out immediately announced that the signs were all propitious.
“Going to be a fine day, Jack,” he went on to say, “though I reckon it’ll warm up more or less along toward noon. But I’m so glad the rain has gone that I’ll willingly stand any amount of heat instead. Come, get a move on you, Steve; I’m starting up the cooking fire, and you promised us we would have a batch of flapjacks this morning, remember.”
“I believe I did in a rash moment,” blustered Steve, making his appearance, clad in his wonderfully striped pajamas; “and as I always try to keep my word I reckon I’m in for it.”
“Oh! you’ll have it easy enough while we’re gone,” Toby told him, “with only one to look 147 after. Perhaps now you’ll be glad to see us come trailing back home again some time tomorrow afternoon.”
“No question about that, Toby,” the other told him, as he commenced with his customary early morning exercises, modeled somewhat after the type of those in use in the army, and which were best calculated to take all the stiffness and numbness out of his system, brought about by curling up under his blanket.
There was really little to do save eat breakfast, since Jack had looked after all necessary preparations on the previous afternoon. Steve did not seem quite so hilarious as usual, Jack could not but notice. He understood the reason why, and while he hated to think of leaving the other behind, it was really necessary, since the camp must be guarded during their absence.
Later on the pair prepared to sally forth. Steve allowed the breakfast things to lie around, promising to look after them when he had seen the last of his two departing chums. Toby had filled his pockets with crackers and cheese, in addition to the amount of other things which he was to carry as his share of the burden. It looked as though Toby did not mean to starve to death during his absence from the fountain head of supplies. But then Toby did not differ to any great extent from any other wholesome boy with an appetite that knew no limit. Steve even urged various other edibles upon the adventures until one would think 148 they were planning to be gone a whole week or more, instead of a scant two days.
“I don’t believe we’ve overlooked anything,” asserted Toby, as they drew up to make their start.