“I’ll be very glad to,” said Ed in his funny way. “You’d think we were all dead ones talking about vultures. Come on, let’s get ready to eat. If I had some eggs I’d cook some ham and eggs if I only had some ham. I wonder how cocoa would go in an omelet?”
“It’ll all go,” said Warde.
“Right the first time as you usually ain’t,” said Ed. “To-morrow we’ll catch some trout, hey?” Then raising his voice this exuberant member of the party called aloud, “Hey, Mr. Wilde and Billy, the camera man, come on home to supper! You’ve just got time to wash your face and hands!”
His voice sounded strange and singularly clear in the stillness and gathering dusk. The last word or two reechoed and sounded ghastly in the solemn and lonely twilight.
“Somebody hiding around here,” said Ed, clapping his hand to his ear in a funny manner of affectation. “He’s not going to get anything to eat anyway, that’s one sure thing.”
CHAPTER XXXV
DISAPPOINTMENT
After a hearty camp supper, devoured with appetites whetted by the keen mountain air, the boys found themselves only too glad to roll in for a good night’s sleep. “Have the bell-boy call me in the morning,” called Ed airily from his blanket, but before either the drowsy Warde or tired Westy could come back at him with a reply, sleep overpowered all three. They only waked next morning when the brisk stirring about of Mr. Wilde and Billy disturbed them.
“Come on now, you fellows,” jeered Mr. Wilde. “Scouts ought to be up and dressed ahead of an old business man like me.”
Warde and Westy took this remark to heart and scrambled shamefacedly for their clothes, but Ed’s unfailing good humor left him untouched. He lolled back, gazing up and up into the depths of foliage above him and retorted, “Have that bellhop get my pants from the tailor.”
“Aren’t you going to wear your scout suit at all?” queried Westy in disapproval.