They took their lanterns up the hill with them, such as were still burning, and hung them about the trees in the clearing so that the place looked like a garden set for an outdoor party. Long after Nelson was in bed and he and Bob had ceased their whispering he could see the mellow lights among the branches. Perhaps that is why, when he did finally fall asleep, he dreamed that Dan was the proprietor of a Chinese laundry next door to the post-office at Crescent and that he (Nelson) had lost his check for a pair of “sneakers” which he had left there to be waterproofed and could not get them back. To add to his annoyance he was quite certain that the “sneakers” on the counter, in which Dan was growing Chinese lilies, were his. Unfortunately he couldn’t prove it, and Dan refused to give them up, offering, however, to share the lilies with him. This offer Nelson indignantly refused, and Dan said:
“Wake up, you lazy dub! Second bugle’s blown!”
And Nelson, opening his eyes dazedly, found the sunlight streaming through the window and painting golden silhouettes on the gray blanket, while Dan, attired principally in a bath towel and having got rid of his queue, was impatiently tugging at his arm.
Followed a wild race down the hill, a scramble to the diving platform, and a long plunge into cool green depths. Three dives and it was time to be out, for they had overslept. A brisk rubbing in the tent until the body glowed, a race up-hill that brought them panting and laughing to the dormitory, a hurried dressing and a brief toilet with brushes and comb, and—breakfast! Blueberries and cream, cereal, chops and potatoes, hot muffins, and milk administered to hearty appetites. And so began the last week of camp-life, a week that, like all that had gone before, passed wonderfully quickly and brought the fellows with disconcerting suddenness to Saturday afternoon and the final contest with Wickasaw.
During that last week at Chicora Bob and Nelson and Dan and Tom stuck together like brothers. The realization that in a few days’ time they must part with small likelihood of getting together again before next summer, if then, made them anxious to see as much of each other as possible in the time remaining. Two months is a long time in the life of a boy and in it he can make undying friendships. Whether such had happened in the present case remained to be seen, but certain it is that the Four had grown extremely fond of each other. Tom was quite forlorn over the parting.
“It’s all well enough for the rest of you,” he said. “You’re going home together, and Bob and Nel will have a dandy time at St. Louis. But I’ve got to go on this beastly trip all alone!”
“You’ll have a fine time, Tommy,” said Bob consolingly. “And then you’ll be going back to Hillton. And you’ll have Nel with you there. If any one has a kick seems to me it’s me. You three chaps will see each other pretty frequently, but I’ll have to dig along all by my lonesome.”
“Don’t forget your promise to come down for the football game,” said Dan.
“I’ll come, but I sha’n’t know who to cheer for.”
“Hillton,” said Nelson and Tom in a breath.