“Wonder if I’ve been dreaming?” he muttered. “Guess I’ll wake the other fellows, and we’ll have a look around.”
Bert and Fleet were already awake, and Tom and Pod were quickly aroused and advised to keep still.
“What’s the matter?” whispered Pod, who began to tremble, at being aroused from his sleep in such a manner.
“There’s something or somebody in the camp,” Chot replied, in a low tone. “Don’t say a word, fellows. Just sit here and watch. In ten minutes the moon will be over that hill and shining right through the trees. Then we can see what’s going on.”
Huddled in a little group, Pod’s heart beating a tattoo, the boys waited for the appearance of Old Luna. They were not afraid, these fellows, but no one wants to go after an unseen enemy in the dark, and they were merely taking the best means to discover the intruder, and to handle the situation in the best way that suggested itself.
Gradually the world grew lighter, and finally the moon poked its golden rim over the distant hill, then farther and farther until the light finally burst over the land with a brilliant radiance.
Then, suddenly, Chot burst into a roar of laughter.
“What’s the matter?” cried the others.
“Matter?” he replied. “Can’t you see what startled me?” and following the direction of his finger, they saw half a dozen cows grazing under trees.
“One of those animals must have bellowed in my ear.”