It was far from comfortable, though, sitting on those hard rocks, but the boys made themselves believe that they were enjoying themselves hugely. They could only converse in whispers, and Hugh even cautioned them against doing too much of this, so that the time hung heavy on their hands.
As they had all had considerable experience in roughing it at various times, they finally settled down in the softest places they could find near together, and managed to secure some sleep, though it came in what Billy termed “cat naps.”
Hugh himself did not expect to get any rest. The whole success or failure of the enterprise depended pretty much upon him. At least he would be held responsible for any lapse that spelled defeat for the bold mariners from the Vixen, when they attempted on another night to get close to the fort in order that they could command its unconditional surrender with the coming of dawn.
So the anxious scout master kept moving about much of the time. He would crawl to a certain spot he had selected near the crest of the ridge of rocks, and from which he was able to see the lights of the fort. Here he expected in the morning to take observations through his powerful glasses, and when the sun was suitable transmit any important intelligence he had gleaned along to the scout next in line. In turn the latter would pass it on until finally it was received aboard the war vessel by Blake Merton, the entire work having been done by scouts.
Midnight came and went with all being well.
By now the other fellows seemed to have sunk into a sound sleep, and this impressed Hugh so much that he tried his best to follow their example. But the excitement under which he labored was so intense that while he secured some comfort from stretching out at full length and closing his eyes, not for a single minute was he able to forget himself.
Long practice in camping out in the woods at night had enabled Hugh to tell successfully what the time might be from observing the stars in their never-ceasing march toward the western horizon. When the young moon went down it had been a few minutes after ten. That was nearly three hours ago, as it must now be close on one o’clock. As daylight could not be looked for until somewhere near half-past four he knew there were still three more hours for him to lie around, first on one side until that felt sore, and then turning on the other for a change.
When another hour had passed Hugh aroused three of the scouts, these being the fellows who were to take up their stations as arranged on the back trail, and relay each message as it came along. Perhaps there was really little necessity for doing this, but Hugh believed in making things doubly sure. If one of the signal senders failed to receive properly the message, the next in line would likely have read it correctly, and could relay it on.
There was another hour or so to wait after Sam, Walter and Billy had been dispatched to their posts. Hugh allowed the rest to sleep on. He stood watch, and cast many anxious glances toward the east where the first faint flush of dawn would finally make itself manifest.
He knew that the Vixen would have slipped her anchor, and gone further down the coast before then, to take up a new anchorage at a place where the conformation of the land promised to hide her presence from the watchers at the fort. The scout who was located at the most southerly station would thus still be in position to communicate with those aboard.