“Now then, next one, do the same; close to number one.”
Percy, and after him Jack, followed my example, and in ten minutes we were lying side by side, tightly encased in our wrappings, like three cocoons. It was an excellent arrangement from Squeaky’s point of view, for it was impossible to rise in a hurry.
“Now, Pardner,” he continued, “I’ll go to bed myself. You shall take the first watch. Wake me at midnight. If any of the prisoners tries to get up, you know what you’ve got to do: shoot first, and inquire into it afterwards.”
The head jailer then went to bed, taking his rifle with him, and Bates, having placed the upturned bucket about ten feet beyond our heads, sat down upon it and commenced his solitary vigil.
I was too much troubled to sleep, and I surmised that my companions were in the same condition, for I could feel that Percy, who lay in the middle, was fidgeting and squirming about, and now and then I could see Jack’s head move. The night wore on, the fire died down and ceased to pop and crackle, and presently a new sound began to make itself heard,—a mixed sound of snorting and choking. It was Squeaky, snoring.
Directly afterwards there was a rustle among the grass, followed by a sound of whispering, and turning my face in that direction I was surprised to see Bates on one knee whispering something in Jack’s ear. He had given up being deaf and dumb,—for the moment at any rate.
Jack listened without moving, and then, in low, eager tones, appeared to be making some request. Whatever it was, Bates replied in the negative, shaking his head emphatically, and rising to his feet again he returned to his bucket.
Jack, however, apparently made a motion as if to rise, for Bates, in a hasty, anxious manner, said, under his breath, “Lie down; or I shall have to shoot”; upon which Jack lay still again.
Presently I heard more whispering, and the next thing was that Percy turned toward me and said softly:
“Tom. Awake?”