“There’s Jupiter away up yonder; in just about two hours he’ll be setting below the horizon. Promise to call me before he disappears from sight, will you, Ethan.”
“Agreed, though I wouldn’t mind sticking out the watch till daylight,” said the other, and his manner told that he certainly meant every word of it.
“But how about me?” complained X-Ray; “there’s another star up yonder that will set by five o’clock; you’ve got to promise to let me stand guard from then on to daylight. I refuse to be left out in the cold in any deal.”
“And don’t I have any show at all?” whined Lub, though rather faintly, as though he knew very well they would not consent; for he had a failing with respect to going to sleep on his post, having been tested on numerous occasions and found wanting.
It was presently arranged then that Phil would arouse X-Ray when the second star was about to disappear. He smiled faintly when making this concession, but X-Ray did not appear to notice it. The fact of the matter was Phil knew very well that there had been a serious miscalculation on the part of the ambitious sentinel, because that second star would still be half an hour from the horizon when the sun was due to send his flaming banners athwart the eastern sky to herald his approach.
The fire had scorched the back of their shelter but no serious damage had been accomplished. That was owing to the fact of smoke affecting the sensitive throat of X-Ray Tyson; a thing that may have caused him more or less discomfort in times past, but which certainly stood them all in good stead on this particular night.
On this account they could sleep just as well as before, granting of course that their nerves had not been too much disturbed by the sudden peril, and the fight they had had to put up in order to save their possessions.
The fire was now to be kept up without intermission, day and night. Should any of those unprincipled men come over again from the other camp, bent on doing them an injury, they might well pause and abandon the attempt when they discovered how the boys maintained a constant watch, with arms in their hands, and sufficient light to discover a creeping figure, which they would be justified in firing at.
True to his promise Ethan aroused Phil when Jupiter was about to dip behind the horizon.
“All well, and getting colder right along, so that the fire feels bully!” was all the report the late sentry thought fit to make, after he had seen Phil take his place on the log, gun in hand, and blanket about his shoulders.