They sat around for some time, talking after their habit. It was hard to realize that they were all of sixteen miles from home, and surrounded by the primeval forest, up there in the Tall Timber, as that belt of the big wilderness was known.
“This just suits me to a dot,” Wee Willie said for the fourth time as he poked at the fire, and sighed with complete happiness. “Guess I was just born to be a tramp, and make fires across the whole Continent, I love to hear the crackle of the flames so much.”
“I’m really concerned about you sometimes, Wee Willie,” said Elmer, pretending to look serious, though the sparkle in his gray eyes belied his words and manner. “If this craze for fires keeps up you’ll be tempted to run with the machine; and then when there’s a slacking up of business set a few haystacks ablaze just to keep your hand in.”
“Not much I will,” retorted the other. “My fad is in inventing new and novel ways for creating fires. I consider a good blaze man’s best friend, when held in hand; let it break away, and I own up it may become his worst enemy. All good things can be abused, remember, and fire isn’t an exception to the general rule.”
“About time we looked after our beds, isn’t it?” asked Perk, accompanying his words with a tremendous yawn.
“Oh! that isn’t going to take much time,” scoffed Wee Willie, “seeing how we all share alike. It’s a hard bed for to-night, on the floor of the cabin. To-morrow we’ll hunt for hemlock browse, and ease things up. I’m the one who will suffer most, because my bones stick out so, without pads, like Perk here carries around with him.”
Amidst considerable merriment they soon laid out their double camping blankets, of a gray or dun color as most suitable for the purpose, and “less liable to show dirt spots,” as Perk always slyly claimed.
“It’s good night boys for me,” that individual was saying, as he stripped off his coat, kicked his shoes into a corner and commenced to crawl under his warm woolen cover. “Say, this feels just great; you fellows’d better make up your minds to follow my example, and turn in.”
He was sound asleep in less than ten minutes, when the others were ready to seek cover. Wee Willie stared down at his round moonlike face, and nodded his head as he turned to Elmer and Amos to say softly:
“Looks like a sweet cherub lying there, with such a happy smile on his mug. No use talking, Perk is the best-natured chap in seven counties. I’ve been mean enough more’n a few times to try my level best to make him mad, but had to give it up; he just looked at me, and kept on smiling until I had to turn and walk away bested; bless his big heart!”