They all lay down as if to sleep, but it was a very alert group indeed, stretched out there, including the “doctor.”
CHAPTER XIX
THE LONG, LONG NIGHT
“What does it all mean, Elmer?”
Wee Willie whispered this as he managed to roll over close to the other. It had been just what Elmer was counting on, ever since the tall chum threw himself down as if carelessly; but nevertheless picking out a spot where he could manage to get in contact with his leader.
“Sh! keep your voice down lower still; he must have the ears of a rabbit—all these crazy people have!” Elmer told him, cautiously.
“Wow! do you mean that?” gasped the other, plainly staggered by what he had just heard.
“Listen, and I’ll tell you about it.”
It took Elmer only a brief time to do this, for he chose his words, and made sure not to add unnecessary details, leaving something to the lively imagination of the other.
So Wee Willie had the scales removed from his eyes. He understood now how the glib tongue of the cunning escaped lunatic had somehow dulled his wits, and lulled his suspicions to sleep.
“Gee! so he’s that dangerous Gould chap, is he?” he murmured, as though it might be difficult for him to grasp this amazing truth. “He sure had me all balled up by his talk. My cousin out west’d say I’d been locoed, and I reckon it looks that way. But ought we go to sleep like innocent babes in the woods, with such a live wire in camp, and he a luny?”