“I don’t mean to,” Elmer assured him. “Some one ought to keep awake so as to watch him, and I guess I’m IT in this case. Already Amos is drowsy, even if he does know about the danger hanging over our heads; and I’ve an idea you’d let yourself doze if put on guard.”
“Huh! try me, that’s all, Elmer,” whispered the other, a bit indignantly.
“You can do as you feel like,” he was told; “but as for me I expect to stay awake. And if he’s watching us right now perhaps we’d better break away, or he’ll be thinking there’s something up.”
Amos tried very hard to keep his heavy eyes from closing. Time and again he would nod and nod, and then with a start rub his knuckles into his eyes; but presently the whole performance was renewed, until finally he simply slipped over, and remained motionless on the ground.
Elmer looked at him with considerable compassion.
“Poor chap,” he was saying, under his breath, “he’s had little sleep since we got up here, what with worrying about that wandering dad of his!”
The camp was very quiet, save for now and then the snapping of the flames as they ate their way into the log Elmer had piled on the fire. Wee Willie had also tried to keep awake, and for a time seemed to be successful; but in the end Elmer had reason to believe that he, too, was fast succumbing to the sway of the slumber king, for he nodded violently, and could hardly keep his head off his chest.
It must have been well on to midnight when Elmer noticed the first move on the part of the “doctor.” The man was sitting up and observing them with a steady gaze. Undoubtedly he was trying to discover whether any one of his companions could be awake and in a position to notice what he did.
Elmer held his breath, but did not move. He had so fixed matters that he could see all that went on, though a crooked elbow shielded his face from the betraying firelight.
Wee Willie breathed hard. He was fast asleep at last, despite his positive assertion that nothing could tempt him to lose himself.