"Not half bad, this, is it?" chuckled the young inventor, having tasted the omelet.
"It would be jolly if it didn't storm so," replied Ned, with a little shiver. "Listen to that rain, would you!"
It was dashing hard on the roof, sides, and windows of the House on Wheels.
"Can't get in, that's one consolation," Tom said. "And I never sleep better than when I hear rain on the roof."
"Do you intend to do any sleeping to-night?" Ned wanted to know, as he filled Tom's coffee cup a second time. "If you do, I'd advise you to reduce your quantity of coffee."
"I don't reckon we'll get much sleep to-night," said Tom, and his air was a bit anxious. "I want to get well away from this place, and if we do that and keep a lookout the rest of the night, we won't have much time for enjoying our rest."
"No, I suppose not," agreed Ned. "Then coffee is the best thing you can take. It will keep you awake," and he gave himself a second helping.
Under other circumstances Tom and Ned would have made the occasion of the night meal in their traveling auto a jolly affair. But now there was too much to think of. So, when they had satisfied their appetites, Tom climbed back to the driver's compartment and started the car again, while Ned cleaned up in the kitchen.
"Did you hear that?" Tom called to his companion after a period of silence, broken only by the racket of the wind and rain.
"Yes," answered Ned. "Sounded like a shot. What was it?"