"My eye! But you do ask a lot of silly questions. Just let me draw a bead on one, eh, Nat?"
"That's right, Hacky," grinned Nat, as he started for the hut.
It did not take the rest of the fellows long to follow his example. Within a few minutes, the fire was deserted, and each had retired to his bed of fir brush.
It seemed to little Tom Clifton that he had been asleep but an instant, when he was awakened by the sound of voices and the tread of feet. The boy felt a strange sort of thrill run through him. With beating heart, he listened intently.
"Maybe somebody is going to play another joke on us," he thought. Then another idea suggested itself, which gave him an unpleasant start. "Perhaps the newcomers had a more serious object in view."
But while he was speculating on the possibilities, a sound close to the hut made him sit upright. An animal was plainly sniffing around.
The next instant, Tom was terrified to see the canvas flap pushed back, and a huge head thrust inside. To his excited imagination, it looked more like a bear than anything else, and, with a startled cry, he threw off the blankets and rose tremblingly to his feet.
Bob and Dave Brandon started up just as a deep bay from the huge animal seemed to make the very interior shake.
"Great Cæsar!"
"By Jingo, what's this?"