"Daylight!" he sniffed—"It'll be night before you can turn round twice."
And sure enough, while we were talking the sun was off the peaks, and the lower hills were black enough to show a fire.
I hadn't any more than got ready the big lantern with the strong reflector, than Wayne's signal began to flash, eight or ten miles back in the hills. I answered. And then came the message: "Good so far."
"I guess they find out sometheeng," said Captain Marat.
"It's good to know they're already making progress," observed Julian.
"Next," said Norris, "they'll be signalling—'Come on, the trail is hot.'" And he stayed on deck till long after midnight.
The next day dragged for all of us, waiting for night. Nothing was right. Even Rufe's noon meal was no success.
"Say, you-all is jest de cantankerest bunch!" said Rufe. "Dem 'are biscuits is jest de kin' you-all been a braggin' on; an' dat fish, an' de puddin'—W'at's wrong wid dem, ah likes to know?"
But no one had a word on that.
And when the supper went the same way, Rufe put his foot down, said he wouldn't cook another meal till we got the voodoo out of our systems.