"Hee-haw! Hee-haw! Hee-haw!"
The reaction was so great that Nort and Dick nearly dropped their guns, and they turned to look one at the other with sheepish grins that would have been visible had the light been stronger. And then, with one voice the brothers exclaimed:
"Maud!"
It was one of the army transport mules, an animal that helped carry the camp baggage! She had strayed.
Again rose the cry, not so weird now that its nature was known.
"Hee-haw! Hee-haw!"
And from the camp came a disgusted complaint from some sleepy trooper as he shouted: "The chump who tied that mule so he could wander ought to be made to go get him!"
There was laughter at this, for many had been awakened by the braying of the animal. And then one of the men in charge of the animals came out and managed to corral the wanderer.
"Gosh! I'm glad we didn't shoot!" exclaimed Nort, as their tour of duty ended and their relief came.
"Same here!" added his brother. "How they would have laughed at us if we had plugged old Maud!"