THE AWAKENING
"What is it, Frank?" shouted Larry, as he scrambled to his feet, and
began clawing around in the dark for the one he called upon.
"We've got him!" sang out Andy, gleefully. "Frank, it worked fine and
dandy. My! what a noise he kicks up!"
"Where's Elephant?" asked Frank, suspiciously.
"Sleeping through it all. An earthquake wouldn't wake him up, once he
gets to going," snorted Larry.
"Keep quiet; I'm going to light a lamp!" Frank went on, as he reached
out to a spot where he knew he had left a box of matches handy for just
such an emergency.
"Ouch! somebody kicked me then!" Larry shouted. "Frank, there's more'n
one of 'em, and they're inside here, feeling around for us. Go slow,
Frank! Have your gun ready when you light up. Pepper 'em good, now!
Who's afraid?"
"Wait! don't shoot, Frank! It's only me!" shrilled a voice as the
speaker managed to get his head out from the muffling folds of the
blanket.
Then came the scratch of the match in Frank's hand. He held it up
first in order to see what was going on; and then with a burst of
laughter began to apply the flickering flame to the wick of the ready
lamp.
And as the light filled the interior of the shed the boys saw a sight
that sent them off into spasms of uproarious merriment. Yes, it was
Elephant all right, just as he had so wildly declared when he heard all
that threatening talk about guns and "peppering" and such dire things.
He had evidently fallen out of the canoe as he tossed about during some
dream that excited his mind. In tumbling to the floor his heels had
upset the entire outfit of tin kettles and pans that Andy had fetched
from the house. Such a clattering as they had made upon being dashed
to the floor. And as if that were not enough Elephant had managed to
turn a chair over with the lot, adding to the confusion liberally.
Larry helped him up, for as he was swathed from head to foot in his
flaming red horse blanket the other was quite unable to manage alone.
Poor Elephant rubbed his eyes and stared around him as if looking for
the blue dragons that had filled his dreams.
"What d'ye mean by scaring us all half to death, Elephant?" demanded
Andy, when he could in some measure command his voice.
"My goodness gracious! you don't think I did that a-purpose, do you?"
exclaimed the small boy, rubbing his elbows as though they tingled
after coming in such rough contact with the floor. "What d'ye take me
for? And Larry, didn't I tell you that rarebit would make me dream?
You just made me eat it; and now see what happened! Oh! but I thought
the whole house had blown up, and I was heading for the stars. It was
a fierce experience. Talk about your rarebits, never more for me!"
"Listen! somebody's coming, sure!" exclaimed Larry.
"Oh! what if it's Jules, after all? Where's the gun, Frank? Get it
ready, won't you? There, he's pounding at the door. Where's my club?
Somebody took my club!" and Elephant scrambled around, looking for the
lost weapon which he had placed within reach before retiring.
Bang! bang! bang!
"Here, open up, and let me get at the rascals! Frank, Andy, have they
murdered you all? Why don't somebody answer? Why don't you open this
door before I smash it in with my crutch?" came a roar from without.
"It's Colonel Josiah!" cried Andy. "Hold on, Colonel; we're all right
here. Nobody hurt! All a mistake! Frank, open the door, will you?
Nothing doing, Colonel, you see!"
The aged veteran stalked inside, using his crutch once more to assist
his locomotion. In his other hand he gripped a tremendous horse
pistol, the very size of which must have sent a shiver through any
nocturnal prowler.
"It was Elephant who raised the rumpus, Colonel!" explained Andy. "He
had a dream and fell out of his hammock, knocking over all the tin pans
and a chair. We were all scared, thinking it might be Jules come to
town."
The grim old traveler turned upon Elephant, trying to hide the twinkle
in his eyes by pretending to assume a heavy frown.
"I won't do it again, I assure you, sir!" faltered Elephant, trying to
hide behind Frank. "It was an accident, indeed it was. And I bruised
both my elbows just fierce. After this I'm going to tie that swinging
canoe down, so it won't kick me out again."
"H'm! you'd better," was all the old man said as he turned away; but
Frank was of the opinion he wished to hurry off, so that he could
chuckle over the ridiculous picture presented by the interior of that
shop, without being seen by the boys, and his dignity impaired.
"Now, get busy, Elephant, and tidy up the mess you made," said Larry,
as he once more crawled under his blankets.
"And remember," said Andy, severely, despite the grin on his face, "we
don't stand for any more of this foolishness."
"Let me help you tie the canoe, so that it can't swing," Frank
observed, taking pity on the victim of the mishap; for Elephant was
still rubbing his elbows, and making faces as though they hurt him.
So after a little, peace once more fell upon the camp. The swinging
canoe had been so firmly secured that it could not "kick" as Elephant
declared it had done before. Then the light was put out again, and
darkness reigned.
Frank again sat there, engrossed in thought. And naturally his mind
went out in the direction of the recent event. If a false alarm could
cause such confusion and excitement it was probable that in case there
came a genuine one things would take on a still more brilliant color.
He could hear Elephant turning from side to side. Perhaps his arms
pained him; and thinking thus Frank was sorry he had not insisted on
swabbing them with some witch hazel which they kept handy in the shop,
in case of bruises while working. But he did not think it good policy
to disturb the entire bunch again in order to relieve the slight pain
of Elephant who must sooner or later grow used to hard knocks, if he
ever expected to face the world.
Finally the boy in the canoe became quiet. Sleep had evidently
mastered him, for ere long Frank caught his heavy breathing at such
times as the wind stopped sighing around the eaves of the shed.
It must be growing near one when he expected to hand over his duty as
sentry to Larry. All he waited for was to catch the stroke of the
hour. He had the lay of things well in his mind, and could even have
moved about the shop in utter darkness without tumbling over anything;
for he and Andy had spent uncounted hours under that roof during the
last year.
Ah! there was the anticipated stroke, sounding quite clearly.
"Frank!" came in a low tone, almost a whisper.
"Hello!" answered the sentry, "that Larry?"
"On deck. Must have been my call the wasn't it? Thought I heard one
strike," as Larry began to raise up alongside Frank, shedding his
blankets as he did so.
"Have you been awake all the while?" whispered Frank, surprised.
"Guess pretty much," chuckled Larry. "That thing just broke me all up.
I've been laughing to myself under the blanket ever since."
"Oh! is that so?" Frank replied. "Well, do you know I wondered what
those queer noises were. Thought possibly you had an ache from eating
too much."
"How's everything on deck, Frank?"
"Fine and dandy. Nothing to cause alarm yet," came the answer.
"All right, then. You just crawl in, and get a snooze started. I'll
take care of the camp up to three, when Andy comes on duty. How d'ye
keep awake, Frank?" asked the new guard.
"Keep thinking of the late unpleasantness, as you have been doing. It
did the trick before, and may again. Good night! I'm off."
Frank found no little difficulty himself in getting asleep.
Unaccustomed to his strange bed, and with all the recent excitement
added, it was not strange that even Frank had to take himself severely
to task before he could lose his senses in slumber.
He too dreamed, for had he not also partaken of the same tasty cheese
and toast, of which poor Elephant complained as the main cause for his
troubles? Several times Frank woke up and was puzzled to understand
just where he could be. Then things would come back to again; and with
a chuckle he would turn over, to once more lose himself in sleep.
The third time this happened he lay there listening. It seemed to him
that he had heard a slight rustling noise; and moreover, it had come
from the far end of the shed!
Could it be Larry; and if so what business had the sentry to be
wandering about that section of the forbidden ground? Another fancy
struck Frank, to the effect that it might be either Andy or Stuttering
Nat, walking in their sleep. If that proved to be the case, then the
awakening was likely to surprise somebody, unless he was very much
mistaken.
He put out his hand and felt Andy in his accustomed place. Then
rising quietly he crawled over far enough to come in contact with Nat's
arm, thrust out from his blanket. This left only Elephant, whom he
found slumbering soundly in his canoe, and the sentry, who was also
fast asleep!
Frank felt a thrill pass over him at this. Then the sound could not
have been made by any one of his comrades. Who then was prowling
around that danger zone? Even as he asked himself this important
question he heard a sudden sharp "click!" that could only be made by
the trigger of his dead-fall trap; then came a heavy, sodden, crunching
sound, that told better than words what had happened. Frank jumped to
his feet, shouting:
"Wake up! wake up! we've caught something, fellows. Wake up everybody!"