CHAPTER XIX

THE LONG, LONG NIGHT

“What does it all mean, Elmer?”

Wee Willie whispered this as he managed to roll over close to the other. It had been just what Elmer was counting on, ever since the tall chum threw himself down as if carelessly; but nevertheless picking out a spot where he could manage to get in contact with his leader.

“Sh! keep your voice down lower still; he must have the ears of a rabbit—all these crazy people have!” Elmer told him, cautiously.

“Wow! do you mean that?” gasped the other, plainly staggered by what he had just heard.

“Listen, and I’ll tell you about it.”

It took Elmer only a brief time to do this, for he chose his words, and made sure not to add unnecessary details, leaving something to the lively imagination of the other.

So Wee Willie had the scales removed from his eyes. He understood now how the glib tongue of the cunning escaped lunatic had somehow dulled his wits, and lulled his suspicions to sleep.

“Gee! so he’s that dangerous Gould chap, is he?” he murmured, as though it might be difficult for him to grasp this amazing truth. “He sure had me all balled up by his talk. My cousin out west’d say I’d been locoed, and I reckon it looks that way. But ought we go to sleep like innocent babes in the woods, with such a live wire in camp, and he a luny?”

“I don’t mean to,” Elmer assured him. “Some one ought to keep awake so as to watch him, and I guess I’m IT in this case. Already Amos is drowsy, even if he does know about the danger hanging over our heads; and I’ve an idea you’d let yourself doze if put on guard.”

“Huh! try me, that’s all, Elmer,” whispered the other, a bit indignantly.

“You can do as you feel like,” he was told; “but as for me I expect to stay awake. And if he’s watching us right now perhaps we’d better break away, or he’ll be thinking there’s something up.”

Amos tried very hard to keep his heavy eyes from closing. Time and again he would nod and nod, and then with a start rub his knuckles into his eyes; but presently the whole performance was renewed, until finally he simply slipped over, and remained motionless on the ground.

Elmer looked at him with considerable compassion.

“Poor chap,” he was saying, under his breath, “he’s had little sleep since we got up here, what with worrying about that wandering dad of his!”

The camp was very quiet, save for now and then the snapping of the flames as they ate their way into the log Elmer had piled on the fire. Wee Willie had also tried to keep awake, and for a time seemed to be successful; but in the end Elmer had reason to believe that he, too, was fast succumbing to the sway of the slumber king, for he nodded violently, and could hardly keep his head off his chest.

It must have been well on to midnight when Elmer noticed the first move on the part of the “doctor.” The man was sitting up and observing them with a steady gaze. Undoubtedly he was trying to discover whether any one of his companions could be awake and in a position to notice what he did.

Elmer held his breath, but did not move. He had so fixed matters that he could see all that went on, though a crooked elbow shielded his face from the betraying firelight.

Wee Willie breathed hard. He was fast asleep at last, despite his positive assertion that nothing could tempt him to lose himself.

Now the man had started to get to his hands and knees. Elmer wondered what he meant to do, and the possibility of rank treachery, such as crazy persons are likely to display on the least occasion, filled him with dismay. He felt a queer thrill pass through his frame as the man arose stealthily.

Another minute would tell the tale, Elmer realized. Should the insane man start to approach their side of the now half-dying fire it was his intention to arouse his two companions with a shout, and spring to his own feet.

Earlier in the evening Elmer, looking ahead to possibilities, had managed to drop several billets of wood close to the spot where he and his mates expected to lie. These would come in handy as clubs in case there were actual hostilities, which he fervently hoped might not prove to be the case.

He afterwards declared that it seemed to him his heart jumped up in his throat when he saw the man actually take one step toward them. Fortunately Elmer controlled his feelings, and made no move to betray the fact that he was awake.

Relief swept over him upon discovering that the other had changed his mind, if he really intended doing anything serious; for once more he turned and crept away.

Elmer watched his receding figure as long as he could make it out. Then it became merged in the dim moonlight, and their unwelcome guest had gone!

Wee Willie, sound asleep, felt something grip him. He instantly started to sit up, though only half awake as yet.

“W-what’s doing?” he muttered, unable to grasp the situation.

“I only thought you’d like to know he’s gone,” said Elmer, quietly.

The other was by now fully aroused and seemed to understand what was meant.

“You mean Fe—er, the Doctor, do you, Elmer?” he demanded.

“No other,” he was told.

Wee Willie stared across to where he had last seen the recumbent figure of their unwelcome guest.

“Glad to hear the news, that’s right; when did he slip away?” he asked.

“Oh! about ten minutes or so back,” he was informed. “I waited to make sure of it before I waked you.”

Amos sat up just then.

“What’s this I heard you say, Elmer; that he’d quit us?” he demanded eagerly.

So Elmer had to tell the story of his seeing the insane man get to his feet, and how at one time he even feared the other meant to creep toward them, which would have surely spelled trouble for everybody.

“But I’m glad to say he changed his mind,” he concluded, “and went away peacefully; so I reckon there’ll be no need of these bully clubs I managed to get together for use in case of a racket.”

“Gee! what a high old time we’d have had, if the fight came off,” speculated the lanky one, with half a chuckle. “Some of us might have had welts all over our bodies that’d spoil our whole outing. Yes, I’m glad myself it didn’t happen that way. I don’t mind a class rush, or a football tackle, but excuse me from battling with a crazy man.”

“Well, I’m shaking hands with myself over the narrow escape,” Amos observed, “and Elmer, I want to say right now that dodge of yours worked like magic. He concluded he didn’t care much to stay over, and meet up with his warm friends Collins and Andrews from the State Asylum; in which I should say he showed a whole lot of wisdom; for they’d have simply declined to let him wander off again.”

“But say, I’m a whole lot sorry about one thing,” remarked Wee Willie.

“Tell us about it then,” urged Elmer.

“Think of the poor chap going without a single bite for perhaps days and days, ever since he broke out of the institution, mebbe,” continued the tall chum, shaking his head sympathetically. “He said it was a whole day, but I’ve got a sneaking notion it might have been a heap longer’n that. If we’d had our grub with us I’d certainly have cooked him a bouncing meal. He’s human, even if deranged, poor old chap!”

From which it can be seen that Perk was not the only member of the Camp Fire Boys’ Club who had a tender heart, and was able to feel for any one in distress, especially when hungry. Such a dreadful condition was calculated to appeal to a boy more than anything else on the calendar.

“Well, what’s next on the program?” asked Amos, yawning again.

“I’d say sleep would be the most acceptable to some fellows,” laughed Elmer.

“But would it be safe, do you think, with that crazy man hanging around?” Wee Willie put out at a hazard. “They’re all mighty sly, remember; and when he made out to walk away mebbe it was all a big bluff. He might be meaning to creep back here like a red Injun, and take us by surprise.”

“Then we hadn’t better all sleep at once,” suggested Amos, aroused once more by this dismal prophecy on the part of the other. “Now since I’ve had a few winks myself it seems only right I should take the first watch.”

“What time do you reckon it is, near daylight?” queried Wee Willie; but on putting it to a test by means of the little nickel watch, it was learned that the night had by no means advanced that far; in fact it was just twelve.

“Which means we’ve got about five more hours before the peep of dawn,” Elmer was saying. “Now let’s make ourselves comfortable again, and every one try to keep awake; but there must be no talking, remember.”

Elmer knew what the result would be, but he expected to keep on the alert himself every minute of the time, and saw no reason for the others doing likewise. And the result justified his confidence, for first Amos fell off, and later on even Wee Willie’s nods as before became more frequent, until finally his head lay on his breast.

Carefully Elmer managed to ease the strained position of the tall chum, so that in the end Wee Willie was stretched out alongside Amos, and both of them sleeping just as soundly as though snugly tucked in their own beds at home.

It was a long, long night to Elmer.

Only his masterful will kept him awake through those dragging hours. He heard the screech-owl whimpering to his mate; listened to the barking of a red fox somewhere in the brush near by; knew when a ’coon scampered out of the way as the fire, replenished with another log while all of the boys were awake, snapped sharply, and threw out a sudden red glow.

Yes, it must have been one of the longest nights in all Elmer’s experience, but when the first faint streaks of daylight began to appear through the trees lying toward the east he felt satisfied that he had not broken his word given to himself that he must not once waver in his self-appointed task.

The insane man had not returned, but then there had been no certainty concerning this. No one could tell what a mind diseased might conjure up; and while they had treated Felix Gould in a friendly spirit he might not be able to appreciate this, and even look upon them with suspicion, as intending to hand him over to those who searched the tall timber for an escaped lunatic.

And so when daylight came on Elmer, poor tired fellow, felt glad.