"
"Very well, sir," answered Ned.
After replenishing the fire, determined to remain awake until
daylight, the lad rolled up in his blankets.
In a few minutes after the camp quieted down he fell sound asleep; and
he did not open his eyes again until the sun peeped over the eastern
range of the mountains and burned apart his eyelids.
Ned awoke with a start. He could scarcely believe that another day
had dawned.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes and blinking in the strong morning light.
"Whew! I'm stiff in every joint," he mumbled. "And sleepier than
Stacy Brown ever thought of being."
Ned pulled himself to his feet, yawning broadly.
"That's another bad habit I have learned from Chunky. I wonder if
Tad's awake."
Peering over the edge, Ned was unable to make out whether his
companion down there were awake or sleeping. He hesitated to call,
knowing that if Tad Butler were still asleep at that hour of the day
it was because he was tired out and needed rest badly.
Ned strode over to Stacy's tent.
"Wake up," he commanded, pinching one of the fat boy's big-toes.
"Get out," mumbled Stacy sleepily, at the same time kicking viciously
with the disturbed foot.
Thus encouraged, Ned pulled the other big-toe.
Chunky rose in his wrath, hurling the rubber pillow on which he had
been sleeping full into the face of his tormentor.
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