and Joan, Mr. Gilroy crept over and
motioned the boys to let him mount duty for a time. It was nearly three
when Julie woke up and rubbed her eyes. She instantly realized that no
one had called her, so she nudged Joan and got her up. Then they crept
over to the campfire and scolded Mr. Gilroy for breaking faith with
them. He laughed and gladly went back to finish his night's repose.

Having been so sound asleep just before going on duty, and being utterly
tired out with the day's experiences, the two girls sat by the fire
endeavoring to keep each other fully awake. But the Sand Man was too
powerful for them to resist his dreamy influence, and soon Joan dozed
while Julie yawned and did her best to keep her eyelids open.

An hour passed and Joan was sweetly sleeping, while Julie was nodding,
heavy with sleep. Suddenly a crackling of branches behind them caused
Julie to start wide awake.

"Joan, are you awake?" whispered Julie fearfully, shaking her friend.

"Sure--why?" mumbled Joan, sitting up to rub her eyes.

[Illustration: "Where--which way did you hear them?" questioned
Joan ... Page 211]

"I heard some one--maybe those tramps are back to do something,"
whispered Julie, trying to peer through the misty night.

"Where--which way did you hear them?" questioned Joan, now fully awake,
too.

"See those long shadows by the trees, over there?" returned Julie. "I'll
pile a lot more wood on the fire and make it blaze so we can see them if
they come nearer."

So saying, she threw so much wood on the fire that it instantly
smothered the red glow and began smoking like a chimney. The smoke drove
the girls from that side of the fire and caused them to cough violently,
while there was a lively scrambling of feet over by the trees, and both
girls began calling:

"Gilly! Gilly, wake up! The tramps are here!"

That cry brought every one to his feet, and the moment all heads got the
benefit of the smoke, every one began coughing. But they managed to
creep along the ground to the side of the fire, where the two girls
stood gazing at the trees in question.

Just as Alec crept up beside the scouts with rifle up ready to aim at
whatever he found skulking about them, there sounded a frightful
screeching, and hoarse calls came from the lower branches of the tree.

"I knew it! I saw them creep over and heard them climb," cried Julie,
quaking with excitement.

"They planned to drop something on our heads, I guess," ad