Hen. "If
ever I felt one touch me, I believe I'd nearly take a fit."

"Ha! let Davy do that!" cried Giraffe, quickly; at which there was a
shout that must have made the two guides stare, until the joke was
explained to them.

It seemed that once upon a time Davy had been subject to sudden severe
cramps in his stomach, that used to double him up like a hinge, and
render him incapable of action. His teachers at school had been duly
warned, and many an afternoon had Davy been granted leave to go home
because of a sudden attack; though it must have departed as suddenly as
it came; since he was generally seen flying his kite on that same
afternoon. And the cramps never attacked him on a dull, rainy day.

When he joined the scouts Davy, wishing to shirk hard work, had
commenced to have these queer cramps; but wise Thad, believing that the
other must long ago have outgrown the disorder, and was only shamming,
laid down a course of treatment so severe that, singular to relate, Davy
had ever since been utterly free from the infliction; which the rest of
the boys considered simply wonderful.

And that was why there was a shout, with all eyes turned toward Davy
Jones, when by mere accident Step Hen mentioned the word "fit."

But Davy only colored up a bit, and grinned amiably.

"That's a dead issue, fellers, so you needn't stare at me that way," he
remarked, composedly. "Never again. Thad cured me right off the reel.
'Nothing like heroic treatment, when all else fails,' he said; and it
did the job, clean as a whistle. I never can have a fit again, if I
tried."

"You'd better not," remarked Bumpus, solemnly winking his left eye at
Step Hen, and significantly touching a good-sized club he had at his
side.

But that howling of the wolves, hunting their supper far away, did not
keep the boys from enjoying a good night's sleep. Of course there was
some sort of watch kept; but those who were not entrusted with the vigil
had no reason to bother their heads over it. All night long they slept
in absolute safety. If Eli, Jim, Allan and the scoutmaster took turns
being on deck, to make sure the camp was not raided, that fact did not
keep the other four from slumbering as peacefully as though tucked in
their beds at home, and under the parental roof.

Another dawn found them awake, and only too anxious to get a good warm
fire started; for the frost was surely around them, and at that early
hour it bit severely, too. But they could