hers openly gaping, they forgot to hide it behind their hand.

"Pretty near time we thought of making up our beds, ain't it?" inquired
Giraffe; who secretly wondered how he was ever going to tear himself
away from sitting there, his hands clasped around his shins, and
admiring that magnificent sight of the fire eating up the dry fuel that
was fed to it in liberal doses.

"Yes, after I've gone the rounds, to see how well our stock of
provisions has been protected," replied the scout-master, getting upon
his feet.

"We've got it stowed pretty much in the two tents, suh," remarked Bob
White, to whom this particular duty had been detailed.

"Think any wild animal might try and raid the camp, and get away with
some of our grub?" asked Bumpus, a little uneasily.

"Oh! hardly that," laughed Thad; "but one of the duties of a scout is
never to just take things for granted. He must be wise enough to make
provision against any ordinary happening that might come about. In other
words he insures his stock of provisions like a sensible merchant does
his goods. He doesn't expect to have a fire, you know; but he wants to
be sure he won't be ruined if one does come."

"Huh! he'd have to pay a pretty big premium on insurance if it was known
that Step-hen Bingham was around, then," remarked Davy, meaningly.

"I'm going to tell you more about that picture writing another time,
fellows," Allan remarked, as he proceeded to get his blanket out of the
pile, and fold it double, just as he wanted it. "You'll say it's a fine
thing too. Perhaps we can get a chance to try it out at the time we send
a good swimmer over to the island in the lake, to signal with the flags
and looking-glass."

The rest of the boys immediately busied themselves with their blankets
too; for when in camp they are pretty much like a flock of sheep, and
will follow their leader, or bell-wether, without questioning.

Presently a cry arose, and it came from Davy Jones.

"Say, look at that Smithy, would you; bless me if he ain't got some
_white sheets_, and a regular nightgown. Now, what dye think of that,
fellows? Are we going to allow such sissy goings-on in this, our first
camp? He'd hoodoo the whole business, sure. No luck with such baby play.
Use the sheets for towels when we go in swimming; I've got an extra pair
of pajamas along, that I'll lend him, if he promises to be a true scout,
ready to rough and ready it in camp. Next thing he'll be pulling out a
night