After a hearty meal they cleared away the dishes and sat around the
fire discussing the situation until ten o'clock. Then they secured
the door and windows of the cabin and crawled into their bunks,
which were remarkably well supplied with blankets and tanned bear
skins.
In the middle of the night the fire died down to embers and Will
arose to pile on more wood. He moved softly about in order not to
disturb the sleep of his chums, and finally sat down by the blaze
to enter anew upon a mental discussion of the mystery which
surrounded them.
Will heard the sash rattling, as if in the light wind which was
blowing, and glanced toward it.
What he saw was not the velvet darkness of the night laying against
the glass. The firelight which shone through the glazed sash
revealed the outlines of a human face looking in upon him.
It was an ugly face, with dusky skin, narrow slits of eyes, and
straight black hair which seemed to wind and coil about the
repulsive countenance as a collection of serpents might have done.
The face disappeared as the boy looked, and Will tiptoed softly to
the bunk where Tommy lay and awoke him with a violent shake.
"Get up!" he said.
"Aw, go chase yourself!" answered Tommy not very politely.
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