“Tommy, you’re a sybarite,” said Bob, as he climbed onto the launch.
“I don’t know what that is,” grumbled Tom as he followed, “but if it’s something that likes a decent bed I’m it.”
They kept the fire going until bedtime and watched its flames leap and writhe in the purple darkness. Then the moon came up and dimmed the firelight and showed them the _Vagabond_ floating quietly at anchor a little way off. Tom looked toward it longingly.
“Wish I was there,” he murmured. And, after a moment, “What’s a sybilite, Dan?” he asked. Bob laughed.
“A ‘sybilite,’ Tommy,” he said, “is a person who’d rather sleep on a launch than on the ground.”
“That’s me,” sighed Tom. “I thought, though, it was a fellow who told fortunes, or something like that.”
“Hope you choke,” muttered Tom. “I’m going to bed, although I don’t suppose I’ll be able to sleep any.”
When they awoke in the morning it was to a gray, wet world. A fine mist was falling, everything outside the improvised tent was sopping and the other side of the river was shut from view.
“There’s no use trying to make a fire with this wood,” yawned Bob. “I vote we go on board.”
Dan and Nelson agreed. Tom was silent, for after one disgusted look at the outside world he had turned over and promptly gone to sleep again.
“But we need the awning,” Nelson demurred. Dan chuckled.
“Sure, and we’ll take it. He’ll never wake up.”
So very quietly they gathered the things together and bore them to the landing. Two trips of the tender were sufficient, and on the second one they took the awning. Back at the edge of the woods, with the mist falling gently on his upturned face, slept Tom.
Barry seemed to appreciate the change of quarters as much as anyone and was soon curled up in a corner of Bob’s bunk. The dampness had got into their bones and all were stiff and full of queer little aches when they stretched their muscles.
“What we need,” said Nelson, “is some hot coffee and lots of it.”
So Bob got busy at the stove while the others put the awning back over the cockpit. While they were doing it they cast many amused glances across at the shore where Tom still slumbered under his gray blanket.
“I tell you what,” said Dan presently. “Let’s go on down the river around that point. Then when Tom wakes up he’ll think we’ve gone off without him. What do you say?”