As noiselessly as he could Prescott busied himself with starting a small campfire that could be made larger when needed. This done, he set water to boil. "Ho-hum!" yawned Tom Reade, dressed only in underclothes and trousers, as he stood in the tent doorway half an hour later. Dick placed his fingers to his lips, whispering: "Don't rouse the other fellows. They're tired." "Darry certainly looks tired," smiled Tom, regarding Dave in the uncomfortable posture by the tree. Yet, though he must have been quite uncomfortable had he been awake, Darry slumbered on. Greg came out, looked at Dave and smiled. Then Hazelton, next Dalzell, came outside. "What is the cot doing out here?" Danny Grin was the first to inquire. "We had a visit from the prowler in the night," Dick replied, "and Dave and I stayed on guard." "Was Darry as efficient all through the guard tour as he is just now?" demanded Reade ironically. "That's all right for you fellows," retorted Dick, "who even slept right past my call for help. Let Dave alone. Let him finish his nap, no matter how long he sleeps." But at that moment Darrin opened his eyes, then leaped to his feet, a victim of red-faced confusion. "What are all you fellows laughing at?" Dave demanded. So far none had done more than grin, but now a very general roar went up. "I'm a chump, on guard duty, and I admit it," Darrin went on, looking sheepish. "Dick, when you found me asleep why didn't you call me?" "Because," Prescott answered, "when you went to sleep I judged that you did so because you needed the rest." "I must have been sound asleep from at least one o'clock in the morning," Dave went on ruefully. "Oh, I am a fellow to be trusted, I am!" "If you've been sleeping, with your back against that tree, from one in the morning, you must be as stiff and lame as you could possibly be," Reade suggested. "I am pretty lame," Darrin confessed. "Are you fellows ever going to hustle about and make some moves toward getting breakfast?" inquired young Prescott. "What have you been doing in that line?" Danny Grin wanted to know. For answer Dick Prescott pointed to the merrily blazing campfire and the steaming kettle of water. "I am ready to do a lot more, too," Dick added, "as soon as the rest of you will show signs of life." At that there was a general bustling. "Why didn't you wake me up in time to save me from all the joshing?" Darry demanded, with a note of reproach in his voice, as soon as he got a chance to speak with Dick alone. "Tom Reade won't be through all summer with tormenting me about being asleep at the switch." "No one would have known anything about it, if you hadn't given it away yourself, both by look and words," Prescott returned. "I hadn't said a word that enlightened anyone." Breakfast was soon ready, for hungry boys, in the woods, are always ready to eat.