It is possible that some persons might not have agreed with him, and at one o'clock in the morning might have preferred their beds to squatting on a heap of brushwood under the shelter of a blanket, the hissing fire making the only cheery spot in the blackness of the cloud- and rain-wrapped moorland. But the scouts would not have changed their situation for quarters in Buckingham Palace. There was the real touch about this. It seemed almost as romantic as a bivouac on a battlefield. 'Well, s'pose we try for a bit more sleep,' said the prudent Raven; 'long march to-morrer, yer know.' 'We've got to keep the fire up,' said Dick; 'it would never do to let that out.' 'O' course not,' replied Chippy; 'we must take turns to watch. Now, who gets fust sleep--long or short?' He held up two twigs which he had plucked from the bedding; the ends were concealed in his hand. 'Short gets first sleep,' said Dick. 'Aw' right,' replied the Raven; 'you draw.' Dick drew, and found he had the long draw. 'Wot's the time?' asked Chippy. 'Just turned one.' 'Right; then I'll sleep till three. Then you wake me, and I'll tek' a turn till five. Then we must be movin', for to-morrer's a long day.' 'To-day's a long day, you mean,' laughed Dick. 'So it is,' replied the Raven. 'It's to-day a'ready--o' course it is.' He was about to coil himself round like a dog upon the hearth, when he cast a quick glance on the heap of firewood. 'Not enough theer,' he said; 'an' I ain't a-goin' to have ye hoppin' round on yer game foot.' He sprang up again, and, in spite of Dick's protestations, caught up the axe and a flaming brand from the fire, and went down to the burnt gorse-patch, and hacked away till he had as many of the long stems as he could drag. 'They're a bit wet outside,' he said, as he returned; 'but they'll ketch all right if ye keep a good fire up, and theer's a plenty to last till I've finished my nap. Then I can fill in my time wi' cuttin' any amount.' He curled himself up again, and was asleep in a moment.