FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154  
155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  
n, reaching for his rifle. "But let's keep a sharp look out." This they did for quite five minutes, and then so hardened were they to their outdoor life that their restful breathing was the only thing that disturbed the silence within the waggon, save a faint rustling at the other end, caused by the doctor turning over, for during the last few minutes he had been awakened from a deep sleep by the boys' muttering, and now that they were quiet again he too went off soundly. It still wanted an hour to the coming of the first dawn when Mark started up. "Here--what--" he began, when a hand was clapped over his mouth and he felt Dean's lip at his ear. "Don't make a noise," his cousin whispered. "What's the matter? Has the ape been again?" "No. It wasn't a baboon; it was one of those pigs." "Bosh! A pig couldn't climb into the waggon." "No, no, stupid! Pigmy!" "What nonsense! You have been asleep again." "Yes, fast; I couldn't help it. So were you." "Was I? Well, yes, I suppose I was; and I'm glad of it. But I have had a sensible sleep." "Well, so have I, but--" "No, you haven't. Mine was, for I didn't get dreaming that I saw a baboon." "And I didn't either," whispered Dean angrily. "I was asleep, but I woke up feeling a soft hand going over my face." "Bah! You dreamt it." "I didn't, I tell you! I could feel it as plain as could be; and then it moved away from me, and I could just make out by the starlight that it was passing its hand over your face. Didn't you feel it?" "No," said Mark. "You can't feel ghosts and dreams. They only seem." "Ghosts and dreams!" said Dean impetuously. "Well, baboons, then--sleep baboons. Oh, I say, Dean, what's coming to you? You used to be content with going to sleep like a top. But if you are going to begin having dreams like this I shall sleep under the waggon." "Oh, you obstinate mule! Who said anything about baboons?" "Why, you did." "I didn't. I said it was one of those pigmies." "Then you dreamt it. What time is it?" "I don't know. Shall I strike a light?" "What, and wake the doctor? No, it would only make him grumpy at being roused for nothing. There, I can guess pretty closely. It wants over an hour to dawn. So here goes. I'm off." As he spoke Mark wrenched himself round, turning his back to his cousin, and at the same time reached his face over so that he could breathe in the cool, soft breeze that come
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154  
155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
waggon
 

baboons

 

dreams

 

dreamt

 

coming

 

cousin

 

couldn

 
baboon
 

asleep

 
whispered

minutes

 

turning

 

doctor

 

wrenched

 

breeze

 
Ghosts
 

ghosts

 
breathe
 

reached

 

passing


starlight

 
closely
 

obstinate

 

strike

 

pigmies

 

roused

 

pretty

 
grumpy
 

content

 

impetuously


awakened
 

caused

 
rustling
 

muttering

 

wanted

 

soundly

 

reaching

 

hardened

 

disturbed

 

silence


breathing

 

outdoor

 

restful

 
started
 
suppose
 

nonsense

 
angrily
 

feeling

 

dreaming

 

stupid