Cuthbert understood better than words could have told him what the
nature of that battle under the stars must have been, and to show his
sympathy for this new but dear chum he impulsively thrust out his hand
and gripped that of Owen.

"I'm awful glad to know it--say no more, old fellow, for I can give a
pretty good guess how it turned out. Come, tumble into your blankets and
get some of your beauty sleep. There's another day coming, when I hope
all of these twists and misunderstandings may be smoothed out and
everything look bully. Now, crawl in and feel for your nest--it's on the
side to the right, first blanket."

"Wait a bit," said Owen, "there's something else you ought to know.
Perhaps you heard all that racket awhile ago. Well, I was partly the
cause of that," and then he went on to tell the wondering Cuthbert what
a strange thing had occurred while he was still lingering near the room
that held Jessie Ferguson.

The Virginia lad was also pleased, because he knew the reconciliation
could not be much longer delayed, and presently he lay down once more to
sleep.

Owen was accustomed to turning in all standing, as a sailor would
say--that is, with simply pulling off his boots or moccasins, whichever
he chanced to be wearing, for a life in the woods does not allow of the
customary preparations for bed; even the other two boys only removed
their outer garments, though when the weather had been milder Cuthbert
had indulged in the delight of pajamas; but the first frost had chilled
his ardor in that line, and he had gradually come to copying Eli, who
had the habits of the loggers of the great Michigan woods and waived all
ceremony.

When ten minutes had passed Cuthbert fancied from the regular breathing
that came from the spot where the Canadian lad lay that he was far along
the road to the Land of Nod, and giving a satisfied grunt, he himself
turned over, to let himself slip away on the tide.

Those who spend much time in the woods, in camps are restless during the
night, and rarely sleep through without once or twice arousing, lifting
their head to listen through habit or caution, or even crawling out to
renew the fire.

True, there was no need of these things now with our boys, but
nevertheless Cuthbert seemed to rest under the impression that it would
not be a good thing to break a settled habit, and so along about one
o'clock in the morning he poked his head out of the tent to take a
perfunctory look ar