The rabbits were skinned and
kept for eating, and the fox was skinned and the carcass thrown away.
Tom and Sam had expected Jasper Grinder to return to them, but if the
former teacher desired to do this, he was prevented by Dan Baxter, who
kept his companions close by him, around the fire.
Slowly the time went by until darkness was upon them. The fire was kept
up, but Baxter screened it as much as possible, so that the glare might
not penetrate to the forest beyond the gully and prove a beacon to guide
Dick and John Barrow to the spot.
The boys were tired out, and soon Sam sank to sleep, with his hands
still tied to the tree roots. Tom tried to keep awake, but half an hour
later he, too, was in dreamland.
When the Rovers awoke it was not yet morning. All was dark around them,
for the fire had burnt low. Sam roused up first, with a severe pain in
his wrists and ankles, where his bonds were cutting him.
"Oh, my wrists!" he groaned, and his voice caused Tom to start.
"Is that you, Sam?"
"Yes. My wrists are almost cut in two!"
"The same here.
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