its distance.

Much chagrined over his mistake, the youth turned back and walked
toward the fire. Then he set his gun against a tree and built up
the blaze a bit, for the night was chilly. He was just about to
leave the fire and crawl back in the tent when a voice reached him:

"Who is out there?" It was Shep who asked the question.

"It is I, Snap," was the reply.

"What's wrong?" And now the doctor's son poked his head from the
shelter.

"I heard a fox and thought I'd shoot him----but he ran away,"
said Snap. He was in no humor to tell about the empty shotgun, for
he did not wish his chum to have the laugh on him.

"Oh, is that all. Say, do you know it's cold?"

"Yes, and that is why I am stirring up the fire," answered Snap.

"Do you know, I had an awful dream," continued the doctor's son.
"It has left me wideawake."

"Better go to sleep, Shep, or you'll be fagged out in the morning."

"I dreamed somebody ran away with our boat and all our supplies,"
went on Shep. "We didn't have a thing left, and we were in our
nightclothes!"