However, this was nothing serious to fellows who had camped many a
time among the rocks, where they were even debarred from having hemlock
browse for a soft mattress.

"We'll try the floor to-night, boys," said Hugh, as he started to
spread his blanket out in regulation style. "If it proves to be too
hard for us, perhaps we can put in the second night outdoors somewhere.
That will depend on the weather, for we have no tent to keep the rain
or snow off, you remember."

The others hastened to copy his example, for they were all fairly
sleepy. Billy told himself that he would very likely lie awake all
nightlong, because he felt sure something strange was _bound_ to happen
to them. He was shrewd enough to arrange his blanket bed directly
in the middle, so that he had a pair of chums on either side of him.
If the others noticed this sign of weakness they kindly overlooked
it. Perhaps, to tell the truth about it, Monkey Stallings and Arthur
Cameron were themselves not entirely free from uneasiness, and deep
down in their hearts wished the night well over with.

Hugh happened to awaken some time afterwards, and as the flames lazily
lighted up the big room occasionally, he lay there watching them play
upon the wall. So he allowed himself to figure what strange scenes
these same rooms must have witnessed in those bygone days when the old
judge and his young prisoner wife occupied the monstrosity of an
imitation feudal castle.

When Hugh was about to turn over and compose himself to sleep, he
heard a peculiar sound that caused his heart to beat much more rapidly
than its wont. He suddenly sat up and listened again.