Page:Rowland--The Mountain of Fears.djvu/35

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THE MOUNTAIN OF FEARS

mountain-side and quavered away in count less reverberations.

"Vinckers shouted again and leaped from his hammock.

"'Be still, you fool!' I cried, roughly.

"'Wha—wha—wha——' quavered MacFarlane.

" 'What's the matter with you?' I cried, impatiently. 'Are you a couple of girls just out of a convent?'

" 'What is the matter?' asked Vinckers, thickly. Tomba was sobbing hysterically.

" 'MacFarlane wakes up with a nightmare!' said I, 'and sets you howling like a maniac. 'My own fright made me irritable.

" 'Odd,' muttered Vinckers; 'odd I had a nightmare, too.'

"'Ye hag-ridden fule,' snarled MacFarlane, 'bawlin' and yammerin' like a bull! I had no nightmare mysel'!' He rolled heavily in his hammock. 'Fetch me a drink o' water, lass—water!' he added, in the vernacular.

"Vinckers sat up in his hammock, let his

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