Paul, Sol, and Tom were asleep, but Henry was never wider awake in his life.

He tried to put away the feeling of mystery and danger.

He assured himself that Long Jim would soon come, delayed by some trail that he had sought to solve.

Nothing could have happened to a man so brave and skillful.

His nerves must be growing weak when he allowed himself to be troubled so much by a delayed return.
But the new hours came, one by one, and Long Jim came with none of them.
The night remained fairly light, with a good moon, but the light that it threw over the forest was gray and uncanny.