The Woodcraft Girls at Camp
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"Zan knows the way, so we'll follow her," suggested Jane.
"Don't blame me if we get stuck!" grumbled Zan, as she unwillingly took the lead.
All went well for a short time and Zan began to congratulate the Band upon their speedy arrival at the house. She was about to make a remark of that kind to cheer them when one of her feet sunk down over five inches in water. The bubbling about her foot warned her to pull out quickly.
She did so and jumped back. But the girls behind had not heard the water gurgle and had kept right on after Zan. By the sudden spring backwards, Zan and the girl behind collided and both rolled down in the sodden grass.
"Couldn't you look where you were going!" half-cried Elena, as she tried to crawl upon her feet. One moccasin had dropped off and she could not find it in the tall grass.
"I was looking but it was so dark that the eyes I carry at the back of my head could not see you!" chuckled Zan, to whom a spill more or less in the wet woods meant nothing.
"I'll have my death of cold as it is, to say nothing of walking in bare feet through this soaked grass!" complained Elena.
"Instead of grumbling you ought to be glad you won't get anything worse than your death! Wet feet can't harm you if you've gone the limit, anyway!" retorted Zan, irritatingly.
"I wish my mother knew of the way I am soaked!" Elena continued, whining.
"Well, she won't, thank goodness! She'd use every speck of mustard in our cupboard, and keep us up all night to heat water in which to roll you and the mustard!" Zan replied.
"Are you two going to keep us here all night while you quarrel over some one who isn't here, nor even expected?" asked Jane, peevishly.
Miss Miller had quietly chosen the way back, determined to go about the grove if necessary, so she had not heard the altercation between Elena and Zan.
By taking the round-about way to reach the house the weary and worn Band did not cross the front lawn, but arrived at the back door. As the doors were never locked they soon were indoors and before the fire-place where Nita's log still blazed cheerily up the chimney.
"Girls, have any of you seen Wickee since he followed us to the woods this afternoon?" said Zan, suddenly.
No one had, but all had heard the scratching at the front door.
"He wasn't at camp with us to-night, for he would have begged for supper," added Nita.
Some of the girls ran to the front door and, opening it, displayed Wickee on the door mat. He was perfectly dry and had been camping on the porch in preference to returning through the cold wet woods when his mistress went to camp that afternoon.
As Zan went out to the well to bring in a bucket of water, she called to all of the others, "Oh, come here and see Lake Superior!"
When Miss Miller and the girls reached the porch a strange sight, indeed, met their gaze. The torrents of rain that had fallen could not seep into the ground quickly enough and had run down from the gardens and grove, over the surface, until the lawn was reached. As the front lawn had a decided depression in the centre a lake about an acre in extent was the result.
"Imagine what would have happened if we had stumbled into this in the darkness, coming by the path we generally use?" said Miss Miller.
"We'd have had something worth Elena's crying over," said Jane.
"Well, I don't care, now! I'll be sick anyway after this soaking!" whimpered Elena.
"Indeed you won't! You'll go straight home if you continue that strain of thought here where all of us are proving that health is not subject to wet skins!" replied Miss Miller, sternly.
Elena was so amazed at the unexpected attitude of the Guide that she hurried into the house and said not another word of fear of sickness.
The girls assisted Miss Miller in making hot lemonade to warm their chilled bodies. Then, every one was ordered to rub down thoroughly with Turkish towels, and pop into bed under blankets which had been warmed through before the blazing fire.
No one felt the slightest discomfort from the drenching, but the girls all complained of the closeness of sleeping in rooms. They felt as if they were cramped in boxes.
"I don't know what we shall do at home. I begin to see what Daddy means when he says 'folks don't need over-heated homes and poorly ventilated rooms,'" sighed Zan.
"The doctor is perfectly right, too. Half the ills the present generation suffers from are caused by poor ready-made foods, lack of sufficient exercise through rapid-transit, and the sweetmeats and indolence two-thirds of our women indulge in, to say nothing of late hours, excitement and major evils," added Miss Miller.
"Daddy has written a book on just that subject, Miss Miller! How queer you should speak like he does. He thinks that this generation is using up the vitality and perfect health bestowed upon us by our ancestors, and if we don't start soon to build a fund for ourselves and our descendants we will dwindle into a puny race. That is why he is such a radical for less medicine and more common sense in every-day living," replied Zan.
"Well, we'll all read that book, Zan, when it is ready, and no doubt find out how to live better," said the Guide.
Breakfast was eaten in the house while the welcome sun streamed in at doors and windows, and the birds came out of their refuges and sang blithely to one another.
No one wanted to remain indoors any longer than was necessary, so they started for the Bluff as soon as dishes were washed. The water that had formed the pond on the lawn the night previous had soaked into the ground leaving the lawn a soggy looking place, indeed.
As the Band neared the Bluff the sound of rushing water made them look at each other in surprise.
"Oh, I bet anything, the terrific fall of rain has started a freshet! If it is, girls, it will be wonderful! Do let's run!" shouted Zan, leading the race.
"It is! it is! Look at that torrent pouring down the ravine and falling over the Bluff, Miss Miller!" cried Zan, excitedly, as they came out from the woods.
It certainly was a beautiful sight! The water that rushed down through the ravine roared over the Falls; the pool being encircled by the steep banks turned the water back on itself when it could find no outlet excepting the narrow stream at the lower end. Thus, a miniature whirlpool formed which added greatly to the wildness of the scene.
"Our tents are a fine mess!" exclaimed Elena, disgustedly, seeing the damage made by the wind the night previous.
"Humph! Miss Miller's stood all right! I see now why we should have chosen a spot as Miss Miller did – we, too, could have anchored our tents to the tree-trunks and had a better hold for our stakes than we found in the shallow ground here," admitted Zan, looking over the wreckage.
"I suppose the sooner we get busy rigging things up again, the better it will be for their drying out. All that bedding and the cots have to be dragged out and hung on bushes to dry!" said Jane.
"I'll go down and have Bill come up to help us. We will borrow a line from Mrs. Sherwood and hang the wet bedding on that," offered the Guide.
All that morning was spent in straightening out the damage of the night before, and when, finally, tents were well secured alongside the tent of the Guide, the Band was ready for a big dinner.
The Guide had been attending to the cooking while the girls worked over their tents and beds, and at noon they all sat down to rest and enjoy a well-earned meal.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE COUNCIL FIRE BURNS ON THE DROSS
As the days passed swiftly, filled with wholesome pleasures for the Band, the improvement in each individual was more marked, for the established unity of the work in itself made for greater effort in each.
Perhaps of the five girls, the greatest change was taking place in Nita's consciousness and demeanour. It seemed to her that she had been living in an unreal atmosphere all of her life and but just awakened to the real delight in living. Her being was over-flowing with a deep sense of gratitude for the Guide who had been so patient with her short-comings, and the unusual health, the result of regular hours, simple food, and natural environment, combined to create a joy that Nita could not account for. Quite often, Miss Miller would smile unseen, as she heard Nita trill a few notes of song that hummed through her memory.
The effect of association and the need of habitual watchfulness to overcome faults, made a marvellous improvement in the other girls, so that the Guide was the happiest one of the Band at the result of her experiment with Woodcraft.
Since the day Nita went driving with young Everton, not a sign had come from him, although Bill had said that the young rascal was away for a few weeks, with an aunt at the beach.
Toward the latter part of August, the Band decided to go on a Nature quest, bringing back any new specimen of bug, plant or reptile, they might be so fortunate as to find.
It was a perfect day not too warm, with a dazzling blue sky overhead. The woods and meadows echoed with song, and a general medley of sound from live creatures.
The girls were crossing a marshy bit of ground near the Big Bridge, when Jane caught sight of some beautiful spires of goldenrod, although it was early in the season for it.
"I'm going to pick some for our camp – you can wait or go on slowly!" called she, to the girls who were ahead.
Balancing on a flat stone near the bank she hoped to reach, she found herself directly under a bending mass of the golden bloom. Just as she reached up to pluck at the stem, a huge bumblebee flew out and hummed near her nose.
"Oo-oo! help!" cried Jane almost falling over with fright.
"What's the matter – a water-snake?" laughed Elena.
"No – but an awful big beast! As big and fierce as an eagle!" shouted Jane, laughing at herself, when the bee flew away.
Having secured the rod, Jane hurried after the girls and then confessed that the eagle was but a bumblebee.
"He wouldn't have stung you, Jane, even if you attempted his life! They are too good-natured for their own protection!" said the Guide, as they trudged along the field-path.
"Let's sit down by this hedge and have a story, Miss Miller," suggested Hilda, who loved to hear the Guide's nature stories.
"Just for a few moments, then! We must not waste any time."
"Tell us something about bees, Miss Miller. Now, that our hives have come and we are waiting for a swarm to live in them, we ought to know something about their habits," coaxed Hilda.
So, the Guide told the girls all she could remember from her experience with bees when she was a girl at home. She added, however, that so many wonderful inventions had come to make bee-culture easier and pleasanter since her time, that it would be better to secure a good book about bees. At the conclusion of her short talk, Miss Miller said, "Can any of you tell me what time the bee was first found of value to people?"
No one could, so Miss Miller changed her question. "Well, can you tell me why bees were so carefully guarded in the olden times – in Biblical days, for instance?"
Even this could not be answered by the girls, so Miss Miller explained.
"In those olden days sugar had been unheard of. The only sweetener they used was honey. Should the bees die off there would be no sweets. Consequently, people were most careful of their bees. Very few people to-day realise that honey used in cake instead of sugar keeps the cake much fresher and the flavour is richer."
Miss Miller got up from the grass and warned her charges that they would arrive nowhere if they did not start. With a general laugh at the Guide's eagerness to get somewhere, the girls jumped up, shook their short skirts and resumed the hike.
They reached the road that passed Hamilton's farm and had just turned down a narrow path that led across fields toward a wonderful wooded hill, with three of the girls leading, and Zan on the left side, Nita on the right side of the Guide, when Nita exclaimed at a gorgeous butterfly that flew over her head.
Catching the butterfly net from Zan's hand, she chased it, running swiftly down the pathway past the other girls. No sooner had she started off than a horse was heard galloping on the soft sod back of the Guide.
Miss Miller turned and saw a rider coming directly toward her. Thinking it might be a telegram or other message for her, she turned to meet him. As soon as she came within good sight of the rider, however, she saw to her chagrin that it was young Everton. She stood right in the path wondering what to do.
Everton rode up and expected the Guide to move out of his way. She, however, had made up her mind what to do.
"Beg pardon, are you eager to reach any destination?" asked the Guide, holding her ground so that the young man had to rein in his horse sharply.
"I am anxious to reach a friend of mine – but I do not see how that concerns you!" retorted the insolent youth.
Miss Miller noted the glint in the eyes that Nita had spoken of, and she recognised at once the peculiar power some had of hypnotic control so fatal to peace and happiness of others when employed for vicious ends instead of worthy help. She noted the deep-orange stain on fingers as well as the twitching of muscles and sallowness of skin that came from nicotine. Even his horse rebelled against the nervous twitching of hands that lacked the strength to control anything, least of all his own animal instincts.
"Young man, I have every reason to believe that you are molesting a young girl placed in my charge. Therefore, I must ask you to turn about and ride the other way, as we shall not allow you to communicate again with Nita," said Miss Miller, sternly.
"I refuse to acknowledge any authority from you! I don't know you, nor do you know me, although I have heard said that an impecunious school-marm is acting as governess to a few girls at the Baker farm," sneered the young man.
Zan was up in arms at once, but Miss Miller was not one to take offence, especially when the insult came from a source she thought less than the dirt under her feet.
"Zan, will you run after Nita and ask her if she wishes to meet this – this, ahem – creature! If she does not and he persists in annoying us he will be taught the penalty of a highwayman!"
The rider sneered again but wondered why the woman hesitated over his name. Had he but known that Miss Miller refused to give him the privilege of being called a man, and a boy was too innocent a name for him – thus her hesitation!
Nita was running back with her captured prize when Zan met her and hastily explained. Nita blanched and clung to Zan's arm. "Oh, I never want to meet him again! What shall I do?"
Everton had been idly flicking his crop over the nervous young mare's ears, and the animal resented it by pawing the ground. He took pleasure in watching the mare snort, so he persisted. Without further warning the young animal gave a side jump, cleared the low rim of brush that fringed the bank and galloped wildly across the broken field. The rider evidently lost control of his mount, for the horse soon came to the stream where it turned back to cross the road near Hamilton's farm.
Miss Miller and the girls had climbed the bank and were watching the unexpected ending of the interview. Without a second's hesitation the horse plunged down into the river and struggled through the water, up the opposite bank and on, on toward the barns where it had been reared.
The Guide saw it pass the gate-posts safely, then turned with a sigh of relief and hurried to join Nita, who was all alone when the incident took place.
"Oh, Miss Miller! what a queer ending to that talk!" breathed Nita, although she had not heard the drift of the conversation.
"Nita, let this incident prove to you that the Great Spirit will help and protect you in every way if you will only try to do your part and remain obedient to His loving ways. I was pondering how to get rid of young Everton and save you from any unpleasantness at the same time, when the matter was taken out of my hands entirely and disposed of by One who knows!"
The incident made a deep impression on all of the girls, and the walk was continued in silence for a time.
The birds and bees and gay butterflies, however, soon loosened their tongues and by the time the mountain was reached they were as happy as ever.
As they crossed a glade on the mountain side, the Guide heard a familiar buzzing from the direction of an old burnt-off stump of a hollow tree. She crept toward it softly, and held up a warning hand for the girls to keep quiet. They tip-toed after her quietly, and when she smiled they wanted to know what was the trouble.
"A wild-bees' nest in that tree! From the noise, I should say it was a large one, getting ready to leave and swarm. If only we had a hive here, we might get it! However, we will get the honey-comb when the bees come out and that will be a treat!"
"How can you tell when they're out?" asked Zan.
"When they swarm they always leave the comb. If they fly to another tree this home will be left alone," said Miss Miller.
"Miss Miller, I'm so anxious to start bee-culture that I'm wiling to run back and bring a hive here!" exclaimed Jane.
"Let me go with her to help?" cried Zan.
"Isn't it too far girls?" wondered the Guide.
"No – we'll hurry Bill into hooking up Cheokee to his light buck-board and drive back with the hive, across the path we just came by. From there to this place is not far!"
"Well, all right! Then we'll wait here and watch where the bees fly!" said the Guide, but the two girls had already left the place.
The girls sat down to wait and watch while the Guide explained many peculiarities of bees. In an incredibly short time Bill came back with the hive, the girls following with a wire mask and gloves and a tin pan.
Miss Miller was amazed at their return and Zan said, laughing at their faces "We met Mr. Hamilton drivin' to Bill's house. He wanted to buy some of Bill's leghorn hens, so we caught a ride all the way home. While Bill got the hive and tools we hooked up the horse and here we are!"
"An' just in time, too! Them bees is goin' t' swarm right clost by, Miss Miller, 'cause th' Queen is hangin' round that tree like as if she didn't want t' let go of it!" said Bill.
And so it proved. The queen soon fluttered away and circled about the glade for a few moments, then settled on a low-hanging bough of wild cherry tree. Instantly, a mass of buzzing, living creatures settled about her and the swarm was on – full blast!
When it had been successfully hived and the girls drew a long breath once more, Bill cracked his hands together in token of congratulation for himself.
"That's th' neatest job I ever did on bees! Not a single mishap, and th' queen in that as happy as can be!"
The hive was very carefully taken to the buck-board and two of the girls jumped up in the back to steady it on the way to camp, for Bill said it must not be jostled in the least.
The hive was placed just below the Bluff where the sun shone warmly upon it, and the rocks sheltered it from storms. The mass of honey taken from the hollow tree was placed in the pan and carried back, the other two girls and Miss Miller taking turns in carrying it.
A new interest thus created made the next week fly on wings, and the Band found to their chagrin and deep concern that September was fast approaching when they must break camp and return to the city.
"Oh, Miss Miller I shall never be able to breathe indoors again!" wailed Zan.
"And to think of wearing corsets and heeled shoes again! Oh, girls, what shall we do after this freedom!" added Jane, woefully.
"Oh, Miss Miller! do you remember the day we took our coup for the walking within the hour – how Nita had to sit down and take off her high-heeled slippers, rub her feet and go back in the wagon with you!" and Elena laughed at the memory.
"It wasn't so funny that day, Elena, but I've learned lots of things since then, and won a walking coup, too!" laughed Nita.
"And I noticed that you never wore those high-heeled slippers again!" added Zan.
"And never expect to again! I've found out what solid comfort I have missed in wearing freak shoes instead of sensible ones!" commented Nita.
All these things pleased Miss Miller immensely, for she saw permanent good in the summer's work. But one of the unlooked-for results of the camp that summer was revealed just before the Band prepared to pack up. Mrs. Sherwood came up one day and said, with tears in her eyes, how she would miss the happy family on the Bluff.
"Why," said she, turning to the Guide, "even Bill and me tried your new-fangled idee of sleepin' on'y we pulled our bed out on the porch. And say, Miss Miller, it really air fine, ain't it!"
"Do you mean to say that you have been sleeping out of doors, and never won a coup!" cried Zan, laughing.
"I don't know what your coo means, but I know we both like the nice sweet air of summer nights!" said Mrs. Sherwood.
"Do you still sleep on feathers?" asked the Guide.
"Naow, that's anuther queer thing! The first nights the featherbed was all right! Then Bill began squirmin' and sayin' it was too heatin'. Then I felt the same way, so we took it off one night and slept a heap better on the mattrass. Sense that, we've ben usin' th' plain mattrass!"
"Stick to it, and never go back to feather-beds, Mrs. Sherwood, and you'll feel a hundred percent better this winter," advised the Guide.
"Bill said somethin' 'bout your sayin' I ought to git rid of my stiff joints, an' d'ye know, girls! Sense I have hed to climb up an' down this hill so much every day, I reely am feelin' limber again! I'm shore I tuck off at least twenty pounds extra fat durin' this summer!" exclaimed the simple woman, gladly.
"My! That is some reducer! It ought to be advised to city folks who spend money on massage and Turkish baths!" laughed Hilda, while some of the girls thought to themselves that Mrs. Sherwood could lose another fifty pounds and not miss it.
The day before the Band planned to start back to the city, a letter came from the doctor saying that a whole Tribe of girls were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Band of Wickeecheokee girls, each one eager to plead to be taken in the Band for the winter work.
Miss Miller laughed at the picture drawn by the doctor, and Zan pouted.
"We won't have half the fun when a lot of others are in with us!" complained Jane.
"Oh, yes, we will! The more the merrier! You have had such a nice time this summer, that you feel there can never be another as good. And, of course, twenty girls would be too many for the Bluff or the Farm," said the Guide.
"Why don't you think we shall come here again next summer?" asked Elena, sadly.
"Wait till you hear of the plan Dr. Baker and I have for the Tribe. You will be so far advanced in Woodcraft by that time that you will want to broaden out and follow after some of the big achievements planned by the Head Council in New York. Even this winter, you will often think of this summer and smile at the childish fears and foibles!" said Miss Miller, smiling.
Those last days a general washing had taken place. All the canvas, bedding, clothing and other things were washed in the stream just below the willow, Mrs. Sherwood assisting in all of the work. Toward evening Bill's horse was brought up and the Guide's patent cradle was used to carry the camp outfits back to the barn. It had been decided to store all tents and camping things on the farm until the next summer, so it spared Miss Miller a great deal of trouble.
The Bluff was finally left as free of any camp-signs as it had been before the Band arrived, all excepting the log cabin which had been completed and stood as a strong memorial of some girls' persistent effort and ideals.
And Miss Miller said, "No good Woodcrafter ever left a camp-spot in a disorderly condition. It must be vacated and left in as neat and clean a manner as Nature provided it."
Wickee was going back to the city with Zan and live at her house, but Cheokee was to be sent back to pasture on the Hamilton farm. It seemed as if the dear old horse knew the time for his friends' departure was nigh, for all the night previous to their leaving, he whinnied as he stood with his head over the lower half of the barn-door, watching every movement of the girls as they went in and out of the house. Finally, Zan said she could not stand Cheokee's mourning any longer, so she took Wickee with her and went up and had a long talk with the faithful old horse. Wickee was told to remain and keep Cheokee company that night, and she came out closing the barn door behind her.